SATURDAY STORY - DAN JACKSON #10 - END OF FRESHMAN YEAR

 DJ #10 - REST OF FRESHMAN YEAR

(I was out of time last week so I will continue Daniel Jackson’s freshman year at Purdue University)

*****
**********

Over Christmas/Semester break, Dan spent some time at DJ Computers including time with the executive board and in the research and development group.  Uncle Steve (the CEO) and Sam Siner (manager of the research and development department) wanted Dan to take a new DJ laptop computer back to Purdue and Sam would ship him updates for him to test.  Dan would become a “Beta” tester.  Dan asked if he could give his current computer to his roommate Karl Sieverding, and give another DJ Computer to his girlfriend, Linda Watson.  (As if the company he founded could say ‘no’ to the founder!!!).  Steve Jackson, Dan’s uncle, and CEO of DJ Computers found two printers he gave to Dan.  Dan was going to give his computer and printer to Karl, and then a new printer with the new computer to Linda, and then a new printer for his use.  

He called Karl to tell him that he was going to get a computer, and Karl was ecstatic.  Likewise, he called Linda.  Over Christmas, her parents had gotten her a new DJ Computer, but Dan twisted her arm as he was going to bring a new faster, and more powerful computer back for her.  Her brother was a senior in high school and he would get the DJ Computer that her parents had gotten her.

Dan was experimenting with the DJ (Data Junction) package from DJ Computers.  It was an e-mail package still in more of a beta release.  He loved the idea of being able to almost instantly send and receive messages.  

Finally, Sunday, January 13, 1985, came.  Will, Beth, and Dan loaded things into Mom’s Astro Van.  It should have been an easy move, but with two new computers (his laptop and one for Linda) the car was packed.  Grandma Jackson also baked cookies for Dan to share with his friends.  Like at Thanksgiving, Dan was one of the first back into Hawkins Hall. 

He put his clothes away and then started setting up the new laptop.  It wasn’t something that could sit in his lap for a long time but could be carried around and set up on a table.  It had a small screen but it was portable.  He could take the computer to the library with him to take notes.  WordPerfect had an APA reference built-in function for his academic papers.  

For the second semester, he had College Physics II - and again it was with Dr. Gary Bunce - and Linda Watson was in that class too.  He had the next Calculus course (and Karl Sieverding was in this section as well).  He got into Sanjay Modi’s Electronic Circuits I class, Freshman Composition II (and he managed to get into Dr. Augusta Nelson’s section), and MacroEconomics.

And like the fall semester, he used his copy of Lotus 1-2-3 to set up a study schedule.  At least two hours of studying for each hour in class.  He had a great start, but he didn’t want to slip into this his second semester.

*****

Karl Sieverding arrived about 5:00.  For the next hour or so, Dan and Karl set up the computer that had been Dan’s for Karl’s use.  

Linda Watson arrived at about 7:00.  Linda knocked on Dan and Karl’s door on her first trip upstairs to her room.  Dan and Karl then carried the new computer for Linda to her room, while her parents Bonnie and Bruce Watson brought up the things she brought back to school.  Then Bonnie and Bruce took Dan, Karl, and Linda to Steak and Shake for a malt before they headed back to Huntington Indiana.

Karl went back to his room and Dan went to Linda’s room to help set up the new DJ Computer.  It had the new ‘386 chip and was faster than Dan’s old computer (that now belonged to Karl).  Linda’s roommate Emily Galpin wasn’t back again, so with the door just an inch ajar, the two locked lips and made out.   Dan was getting better at this, fondled Linda’s breasts, and rubbed her hoo-ha through her panties.  Linda was panting for more when they heard Emily in the hallway and quickly stopped and tried to look casual.  Dan was pretty sure that Emily figured out that the two of them were making out, but it seemed if you know where to look, when you have a huge group of college-aged students you could see couples making out.

*****

Monday, January 14, 1985, was the first day of classes, and Karl and Dan went to Calculus III - differential equations.  There was a different professor, one with a heavy Indian accent.  It would be interesting.  

