Memories of Dorm Life

By Jim Silkensen '67

I lived in "Mac" Hall during the 1963/64 school year and the beginning of the 1964/65 school year before moving to the Gamma Sigma house (then on Elm Street).  Things I remember particularly about Mac Hall:

• The cafeteria was in the basement of Mac Hall (at the base of the main stairway into Mac Hall), as that was before the student center was built - very handy for those of us living there, but without the wider selection of food that was available in the student center once completed.
• Looking out my window on arrival day as my parents drove away for our home in Denver and feeling very lonely.
• Having a three person dorm room and one of my roommates frequently coming in with his friends after the other two of us were asleep, putting the lights on and waking us up, making it difficult to get back to sleep.
• The infirmary was in another section of Mac Hall's basement.  I came down with the flu and was confined in the infirmary when it was announced that President Kennedy had been assassinated.
• We went through a period when there were a number of middle of the night false alarms (bomb threats I think) - not a lot of fun standing out in rain in pajamas.
• One afternoon after classes I returned to my room and found my bed covered in shaving cream.  Angry, I asked who had done it and then went to their room and covered the person's bed with toothpaste.  Then found out he was the quarterback of the football team.  Had I known in advance I would have had second thoughts on how I responded.  Fortunately he laughed it off.

 My wife, Candy Silkensen '69, was in Walter Hall.  Some remembrances about Walter Hall:

•  Walter Hall had very strict rules on when women must be back in the dorm.  We visited Candy's Aunt & Uncle in the hills west of Portland and when we left their home to return to Pacific the road on their hill was slick with snow and we slid into the ditch.  By the time Candy's Uncle pulled us out of the ditch with his Jeep, we were late in getting back to Walter Hall.  As there was no snow at all in Forest Grove, Candy's explanation apparently sounded pretty lame - they had to call Candy's Uncle and get confirmation about what happened.
• I was pretty shy around girls, but somehow got talked into serenading Walter Hall with two or three Gamma brothers one night.
• After "pinning" Candy, the Gammas had a very nice evening celebration outside the entrance to Walter Hall for Candy & me, plus two or three other Gammas who had pinned girls who lived in Walter Hall.
    
  What memories do you have of dorm life at Pacific university? Send your memories as a guest blog post of 400 words to alumni@pacificu.edu along with photos of you living in the dorms!