Muhlenberg College - Ciarla Yearbook (Allentown, PA)

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191T CIARLA this contest. At this time the first- year men evidently were much more ardent in their class spirit than they were later in the year, for they surely had made victory sure for themselves. The banner was fastened so securely that it had to be taken from the tree after the fight with mallet and chisel. However, the v Sophs, wise in their conceit, thought that their faith was sufficient to remove the banner — if they only showed that they had some faith. Well, this illusion of the Sophs lead to the greatest banner fight that was ever seen on the college campus. At 9.30 President Hepner blew the whistle for the fight to begin. Such a reign of missiles modern warfare had never before seen. Not only was chlorine gas and liquid fire in open evidence, but bags of flour, rotten tomatoes, “fragrant” eggs, lampblack and many other deadly weapons were used in the terrific fray. Grappling hooks were even brought forward against the little rawhide pennant that the Freshies had greased so well. But in spite of all these unearthly terrors, that pennant stuck — how those Freshmen could fight — the Sophs could not even down them with their bare fists. All thru the first and second halves the Sophomores never despaired, but sent one phalanx after the other against the unwieldy foe. Above it all, the banner waved a proud defiance. Finally the whistle blew. For the Freshmen it was the whistle of victory. They had won their first college fight. They were a happy bunch, but, my, they looked a sorry sight. Somebody even reported that three weeks later two of the Freshmen were found by an upper classman washing tomato seeds and lampblack out of their hair. THE FOOTBALL GAME On a clear brisk October afternoon, the 4th of that month, the Sophs cruelly defeated the Freshmen in the ann ual football game between these two classes. Everybody agrees that the erudite Sophomores should not have won this game, but that the utter desperation and greedy thirst for revenge which pervaded the hearts and minds of all second-year men at that time, were responsible for this seeming glorious victory over a very inexperienced, if not helpless, foe. However, we do not desire in any way to detract from the consolation which this gory victory brought Captain Melick’s hosts, for they won the day by the score of 14 to 6. The Freshmen had just a few days before won both the pole fight and the banner rush, so the pride of these next year Juniors was somewhat railed, and by desperate efforts they succeeded in winning this game from the Freshies. For quite a number of weeks both classes had trained themselves for this fray. Captain Melick subjected his men to many forced marches, for he knew that the Freshies were just as innocent as every freshman class is, so he knew that they could be surprised. The Freshmen had, however, incidentally gotten some practice and some coaching from some brotherly warrior of the upper classmen. The game started with the Sophs kicking off to the Freshmen. The Fresh- men carried the ball to their three-yard line, when the fingers of one of them slipped and the Sophs were permitted to carry the ball out of dangerous territory. Melick now began to be serious and by brilliant line plunges carried the ball over the line for a touchdown. Half- back Zinzer now began to envy his captain, Melick, so he too decided to make a touch- down, which he gracefully accomplished. In the second half the Freshmen now knew 145

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191T CIARLA The Pole Fight FRESH-SOPH SCRAPS THE POLE FIGHT T HIS year the faculty, the upper classmen and the Board of Trustees of the college were all keenly disappointed because they were prohibited from viewing the annual pole fight between the Freshmen and the Sophomores from the sidelines. Last year a most pleasant and fascinating exhibition had been given, and everybody expected that this delightful occasion would surely be repeated for the pleasure of the above-mentioned parties. The day came for which the great fight was staged. The pole with its eight ropes on each side was put into the middle of the field in the morning. That afternoon when the time for the combat came, the entire Sophomore Class came on the field in a mighty throng. Five timid and bewildered Freshmen appeared. Of course, everybody saw that this would not be a battle royal, so President Hepner, of the student body, ap- peared and investigated the phenomenon for the Freshmen. After some Sherlock Holmes stunts he found that all the other Freshmen had been misled into one or two of the Sopho- mo res’ rooms and had there been temporarily imprisoned. The mediator now warned these smart Sophs who had performed this supposedly clever trick to release the poor and innocent Freshies, or else their class would forfeit the contest. These patriotic Sopho- mores evidently thinking that they would rather forfeit the contest than be beaten by such a bunch of newcomers, refused to release them. President Hepner, realizing his duty to justice and to humanity, awarded the fight to the beleaguered Freshmen. THE BANNER RUSH On September 25th, Saturday morning, occurred the great and exhilarating banner rush in the college grove. This was the exhibition “grandiloquent” for all those wishing to see a good circus in which no fakes occur. Here the Freshies showed a remarkable insight into college strategemby the wonderfully clever methods that they pursued to win 144

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191 T CIARLA how football was played, so they too became anxious to gain some fame. Captain Metz and plucky Heuer had by close observation learned the trick from the Sophs, and by a good example of imitation succeeded in making a touchdown. The game ended with the Sophs in the lead with the score 14 to 6. BASKETBALL SERIES On Thursday night, December 9th, the Sophs again got sore and declared war upon the Freshies, whom they had beaten some time before so mercilessly on the football field. This war was now to be fought in the basketball game. In this war it was decided before- hand ; in fact, it was a condition of the declaration of war, that five battles should be fought to decide the victor in the series. However, only three of these games were necessary, for at the end of these games the wearers of the green were so badly scared that they begged the Sophs to let them go at that; the Sophs not being anxious to waste any more physical stimuli, agreed to the proposition and marched off as the victors. On the above date the first game was played. From the beginning of the game the Sophomores were in the lead — not that the Freshies were too stupid for the Sophomores, but the Sophs were too clever for the Freshies. Therefore, the Sophomores proudly raised the banner of victory. The second game was played the following evening. Here again the Freshmen proved that they were willing to learn and that they were great imitators, for they knew the game almost as well as their learned superiors, and the Sophs scarcely got away with their scalps — altho they retained fourteen parts of theirs to their opponents’ twelve. In both these games Metz was the bravest of the brave for the Freshmen, while Strause and Wuehter lead the charges for the Sophs. The writer lost all records of the third game, but he does know that the result of the game was also in favor of the Sophomores, other-wise the game would have received more notoriety. 146