The physics lecture was at 11:00.  Dan looked around the class and recognized most of the students from the first semester of College Physics with Calculus.  Dr. Bunce started where they had left off last semester and they were flying.

Dr. Nelson welcomed students to Freshman Composition II and gave a smile to Dan as he left. 

Dr. Sanjay Modi started by getting some basic information from his students and then went into binary math.  They did a worksheet on binary, octal, and hexadecimal.  Dan was glad he knew most of it.  Yes, he had built computers now for four years, but the actual circuits were already on the motherboards and he was looking forward to building their own ANN, OR, NAND, NOR, and other circuits.  

*****

Dan had given a talk in his Introduction to Business Class on the last day of the Fall Semester and was open about being Dan Jackson of DJ Computers.  Students would say “Hi Dan” as he walked by and Dan wasn’t sure who was somebody he knew or should know or just a random student who knew who he was.  He did make a point of smiling and saying “hi” back.  (After all, it was good for his business).  

******

On the first Saturday night of the second semester, the Electronic Sciences Student Association was having another party at the Izaak Walton Clubhouse.  Karl was going, Linda wanted to go and several on his floor were going.  Dan was willing to go again.

The club was packed.  Seemingly some high school kids heard about it, and the hired off-duty police were swamped when checking names and Purdue IDs.  Some of the Purdue students had gotten a headstart on drinking and were pretty drunk already. The bus to the location was jammed full and then a couple of the bus vomited. The bus smelled of beer, vomit, and sweaty bodies. It was a cold night, and the line to get in was about 400 students long and the facility couldn’t hold that many.  So, unfortunately, the bus that Dan, Linda, and Karl were on, turned around and took students back to campus.  Or really, it was fortunate that they went back to campus as the West Lafayette police descended and checked real IDs.  Several students were hauled off to the police department for underage drinking.

By the time the party should have been rocking, it was shut down. The bus back to campus couldn't make the round trip fast enough, and some students stupidly decided they could walk back to campus four miles away.  But walking in the ten degrees in the evening was a nightmare. The Lafayette Journal & Courier had reporters there as did the campus newspaper, Purdue Exponent.  The Electronic Sciences Student Association was fined and barred from any social events for the rest of the year and was barely allowed to continue as a campus organization.  

*****

On Tuesday, January 22nd, Dan got a call from Wally Bunting from the marketing department at DJ Computers.

Wally started, “Hey Dan, are you ready to be the face of DJ Computers?”

Dan and Wally had talked casually about marketing when he was home for Christmas break.  

Dan answered, “Tell me more, Wally”.

Wally started, “Well, we stage you on your DJ Computer in various academic settings.  You have the laptop model, so we can have you in the library taking notes, in your dorm room doing homework and writing papers, can show off the data junction (that is, our email application) communicating with others), and taking digital pictures and storing them on your computer.  We’ll pay you for your time and if you want some of your friends we can pay them too.  I’ve been in contact with the media services at Purdue.  As long as we don’t imply that Purdue endorses or has a relationship with DJ Computers we’re good.

“They will have a media person with us and will approve of our actions.  For example, Tom Farrell, the media person at Purdue might want you standing in front of a sign that says “Purdue University” as they might make Purdue look good but might violate the spirit of cooperation.  We want you to be an average (and Dan, you are anything but average) college student and get good grades using DJ Computers.  

“I have about five story ideas already and will send them to you this afternoon by the data junction electronic mail package.”

“We think this will make DJ Computers the number one brand on campus - after all, if the founder of DJ Computers uses a computer all the time as a college student, all college students should have one. What do you think?”  

Dan agreed.  “Let’s do it”!!

*****

At lunch after physics class, he told Linda about the proposal.

“Wouldn’t you like to be in a DJ computer commercial - and get paid for it?” Dan asked.

Linda first said “Absolutely.”  And then she backpedaled a little.  “Will DJ Computers send me to a salon to get my hair done and help me with some clothes?”

