There is a math teacher named Mr. Escalante at a high school in East Los Angeles where the kids mostly do not pass calculus and mostly are not expected to. He gives them the textbook anyway and he stays late and he writes the problems on the board until somebody finishes them. Edward James Olmos plays him with the kind of stubborn patient steadiness I have not seen in a movie about a teacher since Mr. Holland is not out yet, and I would put him above Mr. Keating from last summer. At minute 47 there is a scene where the kids push back and Mr. Escalante writes one more problem on the board and you can see the whole class decide to stay. It is genuinely good and it is the rare new release that I would rent twice, which I did, and which is why this is the pick this week. — T.W.
I mailed the Oregon State application April 12 1989, four weeks after I wrote this card. The acceptance letter came June 3 and the financial-aid letter came July 14 and the dormitory assignment came August 8.
I worked the summer shift at Video Horizon and Mr. Krumpacker had Linda bake me a sheet-cake the last Friday in August, and the four staff members signed a card, and Mrs. Vandermeer came in that day and gave me a copy of Stand and Deliver on VHS as a graduation present. I brought it with me to Corvallis. It is on the shelf above my desk right now beside the Western Civ textbook from sophomore year at Clatsop.
I am writing this slip from Halsell Hall and tucking it behind the pick-card with a 30¢ stamp and a note to Mr. Krumpacker that I would like him to keep the pick-card on the wall as long as the shop is open, and that if anyone ever takes it down to please mail it to me at the elementary-education department at OSU. I want to keep it.
The decision to mail the application was made at minute 47 of the Tuesday-evening watch March 14 1989, in the living room beside my brother Kevin. The pick-card I wrote Friday morning was just the small visible sign I was giving myself that I had decided.
I want you to know that.
— Tanya Wzolek
Oregon State sophomore, pre-elementary-education
Sept 18 1990
WRITTEN EVERY FRIDAY MORNING BY EACH CLERK IN THEIR OWN HAND, RECOMMENDING ONE TAPE PER CLERK PER WEEK. STAFF PICKS WHATEVER THEY WANT INCLUDING STUFF THAT DOESN'T RENT WELL. NO CORPORATE INFLUENCE, NO MAJOR VIDEO PUSHED-TITLES, NO PROFIT-SHARE KICKBACKS.
THIS IS THE ONLY HONEST PART OF THE STORE AND IT IS THE ONLY PART THE CUSTOMER SHOULD FULLY TRUST.