Miami University - Recensio Yearbook (Oxford, OH)

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FR ESHMAN CLASS P. B. YOCKEY, - - - - - Presz'dmz! D. V. COURTWRIGHT, - - - i -x Vice President E. H. ITTNER, - - - - Secrdary FRANK LAMB, - - - - - Treasurer FREDRIC RIDGLEY TORRENCE, T V i w ,......- ?Reshngjw - - - Historian MM HE READER of this humble effort may think that the class of m97H is egotistical, ' Wostentatious or conceited. We are not. It ' is simply the spontaneous, uncontrollable outburst of the historianis thoughts when . s ,. he attemptsto conhde to tithe dumb, unfeel- ing paper? the glorious history of i97. The class of W97 is at last here, the'class which has so long YELL-Come seven ! Come eleven ! Miami 97. and anxiously been waited for by the rest of the world. Swiftly, silently and unostentatiously we came, and the col- lege world was hardly aware of our presence before we. were . firmly established in their midst. The news of our coming spread like wildfire through that band of trembling wretches commonly known as Sophomores. - We soon proved our superiority over them in that memorable rush in the tower, one morning soon after chapel. The struggle was

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of Miami University. But ninety-six was not found wanting. We set to work to restore confidence among the profs. and had even better success than we had hoped for. Soon the prejudice existing towards F reshmen vanished and the hearts of the upper classmen were so moved that the Sophs turned from the error of their ways and, as a mark of repentance, wore sack cloth and ashes, the usual emblems of mourning, for a period of thirty days ' and nights. Out of courtesy, we postponed painting the tower until the ninety-fives had completed their acts of repentance. Then we arose as one man, and at last Our insignia was graven upon the tablets of the lofty turret as in letters of ilame. There those figures l96, so full of meaning, remained for a year. At the end of that time we were one step nearer the goal. Another change was now brought about for which we con- tend the class of ninety-six was responsible. The F aculty, think- ing that after us no class would be worthy the name Freshman, broke up the system dividing the college into, F reshman, Sopho- more, Junior and Senior classes. At present, the term F reshman is merely nominal, and of course we are now nominal Sophs. When a new class next emerged from tlprepdomf, by reason of infantile desire for sport and jealousy at our prestige, it decided to mar our emblems on the tower, gleaming from beneath a coat of red paint, applied by order of the Faculty. The ninety- sevens spent one night dabbling in blue paint with the sad result of causing their clothes and guaranty funds to suffer. Ninety- six, out of sympathy for the over enthusiastic ninety-sevens, allowed their work to remain until President T hompson eradicated the hideous scrawls on our beloved tower. The class of ninety-six has an excellent. it stand in l, with all the University authorities, eSpecially Dr. Thompson and Fardy. Ask the professors how we stand in scholarship, but donit tell us their answer as We are naturally very modest and it might embarrass us. Reader, you have seen us on the foot-ball iield and the diamond. Can you now question our athletic ability? Socially we have met you often, and such occasions are some of the most pleasant of our college life. When the RECENSIO is issued, almost half of our career as students will have been finished. W ith mingled feelings of pleasure and sadness we look back upon the days already spent at Miami, and, looking forward to the two coming years, when so much will depend on us, we have determined that even a brighter halo shall surrOund those characters i96. It is but right that we should here make mention of a former member of our class-Houghton. We need not speak of his many good qualities as he was well known as a model student and an elegant fellow. This is but the beginning of what we could write concerning the class of ninety-six, but lack of space confronts the historian and so we must gracefully submit, allowing the reader to turn his mind in another'direction. G. M. S.

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short and sharp, and we had no sooner landed them at the bottom of the stairs than they slunk away. . 1 Oh, Rubes! Oh, Jays! Oh, Worse? than useless things, crawl in your holes and no more let this noble. college and her loyal sons gaze on your ily-specked faces. Sophies, where were you at? Now that they have been fairly beaten, they have the audacity to boast that they have in their possession a few shreds of our glorious old flag. We would call to their mind that memorable occasion when we came out and consented to waltz over their putrid bodies, when we marched the length and breadth of the campus, searching, seeking, scouring in vain for the insignificent class of W96? Disgraced, disfigured and distorted; the nrst class to crawl from a rush! But why dwell on the details of that memorable night, the world at large knows of the glorious way in which we achieved the Victory. It is also awakening to the marvelous manifestations of our undoubted literary ability. In studies we are pre-eminent, we are undoubtedly the most brilliant class that ever entered the University. We have heard the upperclass-men speak of ltflunksll and ttconditionsf but we listen with blank faces, as such things are entirely unknown to us. The professors, recognizing our ability, are in sympathy with us and have led us into flowery helds of knowledge, where tthorsesll never feed, which we have readily devoured, and even now are anxiously awaiting to be led into newer and fresher pastures. The genius of one of our number becomes evident in the brilliantly illuminated pages of this annual. Socially we also take the lead, nothing shows our pre-eminent popularity in that line better than the factthat while the other three classes are entertained at the ttCollegell and ttSeminaryll in a r herd, we are the class which stands alone, and is invited alone, in order that they may devote more time to-entertaining us. In this we feel greatly honored, although it is but justice to us. Such has been our record, such our Victories, such our at-r tainments. As Freshmen we have been a success, and yet for all these we desire no credit; had we had abler opponents we might never have made the grand success we have, and as new trials, new tribulations, other battles devolve upon us, we hope to cope with them so successfully that the next historian will be able to paint the history of our class in still more glowing colors. And now we would bid farewell to our readers, the all-com- pelling hand of time hurries us on to new scenes and new experiences. ' ' F rom the present time, fraught with all the pleasures of the spring term of the F reshman year, we look back With satisfaction on our first college year just closing. Between us and the time when we shall be thrust out on lifels realities, stern and unmixed with levity, lie three years more- of work, sociability and pleasure. Without cliques or factions, united by the bands of fellow sympathy, the class of l97 invite scrutiny and are open to emulation. FREDRIC RIDGLEY TORRENCE.