WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1954
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1954 THE MICHIGAN DAILY
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Past J-Hops Featured Riots, Raving Maniacs
Bach Choir,
Arts Chorale
Annual Dance
Dates Back
!.
rte - _ V
Many
Years
By JANET SMITH
J-Hop, the annual dance given
between semesters by the junior
class in honor of seniors, w i l
mark its 78th year when the class
. of '56 takes the ball this year.
The dance featured two name
bands in a* one-night stand begin-
fning with J-Hop two years ago.
Before that time it was held on
both Friday and Saturday nights,
with couples having a choice of
attending either night. On the al-
ternate evening a couple usually
attended ' one of the fraternity
parties.
Class of '56
The class of '56, said Mark Gal-
lon, chairman of the ,committee,
plans on making this year's J-Hop
a weekend of fun and not just
a dance.
A long and bizarre history be-
gins way back on Feb. 17, 1877
when students trooped down to
Hank's Emporium on South Main
Street to attend the first "Junior
Hop."
It was the, big social event of
the year, with an orchestra of two
violins and a piano providing the
music for the 20 couples who at-
tended the dance.
The juniors had won the honor
of presenting the first hop only
after a long, hard campus fight.
During the next four years the
juniors continued to sponsor the
annual dance, but then, abandoned
by this group, the Hop was taken
+ over by a group of fraternities,
who promptly dubbed it the "So-
ciety Hop."
Junior Event
Changing the name to "Junior
Social," the junior class appeared
on the scene in 1883 to sponsor the
event once again. However, the
confusion was not entirely cleared
up, for nearly a decade after this
the dance was given by the juniors
in some years and by the frater-
nities in others.
By 1891 the J-Hop had taken on
characteristics more nearly like
those of today, when it became an
annual event requiring the music
of two bands and a new home,
"an old rink downtown."
For the next two years,Granger's
Dancing Academy was the scene
of the event and the admittance
price was raised to $1 per couple.
Next, the Hop moved to Water-
man Gymnasium, where it was
known as the "Annual Ball" and
presented by nine literary college
fraternities.
Fraternity Feud
> The following year was when the
trouble began to brew, with the
remaining four of the 13 campus
fraternities demanding the right to
present the dance. The older fra-
ternities refused their request, and
the feud began, resulting in two
J-Hops that year.
r The four "outcasts," succeeding
in renting Waterman Gymnasium
JUNIOR HOP-The 1952 J-Hop crowd takes time out from dancing to watch one of Johnny
Long's featured numbers. Dating back 77 years, this annual dance has a long and bizarre history that
remains as a University tradition. From the first Hop with an orchestra of two violins and a piano
providing for music for 20 couples, the dance has grown to an affair staged on two evenings with
two orchestras to accommodate the couples.
after 30 independents had agreed
to attend, sponsored "The First
Annual Promenade." The older
fraternities moved to Toledo to
present the "Twentieth Annual Ball
for the Palladium Fraternities."
Both dances were great success-
es, but the Regents stepped in to
smooth out the fracas, ruling 'that
in the future, fraternities and in-
dependents would have equal re-
presentation on the planning com-
mittee for one big dance.
In "the good old days" custom
dicated that guests were received
while concert m u s i c played be-
tween 9 and 10 p.m. Then the
committee chairman and his date
would circle the floor in a grand
march until the line was three deep
and a block "M" was formed,
which was followed by the regular
dancing.
1900 J-Hop
In 1900 the J-Hop, attended by
250 couples, boasted the unique
feature of having a "large number
of coeds present-more than at any
previous Hop."
This was unusual because of the#
fact that coeds were extremely un-
popular dates in those days. If a
man had no hometown girl to ask
he usually stayed home from the
J-Hop, in preference to being sub-
jected to the "torture" of an eve-
ning with a "coed."
Early Hops, as well as those of
today, were the signal for a week-
end of gaiety, which included such
events as a play by the Comedy
Club, fraternity house parties and
concerts.
Another reason for the liveliness
of the weekend was because of
the county sheriff, who operated
his own detective agency. For a
$5 fee he would shadow Hop guests
and report on their activities to
parents or neglected girl friends.
Spectators
In 1913 the practice of letting
spectators sit in the gallery came
to a "riotous" issue. The J-Hop
committee had decided to discon-
tinue the precedent, but instead of
succeeding in their venture, they
caused a mild riot.
At midnight, 50 "toqued" (tipsy)
students and townspeople led a
riot, gaining entrance by ramming
the door with a gas pipe.
They were met by a janitor,
wielding a pair of Indian clubs,
and the battle ensued with stones
and fire extinguishers, resulting in
$25 damage to the gym and the
dismissal of an intern accused of
hitting the janitor.
That same year saw the first
injury to a guest in the history
of the hop, although it was not
caused by the riot. During a more
"lively" dance number, a male
student slipped on the slick floor
and broke his ankle.
Crowded Dances
During the first world war, many
students had waited in vain for
tickets for several days and moved
by their protests, the committee
decided to present a miniature Hop
in the Union. However, the crowd
refused, demanding "all or no-
thing."
In 1920 came the raving maniac,
said to have been caused by the
dresses worn at the dance, for
that was the year when women's
dancing attire hit the "apex of
daring."
