College sweethearts reminisce during Class of 1974 50-year Reunion

50 years have passed since the Class of 1974 crossed the SEMO graduation stage. Despite having graduated half a century ago, one of the relationships formed at SEMO all those years ago still remains.

On Saturday, Oct. 26 at 8:30 a.m., SEMO alumni, friends and family gathered in Kem Hall at the Wehking Alumni Center for the Class of 1974 50-year Reunion. The hall was filled with chatter as visitors enjoyed a grab-and-go breakfast and caught up with old friends and connections.

One couple, who met during their schooling at SEMO, visited the reunion together. The memories from their college days continued to bring smiles to their faces as they recalled how they met and noted some highlights from their SEMO days.

The couple, John and Marilyn Powell, met during group campouts in Saddle Club, a horseback-riding club, while studying at SEMO in the 1970s. Mr. Powell graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology education, while Mrs. Powell took some classes for elementary education with an art minor, which was called an “area specialization” back then.

The Powells made numerous unforgettable memories at SEMO, including meeting each other. Mrs. Powell laughs as she remembers students sledding down Cardiac Hill on lunch trays and sliding so fast they had to roll onto the ground. Mr. Powell tells a story about taking photographs on the court during a basketball game with Mrs. Powell in the stands.

Since graduation, the Powells have created a life together. They are both retired now, but Mr. Powell worked as an educator in industrial technology for 33 years and was a substitute teacher for nine years after that, and Mrs. Powell used to be a principal secretary at a school district. Their daughter followed in their footsteps and has also been a teacher for 27 years.

Mr. Powell explains that he never had set expectations for life during and after SEMO. He has tried to live one day at a time.

“I did not go into it expecting a whole lot of anything. It was just: go in, teach, go day to day. I mean, it was just enjoyment,” Mr. Powell said.

Both Powells note that SEMO has changed immensely since they graduated. Some of this change has been for the better, as Mr. Powell notices the new industrial technology department. But new construction is not the only change that has taken place at SEMO in the past several decades. Mrs. Powell recalls her old home that no longer stands.

“The house I lived in is gone. I lived in Henderson, and it was an old lawyer’s home that the university bought, and they converted it, and it's not even there anymore. But just, things are different. It's changed a lot,” Mrs. Powell said.

While SEMO has changed drastically in the past 50 years, the stories of the Class of 1974 remain the same. Regardless of how the university has developed over the years, it still remains a home to memories and connections that students may keep for decades.