I took this picture of my alma mater on her 150th birthday. Yes you've already seen this photo today and the post was titled Wordless Wednesday and I stayed true to that but....today is also Wordless Wednesday with Words (and I have very many words) over at and then...she snapped and it's also the tenth of the month so that means it's Ten Things over at Shimelle's although I may be stretching that if you hold to the end or just jump there I have a list of 10) so it's my blog and I get to play like that lol.
Peace College was a private Presbyterian two year women's college when I attended from 1977 through 1979. At graduation you had earned your Associate's degree. Many women then transferred to 4 year universities ( I moved on to East Carolina University), some began their careers and some :::gasp::: even got married and became illustrious careers as domestic goddesses (woman making this choice didn't get the same quizzical look they do now and having spent a good part of my life in this position I am glad for that) Peace was just what I needed after attending a small, private college prep school for grades 6-12. It was a relatively painless transition unlike the one that would occur 2 years later. Peace was, Peace is a sisterhood. Peace is on my heart alot these days because a few weeks ago the President announced that the name would be changed to William Peace University and men would be admitted to the residential and day programs. Peace went four years a dozen years back and more recently allowed men to the night program. Evidently although enrollment is good it is not what they had envisioned....I am thinking that it might have something to do with the humongous tuition increase in the last 5 years that now has her sitting up there with the top tier of private NC schools like Duke, Wake Forest and Davidson ...good school but as much as I love her I don't see her nor does the state or nation see her their league.
Many of us are crushed at the news. I personally don't have a problem with the name change, it is still named after the founder and a rose by any other name is still a rose...my Peace College will always be Peace College. Changes do not make experience and events non existent. East Carolina University was once East Carolina Teacher's College. I still think there is a place for women's colleges so I am very saddened that Peace is going coed but IF and there are still questions regarding that, if it means Peace stays open and viable I am okay with that.
What hurts my soul is the manner that this all took place in. Alumnae, current students, incoming freshmen, parents, supporters all found out at the same time the world did, when the President and Board of Trustees held a televised press conference. The same people that had for the last six months, in interviews in May and as recently as freshman orientation a week before the announcement put Peace out there as a woman's college and admitting men "is not on the table" So, I imagine that anyone still reading is a Peace sister lol and I know you may feel differently from me about the name change and going coed but this is my safe place to express exactly how I feel about what is going on. You are welcome to comment with Peace love but anything else can go to the FB group pages.
So after all that here are my Ten Things for August.
TEN FAVORITE MEMORIES of PEACE COLLEGE
1. Rooming for 2 years with my best friend from home and her still loving me 34 years later...not many friendships make it out the other end of rooming together.
2. Playing spades in the lounge on third Finley.
3. Serving time...being campused/restricted with Nancy and George Anna because of the Firecracker Fiasco and the Oldest Sister and the BIL bringing us a cake with a nail file inside it so we could make our escape.
4. Mid day runs across the street to Newton's for a ham and tomato sandwich and a pack of Vantage ( yes, I was a smoker but have been clean for 24 years) and late night walks the two blocks to Krispy Kreme for HOT NOW doughnuts.
5. Hanging out at the Hillsborough Street bars.......Ed's Grocery and Crazy Zack's, shagging with NC State boys (okay I have a good number of UK and Aussie readers so it is something totally different here, click on the word for an explanation lol) Partying at The Showcase and drinking White and Black Russians at some hole in the wall bar between school and Pearson Street.
6. Required chapel every Wednesday morning with the Reverend George Alexander Thomas. I didn't always love it being required then but I do now. Taking Matthew under him and Western Civ with Mr Crossno.
7.Standing on the stairs at dinner waiting to be seated with the dining room manager calling out "2, I need 2 girls, no I can't do 3, I need 2, 2 girls"
8. Riding down Wilmington Street at night and Peace sitting right in front of you all lit up, welcoming you home.
9. Walking to Finch's for lunch when we had a huge snow our sophomore year.
and finally number ten
Graduation day, all those 20 year old young women wearing long white dresses and long white gloves carrying a dozen red roses and after receiving our diplomas circling around the fountain to sing our alma mater and toss in one rose as we left a piece of us with Peace.
Peace was about sisterhood. Peace is about sisterhood.
Hail to thee my alma mater, hail, all hail to Peace!
school yearbook image not a scrapbook layout by me
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Want to see what Ten Things others came up with this month? click
You obviously have very happy memories from Peace!
ReplyDeleteAlison xx
Sounds like it was a wonderful place.
ReplyDeleteI am sitting at my desk wiping tears away and feeling that sick feeling in my stomach. For most who have been blessed to have had a personal experience with Peace College, the tears and the sick feeling need no explanation; for others, it may not seem like "such a big deal". I am so proud to have been (and always will be) Beverly's Peace sister from the Class of 1979. However, I was also part of the first Co-hort from the Adult Education program of which men were included. It was fine with me to have the guys there but even I still have issues with letting men in the women's dorms! Ha! Just seems like a security issue but that is for another discussion. I agree, whole-heartedly with Beverly and the many former Board of Trustee members and Peace sisters, that this is not about men or the name of the school; this is about how the decisions were disseminated to the alumni and the secrecy that has been so prevalent during this president's short tenure.It is embarrasing to hear things about your "family" from the media or from someone outside of the family. I am sad, hurt and outraged all at the same time.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful memories of your alma mater Beverly. Change is so hard sometimes, but our memories remain the same. My high school was joined with another school and renamed several years ago, so it's no longer in existence and it's wierd to drive by & see a new name on the side of the building.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post Beverly!
ReplyDeleteJust lovely Bev. You are kinder than I am, the name change does bother me, but I am with you on the way the changes were announced. I would do anything I could to help make Peace a success, but feel we weren't given the opportunity to assist before such critical decisions were made. I will always stand with my Peace sisters, past, present and future. Our memories are our own, and we were so blessed to have Peace in them!
ReplyDeleteGreat memories!
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful memories to share with us. Thank you for giving us the link for 'shagging' - I'm glad that you appreciate that it has a different meaning over here! I love the picture you paint of your graduation.
ReplyDeleteWhat great memories you have, and a great 10 on the 10th post! Thanks for clarifying the 'shagging' comment - it means something VERY different in the UK !!!
ReplyDelete