Renee Bourgeois Parsons '96
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- Renee Bourgeois ParsonsRenee: Well, I came to Grinnell in 1992 as a first-year student, and it was during my sophomore year that I met my husband. We actually had a mutual friend, and Jason was running a radio show with him. And it was one that not a lot of people listened to because it was on Friday night, so it was usually during a Harris Party. I think they went from ten to midnight. And there was a particular song I wanted to hear, and, you know, I had the tape at home... But no, I decided I wanted to call them and see if they would play it. And they said they didn’t have it! So I said, “Well, what if I bring it over?” And I did.
- Renee Bourgeois ParsonsRenee: And so that was where I met my husband. So we actually have it on tape because they recorded all of their shows. So there’s this brief introduction, by me, on the radio, of the song, while bantering with my future husband. From there, we were just kind of friends for another two years before we started dating, and dated other people in between. And I went through a terrible breakup the beginning of my senior year
- Renee Bourgeois ParsonsRenee: and when I went to Jason and sobbing and telling him all this, and he said, “Don’t worry, you’ll find somebody else— it’ll be okay” and comforting me as best as he could. He took me to McNally’s so that I could just buy whatever I wanted and eat my depression away, so we got cookie dough... I remember that. Anyway, about two months later, it was Thanksgiving and he had gone home, but then come back ’cause he lived just outside of Des Moines. So he came back for the rest of the weekend and when he got there, he wanted to go play tennis in the PEC, so we went over there to play. Once again, I start complaining now that “Why don’t I have a new boyfriend yet? Nobody loves me!” And he’s like, “Well, you know, you dissed me.” And, um, it’s like “Well, okay, fine, whatever Jason.” So then like another week later I decided that I actually do have feelings for my husband!
- Renee Bourgeois ParsonsRenee: And so we were sitting at breakfast in Cowles, in the dining hall there, and again, this comes up—the dissing. And I said, “Well what if I undissed you?” And he was like, “Well then we’d have to talk!” So yeah, we started our relationship at Cowles! I wish I could remember what we had for breakfast that morning, but I don’t... We then walked across Mac Field to our Topology class, our terrible 400-level math class we were taking together. And, it just kind of started from there!
- UnknownUnknown: Good story.
- Renee BourgeoisRenee: I think it helps having a spouse that went to Grinnell, to keep connected. So I have been very interested in working with my class and when I got to my tenth reunion, our class agent decided to step down. So after a couple hours of debate, I decided to take it on. And I’m very glad that I did- part of it is that I get the information first from people, which is always fun. As well getting to have a hand at planning Reunion and just having a deeper connection outside of our school
- Renee Bourgeois ParsonsRenee: years at Grinnell with my classmates. There are people that I didn’t talk to while I was here that I have exchanged emails with, or that I’m friends with on Facebook, because I’m the class agent... So it’s just nice to maintain that. And I am really glad to be part of the Des Moines planning committee too so that I get to help plan events for alumni in the Des Moines area, which lets me get to know people outside of my class. I’m also on the Alumni Council, which helps with that too. So it’s kind of nice to have this deeper connection now not only with my classmates, but also with the people who I didn’t overlap with at all at Grinnell.
- UnknownUnknown: Good. Is that it? Final words?
- Renee Bourgeois ParsonsRenee: I think that's it. I can't think of anything else.
- UnknownUnknown: Okay. Wonderful.
- Renee Bourgeois ParsonsRenee: Okay.
Alumni oral history interview with Renee Bourgeois Parsons '96. Recorded June 5, 2010.