The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-22
TN. E. WEEK AT CORNELL.
1IJ FOOLS TIME IN INITIATING
THE SOCIETY CANDIDATES.

T,e New Members Have TO RIO Foolish Things
rubiiciy Deroro They Receive the Founding
THAT Makes Them Fall N1embers-secrecy
or Former Wears Done Away with Now.
ITHACA, y. V, May 2l.-This Is all fools
reek in Ithaca. All fools week 10 synony.
nous with Theta Nh Epsilon. n Greek so.
,cty. Nearly all tho Eastern colleges have
CHAPTERS OF this society. II Is commonly
Known as a sophomore hazing society. The
Cornell chapter was organized in tho lac
amenities to control class politics. At Cornell
n represented tho fraternity men and
certain non-fraternity men who cndeav.
ored to keep "haysoods" from holding
class offices. For several years the society
WIS conducted secretly. no member being
allowed TO divulgo his membership until
he was n senior, and then only after the senior
elections. In 1888 n fierce class election took
Mace, which. instead OF being q contest between
TN. f.. and nnti-T. n. e, developed into a con.
test between T. n. L. and Y. NJ. G. A. T. n. E.
carried the day, having at tho time the support
Of one coed. who proclaimed her fidelity to T. N.
Z before the nominations and was made class
essayist. After the election the members of tho
society hired a band and screnaded the loyal
coed, and in this way revealed tho identity OF
the underclass members, so that from that time
TN. +. was no longer a power In politics. At
present 1t is merely n society where abounds
good fellowship and q high old time once a year.
The limitations to the society occur in the lat
ter part of May In each year, and are now pub
Ncly conducted. and the candidate must do a
hundred foolish things. The first letter OF the So
ciety stands for n Greek word synonymous with
"a view OF death. and before the candidate Ia q
ull.hcdged I. y. f. he must have a view OF
DEATH" The society holds a meeting and nomi-
nS.la Iot. 49, 49, l..---
who shall have a candidate and who tho candi.
date shall be. This decided. the misery Of tho in.
itiate begins. His mail begins to grow heavy.
containing mysterious commands to go and do
certain things or beware of the penalty. The
letter is ornamented with skull, crossbones, and
coffin, and these anonymous commands must DO
obeyed to the letter or woful is tho lot of the
candidate. The commandsa arc varied, but all OF
kind that causes the candidate great embar-
rassment in carrying them out. For instance.
he will be told to put on his Oldest suit OF clothes,
shoes that do not match, and without wearing a
collar or tic call upon some young woman in the
city Of whose esteem he is very proud. He is for
hidden to speak n word beyond announcing him
especially as some 7. n. E. always happens to
call at tho Same time to see that the ommand is
On the street to-day were a number of candi.
dates doing, foolish things. One was dressed in
complete fisherinan's costume, with outat. and,
perched upon q high stool ON one OF the princi.
pal business corners, had to cast every few min
the end Of the line was a little tin fish. One man
tauntcred down to the Post Office tonight with
bis coat and trousers turned inside out another
with only one shoe and stocking on; still an
hther with a Cornell cadet uniform on wrong
hide out.
to take the places of walters in various restau-
rants in the city. Tomorrow will occur the
annual annual u ontippE in costume; This will he at the
date will be costumcd In an outlandish manner.
and take. part in n parade just before the game.
a Illumination ton pHs' Humber be-. viii Siifa act ans as fo %tin ee
and coachmen during the day for any T; n +.
,ine f iSIs wee to an be cd fr +. =. E E. t hsm sR%e. m a t iSin nss
on the fat of the land. even If his purse is low.
All he has to do is TO, get a candidate and COM
delicacy and the candidate has to pay the bill.
,, The last 1st. OF the ,, limitations tat Pm occurs ,9-morroM
With drinkabies. and the candidstes viii sHi'f be-
taken to Glenwood; At this point the unfortu-
nate candidate is able to grasp the full meaning
dates are all blindfolded and then put through a
course OF sprouts. Each one is named 9ftera
happens to tie named after some one who is I'M
popular. that is his misfortune; On one trip
p ppsser shG las aso tune run Is ea ssdEisf BY a isiHs ,hr ld1s.
Ing him overheard: A rope is tied to
tho hfe.preservcr and he is dragged through the
night will probably be similar to those hold in
previous years. The candidates will be pounded
all over with clubs stuffed with sawdust. There
will be- no gentle taps. The candidates will then
be made to walk OF a plank into the lake, or
perhaps he tied to a barrel and rolled OF the |
dock. as happened not long ngo to the luckiess
candidates. In some cases the initiation has !
been barbarous. but the inclination Of latc has
been to be more merciful, although it is yet
cruel.
There is, Of course. n general feast, but the
candidate enjoys 1t very little. as no Is about
half dead from the punishment he has received. |
The oath of allegiance is now taken astride of q |
keR with a foaming glass OF beer in the hand.
Probably on the journey back to Ithaca some
poor bclabored candidate. who can hardly lift
one foot after tho other. is put ashore and left to
nnd his way through the woods and over coun- |
try. roads back TO town as best he can. The only
satisfaction that a new member gets Is his fun
with others the following year. Despite the
sill thrives and the number OF applications each