Final Semester at WVU
We settled into our college routines once again. John was now renting a furnished room in a pretty nice mobile home park down near Meadowbrook Road.
“What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy)” by Information Society
Information Society – Pure Energy (Extended Mix)
His roommate Brian, quite the party animal, was cool and played guitar in a local cover band. We went to see him play down at the VFW one night. The redneck attendees demanded Alabama; we wanted Fleetwood Mac.
John also picked up a part-time job at JCPenney at the Mountaineer Mall that semester.
This time, I had to take potluck on roommate assignments because I wanted to keep the same room (a double) in one of the large center apartments. My other friends had moved elsewhere, and I liked the convenience of Pierpont House. Therefore, they had to “patch the other four holes” so to speak.
I ended up with the most obnoxious, brain-dead, loud and ditzy bunch of yahoos in Morgantown—up at all hours, in and out all night, constant visitors, blaring TV, doors slamming. I was a downright disgruntled camper. When John stayed over, he couldn’t sleep either. We wound up at his place a lot of the time, just to get some silence.
These beeyotches apparently held little regard for others’ spaces, as one time John and I returned from a party to find a bimbo friend of one of my roommates erotically entwined with some frat boy on MY bed.
I threw open the door, flipped the switch and planted myself in the doorway, loudly requesting their immediate departure. “Sarah’s gonna sh!t,” the girl moaned on the way out, followed closely by her “at-attention” partner in crime. I was incredulous. It was MY room; I had a right to lose MY sh!t.
The next morning, as soon as I heard stirring in the apartment, I knew it was time to make a stand. I demanded that Sarah come down to my room, and she approached flanked by the other roommates.
Furious, I let her have it in no uncertain terms that I did not appreciate her inattention to her friends’ use of my room for their own personal boudoir. Since I respected their belongings and space, I expected this in return.
She actually appeared taken aback at the verbal reprimand and I promptly received due apology, and she sounded sincere enough. The airheads slunk away silently, probably thinking better of challenging me in that frame of mind.
The apartment noise never abated, but I knew that I would have to put up with the bedlam just a few weeks more, when I would graduate and move back home.
“Strange Love (Pain Mix)” by Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode – Strange Love (Pain mix)
Percussion passion aside, I did have a wonderful time in the WVU Symphony as well, playing violin during college. This was a near-professional level group, and we tackled a variety of challenging music, and traveling for performances.
Rex Conner, my violin instructor, had seen me progress through the levels since I started as a freshman, but observed that my true calling probably wasn’t the violin. I did well enough to graduate with a level 7, completed my end-of-semester juries, and fulfilled all Upper Level recital requirements … but that was it. Mr. Conner stated that from where he sat, my students would probably play better than I did some day. He was dead on, and I didn’t dispute his assessment.
WVU Percussion Ensemble
I joined Percussion Ensemble at the freshman level, as it was my first time and also took marimba lessons. I memorized two short pieces, and Keith my instructor said my technique was good enough to participate in the Percussion Departmental, held in the studio.
I was the only non-percussion major, and did extremely well when it was my turn. I nailed both pieces, and was surprised that I wasn’t as nervous as I’d anticipated, and received applause from the Big Dogs.
Dave Satterfield had once commented that I played well enough to have majored in percussion—manna for this violin major’s ears and some stellar validation.
I was getting over a bad head cold the weekend of the Percussion Ensemble concert, but was onstage playing the a-go-go bells and maracas to One Note Samba. John’s parents were even in the audience. I played the timbales during the finale, the popular Latin-flavored Rhythm Is Gonna Get You. It was the 25th Anniversary Percussion ’80 and Percussion Ensemble performance, and I feel honored to have been included with such a talented bunch of musicians.
I really enjoyed my final semester in college. I almost took a leisurely, methodical studying routine with all the free time afforded by not being in marching band.