Dan inwardly laughed.  “Of course, Linda.  They will want the ads to look authentic with real students, but I’m sure they will also want you to be at your best.”  Dan took a breath and added, “But, you always look your best”.

Linda grinned, “Yes, always the flatterer”.

*****

Wally Bunting sent the proposals for DJ Computer ads to Dan, and using the fledgling Yahoo email application sent the same proposals to Tom Farrell from the Purdue media department

Scene 1 was Dan in his dorm room, or what could have been his dorm room.  There would be a bookcase in the background with some standard textbooks.  There would be a poster of a basketball player wearing #23 on his wall (and they would be careful to make sure it was a white player so they didn’t get sued by Michael Jordan or other groups. There would also be a basketball on his shelf. Dan would be at his computer doing something.  The thirty-second ad would not have Dan speak but would have a voice actor talking about how DJ Computers could make Dan Jackson of DJ Computers more productive.

The second scene would be in a science lab.  Here he would be with about three others all would be looking at his screen while Dan would be pointing out some results on his spreadsheet application.  The actors would be talking about the result, but would not be heard.  

Scene 3 would be in the library.  Dan would be using reference books and academic journals on a desk as he was writing an assignment.

Scene 4 would be back in a dorm room (or simulated dorm room) playing a computer game.  Wally thought that all work and no play would be the wrong message.  Parents would like to know that their students were using the computer for academic reasons, but the students would like to know that they could be playing PacMan, Tetris, or LodeRunner.

Scene 5 wouldn’t have any people just a DJ Computer and the voice-over saying how computers were changing the world and how DJ Computers could give a student an advantage.

*****

Dan used Data Junction to email back to Wally that he thought they were fine.  Even though he’d be the face of DJ Computers he didn’t have to speak in the ads.  

Tom Farrell from Purdue Media approved the ads, and a contract was drawn up between DJ Computers and Purdue.

Dan got a call from Uncle Steve Jackson, CEO of DJ Computers thanking him for doing the ads.

*****

Everybody wanted a computer at home, everybody wanted e-mail, and everybody wanted computers for their kids.  Programming courses were popping up in high schools and even in middle schools.  Lotus 1-2-3 was hot.  WordPerfect was hot.  And, Microsoft was touting new software due to be out by late summer - Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel.  They called the joint application Microsoft Office.  The rumors were that they would also have an email package.  

Intel's chips were still the standard and Moore’s Law was actually a little ahead of the forecast and now, instead of doubling every two years, it was closer to a year-and-one-half for the faster chips at the same price to reach the market.

But there was still a lot going on for Dan

In the second week of the semester, the spring rush started for campus sororities and fraternities.  And, it seemed as if every organization wanted to have the famous Dan Jackson as a member.  Sigma Phi Epsilon (or SigEp) seemed to present the most positive approach to Dan.  On campus it was known as the ‘academic fraternity’ and Dan had gotten a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) in his first semester and seemed like a good candidate.  Karl was looking at Sigma Nu as four of the brothers were from Muncie and they seemed interested in him.  Even Linda was looking at Delta Delta Delta (or Tri-Delt) sorority.  

Dan hadn’t been very social in high school but was finding that college life was much better than high school in many ways.  Maybe the most important way was that Dan wasn’t working 20 hours a week for DJ Computers and was 3 hours away from home. He could live it up a little!!

*****

Fraternities once had a reputation for hazing - making their pledges swallow goldfish, eat whole onions, or even worse things.  But by 1985, campuses and fraternities had cleaned up their act.  Yes, there were social events, but there were philanthropy events and campus service.  

Dan did go to rush events with three of the groups but did join SigEp.  The pledges became good friends as they distributed food in the West Lafayette community for Meals on Wheels, and helped with the community Alzheimer’s Walk event.  

And, Dan did become more social.  At least twice a month there was some kind of social event - like dances at the SigEp house (with one of the brothers being the disk jockey (DJ)).  And, with most of the events, there were beer kegs; if a brother wanted hard liquor, they could bring that too.  Dan learned to drink beer but kept it in moderation. 

