This is the story of Mac and Molly.
It is a love story.
Mac and Molly are mascots for the University of Mobile.
So, while their love story isn’t necessarily typical of all the college students who fall in love on this beautiful campus and eventually marry, there are some similarities.
Like Ram Rush.
That was the day Mac first noticed Molly. Mac was an upperclassman. He had been hanging around UM’s powerhouse NAIA athletic program and had started showing up at all the basketball games. He was such a big fan that he dressed in a basketball uniform every chance he could, which was pretty much all the time, since he was a rather large ram and it was hard to find clothes that would fit.
Mac was also super involved in student life, like the Student Government Association and Campus Activities Board, and all the organizations that plan the events that make being a college student at UM so much fun.
Events like Ram Rush.
Now, this is a good time to mention that rams are a big deal at the University of Mobile. It all started back in 1963 when the first freshman class was picking things like school colors and the name of the yearbook. They considered a lot of possibilities for a mascot – knights, saints, pioneers, bucks, elephants and falcons.
It is also a good time to mention that the University of Mobile is a Christian university, and faith is the foundation for everything they do, from the classroom to the athletic field. So it’s no surprise those students looked to the Bible for inspiration. Turns out, there are 44 verses in the Bible about rams. And rams are strong and powerful, which are good qualities to have in a winning athletic program. So a ram it was.
But we digress. Back to the love story.
Mac was a Ram Rush leader, which meant that he was in charge of a small group of new students known as a Ram Fam, short for Ram Family, that spends about a week going to orientation and events together.
When Molly showed up at the designated time at the designated place for the designated Ram Fam meeting, it was all over for Mac.
He was head over hoofs in love.
It took Molly a little while longer to fall in love. There were the traditional courting rituals, like meeting in the caf for their favorite lunch – fried chicken and mac & cheese. They sang in the choir together, over the years participating in both the Boar’s Head Festival and Christmas Spectacular. They had a few classes together in Weaver Hall, went on a few international mission trips, and spent a lot of time cheering on the university’s many athletic teams.
In fact, Molly became such a rambunctious Rams fan that she special-ordered a cheerleading outfit that coordinated beautifully with Mac’s attire.
But it wasn’t until one fateful afternoon that it became obvious to everyone that Mac and Molly were a couple.
They sat beneath an old live oak tree to talk, and it got everyone on campus talking. Because they sat in what students call “the love swing.” It seems that, more often than not, when a couple spends time together talking and swinging beneath that old oak tree, what they end up talking about is their future. It’s about as close to a declaration of love as a marriage proposal, alumni say.
That’s been awhile back, and Mac and Molly seem to be happy with the current state of their relationship. Most times when you see Mac, you will see Molly, too – usually leading enthusiastic fans in cheers at a Rams sporting event. Marriage may be in the future, but word is they haven’t reached a consensus on whether to have the ceremony in Pharr Gym, at The Jungle soccer field, or on Mike Jacobs Baseball Field.
So that’s the short story of how Mac and Molly became a couple. It is possible this isn’t the true story. Like most good stories we tell, some parts are completely true, and some parts are somewhat true, and some parts are not true at all.
But it’s a nice love story for Valentine’s Day, isn’t it?
Kathy Dean uses her passion for storytelling and “playing with words” to share the stories of people, place and purpose that make the University of Mobile unique. As associate vice president for university communications, she manages media relations, edits the TorchLight alumni magazine, and oversees university communications. A former award-winning journalist, she is a two-time recipient of the Baptist Communicators Association grand prize for feature writing. Kathy and her husband, Chuck, live with three extremely loud miniature schnauzers.