Oldsters Staying In-Touch

I had not talked to him for sometime so I telephoned. Now 'him' is my former roommate/teammate at Illinois State University in the late 1950's and before that my Southwestern Conference high school basketball adversary, Kenneth 'Buzz' Shaw. Buzz and I first met as high school competitors. I played basketball for the East St. Louis 'Flyers' while Buzz played for the Edwardsville 'Tigers.' The Year was 1955-56, our junior seasons. That year Edwardsville lost the IHSA Basketball State Title game to Rockford West.  Two of Shaw's Edwardsville teammates would later be the first African-Americans to start for the University of Illinois. I refer to Governor Vaughn and Mannie Jackson, who later owned the Harlem Globetrotters. Actually, U. Of I. Coach Harry Combes had a deep connection in the 1950's with East St. Louis and Edwardsville. In the early '50's sharpshooter, Billy Altenberger (East St. Louis) wore the Illini colors and towards the end of the decade, the U. Of I. public  announcer would call out three Orange & Blue starters who hailed from Edwardsville, Don Ohl, Gov Vaughn and Mannie Jackson. Billy Altenberger was later an attorney and judge living  in Peoria, Illinois whose son played high school basketball at Richwoods. Yes, Doug Altenberger followed his dad's pathway to the Fighting Illini round ball program.

Shaw and I were recruited by ISU coaches Jim Collie ( Basketball) and I was also tabbed by baseball coach Harold Frey. Shaw made his mark on the hardwoods while my greater successes came on the diamond. We roomed together two years and later I was Best Man in Buzz and Mary Ann's wedding. Buzz taught and coached lower-level high school basketball for a few years but was destined for   higher education administration. He would later serve SIUC/SIUE as President/Chancellor, Wisconsin University as Chancellor and conclude with a 17-year stint as Chancellor of Syracuse University. My wife, Gerry and Buzz and Mary Ann have stayed 'in-touch through the years and now find more visiting time to visit in these 'glide'myears. Okay, back to the telephone call.

When Shaw picked up his telephone that afternoon, I immediately realized that I had inadvertently 'face-timed' my friend. I say inadvertently because those who know me know well that if anything has more moving parts than a watermelon, I'm screwed. The one person I know who is less manually capable than I is the guy whose face is now staring at mine.

The conversation...
Buzz: "Who is that I'm seeing in my phone?"
Mel: "It's me, Roustio."
Buzz: "How'd that happen?"
Mel: "I have no idea."
Buzz: "Damn, you look old."
Mel: "I know, it's scary at this end, too."

We continued for the better part of an hour discussing things that people who look as old as us discuss. Aches & pains, kids & grandkids, politics and the state of education, which certainly  connects to today's politics more than at any other time in our nation's history.

Having solved at least a third of the nation's issues,we agreed on two things: 1) We would both attempt to research the logic behind our government leaders telling people who disagree with government policy to "leave the country" while telling people at our southern border seeking asylum "not to leave their countries." 2) We would not face-time in the future.