Feature

Feb. 13, 1990: The Story of Tiny and Valera

In the late summer of 1989, I had an idea to approach the University of Central Florida’s student newspaper, “The Future,” about writing a weekly column. I wrote the first one and very humbly submitted it in person to the editor, Scott Altman. Without much fanfare, it was accepted, and so it went for the next fifteen months. Ultimately, many positive experiences grew from these efforts. One esteemed instructor made much of my work and was instrumental in me winning a Scripps-Howard Foundation Fellowship for the column.

Thank you, Keith Fowles.

The kind feedback of several friends (including Beth Kiefert, now Beth Darnell) and a few other tips of folks’ hats made the endeavor most worthwhile.

The complete time capsule, featuring the thoughtful, humorous, satirical and/or fictional work of a somewhat atypical Central Florida college student at the turn of the 1990s, appears here. I thought I’d use this space to share the following entry that debuted 28 years ago.

Author, communications consultant, publisher, and career guide Roger Darnell is principal of creative-industry PR firm, The Darnell Works Agency.