In my last column I mentioned that I would be taking a look back at my college days in the ‘60s. Join me as I revisit those days.
I spent four years at Trinity College in Burlington. It was an all girls’ school staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. Unfortunately, it is no longer in operation. However, it is now part of the University of Vermont and is called the Trinity Campus.
Early in the summer before our freshman year began each of us got a letter telling us who our roommate would be along with her mailing address. This allowed us to write to one another and get acquainted before meeting in person. Emails and texts didn’t exist back then so we used paper and pen to write, put a stamp on the envelope and into the mailbox it went.
We waited to get a reply and after a couple of months of “back and forth” letters we had a pretty good idea what our roommate would be like.
I have to say that my roommate and I were nothing alike! She had just won a beauty contest and a trip to Bermuda. A “trip” for me was a car ride to Burlington or Glens Falls!
Roommates could not be changed during our freshman year as the nuns felt that it “built character” to adjust to one another. We survived just fine but chose someone else to live with for our sophomore year.
Trinity had an administration building with classrooms and a library. Just a few feet from it was “The Villa.” It was a large house that served as a residence for the nuns and also was an infirmary for students. After going down a rather steep hill from “The Villa” you came to two dormitories, both with three floors. McAuley Hall housed the underclassmen and also had a chapel and dining hall. Mercy Hall housed the upperclassmen who had to walk over to McAuley Hall for meals and Mass. Both dorms had a “smoker” which was the only room where students could have a cigarette. It was also the room for nightly games of bridge.
Only seniors could have a car on campus so the local bus took us wherever we needed to go. When we had an afternoon free of classes going downtown to shop was a popular way to spend our free time. When I hear about people not feeing safe these days on Church Street I am reminded how that was not the case back in the ‘60s. Problems with drugs and shootings were not plaguing downtown Burlington back in the day.
Even at night there were no worries when students went to a movie or had dinner at a downtown restaurant. We needed a change from “dorm food” once in awhile.
One of my friends had a car on campus our senior year. It was a small VW that held four of us as we made trips to The Lure which was a fast food restaurant that offered take-out. We would bring our burgers, fries and milk shake back to the dorm about once a week.
With 50 students per floor and only one TV in the lounge and one phone to be shared by all of us it was a challenge! A ringing phone was answered by whoever was walking by and the girl then shouted down the hallway the name of the person who was wanted.
There was daily Mass in the chapel and we were required to wear a cap and gown to Mass. Even underclassmen had a cap and gown. That worked to our advantage as we often rolled up our PJs under the gown to attend Mass. It was hard to get up and dressed at 7 a.m.
I was probably the only student who was in bed by 9:30 p.m. Somehow I managed to block out all the dorm noise. I wish I could fall asleep that easily these days!
There was a sign-out book at the front desk of both dorms. You needed advance permission to stay out two nights per week until 10 p.m. Otherwise you had to be in your room at 7:30 p.m. Apparently we adjusted to that strict way of life as I don’t remember anyone complaining. We knew the rules when we chose to go there and our home life back then was probably just about as strict.
There was a pay phone in McAuley Hall and when students went home for the weekend they often called their parents on Sunday night to let them know that they got back OK. In order not to pay for the call, it was placed “collect” and when the parents were asked if they would accept a collect call from their daughter, they refused. It was just a “code” to let them know they had arrived safely. Some difference from the cell phones of today!
Education at Trinity was “top notch.” Classes were small and the faculty was well versed in their field.
Lifelong friends were made at Trinity and we have fond memories of our time there.
