People called them “The Clique.”
The five women had become fast friends while studying at Indianapolis Central College — now known as the University of Indianapolis. They did everything together: were in the same courses, spent time together in each other’s dorm rooms after class and hung out on the weekends.
When the group was sitting together in the Campus Cupboard taking a study break one night, a fellow student approached.
“He said, ‘Well, here’s the clique.’ He said we were such a tight group, that if they’d just let people in, they might get asked out for a date,” Franklin resident Carol Lowers said. “That’s how we got the name.”
The name stuck, and for more than 60 years, the group has remained best friends. They’ve celebrated weddings, births and graduations together. Holidays have often been spent at each other’s homes.
To the group — Lowers, Sondra Scaggs, Patsy Stackhouse, Patty Goss and Carol Ann Powers — their history together is something to be celebrated.
“We’ve all just kept up with it,” Goss said.
The five friends started attending Indianapolis Central College in the early 1960s. Most were studying to be teachers, and found themselves in many of the same classes. They all lived near each other in the dorms. Quickly, a bond strengthened among them.
Their story unfolds in photographs over the years. Snapshots show them dressed up ready to go to dances and other campus events. Later photos show them at weddings, of Christmas parties and anniversary celebrations.
All the while, they took pride in their nickname. A few years back, Goss found a novel called “The Clique,” which she bought for her friends as a gag gift.
As time passed on, get-togethers were more sporadic as their children grew older and life filled up with commitments.
“For a while, it was just once a year, when everybody had kids and there was so much going on,” Goss said.
But they’ve found more times in recent years to plan special activities and dinners together. Three or four times a year, they get together at each other’s homes, as they all live in the central Indiana area.
No matter how much time has passed, it’s like slipping back into their college routine every time.
“We think that 1961 to 2021 is something pretty special,” Lowers said.
