George Fattman '58

of Johnstown, Pa.

Dear George,

You came from a humble background, but even so, to be dropped off at the Lodge to begin your experience at Juniata was, even for you, downscale. The dorm was an Army barracks divided into rooms every six feet by cardboard walls painted green. There was a bed, a desk, a shelf, and a narrow closet. Your window looked out against an excavated hillside. It may not look like much at first, but give it time.

Still, the pre-freshman mixer and related activities were delightful. You will quickly like just about everybody you meet. The library loans prints of famous art, so you’ll check out a Gauguin and a van Gogh to brighten your dorm walls.

Your main courses will be what Dr. Harold Binkley brought from Harvard. A new professor, Dr. Robert Thornburg, will teach The Nature of Arts, and that course will resonate in your life for many years. Another new professor, Dr. John Comerford ’50, will teach The Nature of Science, and Dean James Penny will teach The Mind. Dr. George Clemens ’36 will teach French, and his wife will be your freshman composition tutor.

Because of your interest in journalism, you’ll quickly become involved with the Juniatian. Your “big brother,” Jim Hunt ’56, will be the editor. Radio station WJC will just be going on the air. The Student Senate will have appropriated $25 in start-up money. So listeners can call in, and somebody will “liberate” a receiver from a roadside phone booth. The station will have no phone line, so every evening, somebody will go to the switchboard in Founders Hall and redirect a dean’s line to a makeshift line to the station. You’ll actually like the food in the dining room, although you’ll be unfamiliar with parsnips, broccoli, and beef heart. You’ll dress for sit-down dinner and have table assignments. Because of some rowdiness at the football players’ tables, the College will hire a rather demure hostess to encourage good manners. That will not work.

You’ll go to a session for prospective members of the Juniata band, since you played in your high school band. It will be so small that it can barely spell out JC on the football field.

You’re not an athlete, but the center on Juniata’s champion football team will befriend you. You couldn’t be more different, so the friendship will be a bit tenuous.

You’ll get a job in the alumni office filing letters for 50 cents an hour. That will buy a so-so haircut downtown or a spaghetti dinner at the Penn Hunt Hotel across from the train station. A trolley runs every 20 minutes and can take you to the Clifton Theater to see a movie.

To watch television you’ll go to a lounge in Totem Inn, the student center in the basement of the women’s gym. Vice President Harold B. Brumbaugh ’33 has the only other television on campus, as you recall. Phones are just as scarce. When a new men’s dorm opens in January, it will have one phone to serve the entire building.

So yes, it is what a successful alumna will later call “this quirky little college.” But what an education you will receive — not just knowledge, but how to be a thoughtful citizen in the big world beyond “the college that we love.”

George '58

Jo Ann Bowman ’75

of Takoma Park, Md.

Dear Jo Ann,

What an exciting time you are about to encounter in your first year at Juniata! You are fortunate that, as a transfer to Juniata for your capstone year, you already have several years of college and overseas exposure that help to put Juniata into perspective. You have experienced large and varied classes at a state university where you did well, but barely knew your professors or classmates. You experienced the thrill of learning in a different country and language, but still remained a foreigner without a local community. Now you embark on a simpler path of smaller classes, professorial friendships, and active affinity groups that will make you feel part of a community and its traditions. And, remember the most important reason why you chose coming here — to determine your final year of study through your POE — a creative, independent way of selecting what you learn.

Enjoy the beautiful and peaceful surroundings of the College and Huntingdon area, a calm place for learning and entertainment, especially at the cliffs and Raystown Lake. Go to State College for big school fun, but join interest groups on campus for friends and focus on activities important to you. Engage with your professors. Be present in the things with which you are involved, but dream about and prepare for what you want to accomplish after Juniata. Remember, you will learn more than subject matter: you’ll learn how to think about issues, solve problems, and work with people to make compromises. And, spoiler alert, you may also meet a lifelong friend, your future husband!

Jo Ann ’75

Eric Biddle ’82

of Hollidaysburg, Pa.

