Shafinaaz Kamrul
How many of us can claim that we had a sow run after us all the way around the Pierce College farm because we stole her piglet?
That was one of the most memorable incidents Marilyn Feldman,58, had about her college life at Pierce in 1957.
“My friend and I were walking past the pig barn after class one day and saw that a sow was surrounded by her piglets,” said Feldman.
“One child of hers, however, was sitting alone in a corner.”
The two women decided to go and ask the barn master what was going on with the lonesome piglet and he told them that it was sick and dying, so the mother did not pay much attention to her or feed her.
Feldman’s friend felt a pang in her heart and decided she wanted to take the piglet to the veteran.
“The barn master told us that it was not possible for the piglet to recover but my friend insisted on trying,” recalled Feldman.
After all, what did they have to lose?
What none of them knew however was to not mess with the emotions of “mommy pig” who got extremely angry when she saw her baby being stolen.
As soon as Feldman’s friend started walking away with the piglet the sow broke the barn’s fencing and started to run after them.
Feldman and her friend started running and soon it was the sow running after the two woman and the barn master running after the sow.
This chase went on until they ran all around the Pierce College campus.
“It was funny because I kept telling my friend to put the piglet down but she would not,” said Feldman.
“And all this time when she was being stubborn we had a sow running after us.”
Marilyn Feldman went to college at a time when Pierce was mostly hills and open space. She took some casual classes and the basic academic courses.
“At that time it was mostly offering agricultural classes, ” said Feldman. “We had a lot of cowboys and men from Argentina came here to learn farming.”
“I visit the Pierce theater often,” said Feldman. “The school has become very sophisticated, especially the art center.”
One yummy detail carved in Feldman’s memory about Pierce is that the college farm was responsible for producing the most delicious chocolate milk.
“It was the best,” recalled Feldman.
“I’m so glad that Pierce College is continued today,” said Feldman. “I share great memories with it.”
While the agriculture department has remained similar to the College’s early days, Feldman noted “The school has become very sophisticated.” ()
Pierce alumna Marilyn Feldman recalled being chased from the swine unit by a “mommy” pig. ()
