Posted on 12/01/2004 5:42:02 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
I am a veteran of OU Frat/Sorority paries because I made my living from them: I had an organized rock band and all we did was Frat & Sorority parties between 1964-1968.
So many good memories.
Probably did. I was at OU from 64 to 70. I was a KA.
Heh! Good one!
Song of the South fraternity, no?
My band was called the Victor Parke Review, and I seem to remember doing a few KA parties.
Let's see, underage drinking is already against the law, so most of the under-21 students could already be punished if there was a will to do so, right? The frats and RAs that looked the other way could have been punished, too, under existing laws.
I disagree that kids will drink to excess, no matter what. At least some RAs and older frats might think twice about buying the liquor for binge drinkers, and this might preserve a few brain cells lower down in the food chain.
That was us and I think I remember your band. I'll post some more on the cannon later. Got to run.
I used to play there a lot, as well.
Yep, I remember the Canadian Club. Had to bring your own bottle but you could get in under 21.
How about Ma Foster's (think that was the name). Out in the same area. She'd check ID but as long as you were male and over 18, you got served. Her motto: "Any body old enough to get drafted, is old enough to buy a draft."
About the cannon. We really didn't shoot it off just for any old reasons. You probably never saw one of our seranades. If a brother got engaged, we'd march at midnight to her residence under torch light and pulling the cannon. We'd sing fraternity songs ending with "slow dixie" and then we'd fire the cannon. Then the pleges would grab the engaged brother and drag him to the old duck pond for a dip. Never got engaged there myself but I fell in once and had to throw my jeans away because of all the duck feces.
Then there was the time the fraternity across the parking lot choose to harass us on the day of our Dixie Dance. Hung up a big banner proclaiming their house to be Fort Sumter. We normally only fired black powder but that cannon's bore was a perfect fit for a 'baby coors'. Put one right thru their 3rd floor window. Took 'em over two hours to put the banner up and less than two minutes to take it down.
The KA chapter in OKC used to loft beer cans over the library across the street. Had a hangfire one afternoon. They lowered the barrel to dislodge the beer can. The load cooked off right as a car went past. Didn't penetrate the side of the car but bunged up the fender pretty bad. Of course, they expected the cops to show up but by the time they got their they'd put a concrete cap in the barrel and had it cured by sunlamp. "no officers, not our cannon, see this concrete plug." Worked every time.
I'm sure that old cannon is plugged solid these days. Can you imagine any university allowing a group of undergrads to own their own cannon today?
BTW, speaking of the library, you remember the pub called the "Library"? Best graffitti in town.
Yeah, you guys were the best. If I was rushed I woulda joined, except problem#1: I am a NJ yankee; no good.
The Library was cool, right on Campus Corner...I used to play there as well. Actually a great friend of mine named Ed McConnell (law student) who sang like Ray Charles used to do a lot of gigs there and that's where I first met him, circa 1965.We wound up playing together for quite a few years.
Never knew about Ma Foster's. Out towards Chickasha or was it in the same riverbottom area as the Canadian Club?
Priceless memories. I used to take my date on stormy nights in the Spring out to the riverbottom just to watch the lightshow, courtesy of Mother Nature. It was the first time this ole Yankee ever saw ball lightning. Springtime around Norman was the best.
Sorry I missed your duckpond serenades. Who were the wimps across the parking lot? Sig Alphs?
The house across the parking lot was Delta Upsilon.
Ma Foster's was one of those old gas station/country stores on a dirt road. It was a couple of miles further west and south of the canadian club as I remember.
BTW, we had several yankees in the fraternity. After we taught 'em how to talk, it worked out pretty well.
Yeah, those springtime storms could be a lot of fun. We used to go tornado hunting whenever the conditions were right.
Since we're remembering old times, how can we leave out "Denco's"? Nothing quite like a trip to "Denco's" to finish off the night.
Chile with eggs on top...Oh my God. Food for the gods.
Especially when you were really loaded.
I think I am communicating with my alter-ego here...
Great nightime fare after it's all said and done. Is it still there?
I haven't been to Norman since 94. I used to get there fairly often. My parents lived near Lake Texoma. Mom and Dad are both gone now so I don't have much reason to visit there any more.
The last time I was there, Dinco's had been remodelled. Looked like a real restuarant.
Alter ego? Eggs on your chili? Probably so. I think the Dinco Special, not the Dinco Darling, was two enchi's with chilli, taco, rice and beans. After a late night, nothing like the special with two eggs, over easy, right in the middle. Remember that hot sauce in the Gerber's baby food jars and those little peppers they served on the side? Remember the 'after effects'?
We had this kind of regular thing for Saturday nights. Of course, the girls had lock up at 1AM. With good luck, you could dump your date, pick up another six pack, and be back at the house in time for Shock Theater. We'd watch an old horror flick and play poker till the munchies hit. Then it was off to Dinco's.
Was that the Sooner Grill or the Sooner Resturant? One was on Lindsey and the other was near downtown.
BTW, where are you from? I was born and raised near Ardmore. I live in Alabama now.
After graduation I played pro music for awhile in OK city, then got into the restaurant business.
I migrated back to NJ in the early 1980's;been here ever since. I have a son from my OK years, he lives in Dallas with his wife.
I've had 5 more children since then (re-married a NJ gal); they're all still home.
I think the Soonerland Grill was on the highway adjacent to town (perpendicular to Lindsay).
The Sooner restaurant was out on West Lindsay.
And no sex in the frat house either.
And no masturbation in the bathroom. Stop that!!
Jim R is probably wondering where all his bandwidth is going.
"I think the Soonerland Grill was on the highway adjacent to town (perpendicular to Lindsay)."
That's right. I knew I was confused. The highway going north south on the east side of Norman. Leads to Midwest City.
I graduated in 70. Went into the service and spent eight years that. The army sent me to redstone arsenal near Huntsville Alabama. I liked the missile business, loved the area, so I left the service and stayed in this area pretty much ever since. I do miss some things about Oklahoma. I just can't get into this War Eagle Roll Tide BS. I miss the sunsets, the thunder storms you can see coming for 50 miles, the football, and the people. I also miss the beef barbeque ribs. Other than that, Alabama isn't all that bad.
I am not sure as to actual ownership but the cannon at Oklahoma State University football games to salute OSU scores is operated and maintained by Company C-7 of the National Society of Pershing Rifles, a student group affiliated with Army ROTC. I have noticed cannons on the sidelines of the Longhorns and the Aggies, too, but am not certain of ownership.
As to the topic, I went to OSU during the 70s, lived in the dorm, and occasionally imbibed there, contrary to state law. Most drinking was done either on the Strip (south of campus) or, as an ROTC cadet, we had named the Gray Fox our hangout as it was directly across the street from the ROTC building. I can vaguely recall some testosterone-inspired pitcher chugging contests.....:-)
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