Living in a girls’ dormitory was quite different from what I had experienced growing up. Having a house mother to watch over us and keep us in check was something else. Why did we have to sign out to go anywhere and sign in when we returned? It was like we were little children. However, rules were rules, and there were consequences for not following them.
Curfew was early because the house mother and others over us knew we would have to spend long hours cracking the books. Boys were not allowed except in the entry way, and then only on weekends. Hand-holding and closeness of any other kind were not allowed and strictly enforced by the house mother.
So it was that many nights, after reading and memorizing until our brains felt like mush, we would raid the kitchen searching for any available morsel of food. Sometimes I felt like a mouse, looking in every cupboard and in the refrigerator for a semblance of anything edible. Our staple was peanut butter, and you would be amazed at all the creative mixtures we made with it to satisfy our hunger before snuggling into bed.
