Time Hop: What I took to college in 1991

Hello? Not even a cordless phone back then

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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It's hard for me to accept that 25 years ago this month I started college. On a hot summer day in mid-August my parents and I made the two hour drive from High Ridge, Missouri to Cape Girardeau and the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. My best friend from high school, Jim and I, were roomies on the the sixth floor of Towers West.

For new SEMO students this was before there were suites, it was two person bedrooms, complete with a bunkbed, two desks and two desks chairs. There was a sink and mirror and two closets with a storage area above each. That was about it. There was a community payphone in the hall, but each room was wired for phones too. The bag carphone my parents had wasn't an option and was the closest thing to a cellphone we had in 1991.

As friends are helping move their children this month into new homes away from home, I've been reflecting on the essentials for life on my own 25 years ago. Some of these things today's college students have probably never used (and maybe even heard of).

For the dorm room I brought a roll of carpet to cover the cold tile floor in the room. It made a difference and gave the room a more homey feel to it. I mentioned the phone early, so I brought a push button phone and an answering machine (remember those?). We may have actually gone out and bought the answering machine now that I think about it, I had so many through the years I don't remember.

TV, fridge, toaster oven and my dad

Entertainment was a must. I had a small color TV with a VCR and a collection of VHS tapes, including first couple seasons of The Simpsons recorded straight from broadcast television. This came in handy because we didn't have cable in the dorm rooms and there was only one TV in the common area which was shared among 30 or so dudes. My boom box and collection of cassette tapes made the trip too. I didn't get a CD player until Christmas that year. I had brought a small sampling of my wrestling magazine collection, limiting seven years worth to what would fit in a milk crate.

Bubba Cola was the bomb

The meal plan on campus didn't include Sunday night dinner. Not knowing if we'd have access to a microwave, my parents bought me a small electric hot pot. Nearly every week I'd fill it with a can of SpaghettiOs with meatballs that we'd stocked up on before my parents left town. Because the pot was portable I could take it and have dinner on the go with friends who didn't live on 6 West. I brought a mini fridge too, stocked with Bubba Cola (a St. Louis thing) and a toaster oven for the rare morning I got up with enough time to make toast for breakfast.

The whole reason I was there was for academics of course. Long before laptops or tablets, I wrote all my papers on my typewriter I used during my senior year college composition class. I had plenty of paper and correction ribbon packed too. To help with the note taking process in class I used graduation money to buy a handheld recorder and mini cassette tapes for it. I don't think I used the thing beyond that first semester.

The naughty nurse was always watching...

Jim and I added some extras to the room once we got settled in, including a 2x4 that extended across the room and provided extra shelf space. We also "decorated" with way too many posters of scantily clad women, but I digress...

The most important thing I brought was an open mind and a willingness to learn and have fun. College life was amazing. That first year in the dorms was a great experience and a true chance to dabble in independence. I'm grateful to my parents for letting this baby bird leave the nest and get a taste of the real world before having to really step out into it. I wouldn't trade the fall of 1991 and spring of 92 for anything in the world.

Summer of Flair

Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Summer of 1991 I was in Florida on vacation. It was right before the Great American Bash and Ric Flair was set to defend the WCW World Heavyweight title against Lex Luger. I was watching WCW Saturday Night in the hotel room when a scroll went across the bottom of the screen, effectively saying Flair was no longer with WCW and would not be defending the belt at the Bash. I quickly wondered what was next for Flair, but hoped he'd be going to WWF.

The original Bash poster

Remember it was 1991 and there was no internet and no Monday Night Wars. Raw wasn't even a show at that point. The only live programming was the big four pay per views from WWF and the handful WCW was doing. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next.

A few weeks later as I was preparing to leave for college. I was casually watching Wrestling Challenge and when the show was coming to an end and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan whipped out Flair's WCW championship belt. He informed his broadcast colleagues the man who owned the belt was the real world's champion and could be coming to the WWF. Gorilla Monsoon asked "does the guy have a name?" Then jaws dropped everywhere, at least in my house, when Heenan said the belt belonged to Ric Flair. To my knowledge it was the first time WWF had ever acknowledged another wrestling company or wrestler who wasn't already on their programming.

