The prelude to Hell Week started on Friday. It was the nicest part of the final week of pledging. At 3:00 p.m., pledges assembled at the House and were divided into groups for our “long summons.” In the basement, pledge-master Dan Patridge told Ken Kalish, Jack Gordan, Jack Hinley and me to go to the Delta Gamma house for a letter containing our assignment. And so, we were off in Hinley’s yellow convertible.
When we arrived at her sorority house, we were told that Barbara Springer (Jerry Lange’s girlfriend), who the DG’s thought might have the letter, was in class. The four of us went to the Brady for coffee, and, for the next hour, made guesses about where we might be going for the weekend. Once back at the Delta Gam house we waited for Barbara. When she returned, she informed us she knew nothing about a letter. However, some entertainment might refresh her memory. We sang and danced. Ken prayed to “Budda-Budda” for a good DG convention in Akron tomorrow. Finally, she remembered the letter. Our destination was Ohio State.
It was a long drive. With a stop for eating, we reached Columbus about 9:30 p.m. A telephone book gave us the address of the Delta Upsilon House, which we found thirty minutes later. No one at the House knew we were coming. However, they located four bunks and a place for our bags. The House was not impressive, although it was much larger than ours back home. The furniture was worse, with cigarette burns in practically every chair. The Actives did not seem too friendly, either.
No one volunteered to take us out for a drink, although they did tell us how to find Larry’s, a local bar. At Larry’s we managed to get some 3.2 beers. When the place closed at midnight, we went back to the House where we talked until 1:00 a.m. We did not meet any pledge brothers for they, too, had gone on their own long summons this weekend. And so, to bed.
On Saturday morning, I awoke voluntarily at 7:30 a.m. The other pledges were rolled out at 8:00 a.m. We were “requested” to paint the front porch. The Sauter-Finegan jazz band was coming to OSU that evening to play for the Military Ball. They were to dine at the House before their concert. Instead of helping paint the House, we skipped out for breakfast at a local diner.
Then we went looking for pledge paddles that we were to buy as part of our assignment in Columbus. We finally found a place and had the manager put them aside. We looked over OSU’s Student Union building I had first visited while still at McKinley High School. Once again, I was thoroughly impressed. The MAC bowling tournament was being held there. Of course, with Jack Gordan, our addicted bowler, we had to watch.
We also gave the campus the once over. After picking up the paddles we returned to the House before going to the sororities for signatures, which was the next part of our assignment. As we were ready to leave, a brick from the chimney, which was being repaired, fell on Jack’s car, making a large dent in it. The DU’s said they would pay for it.
While Jack took the car for an estimate, Kalish, Gordan, and I went around to the sororities identified by the Kent State Actives for us to visit. The houses at OSU were large and attractive. The DU House seemed about the worst one. Having obtained the required signatures, we returned to our House and helped the Actives paint the front porch. We then went out to eat. Since everyone was going to the dance, when we returned to the House we decided to head back to Kent. We left Columbus about 9:00 p.m.
The weekend was interesting, mainly because of Ohio State, itself. The DU’s there did nothing to add to our weekend. It was a heck of a way to start Hell Week. However, we knew the next few days would be intense and we had needed a quiet way to being. That’s what we got.