Page 9 - 1911 February - To Dragma

80 TO PRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI

TRADITIONS AT CORNELL

Like many colleges, Cornell University, after sad experiences, has
abolished freshman hazing. The townspeople objected to the walls
and ceilings of their homes being ripped open, not to say anything
of such little things as broken windows. The sophomores have
felt, however, that they must impress upon the "fresh" their .insig-
nificance and have gained the consent of the university authorities
to an organized rush on the day of the freshman banquet. The
sophomores and freshmen, lined up on opposite sides of the drill
field, at a pistol shot rush upon each other. All the "Frosh" escape
beyond the sophomore line may attend their banquet that night un-
molested. But those that are caught must march over the campus
in a "peerade" ludicrously garbed and painted.

There is never a season at Ithaca that has not its charms. In the
fall when the hills are covered with leaves of many hues, it is de-
lightful to tramp for miles across gorges and valleys. Winter brings
with it always two or three months of sleighing, skating and tobog-
ganing.

One of the greatest events of the year is Spring Day on which
university work is suspended to permit all the students to attend a
great fair that is half circus, half vaudeville, the proceeds of which
accrues to the Athletic Association's treasury. "Tess of Ithaca,"
"Chantecleer or Fowl Play," "Ithaca During an Earthquake,"
"Mock Court Trials," "Johnson and Jeffries" have been some of
these worthy productions.

Because of the great size of our University and the great majority
of men over girls, the latter have some exclusive customs, the most
popular of which are the stunts. Each class beginning with the
seniors presents a play, sometimes original, with choruses and singing
appropriately introduced. This is the time when our class spirit
bubbles over and takes the outward form of songs and yells. The
girls also have interclass boat races on Beebe Lake which the men and
girls flock on the shores to view.

The greatest day of the year for Cornell is Memorial Day. Then
it is that our men show what they can do on the water. Generally,
there are two races on Lake Cayuga and one either at Pennsylvania
or Harvard and also a baseball game in the afternoon before the
races. We may be beaten in baseball, but we are always certain of
the victories of our crews. At dusk, all the Cornellians on the hill
listen with trembling to the shrill whistle down the valley that pro-
claims victory or defeat.