The Cossack (and Others)

Image by *hoodrat* via Flickr

I remember some of the folks from that Summer. My first room mates were Steven D. Acuff from Nashville and some little tough guy with red hair whose name I do not recall. They were pretty good mates. We quickly analyzed the requirements and set about to meet them. Here are some examples of the "musts":

1. Beds had to be made with "dust cover" six days a week and with "white collar" on Saturdays and Sundays
2. The floor, blinds, desks, beds and lockers had to be clean and free of dust. (This in Texas in Summer with the windows open all the time.)
3. Socks and underwear folded "just so" and with a smile
4. Books and other vertical items "taller tapped" from tallest to shortest
5. Shoes shined (dust removed from soles)
6. Beds 18 inches from the locker and 6 7/8 inches from the wall
7. Uniforms hanging "looking left" and all horizontals perfectly even
8. Two towels hanging with bottoms "exactly" even (these were taped and never used)

Each weekday morning we had to accomplish the above, shave, bathe and whatever in the 3o minutes between "Greenies" and "Details."

Greenies took place at 0600 on the grass in the quad between buildings. Lower classmen were allowed on the quad only during the 15 minutes each morning when we were required to remove everything but growing grass from our personal 10 foot by 10 foot area of lawn.

Details were assigned to each OT early in the program and we had 15 minutes a day to keep our areas spotless. My assigned area was the laundry room. You wouldn't believe the care required in keeping a washer,dryer, floor, walls, ceilings, pipes and drains clinically clean and polished.