31 Days of Horror T-Shirts - Day 14

Chilly today. Brrr. Chilly and damp. Typical Northeastern Ohio fall weather.

So, in lieu of a t-shirt, I'm going with a horror themed sweatshirt.

What better way to fight the cold than with a sweatshirt from everyone's favorite school of higher learning? Its dark bricks, its ivied walls, its library that holds some of the most ancient, insanity inducing tomes ever laid to paper.

I'm of course talking about Miskatonic University -- HP Lovecraft's eldritch seat of learning in gable-roofed and decaying Arkam MA.

Funny story. Back in high school, the guidance counselors sent out a form for the students interested in college. They asked for our top five picks and what we were thinking about majoring in. They would, in turn, get us the brochures, application packets, and entrance information for the schools. They'd then help us apply and get accepted. This was, of course, in the days before the internet, so you had to mail away for all that stuff.

Anyway, the whole process was a good idea in theory. Until you take into account smart ass geeks like myself and my friends.

I put down that I was interested in Pre-Med, English, or Criminal Justice and wanted info on Bowling Green State University as my first choice, Miami of Ohio as my second, Ohio University and, last, if there was no way into the others, Kent State.

Then, as an afterthought, in the fifth place, I put Miskatonic University because I'd heard good things about their Medieval Metaphysics program. I didn't think much about it besides the fact that my friends and I would laugh about it.

I had, in fact, already been accepted to BGSU... so I was just going through the motions.

Until I was called to the guidance counselor's office. The conversation went something like this.

Counselor: Zombie, I can't seem to locate anything on this... (reading)... Miskatonic University.
Zombie: Really? Well that's ok... I.. uh it's my last choice anyway.
Counselor: Well, I want to make sure we look at all of your options. It's the only out of state school you listed. Can you tell me a little bit about it.
Zombie: Uh. It's a small college in Massachussetts. It was actually one of the first founded in New England.
Counselor: And why did you want to go there?
Zombie: Um. For Medieval Metaphysics. They have the only program for it.
Counselor: Medieval Metaphysics? That's a new one.
Zombie: My Uncle Howard Phillips went there a few years back. That's why I liked it. He... ummm.. talked very highly of it and it's academic excellence.
Counselor: Well, I'll see what else I can find.
Zombie: That's fine. Like I said, I'm probably staying in state anyway...

So I went back to the geek hut (mine and my friends' table at lunch) and laughed about it.

Damn, though, if the guidance counselor didn't think I was serious. Every time I saw him the rest of the year, he said he was working on it.

I didn't have the heart to tell him the truth.

And, truthfully, if Miskatonic University were real... I can't say I wouldn't have tried to apply there anyway...