My roommate Marty brought a pepper gas canister back from the riots
(Saturday night?) as a souvenir.Ê Although it was empty, it was still
off gassing something fierce.Ê (We couldn't sleep in our dorm room!)Ê So
Sunday morning aboutÊ 6:30AM, Marty gets this great idea to throw his
canister(s) into the showers (turned on max hot) to clean them out.Ê
With the shower running full hot, he lobs two or three canisters into
the showers, closes the curtains, and leaves thinking they will get
cleaned out.Ê Well duh!Ê (The showers occupied the center corner of
Class of 17 Hall.)

About ten minutes later someone opened shower door, and out pours what
smells like freshly discharged pepper gas, immediately filling the
floor. As people start waking up, they get a whiff of pepper gas;
exploring further (and opening their door) they replayed the college
town riots, right on our dorm floor!

Needless to say, someone pulled the fire alarm, and the dorm emptied.Ê
The campus fire department came in a few minutes (they knew us well),
and in full fire gear took the pepper gas canisters out of the shower
(this took thirty-plus minutes) while we stood around half-naked (hey,
where are women when you need them?), stunned, that cool Sunday morning
(fortunately it was spring and had warmed up a little).Ê All the other
dorms were always watching us.Ê Class of '17 Dorm always did the really
stupid stuff -- we were all men!ÊÊ An hour or two later the fire
department finally let us back in after thoroughly airing the place out,
and boy was everyone mad!ÊÊ Once they found out Marty was the culprit
they initiated reprisals, including "pennying" us (e.g., me; he took off
in his Austin-Healy on the fire alarm pronto once the alarm rang) in the
dorm room.Ê They kept me there the rest of the morning, ignoring my
remonstrations.Ê (Too bad I didn't have a girlfriend!)

Does anyone else remember this fiasco?

Jim Eggebroten '75 Alias "FogMan" (totally out of it as always) Now
Jimbo Jim August (J.K. August)