Encyclopedia Trinitiana

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{{tag>tradition events}}

====== Freshman Bum ======

The Freshman Bum was an annual event organized by the freshman class for the entertainment of the upper classes. Held between the 1870s and 1880s, it was described at the time as “a tangible expression of goodwill and humility of the Freshman class toward the rest of the college.” (([[http://www.jstor.org/stable/community.32643119?searchText=freshman+bum&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dfreshman%2Bbum%26scope%3DeyJpZCI6ICIxMDAwNzc5MDciLCAicGFnZU5hbWUiOiAiVHJpbml0eSBDb2xsZWdlIERpZ2l0YWwgUmVwb3NpdG9yeSIsICJwYWdlVXJsIjogIi9zaXRlL3RyaW5pdHkvIiwgInR5cGUiOiAicG9ydGFsIn0%253D%26so%3Dold%26pagemark%3DeyJwYWdlIjoyLCJzdGFydCI6MjUsInRvdGFsIjozMDh9%26groupefq%3DWyJjb250cmlidXRlZF92aWRlbyIsImNvbnRyaWJ1dGVkX2ltYWdlcyIsImNvbnRyaWJ1dGVkX3Bhbm9yYW1hcyIsImNvbnRyaWJ1dGVkX2NvbnRhaW5lciIsImNvbnRyaWJ1dGVkX2F1ZGlvIiwiY29udHJpYnV0ZWRfdGV4dCJd&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Aba2e01183cf9a1e50ae9e39424d9d5ee&seq=1|Trinity Tablet, p. 106]]))

A bum, by definition, was an elaborate treat of highly intellectual entertainment. The Freshman Bum was introduced by the Class of 1874 as an indirect response to the banning of the Freshman–Sophomore football game in 1868. To offer a nonviolent alternative, the faculty proposed a [[compensation_day| Compensation Day]] on November 1, creating an opportunity for students to celebrate in other ways. The Freshman Bum soon became associated with that time of year, typically taking place on October 31, November 1, or November 2.

The event was organized by a committee of students selected from and by the freshman class. They were responsible for providing both entertainment and refreshments. The precise nature of the entertainment is unclear. Some accounts suggest it was a lighthearted spectacle in which freshmen poked fun at themselves, while others described a more intellectual, if chaotic, atmosphere, filled with “ravings of some men, roaring around like lions deprived of prey.” (([[http://www.jstor.org/stable/community.31709753?searchText=freshman+bum&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dfreshman%2Bbum%26scope%3DeyJpZCI6ICIxMDAwNzc5MDciLCAicGFnZU5hbWUiOiAiVHJpbml0eSBDb2xsZWdlIERpZ2l0YWwgUmVwb3NpdG9yeSIsICJwYWdlVXJsIjogIi9zaXRlL3RyaW5pdHkvIiwgInR5cGUiOiAicG9ydGFsIn0%253D%26so%3Dold&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A21ecf96db5bed1ae8a7f2e947c73b784&seq=9|Trinity Tablet, p. 153]])) Regardless of tone, the bum offered freshmen an opportunity to earn the respect, and perhaps the favor, of the rest of the college.

A successful bum was judged on the quality of its offerings, with the 1877 event generally regarded as the most impressive. While it began as an annual tradition, later classes voted on whether to host the event. These voting sessions were held during a class meeting attended by invited upper year students. In some years, such as in 1880 when the Freshman Class raised $75 to donate to the Athletic Department, the event was replaced by charitable contributions to various College departments. By the late 1880s, the rise of class dinners and a decline in enthusiasm among freshmen led to the tradition’s gradual disappearance.

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===== Sources =====

[[https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.34547613|The History of Trinity College]] (1967) by Glenn Weaver, pp. 165, 188.

[[http://www.jstor.org/stable/community.32643148?searchText=freshman+bum&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dfreshman%2Bbum%26scope%3DeyJpZCI6ICIxMDAwNzc5MDciLCAicGFnZU5hbWUiOiAiVHJpbml0eSBDb2xsZWdlIERpZ2l0YWwgUmVwb3NpdG9yeSIsICJwYWdlVXJsIjogIi9zaXRlL3RyaW5pdHkvIiwgInR5cGUiOiAicG9ydGFsIn0%253D%26so%3Dold%26pagemark%3DeyJwYWdlIjoyLCJzdGFydCI6MjUsInRvdGFsIjozMDh9%26groupefq%3DWyJjb250cmlidXRlZF92aWRlbyIsImNvbnRyaWJ1dGVkX2ltYWdlcyIsImNvbnRyaWJ1dGVkX3Bhbm9yYW1hcyIsImNvbnRyaWJ1dGVkX2NvbnRhaW5lciIsImNvbnRyaWJ1dGVkX2F1ZGlvIiwiY29udHJpYnV0ZWRfdGV4dCJd&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A3ab9d320df1e31d5f2cf39ef92134f7a&seq=1|The Trinity Tablet]], 10/16/1880.

[[http://www.jstor.org/stable/community.32643119?searchText=freshman+bum&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dfreshman%2Bbum%26scope%3DeyJpZCI6ICIxMDAwNzc5MDciLCAicGFnZU5hbWUiOiAiVHJpbml0eSBDb2xsZWdlIERpZ2l0YWwgUmVwb3NpdG9yeSIsICJwYWdlVXJsIjogIi9zaXRlL3RyaW5pdHkvIiwgInR5cGUiOiAicG9ydGFsIn0%253D%26so%3Dold%26pagemark%3DeyJwYWdlIjoyLCJzdGFydCI6MjUsInRvdGFsIjozMDh9%26groupefq%3DWyJjb250cmlidXRlZF92aWRlbyIsImNvbnRyaWJ1dGVkX2ltYWdlcyIsImNvbnRyaWJ1dGVkX3Bhbm9yYW1hcyIsImNvbnRyaWJ1dGVkX2NvbnRhaW5lciIsImNvbnRyaWJ1dGVkX2F1ZGlvIiwiY29udHJpYnV0ZWRfdGV4dCJd&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Aba2e01183cf9a1e50ae9e39424d9d5ee&seq=1|The Trinity Tablet]], 10/05/1878.


[[http://www.jstor.org/stable/community.31709753?searchText=freshman+bum&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dfreshman%2Bbum%26scope%3DeyJpZCI6ICIxMDAwNzc5MDciLCAicGFnZU5hbWUiOiAiVHJpbml0eSBDb2xsZWdlIERpZ2l0YWwgUmVwb3NpdG9yeSIsICJwYWdlVXJsIjogIi9zaXRlL3RyaW5pdHkvIiwgInR5cGUiOiAicG9ydGFsIn0%253D%26so%3Dold&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A21ecf96db5bed1ae8a7f2e947c73b784&seq=9|The Trinity Tablet]], 10/23/1875.

[[http://www.jstor.org/stable/community.31709728?searchText=freshman+bum&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dfreshman%2Bbum%26scope%3DeyJpZCI6ICIxMDAwNzc5MDciLCAicGFnZU5hbWUiOiAiVHJpbml0eSBDb2xsZWdlIERpZ2l0YWwgUmVwb3NpdG9yeSIsICJwYWdlVXJsIjogIi9zaXRlL3RyaW5pdHkvIiwgInR5cGUiOiAicG9ydGFsIn0%253D%26so%3Dold&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Ab9c4f91fb22448c5323781670ac1745d&seq=6|The Trinity Tablet]], 11/1873.




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