Bowling alley was student hub
Do college students ever have time to spare? Back in the ’70s, Messiah College students sure did. That’s right, the Grantham campus used to have a bowling alley.
If you traveled back to 1972, the Eisenhower Campus Center looked different. What is now the Falcon was once a snack shop and a game room. To the right of that, you’d find a four-lane bowling alley.
Michael Strite ’83 serves as the associate director of financial aid at Messiah. As a student, he spent much of his time in the game room, snack shop and bowling alley—a hot spot on campus. Students could grab a milkshake, spend some time with friends or even go on a date with a special someone.
“I became very familiar with that part of campus,” said Strite, who worked at the snack shop. “I actually had my highest bowling score ever on the lanes at Messiah.”
For students looking for a good workout, the lanes were right up their alley (and the perfect way to burn off their milkshakes). The lanes also doubled as a classroom. Students could meet their general physical education credit by signing up for “Bowling and Recreational Games.”
As time rolled on, the bowling alley made way for what is now the Falcon. The former game room is now the Textbook Express. However, Strite and many other students can always return with a trip down memory lane.
— Jake Miaczynski ’21