University of Virginia - Corks and Curls Yearbook (Charlottesville, VA)

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I923 Qlurks anti Qtutls 7 teen members of the staff were elected. In this way the new venture was assured of be- tween two and three hundred subscribers. After organizing, the staff attacked the important and delicate question of a, name for the child; the title, liThe Old Dominion? was proposed, in addition to that of CORKS AND CURLS, and was lost by a narrow margin, the controlling argument being that of CORKS AND CURLS; local colloquialisms of the day meaning, broadly, Wailing, and ilsuc- ceeding smacked of the soil and could be used only at the University, while the other might be selected equally aptly by any college in the State. The question of the number of copies to be pirnted brought at once the inevitable cleavage between the optimistic and the pessimistic members of the staff; the former deg mandecl that at least a thousand copies be issued, while the doubting Thomases pleaded- almost with tearsafor a maximum edition of five hundred. A compromise was reached on seven hundred; over two hundred of these remained unsold when the accounts were closed. this being due in some measure to the departure of many students before the books were ready for distribution. The price to be charged per copy caused a long and anxious debate; it was finally agreed to risk a charge of fifty cents apiece, although more than one of the editors seemed to despair of being able to extort such a sum from each of his clubmates. Of course advertisements were solicited here, there, and everywhere, so far as in- experience and lack of time would permit, with a most unexpected result in one case. When the chairman of the Faculty was asked to aid the feeble enterprise by inserting an adver- tisement of the University, he declined, taking the position that the University needed no advertisement and desired none! When the last possible cent had been painfully scraped into the treasury, it was seen that the Treasurer, Spratt Cochrell, had been gifted with prophetic vision; he had provided himself with an account book of only vest-pocket size. As 1888 was in the Dark Ages before the New Morality had been invented, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad did not pay for its advertisement in money, but sent a pass made out in the name of the Editor-in- Chief; being the only student possessing such a desirable article he was much elated and unduly puffed upa-for a short time. It soon developed that not only every member of the staff, but most of those whom he knew by sight, as well, had convinced themselves that they had a right to borrow this pass and to ride up and down the road to their hearts content. When at last the books were delivered, ten days before the Finals, the editors, facing the accomplished fact, though realizing how poor and inadequate the result was, still felt a legitimate pride that they had at least iistarted something? Like the cuchoo, they had laid the egg and left to others the task of raising the Hedgeling. They had gained experience of more or less value, they had clone a good deal of hard but interesting work, they had had a fair amount of fun, and they had earned a deficit of sixty-live dollars and fifty cents.

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. .- .5-..v-;m.-. wa- .WW N-H4W; .. mu .. bu m V arradmumm mm Driven thus by an irksome sense of collegiate inferiority and determined to remedy deficiencies that were glaring and no longer defensible, the students of the University, in the short space of five years, from 1886 to 1890, took live steps toward the rising sun of mod ern education and so put their Alma Mater in a position, as they believed, to fear compari- son with no teaching institution, however large or wealthy. Taking these epoch-making events in their historic order inot, perhaps, the order in which a pedagogic expert would rank theml, they are as follows: First, in the year 1886 the first University yell was concocted by iiCharlie Parrish, whose name Fame will not willingly let die? Second, in the same year the University colors were chosen Ohe name of this benefactor cannot be supplied, unfortunatelyl. Raised by these two steps above his former status of silence and obscurity, the University man could now make himself known as such and was prea pared both to dazzle the eye and deafen the ear of every passerby. Third, the first Annual was published during the session 1887-1888. Fourth, the same year, 1888, saw the first football team take the field. Fifth, in 1890 the General Athletic Associa- tion was formed; this was a most welcome step in advance, as it created a few more of- ficers to be swapped in iiJeff. politics and so added to a supply always far below the demand. As corresponding secretary of Eta of Delta Kappa Epsilon, the writer received, from time to time, from various other chapters of the fraternity copies of their college,s An- nual with requests for exchange. As there was none to send in exchange, these requests caused him some embarrassment and from this, no doubt, he was led to wonder why there was no Annual and so to question whether one could not and ought not to be started. Casual conversation with various students soon showed that there was a sentiment that it would be well to have an Annual. After a time a small group was drawn together for a serious consideration of the matter. Two preliminary questions had at once to be faced: Who was to undertake the work and how were the costs of publication to be paid? It seemed clear that the initiative would have to be taken by those enough interested to volun- teer to do the preliminary work. As the members of this group had no money to throw . to the birds and did not care to face the risk of a deficit, possibly great, it was essential that the new publication should have some guarantee of support. Reliance upon volun- tary purchases of the book after publication seemed to the pioneers, with intimate knowl- edge of their fellow students, extra hazardous, and there was no organization of the stu- dent body as a whole. The two literary societies did not embrace all the students, they were loosely organized, and their finances were in bad order; it was not reasonable, then, to count upon their treasurers being able and willing to undertake the collection of another change. There remained support by the fourteen fraternities, or nothing doing? Accordingly, one man was selected from each fraternity and was asked to present this proposition to his chapter: That the fraternities. as a group undertake the publication of an Annual; that each fraternity elect an editor, and that each member pledge himself to buy one copy. In the end all of the fraternities agreed to the proposition, and the four-

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QEurks anti QLurIs Virginia N ights I am unsteady from the sight Of Ivide Virginia skies at night: It seems as though young cavaliers Come swinging from the ancient years And challenge me to join their throng--e To take the way of love and song. Ah, Cod, rm mad enough to go, For beauty waits! . . These do, I know: The sound of music in a street, Where lover, sitting at the feet Of lover, burns his heart outright; The misty pools of orange light From windoIDS higher than the eye, Where laughter floms and joy burns high! Oh! later, I will love some one, Who is as beautiful as sun Upon the petals of a rose When summer day comes to a close. Then I will wonder at such things As the soft tune a Woman sings; At blooms within old garden walls; The happy little evening calls Of bird to bird beside the way--- The magic of a common day. But Old Dominion cavaliers Their glasses clinic in eager ears And night, with an impelling voice, Bids me now join them and rejoice! -LAWRENCE LEE, JR. 1923