A Moment in Time

I just took a wild ride on a time machine to the late 80's. The place: Syracuse University. The reason: My 20 year college reunion (shocking, I know) combined with homecoming weekend and a get together with my Chi Omega sisters. The Fam went with, and our teenage daughter Taryn was dismayed that hubby Gene and I had so much trouble getting our bearings. In fact, we were so disoriented, it took a lot of winding and weaving in the rental car to find the campus. When we finally arrived and parked in Booth Hall garage, we had to ask the parking attendant for a campus map so we could figure out which way to go to get to the quad.

C'mon now, I told her, it's been over 20 years. Many buildings have been added was my other excuse. As the memories came rolling back, and the scenery started to take a familiar course, I got my groove back and navigated the campus to show my little one the buildings I had classes in, the library where I bought cigarettes to keep me up during all-nighters, the bookstore and the creme de la creme, Crouse College... the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

My husband, who was my fiancé at the time, told Taryn about the nude figure drawing classes I took him to and I told her while we climbed the winding staircase that the only thing missing inside the beautiful old building was the smell of clove cigarettes. Taryn and I paused to listen to an opera singer practicing behind a closed door. The drawings adorning the walls and the kids sprawled in the halls made me feel nostalgic for the days of art school.

The weekend was a flood of memories, from stories told between us Chi O sisters… to a game in the Dome (all it took was a little Chi O love for the football team to win one!)… to a couple cold ones at Maggie's… to visits to my old apartments and dorm (which look exactly the same). A tour of the Chi Omega house was a sentimental and sad experience, as our chapter no longer exists at SU and our house is occupied by another sorority. They were gracious enough to grant us a tour, and we even managed a peek at the dormer on the third floor.

While some things have changed, others have not. Those items that time cannot erase: frisbee on the lawn by fraternity row, the blast of air that sends you scurrying out the doors of the carrier dome, the color orange worn proudly, a citrusy little mascot, students scattered on the quad, dollar slices at the Varsity, $3 pitchers, institutions like Chuck's, Maggie's, and Faegan's, sweatshirts from Manny's, and, ultimately, the bond formed between sisters.

Syracuse University gave me much more than an incredible education, it gave me a meaningful career, a lifelong sisterhood and an alma mater I am still proud of.