The Cosmopolitan Club House in my memory will always be characterized with warmth and the savor of the seasons. I lived in the Cosmopolitan House for one year, during my second year of the M.A. program at the Division of English as an International Language (DEIL) of UIUC in the early 1990's. Since I am speaking of the reminiscences of this house, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the actions of two DEIL friends, Jenny Wyse and Akemi Kaneko. Jenny, as an outgoing member of the house leaving for Spain, introduced me to the availability of her room in the Cosmo House; Akemi, who was considering taking over Jenny's room but was uncertain whether she would stay in Champaign-Urbana in the following year, yielded the opportunity to me when I was looking for a place to live. These two friends are fondly remembered.
First of all, I remember the great look of the house and its close distance from the campus. In it I had full privacy and freedom, keeping a large single room on the second floor to myself. I developed a substantial degree of academic and spiritual growth in that room—studying, reading, thinking, and listening to my favorite radio programs. In the surrounding rooms, I had a good group of friends, who were helping, friendly, and intellectual. A few of their names and faces are vivid in my mind: Judy Gordon and Norma Rantisi.
The spacious living room, while used for public events, often offered a quiet area. I liked coming down to the living room early in the mornings for study. Each Christmas I am reminded of the Christmas Day I had in the living room of this house and later at a professor's. Most of the house members had left for home, with very few students to be seen in the house. I enjoyed the freedom to appreciate elegant Christmas music, turning up the Christmas solo song, "O Holy Night," on the phonograph in the solitary living room while waiting for the time to go to the professor's, who welcomed us with a delightful Christmas tree and gorgeous hospitality, which to date remains an affectionate memory.
The annual dinner commemorating Thanksgiving Day hosted by the Cosmo club in the YMCA in the fall that year gave me a rare, wonderful chance to invite friends. In nearly eight years of living in Los Angeles since then, no opportunity has shown up for me to invite people on Thanksgiving Day. I think of the Cosmo Thanksgiving Dinner party as a golden opportunity by which one, by virtue of being a Cosmo member, could be so generous—showing hospitality by inviting friends to a Thanksgiving party. Oh, that I could have a cosmopolitan club and, therefore, the same opportunity here in Los Angeles!
Another memory is associated with one of the monthly cultural events in the house. A DEIL friend, Peggy Wollberg, invited me to a concert, where her husband was one of the violinists. On the way back, the couple gave me a ride to the house. Arriving at the door, they accepted my invitation to come in and join the event, which was in full swing. The husband played a beautiful impromptu tune, which enchanted the audience that night.
Cosmo stories of my stay cannot be complete without mentioning Andrea Shields, the club coordinator. Andrea was friendly and caring. She is one of the most pleasant and creative individuals that I have ever met. Once she surprised me by putting out on the kitchen table a large fish in a basket decorated with flowers from her garden. I couldn't believe my ears when she said the fish was for me to cook. One person's kind act to another may take on additional significance in the receiver's mind depending on the receiver's circumstance at the time, and the extra significance and gratitude may go unperceived by the giver. If anything, I was undergoing a certain degree of sadness, or to use a clinical term, separation anxiety, over my forthcoming departure from loved ones in Champaign-Urbana to begin my doctoral studies at UCLA around the day of receiving the fish, which I felt was a comfort from God.
Gil, the then-house manager, comes to mind in association with his gentle disposition and the driving instructions he gave me. While a few reminiscences have been recollected, much of the essence of the positive experiences I gained through the company of the people and from the events at this house remains unsaid. I think of God's tenderness when I think of this house. Without a hesitation I can recommend that international students in Champaign-Urbana looking for a room live in this house. The house will become a house of nostalgia.