Purdue University - Debris Yearbook (West Lafayette, IN)

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pisfory o lHc Cl ass o f '9©. VK would hanllv recognize in the dignified group of young men who occupy the front seats in the Opera House, where we can see the bald spot gradually enlarging on the top of their heads, to whom the rest of the audience point with pride and say to you, “ Yes, those young men in the front seats in dress suits are Purdue Seniors;’’ as I said, we would hardly recognize in those young men the youths who in ’86 meandered sorrowfully across the campus, and were ready, when squeezed, to Mpieuk “mamma.” But they are, and occasionally one of them will squeak “mamma” yet. The same audience will say to you that the young ladies who accompany them arc also Purdue Seniors. After their entrance into the University, they very soon realized that in union was strength, this realization being helped a great deal by a few of them being plucked at the national game by the wicked Sophomores at the Dorm. They elected a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and marshal. The lir.st three were elected for their general watchfulness, the treasurer to keep the money collected from the class, and the marshal to watch the treasurer. About this time we selected a hat; you all know our mortar-board. The incomplete instinct of the not wholly ovoluted class who preceded us prompted one of them to steal one, and in a manner perfectly consistent with such a monkey trick, climb the nearest pole and hang it on a wire. When discovered by a ’lit), who, not having the prehensile extremities of him who hung it there, was unable to climb the pole, and as he was a Freshman, his arms were still loo short to embrace it and “shinny” up. But though lacking reach, he had brains, and

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lie whispered to himself, “Johnny, get your gun.” The hat humbly came down without waiting for him to shoot. Another incident of this year was the picnic of the Sophomores, in which, as one would expect, the boat carrying the pleasure-seekers was wrecked before reaching the grounds. The incident was made memorable to us because one of the fairest members of our class left ns to reward one of the brave rescuers of the party with her hand. In this happy and eventful way passed our Freshman year. The most notable incident of our Sophomore year was our attendance at the odorous Junior entertainment, which can Ik best chronicled in the words of the President, when he said, “You are the best class that ever entered the University, the best class, the very best class-but you will each get three marks.” Our Sophomore picnic was very similar to the tactics of the famous General who marched up a bill and then marched down again. As Juniors our entertainment will be looked back to by succeeding classes for its great literary merits. The gas brought in by some members of another class proved even lighter than they had calculated; they were not heavy enough to hold it down, so went up with it. The events of this year arc so recent that it seems almost unnecessary to speak of them ; like the poor they are still with us. Our literary ability lias developed so enormously that it is impossible that one small class can contain it all. Of our banquets, stag parties, and dove parties it is unnecessary to speak ; they are still in our midst. Hut our Valentine banquet will always be a red letter day in our annals. Following the advice of our motto, we are now looking to the end.