Frosh Day, i.e., hazing

FroshDaynewspic

Early on, we participated, apparently willingly, in “Frosh Day.” On that day each year, seniors were able to lord it over freshmen, requiring them to perform various chores and silly acts, e.g., walk backwards, carry seniors’ books, sing, etc. I believe that is George Shannon at left in the photo above from the Springfield newspaper. Recognize anyone else? Is it Jim Montanari in the middle?

FroshDay_102860Page four of the October 28, 1960 Chronicle had a picture of “frosh Edward Page” (at right) wearing the big bow that marked first-year students and an article recounting the various humiliations faced by the Class of 1964. Okay, so they weren’t “humiliations,” but I bet there were a few instances where freshmen were not having “fun” and I doubt this tradition existed for a whole lot longer in the same manner.

Anybody remember Frosh Day? Good times? Not so pleasant memories?

But, in the ways traditions such as these kept going, we were able as seniors to lord it over the Class of 1967, as shown in this picture from our PantherPix.

FroshDay

Below is the October 28, 1960, Chronicle. This was the issue right before the November 1960 election between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon. A poll of CHS seniors in history classes (page two) showed a strong preference for Sen. Kennedy (88 percent) over Vice President Nixon (12 percent), and for the Democratic Party, by the same percentages. Yet, interestingly, 80 percent of those polled said they would vote for President Dwight Eisenhower if, hypothetically, he was running.

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