Disclaimer: this is the story as I remember it. very likely to be incomplete and/or incorrect, but a story nonetheless. Leave comments for corrections. oh, and tell me when i should stop.
We now arrive at the spring semester of 2000. Perhaps of most import to me was spring break of that year when i received a phone call from the kids at intel. It was an interesting period. I was looking for a summer job in the industry of my choice. I had applied for multiple internships at motorola, amd, intel, texas instruments, sun, sgi, etc. And the remarkable thing about intel, was a) they actually contacted me, and b) their first attempt was at my dorm number. except, i was on spring break and in california at the time. luckily, a man by the name of paul bulemi was kind enough to try me at my sacramento number.

The interview process for the intel job was nothing more than a phone interview, and either their standards were low or i did well, because by the end of it, i had a job offer for the summer. I tend to think the former was the case as it was made known to me that they were in a bind to find someone to fill the co-op (a position i would put them in again later). The only drawback was the length of the co-op, six months. It would mean missing a semester of school and graduating as a half-ling in february of 2002. It took a little deliberation, but in the end, i decided to go. I mean, the facts were that i was going to a non-reputable engineering school, surrounded by i-banking wannabes, and this was an opportunity for me to get some industry experience, spend time with the family and, more importantly, my nanny who was in declining health.

Slightly before spring break, there was a significant turn of events. John and Helen ditched me. Well, i guess i should be more discriminant and say that John ditched me. According to Helen, John just walked in one day and said “pack your bags, we’re moving.” Actually, ditched might not be the right word . . . well, actually it is. You all should give him grief for that. Thanks. Apparently, it didn’t take long for Sue to realize the potiential of one John Luke Grogan, and, in a large coup for The College at large, she annointed John as the new head of Columbia College Information Technology. There was, however, a need to leave a token of appreciation. Namely, me.

And thus, it happened one day. I walked into CCS and everything was gone. It was explained to me that John and Helen had left to start something at the College and it was the hope that I would continue on with CCS and help keep things in running order. At first, i was alright with it, but after a month, things had gotten pretty unbearable, and so i walked into eleanor’s office and told her i was leaving. Said something to the effect of being able to help more people if i went to go work for john. I have to say, she had a really sullen look on her face as i told her, but, hey, without john, there was no dynamism, no soul. no vision. I had to get out.

Interestingly, right after i told eleanor i was leaving, i walked over to 201 Hamilton (this was before the beginning of our subterannian life, and at the time, the college administration was housed where the current ugrad admissions office is located) to let john know i had flown the coupe and wanted to work for him. I was expecting a positive reaction, but, alas, expectation is merely the precursor to disappointment. Actually, i wish i had captured that moment on film. It was a look of fear on the man’s face. Something akin to, “uh-oh, big doo doo coming my way” type of expression. Apparently, the negoatiations of John’s release hinged in part on not taking me with him . . . oh, well.

And so, life began for me at CCIT. Since I had joined a couple months late, things had already been moving at a steady clip. The office space was being shared by two or three groups: CC-ops, CCIT, and the Dean’s Office. It was an interesting blend. CCIT itself took up two offices and a bullpen for all the interns. Helen had one office on the south side of hamilton and john shared an office on the north side with our newly hired Associate Director of Infrastructure, Jeff Woodbury.

I have to say, my first encounter with Jeff didn’t get things off on a good foot. I really didn’t know who he was or where he came from, and it would be quite a while before i was let in on “the big secret”. Anyway, our first encounter went something like “Who put this crappy music on?” and Jeff acknowledging it was him. Things would only go up from there.
The new office space was nice. It was closer to the girlfriend’s place which was nice and it was on main campus. The offices and bullpen, were probably the largest in CCIT history and will most probably never be equaled. Helen’s office was especially plush with the southern exposure and plenty of sunlight . . . when there was and sun to have appreciable light. A major upgrade from the corner cubby hole at ccs. I’d say the only draw back was the bullpen being filled with Windows boxes running Linux on VMWare . . . slow. very slow. Fortunately, i wouldn’t be spending much time in that environment.
Anyway, things were buzzing in the new office. Websites had to be made, hardware was being purchased, and interns needed to be aquired. In the meantime, i believe there were only two holdovers from the previous regime: Tony Chow and Lenny Volcheck. The rest, i’d heard, were victims of the reorganization.

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