May 12, 2004

COSAM Leaders Revive 1970s Fad

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What do you get when you stuff 14 COSAM Leaders into the associate dean's 1971 Volkswagen Beetle?

"A bunch of squished people," laughed Lee Foreman, a senior microbiology major, and the Leaders' 2004 president.

While that is true, "stuffing the bug" as the Leaders call it today, was actually a 1970's fad known as "Volkswagen stuffing." It turns out the fad was especially popular with college students who would skip school to go and see how many people they could fit into the tiny car. Kids would even go on diets and some students tried using geometry and calculus to fit in more people.

The good news is that the Leaders don't skip class and, even though they are science and mathematics majors, they don't use geometry or calculus as a part of their strategy.

The tradition began when the 2001 Leaders gathered at COSAM Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Leaders' advisor, Larry Wit's house for their annual end-of-the-year cookout. Parked in the driveway was Wit's famous "faded red and primer" colored Volkswagen Beetle.

"I am not sure exactly how it got started, but we were talking about the fad and the next thing you know 12 students had stuffed themselves into the car," Wit said.

The record was broken in 2003 when 13 Leaders packed into the famous little car, and this year's group was able to pack in 14.

Sounds simple enough, right? A bunch of young limber college students can easily pack into a VW. But wait -- don't forget a few rules have been developed along with the way. Remember the end-of-the-year cookout?

"Yes, we do have a few rules and regulations," Wit smiled. "The doors must be closed. The windows can be opened. And, the students must eat first."

Forget a salad because it is only part of the meal, Foreman said.

"Oh man, we have to fill our plates with barbeque chicken, two or three different casseroles and then we top it off with birthday cake," he said.

With dieting out of the question, what was the 2004 Leaders' record-breaking strategy?

"We tried to fit more people into the backseat," said Foreman who was also a member of the 2003 group.

"I remember thinking, 'I am glad I am not the guy on the bottom of this stack of people,'" said first-timer Philip Putnam, a junior biomedical sciences major who will return with the 2005 Leaders to carry on the tradition.

When asked what he learned from this year's experience, he said, "I think we lost valuable space in the back storage compartment and in the floorboards under the two front seats. I'd like to see those places filled."

One last bit of advice from a pro, "Be patient and have fun," Foreman said. "Oh yes, and don't step on the front driver's side floorboard - it may fall through."

Will the Leaders be able to pack 15 in '05 or will the floorboards put a bug in Putnam's plans?

To be continued in the spring of 2005…