A NASHVILLE CHRISTMAS TRADITION: LONG GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN

It exists now only in memory or in grainy old videos or home movies. There are some old photos still left and that special rendering done by artist Phil Ponder, framed and memorialized in many Nashville homes.

It was Fred Harvey's "Gift to Nashville"...a bigger than life-sized nativity scene that from 1953 to 1967 made this city a special place to visit and grow up each holiday season. Sure what the department store magnate provided made little historical sense (a symbol of Christainity in front of a replica of a pagan temple), and sure they'd likely be little chance such a display would be legally allowed in today's politically correct atmosphere, but you just had to be there each year as a child or an adult to understand how pretty and memorable the display was as the Christmas carols played and the lights changed colors (even if the colors were like those artificial holiday trees some of us had at home).

Here's a video look back at the Centennial Park Nativity Scene, courtesy of Nashville's WNPT-TV and it's MEMORIES OF NASHVILLE program produced a few years back. Caution, you might see a voice and face you recognize....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsPSd3_WvqQ

It was snowstorms like the one I mentioned in the video back in 1967 and one of the city's rare White Christmases in 1963, plus the constantly up and down holiday temperatures of Nashville's climate that ultimately ruined (rotted) the display beyond repair. It was sold and used in Cincinnati shopping center for a year or two before it was completely scrapped.

And so it was gone by the time our Centennial Class made it to Vanderbilt in the fall and winter of 1969. But for those of us who grew up in this area it will never be forgotten, although it is a bit daunting to realize you now have to be close to 50 years old or older to have many memories of that special display.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!

FOR THE GOOD TIMES

For the first time in school history, the Vanderbilt football team is practicing for its third consecutive post-season bowl game. This year it's the Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama versus the Houston Cougars with kickoff at high noon (ESPN) on Saturday, January 4.

The bowl trip comes after a regular season that saw 8 wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1920s. It was also the first time ever Vandy defeated Georgia, Florida and Tennessee all in the same season. And it's the first time since the late 1920s we've bested the Big Orange two years in a row.

Beating UT is always sweet and two straight is something we've never experienced. So here's a video with a chance to re-live it from the VU players' perspective and/or enjoy it again if you've been celebrating since the Dores pulled off the victory in Knoxville last month....


http://www.vucommodores.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121213aac.html

These Revealed videos have been produced by the Vanderbilt athletic department after each of the team's wins home and away the last two seasons (with this year's Wake Forest win still in production). You can find them all by googling the words Vanderbilt Revealed. You can also likely find them at www.vucommodores.com.

As we glory in the good times for the VU football program, those two words came into my mind as well when I heard of the death of country music star Ray Price. "FOR THE GOOD TIMES" went platinum for him and was a number one country hit back in 1970 while we were in school.

It was a much mellower sound than the honky tonk hits Price had in the 1950s and 1960s. Maybe that's why it was also a cross-over hit, rising as high as #11 on the pop charts. I seem to recall we played it some on WRVU (and we almost never played country music).  Maybe the song being written by Kris Kristofferson helped too.  Regardless, here's that mellow tune with some very nostalgic lyrics courtesy of YouTube......


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1ZKIX0ICZo


And so, as the song says at the end (to the members of the VU Centennial Class): "Let's just be glad we had some time to be together (our 40th Reunion weekend in October). ...For the good times...for the good times."

Happy Holidays, everyone!

I WILL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!

December, 1969. It may be been one of the longest months of our young lives.

 After  an all too short Thanksgiving weekend at home in late November,  you can see from the calendar above, we had three full school weeks to endure (until Friday, December 19) before our first Vanderbilt Christmas break got underway.

Then it was mom's home cooking and sleeping in for an extended period of time! It was also the only year we were in school that we didn't have to take final semester exams before going home. Of course there were advantages to doing that from 1970 on. It didn't matter if we forgot everything we learned in class before we returned!

As for our mood during that fateful month of December, based on what songs were Number #1 on the BILLBOARD Charts at that time, we may have been doing a lot of thinking about the separations and relationships that lay just ahead surrounding coming home and going back to school....

