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Skule Cannon: Difference between revisions
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The Skule™ Cannon is often accompanied by the [[Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad]], which usually plays and sings [[Godiva's Hymn]] before the firing of the Cannon. Public firing of the Cannon is usually followed by the [[Skule Yell]]. | The Skule™ Cannon is often accompanied by the [[Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad]], which usually plays and sings [[Godiva's Hymn]] before the firing of the Cannon. Public firing of the Cannon is usually followed by the [[Skule Yell]]. | ||
==History | ==History== | ||
===Origins of the Cannon=== | ===Origins of the Cannon=== | ||
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===Hart House Cannons=== | ===Hart House Cannons=== | ||
The first cannons honoured with the title | The first cannons honoured with the title "Skule Cannon" were those in front of Hart House. In 1929, an Engineering caper resulted in the firing of one of the two cannons on the front lawn of Hart House. This however, demonstrated only 50% efficiency, as both cannons were supposed to blow. | ||
===Early Cannons=== | ===Early Cannons=== | ||
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===1971: First gangbang with Ryerson=== | ===1971: First gangbang with Ryerson=== | ||
The year 1971 was the year of the first gangbang with the Ryerson Engineers. The purpose of the gangbang was to see who had the better Cannon. Not only did the SkuleTM Cannon win, but the UofT engineers made off with the Ryerson Cannon and the distributor wire to their bus! | |||
===1973: 1973 Cannon forged=== | ===1973: 1973 Cannon forged=== | ||
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The Cannoneer at the time, Robert Gilmour did not want to fire the Cannon at his own Grad Ball, so a former Cannoneer named John Vanneste was called from retirement to fire the Cannon. The Cannon was found to be badly corroded and in need of cleaning. When the barrel was removed from the base, Gilmour's name was found chiseled into the bottom. The Engineering Society executives passed a motion of censure against Gilmour, and the entire deed was exposed in the Toike Oike. At John Vanneste's suggestion, the Cannon Guard wore black hardhats (as opposed to the traditional red) for one year to show the Engineer's displeasure. After the year was up, they decided to keep wearing the black hardhats, and they also decided to wear black t-shirts to create a new image. | The Cannoneer at the time, Robert Gilmour did not want to fire the Cannon at his own Grad Ball, so a former Cannoneer named John Vanneste was called from retirement to fire the Cannon. The Cannon was found to be badly corroded and in need of cleaning. When the barrel was removed from the base, Gilmour's name was found chiseled into the bottom. The Engineering Society executives passed a motion of censure against Gilmour, and the entire deed was exposed in the Toike Oike. At John Vanneste's suggestion, the Cannon Guard wore black hardhats (as opposed to the traditional red) for one year to show the Engineer's displeasure. After the year was up, they decided to keep wearing the black hardhats, and they also decided to wear black t-shirts to create a new image. | ||
===1978: Another | ===1978: Another Ryerson gangbang=== | ||
In 1978, Ryerson made another weak attempt to outdo the SkuleTM Cannon. On the day of the scheduled gangbang, a message was "supposedly" left at EngSoc informing UofT that Ryerson wasn't coming because of the rain. Due to the no-show, UofT declared themselves the winners and called Ryerson to tell them. It was only after that phone call that Ryerson decided to show up. So on that rainy day, 200 UofT engineers and 5 Politechs witnessed the 2nd ever gangbang. The Ryerson judge declared Ryerson winners, but the UofT judge declared the SkuleTM Cannon superior. Once again, UofT came out on top. No one was interested in stealing Ryerson's feeble cannon, so they were allowed to return home unharmed. | |||
===1979: Another Ryerson gangbang=== | |||
===1979: | |||
January of 1979 was yet another gangbang versus RyeHigh. The LGMB showed up to play at the event; however due to the extreme cold, the instruments froze up, and nobody could play. The cannons fired anyway, and yet again Ryerson went home with their tails between their legs as UofT was announced the winner. | January of 1979 was yet another gangbang versus RyeHigh. The LGMB showed up to play at the event; however due to the extreme cold, the instruments froze up, and nobody could play. The cannons fired anyway, and yet again Ryerson went home with their tails between their legs as UofT was announced the winner. | ||
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"A new Mighty Skule Cannon has been built and [was fired] for the first time during F!rosh Week 1T3. | "A new Mighty Skule Cannon has been built and [was fired] for the first time during F!rosh Week 1T3. | ||
The [[Chief Attiliator]] at the time [later revealed to be David Belvedere] built a new Cannon to celebrate the 85th year of the Cannon, the | The [[Chief Attiliator]] at the time [later revealed to be David Belvedere] built a new Cannon to celebrate the 85th year of the Cannon, the 140th year of [[Skule]], and to replace the 1998 Cannon. The 1998 Cannon was in service for 15 years, the longest of any [[Skule]] Cannon thus far, and was replaced [due to] signs of wear. | ||
The 1T3 cannon is made from a high strength, rare type of stainless steel, and has been heat treated for maximum strength. It has new structural designs, stronger materials, and other specifications that make it the strongest, loudest, and mightiest [[Skule]] Cannon to date." This cannon cost $7,500 to manufacture and receives non-destructive testing annually to ensure its safety. | |||
===2023: The Mark 9 is Forged=== | |||
A new cannon was forged to celebrate the [[Skule]] sesquicentennial (150th anniversary). The Mark 9 was revealed as part of a multi-cannon salute on Founding Day (March 29, 2023), where 8 Skule Cannons were fired along King's College Road (a replica of the Mark 1, while present, was not fired)—the largest multi-Skule Cannon firing to date. This multi-cannon salute included appearances by several generations of [[Chief Attiliator | ex-Chief Attiliators]], spanning back decades, and involved months of planning and safety testing to ensure the older cannons could be fired safely at the event. | |||
In typical engineering fashion, the Mark 9 was finished well in advance of the deadline, with sanding and polishing the metal components of the carriage having been completed a full 15 minutes after the machinists were supposed to deliver the new cannon to Chief for the multi-cannon salute. This incredible punctuality was furthered by a 10-15 minute wait for the Myhal elevators upon arriving. | |||
The Mark 9 features a bronze barrel, along with bronze wheels and bronze plated hardware. It has a carriage made of charred and stabilised poplar, with a titanium base plate. Additionally, there is a piece of leather cut from an [[Leather Jackets | engineering leather jacket]] used on the carriage as well. | |||
==Further Reading== | ==Further Reading== | ||
* Levine, Barry, ''A Century of Skill and Vigour'' | * Levine, Barry, ''A Century of Skill and Vigour'' | ||
[[Category:Skule Trinity]] | [[Category:Skule Trinity]] [[Category:Mascots]] | ||