house rules he officially had fourteen minutes more, he got the message. He stood up and asked me how I'd guessed he wasn't from Eliot. Was it something in his face?
-I answered candidly that it was only something in his jacket.
This embarrassed him. As he started to examine it, I explained that it was a former possession -of mine. Now I felt shitty for mentioning it, and quickly assured the guy that he could use the library anytime I was there.
I mean, he was at Harvard, wasn't he?
Yeah. It turns out he's a sophomore commuter. Named Ted
Lambros.
O
n October 17, there was a small riot in Eliot House. More specifically, a demonstration against classical
music. Still more specifically, a demonstration against Danny Rossi. To be extremely precise, the actual aggression was not against the man but his piano.
It all started when a couple of clubbies began an early cocktail party. Danny usually practiced at Paine Hall, except when he had exams or a paper due. Then he used the secondhand upright in his room.
He was at it hot and heavy that afternoon when some of the jolly tipplers decided that Chopin was not suitable background music for getting smashed. It was simply a matter of taste. And, of course, in Eliot House, taste was the supreme law. It was therefore decided that Rossi had to be
silenced.
At first they tried diplomacy. Dickie Newall was
dispatched to tap politely on Rossi's portal and respectfully request that Danny "quit playing that shit."
The pianist replied that house rules allowed him to
practice a musical instrument in the afternoon. And he would stick to his rights. To which Newall responded that he didn't give a flying fig for rules, and that Rossi was disturbing a serious
symposium. Danny then asked him to go away. Which he did. When Newall returned to report the failure of his mission, his co-imbibers decided that physical action was necessary. Four of Eliot's staunchest and drunkest legionnaires
marched resolutely across the courtyard and up to Rossi's room. They knocked politely on the door. He opened it slightly. Without another word, the commandos entered, surrounded the offending instrument, lugged it to the open window, and- hurled it out. -
Danny's piano fell three floors to the courtyard, smashing
and disintegrating on the pavement below. Fortunately, no one was passing by at the time.
Rossi feared he'd be the next to be defenestrated. But
Dickie Newall simply remarked, "Thanks for your cooperation, Dan." And the band of merry men departed.
In a matter of seconds there was a crowd around the dismembered instrument. Danny was the first to arrive and reacted as though someone in his family had been murdered.
("Christ," Newall reported, "I've never seen a guy get so upset about a piece of wood. ")
The perpetrators of the assault were immediately convoked in the senior tutor's office, where Dr. Porter threatened
them with expulsion and ordered them to pay for a new piano as well as for the broken window. Moreover, they were commanded to march over and apologize.
But Rossi was still in a fury. He told them they were a bunch of uncivilized animals who didn't deserve to be at Harvard. Since Dr. Porter was right there, they grudgingly
agreed with him. As they departed, the clubbies vowed revenge on the "little Italian wimp" who had caused them so much embarrassment.
That night at dinner. Andrew Eliot (who had been warming
the varsity soccer bench during that afternoon's debacle) saw
Danny sitting all by himself at a corner table, picking at
his food and looking really miserable. He walked over and sat down across the table. -
"Hey, Rossi, I'm sorry to hear about your piano."
Danny lifted his head. "Who the hell do they think they are?" he suddenly exploded.
"You want the truth?" Andrew asked. "They think they're God's gift to sophistication. But actually they're just a bunch of empty-headed preppies who
-I answered candidly that it was only something in his jacket.
This embarrassed him. As he started to examine it, I explained that it was a former possession -of mine. Now I felt shitty for mentioning it, and quickly assured the guy that he could use the library anytime I was there.
I mean, he was at Harvard, wasn't he?
Yeah. It turns out he's a sophomore commuter. Named Ted
Lambros.
O
n October 17, there was a small riot in Eliot House. More specifically, a demonstration against classical
music. Still more specifically, a demonstration against Danny Rossi. To be extremely precise, the actual aggression was not against the man but his piano.
It all started when a couple of clubbies began an early cocktail party. Danny usually practiced at Paine Hall, except when he had exams or a paper due. Then he used the secondhand upright in his room.
He was at it hot and heavy that afternoon when some of the jolly tipplers decided that Chopin was not suitable background music for getting smashed. It was simply a matter of taste. And, of course, in Eliot House, taste was the supreme law. It was therefore decided that Rossi had to be
silenced.
At first they tried diplomacy. Dickie Newall was
dispatched to tap politely on Rossi's portal and respectfully request that Danny "quit playing that shit."
The pianist replied that house rules allowed him to
practice a musical instrument in the afternoon. And he would stick to his rights. To which Newall responded that he didn't give a flying fig for rules, and that Rossi was disturbing a serious
symposium. Danny then asked him to go away. Which he did. When Newall returned to report the failure of his mission, his co-imbibers decided that physical action was necessary. Four of Eliot's staunchest and drunkest legionnaires
marched resolutely across the courtyard and up to Rossi's room. They knocked politely on the door. He opened it slightly. Without another word, the commandos entered, surrounded the offending instrument, lugged it to the open window, and- hurled it out. -
Danny's piano fell three floors to the courtyard, smashing
and disintegrating on the pavement below. Fortunately, no one was passing by at the time.
Rossi feared he'd be the next to be defenestrated. But
Dickie Newall simply remarked, "Thanks for your cooperation, Dan." And the band of merry men departed.
In a matter of seconds there was a crowd around the dismembered instrument. Danny was the first to arrive and reacted as though someone in his family had been murdered.
("Christ," Newall reported, "I've never seen a guy get so upset about a piece of wood. ")
The perpetrators of the assault were immediately convoked in the senior tutor's office, where Dr. Porter threatened
them with expulsion and ordered them to pay for a new piano as well as for the broken window. Moreover, they were commanded to march over and apologize.
But Rossi was still in a fury. He told them they were a bunch of uncivilized animals who didn't deserve to be at Harvard. Since Dr. Porter was right there, they grudgingly
agreed with him. As they departed, the clubbies vowed revenge on the "little Italian wimp" who had caused them so much embarrassment.
That night at dinner. Andrew Eliot (who had been warming
the varsity soccer bench during that afternoon's debacle) saw
Danny sitting all by himself at a corner table, picking at
his food and looking really miserable. He walked over and sat down across the table. -
"Hey, Rossi, I'm sorry to hear about your piano."
Danny lifted his head. "Who the hell do they think they are?" he suddenly exploded.
"You want the truth?" Andrew asked. "They think they're God's gift to sophistication. But actually they're just a bunch of empty-headed preppies who
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