Long before it became a crowd chant at many sporting events (even until today), the song NA NA HEY HEY KISS HIM GOODBYE had such popularity it topped the rock charts from December 6 through December 20, 1969. But it was quite odd that it did. According to Wikipedia, the song was written and released under the name of a fictitious band (Steam). The tune had almost fill-in-the- blanks lyrics in some parts (na. na, na) and seemed to be produced as a B side number that would never get any play.

But it did....and here it is courtesy of YouTube....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsaTElBljOE

And what was the Number #1 song when we got home on Christmas break our freshman year from December 20-27,1969? How about "LEAVING ON A JET PLANE" by Peter, Paul & Mary.  Written by then little known John Denver, it turned out to be (according to WIKIPEDIA) the biggest and final pop hit for PP&M and the trio's only Number #1 on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 chart. It also spent three weeks on top of the easy listening rankings.

Elsewhere on this blog, our classmate Steve Womack remembers the continuing seasonal popularity of this song, how each year as holiday break approached we'd get calls at WRVU with requests (mainly from coeds) to play it over and over again, even every hour. I guess their bags were packed, they were ready to go, with a taxi waiting and he's blowing his horn. In case you need any further introduction, and before I use all the lyrics, here's the song courtesy of YouTube....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa3h3pnhg8s

The final number one song during our first Christmas break (December 27, 1969-January 2, 1970) came from one of the top girl groups (and indeed one of the top artist groups of the 1960s), Diane Ross & the Supremes. Indeed, SOMEDAY WE WILL BE TOGETHER was the final number one hit of the entire decade of the 1960s and the last number one hit (of 12 total) for the Supremes. Indeed it was the farwell hit the group had with Diane Ross who went on to a successful solo career in the 1970s and 80s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixEOMB6jyEE

So as we prepare for the holiday season in 2013, remember that first Christmas break from Vanderbilt we had as members of the Centennial Class, back in 1969, and how the top songs we listened to seem to almost mirror both the joy and the melancholy we might have experienced as we were "home for Christmas" for the first time.

Vanderbilt Mourns the Passing of Ava Sellers

For many years, she was as much a fixture on the Vanderbilt campus as Kirkland Hall and the statute of the Commodore.

For over a half century, Ava Sellers was Director of Career Planning and Placement for the University and held the title of Director Emerita when she stepped down from her duties. It was many a nervous, career-challenged and soon-to-be graduating senior (including, I suspect, several of us forty years ago in our Centennial Class), who she kept calm and informed about what businesses and other groups were coming to campus to interview for prospective job openings. Her updated postings were always in the weekly Vanderbilt Registar with upcoming career panels,  job interviews or other services her office provided.

I can remember coming back on campus a few years after I graduated to be a part of some career day event, and she greeted me warmly and by name! She was always so nice and friendly and one of the greatest boosters of Vanderbilt I can remember.

Ava Sellers passed away here in Nashville on Monday, November 25, 2013, just one day after her 94th birthday.

For her nearly life-long efforts on behalf of Vanderbilt, she received from the University the Rob Roy Purdy Award for dedication and service to students as well as the Distinguished Service Award from the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers. She was a co-founder of the Tennessee Association of Colleges and Employers, an organization which bestows one of its top annual awards, the Lumsden-Sellers Award, each year to one of its deserving members.

Ms. Sellers was a member of the Vine Street Christian Church and, until her health declined, she was also active in the Nashville Chapter of the United Nations, the Life Long Learning program at Vanderbilt, the Vanderbilt Women's Club and its Book Group and Garden Club for Campus Beautification.

Ava Sellers was a native of Lexington, KY and a graduate of the University of Kentucky, with a Masters from Peabody College. Her funeral was held in Nashville today (December 2) with interment in Elizaville, KY. Memorial gifts may be made to the Vanderbilt University Women's Club Scholarshp Fund. 

May she rest in peace, with the Pearly Gates decked out in Black & Gold to greet her!

