LAURA J. OVERSTREET (Ridley)

After graduating from AC Big Sandy in 1974, I traveled to Bricketwood where I worked and toured Europe for about six months. After returning to the states, I

No particular favorites. What I enjoyed about AC was that it was an all-encompassing lifestyle of education, work, sports, dances, religion, and other activities of peers that were similar-minded. We were taught our lives had a purpose and everything we did was to honor God. That doesn't mean we did everything correctly, but that our lives seemed more fulfilled by being goal-oriented.

Some of the things I remember the most were the natural settings of the campus, the five-mile runs for PE up heart-break hill, music-appreciation concerts, travelling to different locations with the choir, Dr. Torrance looking back over his shoulder while walking and his war stories, forums, some important visitors such as Goddard & Princess of Thailand, living in the trailers for home-ec class, dorms & booth city, great food in the dining room, Dave Molnar always playing jokes, sing-a-longs with Terry Miller & GTA, dance band members & vocalist (Bunting & Barksdale) singing contemporary songs, etc. When you live with other peers for so long, a strong bond develops and never parts - even when people go in opposite directions later in life. There is something in our "spirit essence" that keeps us bonded. This does not apply to just churches - it happens in a variety of life circumstances.