161219 December 19, 2016

        Memphis, TN - I regret we did not get any more information about the passing of Jim Myrick, but I am at least glad we found out about his passing. I had the privilege of visiting with Jim during a Veteran's Day Parade in Huntsville a few years ago when he was riding with the Patriot Guard Riders.

        I was able to go back and inset Ronald Hingenitz's picture in last week's issue for those who wish to view it.

        I am continuing with the series on why our classmates picked the college they picked after graduation, and will publish them in the order in which they were received.

        I just returned from a five-day cruise and am trying to catch up with some Christmas preparations so  this issue may reflect my panic.

I Picked Auburn

Skip Cook

LHS '64

        Why did I chose Auburn is a good question.  I was driven by my parents to go to college because neither one of them did.  The fact that my mother never graduated from high school probably had a part in my parents pushing me so hard to go to college.  I was a lazy student at LHS but always seemed to do okay in math and science.  Our guidance counselor, Mrs. Webster said that I should consider engineering as a career because of that.  She recommended Auburn and Alabama.  

        Bobby Cochran and I made a trip to Auburn and liked it.  It didn’t hurt any that Rainer announced that he was going to Auburn as well.  I never applied anywhere else....did I say I was lazy?  

        I spent a lot of time at Terry Lee’s house in Lakewood and his dad, Charlie, was an engineer.  Charlie Lee was an upbeat, fun person, who always drove sharp cars.  Somewhere in my reptilian brain, I probably put engineering as a career and cool cars together and that probably nailed it.  I wish I could say that I excelled at Auburn in engineering but that is far from the truth....the lazy kicked in again.

        College football, beer, and other distractions got in the way of grades.  Sophomore year at Auburn brought John Drummond and Ken Megginson to campus.  Rainer and I roomed together and it was a strong LHS connection in the Campus Inn apartment complex.  All of those guys made Auburn a comfortable place to be for me. 

        It wasn’t keen analytical skills, or a burning desire to be the best, but simply happenstance that connected me to Auburn.  As a side note, I was at Auburn for 5 football seasons (1964-1968)....Auburn lost to Alabama each of those years.  Probably a good thing that I didn’t got to Alabama.