enss; silu 4.noqD POTPOURRI Graduating seniors face trauma of 'the real world' By MARY COX Staff Writer For four and a half years, I've waited for my time to come. I've bought my share of graduation cards and gifts for friends who've come and gone, but now it's my turn. I remember when I was a junior I told myself I'd never be an obnoxious senior who constantly talked about not taking finals or how much spare time I had on my hands. No talk of dead el ephants for me. I promised myself I'd quietly rejoice and be hum ble and gracious. But I was younger then. I'm still pretty humble about this whole graduation process, but maybe that's got something to do with the 43 I made on my last stat test. That's enough to humble the heartiest of elephants. I guess I've spent too much class time daydreaming. And some times my dreams of graduation gifts and instant maturity turn into nightmares. I can just picture the registrar's office calling me early one morning, informing me of a grave error in my records. My heart pounds furiously as I hear some woman's voice telling me I can t graduate. After I snap back into reality, I'm always bummed for a little while. I play the deadly 'what if game in my mind — trying to imagine any and every situation that might keep me from grad uating.. All this should indicate that I'm very insecure about all this, and if you can't understand, then you're either an underclassman or a confident graduating senior with a job lined up. Fear does funny things to people. While it motivates some, it paralyzes me. Oh, I'm excited about graduation, but I'm scared. Scared of what, I'm not sure. But I do have my cocky times, the ones I vowed I'd never inflict on anyone. My favorite is to ask people when they're planning to graduate, when you know good and well they won't be graduat ing soon. This question almost always boomerangs back to you, and then you can proudly say "December." Some feign happi ness for you, but some don't care enough to even fake it. After all, you can't expect others to be as excited about your graduation as you are. I also show off my graduation cockiness by taking it upon my self to mention how many tests I have left and how many days stand between me and graduation. This is always effective in making someone with an especially tough semester hate you. Then they vow never to be as obnoxious as you are. But you non-graduating peers can beat us seniors at our own game. I ve found the most effective jab a non-graduating student can deliver is to ask us if we have a job yet. That's all it takes to put most seniors in their place. But let us enjoy it. All the pressure to find a job and be a pay ing member of the Teal world' is something pretty new to us. We need the security of this environment that's been so familiar for so long to build our confidence to move on to something unfamiliar and new. Humor us and look forward to your turn. □ Horse-faced dreamboat? The fan mail pours in from young girls everywhere, from Emi- lys and Heathers and Laurens and Tiffanies. Some send hugs and kisses, to be delivered by proxy, along with promises of un dying love. Others send drawings. One sent $5, to be spent on "carrots and things." This latest adolescent heartthrob doesn't live in Hollywood, and he isn't a rock star. He lives in Jackson, Ohio, and he is a horse. He's Sam I Am, a 3-year-old registered paint horse, and at last count, he had 522 owners. Yes, just like Seattle Slew, Northern Dancer, and other high-priced thoroughbreds, Sam I Am, valued at about $2,00C, is syndicate property. He's owned by a growing gaggle of horse-crazy girls who have paid $23.95 per share for a scale model of Sam, a share holder's certificate, and the right to visit, brush, photograph, and sit upon Sam. The syndication of Sam was the brainstorm of Beverley Hen derson, whose husband Jerry, a breeder of standardbreds, ac quired Sam in exchange for a saddle. The little paint horse didn't fit into the farm's breeding program, but Beverley couldn't bring herself to part with him. "This is a working farm, not a gentleman's farm, and every thing we have must be of use," she explains. Remembering Jier own horseless childhood, she decided to fulfill the dream of "ow nership” for other children. With the help of a lawyer, she formed Sam and Co. Inc. and issued shares now being sold through a handful of retail stores and magazine ads. Since the shares became available last October, more than 500 have been sold, all of which shows that in this era of video games and space toys, visions of Black Beauty live on in the hearts and minds of American kids. □ TOP 10 Best-selling records of the week of Oct. 25 based on Cashbox magazine's nationwide survey: 1. "Take On Me," A-Ha 2. "Money For Nothing," Dire Straits 3. "Part-Time Lover," Stevie Wonder 4. "Miami Vice Theme," Jan Hammer 5. "Saving All My Love For You," Whitney Houston 6. "Oh Sheila," Ready For the World 7. "Head Over Heels," Tears for Fears 8. "Cherish," Kool and the Gang 9. "I'm Goin' Down," Bruce Springsteen 10. "Fortress Around Your Heart," Sting at ease let us sell your goods, call 845-2611 to advertise. call 845-2611 to advertise at ease ask for it by name You've seen an elephant walk! 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