Alison Williams Presley::  My name is Alison Williams. I currently live in Greensboro, North Carolina, and I'm a member of the Grinnell College class of 2003....
Alison Williams Presley::  Gosh, there's so many great questions here. My dorm room: My-- I had a triple when I came in. I was in Rawson 3rd; it was an all girls floor at that time, and it was a big room.
Alison Williams Presley::  I was actually pretty pleased with it, but then, you know, when you put three girls into it, it's like, "Oh, it's kinda small now." So we had to loft one of our beds, then we put the... her desk underneath her bed, and then the other two beds were on the ground, and... It was great. It was kinda-- It was.... nice, and then windows, and.... It looks, you know, pretty much the same as the dorm rooms do now.
Alison Williams Presley::  The.... then I moved into a single. I was living in singles for the rest of my time here, 'cause I was an SA. That helped a lot. So, I really enjoyed my room in Smith. I was in Smith 2nd. I was the SA there, and had a really-- I just loved that room. It was Loggia-access, and, oh, that was just great. Got to re-- like, re-arrange it, and everything, so...
Alison Williams Presley::  And then I was in Younker, and that was a little bit smaller, and then I was in Read 2nd my final year, and I loved-- I just kept going south and south and south. So, it was really good.
Alison Williams Presley::  So it just-- there's just so many memories that I have just in the dorms, and.. I was able to-- I had enough space when I was a SA to have a-- like, a little chair like this one, and put that corner, and so I'd do my reading in there, and sit at my desk and do my typing and it just... and I had friends over, and it was just so nice.
Alison Williams Presley::  I have a lot of-- I have a lot of good memories of spending time, like, quality time, studying and being by myself, and then some quality time with people there, and.... so...
Alison Williams Presley::  My dorm room was decorated. Inside I had brought-- you know, when they had the poster sales... you know, at the beginning of the semester, I would just line my room up with posters that made me feel good, made me feel happy.
Alison Williams Presley::  And my-- outside of my dorm room just had all these pictures of me from when I was a kid, and... things that made a lot of... had a lot of special memories to me, so.. --from my time at Grinnell, too. So I got more and more Grinnell pictures as I... came along, and so that was-- I really enjoyed decorating the outside of my room, as well.
Alison Williams Presley::  Why did I first come to Grinnell College? I... My dad would always make fun-- I'm from Minnesota originally, and my dad used to make fun that he put a dot where we lived and a four hour radius all the way around, and he said, "You have to move outside of this circle."
Alison Williams Presley::  He didn't really do that, but he always said he did because I moved four hours and two minutes from my home town.
Alison Williams Presley::  So, I applied here. I toured the campus, got a scholarship so it was really easy to make this transition here 'cause it was just such a great... It just made me feel really good. Everyone felt really welcoming, and I mean... you know, being a current student, that it just-- Everyone is so happy, and... thrilled to be here and so intelligent, and... welcoming.
Alison Williams Presley::  So it was very easy to come here, and I just remember immediately meeting people and being like, "Hey, I'm Alison. Let's go to a party!" And.. it was pretty much like that.
Alison Williams Presley::  I mean, I studied and I got a lot of work done. I felt really good about my GPA, but there was a really nice balance of... being social, and I feel like that was really important too, to find that balance of hanging out with people on Friday/Saturday nights, and then... at meals, then getting down to business and getting work done.
Alison Williams Presley::  So my very first memory of the campus is... just, being this wide-eyed first year, and meeting my SA, and... sayin', "Okay, it's time to go get my picture taken." "Alright, bye Mom and Dad." "Let's go do that," and, "Let's go over here," and...
Alison Williams Presley::  And then when I was an SA for the two years after that, I did the same thing, and I was like, "I'm your SA, let's go do this!" and.. then I got to be that welcoming person for the next two years. So that was really.. it was really good to go around full-circle, and be that welcoming person to the new students.
Alison Williams Presley::  My best memories of my time at Grinnell: I remember just, going to Harris all the time. I was... I was a dancer and I am still a dancer at-- in Greensboro, North Carolina, and...
Alison Williams Presley::  We'd-- I don't think it's in existence anymore, but my friends and I started a dance group called M & 8. And, yeah, I think it-- I think it ended pretty much the year after we left, but we had... by the time that we were seniors, there were about 40 people in the group, yeah.
Alison Williams Presley::  So it was a-- It was good. We had a lot of fun doing that, and so we would do dance performances, just, I think, once a semester, and we would get a-- you know, arrange those space reservations ourselves, and I... choreographed a tap dance in Younker basement, and.... Then we'd go perform it on Harris stage and put together a whole show, and it was really, really great.
Alison Williams Presley::  And then doing all the-- going to all the Harris dance parties and everything, I just-- I loved doing that, 'cause it was one of those like, you go eat dinner, go get a little bit of studying done, and then okay-- It's.. you know, "It's Harris time! Let's go!"
