By Kate Oliver
Last week, the class of 1981 had their home sweet homecoming. It turns out, a quarter century ago, Ryerson was a place of fun and folly.
Having sex, smoking pot and getting drunk will always be fun, exams will always be stressful and Ryerson students will always cause trouble.
Last weekend, the class of 1981 reunited after 25 years in the real world to reminisce about the good ol’ days at Rye High — days they spent mostly high. More than anything, the grads agreed they miss the parties, the camaraderie, and of course, euchre.
From random redecorating schemes to kidnapping plots, the post-secondary institution then known as Ryerson Polytechnic University had a lot of open opportunities for pranksters.
And students took advantage of that. Ryerson was prank central back in the day, said Norm Tsukada, Business Administration ’81.
One of his friends did a mock telephone survey of course unions, he says, asking questions like “How many members does your union have?” and in a very serious tone, “Do most of your members masturbate with their left or right hand?” Surprisingly, he got several serious responses.
But Tsukada’s had his personal moment of mischievous glory when he took furniture from the old business building offices and put it in the elevator, making it look like a living room.
“We even put posters up…but I felt nauseous by the end of it,” Tsukada said of riding up and down the elevator for a good hour that day.
A group of fashion alum admitted to missing the Eyeopener the most. They reminisced about taking every single copy they could find and throwing them out after a photographer had taken a picture of a model while she was changing.
Dean Askin, Journalism ’81, once tried to kidnap one of his professors, Stuart MacLean, but it was all in good humour, he explains.
MacLean had been the best prof Askin had. To show his appreciation, he and his friends planned a trip to Niagara Falls, New York, intending on taking MacLean. They managed to smuggle him onto the bus, but unfortunately he had a meeting the next morning, so he was let free.
Thomas Mariani, Business Management ’81, said that the stupidest thing he did during his time at Ryerson was “spending all his time during first year studying.”
So, studious, grade-thirsty undergrads, put down your book and chuck that fluorescent green highlighter, pick up a beer and do something foolish. These really are the best years of your life.
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