Interview of Janice Bauer

Agriculture Field Day, April 24, 2004
Interviewer: Amanda Carl
Transcriber: Amanda Carl
Ed. B. McCay April 24, 2006

Studying around the puddle was always fun. Freshmen year I joined the crew team, so what I remember mostly it that crew practice for the women was at 6 in the morning. Having no one to go across campus with in the morning, I would run as fast I could with all my book bags and everything, because after that I had first period class

I showed a calf. I came in first in my class. I came in champion reserve for my class and that was a lot of fun and every year after that I always participated.

I was thinking when I graduated that I wanted to get into toxicology, but I didn't end up doing that at all. I got some jobs working in the microbiology labs, so by the time my junior year came around I kind of shifted to microbiology and that's where I've been ever since.

In the last few years it seems to have changed a little bit, a little less Agricultural, a little less of the animals and I thought that was a very important part of the atmosphere, just being able to have the courses in the Round House and have some hands-on with the animals. I come back almost every year, the change has occurred within the last few years.

I think that is very important. I tell people at work, “Remember Ag field day? It is always the last Saturday in April,” and they come down with their kids and it's great. See the animals? They used to have all the lambs this time of year, and the calves in the dairy barn, not just the milking cows, but the calves and it's just absolutely fabulous. Can you tell I really enjoyed it?

It's still fun to come down. I always see some of the people I graduated with and went to school with. One of the guys I worked with was actually a Cook College grad. I always see him here on Ag Field Day, but I didn't know him when he was here.

Freshmen year, we were in the dorms and then we were in the apartments. I had other friends who spent all four years in a dorm. I thought that was a great experience to live at the apartments. I guess people have different preferences, but I thought it was pretty good. Overcrowding over with now? We had six people to an apartment, two bunk beds and a single bed to each room. There was a study room in the closet; someone moved their desk in there.