Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-10-15
TELLS OF COLLEGE FRANKS.
Student Writes Of the Big Annual Ducxing at the
State University.

EDITOR CENSOR: Much has beef
thought and said about the College spiri
and close rivalry at our University. Be
neVing that our friends at Virooua arr
Interested to know yomething more
concerning this, we shall attempt tc
give resume of last weeks rush" on
Lake Mendoza The Madison people
look forward to the annual freshman.
sophomore rush with great interest, and
last Monday 8 contest proved to be the
most spirited and interesting rush par
tleipated by Wisconsin classes. The
tliue appointed Tor the rush Is ectly
aIter me nrst freshmen drill, q this
was dated for Monday, Oct G. tn year,
In the afternoon 400 freshmen q cred
for military drill in the large iSnorv
! hall of the gymnasium. At 4 .2loci-
thousands of people began TO 5tber
along the lake shore to avail the I1oin
nlng OF the interesting struggle. !Oyer
800 sophomores, clothed in worno ,zand
useless garb, gathered about the 5ym-
nasium entrance eagerly watehij :. the
| appearance of the 'fTeshies." Pr mt
| ly at 4;15 the door is opened and ahat-
erogeneC us throng of freshmen 81 2hed
IN worthless garments and faces be-
smeared with burnt cork, stream
| through the doorway eager for the on
slaught. 900 Varsity students clash in
an apparently serious struggle. There
Is pulling and rolling and ecrambling
ana Yelling Put EN- in TIE lake. and
the first freshies have their soaking. II
Is but short while, and the opposing
forces work to the brink of the lake and
the general plunge begins Groups of
sophs baptise FIRE hmen and those in
turn douse the sophs The sophs an
pear the most successful at first, but the
| spirited freshmen soon overpower them
Head hrst they so, and the lake is alive
with scrambling and splashing suffer
ers For twenty minutes this lively
and inexpensive water reception con-
tinued, and the participants surged
back and forth from the lake to fbe
gym. The writer although gradu-
ate student, kept at distance fearing
lest his looks should betray him to an
unsolicited bath. After the freshmen
had soaked all sopks within reach the,
formed into line and marched uD Stat.
street and around capital slu ire. giving
class ye'ls and cheering Cor everybody
hut sophs, Meanwhile a handful Of
sephs took advantage of the lull abont
the campus and began TO festen their
class numerals to the flagstaff on the
boat house turret. The news is spread
and soon is heard the yelling of the wet,
bowling gang of freshmen as they come
tumbiing down the street four hundred
strong Although the turret OF the bast
house is quite high and built over the
lake, the bold freshmen soon forced hack
the defenders, scaled the dangerous tor
tore dewn the sophomore flag, and re-
placed their own. The freshmen have
scored n decisive victory.
In the evening the freshmen had a
grand rally around large bonfire ex-
ulting in songs and yells; but the sonhs
were careful TO remain at home behind
locked doors A few were howeva,.
fished out, and having been placed in :
conspicuous place on the ladies hall
were restrained to amuse the vietors
with hnmiliatjng songs and speeches
This ended the rush. Tie sophs had
published threatening posters. "a the
public expected a hot time" and thev
got it. A remarkable characteristic az
the whole was the common sense and
friendliness displayed by both parties,
To the high school graduate or even Ia
the general college student such a rush
may at trst appear outrageous or even
barbarous, but considering everything
involved II is only interesting rivalry
for mutual benefit and common disci-
pline. In a large school where the stu
dent body is its own governing factor
II is clearly evident that there must be
friendly rivalry in order to hold each
other in check. 1t is a common belief
that the Wisconsin students are aristo-
cratic and "hig headed, but taking the
students as q body, this must be an
erroneous conception The writer at
least has found them congenial and
courteous. AN EYE WITNESS
Madison. Oct. f3. 1902