Meanwhile, Linda joined Tri-Delt and sororities and did more philanthropic events - reading to first graders in a literacy program, bringing middle school girls to the Purdue Women’s basketball games and cheering with them; and being big sisters to the same middle school girls (from a low income, integrated school.  

*****

Dr. Sanjay Modi twisted Dan’s arm and Dan became a member of the electronic circuitry research and development lab.  He got paid minimum wage for ten hours a week working in the advanced circuit lab.  Some of their projects involved networking computer labs together, rolling out campus-wide email, and working with some handicapped students with eye-movement controls for input to computers.  

Dan enjoyed the last project.  There were about ten severely handicapped students in the program, and by focusing cameras and sensors on the eyes of those students, they could capture something akin to typing.  So, if a handicapped student looked at an H, then an E, L, L, and O the monitor would display HELLO.  It might take 10 minutes for such a student to enter a paragraph, but if their hands were not adapted to using a keyboard, this was a way to communicate.  

*****

He shared some of the ideas with the research and development group at DJ Computers and DJ Computers worked out an arrangement to give the Purdue handicapped lab some equipment and to use the techniques that Purdue developed.  

*****

He had slacked off some from his two hours of study for every hour in class.  He did still have another calculus book and another physics book and still did every problem set in the regular textbook and in the additional textbook.  He still used the English tutors in the library and was progressing nicely in Freshman Composition II with Dr. Nelson.  

The biggest academic challenge was understanding Dr. Yang in MacroEconomics.  Where he had enjoyed MicroEconomics with supply and demand, Macro Econ was a different topic.  They covered bigger economic systems, communism, capitalism, fascism, and other governmental policies.  They covered ways governments obtained money, income tax, sales tax, property tax, inheritance, and other taxes.  

But, Dr. Yang was soft-spoken and even though Dan sat in the front row, it was still hard to hear and understand Dr. Yang.  As a non-native speaker of English and with a heavy Chinese accent, Dr. Yang was erudite but difficult.  

*****

The DJ Computer ads were filmed on campus on Monday and Tuesday, February 11th and 12th, 1985.  The media company was “Star Media” out of Chicago and had made State Farm Insurance ads for a long time.  The director was Martha Long, a very talented director and a bit of a taskmaster.  Fortunately for Dan, Martha from Star Media, Wally Bunting from DJ Computers and Tom Farrell from the Purdue Media department had everything under control.  Dan and whoever else showed up, sat and looked interesting and got filmed.  

Linda Watson, Karl Sieverding, and Dr. Sanjay Modi were in the science lab ad.  Linda and Karl in different clothes walked behind Dan’s desk in the library (as did some of the library staff).  

Martha Long was efficient and by noon on February 12th was done shooting.  She would have her crew put together the package back in Chicago.  Wally Bunting was happy.  Tom Farrell was happy.  Linda Watson and Karl Sieverding were happy as they got paid $100, and Dan, even though the money was incidental to him, got paid $500.  

The ads came out on TV the second week of March 1985 - during the NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournament.  DJ Computers became one of the major sponsors that year.  

And, the ads were a great success.  Parents saw the ads and knew that they needed a computer (and probably a DJ Computer) for their sons and daughters going off to college.  Students knew that they needed a computer (and again, a DJ Computer) so they could play computer games as well as do word processing and spreadsheets.

DJ Computers gained market share with their ads. Dan Jackson was a STAR and didn’t even say a word in the ads!!  

The demand for computers for college students went through the roof.  Some campuses even required students to have a computer.  Computers were going to replace typewriters, notebooks, pens, and pencils on campus.

*****

And, Dan was getting more visible on campus.  The student entrepreneurship club had him speak.  He spoke to the West Lafayette Rotary and Kiwanis clubs (Dr. Bunce was in Kiwanis and brought Dan as a speaker).    

*****

The first half of the semester flew by.  Dan was doing well, and even understanding Dr. Yang in MacroEconomics.  

He was enjoying college. But, he really did need to relax over spring break.

