1977 Penn State Harrisburg alums continue making campus memories

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MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - For most, the dollar bill that is now kept in Archives and Special Collections within the Madlyn L. Hanes Library at Penn State Harrisburg, is just a dollar bill. But for members of the class of 1977, it's another story to tell, another memory to share together.

A group of a dozen or so Penn State Harrisburg alums, most who graduated in 1977, return to campus every fall for We Are Weekend, a tradition they started around 2002. They tell stories, visit old haunts, see what's new around campus, and partake in whatever activities might be happening - and always make time to visit the archives. 

"They are loyal and proud Penn Staters, and we are delighted to host them in Archives and Special Collections every October," said Heidi Abbey Moyer, archivist and humanities reference librarian, who has curated the Penn State Harrisburg College History Archives since it was established in 2010. "They share stories with me, identify people and events in photographs we have, and help us with the important work of documenting and preserving the college's history." 

During one visit in 2015, the group browsed the library and mused about how often certain books might be checked out, said Leigh Sifford, a 1977 electrical engineering graduate.

So they wrote the date on a dollar bill and tucked it inside an early printed and bound journal volume to see if it would be there the next year when they returned, or if someone would pocket it.

For many years, the bill remained in place - so the classmates would sign and date it again and place it back inside the book. Then a few years ago, they arrived to find that the library was weeding its collections, to create more library student study and collaboration spaces, and the book - and the dollar - were gone.

With the help of Moyer, library staff and the Alumni Relations office, the book and the dollar bill were located and moved to the archives, where Sifford said it's handled as "precious."

"They put it in a special box. We have to ask for it," he said.

This year, during We Are Weekend, Moyer welcomed the group and brought out the dollar bill as well as a road sign from the Meade Heights housing area that Sifford had donated, and a 1977 yearbook. She pulled up a slideshow of photos the group has sent her on a large screen, and the alums began to recall the memories that scrolled past.

That's the real reason they gather at the college each year - to catch up on each others' lives and to tell stories about their campus days.

As students, they lived in Meade Heights - a housing complex that had once been part of Olmsted Air Force Base, designed for married officers and their families. The group of ranch-style homes served as student housing from 1970 until 2002. Before Meade Heights was torn down, Penn State Harrisburg invited alumni back to say goodbye.

That's what prompted Sifford to track down his old classmates and housemates. They met that year and some contingent has gathered every year since.

Whoever can make it meets in the Student Enrichment Center, where they sit and catch up. They walk the campus, have lunch at Stacks Market, hit the bookstore, and sometimes take a campus tour.

"It's just seeing everybody," said Rick Fein, a 1977 electrical design engineering graduate who lives in Florida. "It's nice to reminisce."

They have stories about bathtub races and rock concerts that used to take place on campus. But Meade Heights - a unique campus living experience - features prominently in most stories they tell.

"It was a nice community. Just about everybody knew everybody," Fein said.

For most, it was their first time living on their own, and their first time taking care of a house. And while they had fun, they grew at Meade Heights, too.

"It just was special," said Jonna Eiser, a 1978 graduate who married Jay Eiser, a 1977 graduate.

The group that gathers each year changes - some make it every year, a few fell out of the habit, and others have missed occasional trips for health or other reasons. But the visits to campus are now tradition.

"Just our friendship with each other is the main thing," said Sifford. "It's part of us … so we keep coming back."

Share your Meade Heights memories

Are you an alum who lived in Meade Heights? Use this form to share your memories with the Penn State Harrisburg Alumni Relations office.