Alice - A Former Boss and Friend

As I have been writing about some of my friends in this JO ANN's Friends blog, I realized that some of the friends that I now consider lifelong friends were once my bosses, so now, I"m going to write some blog posts that are dedicated to those wonderful people who hold a very special place in my heart.  We met because of work, but as the years passed, when we no longer worked together, we connected again and realized that we were friends.  I think that is SO COOL!

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The first boss I'm going to write about is Alice who was my boss when I worked at the University Student Union at California State University at Long Beach from 1980 to 1982.

JO ANN and Alice - Reunited in 2013 at an ice skating rink .....Alice didn't know until that reunion day that I was a skater!

When I did graduate work at California State University Long Beach in 1980, I realized that I had the time to take on a part-time job, so when I saw an advertisement at the University Student Union for a job at the Information Desk, I applied.  I have a memory of filling out a simple application and having a short interview with Alice, who managed many of the University Student Union offices including the Information Desk and the Candy Counter.  Her title was "Services Supervisor."

It was a fun interview and it seemed like Alice wanted to hire me the moment she met me. I had worked as a cashier at Fotomat before beginning graduate studies at Long Beach State and had the experience of working alone that Alice was looking for.  I began my work the next day and discovered very quickly that I loved the job!  I gave information about the campus to students, but also sold newspapers and took film orders.  I worked right next to the disabled student services office, and got to know many of the students with special needs.  I got to know a blind student and also a graduate student who was paralyzed from the neck down after a tragic accident.

Newspapers sold for 25 cents, and I never handed a newspaper to a student customer until I had that 25 cents in my hands.  One day, a student grabbed my hand and pulled it back and forth and said he would not give me the money unless I gave him the newspaper first.  He began pulling my hand back and forth and then he noticed my wedding ring and exclaimed, "You're married!"  He then quickly gave me the quarter and took his newspaper and disappeared.

What was wonderful about my student job was that every semester, the hours I worked were scheduled around my class schedule and when the Information Desk was quiet, I was allowed to study.  Once in awhile, I got entire class projects done while I was at work.

Every semester I looked forward to working for Alice and one summer, I asked Alice about working a summer job, and worked at the Candy Counter five days a week from 10 am to 4 pm.  Alice taught me how to make popcorn in the huge commercial popcorn maker at the Candy Counter.  I still remember her realizing I was too short to reach the popcorn machine, but she found me a step stool so I could do my job of making popcorn and also cleaning the popcorn machine at the end of the day.

That summer was a hot one and one day when one student asked for a scoop of trail mix, the scariest thing happened!  Bugs flew out of the trail mix!  Alice told me later that all the trail mixes had to be thrown away.  Apparently the heat caused the trail mixes to go bad.  Every time I see trail mixes, I think about those bugs flying towards me!  I remember students also wanting tiny bits of Jelly Belly candies and having to measure and weigh small amounts of that candy.  As soon as the summer ended, I was very glad to be back working at the Information Desk.

Once a student tried to short change me when I worked at the Information Desk.  Alice was so patient and didn't blame me for losing the $10 that the student did steal.

(Another time, when I was working an early evening shift, a male student approached me and handed me a love poem!  He had seen me eating dinner on my break in the student union's cafeteria and told me he knew I was married, but wanted me to have the poem he wrote anyway.  I told my husband about the incident and never did see that student again, but was so very flattered.)

Alice was one of the most patient bosses ever.   All her employees were CSULB students, so she dealt with many young people and chose employees she could trust and rely on.  I worked for Alice and the Student Union for about two and a half years, from 1980 to the end of 1982.

I remember she invited those who worked under her to her home for a holiday gathering.  We got to know her husband Brent and became excited when we learned she was expecting a baby.

I remember a story of how the game machines were stolen right from the employees at the Student Union.  One evening, when Alice had left for the day, some men drove up in a van and looked official and said they had come to take the game machines for repairs and the Student Union evening employees even helped the crooks load the machines into the getaway van!  I remember that was one of the more upsetting ordeals that happened to Alice.  (I'm not sure the game machines were ever recovered.)

After I completed my California Teaching Credential at CSULB,  I could no longer work on campus since my part-time job was just for students, but I kept in touch with Alice.  She was so diligent about sending holiday cards and every year I looked forward to reading about her life and her family.  I saw her two children, Jennifer and Curtis, grow up through those cards.  Now, Alice is a grandmother!  She also has been very successful in real estate.

One memory of the news that came from Alice that really stands out in my mind was when Alice and Brent ended up winning a car on Let's Make a Deal!  They notified us somehow to tune into the show so we could see them win the car!  Her daughter, Jenny, was able to find the video of her parents winning that car thirty years later.  Click on the link below to see Alice and Brent winning that car:

• Click Here to Watch a Video of Alice and Brent Winning a Car on Let's Make a Deal

Alice did not know that I was a skater when I worked for her, but ironically, we hooked up after about 30 years at an ice rink!  Alice and Brent were in Colorado Springs on vacation and when she wrote on Facebook that she was at Garden of the Gods, I realized she was in town and contacted her.  She was visiting friends in Colorado Springs and those friends were going to a high school hockey game at Sertich Ice Center, so we paid admission and watched the game just so I could see Alice!

The Schneider-Farris Family Smiles With Alice at Sertich Ice Center in 2013

In December of 2015, Alice and Brent took their grandchildren to Disney On Ice Frozen in Long Beach and they got to meet my son Joel after the show.  Who would have thought when I met and worked with Alice around 37 years ago, that she would link up with my son Joel who is in Frozen's cast at the Long Beach Sports Arena?  Alice was so thankful too and Joel was really delighted to meet her family.  How wonderful!

Alice smiles with her husband Brent and their grandchildren with my son Joel at Disney On Ice in December of 2015

Alice and Brent now have a growing family and have a very active life.  I am so glad that Facebook keeps us in touch and up to date on what we are all doing and I hope to see Alice again face to face when I"m in southern California.  Thank you Alice!

Brent and Alice and Family

Further Reading:

• June and JO ANN - Celebrating Forty Years of Friendship 1977 to 2017
• Remembering My Friend Jeff
• Dan and I Treasure Our Friendship With Frank
• Facebook Reunited Me With My Junior High School Friend Bernadette
• Spur of the Moment Dog-Walking-Scootering With My Friend Larisa - 12-1-17
• Dog Scootering-Hiking-Running With My Friend Margar - Cheyenne Mountain State Park 12/1/17
• What This JO ANN's Friends Blog Is About
• I'm Thankful for My Friends