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Tuesday, April 17, 2012
MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 21
MOUNTAIN DEWDS
The Mountain Dewds explain tradition
VICTORIA PITCHER
vpitcher@kansan.com
They call themselves The Mountain Dewds, and the ten men living under one roof share more than just a lease; they share a Christian brotherhood. It's hard to miss the worn, white house dawning a big red Quick Trip sign on Mississippi Street, but it has been mistaken for a fraternity and even once for a real Quick Trip. The Dewds, however, say they are just a bunch of guys living together, who share a common goal.
"We are just trying to be good influences on the community," said Mikey Shaw, a Dewd and a freshman from Heidelberg, Germany.
The Dewds are known for their parties, but they aren't your typical college parties. Every year they throw a Halloween party, and instead of alcohol, the Dewds serve, you guessed it, Mountain Dew. Other events hosted by the Dewds are Ramp Day, where they ride bikes off a ramp into Potter Lake, and Keith Day which is always on the third Friday in April.
There is a story behind almost every tradition for the Dewds. The meaning of Keith Day has become increasingly abstract, but the real history behind the party will continue to be passed on between the Dewds. Keith was a former Dewd, who the other roommates never saw when he was living there. The roommates decided if they threw a party for him, he would have to show up. The party turned out to be a huge success.
"Everyone had so much fun at the party that it just kept happening," said Ty Crowl, a senior from Overland Park and present Dewd. "It's called Keith Day, but it's not really about Keith anymore."
The story of how the Mountain Dewds became the community they are today begins with a group of four or five friends who took a road trip. Along the way they came across a box of t-shirts at a gas station, reading "The Mountain Dewds". The guys decided to wear them and eventually began calling themselves the name from the shirts. When they moved in together, they found more roommates and the Mountain Dewds kept growing and the traditions was begun.
"There is a lot of history that just happens," said Greg Huenergard, a senior from Wichita. "It just happens and we don't understand it."
standing tradition in the house.
The Mountain Dewds went from a small group of friends to having 120 Dewds since 2003. Once the Dewds gained attention from outside the house, they ran into trouble. The Pepsi Company sent a cease and desist letter claiming they were using the Mountain Dewds name to make money, but when Pepsi found out their intentions were not for business, they were let off the hook.
After occupying two houses on Tennessee for years, the Dewds moved to the house on Mississippi with seven bedrooms and only two working bathrooms at the beginning of fall semester. The Quick Trip sign that hangs on
Luke Shaw, a senior from Heidelberg, Germany said that the Mountain Dews were the very first customers when Quick Trip first opened in Lawrence. His brother, Mikey Shaw said that about four times a week the Dews make a trip to Quick Trip.
"We are on a first name basis with the manager there," Mikey Shaw said.
Shaw also said that most of the Dewds were friends with the manager at Quick Trip on Facebook. Now, every year on the day Quick Trip opened, the Dewds throw a birthday party for the convenience store by bringing a cake and sometimes a present and by singing Happy Birthday. In return, the Dewds have gained a plethora of memorabilia from QuickTrip including mugs, a coffee table book, and even Quick Trip Monopoly.
VICTORIA PITCHER/KANSAN
The most recent addition to the Mountain Dewds is six baby chickens. Over spring break Luke Shaw purchased the chickens to raise and use them for eggs. When the chickens became too big, the Dewds built a chicken coop. Spontaneous ideas are welcome among the Mountain Dewds.
"The chicken coop is probably a classic example of the sort of attitude where if someone has an idea, and they want to do something kind of out of the usual, the community will come around and embrace it and say 'Why not? Sounds fun' Luke Shaw said.
It's not always one big party for the Mountain Dewds, although they try to constantly be "awesome". Living in a house with 10 people takes patience and good communication. The biggest source of frustration in the Mountain Dewds house is cleanliness Mikey Shaw said, but the Dewds are always able to come together and clean the whole house in one day.
The Dewds have a handbook that they refer to when needed, but the general rule is "Don't be a knucklehead"
"There are no real hard and fast rules," Crowl said.
But Crowl said there are two things that come close to hard and fast rules: underage drinking and girls staying the night is not allowed. The Dewds are united by a common Christian background which is one of the reasons for the two rules. Every Sunday they hold a house meeting where they discuss bills and ask how everyone's week was. And at the end of every meeting, the Dewds pray.
"I was told at my first house meeting that the roommates and the Dewds that you meet here are going to be in your wedding. And that's the idea."
"The biggest thing in our house is just friendships. That's what we form here," said Huenergard. "We don't look here for church. We look for a Christian brotherhood here."
And for Mikey Shaw, he learned how important those friendships would become.
The Moutain Dewds house has been mistaken for a real Quick Trip before. Since 2003 the house has been home to 120 Dewds.
Edited by Ian Cummings
VICTORIA PITCHER/KANSAN
The Mountain Dewds, top: (left to right) Greg Huenergardt, Corey Beach, Elliott Klaassen, Christian Jones, Luke Shaw, middle: Bobby Ray Thomas III, Ty Crowl, Sean Sandifer, bottom: Mikey Shaw, Tyler Madison
to prevent it from leaking.The well casings are also designed to prevent leaking.
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ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Kenyon Farrow, a writer, speaker and activist against HIV/AIDS, prisons, and homophobia speaks to students Monday night at the Ecumenical Campus Ministries about the rhetoric of African American homosexuals that is used within the community. Farrow spoke as part of KU's Queers & Allies Gaypril.
— Edited by Gabrielle Schock
the US House of Representatives between 2005 and 2009, at least 29 known carcinogens were being used in the chemical mixture to fracture. The chemicals are "regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) for their risks
Index
STUDENT SENATE
CLASSIFIEDS 7
CROSSWORD 4
Meetings will vote on next year's chairs
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
Now that the student body elections are over, Student Senate will start to turnover and set up for next year.
Senate committee meetings will meet Wednesday night to vote on next year's committee chairs.
The current chairs are Josh Dean for
finance, Aaron Harris for rights, Devon Cantwell for multicultural and Whittee Douthitt for University affairs. Gabe Bliss, the outgoing student body vice president, said Dean and Douthitt are coming back next semester. Douthitt will retain her school of journalism senator seat after she won in last week's elections.
Joint Senate will be held on April 25. That will start with the outgoing Senate managing the meeting and close with the new Senate in session. The Senate will also confirm appointed Senate seats.
Vikaas Shanker
All contents, unless stated otherwise, $ \textcircled{c} $ 2012 The University Daily Kansan
Don't forget The Just in Time Career Fair is today from noon to 4 p.m. in the Kansas Union. Find a job!
Today's Weather
Decreasing clouds.
Southerly winds 10-15 mph with gusts up to 20 mph.
HI: 74
L0: 55
Nice day for a lovely stroll