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Caption: Book - History of the University (Nevins)
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# COMMENCEMENT 321 two towns already begin to take on a spacious, leafy, droning atmosphere. The fraternity houses are in part given up to bevies of chaperoned young ladies, the members moving out to make possible a house-party for the senior ball. About the campus there is a preponderance of older faces, and the streets are lined with automobiles from Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and other cities. Saturday night—to give a typical but not invariable program—the last large informal dance is held at the old Armory, where the military band plays a concert for an hour, and the floor is then cleared for waltz and two-step. During Sunday afternoon the baccalaureate sermon is preached with some formality by an invited minister. On Monday are held the traditional class-day exercises, various elected representatives reading the class history and class poem, and the valedictorian and salutatorian appearing; while the ceremonies include the Hatchet Oration, in which a Senior, dwelling on the virtues of his classmates, delivers to the Junior class the much-carved hatchet, emblem of Senior responsibilities. Time is also found for the dedication of the Senior memorial, a gift to the University of drinking fountain, stone seat, bronze ornament, or other permanent adornment—nowadays costing little less than $2,000iln the afternoon there is a lawn concert by the band, the Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi addresses, and at four o'clock, a reunion of the older classes. That night the Mask and Bauble Society presents a play, and in the Armory the Senior Ball, with the most expensive music and decorations of the year, lasts till two o'clock. Tuesday is given up in the main to the alumni, with a convocation in the afternoon and a reception at night. Finally, on Wednesday morning is held the sparsely attended Senior breakfast; and at ten o'clock the pro-
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