The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1912-05-25
Social Notes


Commencement days and functions
are OCCUPYING the minds of most OF the
people and viii continue to do SO for
the next two weeks. At that time those
who have cottages at the lakes will
make preparations to open their sum
ner homes and the many Fargo young
reople who are away at college will
return home for the summer vaca-
ton. Commencement days are at
tendant each year with some very
beautiful exercises, particularly in the
older colleges, where certain forms
are carried out each year as religious
" now as a generation ago and the
traditions OF the colleges are consider
ed most sacred. Recently it has been
attempted to put away some OF the
most famous customs of commence
ment time, but the movement is being
met by the students of the colleges
with bitter opposition, for what stu
dent Is not wholly loyal to his college
and is proud Of its traditions. The
famous daisy chain OF vassar is per-
haps one of the best known and has
recently come into prominence because
OF the attempt to abolish IL.
For half a century, ever since the
foundation of Vassar. the famous wo-
mems college at Poughkeepsie, N. Y,
the daisy chain has been carried In an
nual procession by score Of the pret-
tiest members OF the sophomore class
as part Of the ceremonies of class
day, Tuesday of commencement week.
On the day before class day all the
IL
forth into the fields surrounding Vas
sar and gather the daisies to make up
the monster chain.
For each member or the graduating
class a foot of the chain is woven, and
the mass OF daisies in recent years has
generally been over 200 feet long.
Marching proudly down the line be-
tween rows of thousands Of visitors to
Vassar for commencement week, this
score Of pretty members of the sopho-
more class, chosen for their beauty and
grace, have always been the observed
of all observers. They have been
chosen by committees composed of the
presidents of the senior classes, the
presidents of the sophomore classes
and the chairmen Of the class day
committees.
vassar seeks no distinction based
on the fairness of face and form Of its
students Therefore, runs the chain of
logic, since the daisy chain confers on
Vassar unsought fame as the home OF
pretty girls, the daisy chain must go.
Vassar thinks the selection of twen-
ty-four maidens as representatives of
the sophomore class in the past has
IL g. 49,
rest OF the class was not equal to the
fortunate few in personal attractive
ness. That is not fair, since every
one knows that all Vassar girls are un-
commonly beautiful. But they are hu-
man, and it is natural for envy to
rankie in the feminine heart when an
other is preferred solely on the score
of beauty.
To this argument the reply has been
made, why not let the entire sopho-
more class carry the daisy chain?" But
here arises again the objection that
Vassar collectively seeks no fame bas-
ed on the beauty Of it's students. To
let the entire sophomore class carry
the chain, 1t is said, emphasize before
the world the assertion that the 1000
yassar girls have among their number
an unusually large proportion of Hebes
and Dianas. Which reputation Yassar
does not want.
No sectional lines are drawn in Sc
lecting the bearers of the chain. There
are 27S members of the class from
whom the twenty-four have been cho-
sen for this years distinction. New
York and New Jersey share the honor
,F a4yfh n -
the line of beauty. Wisconsin, Cali
fornia, Pennsylvania and Massachu-
sets have two each, and the other
states with one apiece are Virginia,
Ohio, Connecticut. Montana, Michigan,
Maine Iowa and Missouri. Last years
daisy chain was upheld partly by a
young woman from Manila, but she
was not a Filipino, but girl Of Am
erican parentage.
%
The w. c. T. u. met yesterday after
noon with Mrs. ID. Fisher Of Seventh
street south, for the first time since
the Sunday revival meetings. There
was a good attendance, Mrs. johnson
of Grandin and Mrs. Corse of Cassel-
ton being visitors. Four new mem
bers were taken in. Roll call was re-
sponded to with items from the sub
Sect of Physical Training. The feature
of the afternoon was a paper on Ply
sical Training, which was given by
Mrs. Fisher in the place Of Mrs. M. N.
Hatcher, who was unable to be pres
ent Mrs. Fisher told Of the need of
physical training for home women,
and that now-a- days there is no need
for the pale, sickly woman. The up
to-date women live out of doors as
much as possible and take vigorous
exercise. She predicted that as re-
suit of physical training that the next
generation would be decidedly more
healthy and robust. She outlined
some of the new ideas in regard to
physical exercise that We're very in
teresting. Mrs. Wilder took up the
study OF the text book on Alcohol and
Health. The book treats Of the study
OF alcohol and is divided into eight
sections. The first two were taken UP
yesterday. The kinds Of alcohol were
defined and the processes Of making
explained, with the effects OF each on
the nervous system. The essays which
were written by the pupils OF the
schools OF the country were discussed,
These essays were written on the SUBJ
ject of temperance and the anniversary