University of Massachusetts Amherst - Index Yearbook (Amherst, MA)

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mammm our originals will appear and astonish the Freshmen next term. No doubt they will astonish the Freshmen, but they need no forerunner, they will speak for themselves, and the wisdom and truth which every line will replete in, will make itself manifest in years to come, and when by chance some stray manu- script is dug out of an old garret, it will be seen to refer directly to the truths expounded in eighty-five ' s originals. B. 17

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- )f I T last we have crossed the stream that divides our college course and have A begun to wend our way up that rugged bank, whose path is crowded with T ajC knowledge, which we must bravely shoulder and retain, in order to J- i. gain the goal for which we are striving. What cares, what joys have been undergone none but those who have passed through can tell ; yet because her members are bound in silken ties of friendship, instead of shackles of wrong- doing, let no one think she lacks in spirit ; the same true mettle has been shown in the rush, on the ball field, and in the cremation of ' 85, as well as in the class- room. In short, she can say that the talents entrusted to her care have been so well used, that, when another year rolls round, bringing senior dignities and se- nior privileges, she will be ready to receive them. We greet our new President and admire the zeal with which he has begun his work, the effects of which, we feel in the magnanimity of our duties, for our time is completely occupied, and not only with college duties, but other avocations which necessarily devolve upon a Junior. A great change has been made in our college curriculum, which enables a stu- dent to study the languages instead of agriculture ; but so fully is our time oc- cupied, that we have not had the opportunity to grind out that ever-to-be-adored but soon forgotten Dutch, which many of us wish for in preference to agri- culture. It will be unnecessary to state at this jjeriod of our college course, that 16

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m ' HE rolling; round of one short year has placed us in the long envied posi- ji tion of Sophomores, and we can feel that we may merit some advance- 6 a rnent by our steady and careful application to our work. We feel that four time has been well spent, even if only in learning to study, for still $ there lies before us three years of work and pleasure. The careless spirit of the Freshman lies dead within us, while from its ashes rises a powerful deter- mination to push on until we shall reach as high a standard of mental and phys- ical development as may be possible for us. . We regret the changing of old customs by the extremely fresh methods adopted this year in consequence of the fear of the Freshies to do as their prede- cessors have always done. There is certainly no excitement like the old Rush. Possibly they thought a cane rush would do just as well, and if so we hope they are satisfied ; for though they may have possession of a cane as the result of the rush, they have nothing to show of their own getting. We are glad however to see Freshmen taking a lively interest in college questions of vital importance, as cold baths at midnight, and the Future Punishment question. For our class, this year has been a lucky one. Although some were unable to come back, enough more have entered to nearly double last year ' s number. We are all drawn closer together by our comparatively few numbers, and have many glad anticipations of another year together — jollier and busier even than the last. c. 18