Like it was yesterday I can remember meeting under the bridge every night during pledging. I can't remember how many days pledging was though? the brothers liked to act like it was the army and would get in our faces and I couldn't help by smile. "Wipe it off" was the response, and I just couldn't do it. That's how I got the nickname Smiley. I did countless pushups for not being able to keep a straight face.
One night during pledging some guys from another college frat were harrasing us from atop the bridge. Everybody chased after them and when we caught them Tom Canals punched one guy in the face and broke his jaw - we never saw them again.
My roomate and I (John Therrian) hatched this great plan to kidnap brother Mike Crean. Needless to say it went horribly wrong. We lured him into our room at Kenmore Hall and he ended up locked in our bathroom smashing things against the walls and yelling at the top of his lungs. We got into trouble with the RA for that one and learned a valuable lesson about underestimating how smart we weren't
After pledging was completed there was this final meeting where each prospective member was brought alone in front of the current members. We were told that we just weren't frat material and didn't get it. It was said to be the final ball busting. I remember TC acting real pissed of when they told me that and picking up one of those chairs with the desk/arms on them and throwing across the room into the wall. I fell for this hook, line and sinker and was crushed. You guys really got me on that one.
After that meeting was over everyone was headed to the third floor for a big party. Everyone crammed into the elevator like it was a phone booth and we were seeing how many bodies could fit. I rarely rode the elevators there because they couldn't be trusted. As the doors were closing they grabbed me and pulled me in. We were packed like sardines. The doors closed and the elevator made some noises like I had never heard before. Instead of going up - the elevator went down and when the doors opened we were in the cellar area and all was pitch black. To this day I have a fear of elevators and attribute that to that fateful journey
Jim Naklick 73-75