By Jenny Case
Our sluggish women’s issues group found it necessary earlier in the second quarter (December 10th and 11th, to be precise) to part ways with the routine Mini-School life and check out the happening cultural scene in the Twin Cities.
Gathering in Dawn Norton’s cramped science office that particular Thursday were Kristie Ennis, Sharon Korzendorfer, alumni Val Rath! (congrats!!!), Jenny Case, Katie Steger, Ronilyn Rasmussen, Karen Kenefick, Simone Wintheiser, Rochelle McCabe, Amanda Fish, Dawn, Lester, and Theresa. And as soon as we had eaten up all of Dawn’s watermelon Jolly Ranchers, we decided to take off for Minneapolis.
We arrived at the oh-so-luxurious downtown Marriot at the twinkling hour of 5:00 and within 45 of the most selfish, hairspray lighting & lipstick smashing minutes, this group of oddly dressed gals transformed into a beautiful array of slick looking fems with dresses on!!! Unbelievable as it may sound, we were completely decked out in elegant attire. Highlights of this fashionable occasion were Katie’s pretty DRESS (!?!) along with the big poofy thing on her head, that is, and Sharon, who was clad in black lace and make-up! Definitely a Kodak moment.
We left our cluttered rooms and headed for the groovy mirrored elevators where we descended 24 floors. We then strolled down Hennepin Ave. attracting quite a number of whistles and stares from the street bums.
We met Joanne at the Café di Napoli at 6:00 to have a grandiose dinner, Italian style. In fact, they gave us so much bread that we vomited all over the floor (only the waitress did not notice) and when our meals came, Katie and I finished our spaghetti in a record two minutes. All of us were in a hurry to get out of there, except for the four unscrupulous teachers who stayed another hour discussing politics over their cappuccino and dessert.
Meanwhile, the well-mannered young ladies who had wandered across the street to the State Theater for the opening of the Nutcracker Fantasy were getting extremely restless. So to vent our fuming frustrations, we made a big scene over the lady with the bloody ankle and frightened the innocent “passer-byers” by making blowfish on the windows. But at last the teachers rescued us and we went into the theater, ready to witness one of the most extravagant events our eyes would ever set their pupils upon.
Our emotions ranged from pure bliss to great despair and sorrow. Laughter took some by storm while sleep embraced the minds of others. But as a few emerged from the experience feeling inspired, the ballet had taken a most dramatic effect on others of us- noticeable as we jumped, twirled, & pirouetted back to the hotel later that evening. These girls are ready to face an opera next!
We returned to our funky rooms at about 11:00, stripped back into our duds and decided to throw a party in the hotel lobby. It was so noisy and obnoxious that the cops soon heard about it, so they rushed over to join in the festivities. Kristie got hit on by a lewd old man early on and instantly decided to carry my mace around with her the rest of the evening. And when we finally retired for the night in our cozy beds it seemed only seconds before the phone rang (5:00 A.M.) for Ronilyn’s darn wake-up call! She and Amanda went down the the sauna for an early morning sweat.
Later that morning, after Ramona ultimately chose to grace us with her presence, we went shopping in the City Center. Sharon had forgotten her wallet in Lester’s car, so as Lester went to rescue it, a strange old man approached her and asked if he could hold her hand. He wanted to prove to his friend that beautiful women were still attracted to him. Talk about culture!
Next, we checked out the Dayton’s exhibit “Puss & Boots.” Words cannot describe the way it made us feel. So we headed to the Institute of Art to visit the Indian exhibit. It was so fantastic, exciting, and exhilarating that while I was fast asleep on the comfy wooden bench, Rochelle started her Christmas card writing! Lester once again became the prime target of another dirty old man’s desires. With his hand resting upon her shoulder, the two discussed Indian culture. Lester’s just such a stud woman, eh guys? But after like 14 years of impatient waiting, Dawn and the rest of the “authority figures” finally decided to blow the joint. So we said goodbye, hasta la vista, bon voyage to this marvelous city of purple glow-in-the-dark flowers, ventured back to school, and reminisced about the good ‘ol days.