Emily Forbes Moffett

Class of 2008

One of my favorite things while at Eureka College was serving as Homecoming Chairman for CAB for my sophomore year. I really loved doing it. The theme was “Fractured Fairy Tales.” All six Greek houses, plus a freshman floor, participated.

We had a few small obstacles that year. One was that the Old Elm Trophy had gone missing long before, sometime the previous year, I believe. It just simply could not be found. I had an appointment with Ken Baxter to pick out a new one, but was very ill that day and couldn’t make it. So he made do without me (tough, right?) and purchased a replacement. Also that year we had to stop painting the windows of the Commons because new ones had just been installed. So Ken, Brian (maintenance man), and I came up with the alternative plan of painting panels across the street from the Commons. It turned out better than I expected, and I was happy with the outcome. Strangely, the TKEs painted theirs with UPS brown and the question “What’s in the box?” I remember its standing out for not matching the theme.

My boyfriend (and now husband) Tim Moffett and our friend Brett Duquette agreed to co-host the skit night at the bonfire. They both dressed quite nicely for the occasion. Tim wore dress slacks and a nice shirt and tie. Brett had a nice jacket over a matching pencil skirt with frilly blouse. Of course, during the torch parade no one knew how he was attired since he was wrapped in a blanket for the chilly evening. They both made it a fun time and hosted quite well, including fun banter and short, silly songs. I was very appreciative and impressed — enough to make sure they hosted again next year.

The next night was theater night. CAB brought in a comedian to emcee this event. Throughout the evening, we had lots of nice scenes from the groups. Although I enjoyed them and I am sure they were good, there is only one that I actually remember. It was the TKE’s. Only one member of the fraternity graced the stage with his presence, Jon Hackler. He was wearing a pink fairy costume complete with sparkly wand. He delivered a large box to the stage and flitted back behind the curtain. We were all quiet and waiting for something to happen. The emcee decided to return to the stage. He, along with the rest of us, had no idea what was happening. But he approached the box and proceeded to open it. All of a sudden, he was the only one without a clue, who didn’t know what was happening. He had pulled out the missing Old Elm trophy. Becker Auditorium erupted in shouts and screams and talking and movement. The Phi-Os stormed the stage and claimed the trophy since they should have had it the entire previous year. It was difficult for everyone to resettle for the final performances. That was certainly a theater night and a Homecoming to remember!

One fall afternoon Tim, Brett, and I went to the practice football field to fly a kite. It was very windy and Brett was into kite flying at the time. After flying it, as we were lying on the ground just chatting, Brett said something like “THIS is the kind of thing we’ll remember from college.” I fully believe that that statement is why this outing has stuck in my memory all these years.

Joel Shoemaker was another friend of ours. Since neither Tim nor I had a car on campus freshman year, Joel said we could borrow his any time he wasn’t using it. So one day Tim and I wanted to go to Pizza Hut for a meal and borrowed Joel’s car. Tim decided that we could just take it, but I argued that we needed to ask Joel first to make sure. But Tim said that Joel told us to use it any time he wasn’t. And he wasn’t. Joel must have left it unlocked with the keys in it or something. I truly don’t recall, but Tim and I found his car in the Langston lot and drove off — yes, without notifying Joel. We drove past the Admissions building on our way to dinner and Joel just happened to be looking out the window at the right time to see his car drive by. I can only imagine how astonished he must have been. Halfway through our meal, Joel walked into Pizza Hut to confront us. It was a friendly confrontation, but a confrontation nonetheless. We never took his car again without asking first. And I still have to laugh even today as I imagine how he felt looking out the window that day!

I remember so many little things at Eureka. Here are a few:

I remember lying on a blanket in the grass in the summer, doing some geometry for summer class.

I remember counting on Harry Fisher to attend out student-run events. We always appreciated it. I remember laying the stones for the labyrinth.

I remember slogging through computer science class, trying to understand, trying to perform even marginally well. Dr. Tookey let me come to office hours A LOT for help. And when he saw that I understood the general concepts and algorithms, even if I couldn’t code it properly, he told me I would be all right.

I remember playing softball games in snowy weather. And a few in nice weather.

I remember suddenly understanding Spanish in Senora Colorado’s class one day — it finally clicked.

I remember stopping by Coach Sweitzer’s or Brian Sullivan’s office in Reagan Gym to chat for a while. I always liked doing that and now very much appreciate that I did it while I could.

I remember feeling confident and yet growing in confidence.

Tim and I have lived on a state university campus for the past four years, where only two residence halls equal the total number of students attending Eureka when we arrived. Sometimes I think about the greater diversity and number of options the student have here. I mean, they have intramural inner tube water polo, for goodness sake! But then I realize how easy it would be just to get lost here in the mass of students and activities. And how that was absolutely not at all what I wanted when I was choosing a school. Although I feel there are more organized options here, there are so many things I did during my time at Eureka that I wouldn’t have had a realistic opportunity for at a larger school. Intercollegiate athletics, student government, resident advising, one-person summer class, staff and professors and administration knowing me and my activities, getting to try new things. I’m so glad that I knew what I wanted.