Pep Rallies
Gordy Larson started a discussion on the Class Forum concerning pep
rallies with the following.
Guys,
As we all know, Bob Doughty is in the process of writing a book about the distinguished class of 1965, and he asked me to put together a couple of paragraphs about pep rallies both in the mess hall (I still have trouble thinking of it as a dining facility) and after hours. It conjured up a few fond memories, and I thought I'd toss them out and see if anyone here can add to them.
The big rally I'm sure most of us recall was the one where we ended up stacking tables to the ceiling and engaging in one big food fight. Given the magnitude, I assume it was a Navy week rally, but I can't say for sure. I don't think any one individual was punished, but we were all docked for the damages out of our next pay. I seem to recall that it was some piddling amount like 10 cents, but Bob says he looked it up and we were docked $12.04. I remember thinking that it was cheap entertainment. Can anyone help me out on this one?
Among other things, I recall a pep rally before one of the Penn State games, where one of the law professors (don't recall his name), who was a Penn State grad gave the rally speech. Penn State was heavily favored as usual, but he said that we'd carry the day because of the discipline and the spirit of the Corps. He claimed that even though we were outnumbered in the stands, the Penn State fans would all be drunk by the third quarter, rendering themselves ineffective. Rip Engles was the Penn State coach back then, and it's said that he hated to come into Michie to play Army. He would play tapes during the practices leading up to the Army game to get his players ready for the cadet spirit. If memory serves, we beat Penn State 3 years in a row, and the margin of victory was a field goal each time.
I also recall that we used to rally in front of Westy's house, and he would come out to address the rally. His speeches were always in the format of a 5 paragraph field order.
The two weeks leading up to the Navy game were usually one big pep rally after another. There was always the traditional threat of attempting to steal Navy's goat and defending against a similar attempt by Navy to kidnap one of our mules. I always figured we had an advantage there because a mule is a lot tougher to steal. I recall one year that someone painted Beat Navy on one of the moth balled ships anchored in the Hudson, but I don't recall any of the other pranks, other than seeing the Father of our Country covered with TP every year.
Any additional thoughts or clarifications?
Gordy
Dave Gabel Recalls
Gordy, I don't think the "great mess-hall rally" was for Navy. I think the team had been suffering some difficulties, and the Corps was pretty dispirited. Then, before a game in which we could reasonably expect to have more difficulty, came that rally. I remember a loud bang in the vicinity of the door, and then a call to rally. I remember our waiter getting a worried look on his face, and then gathering everything on the table into the tablecloth and hustling to the kitchen, I remember being up on a stack of tables. I remember that we got docked in our pay. But I don't believe it was for Navy, although I don't remember what game it was for.
Perhaps some of our players might remember.
Chuck Nichols provides his 2 cents
I was on guard duty that night and I remember the cannon they used at games being rolled up to the main door to the mess and being fired into the mess to start what became a riot from my perspective. I was standing at the door when the cannon went off and I think that's why I have lost hearing in one ear. If memory serves me correctly Rocco McGurk was the leader of the rabble.
What do you remember about pep rallies while we were cadets. I'm sure all of you remember the night the football cannon was wheeled to the front door of Washington Hall and fired as soon as the doors were opened. Here are a couple of pictures from that night. What do you remember of that rally? Here is an accounting of that night in 1963 done by Randy Kunkel, Dick Eckert, then MAJ Joe Rodgers, and an unnamed grad (thanks to Rick Charles for digging it up) from the USMA Bicentenniel page.
What other pep rallies stand out in your mind? Send the details (and pictures if you have them) to Chuck Nichols at cnichols6@verizon.net.
Guys,
As we all know, Bob Doughty is in the process of writing a book about the distinguished class of 1965, and he asked me to put together a couple of paragraphs about pep rallies both in the mess hall (I still have trouble thinking of it as a dining facility) and after hours. It conjured up a few fond memories, and I thought I'd toss them out and see if anyone here can add to them.
The big rally I'm sure most of us recall was the one where we ended up stacking tables to the ceiling and engaging in one big food fight. Given the magnitude, I assume it was a Navy week rally, but I can't say for sure. I don't think any one individual was punished, but we were all docked for the damages out of our next pay. I seem to recall that it was some piddling amount like 10 cents, but Bob says he looked it up and we were docked $12.04. I remember thinking that it was cheap entertainment. Can anyone help me out on this one?
Among other things, I recall a pep rally before one of the Penn State games, where one of the law professors (don't recall his name), who was a Penn State grad gave the rally speech. Penn State was heavily favored as usual, but he said that we'd carry the day because of the discipline and the spirit of the Corps. He claimed that even though we were outnumbered in the stands, the Penn State fans would all be drunk by the third quarter, rendering themselves ineffective. Rip Engles was the Penn State coach back then, and it's said that he hated to come into Michie to play Army. He would play tapes during the practices leading up to the Army game to get his players ready for the cadet spirit. If memory serves, we beat Penn State 3 years in a row, and the margin of victory was a field goal each time.
I also recall that we used to rally in front of Westy's house, and he would come out to address the rally. His speeches were always in the format of a 5 paragraph field order.
The two weeks leading up to the Navy game were usually one big pep rally after another. There was always the traditional threat of attempting to steal Navy's goat and defending against a similar attempt by Navy to kidnap one of our mules. I always figured we had an advantage there because a mule is a lot tougher to steal. I recall one year that someone painted Beat Navy on one of the moth balled ships anchored in the Hudson, but I don't recall any of the other pranks, other than seeing the Father of our Country covered with TP every year.
Any additional thoughts or clarifications?
Gordy
Dave Gabel Recalls
Gordy, I don't think the "great mess-hall rally" was for Navy. I think the team had been suffering some difficulties, and the Corps was pretty dispirited. Then, before a game in which we could reasonably expect to have more difficulty, came that rally. I remember a loud bang in the vicinity of the door, and then a call to rally. I remember our waiter getting a worried look on his face, and then gathering everything on the table into the tablecloth and hustling to the kitchen, I remember being up on a stack of tables. I remember that we got docked in our pay. But I don't believe it was for Navy, although I don't remember what game it was for.
Perhaps some of our players might remember.
Chuck Nichols provides his 2 cents
I was on guard duty that night and I remember the cannon they used at games being rolled up to the main door to the mess and being fired into the mess to start what became a riot from my perspective. I was standing at the door when the cannon went off and I think that's why I have lost hearing in one ear. If memory serves me correctly Rocco McGurk was the leader of the rabble.
What do you remember about pep rallies while we were cadets. I'm sure all of you remember the night the football cannon was wheeled to the front door of Washington Hall and fired as soon as the doors were opened. Here are a couple of pictures from that night. What do you remember of that rally? Here is an accounting of that night in 1963 done by Randy Kunkel, Dick Eckert, then MAJ Joe Rodgers, and an unnamed grad (thanks to Rick Charles for digging it up) from the USMA Bicentenniel page.
What other pep rallies stand out in your mind? Send the details (and pictures if you have them) to Chuck Nichols at cnichols6@verizon.net.