Page 157 - WhyAsInY

sons (anD Mostly DauGHters) of tHe Blue anD WHite
Arnie Deerson played the Mayor’s second in command, the Comp- troller, and Linda Lee, one of the most wonderful people I had ever met, played the Executive Secretary. We were featured—merely bowing at appropriate times but not singing—in a song that was set to “Tit Wil- low” from The Mikado, the rhythm of which was intentionally botched when it came to the familiar refrain of the original, “Oh Willow, Tit Willow, Tit Willow.” The first stanza was:
Down in the cellar in B-71
Dwell the Mayor, Comptroller, and Executive Secretary. Despite their positions, they get nothing done.
Not the Mayor, Comptroller, or Executive Secretary.
B-71 was the number on the door of the Mayor’s office in the base- ment level of the building and was therefore another way of referring to the student government itself, sort of like the way in which 10 Downing Street has come to be a stand-in for the Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Now, you might, quite understandably, wonder why I am telling you all of this, and telling it to you now, but be patient, and in a few paragraphs, all things will be illuminated.
As I might have mentioned, not only were most of the girls on the Lyric Committee beautiful, but they were also girls who “knew the ropes.” While they were freshmen at Kensington, they had met a lot of upperclassmen, particularly those who had been involved in Sing. And, as you would surmise, it was also the case that many upperclassmen were attracted to them. Now, it transpires that people who were active in Sing were very often also active in student government. Thus, many of the girls on the Lyric Committee, and many who were otherwise active in Sing, would hang out around B-71 and mix with older students. As I had become friendly with this group, I soon found myself hanging out around B-71 and meeting upperclassmen as well.
In my junior year, I was once again active in Sing and even closer with friends that I had made when I was a sophomore. I also continued
• 139 •