Up close for a WWF house show featuring Flair

I'd long been a fan of Flair and news of him coming to WWF was more than welcomed by me. I love wrestling, but always preferred WWF to WCW. The Nature Boy was coming to "our side" and I was ecstatic. A few months later I was in the second row watching Flair battle "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in the main event of a house show on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. 

That moment with Heenan, the belt, Monsoon and Jim Neidhart is one of my favorite wrestling memories of all time. I still get goosebumps watching it and I've incorporated the audio of that into my podcast open. Part of what made it so special was there was no internet to spoil the surprise. But that's a conversation for another day.

What Does the Fox Say? Ring-Ding-Ding You Suck!

An example of the Kids Club Coordinator 

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents

Twenty years ago I was a senior at Southeast Missouri State University.  Even though I had a major, Mass Communication, I had no idea exactly what I would be doing once I graduated later that year.  I wanted to go into TV or radio, but because there was no broadcasting major at the time, I wasn't sure how to reach that goal.

The actual ad from the Southeast Missouri
August 1995

The Summer of 1995, I came across a job opening at the Fox affiliate in Cape Girardeau.  KBSI was looking for a Kids Club Coordinator.  It was an on air position, paying $7.00 an hour plus benefits.  Remember, it was 1995.  I was a college student, working as an assistant manager at Chuck E. Cheese making $5.50 an hour and no benefits.  I was one the verge of graduating and getting married less than two years later.  Plus, this was going to give me a chance to get my foot in the door in the world of broadcast journalism.

You can see the job duties in the ad.  I thought I could relate to kids because I loved cartoons.  I was writing for my college newspaper, The Capaha Arrow and thought, even though I lacked the on-air experience, I'd be able to pick it up easily.  I sent in my resume and cover letter and eagerly waited to hear back.  I was so excited that day when the creative service director called to set up an interview.  After a quick trip to the mall for a sports coat and tie, I was ready to claim my new job, or so I thought.

I went through the interview and thought things were going great. Then we headed to the studio.  This was my first time visiting a TV station studio, so I was in awe for a few moments.  Then I was humbled after he turned on the camera.  My future boss (as I was thinking) stood beside the camera with cue cards in hand.  He told me to read what they said and they'd be recording me.

Cindy Brady tripped up by the camera.

The little red light mesmerized me much like it did Cindy Brady decades earlier on episode "You Can't Win Them All."  My nerves got the best of me and my brain and mouth couldn't agree.  I remember finishing up thinking it was horrible, even though the director shook my hand and said nice job.  In my heart of hearts I knew it was far from a nice job, and the reality set in a few weeks later when I got a rejection letter in the mail.  Looking back now, since I had experience dressing like Chuck E. Cheese, I could have totally been the guy in the fox costume who worked with the Kids Club Coordinator.  

One of the foxes on Fox

It was that experience that opened my eyes to what it's like to be on camera and the struggle it is to perform.  There were parts of that script I felt foolish reading and instead of getting into the role, I let my insecurities get the best of me.  I certainly had a better appreciation for the men and women I had watched for years on the news.  It also made me determined to get better and step out of my comfort zone if I was ever going to achieve my dream.  

Nine years after that audition, I returned to this market and became a co-anchor on the morning news.  While far from perfect, I've come a long way through the years and hope to continue to improve.  If only I could have gotten my hands on a copy of that audition...

Love, Truth, Honor

Mu Kappa receiving the charter

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Twenty-one years ago I went through rush on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.  For those who don't know, rush is the process of looking for a fraternity or sorority to join. After going to a handful of houses and parties and other gatherings, I didn't feel like the ones I'd looked at were the right fit for me.

While I was walking to class one day, I saw a flier for Sigma Nu.  The fraternity was not yet on campus, as this was to be a new group.  I attended the rush meeting where I saw several guys I'd met through my two years at SEMO.  We were told that night that it would be a long and difficult process to go from colony to chapter status.  It was something that core group of men was going to have to build from the ground up.

