Long We'll Remember

By Ken Barker ’70

As winter turns to spring in Cleveland, Case students’ attention turns to thoughts of outdoor fun. Back in the 1960s, Case Institute of Technology had 12 national fraternities represented on campus, a large wheels. Our bed was a tricycle sporting a wooden frame. Our design featured cambered rear wheels to counteract the stresses endured when cornering, but they took a beating anyway. I reconditioned the SAE bed my senior year (1970) to ensure number for such a small college. our winning streak continued. Since roughly half of the student The annual tradition of overbody was Greek, Greek Week was arguably the biggest campus “In hindsight, my fraternity experience hauling the bed was passed down from class to class. Kermit event come spring. helped me mature as a person, make Lichty (CIT ’68) taught me what Activities included pie-eating and beer-chugging contests, lifelong friends, and imparted my fondest the bed typically needed, and recommended the local bicycle various carnival style booths, memories of my four years at Case.” shop he used to respoke the and, biggest of all, the frater- extra-heavy duty bicycle wheels. nity Bed Race. The Bed Race I then trained Mark Witzke used the double figure-eight path within Case Quad between (CIT ’71) so that our winning ways endured after I graduated. Strosacker Auditorium and the Sears Building. Teams of runners “Jocks” in the chapter were recruited for the staggered relay team pushed their chapter’s bed to earn a trophy (and bragging rights), we used to sustain a winning pace. proclaiming which fraternity had the fastest bed on campus. The only restrictions were that the bed had to be muscle powered, piloted by the president of that chapter, and have a mattress.

SAE bed, 1970

Sigma Alpha Epsilon was the perennial winner of the bed race (in addition to sponsoring the Beer Bust). I had pledged SAE in the spring of my freshman year. I was drawn to their song-filled parties, gorgeous house on Magnolia Road, and the affinity I felt for the brothers. In hindsight, my fraternity experience helped me mature as a person, make lifelong friends, and imparted my fondest memories of my four years at Case.

While some chapters took the bed race in fun, for those who seriously tried to win, the race was grueling. Because of the tight turns, the beds usually sustained major wear — especially on the

A ponding in Wade Lagoon, 1970

For Greek Week 1970, our bed logged yet another win. In celebration, our relay team carried me bodily down to Wade Lagoon to be “ponded.” Ponding at Case was a fraternity tradition of tossing someone into Wade Lagoon whenever something especially good happened to them. It was usually reserved for when a brother became “pinned” to his sweetheart, but could be used on any occasion deemed worthy.

While I have many fond memories of my years at Case, Greek Week 1970 is the best of all.

Ken, the former Senior Vice President of Research for Mellon Financial Co., is retired and living outside of Pittsburgh. Give him your regards at 66ragtoppony@gmail.com.

You can make a difference at the Case Alumni Foundation both today and tomorrow by combining your current gift with the intent to make one in the future. This type of giving, called blended giving, allows you to make an even bigger impact than you thought possible.

Making a blended gift is easier than you think. Simply choose a gift that works for you today, like support of the Case Fund©, and pair it with one that works for you in the future — like a bequest or a beneficiary designation.

Cash or check Stock or appreciated assets Tangible personal property Life income gifts IRA charitable rollover/ Qualified charitable distribution

Gift in your will or living trust Retirement plan assets Bank or brokerage accounts Life insurance policies Beneficiary designations

When you combine a gift today with a gift for the future, you: • Provide immediate support for key priorities on the campus; • Ensure the Case Alumni Foundation can continue our efforts by making an investment to benefit future generations of students, faculty, and staff at Case; • Inspire others to give, while creating a legacy that’s personally meaningful to you.

Finding the best combination of current and future gifts to meet your charitable and financial goals can be challenging. Our staff is available to work with you and your financial advisor or estate planning attorney to help you find the best giving options to meet your needs.

Let us help you to see the impact you can make at the Case Alumni Foundation both today and in the future. Contact Stephen J. Zinram, Executive Director at 216.231.4567 or stephen.zinram@casealum.org to learn more, or for help getting started finding the right blend for you.

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