Sunday, May 22, 2005

P..A...R...T.. Why? 'Cause I gotta

I've just spent two solid days partying for my birthday. I'm old... so I'm very tired! I just can't stay up as long as I used to. In university, I used to be able to party until 7am and then still attend my 8am classes. Of course I soon learned that there was no reason to do that, considering I rarely paid attention in those classes anyway. Ahhh those were the days! Please forgive my stroll down memory lane, but my university days we're amazing, and as you get older you tend to reminisce about the "glory days". At Bishop's University drinking was practically a major. Other (read: JEALOUS) universities called us "the country club"; but I guess the nickname was merited, as our campus looked like this: and we had a golf course practically on our grounds (but it was only 9 holes). We used any event or disaster as an excuse for a party. Our weekends seemed to start on Tuesday, and continued 'til Sunday. Of course with all of this drinking there were bound to be problems, and really stupid people; people who felt the need to challenge the grim reaper. There was an unwritten rule at Bishop's that as a freshman, you were "forced" to walk the arches (Dumdumdum... that's my version of scary movie music). The arches were big, and part of the architecture of the bridge connecting campus to the rest of town. They measured about 10 inches in width, so there was just enough space for one person to walk them at a time.

 Posted by Hello This would be hard enough to do sober, because the angle was somewhat steep, but people were constantly scaling it's heights, in varying levels of drunkenness. At Bishop's there was definitely an air of invincibility. People rarely got hurt and if they did, they became legends; revered for years to come. Because of this, most felt that walking the arches was a win/win situation. Many succeeded, but some didn't. One "legend" walked to the top of the arches, and then decided that it would be wise to slide down the other side. Now take a look at the picture of the arches provided. If you look closely, you'll notice that about half-way up the arch there is a piece of protruding metal. If this "legend" had been sober, he may have noticed that piece of info, and altered his plan. But, as it was probably "Rye Night" (Pint sized glasses filled with a few shots of rye and any mix you can imagine for only $3.75) he had already lost his common sense hours before. He went ahead with his plan, and the arches "ripped him a new one" (I'll give you a moment to ponder that one...). The thing is people still talk about him 'til this day; I'm even guilty of that right now. Most laugh at him, but some remember it fondly and merely smile. That's the thing about Bishop's U; it really was a magical place where almost nothing truly went wrong, a place where we were allowed to be our-"stupid"-selves, where we learned how to be a community (a drunken one, but a community none the less). I'll end my birthday reverie with my school song (it should give you an idea of why we were, the way we were!!) :

Raise a toast to Bishop's University
On the mighty Massawippi shore
We're conditioned to our fate,
We will never graduate
We'll stay here for evermore
College days will linger ever in our hearts
Havin' sex, Smokin' dubes and quaffin' ale (I'm not kidding about this part)
And we'll show esprit de corp
As we watch the gaiters* roar
On to victory
So raise your beer mugs and your little brown jugs
to BISHOP'S UNIVERSITY


* for those of you that will try to correct my spelling of Gaiters: Bishop's sports teams were called the Gaiters... as in a shin guard-like accessory popularized in the turn of the 20 century (our school is very old), not gators... of the "Alli" variety.

10 comments:

123-I-Love-You said...

Damn -sounds like a great school.

Did anyone ever end up crossing over to the next world after crossing the arches?

steph said...

I visited Bishops!! You guys really do know how to party... When we went, everyone from was dressed up in costumes just because they felt like it. Very crazy place, but very fun. I saw the arches too! We sang karaoke at the Lion, and then had the BEST poutine ever, I think from the Captain? I don't remember the name of the place, but I bet you do.

Anonymous said...

Steph, the poutine place you are thinking of is captain greque. Their poutine is like a glorious high end drug; it keeps you coming back for more!

Anonymous said...

123-i-love-you: no one pulled a "John Edwards" but people came close with all of the stunts they used to pull. Stunts that included playing chicken with a train on the train bridge. A constant combination of liquor and drugs will do that to you.

begins with v said...

YES! Those were the days! Sometimes I really miss being a single, drunk, giddy, freshman with no worries except to make it to biology in time for my nap!

Yukon Sully said...

The Gaiters! That's awesome! Please tell me they were informally referred to as the Fightin' Gaiters. The only school mascot I've run across that I like better than yours is over at UC Santa Cruz, home of the Banana Slugs. Really.

Anonymous said...

Wow Trish,
U've inspired me to live out my last year of university to its fullest...and in lue of this new found attitude....
I'M GOING STREAKING AROUND PARLIAMENT HILL!!! WOOOHOOOOOO!

Hahaha
I'm totally joking....i was thinking maybe just through the Market, then call it a day... :)

Anonymous said...

Banana slugs must be as huge as... well... bananas?!?!

Yukon: Schools here in Canada usually have weird mascots. Queens University has the Golden Gaels. I have it on good authority that a gael is someone who speaks Gaelic. I also have it on good authority that no one at Queens speaks Gaelic. So go figure...

Forzavryheid said...

Where do I sign up? Do they accept foreign students?

Everything except the arch, thanks.

Anonymous said...

My Milkshake is better than yours! Its better than yours! un-un-un!
Its Better than yours! So Boom!