Initially, I wasn't sure I was up to the task and didn't go back.  But about a month later, my interest was piqued again.  I met with the guys and was extended a bid.  We spent that year working hard to fulfill the requirements set forth by the national fraternity to earn chapter status.  And like we were told that first night, it was not easy.

Snakes on Ice 1995

Over the course of 12 months, we accomplished all the goals put in front of us, and in October 1994, the Mu Kappa Chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity was born.  There were 32 Founding Fathers who helped bring this chapter to life.  In just a few weeks, many of those men and the hundreds of others who have followed in our footsteps will celebrate the milestone.

Prior to an intramural game (I was the photographer)

Some have said joining a fraternity or sorority is just a way to buy friends.  I don't see it that way at all.  I've always been an introvert, so joining Sigma Nu was a great way to break out of my shell and meet a variety of new people.  The last two and a half years of my college career were spent as a member of the fraternity. I held offices in that time like Social Chairman (I know, that was kinda weird) and Recorder.  My entire time in college was nothing less than fun, but I have countless memories of the times I spent with my brothers.  I've made lifelong friendships as a result.

Others question the hazing aspect of being Greek.  Sigma Nu was founded on a no hazing principle.  In my years with the fraternity I was never hazed, nor was anyone else on our campus.  We lead the way nationally and at SEMO on the issue.  We also raised the bar by making sure our candidates and active members all kept grades above the standards set by the university.  That's something still happening 20 years later.

Under the Sea

There are plenty of memories from those days.  The shots of Wild Turkey prior to our Executive Board meetings.  The trips to get Frozen Cokes after chapter meetings.  The time I dressed like the Little Mermaid for the Alpha Xi Delta Rose Bowl.  We bought a house and completely renovated it top to bottom.  A handful of us drove to Panama City Beach for Spring Break.  The men of Sigma Nu joined me the night I proposed by serenading my new fiancee with the song Sigma Nu Girl.

The night I proposed 

I've done a  lot of things in my life.  One of my proudest accomplishments remains being a part of the Founding Fathers and helping create a still very successful fraternity.  I can't wait to celebrate this big anniversary with those who helped make it happen.

Here Come the Grooms

The happy night!

By Kevin Hunsperger 
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter 

I’ve been to weddings and receptions at fancy country clubs, wineries, ball stadiums, and even a pumpkin patch. But never did I think I would travel all the way to New York City and Central Park for a ceremony. My wife and I recently had the pleasure to do just that. Our friends, Brian and Keith, tied the knot on our anniversary in the “City That Never Sleeps.”

We met Brian, who we often refer to as Hammy or just Hampton, back in 1994 while attending Southeast Missouri State University. Brian and I became fast friends in our fraternity, Sigma Nu. 

The college years...

Even after he transferred to Indiana University, we remained in touch. After school, when we all moved to the St. Louis area, the friendship continued. This was at a time before social media existed, so people really had to put an effort into remaining friends. Eventually, I started a career and we moved to Alabama. Brian was there to help us as we traveled six hours from home that rainy day in November 1997. Distance became a factor, we still talked on the phone and exchanged emails. We had dinner a couple of times when we visited home, but then he moved away as well. That’s when the phone calls and emails became less frequent. By that point we were living in Indiana and had a kid. One of the last points of contact I remember having happened when Brian sent an outfit for our newborn son. I think our last phone conversation was about the 2000 Presidential Election and the hanging chads controversy. 

I remember touching base again after we moved to southern Illinois, which isn’t far from where he grew up. He was in Texas, and I had contacted him again after Hurricane Rita. Up until that point he’d been pretty private, but said “we are fine”, so I knew then that he had someone in his life. He never elaborated, and I didn’t ask. 

The Anniversary Party

About six months later, Brian sent Lisa and I a heartfelt email explaining why he had been so distant over the last six years. He opened up to us and said he was gay. He hoped that it wouldn’t change anything and he’d like to be in touch with us more. I know it was hard for him, because he had lost some friends along the way as he told them. We quickly added each other to our Top 8’s on Myspace, remember when that was a thing? Eventually we all got Facebook too, and Lisa and I couldn’t wait to meet Hammy’s longtime partner Keith. 