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you're a Commodore fan there is so much to celebrate as we observe the Thanksgiving holiday. That includes the last second 14-10 victory (in Knoxville) over the UT Vols last Saturday night (November 23).

It's the first time Vanderbilt has defeated the Big Orange two years in a row on the gridiron since 1925-26.

If you didn't see the game (or just want to enjoy it all again one more time like an extra helping of Thanksgiving turkey), here are the highlights courtesy of ESPN....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okMTHFzNx3Q

And of course there's still more to celebrate with the VU football team now at 7-4 on the season (final home game Saturday versus Wake Forest) and eligible for a school record third straight bowl invitation after the season is over. No wonder the students and faculty need a whole week off to celebrate Thanksgiving.

That's unlike back in the day when we were lucky to make it off campus by Wednesday afternoon, the day before Turkey Day (especially if you had a big test or paper due). Oh well, that's progress and besides, ANCHOR DOWN!

My How Times Keep Changing.....

For a VU Class that never enjoyed a winning season in football while we were in school, and had to wait until the year AFTER we graduated to enjoy the school's second- ever bowl game berth (1974 Peach Bowl), these last three years under Coach James Franklin have been almost miraculous to enjoy.

The Commodores have won at least 6 games in each of the latest three seasons for the first time ever, clinching its third straight bowl appearance (with the exact bowl, opponent and date to be announced in December). It's again something that's never happened before for Vanderbilt, jus like beating Florida and Gerogia in the same season this year!

Courtesy of VUCast,  here's what it was like on that special Saturday (November 16) when VU beat UK (University of Kentucky) to make bowl history for the school.....


http://www.vucommodores.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111713aae.html

And VUCast has another video to show how things continue to change on campus. Remember as you see this video regarding the wonders of the campus Recreation Center, that our Class didn't even have a student center to enjoy.....

http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2013/11/quickvu_trending/

All I can add is that even if I had suggested to my bride (also a VU Class of 1973 classmate) that we have a Vanderbilt-themed wedding back in April, 1974....well, I might have gotten hurt (and for sure ignored) with that idea! Oh well, just would have been 40 years ahead of my time! LOL

Building Back The Magic!

As Vanderbilt begins another men's basketball season with an opening home game against Georgia State (November 12), it's clearly a rebuilding situation for the program. But as the Centennial Class at VU, we know all about that. Our freshman year (1969-70), despite high expectations because of a recent Number #1 national recruiting class, the Dores were picked high but finished with losing marks, both in the SEC (8-10, 6th place) and overall (12-14).

Sophomore year ('70-'71) it was a .500 mark overall (13-13) as well as in the conference (9-9, 4th place). In 1971-72, our junior year, Vanderbilt showed improvement again, going 16-10 and 10-8 in the SEC, again finishing in 4th place in the conference.

So fronted by a quartet of solid seniors (above, L To R, Rod Freeman, Chris Schweer, Ray Maddox and Steve Turner) providing leadership (and great rebounding), Vandy seems poised for potentially great things our senior year. And indeed the Black & Gold began the season with impresssive road victories at both Louisville and at Kansas. (With Steve Womack, I went up for that Louisville game to cover it for WRVU. I remember how excited the team was winning in such an historic venue as Freedom Hall where the game played).

The Dores started 8-1 in the pre-conference, losing only to Memphis State at Memorial Gym. While disappointed that game got away late from the Dores, come March it didn't look quite so bad as the Tigers would finish as national runner-ups to perennial NCAA champs UCLA.

 Then came a memorable SEC season with Vanderbilt going 13-5 and losing only one home SEC game (versus Alabama and future VU Coach C.M. Newton). The wins included finally scratching the four year itch of defeating Tennessee and Coach Ray Mears, smashing the Big Orange 86-74 in our final game as seniors.....

And then there was this unforgettable win as freshman Joe Ford (a Kentucky native) hit two free throws after time expired to defeat the eventual SEC champion and Elite Eight runnerupWildcats 76-75. Ford, a member of the soon to be famed F-Troop along with Jeff Fosnes and Butch Fehrer, was carried off the floor that night by VU students and fans.

