Dossier f70 - Paltiel, Freda, nee Leibov

File consists of a recording of Freda Paltiel. Topics of the conversation include family tradition of Queen's attendance shared by subject's classmates; own attendance a mere 'fluke', shock of transfer from Montreal. Broken engagement to Montreal fiance after Queen's exposure; fiance's abhorrence of sophomore women's prank of lifting and returning policeman's car licence plate, later marriage to subject's roommate (taken with her to Montreal after graduation as a token of Queen's). High school tuition fees on Montreal Island, high drop-out rate; unfortunate attendance at Baron Byng, alleviated by 'wonderfully inspiring, humane educator' and artist Anne Savage, music teacher Mr. Herbert. Conditional admission to Queen's without Math credit (having skipped high school math finals in favour of Chaplin's Modern Times); math credit realised in senior year, blame for 'math block' attributed to poor teaching. High school highmindedness, lack of sophistication; persuasion to take make-up to Queen's, have hair curled; unsuitable wardrobe, total unpreparedness for 'pastel Shetlands and low-keyed, easy-going Life"laid-back style' of Queen's. Subject as natural victim of freshette 'hazing': questionable memory of Pauline Jewett going for her 'mercilessly'; mandatory wearing of sandwich-board, 'The Prof has the floor', daily presentation of apples to professors after daring to pose question during lecture. Mother's anxiety for only daughter; father's tuition cheque, illicitly bounced by outraged Montreal bank manager (how dare he think he can afford to send her to an Ontario university?); subject's mortification. Weekly $10 allotment (Leonard Foundation Fund) for cataloguing Canadian sermons; former role of Leonard Fund, 'bearing the white man's burden'. Failure as heroine of Drama Club play; affection for Prof. Angus and wife. Psychology major, regard for Arts as leisure pursuits only; classroom acquaintance with 'three giants': Prof Corry, 'liberal tolerance and understanding'; Prof. Humphrey, 'archetypical absentminded prof and genius expatriate from Oxford'; Glen Shortliffe. Impressive discovery years later that Prof. Humphrey's teachings still held true. Subject's affinity for essay questions, inability to answer short quizzes: interested student too lazy for detailed study. Lessons in being a Queen's girl, 'acculturation to cool', smoking in Ban Righ and Division St. digs; waste of weekly meal ticket, subsistence on cigarettes, Coke. Union Ave. greasy spoon, immortalized in subject's verse. Waning interest in major social issues, waxing concern for interpersonal relations; disdain for women students' preoccupation with attracting men, not necessary considering high ratio of men to women. Dreary finale to one of subject's romantic 'crushes'. Music room as subject's 'special place', shared with British Fleet Air army trainees, artist Martha Jamieson. Queen's as 'a little protected island' during WWII, despite volunteerwork, dances with Vimy officers; subject's shame at not answering soldiers' letters. Caldwell's speech to aluminum workers; subject's concern for Canadian Indian family (co-boarders, AIcan workers),stimulating later official interest in Native women, persuasion of Ottawa Queen's Alumnae to fund Native women's scholarship at Queen's. Final year passion for Schoenberg, disdain for Brahms aficionadoes. Portrait-sitting for Martha Jamieson, discovery of own serious attitude to art; Jamieson's scrapping of frivolous, voluptuous study for austere, expressionist portrait, prophesying actual development of subject's character. Difficulty relinquishing Queen's, returning to Montreal; hatred of pompadours, stiletto heels; ill rapport with non-Queen's associates. Rejected applications to CBC, Montreal Herald; successful application (for friend's sake) to social work programme, McGill - start of a new era.