November 27, 1997 Thursday
Jake is quite the creative guy. In fact, he made up most of our residence floor’s names and slogans. He named Alec Dickerson “Collinsville,” he named the two Davids “Lil’ D” and “Big D.” He gave Dan Franks the moniker “Korn,” and first stated “Fourth Floor Love.” I get my own nickname from him too, “Artist.”
Jake is… well, there no way to describe him. 90% percent of the time he’s simply a great guy, the best. He is from Granite City, Illinois, which I hear is just to the south of where D is from, Alton. For a while, about two months ago, I didn’t really care for him, and many others felt the same way. Then he started to tone down his rampant womanizing, and has really calmed down generally. Now he resides in his single room, now that Big D has moved out and across campus to be with the Asian girlfriend we all thought was cool. Of course, two weeks ago he was on the verge of being kicked out entirely from Thompson Hall. He had been harnessing Jeremy, who lives next door to him, and was pointing a suction-cup toy gun at him. The admittedly odd and sort of oddly shaped Jeremy had had enough, and altered the authorities. That night a Macomb officer visited the Fourth, and when he asked Jake to describe the “weapon” in question Jake responded, “red.” We had to fight to not laugh.
Collinsville, aka Alec Dickerson, is from the southern Illinois town of the same name, which is a suburb of St. Louis, the same town and class Katie Looker is from. The first night we all arrived he was wearing a white t-shirt with purple letting that read across his chest “Collinsville Athletic Department,” and Jake seized on it. Also, his first night here, he attended a beach-themed party over at the Campus for Christ house with Katie. They were serving scrumptious hot dogs and punch. And then, as a group was playing sand volleyball nearby, Collinsville overheard a group in a car going by, that yelled out to the players, “Go ahead and spike it! God won’t get mad!” He decided maybe this wasn’t the place for him. Collinsville is shy, but has improved a great deal in the outgoing department since he arrived to Western. His room’s walls used to be completely bare, except for his class syllabi. Then he rushed the Pikes, of which he is almost in. For this reason he hasn’t been around a whole lot this fall, but he’s a very cool, kind, and funny person. It was last week when he had to be silent for an entire day–and of course we tried so hard to make him talk– yet stead-fast Collinsville would not utter a sound. Later that night, I was walking by him in the hallway and casually said, “Hey, Collinsville,” he instantly replied, “Hey, Will.” I laughed hysterically, falling to the floor and rolling. Wiping my eyes and finally standing, I swore to him it never happened.
Jesse is perhaps my best friend on the Fourth; we share a sense of deep thinking, and maybe the way in which we think of girls. Of the guys here, he is probably the best to talk to and get advice from. I feel like I should write more, but I don’t know what. He’s a neat guy.
Peaches. D’s probably the floor leader. D and I decided one night that we are probably the best matched roommates. Jesse has the messy but friendly stoner Aaron to contend with around the corner from us on the other wing, while Tom rooms with harmless/nice but physco Korn at the very end of our wing, across from Collinsville’s single room. Actually, Korn likes to act a little tough, but at the same time he can be a really nice guy. Like, one time Katie Looker told me she was cornered by a guy at a party, and Korn went over and told the guy she was with him. Tom is somewhere between talkative and quiet, if which a thing is possible. Most of the things he says is with monotone, dead-pan sarcasm, which I always like. He also really has a thing for Vanilla Ice. And more, he will talk with slang and swears, and but then suddenly he’ll throw out a word like “vase” (with the soft a). It’s all quite funny. Many layers to Mr. Tom Shillings, but at the same time he’s pretty simple. I like that. He’s one of those guys that’s really had to figure out, maybe even more than me.
On the girls’ side of the Fourth we have Jen Parry, her roommate Amber, Becca, Katie Looker, and the twins. Lexi I, as we call her, to not get confused with the sorority girl Lexi II, also lives on their floor and plays tennis with Jesse.
D and I still lock our door to room 420 so Jake doesn’t get in.
From 2016: In the drawing, beginning clockwise, is Tom, then me running, Jesse, D, and finally Jake asleep. Drawn at the time of writing.
No One Will Believe You 