But despite sweeping Kentucky home and home, losing to Alabama home and away as well as losses on the road to UT, Auburn and Florida doomed the Dores to lose the SEC title. In fact because in those days only the SEC regular season champion was invited to the Big Dance, and because home teams could not go to any other post-season tourneys (such as the NIT & the short-lived Commissioner'sTournament) if the school hosted the NCAA Regionals (which we did that spring), this Vandy squad, despite finishing 20-6 overall and tied for second in the SEC STAYED HOME that year. No post-season

40 years later, it still seems so unfair!

But what the Class of 1973 Seniors helped to build came to fruition the following season as the core of the 1973-74 team (the F-Troop and seniors Terry Compton, Lee Fowler, Bill Ligon and SEC Player of the Year Jan Van Breda Kolff) led Vanderbilt to only its second SEC title in school history under the leadership of already legendary coach Roy Skinner.

We're Number One!

As I've said before, our music of the late 1960s and early '70s is our universal language, the common bond of our VU Centennial Class of 1973. To me the music is particularly important because it bringsa back so many memories of good times and good friends from working (and hanging out) at WRVU (my home away from home).

So I thought I'd start a monthly update looking back on the Number One songs (based on the BILLBOARD HOT 100) from the time we were together in school. Let's start with November, 1969.

We'd had a few months on campus and had gotten our sea legs as Commodores. Hopefully, we hadn't gotten too many deficiencies in our grades and we were looking forward to our first holiday break(and going home) with the Thanksgiving coming.

Of course, unlike today, we only got a five day weekend (Thursday-Friday) off, not the whole WEEK students enjoy now. And when we tried to start out early (go home Tuesday or Wednesday) one or more of our teachers would, of course, schedule a big test or paper due....

Now Elvis Presley is not a rock star I ordinarily think about in our era of music. He's more a 1950s and early '60s hit maker (and he was huge back then). But playing off his successful comeback in 1968, Elvis recorded his seventeenth and last number one record in the U.S., SUSPICIOUS MINDS, which hit the top (for one week) on November 1, 1969. The song is still ranked #91 on ROLLING STONE's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (thank you, thank you very much)....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBmAPYkPeYU

From November 8 until November 28, the Number #1 Hot 100 BILLBOARD song came from The Fifth Dimension, "WEDDING BELL BLUES." Written by Laura Nyro it not only became a top hit, Wikipedia says it coined what is now a popular phrase in pop culture, especially for women waiting for certain someone to either pop the question or set the date.

Indeed, two members of the group, Marilyn McCoo and Bill Davis were engaged when the song was a hit, but had not set a wedding date. Life does imitate art. Watch the interplay between McCoo and Davis in this YouTube video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkMhWQgkZ8c

The final #1 BILLBOARD song of November, 1969 (November 29-December 5) was actually a two-sided hit from The Beatles,  COME TOGETHER/ SOMETHING. Both A-side songs came from the ABBEY ROAD album with COME TOGETHER written by John Lennon and SOMETHING by George Harrison. We didn't know it but the end for The Beatles was looming just ahead. It had been a long and winding road since they led the British Invasion when we were in junior high, but after the group split, we learned to let it be. Here's COME TOGETHER/SOMETHING.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEo9Bh679wM

http://vimeo.com/33252497

A couple of intereresting notes to offer. SOMETHING has been covered by 150 other artists according to Wikipedia. George Harrison said his favorite version was done by James Brown whic he kept on his personal jukebox. As for COME TOGETHER, it only made it to #4 in the UK, probably the song was banned by the BBC perhaps because the lyric "he shoot Coca-Cola" to be product placement.

If you've got a favorite song from our era you'd like to place here, send me an e-mail or a message below or the Class Facebook page and we get it on  (just like the old days at WRVU taking listener requests at 7424 and 7425 on the VU phone system). I'll never forget those numbers...or the music!

