Radcliffe College - Yearbook (Cambridge, MA)

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On the twenty-third of September, 1912, they arrived. To reconnoitre, they borrowed the neighboring altitude-or do I mean attitude?- of Harvard, and looked down on Radcliffe. What they saw was six mountains forming a circle. In the center of this, a small desert, and on one side of the desert, an oasis consist- ing of a fountain, with two trees growing beside it. The army then marched through the ive passes into the land, and this was simple, as the passes are guarded only on one day out of every three hundred and sixty-five, and that is Class Day, at the other end of the year. Once inside, they determined to seek out the rulers of the country and ask if they might pass through unmolested. The rulers had their headquarters on the highest mountain of all, one had to climb it by means of the celebrated Fay House stairs, and it was further protected by an opposite Volcano, a place full of chemicals which might explode any minute. Braving these dangers, the army of 1916 went within at the ap- pointed time. . I Both potentates and inhabitants welcomed the invaders warmly, as soon as they had been made to state in full who they were and what they came for. The potentates, however, gave them gently to understand that their passage through depended largely on their own efforts, and warned them to learn to fight after a new fashion. The Radcliffe armies fought with their main forces in concentration and with their scouting and reconnoitering parties in wide distribution over the field. 1916 accepted this method, and set out to attack the Library, a fortress on the mountain nearest the Knowledge wall. . On the way to the Library, however, it encountered new distractions. Every epic army meets with sirens, and so did it. I have already mentioned one volcano, the third mountain on the right is also supposed to be volcanic, and is bountifully supplied with fire-alarm bells, which ring at every threatened eruption. To induce people to dwell in this dangerous place, it was granted more privileges for enjoyment than the rest of the land., and had come to be thickly settled with gay and friendly classes of folk. These kept the army in delight for nearly two months, while they entertained it on every convenient Saturday. First, the Radcliffe Guild, artisans in brotherly love, gave it a party. Then the City of 1913 on which it was quartered gave it a baby party, the City of 1914, though inland, pretended to take it on an Ocean Voyage, and the progressive City of 1915 held an Exposi- tion in its honor. I Meanwhile, those soldiers of 1916 who had found quarters in the forts on Shepard Street invited their fellows to come and get acquainted on Hallowe'en, and on November 12, the army elected officers to preside over its reorganization. Madeleine Brewer was General, Adelaide Nichols, Second in Command, Elizabeth Almy, War Correspondent, Elizabeth Burrage, Charge of Supplies, Betty Lazenby, ambassador to the RadcliHe Student Government, Dorothy Hildreth, commander 27

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SECOND CAMPAIGN-PROGRESS THROUGH RADCLIFFE When it came marching back again, it was with lowered flags and muffled drums. Through all Radcliffe, the death of Dean Coes had caused party rivalry and class issues to be forgotten, and the whole place was united in a real sadness. At such a time, there was danger of every one plunging into warfare with everybody else, but the coming of Miss Humphrey prevented this, and there was peace in the state. VVhen, on September 22, 1913, the army of 1916 faced its second campaign it had good prospects of success. It had reduced the people in Radcliffe to friend- liness. To be sure, 19141 now hadia new little colony dependent upon it, but its inhabitants were as yet too weak and struggling to intend any harm. Severe tests had been sustained in the helds of ,Knowledge. Then, too, there was the success with the bandits, which I have not mentioned before. The bandits were little separate tribes of robbers who infested Agassiz Moun- tain. They fell upon newcomers, who called them Clubs from the sort of weapons they carried, and extorted huge amounts of dues. To reform them, spies from 1916 enrolled themselves as members, or even treasurers, which was better. This, though it took time, was a clever policy. Regimental announcements, published soon thereafter, ran as follows: General, Ruth Whitmore, Second in Command, Eleanor Sweet, War Correspondent, Rachel Tuttle, Charge of Supplies, Dorothy Hildreth, Basketball Captain, Katherine Hodge, Leader of Gymnasium forces, Katherine Hodge, Commander of attack on the Library, Hester Browne, Leader of the Army Band, Sibyl Bingham. The march went on, the Library was besieged, and the autumn wore away peacefully. Then in December, 1916 found itself near the new colony of 1917. It was well to conciliate them, so the army held an exhibition drill, and invited the neighbors to come and take part in it. They modestly referred to themselves as Wise Fools, but they knew very well in their hearts that they were merely wise. The winter campaign was not very exciting. Another victory over Mid-years, and later still another over Finals, was to be expected. There was, however, one glorious achievement on Gymnsaium Mountain, which deserved to go down to eternal fame. From three pitched basketball battles, 1916 emerged champion, and this from a style of warfare to which it was still relatively unaccustomed. Small wonder it was that after that, nothing in Radcliffe interfered with the army's spring march. Nor was this championship ever lost. . A grand banquet in May came off in military fashion - 'fhash,', and A Heav- enly Hash at that, being the chief ration. Finally, on the fifteenth of the same month, the army was halted on its way by finding before it a body of water known as Boston Harbor. It was necessary to cross this before proceeding farther, and so 1916 took its courage to task and ' 29