Alison Williams Presley::  Put on.. put on a cute outfit and just go, and I didn't even have to go with people, I'd just show up there and I'd be like, "I know everybody in this room," and, "Let's just have a dance!"
Alison Williams Presley::  Like, I didn't drink much in college, so it wasn't even about, like, getting drunk and getting stupid, but it was just about dancing to the music and having a great time, and...
Alison Williams Presley::  I'm-- Those are some of my best-- best memories of Grinnell, is being there, and performing and choreographing, and... just dancing for fun.
Alison Williams Presley::  My favorite academic experience at Grinnell sort of goes along with the... a-- a professor that influenced me a lot was Sylvia Thorson Smith, who is no longer at Grinnell. She was my advisor in the Sociology department, and she taught Human Sexuality class.
Alison Williams Presley::  And it was one of the best classes because it was... You know, I... I came to college not knowing anything about sexuality, you know, my parents were very open to answer any questions I had, but I... you know, was a virgin when I came to college, and...
Alison Williams Presley::  And just to have a really open discussion, and she made it so easy to talk about sex and really like... learning about-- learning about the body, and learning about experiences, and it was just a really, really good class. It wasn't like a 'How To' class, you know? But it was like, the sociology around it.
Alison Williams Presley::  So it just made... And it was like 25 people, a lot of whom I didn't know... but it... I had a couple very good friends in it, and one of my very good friends who's here this weekend, which is lovely. He's coming to my wedding in October, and..
Willa Collins & Alison Williams Presley::  Congratulations.
Willa Collins & Alison Williams Presley::  Thank you! So, you know, just-- I'm... just reminding me of all these times that... that I spent just in-- havng truly meaningful academic conversations at Grinnell.
Alison Williams Presley::  And they didn't just end when we walked out of the classroom, you know? They.... especially-- I was a Sociology major --and expecially leaving... leaving class and still continueing these wonderful conversations, and really, I feel like Grinnell has taught me not only... like, academically how to be intelligent, but socially intelligent and taking.. taking these conversations out into the real world.
Alison Williams Presley::  And... and being a real person. Like, I feel like such more of a grounded human being for coming here. So that's-- That, I feel like, really taught me a lot --not just in the classes, but outside the classes as well.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  I did not meet my spouse-- my future spouse, at Grinnell. He-- this is his first time here, so he... he's doin' great, but-- There's... there's a Facebook group out there for spouses of Grinnellians.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Is there?
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  It's like a--
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Oh, my God.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  I know! It's like a-- it's a real.. group.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  And it's like, "Oh, dear... Here we go again." You know? 'Cause, 'Where the hell is Grinnell?', gotta wear that t-shirt, and... you know, we have so many--
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  My dad has one.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Yeah. Mhm.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  We have so many of those inside stories, that, you know, he just-- they might not necessarily get, but.. you know. It's like... "I married a Grinnellian! This is what life is." And it's just so wonderful to be here, and he took-- I taught the yoga class this morning, and--
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Oh, I wanted to go to that but I fell asleep, I'm sorry!
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Ohhh, oh no! That's okay. That's okay, I'll forgive you. I'm meeting you now and you're lovely, so...
Alison Williams Presley::  But he was there in the yoga class, and it just is sucha wonderful community to... you know, see these people who have been in Grinnell...you know. I think there was someone here from their 60th reunion. In my class with, you know, people at my 10 year reunion, and then current students all, and it was like, we are all here because of Grinnell. And that's just a beautiful thing. So it was really, really nice.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Looking at the students of today.. I mean, you guys look just how we did.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Haha.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  You know? You guys are very smart people, very outgoing, very willing to help. You know. I mean, I look at you and I name three friends that you remind me of, and I look at the girl who checked me in, and I'm like, I can name three friends who she reminds me of, and...
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  So it's really-- I feel like, the Grinnell student population hasn't changed much.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  We're a self-selective bunch.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  We are a self-selecting bunch! I-- I completely agree with that... and I think we're a very wonderful bunch of people.
Alison Williams Presley::  And whenever, like-- and I'm gonna start to cry a little bit here, probably, because it just-- it's just so wonderful. Every time-- I'm a class community member so I've come here a couple times --that... that we came to plan reunion, and then I'm here for reunion, so... and this is my 10 year, so I did for 5 year and for 10 year.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  So I've been back four times since... since I graduated, and every single time I'm just like, "Oh, wow!" And it's just, with this love and just remembering.. you know. People are like, "Why are you going to your reunion?" And I was like, "You don't get it. You didn't go to Grinnell. That's why you don't know."
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Hm.
Alison Williams Presley::  They're like, "I don't know anyone from my college." I said, "Well... you didn't go to Grinnell!" "Sorry!" But it's just so nice, 'cause then it's like, you know, "I don't necessarily remember your name," --like the people who I'm seeing now and.. so the name tags are very very helpful --"but I remember you, and I remember our experiences together."
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  And then as soon as I, you know, as soon as I remember your name I'm like... a whole 'nother world of experiences come back and it's like, you know... "It was 10 years ago that I last saw you," and it's like no time has passed. You know?
