University of Minnesota - Gopher Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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lil 'HW fQL.f7f l'WWll lllllli 7' t i if s- ill! s- 'ff 'ww-A nil ii,9!'1llill 1 ., l M pf if 1 sl Y li' 1 '!'F I '56 ' ,Q 423' W3 V r i.:u fflfiiiiiitlg iii li lr i if ill if - i..,i'iz'f4'liii'57'j llli mighty, loyal ettorts of the -Xll1lUI1l, the coinracleship evinced between the different colleges, the spirit of gracious and unqualitiecl welcome, which calletl it all forth-these were the manifestations of the spirit which charac- terized the inauguration of Presiclent Vincent. ln the size of the undertaking anal the mags niticence of its effect, it was perhaps the inost gorgeous event in the annals of an ,Xinerican college. There was about the whole thing'-clespite the uncler- eurrent of keen zest ancl laughing coniracleship, that swept it on to a triumphant conclusionfan effect so strongly unusual. so bizarre in its very beauty. that it borclererl upon the unreal. HE night was cloucly. liy the time the participants in the pararle hall gathered. it hacl becoine very clark. ,X cliin light. tlaring here and there. showed a gigantic throng' of eerie figures, capefl and hooded. moving turbulently in the clark. The breath of mystery was in the air. Now ancl again a torch Harecl up, showing a tliin ring of faces. that tliecl back into the shadows once inore, For the instant. no inan knew his neighbor. The talk was lowftonetl. Here ancl there a laugh sounclecl, keyecl to the pervatling' note of strangeness anal expectancy. Above the niyriacls of cliin, restless shoulclers. the darkness hung. tense with a burclen of subtluecl sound. ln the center of the crowcl a light Hareml up brightly, then another, anal another. ,X rising niurinur of sound greeted it. then torch touchecl torch so quickly that, above the crowd, lines of tire flashed up through the tlark. An instant only. it seeinecl, and every torch was enkinclletl. liar away from the campus.

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they said the lights could be seen-an immense, hollow dome of radiance, arching up under the black sky. The chaotic enkindling signalled a burst of life among the throng. Suppression vanished. Laughter and jubilant talk, suddenly released, grew and swelled. The figures no longer loomed up black against the sky. Their colors Haunted beneath the torches. A spirit of joyous restlessness pervaded them. They moved unceasingly, and, at every motion, a thousand lights danced and swung and circled in the darkness. The whole effect was almost indescribable-the rippling merriment of the throng, the lively sounds in the air, and the ceaseless weaving of bright patterns above their heads against the night sky. The great forest of lights began to sway and shift. liar down, small detachments of torches moved about together, one line of light cutting straight across another. Along the side street stretched a row of Hoats, showing from a distance -a moving array of grotesque figures, in a dim haze of light. Suddenly, a great cloud of red flame puffed up into the sky, followed by a blaze of white that, for an instant, illumined the crowd like day. NVhere there had been hundreds of hazy figures before, there showed clearly, for a moment, in all their panoply, under the streaming torches, the throng of torch- bearers-row upon row, and rank upon rank, as far down as the eye could see. In the very heart of the crowd, a bugle note sounded. and suddenly the band burst into life. The laughter grew louder, the sea of lights surged more restlessly. In the center of the throng. the torches widened into an orderly circle, slowly un- curved. and swung into line. The line grew, the whole group was agitated, shifting dazzlingly as it unwove. Lights flashed into place, and swung in time to the music. In an instant. the crowd was on the march. They loosened out into one huge snaky line, belting the whole campus solidly with a winding THE BEGINNING OF THE TORCHLIGHT PROCESSION