Today@Sam Article
SHSU Fosters And Cultivates Long-Lasting Friendship
Aug. 12, 2024
SHSU Media Contact: Emilee White
It’s the 1970s. The “Me Decade” is in full swing. High heeled boots, miniskirts and tie-dye clothes were all the rage. And Judy Sessions was just starting her first year at Sam Houston State University.
Like all freshmen, Sessions was required to live on campus. She just so happened to run into another incoming student from her hometown, Ellen Baxter, and they both moved into the former all-girls residential hall, Smith-Kirkley.
“She didn't really know anybody and I didn't know anybody,” Sessions said. “Even though we were quite different, personality wise, we knew there's safety in numbers. So, we decided to room together and it turned out wonderfully. We just had the best time.”
As their friendship grew, so did their circle. The two were eventually joined by their first suitemate, Rachel Ramos, and as luck would have it for Sessions, she reconnected with an old acquaintance she made from junior college before starting her journey as a Bearkat in the same residence hall.
Before they knew it, the group was all they had and all they needed. From wearing each other’s clothes to stealing cafeteria trays for sledding, Sessions and her friends became a family and did almost everything together, including push-starting Kelley’s 1952 standard Plymouth.
“Kathy bought the car from her grandfather, but it wouldn't start unless you pushed it, so we would make sure that we parked uphill,” Sessions said. “We would always try to make sure she could find a parking space at the top so we could push her down the hill, pop the clutch and get the car started. Then we'd all jump in.”
As time went on, the group’s bond strengthened. Following their individual graduations, they’ve always stayed in touch through weddings, divorces, tragedies and everything in between. As Sessions puts it, they have a “real camaraderie.”
“We were all as different as night and day,” Sessions said. “We came from different backgrounds, different cultures and yet, we could always count on our girlfriends. That's the way we were. It was a unique experience.”
The group still manages to get together every year, whether it’s in a destination spot or at someone’s home, to reconnect with each other. And no matter how much time has passed, one thing is for sure, Sam Houston State is dedicated to fostering and cultivating friendships, something Sessions knows all too well.
“We never really thought about how all of this was going to come together. We were just girls who were roommates going to college, but the strength of all of us together now is amazing,” she said. “You just never know how all these things are going to come about and turn out. It’s hard to believe our friendship is going on 50-plus years now.”
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