Subway Incident

It ought not to be assumed, according to reliable sources, that this was a trivial occurrence. The class feeling was strong -- registering a pittsburgh on the Zultz Scale. (For reasons that are necessarily obscure the late Dr. Zuitz calibrated his machine on a Boston to-Los Angeles scale.) And October 22 was very early in the class's career at Harvard. Few classes make it past the Hudson before Thanksgiving.

The only other incident during the first term that gave the Geistgauge more than a tremor was the sudden agreement of three classmates (on December 2) that '66 was a more esthetically pleasing number than '65 or '67. This was a cause of great rejoicing on their part, as two had turned down advance placement and the third had only decided against a year out at the last moment.

The boys were riding on the MTA at the time -- on their way to Washington Street to catch a skin flick. So enthralled were they with the beauty of their class's numerals that they rode all the way to Shawmut -- and scored a Hoboken on the Geistgauge.

12 PT HERE

In Sanders Theatre

But what, you are probably now asking -- what of the moments of class unity? Registration. The Freshman Registration Mixer in Mem Hall? That meeting in Sanders Theatre when they tell you it's the only time until Commencement when the class meets as a group--and about which no one ever remembers except being told that it is the only time until commencement when the class meets as a group?

Nothing. Not a quiver. Oh sure, maybe a Framingham or a Worcester during the course of Orientation Week. But that's it. Spontaneity is the key, and the more cooked-up the occasion, the lower the reading. Commencement, for example, hasn't crossed Route 128 since the Second World War.

Because Dr. Zultz chose to start his scale with Boston the Gelstgauge can, if necessary, register slight negative discharges of class spirit. This happens every year or so when the Class Committee sends out its first request for money. Back in the '50's once they tried a Senior Class Sing and logged a Bangor.

Blowgun

But to return to the Class of 1966 the spiritual high-point came in the spring of Freshman year. This reporter participated in the event, and can produce a fairly complete account.

About 8 p.m. on May 15, a group of students standing outside of Stoughton Hall found a long stout rope in the bushes -- apparently discarded by Building and Grounds. Being sturdy, stalwart lads, they decided to have a tug of war.

"Hey," said one of the sturdy, stalwart Stoughtonites, "lets challenge Holworthy."

"Yeh," said another, "there's traditional rivalry between Stoughton and Holworthy."

(It is interesting to note that at this juncture the stolid Geistgauge sounded a small ding of pleasure. There was, so as it knew -- and it is all wise--no vairy whatsoever, recorded or otherwise traditional or recent, between Stough and Holworthy. There was, in fact, rivalry between any two Freshman dorms, or any two upperclass House. The Freshman's comment was therefore at the highest pitch of spontaneity).