Insturctors Interview: How did You Meet?

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Swim Dork Meets Band Geek by Amber and Greg

It was the year of 1996. Greg Perzinski had finished his first year at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, CO and received a measly $600 scholarship to go to the University of South Dakota (USD) and swim. I, Amber Mason was fresh out of high school and planned to attend USD with a whopping $300 scholarship in music. Obviously we both could be bought with peanuts, but hey, a scholarship is a scholarship, right?

University of South Dakota

In August, we both arrived a week earlier than the rest of campus to start our reason (swimming and band) for choosing the school. Greg found swim buddies on his dorm floor and went to practices twice a day. I found band friends on the same dorm floor and neither of us really bumped into the other. We were on the same co-ed dorm floor, with very few people, since no one else needed to arrive yet, and didn’t notice each other…crazy!

One of the gems of the campus was the Newman Center just down the street, and that is where Greg first noticed me. During the part of mass where everyone takes a moment to shake hands and give peace to everyone around, is when he realized that a cute girl was sitting right behind him. Quickly, in his mind, he went through the check list. Fresh breath – check, combed hair- check, clean shirt – check. For the remainder of the mass I took note that Greg’s posture was suddenly straighter and no longer slouching! Well, Mass came to an end and much to Greg’s delight the cute girl sitting behind him was walking to the same dorm as him. Greg ran up and joined me and another lady.

So we found out that we lived across the hall and a few doors away from each other. We made similar friends on the dorm floor and life was good. We went to church with another couple every Sunday and actually attended other activities with the church at other days of the week (which was rather strange for Greg, whose family rarely stayed for the whole sending forth hymn).

About a month into school, I was taken aback by another guy on the floor who had taken interest in me, but I knew it wasn’t the type of guy I should be with. We dated for a few weeks and even though we were together, it never discouraged Greg from getting to know more about me. Greg usually stayed away from other girls who were already in a relationship, but for some reason, it didn’t seem to scare him away this time.

After a sad break up with the less-than-satisfactory guy, everything went back to normal. Greg and I both got new roommates to make the living conditions better. It just so happened that our new roommates were dating and Catholic. So Greg and I had more time together. One time, I walked by a room where Greg and his swim buddy, Dave, were talking. I overheard Dave say, ‘If you don’t ask her out, I’m going to do it for you!’ Later that evening, after hanging out and chatting, Greg got the courage to ask. ‘Will you go out with me?’ Having a ‘blonde’ moment, I thought… ‘out on a date’ so I said, ‘Sure!’

A week went by with little interaction. Greg and I were both busy with classes, swimming, and band. Then one day, I was with some of their friends and Dave asks, ‘So where is your boyfriend?’ I think… ‘Boyfriend, what boyfriend? … Oooooh!’

So the date was set and came up. Greg and I climbed into Greg’s Nissan pick-up with a vinyl bench seat and no A/C, and started out down the interstate. 

We were both from small towns. Greg from Rock Springs, WY which has a population of 20,000 and I am from Sleepy Eye, MN which has less than 4000! This restaurant was in Sioux City, IA. So needless to say, we got lost…at night! As we were driving around we saw a Perkins but that wasn't the restaurant we wanted for our first date. We drove and drove and saw nothing but closed buildings and bars so we went back to Perkins.

A year later, we were still together (despite having had our first date at Perkins) and for our first anniversary date we managed to find the restaurant this time! Garfield’s it was called. Inside, each table was covered with a large sheet of paper on the table for coloring while waiting for the food…classy, very classy. Well worth the wait.