A jump start: Teens graduate college ahead of their time
GRANT CARMICHAEL. TMt TARTAR CARNEGIE MELLON U
By Millie Llerena
■ The Daily lllim
U. of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana
Paul Mendoza will graduate next month with a degree
in computer engineering He turned 19 this year
Mendoza is among a minority of students who have
been admitted into the U. of Illinois earlier than the
traditional entrance age.
His story goes like this: He skipped half of first grade,
all of second and half of third, fourth and fifth.
That puts him three years ahead of most students
But he doesn’t consider himself extraordinarily intel
ligent. “Anyone can be pushed up a couple years in ele
mentary school and they’ll turn out fine,” he says.
Ellen Drucker is an 18-year-old junior in accounting.
Her age isn't an obstacle. It was her decision to finish
high school in three years, and she says college actually
is somewhat easier.
With her involvement in the school’s marching band,
she leads a “normal” life
Edna Fnedberg,17, a sophomore in liberal arts, says
some teachers don’t take her seriously. But that just
makes her work harder to succeed. And she, too, feels
her college workload is lighter than it was in high school.
Ellen Johnson, a sophomore majonng in political sci
ence. says she has no problem relating to other students
although she also entered the university when she was
just 16. Butaflercompletingmostofher schooling early
she admits, "It’s easier to get burned out."
Although most advanced students at UI haven’t had
much trouble managing academically, college life is
more than classes, teachers, exams and books
The social aspect of their lives seems to be their
biggest trouble.
But while some advanced students joke about being
carded at R-rated movies or needing their parents to
sign forms that their friends sign themselves, they
agree, for the most part, that fnends are easy to find
and age becomes an inconsequential matter
Comic
Continued from page 8
said “That was a mistake.
“I've been in college forever. The
goal is to get a college degree before
my 10-year high school reunion —
either that or I’m going to start driv
ing a cab," he said.
“I couldn’t make it for the five-year
reunion, but at the 10-year reunion I’ll
be able to honestly say, 'I’m still thin,
and I have a degree.' ’
Berry said producing a daily stnp is
tough. He sometimes finds himself
drawing at the last minute.
His creative muses assault him from
all angles of his personal experiences,
which usually tngger inspiration for his
cartoon.
He can be inspired at any time.
He could be driving down the road,
watching the news or sitting in class,
and an idea for the strip will surface,
he said.
“Sometimes my professors will look at
me and think I’m actually paying atten
tion for a change, when I’m really think
ing about what to do with Filbert next
week,’ he admitted.
Berry said his lavonte cartoonists are
Gary Larson — “just because he’s so odd’
— Bill Watterson, Berke Breathed and
Garry Trudeau.
“But the cartoon god is Charles
Schulz," Berry said. “I’m a big fan of his.
Back in junior high I used to buy those
little books of Snoopy cartoons. Actually,
I bought one just the other day. He's my
idol."
When Berry sees people reading the
comics page in the Collegian without
laughing, he rationalizes that they prob
ably aren’t reading his strip.
“I want to ask them why they didn’t
laugh. But then if they told me why, I’d
say to myself. They ain’t got no sense of
humor anyway,’ ’ Berry said.
Berry said he hopes eventually to
make a living drawing comic strips, even
though cartooning is sometimes a
thankless job
As far as feedback goes, he cherishes
the few comments he receives.
“I do get a little feedback, but not
much. Some people come up to me and
say, ‘I really liked that last one,’ or
sometimes they’ll say they didn’t."
Berry said the drive for the comic strip
comes from one basic impulse — to put
a smile on someone’s face.
“Anything from a little grin to an out
right laugh, and I’ve done what I need
to do," Berry said. “I’m a closet comedi
an. I miess."
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