In 2009, I went to Wrestlemania 25 in Houston and flew in a couple of days early so I could head to Beaumont and visit with Brian and Keith. Even though a decade had passed, it was like nothing had changed. We remembered the old times and caught up with each other too. In 2011, Lisa and I traveled to Beaumont for their 10-year anniversary. They threw an amazing black tie party, which included a hilarious parody video of them as Mitchell and Cam from Modern Family. They received videotaped messages from the many Broadway stars they’ve met in their travels to New York City.

Brian, Keith, and Kyle

A few months ago, we received an invitation to their wedding in New York. Lisa and I could not wait to celebrate the love and friendship that now spans two decades. The ceremony was held at the Cop Cot in Central Park. It took some time to find, but we eventually located it (it’s a big park) and witnessed our friends promise to love and cherish one another, just as Lisa and I had done 17 years to the day prior. One of their friends from Broadway, Kyle Dean Massey of Pippin, sang during the ceremony. The two then walked down a path as all the guests tossed yellow rose pedals at them. A man in the park sat and watched with a huge grin and even recorded the moment with his phone. It was great to be a part of this special day. 

The Skivvies!
She is wearing her bra and panties

The fun continued on at the restaurant Joe Allen. Dinner was amazing, and included lobster and shrimp sliders. I’d never had anything like it before. We eventually headed to the after party, at 54 Below. The band, The Skivvies, who perform in their underwear, entertained us. There were several special guests who took the stage and sang a variety of mashups. Keith got up on stage and dropped his drawers for a special tribute to Brian. 

 It was a party like no other, and I know Lisa and I are both blessed that Brian and Keith included us in the celebration. We wish them much love and happiness for the rest of their lives.

MTV Didn't Want This Video...

Lean on Me

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

It's hard for me to believe that 20 years have passed since I took my first class in video production at Southeast Missouri State University.  I had switched majors from radio to corporate video, which included learning how to use a camera and edit video. It was 1994 and we were using three-quarter inch equipment.  So you had a camera that connected to what was essentially a VCR, that's where the tape went.  These two components ran off of a "battery belt" that the photographer strapped around their waist.  It was quite the set up.

The first project in my first (and what ended up being only) video class was shooting and editing a music video.  I checked out the equipment one afternoon and went to my residence hall with a plan of recreating Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler."  Several of my floor mates gathered as I got various shots of them playing cards.  I didn't like how it turned out, so I went back to the drawing board.

The breakup

I came up with a plan to do Michael Bolton's version of "Lean on Me."  Yes, I am a Michael Bolton fan, judge me if you must.  I enlisted the help of some of my Sigma Nu fraternity brothers and a sister from Alpha Xi Delta to recreate a breakup and then the bonding of two buddies.  I learned a very valuable lesson with this shoot.  The song is about four minutes long.  That day, I thought if I recorded four or five minutes of video, I'd be just fine.  Anyone who has ever edited anything before knows that's WRONG!

I remember sitting in that dark editing bay for the two hours that I could reserve it for.  The glow of the monitors and the buttons on the board providing the only light.  I sat and cursed and cried as I got more and more frustrated with trying to figure out how to put the music track down and then cover it with the video I had shot. Once I finally figured it out and had to repeat several shots throughout the video, I sat in horror when it was time to share our projects with the class.  My professor didn't judge too harshly and I actually got a B on this, but there's no way I deserved such a high mark.

Ridin' away 

This was the most frustrating and stressful thing I did in college. I eventually changed the focus of my major and dropped the next video production class because back then it didn't sink in for me. Never did I imagine that I'd eventually be doing this nearly every day of my professional life.

So without further ado, enjoy the magic of my first masterpiece some 20 years after its original release.

She Said Yes, Obviously

Down on bended knee...

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

March 15, 1994 I asked one question that changed my life forever (most days I'll say for the better). I was a junior in college and had been dating the love of my life for nearly two years.  It wasn't long after Lisa and I started dating that I knew she was the one for me.

