Wardall 7 college reunion

“The Launch.” “Back That Ass Up.” “The Thong Song.”

Any of those sound familiar? Did your brain just take you back to 2001?

Mine has certainly been there for the past few weeks as my friends from college and I have been emailing suggestions for a 1999-2003 playlist. I cringe to say this, but we are coming up on our 10^th anniversary of graduating from the University of Illinois, and we’re renting a big ass house in Lake Geneva, Wis., to commemorate the occasion.

And by commemorate I mean drink our brains out and listen to songs that make us feel like we are 21 again.

The seven of us—me, Alyssa, Amy, Khush, Neha, Meghan and Sarah—met the first few weeks of our freshman year in the dorms and have stayed besties ever since. It’s pretty remarkable when you think about it. There are a lot of people who lose touch with their friends from college or only see them once or twice a year.

Ignore my pit stains here (it was 100 degrees in St. Louis that day!) This is one of the only pics of the seven of us I could find on my Facebook. 

But despite some of us living in different cities at different points, we’ve all managed to stay close and we make a concerted effort to hang out or visit each other whenever we can. We’ve been together through many (many, many, many) drunken nights, soulmates, smooches, breakups, fights, marriages and lots of beer.

Here's another, but Khush's random friends are included. 

I can wholeheartedly say, and this is no disrespect to any of my other friends, that I have more fun with this group than with anybody else. I’m proud to say I am friends with some of the smartest women I’ve ever met, who can dominate a great conversation while chugging a beer, shooting tequila or dancing their ass off.

It’s funny to think about how much we have all changed since we met and how much we’ve all stayed the same. It’s also interesting to look back and remember my first impressions of the Wardall 7 crew.

Khush: Khushboo, if you’re nasty. I met Khush my first week at U of I when we both had computer problems and complained to our RA at the same time. We headed down to the computer lab together and have been friends ever since. She was the baby of the group then and is still our little baby! But, she’s a little baby who analyzes drugs for the Las Vegas Police Department. She’s our CSI baby!

On Khuh's turf in Vegas. 

And Khush was rooming with …

Alyssa: Or, as her friends know her, Al. Al knew a bunch of people from high school who were at U of I, so we didn’t hang out with her too much in the beginning. We thought she was a big-time party girl. Which, we were right. And she still is. She can drink most people under the table (except when she mixes seafood lasagna, cough syrup and vodka), and is wicked smart. She’s Dr. Arata now, armed with a Ph.D., and the knowledge to probably cure a disease someday.

I had to include Matt somewhere in this blog. Gas Boy has been with us since the beginning!

Amy: Amy lived on the other side of the floor. The dark side. She roomed with her childhood friend (who we all now collectively hate) and spent a lot of time with her and the boyfriend who followed Amy to U of I. I think of Amy then as I think of her now: always smiling and laughing. And dancing. Lots of dancing.

A beautiful selfie. 

Neha: Or Neha Blossom, as I coined her when she wore a cute little headband one night. Ne and her high school friend Mary (can’t go there here) lived two rooms down from me. Messy room. Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanatics. This is a girl who can still party until 2 a.m. and make a work flight at 5 a.m. Someone who had to be reminded of when and where her classes were. But she’s also someone I could call and say, “I need $1,000, and you can’t ask why.” And she’d give it to me, no questions asked. Probably the most loyal friend I’ve ever had in my life. And my twin brother and dual partner.

"We're angels!" we screamed after seeing this photo. "Look at our halos!"

 

Sarah: Oh, Kelly and Sarah. How far we have come. We went from roommate enemies to me being a bridesmaid in her wedding. Sarah was my roommate freshman year, and we were paired randomly. A pairing that did not go well while living in such tight quarters, but after a summer break and realizing we can be friends but not live together, we have been fantastic ever since. I’m sad she lives so far—St. Louis—but that just gives us an excuse to tear up another city. And visit McGurk’s J

Out on the town in Florida showing off my two-toned skin. 

Meghan: Meggie, or Megalicious, lived in another dorm our first year, but we met her through Sarah, who she went to high school with. She started as “Sarah’s friend Meghan,” but quickly became “Our friend Meghan.” She’s the friend I can vent and vent and vent to, and she’ll never tell me to shut up or make me feel stupid. A good friend to have in your back pocket during an emotional crisis. 

Sampling beer. As we do. 

So there's the crew. And now, what you’ve been really been waiting for: the playlist. Here’s an excerpt (which some random commentary by me).

•Destiny's Child-“Say My Name.” Neha Blossom’s favorite. And after she plays it for the 245^th time in a row, it will no longer be yours.

•Madison Avenue-“Don't Call Me Baby.” Thank you Matt Miller for introducing the group to this song.

•Anne Lee-“Two Times”

•Nelly-“Must Be the Money.”

•Eiffel 65-“Blue.” Have we decided what the actual lyrics are? “I’m blue, da ba dee da ba da, if I were green I would die …if I OD’d I would die…”

•Sisqo-“Thong Song.” Cue choreographed dance by Al and I

•Outkast-“Rosa Parks”

•DMX-“Up in Here”

•Lo Fidelity All-Stars-“Battleflag.” I once said I was going to walk down the aisle to this song.

•Justin Timberlake-“Rock Your Body”

•Underworld-“Born Slippy”

•Juvenile-“Back that Ass Up.”

•ODB-“Got Your Money”

•Darude-“Sandstorm”

•Alice DJ-“Better Off Alone”

•Fragma-“Toca's Miracle.” Amy’s anthem!

•ATC-“All Around the World”

•Maybe this one's just me, but: Akinyele-Put it in Your Mouth!” I kept Alyssa’s commentary from the email on this one.

•Easy E-“Gimme That Nut.” You haven’t lived until you’ve seen five white girls and two Indians sing “I love pu&*^ and pu$#% loves me, like a lemon to a lime and a bumble to a bee.”

•N’Sync-“Bye Bye Bye.” No shame.

•”The Launch.” As an unnamed boyfriend once said when he saw the reactions of me and my high school friends when this song came on, “You guys lost your mind.” This reaction applies to the Wardall 7 crew as well.

•Ice Cube-“You Can Do It”

• “Somebody Answer the Phone”

That’s just a snapsnot of what’s now a 70-song list, I believe. Can’t wait for May 17! 

Just a few more photos to give you the true flavor of this group: 

Not long after this picture was taken, at a bar in Florida, our waiter came over with our bill and a bouncer. We were kindly asked to leave. By the looks of all the drinks on the table and my crazy eyes, maybe they weren't too off base.

Annual Wardall 7 Bar Crawl: Logan Square

Illinois vs. Northwestern at Wrigley Field

"A crazy one! A crazy one!" we yelled to the photographer at Amy's wedding.

Photo booth at Amy's wedding. In which Khush looks like a maniac.