FRESHMEN: ROOMMATES FROM HEAVEN; FRESHMEN ERIN HOLT AND BRADLEY BOTSCH OF BERNIE START SECOND SEMESTER, WIN ROOMMATE GAMBLE

Editor's note: This is one in a series of articles following Erin Holt and Bradley Botsch, both of Bernie, as they progress through their freshman year at Southeast.

Bradley Botsch decided not to take a chance on an unknown roommate during his first year at college. He teamed up with Jason Crow, a friend since they were 3 years old.

Erin Holt was paired with a stranger, a Coloradan named Kandy Candelarie. But they're both intercollegiate volleyball players and during the strenuous two-a-day practices before school began in the fall did some "major bonding," Candelarie says.

Beginning their second semester at Southeast, both Botsch and Holt think they won the roommate gamble.

Botsch and Crow actually began school with a third roommate, a sophomore from Kennett who eventually moved out. "I guess we ran our other roommate off," Botsch says. "He's moved to another college from what I hear."

With Botsch and Crow, familiarity means compatibility. Wednesday afternoon, they played an electronic football game together. Afterward, they went to Botsch's sister's house in Jackson for deer steaks.

Like Botsch, Crow played basketball at Bernie High School, and they're both eager to play intramural basketball at Southeast.

They listen to all kinds of music. "But nothing too crazy like Marilyn Manson," Botsch said.

Botsch is a political conservative. Crow votes, but when it comes to political ideology he says, "I don't really care."

Holt and Candelarie went back in training Monday. The volleyball team's three spring tournaments begin at the end of March.

They're all running, swimming, jump training, lifting weights and climbing the Stairmaster. Holt will get a short, unwanted respite after undergoing arthroscopic surgery Thursday on a torn rotator cuff.

Compactly built compared to her tall and thin roommate, Candelarie doesn't think she and Holt have a lot in common. She counts that an advantage.

"I think it makes us better friends. I don't know where she's coming from sometimes," she said.

Candelarie's jumpy remote-control and middle-of-the-night phone habits make Holt crazy. They switched bunks to improve Candelarie's access to the electronic appliances.

She can't understand how Holt can still be asleep after the alarm has been going off for 10 minutes. She also marvels at returning to their room to find the radio and TV on and Holt playing a computer game.

But when one gets angry about something, the other usually just starts laughing.

Holt spent her Christmas vacation bored in Bernie once all her old classmates started returning to their own colleges. She was anxious to get back to school.

She has a boyfriend, now, a freshman business major from Troy named Zack Drozkowski. They were introduced by her sister, Bethany, who also attends Southeast.

Candelarie doesn't mind the intrusions at all. "I love Zack. I think he's the greatest," she said. "I leave them alone sometimes."

But, she says, "I was jealous when Erin was getting a massage."

The workouts have left Candelarie very sore.

Holt says she's only seen her boyfriend three times in the past week because they're both so busy.

She was nervous before final exams in December, but her grade point average after her first semester at Southeast is 4.0. All that worry was over the possibility of making a B in one class.

This semester, she thinks her biggest challenge will a course in Old Testament literature.

Botsch managed a 3.5 GPA, which is the grade he must make to maintain his scholarship.

If he hadn't caught the error of a professor who mistakenly gave him a B instead of the A he earned, Botsch would need a swarm of A's this semester.

He's taking all University Studies classes this semester, getting them out of the way so he can concentrate on his major. He's still interested in criminal justice and plans on attending law school.

Botsch hunted ducks and fished over the Christmas vacation, just as he does on his trips home on weekends. Both Botsch and Crow plan to do farm work this summer.

Crow grew up on a cotton farm. It's hard work that sometimes doesn't pay off, he says.

"Last Memorial Day we lost 300 acres of cotton from sand blowing."

Coming from Bernie, they acknowledge there are some cultural differences between them and students who grew up in a city like St. Louis.

One girl in Crow's class didn't believe that corn is green before it turns brown.

"They don't know anything about farming," Botsch said. "They haven't had the experiences we've had."