One of the artifacts I have from my frat days is a T-shirt from Swamp Water in 1990. It was a party where we’d create a swamp behind the house that you had to go through to get in.

The swamp was framed by wood and a layer of plastic to keep the water in, and there were wood pallets to walk on, so you didn’t have to get your shoes swampy. Based on the picture I have from building it, I think the swamp must have been about 18” or so deep.

Apparently, this was before people were lawsuit-happy, because this swamp was enclosed by walls and a roof and poorly lit, so it would be really easy to lose your footing, fall into the water, and get hurt. I guess someone could even drown if they were drunk and/or bonked their head on the way down.

Anyhow, it was a fantastic party. It was a 4-way event with two fraternities and two sororities. In the case of the Swamp Water that I still have a shirt from, we did it with Alpha Phi, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Delta Tau Delta.

The band for Swamp Water in 1990 was Honor Among Thieves, which was formed that year by students at the University of Maryland. Frontman Mitch Allan was a Theta Chi at Maryland, and they often played local bars and frats at that time.

In the years after all of this, Honor Among Thieves evolved into another band called SR-71, which had a hit single, “Right Now,” which was featured in movies such as American Pie and Dude, Where’s My Car?

Mitch Allan also wrote the song “1985”, which was on an SR-71 record, and he later gave permission to Bowling for Soup to record it, and they had a massive hit with it. Allen also wrote popular songs for Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, Jason Derulo, Demi Lovato, and others.

Those parties were amazing, with the beer flowing, fun people, great music, and a backyard swamp. I miss those days.