Bus Tales

Tonight I opted to take a bus back to my room. I live up a decent sized hill, and the school has a shuttle that goes around campus, a popular destination for the bus being "upper campus," which is where my dorm is. I guess I don't normally take it, as it's really only like a 15 minute walk or so, but I was feeling lazy.

I'm waiting for the bus, along with about 10 other people including three students I determined were freshmen. They were singing in very high pitched voices, then all getting stuck at the same part of the song at once because none of them knew the next line. I couldn't tell what they were singing, but it was a bit annoying.

Within a few minutes the bus showed up, already with a few people sitting. They were all sitting up front, so I took a seat towards the back (I also felt since I live with a black now it's only proper for me to sit towards the back of the bus anyway). The three of them also sat near me. They continued singing.

Then I finally realized what they were singing. It was the school alma mater song. They try to teach you that along with a few others when you first get here. And these guys were rocking out on the bus to it. Once I realized what it was, I immediately changed my mind about them, and thought it was hilarious. Just because I found them, here's the lyrics:

Alma mater, wise and glorious
Child of light and bride of truth
Over fate and foe victorious
Dowered with eternal youth.

Crowned with love of son and daughter
Thou shalt conquer as of yore.
Dear old Pittsburgh, Alma Mater
God preserve thee evermore.

They were getting stuck on that last line, somehow they memorized everything else. Impressive. Between songs they would quote lines from a Robert Goulet impression done by Will Ferrell on "Saturday Night Live," which was also hilarious. They kept singing, and then about 5 other people in the back of bus also joined in. So now about 8 people are singing the Pitt alma mater song.

A few minutes into the ride, this guy sitting towards the front of the bus turned around and yelled, "Can you guys shut the fuck up? Like seriously, just shut the fuck up. I mean, it's what, like a 15 minute ride at most? Can't you fucks just sit and be quiet?"

The freshmen laughed. The guy was pissed.

"Really, just shut the fuck up. Maybe not everybody likes listening to assholes croon acapella ballads."

Unfortunately, he didn't say that last line jokingly. That's apparently just how he talks. Then I laughed. Then one of the guys decided it was time to answer him back.

"Hey man, don't be a party pooper. I can't help it. I bleed gold and blue."

The guy was just really dejected, so he turned around and sat quietly for the rest of the ride. The guys didn't sing again on the bus, but they asked pretty much everyone else on the bus to join their acapella group, which they didn't have a name for yet.