University of Maine at Portland - Reflection / Umpire Yearbook (Portland, ME)

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I4 THE PORTLAND UNIVERSITY orchestra was engaged for the purpose and music. and dancing were enjoyed until the early hours of the morning. The hall was brilliantly decorated in spring array by a committee made up Of Pierre A. Belanger and Stephen H. Larrabee, both of the freshman class; and on Friday evening. April 24, the Annual Comttteneew ment Dance of the Senior Class was held in the University hall. This was one of the gayest and brightest affairs of the year and the hall was crowded. The fraternity socials and smokers. which were held at the University during the winter months, were also a great aid to the activities in the college. The fl'a' temity activities were many and varied throughout the year. To Finish up the social activities of the season there are the annual commence- ment week activities, which include the field day. which is to he held at New Meadows, the Class Day exercises, and the Ammal Banquet and Dance of the ?enior Class and underclassmen to he held on the evening of the graduation. ANNUAL FRESHMAN CLASS BANQUET The First Annual Freshman Class Ban- quet was perhaps the meet thrilling and exciting of any of the activities ever eaged in the University. Here are the main facts, and you may judge for your- selves whether or not the freshmen had a good time. At 11.30 on VVetlnesday morning, May 6th. three University hells were sounded and the corridors rang for a few seconds when Professor I. William Stuart came irom room ? upstairs and was informed by a freshman that XVhitney P. Thomas at Augusta. President of the Junior Class, was wanted on the telephone. Mr. Thomas! suspicions were aroused as rumors had been Heeting of a hanquet, and also he had not heard the ofhce tele- phone ring. therefore when he stalked out and downstairs, he was accompanied by two other Juniors. At the entrance to the inner office his worst. fears were cone firmed when a great number of forms lunged from every corner and from every door, grasping to right and to left, then the entire Junior class joined the fray and a merry tussle fotiowed for a period of hf- teen minutes. The chase led down Chad- wick Street and Brackett Street and final- Iy Thomas was caught by Leo Bree, President of the freshmen, and soon he was assisted by many others. The Juniors secured the key to the big truck and the driver ripped off the casing and, being a mechanic, started the machine with a screwdriver. The class of IEJET, with the president of the class of 1925 in captivity, drove in an unknown truck, at an unknown speed to parts unknown. Thomas was locked in the second story of a farmhouse. In ten minutes the freshmen were alarmed by a racket. as of an earthquake, and were surprised to see Thomas leap Item the second story window and start at full speed toward nmvhere, and that's where he landed. when recaptured hy the Fresh To 'make a long story short, ThOmas was brought back to Portland in secrecy mt word of honor to go to Att- gusta. but upon going to his room was captured by a number 01 the juniors and taken to Peaks Island under heavy guard. Thursday morning Thomas escaped and to keep his word took the five oteloek boat to Portland and was met by the Fresh- men and hurried to Lewiston, where he was kept till the banquet. Meanwhile, the crafty upperciassmen, men.

