"Vintage Buffs" Takes Alumni "Back in the day"

 

Taylor Ward

October 27, 2014

 

The men’s basketball game was under way in Cheek Hall. Despite the scorekeepers attempt, the scoreboard just wouldn’t work. In desperate measures, they decided the best alternative was to take score on a nearby chalkboard.

 

There were ten seconds left in the game… the score was tied. Phillip Roush looked over to his teammate and friend Sam Greer as he made the final shot to win the game for Milligan College. They celebrated and cheered like any good boys do after winning a big game.

 

As Roush and his teammates begin to change and head back to Pardee Hall, a referee rushes to the locker room and tells the boys that the score was wrong and the game is actually tied. They throw back on their jerseys to play for the tiebreaker.  Despite Phillip’s disappointment, he suits up and heads back to the court. Although Milligan plays their hardest, they lose the game. Phillip couldn’t help but look at Sam and laugh about the situation.

 

 That was almost 60 years ago for the Indianapolis native and now, Phillip Roush sits with his old friend Sam Greer on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Milligan College for the Vintage Buffs reception—a special part of Homecoming 2014, allowing alumni from the Class of 1964 or older to socialize and reminisce on their days at Milligan College. As Phillip looks around the room, he notices several familiar faces. Some who graduated along side him in 1954 and several that graduated a few years before or after him.

 

To many of these alumni, like Phillip, the campus was almost unrecognizable. The 50 year undefeated football program is long gone, Pardee Hall is now the name of one of the new Village complexes and basketball games are no longer being played in a residence hall.

When Roush attended Milligan College, there were four buildings and a student population of 175. “The college has been growing ever since,” says Roush. “That was almost 64 years, Remarkable, Remarkable.”

 

Now, according to President Bill Greer, Milligan College is growing to a university status. With the new structure of the school, the college is predicted to grow even more.

 

 “My vision is for Milligan to continue to grow toward 2,000 students over time,” says President Greer, Sam Greer’s nephew. “Probably by 2020 we will be moving pretty close.”

 

President Greer visits with the Vintage Buffs to get them up to date with Milligan College since they attended “a while back.” Roush just chuckles and explained to President Greer that they prefer to call it “back in the day.” The entire room bursts into laughter.