College memories: Tales from Grinnell residents

Balancing three hefty scrapbooks in her arms, Marta Miller, Drake University `82, tried to open the door at Saints Rest Coffee House. With a loud thud, she set them on the table, catching the attention of nearby customers who paused mid-sip, eyes drawn to the well-worn covers brimming with her college memories.

While many Grinnell residents, including Miller, did not attend Grinnell College, they cultivated unique and celebrated traditions during their college days at other schools.

Miller said living on campus was a defining part of her college experience. She lived on the top floor of her building, the only floor designated for women, earning them a unique nickname.

“My floor used to be called Hooker Heights,” said Miller.

Embracing it with pride, the residents designed a custom logo for t-shirts and sweatshirts, which they still wear whenever they reunite.

With every flip of a page, memories came alive: movie of the week stamps, cutouts from The Times-Delphic, Drake’s student newspaper, and pictures taken by Miller, who blamed Kodak for the now-blurry, faded film.

Stamped on a page was a cutout communication from Drake University announcing whoever was causing fire alarms to go off would be investigated. “There was a two-week period where somebody kept setting off the fire alarm between two and four in the morning,” said Miller. “We just laughed because we were on the fourth floor.” A cutout from Miller’s planners read, “I pulled an all-nighter to finish my comms [communications] paper.”

“Back then we had to type everything on a typewriter,” said Miller, “We would have to write it all on a piece of paper, and then we’d have to just type it.”

Like Grinnell College, Drake University also hosted yearly relays. “There was a street in the middle, and different organizations got a square, and then they painted it with the theme for that week,” said Miller, pointing to a picture of a red square featuring bold letters reading Hooker Heights. 

Another alumna of the cornfields, Kim Herzberg, Iowa State University `78, followed in the footsteps of her grandfather, who graduated from the University in 1920. 

“I think some of the most fun experiences were just meeting new friends, and hanging around, going out, throwing frisbees, going for a bike ride, playing cards in our residence hall, just doing silly things,” said Herzberg.

Herzberg and her college friends have an annual reunion. “We went to Disneyland when we were 60, this year we went to the beach in North Carolina,” she said.

One of her favorite traditions involved the dining hall.

“We had a steak dinner during dead week, which is the week before finals,” said Herzberg. “The food service people would put white tablecloths on the tables, maybe candles.”

Herzberg was a swimmer at the University. 

“One of my most memorable swimming experiences happened in 1997, almost 20 years after I graduated, when the athletes, all the women athletes, prior to the women becoming a part of the NCAA, which was in the early 80s, received our letters,” said Herzberg.

During one of her summers, she rented a room in a fraternity house for $60. “It was the summer of a drought, and it was very hot, and there was no air conditioning, I got my $60 worth.”

Vanessa Preast, University of Florida (UF) `96, associate director of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment, carries a collection of stories from her undergraduate days and more recent experiences working at Grinnell College. 

As an animal science major at UF, she had the opportunity to immerse herself in the community through volunteering. “I volunteered at a veterinary hospital,” Preast said. “They sometimes let me assist with surgeries.” 

One class that left a lasting impression on her was focused on action-oriented pedagogy. “In one of my classes, we were tasked with caring for cattle,” she said. “We had four or five cows that we needed to feed and tend to.”

While working at Grinnell College, Preast fondly recalled the Friends of International Students (FIS) program as one of her most memorable experiences. 

“I’ve enjoyed being able to engage in some of the various activities with international students since I’ve been a host, like doing the pumpkin carving,” said Preast.  

Though Miller, Herzberg, and Preast attended college over 40 years ago, their memories and friendships have stood the test of time. For current Grinnell students, Miller offers this advice. 

“We are still the hookers, we are still together, we still go to relays every year,” she said. “I wish that for you guys because that is part of the college experience. Meet people, do things and try things that you never would have.”