When I started Edison in the fall of 1979, I was enrolled in the Electronics Technology curriculum. I also started working in the Audio Visual department, then located above the Library on the third floor. Since I had previous experience in photography, I was tasked with most darkroom work. Tony Monaco was my boss. He later became one of our family business's customers. Many of the photos are of my co-workers in the AV dept.

Tony, my boss. I guess this job did frequently give him a headache.

Below are captions of the names of some of the people. Sorry I can't remember everyone's full names.

Janice Harrison (Art major, later changed to Nursing I think, with a sample of her art.) Lots of photos of her because we spent a lot of time around each other since we both worked in the AV center. She played really well for the camera and later showed an interest in photography herself.

Getting some pointers in photography from this photographer. Here with another co-worker, Brenda (Don't remember last name, she gave really good shoulder rubs).

Andy (don't remember last name)                                             Alex - later ran for class President.

On the right, George Kinsler (Repair technician in the AV dept). Since my major was Electronics, his job was of great interest to me.

Alex, seen here painting a campagn poster. I don't remember if he won.

Classes

On left, Ray Crimmel, my Electronics professor. Seen here in our equipment room with a second year student whose name I don't remember. This is from my first DC Circuit Analysis class.

Wayne Weeks working on the lab's SWTPC computer. This computer was already there when I arrived in 1979. These were very early personal computers (even before the Apple II) that were sold as a kit starting in 1975. Wayne may have been one of those responsible for assembling this, at least a year or two before I got there. Back then this meant soldering the chips onto the boards. I believe that at that time the entire campus had only 5 computers (3 were in the electonics lab). Yes, we were personal computer pioneers here at Edison!

I got the following from Wayne Weeks last night:

Walter, I think the CPU and Terminal kits were bought in 77, but it may have been sometime in 78 before it was all working. The SWTPC CPU kit was released in 76 as far as I can determine. I have seen a couple of references saying it came out in 75 but it was in their 76 catalog and not in the 75 catalog......Wayne

  
Brian Risley (studied Astronomy at Edison) with the Electronics Lab's Apple II computer. Mark Brandon setting up the Apple. Seen here with a fashion accessory worn by engineering students back in the "day," a programmable calculator.

I, too, was introduced to personal computers in the form of the lab's Apple II, which would develop into a passion for computers that follows me to this day. This early exposure to computers, thanks to Edison, propelled me into a career in what we now call IT. Our family owned and operated companies, ACIS and later CyberStreet, were responsble for being the first to offer direct dial Internet access here in January of 1995. Brian was also bitten by the computer bug and made it his career choice, as well. Yep this is where it all started.

One of my Electonics Lab experiments involving microwave communications. Interesting that one of our company's major products uses wireless microwave equipment to setup high speed internet service for customers. Fellow students working in the lab.

Dr. Walters and Dr. Howard Kane (Calculus and Chemistry)

Dr. Kane doing what he loved most (when not teaching)      Chemistry Lab

This rather strange, colorful picture was taken through the eyepeice of an obscure piece of equipment called a Vreeland Spectroscope, seen with the photographer in the second picture. This was a piece of equipment that I found in a classroom that was being used for storage next door to the lab. I was behind on doing my qualitative analysis and asked if I could use it to try and catch up. Dr. Kane agreed. I got so good at using this thing that I finished my work 2 weeks ahead of time and started using the instument to check other student's samples for contamination. I even tested local water samples. You don't want to know what's in the stuff you drink! Judging from the layers of dust I removed from this intrument, I'm not sure if anyone at Edison had ever used this piece of equipment before (it was not part of the curriculum). For all I know, it may not have been used since. Yes, I was an uber geek (ok still am).

Campus activities

Career Night. Laser voice transmitter (Mark Brandon behind table). We did these once each year. I was put in charge of the Electronics Department display my second year.

Mark and I became lab partners during our second semester in our Electronics class (AC Circuit Analysis). We both had programmable calculators (I got Dr. Walters hooked on one of  these things, TI-58C in calculus class). This started what would become a lifelong friendship. Do this day, Mark is one of my two business partners and best friends.

More classes

Humanities class - Father Dage

This class is where another important thing happened to me. I met my future wife and life partner. She and I were were in different majors; I was Electronics, she was Computer Science. We would go on to share our next class, General Psychology together. 

General Psychology class - Mrs Robinson ( psychology professor)

Lesley - My then future soul mate in the Edison cafeteria with our Psychology professor, Dr. Robinson . Here we are a couple of years later, a few months before our wedding, and finally another photo of the two of us from around 1988. Unfortunately, Lesley's college career was interrupted by "life." But, after our daughter graduated high school, Lesley ended up going back to Edison and was honored by being selected as "Member of the Year - 2008" by Phi Theta Kappa. She completed her Associate in Arts degree, graduating with Honors in 2008. She then went on and to study at the University of Central Florida. She graduated from UCF in 2010, earning a B.S. of Information Systems Technology degree with the distinctions of cum laude and Honors in the Major, as well as a minor in Technology and Society. Did I mention that she is an uber geek, too?

The two of us at her Edison graduation in 2008.