*****

Dan celebrated his 19th birthday at home during Spring Break on Thursday, March 14 - “Pi Day”. 

He blew out his nineteen birthday candles on his cake with his parents, Uncle Steve and family, and his grandparents.  And, his parents arranged a surprise guest as Linda Watson and her mother Bonnie joined in the celebration. Linda and Bonnie stayed at the Best Western Hotel in Bloomington.  

The group relaxed after dinner and watched some of the basketball games and Dan blushed when the DJ Computer ad in the science lab was shown.  Linda glowed in the ad though.  (And Wally had come through with sending her to a salon to get her hair down and helping with some new clothes).

*****

That night, Dan reflected - he was nineteen years old, a multi-millionaire (at least in terms of stock), a straight-A student at a major university, in a college fraternity, and with a great girlfriend.  He was now the “face” of DJ Computers. He was pretty much as far advanced as one could be at age 19.

*****

On Friday, March 15th, Dan took Linda and her mother on a tour of DJ Computers.  They were impressed.  Actually, Dan was impressed too.  From his Introduction to Business course last semester, he passed on some ideas to Uncle Steve about “Just In Time” supply chain, process flow, and quality control.  He kissed Linda goodbye and agreed that they would be back together on Sunday night when spring break was over.

*****

He had worked a few hours during spring break week at DJ Computers in the research and development lab under Sam Siner.  The email application was live now but was fighting many others in the marketplace, including Yahoo email and America Online (AOL) email.  DJ Computers was shipping computers as fast as they could make them, but the demand had all of a sudden skyrocketed.  Sam was working on some quality programs.  He was looking at TQM - Total Quality Management, and CMM - Capability Maturity Model.  Defects were still too high.  Sam (and Uncle Steve) wanted DJ Computers to be a leader in computer manufacturing.  Dan tucked these ideas in his brain.  Were there any quality leadership courses at Purdue he could take?

Dan had a stronger knowledge from Professor Sanjay Modi’s electronic circuits class and from his work in the electronic circuitry research and development lab at Purdue.  

*****

SigEp was a great experience for Dan.  He was formally inducted into the fraternity on Saturday, March 23, 1985.  All of a sudden, Dan was somehow a “big man on campus”.  For a kid who was quiet and introverted, he was recognized on campus as the inventor of the DJ Computer (and the star of the DJ Computer ads on the March Madness basketball game).

SigEp had a party at Staybridge Suites in Lafayette after the induction.  And, he and Linda had rented a room for the two of them after the event.  Other brothers were staying the night and not attempting to drive back after the party.  This was the first time he and Linda would be in a hotel room together overnight.

Dan had learned to sip beer and did have three beers at the party.  Linda’s family had wine and other liquors growing up, so she enjoyed herself with some grasshopper drinks, and more.  She was pretty well buzzed when the party broke up.  Somehow they were alone when they took the elevator to the eighth floor.  

It was a strange night for the two of them.  After making out with Linda, Dan wasn’t quite sure what to do.  Should he undress her?  Should he undress?  Would Linda undress him?  Was there a protocol for first-night sleeping together? 

Linda grabbed something out of her suitcase and went into the bathroom.  Dan took off his suit jacket and tie - and sat watching the Big Ten basketball championship on television.  Purdue had lost out earlier in the day.  He and Linda had attended several of the Purdue games (and with the SigEp guys and Tri-Delts and other Greek organizations).  Gene Keady was a great coach.

In ten minutes, Linda came out of the bathroom in a very revealing negligee.  She had touched up her make-up.  She wasn’t wearing a bra and Dan got excited watching her come out.  

Linda wasn’t going to be denied this evening.  She demurely came over to Dan’s chair, turned off the TV with the remote, and said “Dan, I’m going to undress you”.  

Well, that solved that issue.

“Stand still” was her directive to Dan as he wanted to kiss and fondle her.  She rubbed his back and then unbuttoned his shirt.  He had a t-shirt underneath, and she slid that over his head.  He wanted to jump into bed with her, but she wanted a slow playtime first.  

