Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

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Breathe there a man with soul . . . While the bridge club was busy winning second place in the Intercollegiate Bridge Tourney, SPE once again proved their vocal talents by taking the coveted Pi Delt Songfest Trophy home for the fourth straight year. Little concern was attached to the fact that Tuesday, June 9, had been an oppressive day in Worcester, for there had been many days of that sort in New England during June. There had been many days when thunder clouds had gathered on the horizon by evening to give hope that once they had exploded their fireworks, relief would follow in their wake. And on many occasions that welcome relief was forthcoming. But June 9, 1953 was different. The clouds gathered, the storm came . . . but this time instead of relief, utter destruction followed. A credo Yours truly Fate was kind to the Class of ’53 in that it allowed Old Sol to shine enthusiastically on Sunday, June 14. 136 seniors received their sheep skins beneath the clear skies and in a pleasant Alumni Field setting. Fifteen hundred parents and guests had gathered to watch the ceremonies which marked the culmination of four years of hard work. Returning in late spring to the ‘Hill’ from all parts of the country, five hundred men found their ranks swelled by the addition of two hundred and sixty beany topped freshmen, one of the largest entering classes in Worcester history. The revised orientation program was accepted with great enthusiasm and the process of assimilation into the overall picture was well under way after a few days. The new freshman learned quickly about the Goat’s Head. Several appearances of the much sought after brass head were made early in the season. The informal demonstration of class spirit however was not as inspiring as the first organized hazing event of the year—the Paddle Rush. This rough, bruising exhibition of class spirit took place between the halves of the first home football game, and although the teams were evenly matched in numbers, the sophomores, capitalizing on one year of experience and training, took the honors. The introduction of a new rushing system by the I.F, council proved to be an enlightening alteration to the plans brought forth in previous years. Rushing rallies early in the year brought the frosh together with their fellow classmates and future fraternity brothers, and seemed to speed the adjustment which the new citizens had to make.

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Minute Men Nichols College. But though Tech didn’t participate in any such affairs, the administration pointed out that the student’s mind was not on his work. Attention was called to the steady increase during the last few years of the number of E and F grades at mid-term, and to a sudden drop in a normally steady weighed college average of 74.17 to a low 73.00. “Perhaps,” the solution presented stated, “it indicates a lower morale that may be general in all colleges and is apparent here in grades and some other schools in panty raids and riots.” Whatever the cause the matter received the serious concern of the faculty group studying a proposed alteration of the cur¬ riculum. Certainly “the biggest and the bestest” social event of the year was the annual Junior Prom. Highlighted by the smooth strains of the nationally known Elliot Lawrence and his company, a record crowd of three hundred odd fortunates were able to break up the pressure of campus studies. The event was so successful both financially and socially that it will no doubt be certain that all Junior classes to come will call on the services of some name band. Seven newly tapped members of Skull braved the ele¬ ments and the uncomfortable fire hydrants one evening, and the next day seven clean white-capped juniors had joined the ranks of that most honored and coveted cam¬ pus honorary society. Blessed by an unusually beautiful spring day, the An¬ nual Parents Day celebration proved to be an outstand¬ ing event. Activity in all phases of campus life attracted parents. The ball field lured the sports fan, while the auditorium was packed to hear the Band concert. The technically minded spent the day visiting the various labs and shops eagerly witnessing the shows and demonstra¬ tions presented by the departments. Tech’s R.O.T.C. made its own worthwhile contribution to the nationwide observance of Armed Forces Week. Im¬ pressive in their precision, and a credit to W.P.I. and its department of military science and tactics, 309 cadets passed in review on May 13 as part of the annual pro¬ gram of inspection by the Department of the Army. Dis¬ tinguished among the members of the reviewing party were Major General Kirke B. Lawton ’17, commanding general at the Signal Corps Center at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, and Worcester’s mayor, Andrew B. Holm- strom ’17. The Varsity club held their sportsorama, while enter¬ taining for the engineers were the Aquamaids from Mass. U. The Tau Bete’s held their spring outing on the plains of the Alumni field late in May. A variety of activities greeted those participating. A sunny day and a victory for the lacrosse club set the stage for the other activities of the day, not the least of which was the faculty-student baseball game. ' Page Eight And on the seventh day . . . Stalag 221

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Acting president Roys formally opened the college’s 88th year at the first assembly of the new term in Alden Memorial. He asked for a year filled with improvements and outstanding achievements. “The engineer of today must have a background of subjects other than the purely technical courses,” explained the Dean. Several changes were apparent in the Worcester scene as the college settled down to its daily routine. One as¬ sistant professor, three new instructors, and six graduate assistants were added to the faculty ranks for the coming year. The corner of Boyton and Salisbury was a bee¬ hive of activity; Kaven Hall, the future home of the Civil Engineers, was fast approaching completion. Though modest in design the new building seemed to have an air of majestic splendor—beautiful in its simplicity. For the first time since the Navy Training unit began at Tech, the Dormitory was too small to accommodate all those desiring rooms. Several freshmen had to find rooms in the surrounding neighborhood. Though the faces were new in the dormitory, the freshman pranks and pro¬ verbial complaints about the taste of the dorm food were the same as the ones of previous years. Opinions and sentiments were sharply divided among Tech men as the local heated political campaign began to take impetus. The only common choice on the entire ballot was the English department’s Prof. Higgenbottom. But the line separating two different political beliefs was just a scratch compared to the wide difference of opinion between New York and Brooklyn supporters in the base¬ ball classic. Portable radios became standard equipment in laboratories around campus that week. The Tech Council continued to function as the most important student governing branch on campus; few citizens of W.P.I. were not directly or indirectly affected in some way by the council’s activities during the year. One of its most significant undertakings this year was the revision of Goat’s Head rules and the beginning of a project to bring the Council’s Constitution up to date. While the Tech Council was busy with the problem of the Goat’s Head, the Interfraternity Council was busy preparing plans for the I.F. Ball which was to serve as a means for raising money to purchase a memorial to the late President. Pitge Jen Top-of-the-morning to you