KSU Memories

It isn’t until we grow older or softer that memories impact us more so than when we were younger. Maybe it’s because those old times, in the past, were really the best of times. While we were going through them we were too busy to enjoy them. At that time our lives were possibly immersed in building a career or business, having and raising children, or just surviving it all to get to the place where we are right now. Now is when the memories seem to begin; memories that are triggered by a photo, a song or even a smell.

 

While on Facebook, one of my feeders is my undergraduate college, Kent State University. Usually Fridays are called Flashback Fridays, where a picture and a memory appears from the past. On one of those Fridays, a navy blue beanie with the KSU logo popped up. The navy blue felt cap had a gold brim and gold K on the front. The caption was how many of you remember this?

 

This was a ‘Dink Hat’ worn by freshmen. The tradition began in the 50’s and continued until 1970. This was a tradition where all freshmen were expected to wear these blue and gold beanies.

 

I attended KSU in the 60s and had one of those beanies. Freshmen were expected to wear their beanies on the campus at all ties. It was supposed to be a great ice breaker or a good way for an upper classman guy or girl to hit on a cute freshman. Usually the person would say “Dink, Frosh.” The wearer would tip the beanie and give out her/his name with the name of their dorm.

 

I hated wearing my cap in public. I already felt like an awkward person in a strange place without wearing that beanie. The beanie made me feel like a total dork, sitting on top of my dumb curly and unmanageable hair. I would go outside of my dorm and across the campus with my dink in hand, only to quickly put it on my head when a group of students would be walking my way.

 

Unfortunately, I did not get many “Dink, Frosh,” addressed to me. My roommate did because she was cute, blond and shapely. It was hard to challenge that.

 

Gratefully, after the first trimester, I retired my beanie and put it on the head of my big stuffed dog’s head, where it remained for years. A hat lost and a memory grown old and only now came back on Flashback Friday.

 

Now so many years later, I kind of wished I had kept the ‘Dink’ beanie. But that too is fleeting. All in all it was kind of an interesting ice breaker. It was also interesting to read about the memories that others had posted.