Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

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The Head The second effect that the increasing demand for engi¬ neers had on the Tech campus, was the increased activity of the placement office. Senior placement activity began as early as last spring, continuing through the summer, and found all dates on the school calendar filled with interview assignments. The record number of 225 com¬ panies whose representatives interviewed last year’s sen¬ iors was exceeded. Salary offers ranged from S3,500 to S5,000 with a slight rise in the average starting pay from S4,100 to S4,200. The much needed structural alterations in the Alumni Gymnasium, financed in part by the Alumni Association, were finally finished. They included such important items as a new trophy display area, visitors’ locker room, and laundry facilities. The main corridor on the first floor now doubles as a display area for the trophies. Cabinets built into the walls for this purpose afford a view to the visitors upon entry. The old trophy room no longer ex¬ ists as such, but now doubles for a visitors’ locker room as well as providing storage room for athletic equipment in a separate adjoining room. The change which will be most appreciated by the fairer sex is the installation of a brand new powder room on the second floor of the gym. The Christmas season in Worcester was marked by the traditional decorations, last minute shopping, and the inevitable round of hour exams just before vacation time. The fraternities all held their annual orphan Christmas parties and this, coupled with the Christmas assembly, ably staffed by the joint glee clubs of Becker and Tech, was a fitting send-off for the holiday season. The New Year brought some new ideas about campus publications. A new Tech News staff gave the campus an enlarged, more interesting newspaper. With the support and encouragement of President-elect Cormeny’s desire to see a free expression of student opinion, the News began a program of careful reporting of student opinions on controversial campus matters. The Peddler staff began making its new ideas about publications also noticed and the slogan ‘More in ’54’ became a by-word around cam¬ pus. earn. party Page Thirteen

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The Sand Pit and-gray-clad athletes could muster but a tie in one contest, a well-played, hard-fought football battle with our colleagues in study from Troy, the home engineers showed up well in their 2-0 loss to Trinity and in their loss to Amherst. The fraternities added the element of undergraduate spirit with a fine assortment of Homecom¬ ing displays. Enthusiastic work had been carried on far into the early hours of Saturday morning, making up for the time lost during a week of rain. Climaxing the day’s activities was the Homecoming dance, highlighted by the awarding of the decoration trophy to SPE. The brightest highlight at the meeting of the Institute’s Board of Trustees on Homecoming day, and in fact of the year just past, was the election of Alvin Elmore Cor- meny of Haddonfield, New Jersey as the eighth president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The Worcester Ga¬ zette had this to say: Alvin E. Cormeny . . . will find that he comes here as more than the head of a famous school. The Polytechnic Institute was founded as a community institution and grew up as one. Worcester’s pride and interest in this fine school has never diminished . . . and its new President will find himself welcomed and supported by the Worces¬ ter community. President Cormeny appears to be highly qualified in a number of respects. As an engineer he understands the science which is the major subject at Worcester Tech. As a business administrator, he knows that an engineer’s education must extend beyond mere technology. The Institute is fortunate in finding a qualified presi¬ dent who is as young as Mr. Cormeny. For engineering, a science which deals with tomorrow’s devices, is well served by the kind of imagination that goes with young¬ mindedness. It is particularly appropriate, therefore that our school of engineering be placed under the charge of a man whose best years of inventiveness are still ahead of him. . . . The campus took on the appearance of a full fledged military base every Saturday morning as members of the Signal Corps branch of the ROTC went through their paces on the athletic field. The beginning of a program of cadet leadership training increased the interest in these Saturday morning drills and the basic principles of leadership and marching were well taught and exercised. No one could deny the ever increasing importance of the unit in the life of the college, as a country looked to its younger generation to form the backbone of a vast mili¬ tary potential. A new honor society came to Tech in the winter. Com¬ pany W, 8th regiment of the Pershing Rifles Society held its first inspection and initiation in the Janet Earle room. The society is to be composed of selected Signal Corps cadets, of the basic course senior ROTC unit, who have displayed exceptional ability for and interest in the military. The ever increasing need and use of young engineers by a great variety of industries and businesses had two effects on the Tech scene. First, this need was brought to the attention of high school boys of engineering caliber. This helped to raise the total enrollment to 730, of which more than a third were freshmen. The number of appli¬ cations this year went up to 696 as compared with 423 of last year. Tornado Page Jwelve

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The Halls of Ivy Jack and Jill went up the ‘HUT When shadows fall The Tech Council was busy reviewing major campus problems in its chambers. Tbe questions of early registra¬ tion and summer reading examinations were of major importance. The Goat’s Head was still an active open subject and the question of revision of the Constitution was a serious matter under consideration. The idea of having the elected representatives meet every week to carry on the business of the Tech Council between regu¬ lar meetings was accepted as a very favorable suggestion. While the Tech Council heard speeches of various types, the Debating team was making its own speeches throughout New England in several intercollegiate de¬ bate tournaments. The team fared unusually well at the Vermont Tournament, finishing in a tie for first place out of ninety competing teams. Though January usually is a relatively inactive month due to examinations, it proved to be filled with all types of goings on. The AIEE and IRE held their annual Sparks party amidst the sparking of various electric giants. Masque presented its annual one act play in an assembly, choosing for its first endeavor of the year a marine melo¬ drama, “Submerged.” The ROTC was active, too, announcing its list of offi¬ cers and beginning a series of extra curricular leadership training classes. Various lectures were given by guests and former military men on the faculty. Page lourtcen Strife