“What a Wonderful World” it can be

“You gotta check this out,” my friend Walter Blank said.

It was the Spring of 1988, we were in the lounge of 10th Kelsey in student residence at the University of Alberta, and MuchMusic was on.

I looked over at the TV and saw a black and white photo of Louis Armstrong singing. It was not what was normally on MuchMusic.

It piqued my interest.

Earlier tonight, I was playing cribbage with my spouse. We were listening to a play list of hers when this song started playing.

It was “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, and it instantly took me back to the time I first heard the song.

Reading Week ‘88
First year of university was going extremely well. I had met a lot of new people, experienced new things, got the hang of academic life, and was having a great time living in res with Chris Vining, my best friend and roommate.

First semester ended at Christmas, unlike high school which went another month or so into the new year. Second semester also brought something new – Reading Week.

I hadn’t been to any orientation so, at first, I had no idea what it was. I soon learned from senior students that Reading Week came in February. It was designed as a week to provide a stress relief for the pressures of school. The week also coincided with my birthday.

So many people had plans for Reading Week. The Olympic Winter Games were going on in Calgary, so some people were heading there. I had the chance to go, but I was too damn scared. The excuse I used was that I had an essay due in my History 200 class, and the professor gave me an extension beyond the Friday before Reading Week.

Vining was also in History 200, and was itching to get out of town. He finished his essay Saturday, slipped it under our teaching assistant’s office door, and took off.

I dragged it out because I really didn’t want to go anywhere. I was just too scared. So, I handed in my essay on my Monday morning at the history department office. I told myself that was so I knew it got there.

I also looked forward to hanging around res when it was completely empty.

On Wednesday, I got a call from Vining from Coaldale, our home town.

We had this mutual friend from high school, Walter Blank, who was in Grade 12 and coming to campus for an orientation on Thursday and Friday. Vining said Walter could use his bed.

It turned out to be a pretty cool weekend.

Special guest
Walter showed up on Thursday and I immediately showed him around our floor – the lounge, or TV room; the service centre, where the washers, dryers, microwave and communal fridge were; our wing with the communal bathroom; and our room 1010 Kelsey Hall.

He put down his stuff, and we kind of hung out. People on my floor who had gone away for Reading Week were beginning to drift back, so Walter met all of them. They were all so nice and inviting too. They asked what he was planning to study. When he said cell biotechnology, they didn’t flinch or hesitate, like people in Coaldale might react.

That night, we were watching TV, but didn’t stay up too late because Walter had orientation sessions all day. He went off to those the next day, while I hung around campus, watching TV, playing basketball at the Butterdome, and whatever else occupied my time then.

Walter came back and hung out on our floor again. He fit right in, watching TV with a bunch of the guys. I was doing something in my room when he came in and said he was having a good time with Scott and Avi, two guys on my floor. He was grabbing some money.

One of the things Avi in particular liked to do was order lasagne from Roadrunner Pizza. It was this restaurant that shamelessly distributed their flyers and takeout menus under the doors of our rooms.

“We’re ordering from Roadrunner Pizza,” Walter said.

He had arrived. He was fitting right in.

Later that night, we were all out in the lounge watching MuchMusic.

That’s when Walter pointed to the TV, and “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.

The song
Walter said “What a Wonderful World” had made a comeback on the soundtrack of “Good Morning, Vietnam”. It was a movie starring Robin Williams as an armed forces radio announcer during the Vietnam War.

The song was reissued after appearing in the movie and went all the way to number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It had originally been released by Louis Armstrong in 1967.

Post Script
Walter started university in the Fall of 1988 – and lived in res. Some of my floormates from the year before were still living in res and they always said hi to him. He lived in a different tower, on the Fourth Floor of Mackenzie Hall, and I went to see him regularly.

He did get that degree in cell biotechnology, and a masters and Phd. The last time I saw him, he was working at Tufts University in Massachusetts where I am sure he was a lecturer and researcher.

Parting thoughts
Hearing “What a Wonderful World” always makes me think back to that Reading Week of 1988, and showing Walter Blank the ropes.

I wanted to help him out, because I never got an actual orientation to campus. That would be the same motivation for becoming floor coordinator the next year.

Maybe for me it was some small contribution to making a wonderful world.