Monmouth College - Ravelings Yearbook (Monmouth, IL)

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yP a careful analysis was made of the elements which compose our clsss of 1903, perhaps a trace might be found of that ver- dancy so common to all Freshmen, but as I am come to praise CEesar and not to bury him, we will turn our attention to the qualities which have made us famous and not dwell upon human frailties which only go to prove that we are not gods but men. Acting upon advice received early in our college career, we have Pitched our chariot to a star and we only stoop to conquer ! It was on a beautiful September evening that the class of 03 first came to realize that she was the object of tender (y) solicitude from the entire college in general and ' 02 in particular. Of course we could not ' help noticing the shy glances which were cast in our direction during chapel, but had interpreted them to be only a small part of the recogni- tion due us on account of our personal charms and not to any deep seated feeling which would cause them to dog our footsteps like beasts of prey on this the evening of our first Freshman social. The air was calm, the earth was calm, in fact, the very night itself was calm. The blushing- moon hid his silly face behind the shoulder of a cloud, the little stars one by one winked the other eye and went out, while the clouds of war hung low over the campus; the under classmen tossed restlessly in their ■drowsy beds waiting for they knew not what. Suddenly the stillness was broken by the tramp, tramp, tramp of marching feet. It was the gallant boys of ' 03 going after their girls, undaunted by the honors of the night, ' Their ' s not to reason why Their ' s but to do or die, ' ' while after them pursuing feet of the Sophs beat time to the Six feet of Earth. A few stragglers from our ranks fell by the wayside, but all showed up at the finish sadder and wiser men. The insight which the wily Soph- omores gave us into their mode of warfare was greatly appreciated, and an occasional black eye among our foes bears eloquent testimony to the .faCt that we have improved upon it. Ah, me 1 The night we buried their tombstone for them! If you rhave tears prepare to shed them now. That is positively the only funeral where we ever officiated as sexton while the chief mourners were at home and in bed. How pitiful it is to see a class endeavoring to perpetuate their name and fame through the medium of cold gray stone, and then, saddest of .all, to see that one lone, lorn memorial hiding its light under 29

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At this time our baseball record has not been made, but we have every- reason to believe that it will equal our football record. We have a hap- pylway of twisting the ball round the batsman ' s neck and thenoe into the catcher ' s mit, that the intellect of the other classes cannot solve. We de- pend on the baseball bat to win our games, not the brickbat. In the rivalry of classes the deeds of the class of ' 02 are many and glorious. One dark and cloudy night when the owl sat hooting and shrieking on the campus and the wind was soughing and lamenting in the- tree tops and the keen, frosty ' air penetrated to the very marrow, our class — the boys with strong and willing arms placed a boulder — not a stone, but a big and bulky boulder — upon the campus, with the fair es- cutcheon ' 02 thereon. On the following night it was determined to guard the huge mass against the iconoclastic class of ' 03, which it was thought would make an attempt to disturb it. So the Sophomores with their characteristic bravery watched the whole night through, sitting on the college steps and braving untold and namless dangers in defence of this class emblem. About 4 a. m. the Freshman class approached in a body and attempted to desecrate our sacred boulder which we had dedicated with the sweat of our brow. At that moment regardless of bruises and falls and white linen and boiled shirts we hurled ourselves upon them. The only instance in all history that approached this in heroic disregard of life and sublimity was the Charge of the Light Brigade, at Balaklava. The Freshmen did not await our onslaught, but broke and ran. We pursued, but they, knowing the ways of darkness rather than those of light, were swallowed up in the night. Gentle reader, that boulder of the class of ' 02 lies before the college to this day. In social events we are the higher crust in Monmouth College. When we are arrayed in our best raiment, with collars as high as cuffs around our necks, garnished with a white dickey, there is no sight like it in the heavens above or the earth beneath or the waters under the earth. Each Sophomore is a bright and shining light, and, glowing and sparkling like a star, moves about among lesser constellations, leaving in his wake a train of benumbed and dumfounded Freshmen, Preps and even higher classmen who are bewildered and dizzied by the radiance of his appear- ance. The Sophomore boy is only surpassed by the Sophomore g ' irl. In speaking of her I can only say in the words of the poet To see her was to love her. To love but her forever. For nature made her what she is And never made another. And now dear reader, we must draw our history to a close. We feel that because of modesty and a lack of space we have not done justice to this noble class. The spirit is willing, but the hand that moves the pen is human and weak. Should another Homer or Milton arise, we com- mend to them with all deference and humility the class of ' 02 as a fitting- theme for another immortal poem. 28

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a bushel of earth. Far, far better to follow our glorious example and ' engrave your history upon the hearts of men. In the color rush at Christmas we did all, and more than all, that was required jf us (by the Faculty.) One of the members of that august- body confided to a friend that her hand grew so weary scratching down A ' s for the Freshmen that she sometimes had to throw in a B or two in order to relieve her cramped muscles. It may seem strange to the unini- tiated that we should allow such a clear case of injustice to go unre- buked, but we are mild and genial in disposition as well as fierce in battle, and inclined to be merciful to our professors, realizing that although the- spirit is willing the flesh is oft-times weak. So much for our standing in the class room, for by this time we must have convinced you that while- we excel in athletics, ' we are capable of some mental gymnastics as well. The chief social event of the college year was our banquet on the 22nd ' of Feb. It was such a brilliant success in every particular that all at- tempts of former years pale into insignificence beside it. The Sophs knowing full well that they were unable to cope with our valiant boys, wisely called to their aid the entire student body. (We are surprised that they did not get the Faculty to help them.) At the appointed hour ' 02 ' and her Hessians besieged our banquet hall en masse. They hurled themselves upon our castle walls like the futile waves which, beat out the- rocks of Gibraltar, and we defied them, aye, we sallied forth upon our battlements and laughed them to scorn. At ' last they turned and fled,, taking their dead and wounded with them while ive went on our way re- joicing, with not one lambkin missing from the flock. It is unnecessary to prophesy for our future, actions speak louder than words, and we promise that you shall hear from us ever and anon. And so, with all our proud banners flying, honored alike by friend and foe, we bid you cm rei-oir but not good-bye.