Ms. Jackson
Eleanor Jackson was my 10th grade language arts teacher. Things I remember most about her are her ardent love for poetry, her acute focus on writing technique, and the abiding emphasis she placed on building vocabulary. For one assignment, we were to work in groups. Each group would choose a poem and present it to the class; discuss its meaning, literary devices used, background of the author, etc. We would be given extra credit based on how creative we got with the presentations. Our group chose “One Perfect Rose.” When I busted my verse “Dorothy Parker” about the author (to the beat of Nuthin’ But A G Thang), it was the first time I performed my own stuff in public. The kids went crazy, and it was not the last time I performed in Ms. Jackson’s class. I thank her for giving me my start.
Ms. Jackson missed a lot of school that year. She was undergoing cancer treatments, and the class often went weeks without seeing her.
I had Ms. Jackson again for 12th grade language arts, and this time she had near perfect attendance. It was delightful to have her back around, inspiring to have witnessed her successful recovery, and comforting because during 12th grade, my mom was going through cancer treatments similar to those Ms. Jackson had endured two years earlier.
Ms. Jackson passed away not long after graduation.
Recently, I was walking through campus and realized that the school library had been named Eleanor Jackson Memorial Library in honor of my teacher. When I saw that, I knew what the artwork for my CD had to be. Libraries, in general, are special places. The libraries at La Pluma (the Pen) Elementary School, La Mirada (the View) High School, and the University of California at Los Angeles (the Angels) are particularly dear to me, as they are integral to some of my fondest memories.
On occasion, I got some studying done at UCLA’s Powell Library. But the STEPS. It was all about the steps. That was the meeting spot. It didn’t matter where you were, what you were doing, or what time of day or night it was. If your pager said 57395, you showed up at the steps. Cosas divertidas were guaranteed to follow.
Library day came once a week in elementary school, and I loved it. It was a nice break from regular class, and exploring new books was really fun. Equally if not more fun was recess. Basketball, tetherball, handball, kickball… Maybe that’s why the library is in the background of the picture with the tetherball pole up front. Or maybe I just thought it was artsy.
Get the full album:
St. Nicodemus tha Lonestar
THE PEN, THE VIEW, THE ANGELS
The Pen, the View, the Angels 
I have many memories of Powell Library. Like finishing up papers last minute and hoping that the printers wouldn’t fail. I could never really study inside, it was a bit too “stuffy” for me. But it has an impressive collection of books. For studying, I would chose some remote couch in Ackerman Hall. Away from the crowds. Those couches were classic, they must have been there for at least 10 years. I’ve been thinking a lot about UCLA lately and I hope to visit soon. Walk through Bruin walk, stand between the Library and Royce Hall and admire the beauty of those classic buildings. Or maybe catch the #2 in the Nation basketball team. Go Bruins!
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