It was a Tuesday night and Lisa had just gotten home from work.  I had talked with my Sigma Nu brothers about getting some help with my proposal.  They agreed and about 30 of us gathered outside Towers South on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. We waited outside on that chilly night as one of my lifelong friends, also named Kevin (and who coined my Dexter nickname) convinced Lisa she needed to come downstairs.  I think he told her he needed help getting my birthday gift upstairs and asked for her assistance.  I don't know if she really bought it, but the two of them soon emerged from the building.

Showing off the "rock" 

Once they made it to the middle of walkway, I emerged from behind another building, followed by my brothers.  They formed a circle around us and I handed Lisa and stuffed bear, a single red rose, and a dozen white roses (the flower of my fraternity).  I took her hand and got down on one knee and told her how much I loved her and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I asked her to marry me as I nervously slipped a ring onto her finger.  She said yes and as we hugged and kissed, my brothers belted out the tune "Sigma Nu Girl."  

After several rounds of handshakes, hugs, and congratulations, Lisa and I made our way back up to her room.  We may or may not have celebrated with some Boone's Farm wine.  Like I said, we were both living on campus at the time and drinking alcohol, especially by minors is prohibited.  I do not condone such behavior by any current or future student reading this post.

Us with that bear (which she still has)

Our engagement ended up lasting longer than either of us had originally planned.  We wanted to wait until we were both out of college.  We finally got hitched more than three years after I popped the question.  Several of those Sigma Nu brothers were at the wedding and reception, and serenaded us once again with "Sigma Nu Girl" and "The White Star of Sigma Nu."  

It's hard for me to believe it's been 20 years since I asked Lisa to marry me.  The adventures we've shared since then have been incredible.  There are plenty more in store for us.  Babe, I love ya.

When I Grow Up...

I once wanted to be the real Scooby Doo. LOL

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

When I was in second grade, I had my first revelation about what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I can still remember proudly announcing it on the playground that my goal in life was to be... Scooby Doo.  Yes, the animated Great Dane.  Not the guy who voiced the famous cartoon dog.  Not the person who drew Scooby or even the one wrote the scripts for the show.  I wanted to be a cartoon dog.

Proud owner of Kevin's Pets

It wasn't much later in that same year that I came to the realization that that simply wasn't going to happen.  I don't remember the exact moment when it hit me, but I decided to switch gears and focus my future on owning a pet shop.  My mom made an apron with "Kevin's Pets" on the front when we had career day at school.

By fourth grade, my focus shifted again.  I wanted to be a rock star.  However, I had no musical experience except for those fancy little recorders we had to play during music class.  I couldn't (and still can't sing) and I ended up dropping out of middle school band in seventh grade.  As elementary school was wrapping up, I declared my intentions to become a writer.  I wanted to write books and actually found a lot of enjoyment in writing short stories.  I still like writing, I just wish I was a better storyteller.

High school me, DJ wanna be

Finally in high school I got a bit more focused on what I wanted to do.  I still wish I would have worked more on writing and gotten involved with the school newspaper, but hindsight is 20/20.  My junior year I took a new class called Current Events.  In it, we learned about the stock market, resume writing, and even had a mock job interview.  This is where one of the most embarrassing moments in my high school career happened.

During my interview, which was in front of the entire class, I told the teacher playing the role of the employer that I wanted to be a disc jockey.  Things were going well up until the point he said, "Let me hear your radio voice.  What would you say on the air?" I froze.  I hadn't thought that far ahead.  I could feel a cold sweat starting.  My mouth got dry and my throat tightened.  In my best "DJ" sounding voice, I sputtered a bunch of nonsense as quickly as I could.  I created some goofy name like "Crazy Kevin" or something like that.  It was horrid.  I could hear chuckles from behind me as my classmates obviously were laughing at me and not with me.  The teacher looked at me and said, "You've got some work to do on that." but was not overly critical.

It really wasn't until I got into college that I actually took some initiative and started writing for the Capaha Arrow, the student newspaper at Southeast Missouri State University.  I also volunteered at the student radio station and helped run cameras for an upper level video class.

