Blue Mountain College is a bit of a historical mystery for a multitude of reasons, like its being in operation since 1873, being a predominantly female-led college, as well as having been a fully co-Educational facility since 2005, to list a few. Surely with nearly 150 years of operation, there are bound to be stories from some of the faculty? Well, that is exactly what I have set out to do with this article! I emailed as well as interviewed the department chairs just to answer this question. Some were unable to answer my question, due to the fact that they felt that their hands were tied about certain situations. However, there is one story that I got, as well as a sentimental fragment that another chair decided to share.
From Dr. Waddell, department chair of Education:
“I have lived in Whitfield and Stevens during the week. My family is in Alabama, so I go home on weekends. My funny story occurred just after midnight during a Rush Week several years ago. I awoke to women's voices laughing and talking in the hallway. Then I heard a solitary man's voice. Knowing that men were not allowed in the dorm at that time of night, I went to check on what was happening. There before me were several women and one man. Things got quiet quickly. Then the man, a BMC student, said, " Dr. Waddell, I forgot that you lived here." He turned and left the building. Of course, the next day I was obligated to tell the Resident Director, who looked at the video camera footage and identified the man. I don't know if he got in trouble, but from that day until he graduated, every time I saw this gentleman, he was very nice to me, always speaking to me and wishing me well.”
Dr. Galliher, department chair of English, gave insight on one colleague that is no longer with us. Dr. Galliher reminisced about a certain colleague having been tough on her students in the past, and would often lament about their troubles. When time passed, Dr. Galliher realized that any student that spoke of this colleague had nothing but praise to give on behalf of their mentor. She said that she found this both “ironic and endearing”, considering how often the colleague lamented about some of these students.
Unfortunately, I was unable to get much more than that, but hopefully this is something that satiates the curiosity that readers may have about some of the stories that have resonated within these halls. In the end, it just goes to show that Blue Mountain’s faculty do care about their students, even when they choose not to reveal some of their stories. All in all, it was wonderful to hear their experiences.