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THE PUVIAN .3 Etuinitiw iHnrtlaniI Hniuemitg SOCIAL ACTIVITIES The social activities of the Portland University. especially during the past yeari have been many and varied. Per- haps mie 0f the most i111p01't2111t factors in the sociai liie 0f the University is the weekly assemhiies, at which the students themselves 131311 and furnish the prop grams. these assemblies have been held every Friday morning at the assembly hall of the University and the programs have been arranged by the different classes and clubs in the school. The traternit;r Tan Sigma Delta presented the first assembly of. the season and the Debating Associa- tion has also prepared 501116.218 weli ast the c01111111ttees 0f the Student Council Civde S. Richardson, of this year s gmduatiug class, has been engaged during the past two years in making up a honk of school songs 211111 this list has been used to a great extent this Veer. Another important iactor in the social hit: of the college 15 the numerous dances Etnd evening social affairs which have been run by the different organizations. Among these are the Annual Freshman Rec'eption. given 011 the eve of Hal- lnwe'en by the members Of the upper classmate tn the entering 11:153. This nHair was gay as the was beautifully decorated in the school colors. Orange and Black, and the dance music was furnished by the Varsity Players. The upperclassmen suc- ceeded in playing a good many mysterii 0113 pranks upon the underelassmen. The faculty formed a long receiving line at 0116 'ing, February 13. end of the hall and the girls of the student hath were endow ed 111th the tlutv of 111- troducing each of the louerclassmen to the members of the faculty and then- wives. The next affair 0f general interest was the Christmas dance and social which the members of the evening classes of the University offered to the 111e111her5 of the clay classes. The University hall was prettily decorated in red and green and was filled to eapaeity. Pierre Belanger served that evening as ofheial Santa Claus and a great t.'rne was had by ail as the many joke presents were distributed, dancing was enjoyed throughout the evening and refreshments were served. The next affair of interest was a return. dance given to the members of the uppef classes lay the freshmen; this also was a huge success. this affair was held shortly after the first of januaty. The Annual Dance of the Portland University paper was the next social evening 211111 this was :1 Valentine dance given 011 Friday even- The crowd at this dance was smaller than at some of the previous affairs. clue perhaps to uhfavo't- able weather conditions which existed. httt all the same a good time was ehjoyed by all there and the festivities were run right through till Saturday morning. Perhaps the most successful affair of the year in the form of a dance was the Annual Spring Dance Festival. which teak place 011 KVeclneSday evening. March IS, in the University hall. A Eve-piece

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PUVlAN Finding their classmate game. had planned to capture the president of the Freshman class and one speaker, namely. Leo Bree and Ralph Blood. Their plans were to kidnap them and make the Freshmen give up the Junior captive. Broe and Blood were kept well hidden, however, and to- gether, and although they experienced many narrow escapes from the claws oi the upperclassmen the;r were safe on the night of the banquet, 1n conelusien, the banquet was held 011 the evening of Friday. May 8, in the pri- vate dining-room 0f Cordes Cafe, while the upperclassmen tmisledt were storm- ing the Moulttm House in Scarborough. The entire Freshman class paraded the City of Portland in a big truck decorated with the class numerals and a sign read- ing thus: HERE 15 THE PRESIDENT OF THE jUNlOR CLASS W'ITl-I THE COMPLIMENHS OF THE FRESHF MEN. The entire affair was a great suc- cess. Senator Frederick XV. Hineklejyr and President Whitney P. Thomas were the outside speakers, and much credit is due the entire committee, made up .ol Lee B. C. Bree. john Grant and Roland Peterson. VALUE OF ATHLETICS The keystone of every school 01' college is its student hedy. Much more promi- nence may he obtained by an institution through the activities of its students than through any number of advertising mag- azines 0r circulars. Perhaps the most helpful and heuehciel activities in which the pupils might take part are those which concern athletics. 111 the fall of 1921 the football team of a small Kentucky college travelled all the distance from its home state to Massa- chusetts. where it met and handily de- l925 15 tented the strong aggregation of Harvard University, one of the largest institutions in the country. Through the prominence of this victory the enrollment of the cow- quering college nearly doubled the next year: and there are but comparatively few persons in the country today who have not heard of this small Centre Col- lege of Kentucky whose football team was known as the dPraying Colonels. Perhaps a college without athletics may he likened to a ship without a rudder. In the same sense that a disabled ship will drift from its course, and, unless guided by a fortunate wind, will never reach its intended journeyis end, such a college will drift item the interest of the public, and, unless by chance, will never grow to its full extent, which is its desired destiny. Now then, why can not we establish a. foundation this coming year for the fu- ture activities of our University by start- ing athletic teams. with the hope that in the future at least one of them will have developed to such an extent that it might cause strong competition to some of the best college teams in this section of the country. TO say such a thieg seems to he an absurdity. but the large American colleges which are now so well represent- ed by athletic teams, once had smaller enrollments than have we at our univer- sity. and fully as many handicaps. rWe can not further delay our duty in ans'weru ing the call of athletics. for if we do, per haps such activities will never become a reality. and our university will therefore he clone a great injustice. There is no doubt that athletic teams would receive the hearty support of the university authorities. for they realize the importance of such activities to the stuF dents. College Iiie is often tliFl-ieult and tConlinued on page 3m