 

A Halloween Story: The Vanderbilt Catacombs

On the surface, there's not much scary to see on the Vanderbilt campus as another Halloween rolls around. In fact, yesterday you could find a brillant display of fall colors whereever you looked, although that could be diminished a bit by some stormy (and maybe scary) weather due to blow through the area this afternoon and tonight.

It's well below the beautiful trees and the statue of the Commodore that you will find something rather strange and forboding at Vanderbilt, especially for Halloween. It's the 5 miles of steam and utility tunnels that burrow their way hundreds of feet (even up to 13 stories below the ground in some spots) connecting a number of buildings on campus. Lots of strange rumors and tall tales have grown up over the years about what appears to be Vanderbilt's catacombs. The tunnels have even been featured in some horror movies in recent years. Here's a video about it all produced a few months ago by VUCast......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p_uPZMnsd0&feature=player_embedded

Here's even more background from a recent article by The Hustler.....

http://www.insidevandy.com/news/article_2b2ed58c-7f04-11e2-a9f9-0019bb30f31a.html

Of course there is a Centennial Class connection to all of this. Our own Steve Womack had a set of keys to access the tunnels as a part of his duties as Station Manager of WRVU our senior year 1972-73. Why?

Well it dates back to the days when WVU (later WRVU) was a carrier current station broadcasting its signal down lines strung through the tunnels and connecting to small transmitters in each dorm where you could then pick up the station at 580 on your AM dial (and on your toaster or the small oven or hotplate in your dorm room too, I'm told).

The WRVU station manager had a set of keys to the tunnels for access in case of maintainence or repair needs. Of course by our senior year, WRVU had a educational FM license broadcasting at 91.1 FM (got it in December, 1971). So the keys were really not necessary. But at least for that year, Steve had them.

Any stories to tell, Step?

By the way, while we were way past childhood, did anyone go out "trick or treating" while we were at Vanderbilt? If so, where did you go? Down the hall in your dorm? Around the neighborhoods nearby the campus? And what about Halloween parties? Did anybody have one or go to one while we were in school? Any memories you'd like to share? Remember the legal drinking age went down to 18 back then so maybe you don't remember!

Photo credit for campus scenes above to Vanderbilt's John Russell.

Our Class Already Knew It!

I can't stop thinking about it!

What a great Centennial Class 40th Reunion Party we had on Friday evening, October 5!

Even now I am still dreaming of those mini-Rotiers-inspired cheeseburgers we had to eat (and which seem to vanish very quckly from the food line) along with the Lum's based hot dogs, the Ireland's ham & biscuits, and on and on.

We all knew what great restaurants we had to frequent back in the day (the late 1960's and early '70s) when the VU Class of 1973 was on campus. But now, the whole world is learning.

Look who came to Rotier's just this week for lunch. It's Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers....

And McDonald is not alone. Just days after our party, who walked into Rotier's? How about NBC's LATE NIGHT (and soon to be THE TONIGHT SHOW new host) Jimmy Fallon! Is that cool or what?.....

It even made his Twitter feed! But even before word got around about our great party and food, TV and movie stars were coming into Rotier's. Even those who played roles from outer space (Mork) and a disc jockey from the days of the Vietnam War. One of the world's great comic talents, Robin Williams!.....

But of course, along with the food, the real highlight of our Reunuion weekend was seeing all our classmates who returned. To keep that great feeling going (and to make the rest of you didn't come a little jealous) I've been asked to keep this blog going. So I need your help and ideas, along with more song reccomendations of the greatest hits of our college era (and our universal link and language).

I'll try and put something up at least once a week. You just send im your memories and your song dedications....then come back and read....and enjoy!

Photo credits for this blog post: Rotier's Facebook Page. Thank you!

A Real Success Story

If you're headed to the Homecoming/Reunion Weekend football game Saturday night (6:30 p.m. kickoff), you'll get to see a real success story on the field....and I'm not just talking about Coach James Franklin's Commodores.

