Chapter 1, Year of Glad, and Chapter 2, Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment Summary

Hal Incandenza, 18, is at the administration building of a university, where he is being interviewed by several deans and the school's tennis coach. Hal's Uncle Charlie has brought him to hopefully be admitted because of his skill playing tennis. The Deans are interested and appreciative of Hal's accomplishments, but seem to sense that something is off with the boy. The dean brings up that Hal submitted nine separate applications, all which were judged stellar by a reviewer. However, his verbal test scores were abysmal. They ask Hal to defend himself and he opens his moth to tell them although he had some trouble, his earlier grades are valid. He tells the men he loves to study. As he speaks, he remembers...