Linda undid his belt and opened his fly.  Dan was already excited as she brushed her hands over his manhood, but she didn’t linger (yet).  

“Sit down on the bed”, was her next command, and she slowly teased his pants down and off his feet.  She took off his socks and then kissed his toes.  She then slowly kissed up his legs but below his groin area.  

Dan was now only wearing his boxer shorts and was trying to hold back.  Linda sat on the bed next to him and licked around his ear.  

“You’re driving me mad”, Dan sat and put his arm around her, and pulled her to him.  

The passion was palpable.  Dan slipped his hands under her negligee and Linda gasped as he touched her nipples.  

Her negligee was the next to come off, and she was now down to her lacy, sexy, panties.  

She pushed Dan away for a second and got a condom she had put under her pillow.

“Dan, we have to have protection. Let me slip this on you”.  She tugged his boxers down and admired his penis, then slid the condom over him.  It was all that Dan could do to keep from a climate immediately.  He had read that putting your mind on other matters could help.  He was finding squares in his brain.  Twenty squared was 400, 21 squared was 441, and 22 squared was 484, and his brain wasn’t working in its normal mathematical fashion.  But, Linda was done and pulled his boxers up.  

They then laid down in the kingside bed at the Staybridge Inn in Lafayette Indiana, and two virgins lost their virginity.  

Within a few minutes of his climax, they rolled over and in each other’s arms fell asleep.  

*****

The next morning, Linda woke first and after using the bathroom, came back to Dan sleeping quietly.  She stroked his back and his buttocks.  He cooed and rolled over.  

They had their second time of intimacy before showering together and going back to campus.

*****

Dan finished off the spring semester with a flourish.  He went to the Tri-Delt formal with Linda and took Linda with him to the Golden Heart Ball of SigEp.  He had brought his macro econ grade up and again had straight A’s.  

***** 

But, there was a cloud on the horizon.  Gwen Toilvert, a girl in his Freshman Comp class, was flirting with him, and Dan liked her attention to him.  Gwen was a Delta Zeta and was better looking than Linda.  Maybe - maybe someday he’d go for a coke with Gwen.

*****

As the end of the semester approached, Dan called his Dad one afternoon to visit about summer.  

Dan asked, “So, Dad.  What summer job should I take? Should I work for DJ Computers, stay here on campus and work in the advanced electronics lab, or contact Dr. Gordon Moore and work for Intel?”

Will Jackson answered,  “Okay Dan, I will give advice, but you get to make the decision.  If I were you - after one year at Purdue, I’d come home and work for DJ Computers.  Next summer you could work on campus and then before your senior year, you could work for Intel.”

Dan liked the idea and thanked his dad, and let Steve Jackson know he’d be back.  Little did he know that he would be traveling and super busy that summer.

*****

After school was out and Dan moved home, Beth Jackson asked her son how the relationship was going.  While he had shared more openly over Thanksgiving, he was a little reticent this time. He said he liked her, and they had done some fraternity or sorority things together.  

Beth stared at her son and asked the direct question.  “Did you sleep with Linda?”.

Dan turned a little red, but answered “Yes, I did”.  Beth didn’t want to tread too heavily on her son’s love life.  

Beth asked, “Did you like it?”

Dan seemed reluctant to go too deep but honored his mother by saying, “Mom, We had waited, we had gone up to the edge. And, yes, I like it.”  Then he added, “And Linda liked it too.”.  

Beth kept her voice even and said, “Did you have protection?”.

Dan nodded, and then added, “Linda is trying out some birth control pills, but, yes, I wore a condom. 

Beth nodded.  She knew that she had approached the topic carefully and she didn’t want to lose her son.

*****

<END OF EPISODE #10 of Dan Jackson - Computer Whiz.

It looks like everything is good for Dan - but will he stay with Linda Watson or start playing the field?  Will his successes cause his ego to grow too big?  

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

KAREN ANNE WHITE, SATURDAY APRIL 22, 2023