The Spirit of Gold Marching Band is now approximately 200 members strong with both Vanderbilt students (with no doubt several coming from the relatively new Blair School of Music) as well as musicians who attend other colleges and universities in town such as Belmont, Lipscomb, Fisk, Trevecca and Nashville Tech. Being open to all local students is a long standing tradition for the group.

And besides the Spirit of Gold Marching Band there's also a Pep Band that performs during basketball games; a Symphonic Wind Ensemble; a Jazz Band and a Comnmunity Concert Band. The program has a very active alumni group several of whom return to campus every year and even in fill-in during the holidays when students are away.

Things have come a long way from when we first came to campus in 1969, and the Band had just losts its headquarters building on campus to the wrecking ball. Classmate Scott Morrell told me the story in a recent e-mail:

> Here's a piece of VU band trivia which may be of interest to a few of

> our classmates.  In calling my assigned group of classmates, who were

> Vanderbilt Band members, one of them admitted to me that he had taken

> the sign that was in front of the old band building and he still has

> it.  That building, which we used our freshman year, faced 24th Avenue

> South.  It was torn down right after marching season to become the

> parking lot for Towers 3 and 4, which were under construction.

 

 

 

> Here's a picture of the sign.  The source tells me he salvaged it from

> the wreckage, so it was probably going to be thrown away.  Here's a photo of the old building.. 

 

 

 

The band program was called the> Joint University Bands at the time, and many Peabody students played > with us - many were music majors, and that helped us a lot!

Thanks for sharing, Scott!

 

The Band currently has its headquarters on 28th Avenue South within easy walking  (or marching)distance of Vanderbilt Stadium.

 

 

The Vanderbilt football team this weekend will be looking to break a brief losing streak for the Class of 1973. Since we've been coming for Reunions on Homecoming Weekend, we've lost twice: to Navy 37-27) in 2003 and Duke (10-7) in 2008. But the Dores rallied to qualify and win a bowl game that last season and we've been to two consecutive bowl games the past two years winning 18 games overall so far under Franklin.

With a 3-2 mark this year and 7 games to play, we're on pace to do it again. But beating the Missouri Tigers, now a fellow member of the Southeastern Conference is critical.

Anchor Down! Go Vandy! Beat the Tigers!

I hope to continue to post stories on the blog as well as photos over the weekend. Please feel free to e-mail me anything you want me to put up.

Thanks and see you soon!  

Some Final Ponderings

I know we are all excited to see each other beginning Friday afternoon and Friday night. Some of us haven't been together since the last time the Vanderbilt Centennial Class convened five years ago.

If you come early Friday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. in the Sarratt Cinema you'll hear the latest from our current Chancellor Nick Zeppos and we'll remember our chancellor Alexander Heard who helped lay the groundwork so many years ago for VU be the world-class university it is today.....

We'll be jealous of the great new College Hall upper class dorms that will open next fall. It's located on the site of the old Kissam Quadrangle where a lot of us lived our first year in college.....

We'll remind the new Class of 2017 that we were the first Vanderbilt freshmen (in the fall of 1969) to be able to legally host members of the opposite sex in our dorms room (unless you lived in Sterile Stapleton). It was such a groundbreaking change that the long held tradition of the panty raids on campus soon faded away while students pursued other activities just as drinking alcohol after the age to legally purchase and consume spirits and beer was lowered from 21 to 18....

And while Vanderbilt students will enjoy their Homecoming Concert (now known as The Quake) this weekend, we'll know that we had the greatest concert ever when the Grateful Dead came to campus our senior year in October, 1972. And now for this Reunion we also finally know the back story of the greatest prank ever pulled at and on the University that day through the simple but amazing placement of a set of Mickey Mouse ears on the Kirkland Tower clock.

41 years later what a caper they pulled!

We're honored to know how Vanderbilt has become a national university, highly ranked every year by U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT.  But we already knew back in our day how tough a school Vandy is and always has been academically...

 

 

 

 

On late Friday afternoon we'll be hoping the weather is sunny and pleasantly warm on Rand Terrace  just before we enter this newly remodeled building where our fabulous Class Party will be held in the area where the Vanderbilt Bookstore used to be.

