OT: Taylor vs. Gomberg Tug of War - Is This Still a Thing?
I was a Taylor House (South Quad) resident from 1979-81. On Homecoming Saturday at zero-dark thirty, the RA's came through the halls and dragged us out of bed. We'd march (using a very broad definition of "march") down to the Huron River and pull on a long rope (with the folks from Gomberg house on the other end of the rope/other side of the river).
We were 1-1 during my two years.
I was not a fan.
Does this still happen?
Here's an article with a great photo from the 1969 ToW (which pre-dates my years by a decade). Gotta love the Jack Purcells on the guy at the front of the rope!!! And, the mildly amused expression on the face of the kid on the left border of the photo.
I'll put the photo here ...
October 21st, 2016 at 6:55 AM ^
October 21st, 2016 at 9:13 AM ^
Me neither (I was in SQ in 1996-98).
October 21st, 2016 at 7:03 AM ^
stopped it a few years ago because the RA's were allowing safe spaces to be violated and the "anchors" on the rope felt that they were being body shamed.
October 21st, 2016 at 7:10 AM ^
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October 21st, 2016 at 7:22 AM ^
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October 21st, 2016 at 7:28 AM ^
October 21st, 2016 at 9:21 AM ^
Too many microagressions in this thread.
/s
October 21st, 2016 at 8:55 AM ^
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October 21st, 2016 at 7:20 AM ^
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October 21st, 2016 at 7:28 AM ^
I was in Taylor House in the mid 2000's and this was still happening, though it was no longer over the Huron River. It may have been just the RAs that were there during that time though, I'm not sure it continued after we left.
October 21st, 2016 at 10:00 AM ^
I was in Hunt House in the early 2000s and have never heard of this.
October 21st, 2016 at 7:36 AM ^
So, hello.
I think I got a pass on that as I was in the MMB, but I don't remember.
Our RD was Gerry Baer? I can't remember the 4th floor RA's name, but he was cool.
Did you watch the Miracle on Ice with the rest of us in the Taylor house lounge?
October 21st, 2016 at 9:23 AM ^
Hello to you, RGard!!
I was on the 4th floor. Our RA was Mike Burton - I'm connected to him on LinkedIn, but we've not really stayed in touch. I remember Gerry (at least, by name). Didn't he kinda look like a bear (burly, lots of hair)?
While walking north on State Street for the Oct 1980 ToW, someone had the bright idea (since there was a whole pack of us) to start lifting cars parked along State Street up onto the sidewalk. Mike and Gerry were vociferously opposed, and made us stop after 2 or 3 cars had been lifted and moved.
I did not watch the miracle on ice in the lounge, but remember my Yooper hallmates being very excited about it and piling into my room to tell me all about it.
Other of my hallmates of note included Anthony Carter and Paul Girgash.
October 21st, 2016 at 11:50 AM ^
And yep, Gerry was a significantly hirsute.
Gerry drove me to the UofM hospital the night of the last day of classes to get stitches. Not my best moment.
Cool about the cars!
I think my friend Wes Dopp lived on your hallway. I was in the last room on the left before you went down the back steps crammed in with 3 others.
Excellent to read your response.
October 21st, 2016 at 11:59 AM ^
"hirsute". And, now I've added to my vocabulary today, too. It's a good day indeed.
October 21st, 2016 at 5:55 PM ^
October 22nd, 2016 at 9:26 AM ^
Hi Mike,
OP (Andy S.) here. If you recall, I was in 4711 in '79-'80 and 4713 in '80-'81 (or maybe vice versa). Good to hear from you.
Thanks for the info.
So am I interpretting your post correctly that residents (many of whom were U21) just stayed up all night partying/drinking "in preparation for" the ToW? (I honestly don't remember that aspect of it - just the being roused very early, and the cold waters of the Huron the year we lost). And, thus, it was decided that the ToW was contributing to the drinking problem (U21 or otherwise), so better to do way with it?
Understandable, I suppose. And I certainly wouldn't have missed it were it not there during my two years in Taylor. But, it makes for good reminiscing (and a moderately good thread on MGoBlog).
October 21st, 2016 at 3:50 PM ^
Gerry Baer looked like a bear?
October 21st, 2016 at 5:17 PM ^
Same years, same Taylor hallway, same recollections of Baer, Burton, and the Yoopers. I don't think the wake up was so much early, as it seemed really early on a Saturday. Sorry to hear that the T.O.W. may have fallen victim to rampant political correctness; it was fun.
October 21st, 2016 at 8:22 PM ^
Your first post, congratulations!
October 21st, 2016 at 7:39 AM ^
Good thing they got rid of it.
October 21st, 2016 at 8:03 AM ^
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October 21st, 2016 at 8:19 AM ^
October 21st, 2016 at 8:36 AM ^
October 21st, 2016 at 8:59 AM ^
October 21st, 2016 at 8:13 AM ^
Do you also think the Mud Bowl is dumb?
What about the Naken Run (RIP)?
Painting the Rock?
Spinning the Cube?
The Grave Walk?
Not stepping on the M on the Diag?
Personally, I think an intra-house tug-of-war over the river sounds like fun, as long as it's voluntary and I don't need to be dragged out of bed at dawn to do it. I'm sure there are plenty of students who would do it voluntarily. But maybe they're dumb, too?
October 21st, 2016 at 8:21 AM ^
October 21st, 2016 at 7:44 AM ^
October 21st, 2016 at 8:23 AM ^
October 21st, 2016 at 8:24 AM ^
Never had a tug of war, but I distinctly remember the strong marijuana odor in the stairwell outside Gomberg. Also remember Gomberg denizen Aaron Shea throwing a kegger in his dorm room and then having his room catch fire after he left for the weekend.
October 21st, 2016 at 8:28 AM ^
Remember in 97 when in the middle dhani jones led east quad down Madison and into the middle of the snowball fight?
October 21st, 2016 at 8:33 AM ^
Nobody wanted to throw snowballs at them because everyone wanted them on their side. They walked right to the middle of the snowball fight and seemingly in unison turned and opened fire on South Quad.
October 21st, 2016 at 10:03 AM ^
Has the Daily done an oral history of it yet? HTTV? Necessary.
October 21st, 2016 at 12:48 PM ^
He looks at us expecting to be congratulated. We are amazed and becoming enraged.
My other roommate and I: "FUCK YOU, ____! You could have injured him!! Dude is integral part of the defense."
October 22nd, 2016 at 12:24 AM ^
October 21st, 2016 at 2:05 PM ^
October 21st, 2016 at 11:02 AM ^
I was in Hunt House as a freshman in 1987. We had to carry the rope since our house was the defending champion. We got killed because all of the sophomores were smart enough to refuse to go.
October 21st, 2016 at 11:26 AM ^
I was on the fourth floor of Fred Taylor from 95-97 and I've never heard of the tug of war. I did get to run The Naked Mile a few times though. I still have the t shirt!
October 21st, 2016 at 11:40 AM ^
80-82. I can't remember the year, but one of those years we stole the rope as I recall.
This wasn't well appreciated by Taylor or Gomberg.
BTW - current Detroit mayor Mike Duggan was an RA at Gomberg during these years.
Duggan's nickname was "Sluggo".
If you take a look at him, you will understand why.
October 21st, 2016 at 9:14 PM ^
October 21st, 2016 at 12:46 PM ^
Taylor House 1982-1983. I think I skipped my sophmore year.