Winter/spring 1978 I was accepted at the College. I will never forget opening that envelope.
Never visited and applied after the deadline. I got lucky.
Later that spring of 1978, I learned that one of my HS friends was a distant relative of its founder, Reverend Wheelock.
Late summer 1978, I found out about a party on a lake just outside of my home town hosted by an alumn. Invitees included alumns, current students and incoming 'shmen.
I attended-- I think one of my HS friends drove me there-- he had sparked my interest in applying, and was headed into his sophomore year.
Again, I had never visited the College.
That afternoon/evening he and I went to see Animal House, along with a junior and a senior. All three of them were in frats at the College.
They seemed to understand many of the jokes, themes and gags.
I had no clue, but enjoyed the film.
Within a month I was on campus, taking the then mandatory English 5 and reading Paradise Lost.
I attended a toga party.
Food fight at Thayer dining hall.
24/7 free beer.
2.7 males to every female.
2/3 of males in the fraternity system.
One of my classmates wound up in the hospital after 17 shots at some party Freshman week.
My team captain freshmen year was a frat brother of the real "Pinto."
I never visited Smith or Colby Sawyer-- I was too busy.
But the stories I heard...
The world is small...
At Werks last Friday in Monterey, I chatted up a father and son at a lunch table. I had just arrived at the event with my wife and a friend and fellow alumn from my grad school days.
The father asked me how I got interested in Porsches. I said "reading car magazines in the engineering library at graduate school in New Hampshire."
The son asked: "which city in NH."
I answered "Hanover."
Then he said he is headed there in just a few weeks to start his Freshman year.
What a coincidence.... it is a "small College, and yet there are those who lover it."
A few days later, I encountered a recent news story:
https://www.cnn.com/videos/entertainment/2023/08/19/animal-house-film-critic-ty-burr-intv-smerconish-vpx.cnn
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2023/08/15/animal-house-national-lampoon-anniversary/
Another coincidence.
I had told the father/son about my 1978 experience with AH, and then boom, the film is in the news.
Made me think about that crazy film and those crazy days once again.
Now this post in these Forums.
The first time I remember seeing Kevin Bacon in a film was that night in late Summer 1978-- Animal House.
In 1991 I joined a company here in Norcal-- they moved me here.
Kevin Bacon's sister worked in HR in that company.
The world is small.
There is at least one connection between the current Barbie movie craze and the College.
One of the first frat parties I attended as a 'shmen was as a guest in the SAE house where many of my teammates were brothers.
I drank just a little and observed some beer pong.
The world is small.
The fellow alumn from grad school at the College with whom I attended Werks... attended HS with... it goes on from there.