Sunday, June 9, 1996
So it’s goodbye for now, a time to leave memories behind
For the past few weeks I’ve been counting down: Three weeks
until graduation … two weeks … one … and now it’s here.
I can hardly believe it. (Neither can my roomies). Four years
and what’s happened besides everything? Nothing much.
September 29, 1992. A timid girl enters 429 on Hedrick Hall’s 4
North and things will never be the same.
Nightly dinners with the floor … Bizarre conversations …
"I’m thinking about becoming an ob/gyn" … getting stuck in the
sculpture gardens at 10 p.m. … The Bruin … Cinnamon buns and
hash browns … Soft serve … "Another fire drill? It’s 2 a.m."
… A sliced finger and several stitches … Adorable, Jesus and
Mary Chain, Bel Canto, Ride … "Who are these people?" "Oh come
on. You know: ‘I wanna die just like Jesus Christ.’" "Uh, sure."
… Another play … A confrontation (or two) … "Let me get this
straight. You want to get out of the Theater Department?" "Yeah."
"Well that’s a first." … We have to get out of here; there’s no
way I’m spending another year in the dorms." … And the search
begins.
Suddenly it’s second year: A new apartment … Short hair and a
tattoo … Two sets of bunk beds … A car and a promotion … A
surprise party … Fires … Strawberry cheesecake at The Abbey …
"I’m not pre-med anymore." … Club ’70s … A blowout … An
earthquake … It’s already winter quarter … A realization … A
week of tears and disbelief … A shoulder to cry on and a new road
to travel … "I’ve gone back to pre-med." … More plays … A
week in Palm Springs with the Baker women … A position at the
Orange County Register … "You’re the theater critic. You must
know Stephen Sondheim." "Who?" … An internship at ABC and one
across the sea … Chicken pox … A totaled car and an apartment
without air conditioning … Another year has ended and a new one
begun.
More plays … The Bruin’s changing of the guards: "Your writing
needs some work." Â Tutoring begins … The Acting track and
"King Stag" … A velvet cape … The liquor cabinet begins to form
… More dinner parties … Ophir gets a few more roommates … A
ski trip with the Bruin … New Year’s Eve in the Stockton Street
Garage … another 21st … The ’20s and vintage clothing …
Massage trains … "Couch pictures" … A garden started … And
stolen … A camping trip  10 minutes from Ralphs … A trend
in Black and White … "This is not a guilt trip!" … Another
tear-jerking good-bye … Skinny dipping at Sunset Rec … Soul
Searching in Indonesia … Another acting program in New York …
The Whitney Museum … Press Tour … Pneumonia and Mono … A
summer of hell bridges the gap to:
The Final Chapter.
"From now on you’ll only get paid for five stories." … Two
more turn 21 … Tequila poppers! … The quarter of ’20s classes
… Happy Hour at Acapulco’s … Experiments on rats … Teaching
at the Elementary School … Applications to Grad School … "Dad
and I were talking and we thought law school." "Try again Mom." …
Too many auditions … Another play … The Uninvited on Saturday
nights … Make sure all the classes are accounted for … Another
New Year’s in San Francisco … "Hudson Street" beats the Bruin …
Forgotten car insurance at the border … Monday Margarita nights
… Cort/Madden … Trouble in Paradise … Bickering … Venting
… Job opportunities … Columbia … A.C.T. … "I’m taking a
year off." … A new roommate and apartment … The emotional
roller coaster ride begins … A cap and gown.
Two more weeks … the last paper of my educational career …
Another scene.
One more week … Cards … Presents … Finals.
The cap is thrown. Down the champagne and pack the suitcase.
A wise woman once said "You know, it’s not goodbye forever. It’s
just goodbye for now."
Another UCLA student bids farewell. Can’t say all the times were
good, but they were definitely memorable.
So, I guess there’s only one thing left to say:
"Goodbye … for now."
Richmond, an English graduate, was the Arts and Entertainment
theater critic for three years.