09 autumn reporter 1-20 - Franklin College

professor Sam Hicks, a group of dedicated
singers rehearsed, wrote scripts, built sets,
made costumes, created the menu (sometimes
cooked) and set up the facility for the annual
Christmas dinners that attracted faculty, staff,
students and members of the community.
Each dinner transported the audience to the
Middle Ages through food, entertainment and
song. The dinners were originally held in the
basement of the college chapel before it was
remodeled — who can forget the duct tape
that was needed to hang curtains on the
concrete block walls? The dinner then moved
to various locations over the years but kept
its menu of wassail, “boar’s head” and figgy
pudding and its tradition of beautiful a
capella singing. These are great memories
I share with my siblings and their spouses,
Ruth (Park) Gallagher ’78, John Gallagher ’78,
Bob Park ’80, Kelli DeMott Park ’81,
Lynn (Park) Cruser ’81, Jim Cruser ’82,
Shari (Park) Wilson ’83 and Tom Wilson ’83.
We all participated in the Madrigal Singers
together for more than six years.
Hetty (Schott) Gray ’84: Because I love old
buildings, I enjoyed all my classes in Old
Main. The night it burned, I drove back to
campus and watched as the firefighters fought
the blaze. After the renovation, I was thrilled
with the result! What a lovely, welcoming
building. How lucky alumni are to have had
an administration dedicated to preserving a
piece of Franklin College heritage.
Nancy (Hathaway) Vandell ’84: I remember a
lot of SAC events, but one night a group of
us went up to the fifth floor of Main to see if
the rumor was true about someone hanging
himself up there. We found a rope tied to a
rafter that had been cut off. It convinced me.
Kristy Brown ’86: I have many favorite
memories of my days as a student at Franklin
College, but I particularly remember May
Sing. This was an opportunity for the Greek
organizations to pull together a musical
presentation. If I remember correctly, it was
hosted on a Sunday afternoon. Parents and
family members came to watch, and all of
the Greek organizations participated, putting
a lot of effort into the theme, music and
choreography. It was always great to see those
performances and cheer for one another!
Wendy (Shuler) Hagn ’86: I have many great
college memories — a (small) dance in Cline
Circle was a freshman orientation weekend
“big” event in 1982. I also recall when several
students had an impromptu mud wrestling
tournament on Dame Mall (after the 1985
fires)— messy fun! Times spent in PJs in the
lounges of Elsey Hall with “just the girls,”
“Dateless Wonders of America” events (Friday
night gatherings in our Tri Delta sorority suite
for those sisters who did not have dates) and
sorority rush were fun experiences for a girl
who grew up with only brothers! And friends
with cars, nice ladies at Franklin First Baptist,
Brown’s Regal Market (open 24 hours), JB’s
Pizza King, Nick’s “Sweet Retreat,” all-campus
bowling and movie nights were vital to an
out-of-state student’s survival!
Nora (Lowe) Brems ’87: A lot of my memories
from my student days at FC are shaped by the
fires that occurred in 1985. This memory
sticks out to me because it was a turning point
of sorts. A month after the Bryan Hall fire
stunned the campus community, Old Main
burned. My then-boyfriend and now-husband,
Bill Brems ’87, and I helped carry student
academic records from Old Main to the home
of professor Tom Howald. It was such a
poignant moment in time because it touched
the very essence of what an academic
institution is built to do — educate students.
We were educated that day, not only on the
importance of joining in to help save the
integrity of the academic records, but we were
educated on life and the bumps and curves
that you encounter on your journey. In some
ways it was a surreal experience, but it taught
me so much about humanity, loyalty and
giving back. At the risk of sounding trite, this
was a turning point in my life that confirmed
for me the vitality of Franklin College and the
legacy that would coin the phrase, ‘rise from
the ashes like the mythical Phoenix,’ aptly
spoken by Former President and Chancellor
William Bryan Martin.
Sally (Bray) Brown ’87: Since I lived in
Franklin, I worked for the physical plant for
several summers. There were two or three of
us summer helpers at any given time. For our
work, we had two riding mowers; one was a
tractor with a belly mower, and the other was
a very “modern” Toro. We also had one or
two push mowers, when we could keep them
running! Still, we kept Elsey field, the football
field and campus looking pretty good all
summer. At that time, the physical plant was in
a building across the railroad tracks; it leaked
and had water standing in it. The walls were
wet and rotting. When it rained or we caught
up on mowing, we painted inside or hauled
and moved things around campus as needed.
One summer, before the Old Main fire, we
shoveled “droppings” from the third floor,
where pigeons made their home because it
was open and in horrible repair. It was a hot
and stinky job, but we did it with little fuss.
I also remember living in Elsey Hall, with no
air conditioning and unreliable heating in
the winter. We shared just two phones on
each floor! Still, I wouldn’t trade my college
years for anything. I loved FC then and even
more now as an alumna of 20-plus years. I
drive through the campus on my way to work,
lunch and back home again every day, and it
always fills me with a great sense of pride.
Amy (Sebree) Crawford ’89: My roommate,
Julia (Alberts) Puckett ’89, had known
Dr. Lloyd Hunter, professor of history, before
attending college so when it was finals week, he
and his wife always invited us over for dinner.
It was a great opportunity to be off campus for
a bit of study relief and to enjoy hospitality and
fun stories of a wonderful family. One time I
had already taken my final in Hunter’s class,
and we went to dinner where I walked in and
found my graded blue book waiting in my
chair. Years later, after I graduated, Hunter
officiated at my wedding. His encouragement
through my life and his role modeling are
bright spots when I think of Franklin College.
WWW.FRANKLINCOLLEGE.EDU AUTUMN 2009 51
1970s