The San Francisco call., 1910-07-05
500 CHEER FOR THEIR
DEAR OLD ALMA MATER
"We're Here Because We're
Here" Sing Students

Those 500 men whose habits are being
corrected at the penitentiary on Black
wells island have heard with a pleas
urable glow of satisfaction that the
place of their temporary abode is moth
ing so common as a penal institution
but that on the contrary it is a college,
says the New York Herald.
They received this assurance at
chapel recently from Patrick Hayes
who in less advanced establishments of
the same class is called the warden. but
who on Blackwell's island is properly
known as Prexy. They also got the
good news from the Rev. Charles p.
Tinker, their chaplain, to whom they
had few minutes before presented a
new bible, the one he had having be-
come slightly worn. especially at the
pages dealing with the prodigal son.
In honor Of their new estate the stu
dents improvised college yell. 1t went:
"Rah, rah, rah, Hayesi'
Besides this succinct masterpiece they
formulated a college song beginning
with those resounding words:
We're here because were here"
The gallant 500 marched into chapel
innocent of any idea that they were
soon to be enrolled as students. Rev.
Canon Kimber, superintendent of the
Episcopal city mission society. well
coined them. He announced that a COM
mittee would present the new bible to
DR.. Tinker. The bible having been pre-
sented and accepted Hayes advanced to
the front of the platform, looked around
TO see that all the windows were Sc
curely fastened and spoke as follows:
II can't say that I'm glad to see you
here, but, s you are here, [ feel it is
my duty to make your stay as pleasant
as possible. Do not regard yourselves as
convicts. Think of yourselves as stu
dents. l am the president of the insti-
tuition. and I shall endeavor in the fu-
ture, as 1 have always endeavored in the
past, to see that you get to your classes
on time.
Cheers from the student body almost
lifted the roof of the building
This institution" said DIR. Tinker lis
more like a college than like peniten-
tiary, and if you will all try to remem-
Der this your stay here will not seem so
long"
An enthusiastic undergraduate who
prepared for college by stealing door
mats then proposed three cheers for
Hayes. A member of the senior class.
who besides being a postgraduate stu
dent. is holder of the interclass records
for porch climbing. seconded the mo-
ton. The rest of the seekers for knowl-
edge gave the required cheers, sang a
toast to dear old alma mater, then de-
parted in an orderly fashion. declaring
that aside from the commencement ex-
ercises they never during their entire
educational careers hoped to be present
at a more auspicious occasion. Some
were sorry all the alumni were not
there to share in the exercises.
The date of graduation of the various
students who took part in the exercises
is bit indefinite. as some of them have
conditions to work off that may make
their stay longer than that Of others.
Some of them have studied at other col
leges where the curriculum. they say,
is not so pleasant as that at historic
old Blackwelrs. The courses in physical
culture in DR.. Hayes institution are ex-
ceptionally thorough, and everybody
who saw the light hearted students
knew at a glance that they love their
alma mater and wouldn't leave it for
the world unless they found a rowboat
and a favorable tide.