Columbia University - Columbian Yearbook (New York, NY)

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History of the Class of 1930 the excited and expectant Freshmen the first few days at Columbia were days of receptions, both pleasant and otherwise. After the staid and ultra-respectable reception tendered the Class of l930 by professors of the University, the unsuspecting yearlings ' u'5l'Olm became, with traditional suddenness, the guests of the Sophomores. The greenness of the new men disappeared beneath a liberal application of shoe polish, and the painted savages then performed primitive war dances to the solemn chanting of We Want .Milk . Other shameless cavemen indulged in petting parties with Alma Mater, while sprightly bare-foot goblins danced on the edge of the fountain basins. After these incongruities the uncouth appearance of the new men disappeared in the basins of the Campus lavatories, and a sober and determined class appeared. Smarting under their humiliation, they met their foe on the Held of battle in the class rush to emerge the proud, albeit shoeless victors. While the College was wrangling over the abolition of Frosh rules, the innocent men concerned went their peaceful way unashamed of their black and green regalia which the college voted overwhelmingly to uphold. When the furore over the rules had subsided, the mystic circle of Mu Pi, known by the Freshmen as the dreaded Black Avengers, duly warned recalcitrant yearlings that infringement of the regulations would be summarily dealt with. Satisfied with the physical prowess of the Class of 1930 as demonstrated in the class rush, the Sophomores tested the yearlings' vocal ability in the annual Song Fest, A faltering rendition of the lyrics led to the copious use of black paint by their judges. . Organized Warfare between the Freshmen and their opponents was renewed once more with the traditional tug-of-war which had been postponed on account of Queen Marie's visit to the University. The battle started calmly enough with some hundred and sixty yearlings at one end of the rope, and seventy odd daring Sophomores guarding the other end. The signal was given and the second-year men began to pass, one by one, through the stream of icy water from the hose which was directed at the middle of the rope. Seeing that brawn was of no avail against such odds, the wily Sophomores tried a series of desperate cross-field rushes, in which both goal posts were razed to the ground and sundry other damage done. These rushes did not save them from defeat, however, and the Freshmen were awarded the victory. After having spent over two months at Columbia, and having become accustomed to the routine, the fraternity rushing season began for the new men. For a period of a week and a half the various houses invited first-year men to luncheons, smokers, and other affairs at which the parties concerned could size each other up. At the end of this time bids were mailed and men were pledged. By capturing four of the seven bouts the Class of l930 won the Cane Sprees, and thereby gained the right to smoke class pipes after Wash- ington's birthday. The sprees were bitterly contested, the winner not being decided until the Freshman heavyweight had wrested the cane from his oppo- nent in the nnal match. When the final ballots had been cast in the voting for class officers, the following men were elected: Edward P. Joyce, president: Joseph Hagen, vice- president, Elbert A. Twaddell, Jr., secretary, and William Blaisdell, treasurer. H1821

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1 1930 CLASS OFFICERS ,edward joyce President joseph hagen elbert twaddell Vice-Presid ent Secretary COMMITTEES Dinner Committee thomas cahill, Chairman francis gaffney john johnson thomas brown robert lynch Pipe Committee edward baruch, Chairman frederick thorne V Finance Committee william blaisdell john brennan samuel menefee phillip connolly 51811 william blaisdell Treasurer raymond hanley donald peyser lewis wiggins lionel nobert bernard axelrod

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With her own officers at the helm, 1930 went ahead with even greater success than before. After the lull of examinations and the bustle of registering were over, the Class of 1930 scored a brilliant success by holding the quietest and most peaceable Freshman banquet held in recent years. The efficient management of the Dinner Committee completely baffled the second-year men who tried desperately to break up the dinner. By the old ruse of supplying a little-known Sophomore with a Freshman cap and card, the wily Sophs learned that the Freshmen were to meet at 42nd Street. A small band of Sophomores tried to surprise the yearlings, but were outnumbered and forced to beat a hasty retreat, not, however, until two of their number had been captured by the Freshmen, who then drove off with them in buses to Coney Island. Here the dinner Went off without a hitch at the Hotel Shelburne. not a Sophomore being present with the exception of the two hostages who were forced to amuse their captors during the course of the dinner. At 10.15 the yearlings left the Shelburne and started back to the Campus, being able to boast that not a single member of their Dinner Committee had been captured. ln athletics the Class of 1930 was as successful as in other activities. At the close of a short football season, the Freshman team hung up a creditable record. Although the team lost two of the five games played, these were both by close scores. The encounter with the Ithacan Cubs was played in a pouring rain and resulted in a 10-0 defeat. However, during the season, the Frosh scored 105 points as against 26 for their opponents. Since the team contained a wealth of material, men from 1930 should figure prominently on future Lion grid teams. The success of the yearling wrestling team and the basket- ball and swimming were other high spots of the season. FRESHMAN CANE SPREE TEAM f 183 J