About da boat

Every Year is Our Year

A small group of alumni, primarily from the Class of 1978, have felt for a long time that, when it comes to reunion, every year is our year.  While we do have special celebrations on our designated years (3’s and 8’s), we have not felt bound to only attend reunion on those years.  We come (almost) every year to meet up with old friends, celebrate with other classes, and generally try to relive our college days.

One of our charter members was John McHugh, aka Johnny Mac.  He was, without a doubt, the funniest and most creative member of the gang.  Every year he showed up with some special effect for us to display in the parade – purple and yellow tutus, kazoos, purple bandanas, light-up fedoras, customized high-top Chuck Taylors, roach clips with purple and yellow feathers, etc etc, etc. And, he bore a striking – dare we say uncanny - resemblance to Mark Twain. 

Da Boat Builder

As time passed, we lost several of our classmates and friends:  people we knew through our academic endeavors, EC theater, work on the yearbook and Octagon, student government and activities board, roommates, drinking buddies.  John was determined that we should not forget these people who had been such important parts of our lives. We needed to honor them, and keep them close.  

John worked for several years as a Construction Coordinator for Film and Television, primarily in New York City, building sets for tv shows and movies.  One year, he appeared at reunion with a miniature Viking ship he had created in his home shop.   On its sides were shields bearing the names of several of our friends who had passed.

The Tradition

After much discussion it was decided that we would gather at The Puddle. We really wanted to do it on Saturday night, but nobody could manage to get their butts out of the Branch in time so we compromised. We recited the names on the shields, shared our remembrances and then Johnny Mac, with the help (?) of Hadji Salvacion and Tim Pierce, placed Da Boat in the water and it took its maiden voyage.  We all sang the Alma Mater, swaying as is our way, and yes, most of us crying. Now McHugh, in true Viking funeral pyre fashion, wanted to set fire to the damn thing, but we rebelled. It was just too beautiful and besides, we’d probably manage to burn Cowles and the Mark Twain Study to the ground. Bad idea. For once, we managed to err on the side of caution.        

Every reunion Sunday morning since then, we have repeated our ritual, paying homage to those who have passed during the last year, reading the Eulogy to the Boat that Johnny Mac created, remembering those who predeceased them, and singing the Alma Mater accompanied by Lauretta and Polly on kazoo.

In 2022, much to our disbelief and great sadness, we had to add a shield for Johnny Mac.  Knowing he would want us to continue the tradition he had started, Laurie Steenburg Weller contacted John’s wife, Alison. She, along with their children (Morgan, Emma and Aidan), graciously offered to donate Da Boat to us. Each year it sits in dry dock in a bedroom closet at Tim’s house, on its custom-made stand, waiting for the next reunion.