If you are walking around campus this semester keep an eye out for Harold Dinzes, an 88-year-old sophomore who is always armed with an arsenal of candy to hand out. Dinzes, a resident of Passaic, fell in love with literature after reading the book his father purchased for him when he was younger, The Count of Monte Cristo.  "Still to this day, when I see that book, it takes me back to some great memories," said Dinzes. Ever since he was introduced to the literary world, he has carried his passion for books, even through the rough terrains overseas.

Dinzes, who served with the U.S. Army Combat Engineers in World War II and the Korean Conflict, is a supervisor at the Barnes and Noble store in Clifton Commons, a perfect place for him to work. He credits Barnes and Noble for giving him the drive to enroll at MSU. While at work, Dinzes answers customer questions offering his recommendations for military, history and scientific books. His new role as a college student has lifted his spirits, and he says that it keeps his heart pumping.

A kid at heart, Dinzes says his age is not an issue amongst his fellow classmates. "That's the beauty--sometimes they mistake me for a professor. Half do not believe me, but they all treat me as if the age barrier was not there," he said. Majoring in history while taking classes such as Russian literature, archaeology, and contemporary Europe 1914-present, Dinzes revealed the desire to have a higher education was always there. "I still can't get over the fact that I am doing this. Everyone at MSU is wonderful, from the janitors to the professors. I thought I knew everything about World War I, but I am now learning things that I never knew before," Dinzes said with enthusiasm.

Although he is now accustomed to the MSU campus, Dinzes used his military knowledge to learn his way around the campus. "In the beginning, I didn’t know which way to turn."  A few students have even gone out of their way to show him some good shortcuts to reduce time walking to class. The community and ambiance of the campus enthrall his mind, he said. "When I’m at MSU, I get a feeling as if the campus is mine. What else can I say, I am in love with MSU."