A back arrow

All Articles

336 Kiefaber

336 Kiefaber

Alayna Yates '23 December 12, 2024

What’s the statute of limitations for cutting down trees on public property? 

moving illustration of a Christmas tree flipping upside downClass of 1979 graduates Dave Pocsatko, Phil Yennerell, Bill Kacmarsky and Andy Balsai wouldn’t know. And if they did, they probably wouldn’t pay the fines.

One December night, as the young men were huddled around their dining room table playing euchre — as they did every night after dinner — they started brainstorming ways to bring in the Christmas spirit before leaving for winter break.

They settled on getting a Christmas tree — and flipping it upside down on the ceiling.

While this was a fun idea, they were stumped on where they could find a tree. Fortunately, Kacmarsky worked a co-op job in Cincinnati that semester, so he drove down from Dayton every day. He spotted the perfect tree off I-75 and even recalled the mile marker. 

“As soon as you told those guys you can’t, then there’s a challenge,” Yennerell said.

“Those were the wrong words because they’d always respond with, ‘Well, watch us.’”

So, the next evening, Kacmarsky and Balsai jumped into Kacmarsky’s Ford Maverick and journeyed to find their perfect I-75 tree that they could bring back home.

Now, the 336 Kiefaber guys were no engineering majors, but what they lacked in knowledge, they made up for in determination. Standing on some chairs, they wired the bottom branches to nails they had put in the ceiling. 

“Once the Christmas tree went up, we figured we had to have some stockings by the fireplace and we thought, ‘Well okay, tube socks will do it,’” Kacmarsky said. 

“We all gave up one tube sock, which was a hot commodity and all the rage in ’78,” Yennerell said. “They were a big fashion statement, but knowing me, the other one is probably still in a drawer somewhere.”

Once the tube sock stockings were hung upside down above the fireplace with care, they decorated the tree with tinsel and ornaments. For a finishing touch, they tacked upside down presents to the ceiling as well.

“That was part of the brainstorm all along. If you have a Christmas tree, you have to have presents underneath it, right?” Pocsatko said. “Well, I guess on top of it now, technically.”

With the halls of 336 Kiefaber officially decked, the house was ready for the holidays. One could assume that the young men would surely hang some mistletoe as well, right?

“Nope, but we had an epic end of the semester party and everyone enjoyed our creation,” Yennerell said. “Take my word for it.”

 

Want to suggest your old house for a future issue? Email us at magazine@udayton.edu.

Illustration by Kevin Johnson.

Investing in opportunity