Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Returning to K-State, September 1954

I moved back to K-State for my second year. Van Zile Hall was the dorm for upperclassmen. I had two roommates. Three can be challenging because two get along and the third is on the "outs." It wasn't always the same two who were getting along. Both were nice gals. One seemed to be nearly "cut from the same cloth" as I.
Even so, we didn't always get along, especially if she was trying to tell me what I "should" do!

The first week of school we had an "hour dance" with the guys from West Stadium Dorm - some were athletes and some were regular guys. The first time I met Chuck, he told me I had beautiful brown eyes. I was quite indignant because I always thought my eyes were blue - they are actually hazel - often called "muckledun." However it took me quite a few years before I realized they weren't blue. Strange, huh?

He was a freshman and nearly a year younger than I. He was very different from the other guys I met. When we went out on a date, he always wore dress pants and a white shirt. The other guys didn't do that. He also knew exactly what he wanted to do in life - and that was very different from most students.

I announced to my roommates the night of the "hour dance" that I had met the guy I would marry. Of course, like so many lads and lasses who go away to college, there was a girlfriend back home in high school. I had done the same thing and left a boyfriend back home my first year - but that was all over by Christmastime.

Obviously, we didn't date exclusively for a number of months. I had one of those dream weekends one time when he went home for homecoming or some such thing. Friday evening I had a date with one of the guys I dated last year; Saturday evening I had a date with a helicopter pilot from Fort Riley; and Sunday I had a date with Chuck. One of my roommates did not approve at all!

After that we spent lots of time together and got engaged on Valentine's Day. We decided we'd get married before the next school year began.

My Mom and brother Bill were against it and promised me they'd pay for two more years of college if I did not get married.

I securied a teaching position with the Junction City School System, teaching 4th grade at Fort Riley. My contract for the first year was $2,850 spread over 10 months.

I had to take "Methods of teaching" that summer so I could become certified to teach with 60 hours. I took the course by correspondence.

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