SHAKING blog

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Dei Sub Numine Viget

The following letter was sent to The Daily Princetonian by F.T. Chalmers, a member of the great class of '47:


It has come to my attention that the ancient and honorable tradition of the 11 pm break during finals is no longer observed. For the sake of those who are too young to remember the benefits of this emotional catharsis, the rules of procedure are repeated below in the hope that their obvious value may once again be invoked by the student body:

1) The period from 11 to 11:10 pm shall be given over to total pandemonium.

a) At precisely 11 the cry of "take ten!" will be taken up and repeated by all members of the undergraduate body.

b) All radios, phonographs, pianos, saxophones, trumpets, etc. are to be played at full volume.

c) Grinds will be routed out by seniority.

d) Firecrackers to the diameter of three inches are to be set off in strategic areas and all ice-box pans will be emptied and beaten vigorously.

2) ABSOLUTE SILENCE WILL PREVAIL AFTER 11:10.

F. T. Chalmers '47

Another alum provides an update:
In response to Chalmers' letter in yesterday's Daily Princetonian the Campus went crazy at 11 pm last night. Championship for the evening's activities definitely goes to Holder Hall. Having spent half the day planning every conceivable mode of fireworks and noise, the inhabitants not only let the entire borough know that they had discarded their textbooks but practically burned that famed building to the round. Their "court show" included the dazzling performance of a number of flaming tennis balls, a mock war replete with blank shells and falling soldiers, and a huge shower of bone-dry beer cans.

NOTICE: The Proctors have requested that undergraduates refrain from the use of flamable materials during "11 P. M. breaks". The utilization of kerosene-soaked tennis balls and burning newspapers causes serious fire hazards.

2 Comments:

Blogger Robin said...

happy to help, especially when it's someone who's doing such important work for others!

February 02, 2006 9:36 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Perhaps in a parallel universe this place called "Princeton" exists, but stories like this and rumors of the "P"rade make me think otherwise.

And what does, "Grinds will be routed out by seniority." mean? Is that even a sentence?

Parallel universe entered through some sort of worm hole that is called New Jersey.

February 02, 2006 3:26 PM  

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