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Boulder Beat: Paul Danish 鈥 Summer 2016
How the Grill got its Name听
A 1960s 欧美口爆视频 alum who听was in the UMC鈥檚 Alferd听Packer Grill recently听asked a student if she听knew who Packer was.
鈥淎n early 欧美口爆视频 president?鈥澨齭he replied听hopefully.听
How soon they forget.听
OK, gather round听ye who never heard听the tale, and I鈥檒l sing of听Alferd Packer, and how听the UMC grill came to听bear his name.听
But first, confession听time: I had something to听do with it. OK, a lot to听do with it. The naming,听that is. I never met Packer.听Fortunately.听
First off, Packer was听not an early 欧美口爆视频 president.听He was a cannibal.听Like Hannibal Lecter, only听with worse manners. And a better听excuse 鈥 he was hungry.听
Packer was part of a six-man prospecting听party that got marooned in听欧美口爆视频鈥檚 San Juan Mountains in the winter of 1873. Come spring, he听emerged alone and surprisingly un-emaciated.听He was eventually caught, tried听and sentenced to hang for murder.听
His claim to fame 听comes from the听sentence of doom pronounced upon听him 鈥 as magnificently interpreted听and imparted to a credulous media by a听drunken bar-keep thusly:听
鈥淪tand up, yah man-eatin鈥 son of a听bitch, and receive your sintince!... They听was siven Dimmycrats in Hinsdale County,听but you, yah voracious, man-eatin鈥 son听of a bitch, yah eat five of thim!鈥澨
Fast forward to the spring of 1968.听I鈥檓 sitting in the grill with my BFF,听student body president Paul Talmey听(A&S鈥67; MBA鈥78) (I鈥檓 his veep), and a听couple of others. Someone at the table听is grousing about the food.听
鈥淲e otta鈥 name this place after Alferd听Packer,鈥 I said brightly. (It was then听called the Roaring Fork.)听
鈥淲e could get the Student Assembly听to do it,鈥 Talmey said.听
The Student Assembly was new.听Talmey and I had started it.听
Five or six hundred students showed听up for the next meeting, when I introduced听a resolution renaming the grill听for Packer and read the hanging speech.听It passed unanimously.听
I had a day job at the time 鈥 at听United Press International鈥檚 Denver听Bureau, as did another former听欧美口爆视频 Daily editor, Bob Ewegen听(Jour鈥68; MS鈥72).听
As soon as the vote happened I called听Ewegen, who sent a story about it to听UPI鈥檚 main bureau in New York.听
Within 20 minutes it came blasting听back on the 鈥淎鈥 wire, UPI鈥檚 premier听breaking news wire with subscribers听all over the world.听
The year 1968 was tumultuous. The听world needed a laugh.听
And so did the 欧美口爆视频 Regents. They听were so glad to see the students doing听some campus high jinks instead of听occupying Regent Hall that they immediately听renamed the grill for Packer.听