Williams College - Gulielmensian Yearbook (Williamstown, MA)

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alutaterg. OLUME XXXIII of the Gul, and another decade passed! Ten years ago appeared the Gul of the class of I88O. At such a time as this one cannot but look back over the years that have passed, and cannot but feel gratilied at what he beholds. He sees the Gul, rising by successive steps from a mere list of the Faculty, students, and College organizations, to the present elaborate pro- duction, he sees the College growing in every department,--offering increased accommodations for the varied needs of her students, erecting new buildings, calling new instructors. Realizing the fact that it is an institution alive with the spirit of progress which we address with the present issue of tl1e Gulielmensian, we have endeavored, to the best of our ability, to meet the demands of its pres- ent stateg and wediope that the result of our labors may lind in its readers kind critics only. ' First, to you who are our comrades here we olfer greeting: you who have stood beside us and shouted for old Williams until voices would no longer do their duty,-who have roused your sleepy frames at the sound of the same old chime,-who have undertaken the self-same round of work, under the self-same familiar faces-to you we turn to offer our best wishes. The College course may be likened to life in a great four-story tenement, where each floor has its separate class of rooms. At the top, reached by long flights of stairs, are spacious, airy apartments, furnished with every convenience, and offering a beautiful view from their broad windows. 'lfheir price is high- but brains, not-money, is the currency of the establishment. Here the Senior dwells, he is conscious that there is no one above him, his privacy is not dis- turbed by visits from the other floors, unless in case of weighty business or needed advice, when he is glad to be of assistance, he enjoys the prospect from his windows, he looks out for the interests of law and order in the rooms below, and receiveswith complacence the respect and confidence of their tenants. I . 7

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just below the Junior finds his place. His room is neat and comfortable, and looks out over nearly the same view as the Senior's above. He bears his cares lightly, finding abundant time for' paying a visit to his friend above, or making a condescending call on his acquaintance below, or employing himself at home with his large correspondence and with profitable meditation. He pays a generous rent, but considers himself already rich enough to move to a better room, and is only waiting for the present holder to vacate the upper story. On the second floor we find a somewhat different state of things. We notice thm: the rooms are darker, smaller, and with lower ceilings, still, they are well-furnished,-a generously stocked cane-rack stands in the corner, a row of substantial volumes adorns the bookshelf, while on the table lie various much- thumbed editions in paper covers, together. with materials for smoking, etc., a large easy-chair is near in which the Sophomore passes many a quiet hour when the business of the day is over. His life is a happy oneg he sometimes remem- bers the days when he could afford only a room on the lowest Hoor, and drops in, pipe in mouth, upon its present occupant, just to recall old associations, and to see if everything is as it used to be. But the Senior and Junior have an eye to him, as his propensities for disturbing the quiet of the building are well-known. On the first floor of the great tenement are the Freshmen. They have recently come in, and have hardly been allowed time to put their rooms in order, they found that locks were forbidden for their doors, that canes had to be stowed in trunks for safe-keeping, and most of the furniture procured at second-hand from their predecessors in the rooms. The Freshman has little leisure, he is continually being called upon for one service or another, and 'finds comfort only among his neighbors of the same floor, he never sees much of the rooms above him, but indulges in the hope of being able to take them himself in time. The Gul has often made the tour of this old building, and has spent pleas- ant hours on every floor. It has smiled, in turn, at the gravity of the Senior, the important air of the junior, the lordly indifference of the Sophomore, and the youthful acts of the Freshman. It has found that, though manners change, mankind remains much the same, and what was true of College classes years ago is often true to-day. But it has seen how kindly is the general feeling, and has sought to keep it undisturbed. While it has a word for all, it dwells but lightly on each fault, and seeks to raise the laugh of pleasure only. . But the Gul, beside being the message of a class to the College, is the address of the College to all those outside it who feel an interest in its welfare. 8