Dear Roommate,

[Jo]

I've been reminiscing about the seventies and my HAC roommates. Many moons later, it's time to write a brief letter.

If you have a story to tell, it's time.


Dear Sandra,

I'm sorry I ate your chocolate candy that sat on our bookshelf for months.......lol

I'm sorry I woke you up Sunday morning at 4:30 a.m., so we could work in the kitchen. It didn't help that you told me to use any means necessary, and I chose a splash of water

Your roommate from long ago I hope you''re doing well.

 

[Justice1976]

In 1976-77, I was at Balmoral Woods. For those of you who might not remember, the enrollment was too large that year to house all of the guys at Baptist City, so the school was able to rent a couple of floors of a motel in Crete, IL. It was probably 25 miles from campus, so it presented very unique issues. I know that I didn't feel so very connected to anything at the main campus.

But that year, Balmoral housed a good many guys who would go on to become "local heroes." (Yes, that's sarcasm). Off the top of my head I can think of Jack Schaap, Roger Castille, Mark Rasmussen, Phil Merhalski and many others who resided at Balmoral.

My roommates were Keith Adams, Steve Ellis and Ronnie Rouse.

Ronnie is in Heaven now. He was a big fan of the southern gospel group, The Inspirations. He worked hard.

Steve Ellis was from Maryland. He did a lot of odd jobs for Dr. Evans and did a memorable imitation of Bro. Hyles. I cannot seem to find Steve anywhere today but would love to know what became of him if anybody might know.

Keith started a church from nothing in north Birmingham, Al in 1980 and it grew to a very large church. In the nineties the college awarded him an honorary doctor's degree. He is now in evangelism and almost all of his engagements are in SBC churches.

These were good guys. We were all desperately trying to grow up.

 

[Sherryh]

I had a roommate that loved baby powder it was all over the place and floor. We both got demerits for this I was so mad i went right to Miss Shelhart and told her I never used baby powder and it all over the floor which I didn't do it. She had them removed.

 

[Binaca Chugger]

When my roommate walked into the room, flopped down on his bed and said: "Man, the way Bobby can dance is incredible. What he does with a vacuum is just... mmm." Then he got under the covers and rolled over.

We just gave him his privacy, not knowing how else to respond.

*Bobby was not the real name.

 

[Binaca Chugger]

When the dorm supe called me in to his room to tell me about a fist fight that had broken out on the floor between various ministry participants over a sermon that had been preached.

Me: Why do I care?
Him: Well, don't you want to know all about it?
Me: I don't really care?
Him: But, Which side are you on?
Me: None. I don't care.
Him: But, what do I do?
Me: That's your job. I don't care. I just need to finish this semester so I can graduate, get married and get out of here. Maybe try to convince them that ministry should be about sharing the Gospel and not fighting other ministries? Nah, that would never be believed here.

To which, I left him confused and bad him adieu.

 

[Binaca Chugger]

Watching a guy absolutely go berserk when he got busted for kissing his girl. "Why would you turn me in!?!" he screamed at the snitch in front of a crowd. "I CAN'T AFFORD THIS RIGHT NOW!!!!"

I thought: Man, what are you telling your girlfriend?

When I got busted, I told the teacher who was nervous and ashamed for catching us "Yeah, that's fine. It's your job and it's the rules. I know we will get demerits. Totally worth it. In fact, we will probably try again somewhere else." Teacher chuckled and went on his way. We got demerits. We kissed again.

 

[Binaca Chugger]

All of my roommates are still married to their college sweethearts and still in ministry from oh, so long ago.

There were many good things about HAC and many good HACkers who weren't really HACkers.

 

[sword]

When the dorm supe called me in to his room to tell me about a fist fight that had broken out on the floor between various ministry participants over a sermon that had been preached.

Me: Why do I care?
Him: Well, don't you want to know all about it?
Me: I don't really care?
Him: But, Which side are you on?
Me: None. I don't care.
Him: But, what do I do?
Me: That's your job. I don't care. I just need to finish this semester so I can graduate, get married and get out of here. Maybe try to convince them that ministry should be about sharing the Gospel and not fighting other ministries? Nah, that would never be believed here.

To which, I left him confused and bad him adieu.

you could have helped the poor guy out with some advice, he obvously respected you and felt you had the wisdom to give good advice.

 

[Justice1976]

I had a roommate that loved baby powder it was all over the place and floor. We both got demerits for this I was so mad i went right to Miss Shelhart and told her I never used baby powder and it all over the floor which I didn't do it. She had them removed.

Sherry, did you know that many ballroom dance groups often put baby powder or other talcum on the floor so their feet will glide across the surface. Maybe your friend was into dancing!!!

 

[Jo]

Sherry, did you know that many ballroom dance groups often put baby powder or other talcum on the floor so their feet will glide across the surface. Maybe your friend was into dancing!!!

You know this from personal experience? Are you saying a graduate of HAC dances?

 

[Justice1976]

You know this from personal experience? Are you saying a graduate of HAC dances?

I confess that I did it and that I did it terribly.

 

[Jo]

In the sixties and early seventies, a dance called the "pony" was popular. It was the only dance I could do, and I didn't do it often. My last semester at HAC, I lived in the large room at the end of Carol Frye's dorm. Instead of the usual, two women, we had about 8 women in a large makeshift room.

Somehow, we got on the subject of dancing, or maybe I heard an old song on the radio and started doing the pony. The girls gathered round and cheered me on. It was fun in an otherwise un-fun place.

It's a good memory from a long time ago. I'm sure Austin Powers would have loved it.

