I think I have spent half my time the last two days sorting out materials from what I am calling the "Clash of '87." That was when the administration of Tulane University decided that instead of Newcomb being a separate women's Liberal Arts college under the Tulane University heading, it would combine the faculties of the men's (Tulane) and women's (Newcomb) colleges of Arts and Sciences.

Oh my but that made quite a stir. In effect, the students were mingled in classes. Newcomb lost part of its unique identity as the first coordinate women's college within a men's college. (Columbia followed with Barnard, Harvard with Radcliffe, etc.) There were frequent letters to all Newcomb alumnae, multi-page mailings to faculty, articles in newspapers and magazines--you name it.

And the Alumnae Files that I'm currently working with are stuffed to the gills with it!

Fortunately I got together with the archivist for some guidelines on how much of the stuff needs to be kept. We settled on two copies of things. And only end of the year statements from financial institutions. No need to keep every cancelled check and every deposit slip. (They've been filed for the last thirty years or so.) Probably some student will get to run all that stuff through the shredder. I also learned that if I think stuff should be copied (such as brittle newspaper clippings or carbon copies on cheap paper) I just have to put them in a folder, with instructions, and some of the paid student workers will do it.

And I'd be willing to lay odds that the current "clash" (in which Newcomb College will disappear completely) is generating even more in the way of "memorabilia."

The really big news regarding my commute is that this morning all the traffic lights were working on S. Claiborne!! This made for much smoother driving than stopping at every intersection. I don't know that it saved any time, because you stop a lot longer for a red light than to let someone cross in the other direction, but it was another small return to 21st century "normality." I'd hate to have the "new normal" be one without traffic lights!

When I got home this afternoon I quickly realized that it had gotten fairly warm during the day--my furnace fan was cycling on to cool down the firebox--and push hot air throughout the house. Once I turn the pilot off that won't be a problem, but we're sure to have at least a couple of cool nights before it gets solidly into spring.

One of the negatives about letting Bad Cat "escape" the house is that she has brought friends home--fleas. Tomorrow's to-do list has Frontline Beasts at the top of it. (And flea-spray the carpets.)

What an exciting thing to look forward to!