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!