The Second Visit

This weekend some of my college friends also came to visit. I really believe that the friends you make in college are meant to last a lifetime. We start off as such young, innocent and immature freshmen and make our way to (well, maybe not so mature) graduating seniors, all the while spending our most intimate moments together. It's four years of living with your closest friends, sisters even, in the room next door, if not the bed above you. Many closets of clothing to chose from, many parties to attend, pranks to pull, and many shoulders to cry on. The learning that I did at Allegheny went well beyond the classroom. Indeed, the most valuable lessons, I believe I learned from my friends: how to be a good friend, what it means to be loyal, trustworthy, hold confidences and be supportive, how to have a good time and laugh at myself, and how to nurture one another and still be an individual. None of that would have been possible without the strong and supportive network of women I am privileged to call my friends.



This is Danielle giving Andrew a taste of daiquiri (virgin, of course). Danielle lived across the hall from me freshman year. We met in August of 1995. On the first day we had moved into the dorms, I was using a thesaurus to pound a thumb tack into my door to hold up a dry erase board. (Yes, my home improvement skills have gotten better since then, and yes, I was a word nerd, even then!) Danielle, being the physics buff, as opposed to language, walked over to me with a hammer and said, "Um, I think this would work a little better." Indeed it did work much better, and we became instant friends. Of course, to this day she still makes fun of me for trying to use a thesaurus as a hammer!

Here are Amy and Michelle. Amy is Danielle's fiance, and didn't go to Allegheny with us. She has, however, over the course of the last few years become one of the gang!

Michelle lived next door to me freshmen year. I don't specifically remember the first time I met Michelle, but I remember spending many times sitting with Michelle and Molly (Michelle's roommate, who wasn't able to come this weekend), hanging out in our rooms while everyone else went out drinking! I recall eating Thin Mints and pizza, talking for hours about nothing at all, and making fun of the others (mostly Danielle) when they came back drunk! Michelle, Molly and I were the "sensible" ones freshmen year. Michelle and Molly remained sensible throughout school. I....well, I strayed a little as time went on! But luckily I always had Michelle and Molly to keep in line, or at least look out for me when I was out of line! :)

Here are Amy and Danielle on our front porch. I vividly remember the day Danielle told me she was a lesbian. It was my birthday - March 9, 1996. She came and asked if I had a moment to talk, and I walked to her room. I sat on her desk, and she locked her door. I remember thinking, "Oh boy. This is something big." She sat on her bed, looked at me and said, "Koel, what would you say if I told you I was a lesbian?" I laughed! "Oh yeah right, Danielle! Good one!" Danielle and I were always playing jokes on each other, and I was such a sheltered person that I thought she was kidding. She didn't laugh. She said, "No, I'm serious. And I'm dating our other friend Danielle. I have been for a long time." I realized then that she was serious. I don't remember what I said next, or how the rest of the conversation went. I just remember that it was fine. It didn't matter to me one bit. I loved Danielle then for the friend she was to me, and I still love her for being that same person. Now, I love Amy too, and welcome her into our circle. It's a wonderful place to be!

Everyone sitting around the fire in our back yard.

Michelle and Pete. Pete is Michelle's husband. He did not officially go to Allegheny, but since he and Michelle had been dating since high school, I have known Pete as long as I've known Michelle. Pete jokes that he went to college on the weekend plan! Pete used to come to Allegheny every weekend to visit Michelle. In the beginning, he drove this old, beat up truck that was so loud, we could hear him approaching from blocks away! We would yell out the hall to Michelle that Pete was here before he even parked!

Jake, just one of the gang that night.

Danielle and I used to prank each other all the time in college, especially freshman year. I had a water bed mattress that she would love to lay on. Actually, we all loved that bed and would frequently take "group naps" on it. I never locked my door and often came home to find someone sleeping in my bed when I came back from class! One time I came back from class and had nothing but napping on my mind. When I hopped into bed, I was shocked to find that my entire mattress had been stolen! Confiscated by Danielle for her own use! She even made the bed over, so I couldn't tell right away it was gone. She locked her door and wouldn't let me in to retrieve it, so I got the Resident Director, who was a great sport about the whole thing. I told Nicole (the RD) to pretend that Danielle was in big trouble for stealing my property and that she needed to open her door right away. At first Danielle didn't believe that I had Nicole with me, but then when Nicole spoke, Danielle sheepishly opened the door, with a very somber look on her face. That's when Nicole cracked up, and we all started laughing. I got my mattress back. Later, I took all of Danielle's underwear out of her room and hid them at the end of the hall!

Jake put on a light show for us with glow bracelets.

More light show stuff.

Giving me a "thumbs-up" just as the wind blew smoke all over!

Danielle and Amy sing and dance to a Michael Jackson song. Greg's friend came over and played guitar, while Greg played the drums so we could jam a little that evening.

Danielle tries out the drums. She's pretty good for a novice!

Michelle, Me and Danielle on our back deck. Michelle and I took a canoeing class junior year as one of our PE requirements. I was on some kind of medication at the time and had some real concentration issues. I fell out of the canoe at one point! As a result of the canoeing class, which was a lot of fun, we decided that we were going to make it a point to go skinny dipping in every body of water that we canoed in. A group of us made it to the first one, scaled the fence in the middle of the night- it was at Woodcock - and jumped in the water. (We actually wore our bathing suits, though). All of a sudden, Michelle said, "Wait! Stop! I lost my glasses!" And just as she said it, Molly (I think) said, "Oh, here they are," and pulled them off the bottom of the lake with her foot! What were the chances! We only went to one other place, but by then it was so cold, and the water was so yucky, that we didn't actually skinny dip anywhere else. At least we have one good story!

The girls on the deck, before everyone left.

Pete and Michelle, Me and Greg

Those are really just a very small selection of stories I could tell from our college years. Unfortunately, there were several of the group who were not able to make it. Shelly, Shannon, Molly, Kathleen, Erika, we missed having you too, and hope you can make it next year. There will be more pictures to take, more stories to tell, and more memories to make. Thanks girls, for a wonderful college experience, and a fantastic "reunion" weekend.