Social Life at K-State

There were about a dozen girls living on 3rd floor at Northwest Hall who did things together. Some of us walked to class together. We ate meals together at the dorm. We hung out in each other's rooms, went to church together, had picnics in the fall and spring, and studied together. It was a diverse group from little towns and big cities across Kansas. This group included the five of us from Ness County.

There were several guys I dated: one was 6'4" and a great dancer. I don't remember where I met him. He came to Ness for New Year's Eve in 1953. I dated a blond-haired senior for a short while. I thought the world would end when he stood me up for a date to the dance when Ralph Flanagan and his orchestra were playing. He explained why later - and a 17 year old freshman really had no business dating a 21 year old senior because there was too much difference in experience. He was ready for a relationship for which I was too immature.

Second semester I dated one of Northwest Hall's houseboys. He was a nice guy from Pratt, Kansas.

I usually had a crush on someone - a 6'8" sophomore basketball player, a short compact gymnast who was one of our houseboys. I just had crushes and never dated these guys.

There were "hour dances" exchanged between our dorm and the guys at West Stadium; street dances; homecoming parades and pep rallies all held in downtown Aggieville.

I never understood why the Homecoming games were always scheduled with either Oklahoma or Nebraska - the powerhouse teams in the Big 7 (This was way before the Big 12!) K-State always lost those games.

At the beginning of the school year we could buy an activity ticket that got us in to the football and basketball games.

During my first year at K-State, I attended the Chi Omega Hay Hop - the hall was decorated with bales of hay. This nearly killed this asthmatic! I was invited because my roomie was a Chi O pledge.

Matt Betton and his orchestra often played on campus. This was a local band and we were always glad to see this group on the bandstand.

During the first two years when I was a full-time student, I danced to the Sauter-Finnegan orchestra and Woody Herman and the Third Herd (for those of you who don't know, Woody's first orchestra was called the Thundering Herd back in the late 30s and 40s.)

Jose Greco and his Spanish dancers performed on campus as did Agnes Moorhead in her one woman show (later she would play Endora on "Bewitched.") She was an elegant lady with red hair who appeared on stage in a lovely mauve long dress - very striking-looking. I also saw "Caine Mutiny Courtmartial" with John Hodiak, Lloyd Nolan and Henry Fonda. Marge and Gower Champion appeared there with a musical. She was quoted as making a catty remark about "hicks from the stick" and I guess that is probably what the folks in Hollywood thought of Midwesterners and maybe they still feel that way. Needless to say, she was never one of my favorites after that.

My Mom encouraged me to attend these concerts and shows "because you may never have another chance."

As with all experiences, those I had at K-State are part of why I am the person I am. I was blessed with good friends who were in my life for a season.