Springfield College - Massasoit Yearbook (Springfield, MA)

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S ' ljr JHassasott 21 a feeling that something should be done, and at the critical moment our hon- orary members, Dr. Seerley and Dr. Ballantine, took the lead. In speaking of the improvements which have transformed T. S. during the past three years, bringing to us the much-needed boathouse, and causing the grass to grow and small trees to spring up mysteriously (the secret is known by Dr. Ballantine); we admit that Armstrong drew the plans for the boathouse, but we remember that Scott, ’04, was first assistant carpenter and that ’04 threw the first shovelful of sand. We never objected to the assistance of the upperclassmen, and yet we were conscious of that spirit within our class which conquered difficulties and even inspired men to noble deeds. 1904 came and the boathouse was a reality, the slopes were graded and the seed sown. We enjoyed the work — enjoyed watching for the storms the Admiral predicted, and enjoyed practicing first-aid on the blisters which responded to the call of the shovel and the hoe. It was on the lot opposite the gymnasium that Rath acquired the habits of digging into a subject which have characterized his study ever since; Cun- ningham learned to shingle; and, perhaps after an unusually hard day’s work, Barrier cultivated his most intimate acquaintance with Morpheus. We do not wish to leave the impression that the influence of 1904 extend- ed no farther than the surroundings of T. S.; it penetrated the very heart ot the student life, and after we had met Roseboro and Metts, had listened to Laudenslager, Craig and Dr. Durgin; and had been charmed by Hamlin’s visions of chickens roosting high; suddenly there arose an agitation for more Literary Societies, that all men might attain unto the virtues then enjoyed by a few. The societies were formed and have grown each year in efficiency and helpfulness. We can not refrain from a word of commendation to the Inter- national Lyceum which was fostered almost entirely by 1904 men. Part III. Athletics Early in the fall of 1901 such notices as the following began to appear in that classic journal, “Nobody’s Business”: “Half of the men that played last Saturday were ’04 men. The sensational plays were made by Gray, Offinger and Elliott.’’ 1 hese notices

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20 srtjr JtiUissasott we endeavored to discover ourselves. There were men from the farm and factory, the store and machine shop, printing office and real estate business Pop Randel came from a nursery, but we didn’t believe it till he told us,— we infer that it was a Day Nursery similar to the one we visited in New York. We found that Cunningham thought he was a barber; that Moraller could permanently disable clocks and watches; and Currier could eat beans. After some delay the Class Historian and other officers were elected, the latter being, Charles T. Rea, President; }. H. Scott, Vice-President; and Noble P. Randel, Secretary and Treasurer. This class organization was preparatory to systematic work which the class was about to undertake, and occurred October 28, 1901. In the years which followed, we were forced to go through the trying ordeal of class election quite often (at least it seemed so). It was not difficult to find men for offices, for whatever way we turned, we saw good men, cap- able men, ambitious men. It was not that each man voted for himself, but rather that each one succeeded in getting someone to vote for him. We chose, on the whole, rather ordinary men to fill the more important offices, realizing that they would be aided by the training which such positions usually afford. We hesitate for this reason to name the officers of the class during the middle and senior years, — nevertheless it may be as well to satisfy the curious reader at once. Thevictims during the middle year were, Currier, President; Elliott, Vice-President; and Lewis, Secretary and Treasurer. In the senior yea r, Laudenslager, President; Thompson, Vice-President; Samson, Secretary and Treasurer. Part II. A Few Changes Which Came with 1904 It seems that from the very first 1904 was dissatisfied with those elements in the environment of the school which were not in accord with the progres- sive spirit of the class. One member was astonished to find, on looking out at the lake for the first time, that the slope to the water’s edge was not a graded lawn, hut a rough pile of sand; another, interested in aquatics, complained of the need of a boathouse or even such a convenience as a derrick by which canoes might be lowered from the old barn at the top of the hill. There was

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tfljc JWassasott referred to the school football team, and it was not long before a number of our men were ranked among the best players of the school. The class athletics received due attention. It was hardly to be expected that a winning team in football or hockey could be developed in a few weeks, at least when it was to meet men of two years’ training; but ’04’s athletic pol- “1 icy was far-reaching, aiming rather to develop teams which should capture school championships later in its career. The result of athletic enthusiams was very marked — Seifert and Laudenslager began training at once for the ten-mile cross country run, and Ashley and Rea commenced a scientific study as to how to play field hockey without talking. During the junior year the captains of our class teams were Vose, field hockey; Gray, football; Barrier,