 

[Justice1976]

In the sixties and early seventies, a dance called the "pony" was popular. It was the only dance I could do, and I didn't do it often. My last semester at HAC, I lived in the large room at the end of Carol Frye's dorm. Instead of the usual, two women, we had about 8 women in a large makeshift room.

Somehow, we got on the subject of dancing, or maybe I heard an old song on the radio and started doing the pony. The girls gathered round and cheered me on. It was fun in an otherwise un-fun place.

It's a good memory from a long time ago. I'm sure Austin Powers would have loved it.

I don’t remember that dance. You would have to demonstrate!

However, I don’t remember any dancing in the boys dorms. Even though we know that King David danced, that would have been considered far too unspiritual for all of the consecrated young men of HAC to participate in.

 

[aleshanee]

In the sixties and early seventies, a dance called the "pony" was popular. It was the only dance I could do, and I didn't do it often. My last semester at HAC, I lived in the large room at the end of Carol Frye's dorm. Instead of the usual, two women, we had about 8 women in a large makeshift room.

Somehow, we got on the subject of dancing, or maybe I heard an old song on the radio and started doing the pony. The girls gathered round and cheered me on. It was fun in an otherwise un-fun place.

It's a good memory from a long time ago. I'm sure Austin Powers would have loved it.

i know the pony dance... .. both the 1960s pop version and also the original navajo horse dance it was adapted from.... . it;s actually a lot of fun to perform in full navajo dress.. .. (and a lot easier to peform than the scottish sword dance)... ... i took classes in dancing for 3 years in high school... learned a lot of dances and their history.... ...but what those classes taught me the most was balance and coordination - which i seriously lacked in my early teens.... ...

we have had room mates in this apartment since we first moved into it... ..they are actually house mates more than room mates since they have their own rooms.... .but i did have room mates during my brief.. and disastrous... adventure living in a house dorm when i was at the university of hawaii.... .it was bad advice that got me to move out of my dads house and into the dorm that semester..... and i immediately fell under bad influence when i got there.... it ended in both embarassment and injury.... but i learned several hard and valuable lessons from the experience... ....looking back and remembering how i was then, i realize it was something that had to happen.... like they say.... experience is a tough school - but the fool can learn from no other.....

 

[aleshanee]

I don’t remember that dance. You would have to demonstrate!

However, I don’t remember any dancing in the boys dorms. Even though we know that King David danced, that would have been considered far too unspiritual for all of the consecrated young men of HAC to participate in.

here is the 1960s pony dance.... it has variations from this... but this video
shows it;s basic form....
.

and this is the navajo horse dance.. (also called pony dance sometimes)...
..it also has many variations including a version traditionally done by men
that is that a lot wilder and more animated in it;s movements.... involves
wearing a lot more elaborate costume/dress... ..it;s a workout to do that one....
.

.
sorry... not trying to highjack the thread or butt into hac world... .but the subject of
room mates interests me since we have had so many in the past... and the pony dance
discussion caught my eye.... ....

 

[Jo]

I don’t remember that dance. You would have to demonstrate!

However, I don’t remember any dancing in the boys dorms. Even though we know that King David danced, that would have been consideredI far too unspiritual for all of the consecrated young men of HAC to participate in.

I'd like to think I looked like Nancy Sinatra in her go go boots, but I probably looked more like Nancy from the cartoons.

 

[Jo]

One year, my room was next to a tall, thin, not-so-popular woman. If I recall correctly, her teeth were slightly messed up, She did not wear makeup, and her hair was long and pulled back. Her name was Alice. I did not know her well. Maybe no one did. I'm not sure.

I noticed one year that she and a not so handsome guy on campus, started spending more and more time together. Maybe they got married.

In the morning, Alice sang hymns or worship songs quietly and played her accordion. It was a great way to wake up.

She reflected Christ's love more than many others. Thank you, Alice. I hope life has been good to you. I wish I had tried to get to know you.

 

[abcaines]

In the morning, Alice... ...played her accordion.

I'm wondering if that didn't work toward her unpopularity...

On the other hand, it's those who are socially awkward and not so "attractive" who get judged by us when we're younger. As we age, our perspective changes and we begin to look at the heart.

 

[aleshanee]

I'm wondering if that didn't work toward her unpopularity...

On the other hand, it's those who are socially awkward and not so "attractive" who get judged by us when we're younger. As we age, our perspective changes and we begin to look at the heart.

which one?....... that she was playing a musical instrument so early in the morning?...... or the fact it was an accordion?.....

we use to have an accordion in storage that someone... (i can;t rmember who).... saw in a thrift store and purchased.... even though that person did not know how to play an accordion - nor did anyone else in the family........

it sat in there for years.... then one day as we were moving things around in the locker.. we picked up the accordion and a ton of dust and debris poured out of it.... . we examined it and discovered the whole insides of it had been destroyed... eated by termites..... ...my dad took one look at it and said.... "eh... probably for the best"...... and it was promptly bagged up and carried to a dumpster.......

i actually like accordions... in certain genres of music... and as long as they are played well........ but finding that is even more rare than finding the instrument itself ....

 

[abcaines]

which one?....... that she was playing a musical instrument so early in the morning?...... or the fact it was an accordion?.....

Yes.

Unless played by Weird Al Yankovic, accordion music has not enjoyed much popularity.

For myself, accordion music holds special memories. My mother used to relax by playing her accordion. Neither my sisters nor I appreciated it at the time but long after Mom's passing, I'd give anything to hear her play her accordion once more.