November rolled around, bringing my 22nd birthday on the 15th. I celebrated with John, who still talked about marriage in the future. We attended the semi-formal party at Pierpont House, and danced as if it were our wedding day. John looked ravishing with a clean shave and in a suit.
Mountaineer Football Sensation
For the first time since starting high school, I watched the football games from the stands, with the three-sheets-to-the-wind students. My heart hung in my throat every time the Drumline took the field with the Boogie cadence, and I knew every riff and roll.
West Virginia’s 1988 undefeated football season closer at Mountaineer Field was a night match-up against Syracuse. It was a sell-out crowd, and I was among the 65,000 screaming in support.
Linked here is a great photo of the field and the scoreboard, featuring the word “PERFECT.” What a game! Led by College Football Hall Of Famer Major Harris, we clinched the win against the Orange with one minute on the clock, and the stadium erupted in deafening bedlam. The crowd was insane.
From Wikipedia:
The 1988 edition of the Mountaineers was one for the ages, featuring gifted sophomore quarterback Major Harris and a stifling defense. Entering the season at #16 in the AP Poll, West Virginia breezed through its schedule for its first undefeated regular season since 1922 and its first ever 11-win season.
The Mountaineers averaged 43 points and 483 yards per game during the regular season, rolling up 30 or more points in 10 of its games (including a 51-30 rout of Penn State, the most points ever surrendered by a Joe Paterno-coached team at the time).
The success of the regular season culminated in West Virginia’s first trip to a National Championship Game in its history, where the #3 Mountaineers met #1 Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. West Virginia finished the 1988 campaign ranked #5 in the both the AP and Coaches’ Polls. Major Harris compiled 610 yards rushing, 1,915 yards passing, and 20 total touchdowns on the season.
The goal posts came down amid a thunderous chant: “WE WANT… NOTRE DAME”… an electrifying time for our beloved Mountaineers. They would head for the Fiesta Bowl… without me.
A Long-Anticipated “Question”
With all the recent chit-chat about getting married, I had brought my mother’s diamond solitaire with me back to school the previous summer, stowing it safely in my apartment bedroom. I had the feeling John was gearing up to pop the question.
On Friday November 18, John and I decided to have a professional portrait taken on a promotion by a local photographer.
“Nite and Day” by Al B. Sure!
Once finished preening and posing, we headed back to my apartment to change back into our regular clothes. With impeccable timing, my boyfriend (we were still half-dressed at this point) raided the hiding place and produced Mom’s ring, in its blue velvet box.
I knew what was coming, but the pure silliness of how we must have looked produced a chuckle I had some difficulty swallowing back. “Lori,” he began, “will you be my wife?”
At that point the giggles were unstoppable, but my answer was clear. “I guess,” I snickered, more as a reaction to the scenario than to the nature of the inquiry. My silly new fiancé picked me up and whirled me around, and we kissed.
Unfortunately, John had to race off to work at the department store so there was little time to celebrate immediately following. We were both on cloud 9 from then on, and we called our parents that evening, met with much surprise and congratulations.
When John returned from work a few hours later, we got together with friends at my apartment. He brought a giant Toll-House cookie with our occasion etched in icing, which we happily shared with everyone, and cracked open some White Zin. The airheads were away for the weekend so we had the place to ourselves.
We all went bowling at the Mountainlair that evening and continued to enjoy our special day. John and I decided on a wedding date of June 23, 1990, which afforded us a year and a half for planning and warm weather for the big day. My mother had also been a June bride.
Following Thanksgiving break and finals, we began packing to leave WVU for good. We left our college days in Mountaineer Country behind one day in mid December. We headed northeast to NJ to start our life together. Dad threw a nice Graduation and Engagement Party for us, to which we invited family and friends.
1988 ended and 1989 began with a trip down to visit John’s parents at their Lehigh Acres, Florida villa at Beacon Square, a retirement community. We had a wonderful time, including spending New Year’s Eve at a party with their friends. John and I were the youngest ones there, but fit in well anyway. We got to hear some of our favorite music on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on TV.