The Daily, from which all these
reports are taken, stated that
"Practically every gown had nar-
row shoulder straps, tight bodices
and fairly short skirts, narrow at
the bottom." As a result, The
Daily continued, "one medical
student was reported to have gOne
raving mad, tearing around the
floor crying: 'Modesty, where is
thy sting.' "
With this colorful 77 year history'
behind them, the J-Hop committee
elected by juniors in the all-campus
elections, are makinm; plans for
their dance between semesters this
year.
IM Building.
Open to All
Scene of 'U' Dances,
Campus Competition
Scene of fun and frolic for menI
and women students alike on Fri-
day nights is the Intramural Build-.
ing when the Women's Athletic
Association and the Intramural
staff p r e s e n t Co-Recreational
Night.
This weekly event provides an
opportunity for students to attend
and use all building facilities
whether stag or with dates.
One of the most popular re-
creations is the use of the swim-!
ming pool. Providing an opportun-
ity for . swimming enthusiasts to
relax and temporarily forget the
daily study grind, the pool also has
been the scene of many record
breaking meets of University and
high school swimming teams.
All types of swimmers congre-
gate here from the struggling "dog-
paddler" to the speedy "crawler."
Diving-board antics, ranging from
graceful swan dives to "bellyflop-
pers," are a popular source of
amusement and entertainment.
In the gymnasium many acti-'
vities are. going on at once. Bad-
miiton, handball and paddleball
matches are usually in full swing.
Even the most inexperienced vol-
leyball player can find teammates
and participate in one of the many
volleyball contests being played.
The trampoline, another popular
activity, was first opened to wom-
en in 1951. Since that time the
.thrills and excitement of t h i s
sport have caught the fancy of men
and women students alike. Thisj
relatively new gymnastic field at-
tracts many coeds who are inter-
ested in learning trampoline pro-
cedure and acquiring skill in theI
execution of somersaults, flips and
other maneuvers.
The program planned by the IM
Building's hosts and hostesses is
one in which friendly rivalry and
good sportsmanship are the aim.
The entire evening is on an in-]
formal basis with emphasis on
"just having fun" without any ex-
pense.
Give Recitals
Michigan Singers,
Other Choral Groups
Call for Freshmen
Choral singing at the University
abounds in rich and plentiful op-
portunities to join various sing-
ing groups on the campus.
Six singing groups with over 400
participating voices are under the
direction of. Prof. Maynard Klein,
conductor of the University choirs,
director of choirs at the National
Music Camp at Interlochen, Mich.
Largest ensemble at the Uni-
versity is the 300 mixed voices
which comprise the University
Choir. This group usually rehearses
from 7 p.m. to 8:30 Wednesdays.
Their repertoire covers a wide
range of works from the sixteenth
century to the present. Perform-
ances of Bach's "St. Matthew
Stravinsky's "Symphonie de Psau-
mes" have been presented by the
group.
Michigan Singers
Of all the campus choral groups,
the most advanced and select is
the Michigan Singers. This group
consisting of 70 voicesvchosen
carefully from the best voices on
campus, takes extensive out-state
tours. They have performed be-
fore audiences in Ohio, North Caro-
lina, Tennessee and Kentucky.
First organized in 1948, the Mich-
igan Singers are a highly selective
concert choir composed of thirty-
five men and the same number
of women, devoted to furnishing
programs of choral music of the
highest caliber.
The Michigan Singers present
programs which include such am-
bitious and seldom heard works
as "Mass in E" by Brucknew;
"Lamentations of Jeremiah" by
Ginastera and "Missa Papae Mar-
celi" by Palestrina.
A choir of 16 voices, which sings
music of all periods is the Tudor
Singers. They are the usual per-
forming group for Collegium Mu-
sicum, an organization noted for
researchaand performances of old
music, particularly rediscovered
and re-edited Renaissance music.
Bach Choir
The Bach Choir, composed of
180 mixed voices, sings music of
all periods. This group is also
under the direction of Prof. Klein.
Performing such works as De-
bussy's "Blessed Damozel" and
Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater", is the
Women's Choir made up of '30
voices.
Arts Chorale, a mixed group of
30 voices, affords any student the
opportunity of singing a varied re-
pertory of good choral music and
the experience of a concert per-
formance. The group usually re-
hearses from 7 p.m. to 8:30 Thurs-
days under the direction of Prof.
Klein and gives a few concerts
during the year.
For those inexperienced in choral
singing or who might not qualify
for the other choruses, Arts Cho-
rale provides a splendid outlet.
.I
Sport Wear
Blue jeans and bermuda shorts
have proved to be essential for
many picnics and wiener roasts
which take place in the fall and
spring. Other sports wear is need-
ed, too. Riding, tennis and golf
are important outdoor events,
Productions
Every class, as it attends the
University for four years, pre-
sents a production each year
it is on campus. Frosh Week-
end is sponsored by the fresh-
men; Sophomore Cabaret, by
the sophomores; Junior Girls'
Play, by the juniors and Senior
Night, by the graduating sen-
iors, where excerpts of the three
previous productions are re-per-
formed for the coeds. Fresh-
men are urged to participate in
the first campus-wide presenta-
tion of their own Frosh Week-
end, which will be held in the
spring, although the work on
it will begin this fall.
SOLID
A
p&
DDLES
#ing the bell
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