Meeting Doug

Sunday, May 07, 2006continuation of meeting Doug for the first time Current mood: contemplative .....basically the only time I would see Doug initially was during breakfast and lunch periods when he came by visiting Alan and Andrew. We didn't have any classes together that first year of meeting and since his last name started with Mi (mine Me) he ended up split off in a different home-room. We'd 'hey' each other after that first week whenever we passed each other in the halls. I noticed that he was pretty active with the teachers and was always leaving lunch to go run an errand or set up a TV in some class. I wondered aloud about that one day and he said he was on the AV squad. (The AV squad is geekdom). Slowly but surely we got closer and he ended up describing his interactions with the teachers, running the mimeograph machines for them, running occasional errands, and then the 'hook'...he had a special pass. I wanted in, was thereafter initiated, and then inducted into this 'cult' by the program proctor. The pass, though it was a small 2-1/4x3" piece of green card-stock paper, to me was as good as a police sheild. It authorized its holder to pull over any hallway speeders, issue summonses, cuff the killers, my car was authorized to have red lights and sirens (it was a kick to day-dream about all those special authorities it gave, though not actually providing.) This 'badge' was emblazoned with "Brookside Junior High School Audio Visual Squad - Member" It further had a small area of text on the reverse side which went something like "This duly authorized member should be granted any and all necessary privileges when requested. He/she has been tasked with providing audio-visual equipment and emergency repair to teachers and staff throughout the school. Your understanding is greatly appreciated. Any questions please call Mr. Goldman".What it did for us? Alot. While we became geeks incarnate, we worked hard for what we got. We converted spare school closets into club houses. We recycled desks. "Acquired" chairs, refrigerators, spare tv's. We had master keys to virtually every room in the building. We arrived at school an hour before classes started. We left on-time (haha). (we were able to leave on time because we would work with the teachers to find out when and what period they would finish needing the equipment. We would leave our then in-session classes 10 - 15 minutes early and pickup the equipment loaned out for that day and begin storing for the evening. On days we knew we didn't want to stay late, we would 'deny' requestes for equipment. (The requests were sent back with 'requests full' or 'units our for repair.' The teachers we liked or who were 'pretty', received the best of the best and the most attention. (Doug had a special affinity for Ms. - I forget her name). We were asked to mimeo tests in advance of them, on the condition that our honor would be held by not looking at the text of what were were copying. (Ha - we scamed the teachers and made sure we knew who in our club had that class that day and lost some of those copies. We did know enough though to make sure we got just enough questions wrong not to arouse suspicion. We were geeks, and that made us smart and cunning as well.) All of the members were well liked by all the teachers and staff. We provided valuable services. We got away with murder.