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Bright College Days
Sep. 19th, 2007 09:33 amIn the 1960s, there was a lesser known 'comedian/political pundit' of the time, Tom Lehrer who wrote Bright College Days. For reasons I can't quite explain, the song came to mind on my way to work this morning.
( Lyrics to Bright College Days )
Most of my college years were spent in Upstate New York, Troy to be specific at one of the country's engineering schools, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Perched on a hillside overlooking the economic disaster of a city, Troy, RPI seemed at the time to possess all the classic traits of a university. Red brick buildings constructed over the prior 100+ years, a quad with trees that offered that spectacular mix of fall colors typical to New England, a losing football team, student housing from which a cacophony of late teenage voices and loud music seemed to blare 24/7. Memories came flooding back...
After 4 or 5 years having never won a game, the impossible happened during my freshman year - the football team encountered another team that was even more hapless and won. Elated fans tore down one of the goal posts and wrapped the metal tubing around a large nearby tree. Tersely worded memos were issued from the President's office promising dire fates to any students causing further damage to college property. A few weeks later, the football team won a second game. BOTH goal posts were torn down and wrapped around trees. But no students were disciplined, there were no dire consequences. It was a very different time.
As school was settling in for another year, class members asked the professor if he was planning surprise quizzes. "Not unless Santa Claus comes through that window!" the professor responded. Given that the classroom was on the second floor of the building and on a steep hill, the ever logical RPI students concluded that they were safe. Sure enough, a few weeks later, as class was to begin, students heard a tap on a window. Opening it wide, the professor climbed the remainder of the ladder he'd erected, entered the room in a full Santa costume and started handing out a surprise quiz.
RPI was one of small handful of schools that actually purchased a mainframe computer, an IBM 360 Model 50. 'Fat Albert' as it was known performed nearly all of the school's accounting functions, tracked grades and issued report cards, and gave many students their first exposure to computers and computer science. All proceeded well with Fat Albert until, without warning, information started coming out scrambled. After much gnashing of teeth, it was discovered that Albert was getting the equivalent of a computer migraine every time a wrecking ball hit a nearby building that was in the process of being demolished.
The sole extra-curricular activity that held my interest was performing in the Rensselaer Glee Club. We were remarkably good, I think, for a school that lacked any semblance of an arts and music program. The most anticipated and well attended (over 5,000 people came every year) of our concerts was Christmas Carols held in the Field House, the home of the RPI hockey team. Given the hockey season schedule, it was impossible to take up the ice for the concert. As a result, each years performance involved Glee Club members entering from various corners of the building, carrying a book of music in one hand, a live candle in the other, and singing Adeste Fidelis (AKA Oh Come All Ye Faithful). The trick was to simultaneously avoid setting fire to your dress robes, prevent scalding hot wax from dripping on your hand, not slip on the ice, all the while remaining in key and in step with the music. Ah, drama, it was all about drama.
I often wonder if I didn't truly appreciate those years as much as I should. But they were indeed Bright College Days.
( Lyrics to Bright College Days )
Most of my college years were spent in Upstate New York, Troy to be specific at one of the country's engineering schools, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Perched on a hillside overlooking the economic disaster of a city, Troy, RPI seemed at the time to possess all the classic traits of a university. Red brick buildings constructed over the prior 100+ years, a quad with trees that offered that spectacular mix of fall colors typical to New England, a losing football team, student housing from which a cacophony of late teenage voices and loud music seemed to blare 24/7. Memories came flooding back...
After 4 or 5 years having never won a game, the impossible happened during my freshman year - the football team encountered another team that was even more hapless and won. Elated fans tore down one of the goal posts and wrapped the metal tubing around a large nearby tree. Tersely worded memos were issued from the President's office promising dire fates to any students causing further damage to college property. A few weeks later, the football team won a second game. BOTH goal posts were torn down and wrapped around trees. But no students were disciplined, there were no dire consequences. It was a very different time.
As school was settling in for another year, class members asked the professor if he was planning surprise quizzes. "Not unless Santa Claus comes through that window!" the professor responded. Given that the classroom was on the second floor of the building and on a steep hill, the ever logical RPI students concluded that they were safe. Sure enough, a few weeks later, as class was to begin, students heard a tap on a window. Opening it wide, the professor climbed the remainder of the ladder he'd erected, entered the room in a full Santa costume and started handing out a surprise quiz.
RPI was one of small handful of schools that actually purchased a mainframe computer, an IBM 360 Model 50. 'Fat Albert' as it was known performed nearly all of the school's accounting functions, tracked grades and issued report cards, and gave many students their first exposure to computers and computer science. All proceeded well with Fat Albert until, without warning, information started coming out scrambled. After much gnashing of teeth, it was discovered that Albert was getting the equivalent of a computer migraine every time a wrecking ball hit a nearby building that was in the process of being demolished.
The sole extra-curricular activity that held my interest was performing in the Rensselaer Glee Club. We were remarkably good, I think, for a school that lacked any semblance of an arts and music program. The most anticipated and well attended (over 5,000 people came every year) of our concerts was Christmas Carols held in the Field House, the home of the RPI hockey team. Given the hockey season schedule, it was impossible to take up the ice for the concert. As a result, each years performance involved Glee Club members entering from various corners of the building, carrying a book of music in one hand, a live candle in the other, and singing Adeste Fidelis (AKA Oh Come All Ye Faithful). The trick was to simultaneously avoid setting fire to your dress robes, prevent scalding hot wax from dripping on your hand, not slip on the ice, all the while remaining in key and in step with the music. Ah, drama, it was all about drama.
I often wonder if I didn't truly appreciate those years as much as I should. But they were indeed Bright College Days.
