Wednesday, February 27, 2008

So What Was Your Favorite Vandy Concert and other Questions from Steve Greil ?

Class of '73 member Steve Greil raises an interesting question in his reply below under the posting concerning Chancellor Heard. He wants to know:

What was your favorite concert during our four years at Vanderbilt (1969-1973)?

To help get the conversation started, and for the memory impaired (aren't we all a little bit these days), here are a few concerts I remember, in no particular order:

THE ASSOCIATION (Homecoming 1969)

THE GRATEFUL DEAD (Senior Year on Alumni Lawn)

BREAD

SHA-NA-NA

JOAN BAEZ

GORDON LIGHTFOOT

Now I am sure there were plenty of others. And I am also sure Steve Greil probably helped book the shows to campus, so I hope he comes back to post his own favorites and tell us his "inside stories" about the stars.

As for me, remember I was a junior transfer from Peabody and a town student, so I missed a lot especially the first two years.

Please hit the reply button below and post your thoughts on your favorite Vanderbilt concerts and any special memories they still envoke. By the way, you don't have to have a Google account to participate!

Maybe you can also help Steve Greil with his other questions (sorry I have no clue, but I am very curious :).

What ever happened to the KA cannon?

How long did it take Alan Mazer to get the Corn Flakes and molasses off his body?

Just hit reply and post away!

Pat

Monday, February 25, 2008

Almost Neither Seen Nor Heard

Now here's an interesting what-if for the VU Class of 1973.

I uncovered it going through archival files working on our 30th Reunion five years ago. I think it's even more relevant now as the University continues to look for a new Chancellor to replace Gordon Gee.

It was the lead, front-page story in the summer edition of THE HUSTLER dated August 21, 1969 with a headline that blared:

CHANCELLOR REJECTS COLUMBIA OFFER

That's right, Alexander Heard, our Chancellor for the entire four years we attended Vanderbilt, almost wasn't there. He looked strongly at an offer to become the head of Columbia University before deciding to stay a Commodore.

So with the Chance almost neither seen or heard by our Class (sorry, couldn't resist the pun), who would have hosted that all-important, initial Vanderbilt rite of passage for our Class, the Freshman Picnic, which was held at the Chancellor's residence on Deer Park Drive in Belle Meade?

What are your memories of that early event in our Vanderbilt careers? Scared? Bored? Excited? What picnic?

What other memories do you have of Chancellor Heard during our four years on campus?

Was it President Nixon appointing him to head a national commission to study campus unrest after the Cambodian invasion in the spring of 1970?

Maybe it was just seeing him on campus. Since he spent so much time out of town for the University and the Ford Foundation, there was a running joke about how rare it was to have an on-campus siting of him?

For me, I remember, as a member of the campus media, going to periodic news conferences he would hold in his office in Kirkland Hall. All questions had to be submitted in advance and in writing (what was the fun of that?). And that's all he talked about (with not many, if any, follow-up questions allowed).

But, hey, he was the head guy, and we usually found something he said that we could make a news story out of for our daily newscasts on WRVU.

Then I remember when the Vanderbilt baseball team won the SEC championship in the spring of 1973. Chancellor Heard was at the clinching game, and we got the opportunity to interview him live on the air right after we won.

While Vandy had garnered few SEC crowns up to that time, and it was our first ever in baseball, Chancellor Heard handled the interview like it was an expected, routine occurence for Vandy to prevail(and without any questions being submitted in writing or in advance, what a concept!).

Please share your thoughts about the Chancellor, who I believe remains a beloved figure for our Class, and for everyone who had the fortune to attend Vanderbilt during his tenure.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Welcome!

Welcome to the blog for the Vanderbilt University Centennial Class!

We are members of the Class of 1973, graduating just a few short months (May 25, 1973) after the 100th anniversary of the founding of the school (March 17, 1873).

It even says so on our diploma.

So dig yours out of the closet and dust it off already! :)

Now we are set to come back to campus (the weekend of October 24-25, 2008) to celebrate our 35th Class Reunion.

Wow! Can it really be that long ago? After all, we are all still in our 40s, right?

We hope this blog will stir long-forgoteen memories of those wonderful days gone by, and help build enthusiam for everyone to come back to Nashville to celebrate!

In that regard, we invite your reflections and memories about the years we spent together at Vanderbilt. We will do our best to stimulate your brain cells and help you recall what was happening during this fascinating period of history for our country, and especially for Vanderbilt.

But after that, it's really up to you. This is your blog to share what you remember about your college experience and what it still means to you 35 years later.

So let the blogging begin.