Dear 1978 Me,

You may not recognize me, but we know each other quite well. For that reason, I would like to give you some things to ponder as you begin at Juniata. People will tell you to work hard, manage your time wisely, make friends… and I would agree. But I want to have one of those “look at yourself in the mirror” conversations we sometimes have.

First, I want to stress working on the inward you. In short, I want you to know yourself, love yourself, and then get over yourself. Know what you need physically, mentally, and spiritually to function well as a human; love yourself enough to be sure those things are present in your life; and humble yourself enough to realize that the world is bigger and more important than you.

Also, I would like you to embrace discomfort. Mental and personal growth require an ingredient of it– at college within the confines of a safe space. This is where Juniata specifically comes in. The College has changed dramatically over the last 150 years, but I think the people who made up the campus in the 1800’s, 1900’s, and now would say that you may not know the faculty, staff, and students well yet but you can consider them the safe space you need to thrive.

Seek new things, experience them, reflect upon them, repeat.

Eric ’82

PS: You may encounter a moment when, during an 8 a.m. class, a professor stumbles over a row of stored chairs. If so, look around the room. You might see a woman classmate sharing a chuckle with you. Keep in touch with her. She will become the most important person in your life.

Amanda Grannas ’98

of Norristown, Pa.

Dear Amanda,

This is so exciting — you’ve moved into your dorm, unpacked the last box, and triple-checked your backpack like it’s a life-support system. I know you’re feeling excited but are also very nervous. That queasy feeling? Completely normal. Give it time. You’re not behind, you’re just brand new.

The next four years are going to be some of the most transformative and memorable of your life. You are going to make friends that will last a lifetime. You will attend lectures and seminars and performances that will expose you to new cultures, experiences, and ways of thinking. You’ll have opportunities to travel abroad, and to try all sorts of new things. Soak it all in.

Say yes to invitations like coffee after class, joining a club, or introducing yourself to a professor. And go to office hours, even when you feel awkward. Asking for help isn’t weakness; it’s how you learn faster and become part of a fantastic community of really smart and engaged people!

You’ll work hard in your Program of Emphasis, and you should. But don’t panic if you forget the details of the Krebs Cycle or the mechanism of a Friedel-Crafts reaction. What’s important is that you learn how to think, how to ask better questions, how to problem-solve, and how to recover when things don’t go perfectly. And while your perfectionist side will be disappointed when you don’t get straight As, what you’ll come to find is that it’s far more important that you figure out how to think creatively and learn how to learn. Don’t be afraid to break things, you’ll learn how to fix them. Don’t be afraid to try something new, you’ll be surprised by what you love. Don’t be afraid of failure, that’s where real growth starts.

One last thing: Be kind. Be brave. Be you. And when you walk into that first class with your overstuffed backpack and a stomach full of nerves, remember: you’ve already done something hard. You started.

Amanda ’98

Brian D. Dietrich ’02

of Sinking Spring, Pa.

Dear 18-year-old Brian,

As you enter your first semester at Juniata, I know you are both anxious and excited about the journey ahead. You don’t know it yet, but this small school in the middle of Central Pennsylvania is about to change your life and open your eyes to experiences that will one day take you to a career with unlimited possibilities.

Basketball is going to shape a huge part of your experience. There will be tough practices, moments of doubt, one major injury and days you wonder if the demanding schedule is worth it. I’m here to tell you that without a doubt — it is. Your teammates and coaches will become some of your closest friends and will push you to grow. You won’t win conference championships — in fact you’ll lose more than you win — but the experiences you gain will shape you more than you can imagine – as a professional, a coach, and most importantly — a parent.

I know you’re worried whether your campus experience will prepare you for the real world. Not only will it prepare you, but the environment on this campus will give you advantages that others won’t have. You’ll learn how to think, communicate, adapt, and lead. You’ll have access to unbelievable professors who actually know you and want to help you succeed. Team‑focused classrooms will build real confidence when you step out of these halls and into an office. You’ll find that you not only measure up, but Juniata has given you a head start.

So my advice is to lean into the uniqueness of this place – make new friends, try new things, learn how to learn — and you’ll soon realize that this is where you belong.

Brian ’02