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Mhm.
Alison Williams Presley::  I just-- and I think that's just a very special thing that Grinnell College has done. It's very special that there's so many people who come back here year after year for their reunion. I think that's.. that's remarkable about Grinnell.
Alison Williams Presley::  If I knew what I know now, what would I have done differently? Probably, absolutely nothing. I think I did a really good job of a nice balance. I feel like-- I remember, being in college. I remember seeing people who were studying on Saturday nights, and... you know, getting up first thing, and... you know, not-- just... hoarding themselves in, and I'm like, "I feel like they might really regret it." You know?
Alison Williams Presley::  And I feel like I did a really nice balance of academic and social, and dancing and things that I love.... And it's... it's easy to come back here and remember everybody. I wish I probably would've stayed in better touch with a lot of people, but then when we're here it's like, "I remember you," and, "We had a great time," and, "Let's catch up!" and...
Alison Williams Presley::  So it's nice. I guess the post-Grinnell is what I might regret more-- is just not keeping in touch with people, and... You know, that's what I thought about high school, too, and... But I didn't go to my high school reunions! I'm here though, twice... but, just catching up, and that's really, really wonderful.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  When I was here... The next question is: "What memories or images do you have of the town of Grinnell?" and when I was here I did the fifth sememster student teaching, which I don't think...
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  They still do the--
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  They still do that? Yeah.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Yeah, the-- wait, the fifth semester?
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Yeah.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  So after your second year?
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Excuse me, fifth-- ninth semester.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Yeah, totally.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Ninth Semester.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Yeah, yeah. They still do that.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  I'm thinking about doing that.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Are you?
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Mhm.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  That's great! What year are you?
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  I'm-- I just finished my first year here in Grinnell.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  You did?
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  And I took Intro. Ed., and I did a lot of-- I did like, 10 hours of observation at the high school.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Oh, good!
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  So.. and, yeah.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Good! Yeah, it was a great-- it was a really, really great experience. And so, that's where I really got to know the town of Grinnell, was when I was goin' into the schools. I did my Ninth Semester student teaching in-- I was in the elementary program, which I don't think any longer exists...
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Ah... I'm not sure yet.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  You're not sure yet? You haven't-- You haven't gotten there yet.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  I wouldn't have any idea; I'm not thinking about elementary, so..
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Right. So, yeah.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Yeah.
Alison Williams Presley::  But I don't think the elementary program exists. I think it was on its way out when I was there, but I know-- yeah, the secondary program is still there. But we... So I was an elementary school teacher, and then I lived with Dan, who's here this weekend, who's a-- who was a secondary teacher, and... We just had this great apartment off campus, and... took class once a week, and got up at, you know, some ungodly hour and went to school, and..
Alison Williams Presley::  But then, you know, on our weekends, we didn't necessarily stay connected to the campus-- We did do-- we went to a couple Harris parties just because we still could. We're like, "Sketchy alum! Woohoo!" But mostly we would, you know, go to the pub, you know, 'cause we were old enough to get in there now, and...  And we still had, of course, a lot of friends who were seniors who hadn't graduated yet.
Willa Collins & Alison Williams Presley::  So that- that's when my social life went more off-campus, and I would study at Saint's Rest rather than-- which probably was gone by the time... 
Willa Collins & Alison Williams Presley::  It's-- it's still there. People still study there.
Willa Collins & Alison Williams Presley::  It's...
Willa Collins & Alison Williams Presley::  It's just not really the hub of campus life as it used to be.
Willa Collins & Alison Williams Presley::  As it.. as it used to be, yeah.
Alison Williams Presley::  So we.. you know, instead of going there we would sit in Saint's Rest and study. Or-- you know, work on our lesson plans or whatever. So that's-- that was... That semester was really when I got to know the town of Grinnell.. was when I lived there, and...
Alison Williams Presley::  You know, just the same as when I was on campus: just, everyone was so happy to be alive, and a lot of... a lot of alums and current students living in the town. So it was really nice.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  And this-- this 'town versus gown' thing that like, everyone talked about? I was like, "I don't--" I never saw it.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Hm.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  You know, there was no... When I live in the town, there were like-- you know, people accepted me. They're like, not: "You're a college student! Get out!" But... there was... It-- it was never a problem for me, so it was a very easy transition to make. And then I stayed for a.. after I finished my ninth semester student teaching, I stayed for another semester to substitute teach.
Alison Williams Presley::  So then I was an employee, you know? And then I looked for jobs, and so then I really sort of... re-birthed as a hu-- you know, as an adult and a human being. Influenced, certainly, by Grinnell, but then I had a nice transition, and had bills to pay, but I was still with some really good friends, so it was really nice.... Really nice to do that and get to know... get to know the town a little bit more than when I was here. So...
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  That's probably about all I can think of.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  That was wonderful. Thank you.
Alison Williams Presley & Willa Collins::  Thank you.
