Students were enrolled at Harding for an average of three years. Close friendships were easily developed because most students were experiencing the same change of events. The dependency on college friends was enormous. Keeping in touch during the separations was what kept these friendships alive. Jennifer Terry, junior, said, "Friends that I have made at Harding are very special. Keeping in touch with them is important to me." Sometimes relationships were strengthened by the separations. "My friendship with Bill is better when we just write. SomeHANDS. Sometimes the need for mail was more than students could handle. This was a perfect example of a post office worker's nightmare. - Photo by Jack R. Shock 132 Keeping busy Bonds were not broken among friends as they kept in touch times it's hard to say things face to face that you-could easily say in a letter. When Bill writes, he knows what to say to make me write back," said David Dearin , a graduate student. For some people, who were avid letter writers, every pen stroke was worth it. Stacy Harris, sophomore said, "writing let me maintain a really close relationship with someone so far away. It makes the time spent apart from the people you really miss a little easier to cope with. Many people have said that they learned more from their friends than their classes while in college. The friendship bonds between college students were very strong. Temporary or long-term separations could not split up their comaradarie, because the value of the relationships was placed on the people more than what they could do for you. Zak Tay, senior, said, "My life in the summer is almost like a different world: different church, different friends, different surroundings. But my friendships at school are strong. I can leave in the summer and know that next fall, when I return, we can pick up right where we left off." That was keeping in touch. - Christy Cox
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==