Northeastern University - Cauldron Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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X 1 ' J f I i| t ■-■-.•; , NORTHEASTERN OFFICE FORCE Under the Activities department, athletics were estab- lished on a university basis in 1924, v fith letter awards and eligibility requirements. Track competition had be- gun in 1919, followed the next year by established base- ball and basketball teams. The teams in wrestling and swimming during the 20 ' s did not gain permanency. In 1922 soccer was started as a minor sport, the team winning its first game against MIT. Through efforts of George Frost ' 24, captain of the first soccer team, the sport was made a major facet of the athletic program until 1933 when football was initiated at the university. The Miscellaneous Activities included mass meetings. Field Day, the Rush, Student Council, and other minor activities. Initiated in 1910, Field Day was developed to major proportions by Spear in 1920, and continued on into the late ' 30 ' s. It was essentially a family picnic, so when the university grew too large, the event became in- feasible. But for the many years it survived. Field Day was held at the Riverside Recreation Grounds in Weston, and was attended by students and faculty. The day fea- tured sporting events, races, eating, and dancing. The loss of events such as Field Day are perhaps among the more expensive costs of becoming a larger university. In those days there was a real feeling between faculty and students that sharing in Northeastern made them all one family. It is this warm and personal touch which is most clearly absent from the university today. The Freshman-Sophomore Rush was started in 1919 by the Class of 1922. It continued until 1932 when the Stu- dent Council abandoned it as having outlived its useful- ness . That it was ever useful is questionable, never- theless, the Rush was one of the non-academic high points every year. On the day designated Rush Day, Division A freshmen and sophomores met in combat in the Fenway; Divi- sion B, being in school in the winter months, had to hold a more sedate Rush Day in the YMCA gym. In the Fen- way production the activity always climaxed by a Pole Rush, with one class gathered around a twelve-foot greased pole on top of which flew class colors, while the other class stormed the phalanx of students in an attempt to reach the top of the pole and seize the colors. The other main event of Rush Day was the tug-of-war with each class on either side of the Muddy River. That event would probably prove fatal for the losers today with the pollution level being what it is. NORTHEASTERN BAND

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day for two years while studying at night at Northeastern. Non-paying day studies at liberal arts college would then only require two years from a person ' s productive life in- stead of four. At this stage, the co-op plan operated in bi-weekly seg- ments, with A students working two weeks while B students studied, and then the roles reversed the follow- ing two weeks. The school year went from the second week in September to the second week in June. The wages detailed in the 1916 Catalog of the Co-oper- ative Engineering School ranged from $5 per week for first year students, to $10 per week for seniors. In March 1920, Northeastern College, consisting mainly of the Co- operative Engineering School, was empowered by the Massachusetts General Court to grant bachelors degrees in civil, mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineering. A fifth degree in administrative engineering was added in 1921, and changed to industrial engineering in 1928. The students celebrated the granting of degree powers with a Degree Jubilee. This was one of the efl ' orts of Pro- fessor Joseph Spear, the prime mover in the estab- lishment of a regular program of student activities. In his position as the head of the Department of Student Activi- ties between 1921 and 1926, Spear was responsible for the establishment of Field Day, a long-standing tradition; and for the direction of the musical activities of the school, Including a band and an orchestra. In 1921, the Department of Student Activities was offi- cially established, including the following divisions: pub- lications, athletics, and miscellaneous. Under Spear ' s ad- ministration, the activities were funded through a $10 DANCE ORCHESTRA Student Activities Fee which was later increased with student approval to $15. j The publications division included the newspaper, the yearbook, and the newly devised student handbook. The newspaper, established in 1916 as The Co-op, and pub- lished sluggishly until Spear took over, changed its name to the Northeastern Tech. Its circulation increased from 600 to 1800, and its pages grew from three columns to five. The Cauldron, which made its initial appearance in 1917 with pictures of 20 seniors and 19 faculty was re-es- tablished in 1921 and has been published annually since then. The Student Handbook, called the Freshman Bible , was published by the students at this time. Later the task of compiling a guide for freshman was taken over by the Dean of Students Office. ORCHES TRA

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The increasing size of both classes involved, and the increasing number of abrasions, contusions and other mishaps, and the increasing tendency of both classes to relieve at least a few of their opponents of their clothing in the Pole Rush led to the prohibitive action by the Stu- dent Council. In 1921 The Senate was created by Professors Spear and Philip Nash as an honor society for engineers. The Senate later was accepted as a chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the National Engineering honor society. Additional chapters were added: Eta Kappa Nu, for electrical engineers; and Pi Tau Sigma, for mechanical engineers. Two fraternities founded in 1919, Alpha Kappa Sigma and Beta Gamma Epsilon, were augmented in 1921 by Nu Epsilon Zeta, Sigma Kappa Psi, and Eta Tau Nu (now defunct). At this point Spear encouraged an inter- fraternity council to promote coordinated efforts between the groups. By 1925 the Music Division included a Band, Concert Orchestra, Glee Club, Banjo Club, Dance Orchestra, and Dramatic Club. Spear himself was involved in the direc- tion and procurement of instruments for the musical organizations. In 1922 the College of Business Administration was es- A BANJO HITTER THE BANJO CLUB