University of York Open Day - late 80s tricks

[vin_petrol]

It has recently come to my attention that the University of York Open Day now takes place *after* the student body has gone home for the summer. I'm saddened by this, as it no longer allows the students to play all sorts of naughty tricks on the innocent little 6th formers that arrive by the coach load.

Some of the dubious (and, in some cases, in rather bad taste) things that happened in my era include:

* The day before Open Day signs were put up all over campus. Some bright spark had decided that a system would be used that separated the location being referred to (i.e. "Central Hall") and the actual arrow pointing to it. Now add to this hundreds of drunken students staggering back from the college bars later that night. By morning, not a single arrow was pointing to its original location. This system was not used again.

* In the spring, there were some very broody and aggressive geese by Wentworth college. A path ran near their nests, which was basically unusable for a few weeks each year as they would rush out and nip your legs. This coincided with Open Day, so a sign was erected with "DANGER - BROODY GEESE - DO NOT USE" written on it. This was swiftly covered with a sign saying "FREE REFRESHMENTS THIS WAY".

* A few college rooms are selected to show to 6th formers. These are obviously currently occupied by nice, clean living students carefully selected by the college secretary. Naughty people find out which rooms are going to be used, and talk the occupiers into letting them turn these rooms into pits of filth and squalor. A nice touch I heard about was the careful cultivation of some mouldy bread for weeks beforehand, which was left on a plate centre stage. Whatever sound system existed in the room would be playing extremely gloomy death metal. If they couldn't talk the room occupier into this, they just did it for the room opposite or next door.

* Various students, when seeing someone they knew showing ickle 6th formers around, would approach the person they knew looking spaced out and haggard and try to buy drugs off them.

* A person who shall remain nameless (we'll call him "J") well known for his practical jokes got a climbing harness and some rope from the climbing society. He then rigged up the rope in a room, with a fake noose, so that when 6th formers went in they came face to face with what appeared to be a dead body hanging from a roof beam.

Can anyone recall any others? Or was I just hanging around with a bad crowd? :-)

Comments

[makyo.livejournal.com]

Eddie Curtis, apparently, once stayed up all the night before an open day, making jelly in those plastic jellyfish moulds. He deposited them all around campus, with eyes and smiley mouths made out of smarties.

I saw this and thought of you...

[dedbutdrmng.livejournal.com]

The French government announced yesterday it has raised its terror alert level from RUN to HIDE. The only two higher levels in France are SURRENDER and COLLABORATE. The rise is precipitated by a recent fire in France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.
It's not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from SHOUT LOUDLY AND EXCITEDLY to ELABORATE MILITARY POSTURING. Two more levels remain: INEFFECTIVE COMBAT OPERATIONS and CHANGE SIDES.

The Germans also increased their alert state from DISDAINFUL ARROGANCE to DRESS IN UNIFORM AND SING MARCHING SONGS. They also have two higher levels: INVADE A NEIGHBOR and LOSE THE WAR.

RJ

Re: I saw this and thought of you...

[vin_petrol]

The British are feeling the pinch in relation to recent bombings and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorised from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666.

Re: I saw this and thought of you...

[dedbutdrmng.livejournal.com]

The Independant People's Republic of West Yorkshire has also upped it's terror alert from 'By 'Eck,' to 'By 'Eck!'. There is no sign of the terror alert escalating to 'ooooh, by eck!' at the present time. The prospect of the terror alert ever reaching the dizzy heights of 'Go t' foot of our stairs!' remains unlikely said a Spokesyorkshireman.