Saddleback Community College Lariat: 1977 – 1978

I RETURNED HOME FROM KEY WEST AND THE ARMY, moving back in with my folks to figure out what to do next. My father wasn't all that pleased, but there it is. Mom was working at the community college in accounting, retiring years later pretty much as top dog, and told me there was this government program starting up at the college: CETA Graphics and Printing Technology and said I should look into it. This is interesting as during my post-Army time in Key West I had responded to an ad in the Citizen for a graphic artist at a local company - Key West Frangrance and Cosmetics. I brought some sample of artwork. They said, sure that's nice, but we need someone with reprographics knowledge and experience. Well, now's my chance. I learned the fundamentals of graphic design and printing technology, which is pretty much what I did for my working career. Thanks Mom. Graphics and printing are technical skills. You don't really need artistic abilities, though obviously helpful. But if you do, all the better. By January 1978 it was time to intern in some graphics capacity. I lucked out and got the USMC Airbase El Toro and made signs, labels, table tents and other repro stuff. I even got an ID to get on base – traded an Army ID for a Marine Corp ID, but for just two weeks. All said, I am grateful and appreciate the program – I truly am a goverment program success story.

I got in the program and over the course of a month or so started nosing around the student paper, the Lariat; and they let me. Over the next six or so months I took pictures, developed film, and contributed some articles and cartoons for the paper. By now I had actually enrolled in the collge and was taking courses as well as the CETA program. This would have gone on until graduation but I took a walk with the devil and spiraled to the point of either losing my life or getting out of Dodge. I fled SoCal, never really to return other than visiting the family.

The left and right photos are in the CETA classroom - the AB Dick printing press is in the background. There was also a Chief 15 press we learned on. I ran both presses in future printing positions in Oroville, WWU in Bellingham, and in Lynden. The middle is the Lariat newsroom with smiling managing editor Sharon Soesbe. We kept in touch off and on over the years. I'm in the back, still wearing the necklace I made in Key West.

Hidden away in some folder, in some box I'd been carrying around for nearly 50 years I found a 6x9 manilla envelope labeled "The Lariat, Saddleback Com College," a treasure trove of clippings from the Lariat, the aforementioned cartoons and articles; but the pickings were rather sparce: a couple cartoons, a poem, and two articles, one that garnered some heated responses from readers. Now, one thing every publication I've worked with loves is the conversation driven by its content, and I'd say good or bad. You want to know folks are reading it. My article was a bit over the top, but I was on staff at the time, and we published it. I don't recall how editorial felt nearly 50 years ago, but a few readers were incensed. Enough said.