Spring 2002

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In our last issue, John Robson took us back for a look at the rules and fatherly advice contained in The Student Handbook from the early part of the 1900s. This article continues that retrospective with a look at the pipe rush, athletics, fraternities and cheers.

Rush (not the fraternity type)

Success in the classroom was essential, particularly in the pre-war days when two of every three freshmen did not succeed in graduating. But there were others courts that mattered for success to the young men of Rose. The Challenge and Pipe Rushes were the subject of much gossip and lore over the years. From the circa 1925 era:

"The Challenge Rush occurs on the first Thursday night following the opening of school. A challenge is posted by the Sophomores for a baseball game with the Freshmen on the following Saturday. The challenge is hung upon some part of the Campus, and the Freshmen "rush" it and attempt to capture it. The rush lasts until one side or the other is tied-up.

"The Pipe Rush occurs following the baseball game on Saturday, and consists of two parts. In the first part each Freshman has a pipe concealed somewhere upon his person, and Sophomores attempt to get as many away from the Freshmen as possible. The second part consists of a rush for a large pipe. The side having the most hands upon the pipe at the end of the rush wins. Hazing is not permitted."

The 1931 handbook summed up the philosophy of rush and life in a poem titled "The Test of a Man" by an unknown poet. Here is the last of three verses from that poem:

To test your mettle and prove your worth
It isn’t the blows you deal,
But the blows that you take on this good old earth
That shows if your stuff is real.

The number of broken noses and bones led the school to abolish pipe rush and substitute canoe tilting on the lake, tug of war across a blasting fire hose, and a soccer match.

All athletics, whether varsity or what we would call intramurals, were under the control of the student run Athletic Association. They raised the funds, hired the coaches, scheduled the games, and balanced the books. Students were strongly encouraged to not be a "grind" and get involved. Being varsity in the 1920s and 1930s did not necessarily take the talent and experience of today’s Engineers. So try out! And remember this advice from the 1933 handbook:

A good sportsman:
He does not boast.
He does not quit.
He does not make excuses when he fails.
He is a cheerful loser.
He is a quiet winner.

Fraternities

The importance of Greek life has always been prominent at Rose. The handbooks encouraged the students to check out the four social fraternities: ATO (1893), Sigma Nu (1895), That Kappa Nu (1925) and Theta Xi (1907). The endorsement had a reasonable caveat. The student must check out each for himself. "…a student should not be too hasty in pledging himself. The national and local standing of the organization, the financial requirements, and particularly the moral characters of the members, should all be given the most careful consideration."

Search as you will in today’s Handbook, you’ll find little of the rules and advice offered in those of yesteryear. The end perhaps started after WWII. The returning war veterans had little time for such silliness, many having families and were eager to complete their educations and get good jobs. American youth became more challenging of traditions and social conventions in the 1960s.

Even good old Rosie has evolved from a freshman-built and -defended float into a costumed spirit figure, roaming the stands encouraging us still to cheer the Fighting Engineers.