 

I think we'll all be amazed and delighted at how much fun we'll have at the Party. Congratulations and thanks go to Janet Schneider, Beth O'Shea and Steven Greil in particular for all their hard work and to our 1973 COMMODORE YEARRBOOK editor Clark Thomas who helped put together our Class CD of popular music from our era and a 30-minute slideshow of back in the day you'll want to see over and over again. Of course, the 1969 Vandy-Alabama football game will be playing on a large TV monitor too. You'll love the chance to be so over-stimulated while you get in touch with old friends.

 

 And while Nashville today is gaining a national reputation as a great "foodie" town with lots of great new restaurants to try, our Class Party menu, courtesy of Vanderbilt Catering, will be piled high (but mini-style) with heapings helpings of nostaligia on our plates. Check out this list of what's to eat...

 

·         House of Pizza - Caesar Salads in mini cups

·         Julian's - Baked Brie en Croute with Fresh Fruit

·         Ireland's - Mini Country Ham Biscuits

·         Rotier's - Mini Cheeseburgers on French Bread

·         Taco Tico - Tacos with Refried Beans, Lettuce and Cheese (vegetarian)

·         Lum's - Mini Hot Dogs and Buns, served with Sauerkraut

·         Shoneys  - Mini Hot Fudge Cake and Strawberry Shortcake

Now I shouldn't eat any of these things, even in mini-fashion, But for this weekend, I don't think I'll care and won't start again until I start taking my blood pressure readings again next week. By the way, on line I've found the receipes for two other old-time Vandy-area food favorities: Ireland's Stake & Biscuits and Killarney Fudge Pie. Here they are. Enjoy!

 

 

IRELAND’S STAKE ‘N BISKITS (from Ed Sweeney)

Ed Sweeney: I don't have a copy of the original, but have made it several times over the years... I use
...

• flank steak, or sirloin
• slice it / marinate it 6-24 hours in veg oil, black and white pepper, garlic powder (all to taste)
• make (or buy) buttermilk biscuits
• grill the meat on a flat-top griddle or skillet
• butter the biscuits, slap on a piece of steak... enjoy!

“the original meat were 'cow tenders'...and btw, don't think filet mignon will make it better....it won't.”


IRELAND’S KILLARNEY FUDGE PIE (from Ed Sweeney)
3 eggs /
1 stick BUTTER /
2 squares unsweetened bakers chocolate /
1 tsp vanilla /
1 cup sugar /
1/4 cup flour

Melt chocolate SLOWLY and add butter in small saucepan
Lightly beat eggs and add sugar until mixed in bowl. Add choc/butter mixture and vanilla and continue to beat until fairly smooth. Add flour to mixture little by little so it doesn't lump. Tip: do not use electric mixer -- wire whisk works best.
Fold into greased 9" pie pan and bake at 350F for 20-25 min in conventional oven. If still 'runny', don't worry...it will 'set-up'.

Serve slightly warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. ENJOY!

 

Finally, we'll think back on the prediction made by HUSTLER Editor Neil Skene in the 1973 COMMODORE looking ahead to our future Class Reunions which were seemingly so many years in the future we couldn't imagine it, until now. What he said has turned out to be pretty darn accurate.

 

"....When Alumni and Development invites the Class of '73 back for its reunion, new dorms will probably be flung up.

(Not just the new College Halls. If you haven't, you gotta see the freshman Commons over at Peabody too).

New streets and sidewalks will lead us to new buildings.

(how about those two pontoon walking bridges over 21st Avenue and you won't believe all the other new buildings, especially around the Medical Center, as well as the Student Life and Student Rec Centers. There's also the new indoor Football Practice Center, complete with a bowling alley for students and for Vanderbilt's varsity bowling team, which won the school's only (so far) NCAA national championship a few years ago).

"And maybe even liberals, if there are any left, will have short hair."

See you in just a few hours! It's going to be a memorable weekend. The Centennial Class has returned to Vanderbilt yet again!