EARLY MSU By Steve Waterbury I Former MSU President John Hannah and machine. Freshmen at MSU used to be fair game for anyone with a hankering for harrassment. In 1920, the season on freshmen was open and the license was a grade card that showed you had Former President Hannah (class of '23) sophomore standing or better. graduated in an era when offending Freshmen males ranked only slightly above the freshmen were publicly dunked in the bovine members of the Agricultural College. Strict Red Cedar from Farm Lane Bridge. enforcement of the unwritten rule that freshmen shall at all times show "proper respect" to upperclassmen sometimes resulted in life - endangering mob punishment. TTie editorial columns of the Holcad, forerunner of the State News, reveal a continual struggle to keep the "yearlings" of MAC (we were once Lane Bridge. Two violations of college traditions will be punished at that time. Michigan Agriculture College) from becoming "uppity." "The charge placed against these 'frosh' by the "Fresh, get this straight," fumed a 1920 Holcad Sophomore Vigilance Committee is that of 'acting editorial, "You are supposed to give at least two as escorts to coeds on the campus without wearing thirds of the walk to any upperclassman and when fresh caps or toques." you pass a coed get off the walk entirely and give "The student council has given full authority to her the right of way." impose fitting punishment to the violators of our The Dec. 7, 1920 Holcad reports that, sacred college traditions and according to the "freshmen riding with juniors or seniors on the members of this committee, no violations are elevator in the Engineering Bldg. have repeatedly going to escape their notice from now on." rushed on first without offering to close or open Criticism of the Sophomore Vigilance the doors. Committee was answered by revealing how much "Watch your P's and Q's a little more carefully or more humane and modern the committee method was as by spring there is liable to be a grand celebration compared to earlier enforcement of "sacred on the part of the Vigilance Committee," the traditions" by mob action. editorial concluded. Such a defense appeared in the November 16, Nor was the student newspaper making idle 1920, Holcad. The writer revealed that he had threats. An earlier issue of the Holcad announced been told upon arrival at M. A.C. that kill freshmen at East "they nearly that, "the first public ducking (as opposed to Lansing." numerous earlier private duckings) held at MAC "The above statement, altho (sic) extreme, came will be staged Wednesday noon at 12:30 at Farm (Continued on back page) Weekly Supplement of the Michigan State News THE UNION Preface: the following ethnography is the increase in stature they are allowed to move result of a four - year field study. The further southward until they reach the author initially entered the cultural region penultimate table where only the "old heads" are allowed to at. For some inexplicable reason the more by chance than intent, but southernmost table seems to be reserved to tribal subsequently became interested in the renegades who have committed the sin of "going native social institutions to such an extent straight." that he has remained ever since. To the south of the "left bank" c wall" lies the region of the past the "barrier Marginal Men. This particular grouping is by far the most amorphous on the entire The truly significant thing about the cultural grill scene. The Marginal tribe is 6) area in question is that a number of comprised entirely of migrants from extra - grill seemingly territories. It is not clear why these diverse and distinct social people have groupings exist in elected to settle in the Union area or relative harmony in geographical why they are contiguous areas. Certain landforms do provide subtle geophysical apparently able to maintain a sort of social cohesion and co - existence. boundaries, but nothing of a deterministic degree. The territory under scrutiny is called TTiere is in fact only one by various uniting factor in the nomenclatures by the several groups of Marginal Men milieu: they are unable to attain inhabitants. Some refer to it as the "grill," others entry into any of the other Union Grill social as the "Union," while still other groups affect sub - groupings. Hie Freaks maintain this is because the territorial designations such "the left bank," "the Marginal Men are "turkeys" — turkeydom Nark Nook," etc. Ethnic - leaning apparently being a kind of negative karma. anthropologists Interaction between Freaks and Marginal Men is have rather presumptuously dubbed the entire X cultural area the "Union grill." looked down upon by both groups.