I think all these aspirations helped lead me to the path I finally ended up on.  I love my job as a journalist and I enjoy being a part of a fun and successful news team at WSIL.  I guess I didn't turn out too bad, considering I wanted to be a cartoon dog at one point in my life.

Memories of a College Freshmen

Being awesome in my dorm room

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents

I have several friends on Facebook who are about to send their children off to college in the next few days, and of course that got me to thinking about the good ol' days.  Back in May 1991, I was preparing to graduate from high school.  My plans were already made.  I was going to attend the University of Missouri-St. Louis.  It was a 30 minute drive from my parents' house, so I'd live at home and save money.  Then in two years, I'd planned to transfer to Southeast Missouri State University.

My roommate & me

It was the perfect plan in my mind, but something didn't feel right about it as the end of high school grew closer.  I don't know what it was, but in a last minute move, I applied to SEMO and hoped I'd get accepted.  It was the 11th hour, as I sent in the paperwork on the LAST day of my senior year of high school.  Luckily, I got in and I'd be in for the adventure of a lifetime.

I can not sing the praises of Southeast loud enough.  I loved my four and a half years there.  I remember move in day back in August 1991.  My parents and I lugged all my stuff up six flights of stairs.  Those items included a roll of carpet, a college boy fridge, TV, VCR, boom box, and a typewriter.  No CD player.  No lap top or word processor.  I also had a milk crate filled with wrestling magazines because there was no smart phone or Internet in those days.

Just a few friends hanging out

I lived in the residence hall known as Towers West my freshmen year.  Because I wanted a friend of mine from high school, Jim, to be my roommate and he'd been accepted months before me, we ended up landing on the smoking floor.  At first, I wasn't a fan of this, as neither of us smoked, but the Tower was full and the 6 West was the only floor that still had a double vacancy.

Living in the dorm (I know the University prefers the word residence hall) was a blast.  It forced me out of my shell.  I got to meet people I wouldn't normally meet.  I remember late nights of playing spades, drinking Boone's Farm wine, and telling stories.  Thanks to the power of social media, I've been able to reconnect with several of those old friends from 6 West.  I don't regret a single moment from those days, I had fun, but I also stayed focused on the reason I was there, my education.

Cardiac Hill & the Gum Tree circa 2013

The Towers were located right outside the infamous Cardiac Hill.  Most of my classes were located just on the other side of that hill, so several times a day I would huff and puff my way up it.  I recently went back for a visit to the campus and hiked the hill again.  I think it's gotten steeper.  At the top of the hill, you're greeted with the Gum Tree.  It's exactly what it sounds like.  It's a tree plastered with ABC (already been chewed) gum.  I stuck my first piece to that tree nearly 22 years ago, and back in January I did it again.

I am so glad I ended up on the academic path that I did.  Leaving my family and going away to school was one of the best things to happen to me.  There's an instant gaining of independence.  You have to make the decisions about what time your classes will be, when you'll go to bed, what you'll eat for supper.  If you skip class, there's a price to pay.  Professors aren't going to hold your hand and make sure you're turning in assignments.  College is a time to grow up (although there's plenty of time for fun too, don't get me wrong.)  I had one professor who would ask, "Do you know the difference between a high school senior and a college freshmen?... 3 months."   That is true, but I think when you're making your own decisions and then face the consequences, by the time that first year is up, you're a whole new person.

The girls of 8 East

There's another reason I'm glad I attended Southeast when I did.  At the end of my freshmen year,  I ended up meeting my wife.  We had our first date in May 1992 and have been together ever since.  The floor she lived on in the all girls dorms was our "sister floor."

Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg on my experiences at SEMO.  I stayed in the Towers for two more years, moving to South and that's where the real debauchery started.  (I kid, kinda)  After that, I went on to become a founding father of the Mu Kappa chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity where more friendships were born.

Bottom line, I loved college and to anyone who is reading this and about to start their college career, I wish you the best of luck.  Have fun, study hard, and find the people who will be positive influences in your life.