New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-23
CLASS DAY AT HARVARD.
THE EVENT OF THE YEAR FOR THE
STUDENTS.
A FEAST OF WIT AND ELooUENcE PROVIDED BY

FEAST OF WIT AND ELooUENCE PROVIDED BY
THE BRIGHTEST MINDS OF THE CLASS.
Cambridge, June 90 (speciar-A Harvard class day
Is day that every Harvard believes TO be incom-
parable. The college authorities who throughout
years have appeared to the students class in
Harvard as the visible and awful college inqustors,
tsskmastcrs executioners of crimYnaiiy idle
over-sportve students. tina. day surrender the
rod Of power and allow themselves TO DO thrust into
the background. The College Yard, University Hall
Memorial Hail. the Gymnasium, Sever Hall. and ven
cradle Massachusetts, Hail. all passed over into the
hands OF the seniors, who for day rule supreme
And itGis not the mldest rule In the world that the
seniors give during that gala day. Not content with
assuming the dominion Of the Yard, they act upon all
undergraduates who in the buildings within the
Yard; by an unwritcn and inexorable law of college
courtesy, these students surrender their rooms
for the sole use OF the seniors and their friends on
Class Day. and place all furniture therein at their dis
posaL Having thus got supreme sway over the whole
Yard and all its buildings, the seniors erect high
fence about the Yard, lnclosng IL on all Sides and
guarding IT by means of numerous doughty policemen,
whose duty 1t is to protect this sacred Enclosure In
order to get into this inclosure after p m on Class
Day one must be provided with tickets, or he cannot
enter even IL he be senior himself
Class Day opens in the morning with the march Of
the whole class after the band 10 Sanders Theatre,
where the Ivy Orator, the wit of the day. the Poet
friends with the best wit poetry and stirring speech
that the day and the class call forth. The
erciscs OF the morning opened this Glass Day with
music and prayer, followed by the Grafton, given by
Herman Page, of Boston. Mr. Page spoke Of the
meaning of Class Day, and particularly of Harvard
Indifference and college snobbishness0 After
music, Charles Tilden scmpers, of Cambridge, Mass,
delivered tho Class Poem, very crcdtable produc-
ton. The Ivy Orator John Hunter sedgwch. of
New-York. then amused the audience with gay and
witty confidential talk The sharp hits. and they
were numerous the sarcastic filings at the shortcom-
inEs Of the authorities and the humor OF the whole
Grafton werc keeny rclished by appreciative an
audience Wit need ever desire. Next came the
singing Of the Ode written by Henry Shelton Sanford.
and sung 10 the music of Fair Harvard" And then
the exercises of tho morning were completed Soon
the GYM Massachusetts, the Beck Hall grounds tho
Mckay Mansion. and all the various college rooms
were filed with seniors in dress suits. attended by
their numerous friends. The Pudding Society spread
Tor 1880 persons. the Pi Eta for many the signet
for 500. the Beck Hall seniors for 5000. and at the
Mckay House $500 were expected Private spreads
accommodated probably 1000 more And until D
D. m. Class Day was but vast spread,
At o'clock, nearly enc thousand classmen and
graduates assembled about the Glass Day Elm After
cheering nearly everything connected with the college
the seniors scrambled for the flowers on the elm for
nearly fifteen minutes till every bud had been
snatched away. Then the tree exercises being |
finished, the reign OF the teas and evening spreads
began
Later on, there music under the CAV lights in |
The yard by the Glee Club and the cadet band Over
In the Memorial Hall, and in the Gym. the ladies' |
danced III they were satisfied anc when IL o'clock
In the belief that it the best yet.