Bowles Hall - Other Traditions

Other Traditions

Presidents: Each year, until recently, Bowlesmen elected a President of the hall, presidents for each class group, a treasurer and secretary. The committee was charged with organising social events (i.e.: famously long and rowdy parties) and was dreaded by the UC Berkeley administration. Nevertheless, the university chancellor would usually dine with the committee on a regular basis, recognising their important social role for Bowles, and more widely on campus in general.

One particularly notable committee election occurred in 1997/98 when a group of students ran under the slogan of the Chi Chi Party. Bowlesmen voted overwhelmingly for the curiously named Chi Chi party (Bowles had never had a partisan election in its history) only to find out that Chi Chi was, in fact, an inflatable monkey that provided 'spiritual guidance.' Needless to say Bowlesmen, while used to a number of frivolities, were somewhat confused. The election was also notable in that Paul Lyon (a.k.a. Ringo), co-founder of the Chi Chi Party, received every vote for the Junior President post. Lyon – now, according to LinkedIn, a Director at an investment bank in London - also became the first non-American to hold a Presidential post for the Hall (he is English). Toby Jeg, also co-founder of the party, scooped an impressive victory to be elected Secretary. Jeg is now a household name to millions of punk rock fans, founder of Punk Voter and founder of RedScare Records. Other key Chi-Chi members included Swiss Mike (because of his nationality he was made Treasurer) and J. Durazo II, who by living up to his fanciful epithet "LOGR" (Last of the Great Romantics) was well-suited for his role as PR consultant. Nobody knows what happened to the monkey (who was owned by freshman Doug). Aram the Taslagyan Devil ran that piece for a semester.

Captain Cal: A position where the strongest guy in the hall wears a blue cape with the letter C in gold on the back, a black mask and pants. He position was to harass and inspire anyone nearby, aka make fun of and be an inspirational mascot, particularly at bbq's in the back on Friday's and running around the lawn while Bowles waited for the Band to come and play. It has been held by at least three members, the last being "the Fly" in 1992. Captain was also seen at football games acting the same. Captain Cal likes to be drunk. This tradition has consequently been discontinued

The Grill Master: The Grill Master is in charge of barbecuing Hamburgers.

The Dorque: The Dorque is a quasi-official member of the hall student government. His function is to hide the Thing somewhere on the premises of the hall and post a clue each week to its location. If the Thing is found before the end of the semester, the Dorque used to have his choice of the "Three Choices". The first, and the one selected most often was to streak naked around Kleeburger field. As this was announced well in advance, there would be a significant audience, including some residents from the nearby, all-female, Stern Hall. The second was to have his pubic hair shaved by a committee of Bowlesmen. The only person to have selected this option was said to have been confronted by a drunken group with a straight razor, and subsequently changed his mind. The third was to provide the hall with a keg of beer of the hall's choice. The punishment, after Bowles became an all freshmen dorm, was for the Dorque to sing a solo after the Bowles's weekly serenading of the ladies of Stern. The Dorque is also responsible for signing the hall up for intramural sports. The Dorque for the new semester is chosen at the semester-ending banquet by the current Dorque. There have been times that multiple residents found and rehid the Thing together and took up the title as co-Dorques. There have been occasions where non-Bowlesman became the dorque.

The Thing: The Thing (known as "The Ineffable Thing" in the 1960s and 70s) is a quasi-Polynesian statue purported to imbue Bowlesmen with "virility without fertility" as long as it remains touching the building. Hidden each semester by the Dorque and sought after by Bowlesmen.

Suicide is Painless: The three-sided hall would concentrate sound from loudspeakers placed in the windows of the central rooms. During finals, it was traditional to play the theme song from the TV show "MASH" which was "Suicide is Painless", as a way of invoking gallows humor regarding finals.

Alakazoo: During finals week, there would be a serving of finals snack food (pizza, hot dogs, chili) at approximately 11:00PM. At midnight, those who chose to participate in the "Alakazoo" (a midnight water fight in the central courtyard) would gather and do the Alakazoo cheer which went:

Alakazoo, Alakazam! Horse Shit, God Damn! Witches Tit, Bloody Cunt! Rah, Rah, Fuck!

As finals week went on, the fights would grow in size and intensity as more and more students completed their last final (and last classes in some cases) and celebrated.

Greetings: The traditional greeting of a Bowlesman or alumnus passing the Hall is to yell "Hello Bowles Hall!" The traditional response is for everyone within earshot to respond "Hello asshole!". Other traditional greetings include "I hate this fucking place". To which the Bowlesmen closest to their windows respond "This fucking place hates you!"

Social Secretary: The job of the Social Secretary is to liven up the weekly housemeeting recanting the antics of the past week. The slogan of the Secretary is, "If you can't be funny, be crude." The Secretary traditionally opens his remarks with, "Good Evening, Gentlemen," to which the proper reply from the assembly is, "Good Evening, Asshole." Beware if you ever address a group of Bowlesmen and begin, "Good Evening, Gentlemen." In recent years the title of the Social Secretary has morphed into A.S.S./H.O.L.E. (Associate Social Secretary and Head of Light Entertainment) If the weekly housemeetings were not funny enough, the A.S.S./H.O.L.E. would be carried by the audience to the nearest shower stall and given a cold shower as encouragement to do a better job next time.

Rites of Spring: The Rites of Spring was a brisk jog held at midnight in the Spring semester. Traditionally it would start in the attic with each participant taking a drink from the sacred bottle of rum (or any other liquor), and singing the sacred Bowles Hall prayer -- "Oh Philip ...Oh Phillip...Please Bless Our Balls". The group would then jog down the front steps of Bowles Hall, down to Sather Tower, around Sather Tower a number of times, and back up to Bowles Hall without any clothes on. The route would often include a trip through the computer center in the basement of Evans Hall (in the days before PCs) and through Stern Hall (the nearby all-female dorm). This later changed to the tradition of Bowlesmen in Boxers (1994), which did the same thing, except with boxer shorts being worn. (During the 1979 to 1982 period, most Bowlesmen would carry shorts and the group would scatter and don shorts in the event the campus police was encountered.)

In the Spring of 1985 the UCPD decided to crack down on the Rites of Spring. Bowles Hall was warned. Campus police were stationed along the route and even at Bowles itself, waiting to capture returning streakers. The Bowlesmen were a step ahead and positioned lookouts with radios along the route. Bowlesmen returned via the backside of the Greek Theater and were given boxers as they entered the dorm. Campus police were foiled.

Drake's Revenge: Drake's Revenge was a means of getting back at or prank on someone on the 6th floor while using the lavatory. This involved waiting for the target to use the lavatory on the east side of the 6th floor. A bucket of water would be dumped into a vent on the 7th floor which quickly emptied onto the unsuspecting victim surprising him/her instantly. Best results were achieved when the victim was in the sitting position.

Bowle's Halloween Haunted House: Given its status as a castle, it is a tradition for Bowlesmen to redecorate the hall into a haunted mansion every Halloween for the neighborhood children.

Home of the Alumni: Graduating Bowlesmen would traditionally paint their name and class year in the attic as a permanent memento of their attendance.