DePauw University - Mirage Yearbook (Greencastle, IN)

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The Face of DePauw during the years has undergone considerable lifting. New struc- tures have usurped the places of the venerated buildings of the 19th century; new faces have replaced those of the Grand Old Men of the faculty. The bonds oi the yesteryear might break altogether were it not For tradition. In time the physical ties will be severed, but tradition will always animate the ghost oi the DePauw 0? yesterday. Most publicized link with the past is the Boulder, which in its resting place beside East College is this year stonily celebrating its golden jubilee. Outwardly nothing more than an oversized rock, the Boulder is steeped in the traclition oi the past and present: it has served as the rallying point For warring sophomore and Freshman classes, the gathering point For return- ing alumni, the rendezvous lor campus enamore atae. It has been the phlegmatic spectator to countless pledgings, the passive victim of Wabash paint brushes. It was during the Columbian Exposition at Chicago that the Boulder was brought to De- Pauw. A Farmer originally unearthed it near Morton, and, thinking it a turtle shell, cannily erected 0 Fence around it and charged the curious admission. Dr. John Clark Ridpath, professor of natural science and ardent De- Pauw booster, conceived the iclea of bringing the Boulder to the campus as a memorial to the Columbian Exposition, all oF which was duly accomplished with the aid of two teams of horses, several lengths oF chain, and much 18 perspiration. Ridgecl with sinews of rock Formation, the Boulder still commemorates the Exposition with its seldom read inscription: u'l492-Columbian Boulder-By the Alumni, to Alma Mater ancl Posterity-i 899. A custom in which the Boulder played a vital part and which today is slowly expiring is the annual lreshman-sophomore battle. Before the advent of President Edwin H. Hughes, the struggles sputtered continuously, culminating in a melee about the Boulder on February 22. Disparaging such misdirection of energy, Pres- ident Hughes succeeded in 1906 in abolishing the incessant warfare, failed to substitute a tug of war For February 295 grand Finale, the ghost of which is still reenacted each Fall between halves of the First Football game. Unlike Old Gold Day, which can trace its birthday back to 1907, many of DePauws Festive occasions have no detinite date marking their inception but seem to have evolvecl gradually and obscurely to their present status. Such are Mothers' and Dads, Days, celebrated in May and November. May Day has come through the years accompanied by colorful pageantry, the origin of which cannot be ascribed to any one year. Other traditions become so legendary that it is cliicult to separate lact lrom Fancy. Such a one is the owl. Almost conclusive, however, is the proof that the bronze bird ol wisdom does not hoot at passing maidens. Originally intendr ed For decorative purposes, the bird perches atop a post-War monument which was once a Fountaini but which lost this utility when the cost of continually running water proved excessive. For over a century Depauw has been soaking up tradition, until today it is well stocked in all that goes to enrich a college's background. lts traditions are few but well founded; its customs small in number but Firmly established. Fifty-Year-Old Boulder -f

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To Old DePauw we toast today And raise our voices high; Welll honor thee and loyal be And praise thee to the sky Let every son and daughter stand United e'er For thee, And praise Old Gold throughout the land Heres to you, Old DePauw. A ceremony which will always characterize Depuuw is the singing of the DePouw toast, which was written by Vivian Bord, a graduate of Music School, some twenty-odd years ago. Whether sung by Orientation Week Freshmen or graduating seniors, it is the symbol of rever- ence lor loyal Followers of the Old Gold. ne of DePauw's most living traditions sur- rounds the bell in East College tower. Rung otter athletic victories, the bell came into the custody of one Fraternity, Sigma Chi, whose lreshmen have For years jealously guarded the bell-ringing privilege. he urge to contest this right which frequently siezes other groups has resulted in periodic FistichFs and adminis- trative spankings. he origin of the bell is olten misunderstood, the truth being that both Clock and bell were purchased by townslolk. But traditions are not only the Folklore and t 6 i . .4 Professors Emeritus: Blanchard, Nichols, Longden, Tilclen 20