Origins: The MERK Chapter House

It all begain in 1994. I was tired of living on my own in a dingy little basement apartment. Geezus was looking to move out of his parents’ house and so was Oreo. So it was just natural for the three of us to get an apartment together. So we began the hunt for a reasonably priced 3 bedroom apartment near the campus area…two mutually exclusive criteria.

After much looking and checking out many apartments, we finally found one, a good sized 3 bedroom 2nd floor apartment for about $650/month. It was a fantastic location. A nice 15 minute walk to campus, and staggering distance to Whyte Ave and the Purple Onion. Close to the Farmer’s Market, and we had the Fringe Festival practically in our back yard.

The MERK Chapter House, as our apartment later became known, quickly turned into the launching point and crash pad for many nights of carousing. It was a gathering place for Hooligans all over.

The collection of empty Coke cans in the corner became legendary, and proceeds from the returns funded purchases of even more cases of Coke, plus the occasional bottle of Crown (to mix with the Coke).

Eventually, the Chapter House became decorated with the spoils of our drunken wanderings. A life sized cardboard cutout of Darth Vader (obtained as a surprise after purchasing the Star Wars VHS boxed set) sat in one corner along with my bike and indoor trainer. Nobody remembers (or is willing to admit) where the street sign hanging on the wall came from. Empty bottles of Crown Royal lining the tops of the kitchen cabinets. The sandwich board sign from the Black Dog mysteriously appeared in our living room one day.
Life at the Chapter House was good, life was fun and care free and became the source of many memories. Walking into the living room to discover a naked girl prancing about. Coming home from school to discover a happening party and no signs of the roomies around. Staggering home from nights spent at the Purple Onion. Pizzas at the Funky Pickle. Drunken Hooligans scattered about the living room from the previous night. Black Creature spewing all over Oreo’s futon. Geezus making a ritual sacrifice to Hoo over the porcelain altar. And who could forget the massive clumps of hair from Geezus’ brush scattered about the bathroom looking like dead rodents.

Sadly, after about two years, the Chapter House was forced to close. I got a job in Detroit, and Oreo moved to North Carolina to work.

Those were fun days living in that apartment.