Stories

My first year began with two room-mates; Randy and Wayne. Randy rremained at the school through graduation, going on to the Naval Academy. Wayne didn't make it through the first school year. The day that happened was a weekend day and things started to unravel when we had a surprise inspection by one our proctors. The Senior was going through our dresser drawers checking the folding, rolling and positioning of our stowed clothing and he pulled out a piece of iron pipe from Wayne's drawer. “What's this?” he asked. The three newboys in Whipple 320 were standing stiffly at attention, but Wayne leaned over, took a look, straightened up again and replied “It's a bomb, sir!”. The Senior gently placed the pipe back in the drawer, slowly closed the drawer, and asked whose dresser it was. “Mine, sir!” said Wayne. The Senior left the room in a hurry, and must have conferred with the dorm master for he (dorm master) showed up, looked into Wayne's dresser and ordered us out of the room. Moments later the fire alarm went off and the building was evacuated. We loitered around outside for awhile and then the fire department and police arrived, complete with a bomb squad. Up they dashed to 320 and soon returned with with a tub which was whisked away by the bomb squad vehicle. The last I saw of Wayne he was handcuffed, placed in the back of a squad car and driven away.

As Wayne had explained while we were awaiting the bomb squad outside the dorm, he had built the bomb at the school lab and was planning to blow up the old brewery some week-end. I never saw or heard from him again.                                                                                                               -CW

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SHAVING CREAM

 

Senior year and I was living in Clapp dorm with Rick and Gary as room-mates. We were supposed to keep out doors unlocked in the dorm rooms when occupied and so ours was unlocked. I was sleeping lightly when I detected a muffled sound and a brief glow of hallway night light. I laid there trying to make sense of what I thought I heard when I detected the edge of my blanket being slowly lifted. “Watch it!” I mumbled and the blanket was gently laid back down. All of a sudden there was a POP and SSHHHHHHHHHH sound followed by running feet and the room door opening and closing.

From Gary's bunk came “What was that?” followed by “Oh, sh--!”. I jumped up and hit the lights. Gary lay in his bunk, covers pulled back, all covered in shaving cream. Shaving cream bombs had been a part of life at Shattuck in those days. A can of shaving cream punctured by a can opener and tossed down will spray an entire room. In a closet, dresser drawer or under a blanket it doesn't spray far and concentrates the shaving cream in a smaller area. One side effect of this is that laundry was once a week so a bombed bed could lead to hand washing sheets in the bathroom and hanging out to dry.                                                                                                                                                 -CW

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PANTSING THE STAFF

Pantsing was an odd occurrence and perhaps a tradition. Our Junior year, at the conclusion of a formation, upon the command “Order Arms!” the cadet corps broke into a yell and charged the Battalion Staff which took off at a run toward the chapel. They were caught. My group caught Joe Kreychek (the Battalion Commander). Joe and Mike Daley were seized and their pants pulled off and run up the flag pole. The rest of the staff escaped and took cover in the chapel.

In what must have been the spring of 1969, shortly after I had been advanced to Battalion Staff , at the conclusion of a formation, when the command “Order Arms!” was given the cadet corps (some 250 strong) broke into a roar and charged the staff. I was tackled by a football jock and he and my room-mate pulled my pants off which with 4 other pairs of pants from other members of the Battalion Staff were soon flying from the flag pole.

Another joke was to move all of someone's room onto the parade field while they were occupied elsewhere, and set it up.                                                                                                       -CW

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DEDICATING THE NEW ICE ARENA

One evening during our Junior year (I believe), I snuck out with two classmates after lights-out. We worked our way back to the soccer field by the ravine behind the school. Earlier that day a bulldozer had been trucked in and deposited next to the field. We got the dozer running and managed to dig a fine hole without awakening anyone on campus. We left the dozer in the hole and worked our ways back to our rooms without discovery, Later we returned dressed in Class A's, took a couple of photos then returned unnoticed to our dorm. The next morning at breakfast the Dean was in a rage and demanded the culprits come forth. The culprits remained silent. With this act, the three culprits had conducted the ground-breaking ceremony for the school's first indoor hockey arena. -CW
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THE HASH

Remember the “hash?” One day I was waiting in the hash for Mr. and Mrs. Ayres to come in for dinner (the daily guard would dine with the Headmaster and his wife). As Officer of the Day I made sure everything was in place for the blessing and announcements. One of the boys came up to me and handed me a watch, reporting that it had been left in the Whipple bathroom and maybe should be reported in Lost & Found. I took the watch, tagged it “lost and found – Whipple” and laid it on the lectern. The Ayres came in, gave the blessing and everyone was seated. Mr. Ayres looked down on the lectern, saw the watch, picked it up and squinted at it. With the microphone still on, he turned to me and said “What does this watch say?” I replied (which was picked up by the microphone also) “TIC TIC TIC, Sir.” After a brief silence in the dining room, a roar of laughter burst out, Mr. Ayres blushed and then he too laughed. I realized my error and apologized but Mr. Ayres just laughed it off and told me there was no problem at all. 

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