Springfield College - Massasoit Yearbook (Springfield, MA)

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24 THE M A S S A S O I T OF 1909 sorry ro lose rheni troni our midst and to those who are now out in the work we wish tor nothing less than that they he crowned with success. We almost envy the men who are coming hack to spend still another year, tor we realize how much it means to them. I hen too, men have come to us trom other classes and have done much to toster thegood telllowshipthate.xists among us. Aside trom securing what will he ot great help to us in our chosen work in the wav of training, the polishing process thru which we have gone, is no small tactor in our education. We came with many rough ideas and characteristics that needed to he ruhhed tlown and smoothed out. As we look hack we can see many improvements m each other, and even in those who came trom countries so tar remote trom civilization as Washington and British Columbia we Hnd this to hold true, tor they have “rounded out’’ into men f f brilliant ideas and large proportions. As new men enter the school it is very gratitying to find no open rivalry between the ditf erent classes, d here is a prevailing atmosphere ot welcome and good teehng that at once disarms any misgi ing that a new comer might have. 1 his tact, together with the comparatively small number ot students lessens the necessity ot many class activities. We have eii)oyed many happy occasions in conjunction with the other classes in the way ot Chestnut limits, 1 hanksgiving dinners and “Open Nights,’’ besides one or two functions each year that were confined to members and triends ot our own class. Our .Middler han(|uet was the largest thing that we attenijited. Lvery- thinsi went oft in trood order even tho our toastmaster lett us hetore the programme was completed. We readily torgave him when we learned the real cause ot his early departure. “1 he best yet,’’ as many expressed it, was the skating party given in our honor by Professor and Mrs. Berry. The skating was fine hut the climax of the evening came when we gathered around the campfire. 1 lot dogs, rolls, coffee and many other good things, served by a genuine heathen Chinee, imported especially tor the occasion, disappeared with remarkable rapidity. I hen tollowed an impromptu entertainment ot song and readings that hrot the evening to a happy close. I he homes ot the taculty have been thrown wide open, and many pleasant

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futor Class ® tston NOrilKR year has passed hy; anorher class has reached the third milestone ot hte in old I ' . S. 1 he day that seemed so far away when first we crossed the campus has arrived. It would he interestintr as we meet totrether for the last time to hear the thots of each man expressed as he looks hack upon his life here. Varied imleed would he the tales we should hear of the many impressions made, of the changes in thot and action, of the memories that will ever be hrmbt m our minds. And methmks 1 can hear in the voice of O all a note of sadness that comes to us as we think of the parting that is so near. es! we are at the parting of the ways for ere another day has |iassed we will begin to scatter to the hast and to the West, to the North, and to the South; there to take uj) the work for which we have been preparing. I he real history of 1909 is |ust beginning. For the present we must leave it m the hands of our projihet. Fhe three years we have sjtent here are but a preface to the many years of service before us and we sincerely hope that we may all measure up to the opportunities that will come our way. We are not so strong in numbers as we were. Many men found it necessarv ' to limit their stay, some to one, others to two years. Some have joined the ranks of 1910 and expect to return again next fall. We were

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THE M A S S A S O I T OF 1909 25 anti profitable hours have been spent in getting better act|Liaintetl with those whose influence has made a deep and lasting impression upon us. Our class has not been lacking in interest of the religious life, and yet it is a dirticult matter to mention in a comprehensive way wherein it has been diflerent from that of other classes. We who are here studvm£ to he relitrious leaders are first and last interested in Christian work. I bis must of necessity he so, else we would not he giving three of the best years of our lives to study along this distinctive line. Our weekly prayer meetings have always been a source of inspiration and encouragement and many times some of us have been helped over rough places thru the genuine fellowship shown not only at our meetings hut at all times. Nor has our interest been confined within the school, for we have given of our time to the various church and Sunday school activities. By so doing we not only aided others hut ha e received a great deal more than we were able to give. We feel that we are )ustly proud of our athletic record. From the first the outlook was very good. Three out of every four of our number came here to take up the physical course. Nineteen haye captured the coyeted yarsity emblem in the various sports of the school. We hold the record for the number of class championships won. During our |unior year, we concjuered the class of ’o8 seven out of the eight times that we met them in competition. With 1910 we were not quite so fortunate. We met them only five times, and were victors in football, ice hockey and indoor track, while they won from us the outdoor track meet and the baseball game. On Feb. 12, 1909, under the guidance of Professor Affleck, we ran off what we hope can be termed, “The First Annual Interscholastic Meet.” 1 here were 45 men entered, representing si. of the high schools and acad- emies in the vicinity of Springfield. As to the result, apart from our opinion, we have only to (|uote from the newspaper and the contestants when we say, “Tt was a decided success.” It was largely thru the efforts of one of our number that T. S. was permitted to have a representative basket-ball team. Knowing as we do, that the game was invented by a student of the school, and that the first game was played upon our own floor, the importance of the decision is clearly seen.