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

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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

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E take pleasure in sending our first communication to the Index. » Some of our number have gone into advanced classes, one only having left the college. The usual struggle for supremacy has taken place 1I between ' 87 and ' 86. Cane Rush and Tug of War won by ' 87. This not satisfying the Sophomores, one of their number had the audacity to carry the forbidden cane from recitations, in consequence of which a rush followed, and just as we were on the verge of victory, the Juniors and Seniors interfered. Our inexperienced Foot Ball Eleven defeated the invincible High Schools in a sharply contested game. Our natural enemies, the Sophomores, have handled us very tenderly thus far, thinking perhaps that we were able to take care of ourselves, and we agree with them, although they saved one of our number the trouble of weekly ablutions, by giving him a shower bath, which is very invigorating. We see by the papers that hazing the Freshmen has ceased, but that the moth- erly Sophomores take pleasure in sitting up with them until three or f our o ' clock in the morning, and then seem surprised when told that the morning hours were fast approaching. We here express our thanks to the friendly Juniors for the points they have given us in our college life, kindly showing us some of the crooks and turns, thus facilitating our progress in the customs of the college. We enter upon our col- lege career with a good deal of anticipation, and with a will to push our way to the goal for which we seek, and as we pass the stages of Sophomore, Junior and Senior years, that we may not look back upon moments misspent and opportuni- ties lost ; but on the contrary may we see the moments used to the best of our SO