the davidsonian
May 3, 2017 Vol. 112 Issue 21
The Independent Student Newspaper of Davidson College since 1914
Inside NEWS Eating houses, fraternities, and sororities work to create more inclusive cultures on campus 2 As retirement draws near, Shandley reflects on his Davidson career 2 1947: Students and dates attended a Spring Frolics formal. Photo courtesy of Davidson's Archives and Special Collections
1972: Students enjoyed a rollercoaster at their Spring Frolics celebration. Photo courtesy of Davidson's Archives and Special Collections
LIVING DAVIDSON Photos of the week feature pieces from the student art exhibition 4 PERSPECTIVES Olivia Daniels '19 and Bridget Lavender '18 discuss the importance of political action 5 Natalie Skowlund '18 questions asbestos mitigation 5
1981: The Locomotion Vaudeville performed for the student body. Photo courtesy of Davidson's Archives and Special Collections
2017: Spring Frolics was pirate-themed and involved many events at PCC houses. Photo courtesy of Bess McLawhorn
A Brief History of Spring Frolics first mentioned, another article discussed a debate held by members of the college’s Christian Endeavour Society. Most of the students agreed that “dancing was not wrong in itself ” but instead n the March 17, 1937, edition of The Daviddecried the activities which accompanied dances, sonian, one fateful article made use of the most notably the excessive consumption of literm “spring frolics.” It was one of the first quor. The group stated, “Christians would have recorded times that the words had ever been no business in going” to dances when “people of used at Davidson, and the college’s party scene low morals assemble[d]” at them and abused alwould never be the same again. Spring Frolics cohol. Despite this sentiment, one Christian Enhas grown to become an annual outdoor party deavour Society member still stood his ground in that strives to be inclusive of all students. Dean 1937 and maintained that “dancing is an evil” all of Students Tom Shandley said, “There is no by itself. other time in the academic year when so many It was largely due to the wishes of the church students from across campus gather together to that the school banned dances from campus. have fun, often on a beautiful spring day.” While However, the administration could not stop stustudents take Frolics for granted today, they are dents and fraternities from hosting both semiprobably unaware of the long and surprisingly formal and formal dances at hotels and other complicated history behind the event. spaces in Charlotte. The college could do The original 1937 Davidsonian article that little to monitor off-campus dances, since mentioned the idea of frolicking was titled it could not officially admit its students “Junior Dance Set Features Mellen Music.” It were dancing. Student government leadwas tucked amongst other progressive pieces, ers campaigned to legalize on campus such as an article that stated women at Penn dances so that they could be more safely State had “agreed that marriage and a career chaperoned. In a religious outcry to these cannot be combined successfully” and anwishes, Beaty writes that “A torrent of other that complained about how frequently presbytery opposition poured down upon Davidson students smoked during theater [the administration].” performances. Ironically, nearly an entire As it turned out, the turning point for page of that day’s paper was devoted to an ad dances at Davidson would be World War for Lucky Strike cigarettes, which proclaimed II. Davidson’s campus played host to hun“Luckies are a light smoke that treat a tender dreds of military cadets, and the school throat right.” It was a different time, and a difexpressed its intent to make “a moral and ferent paper, but it marked the start of one spiritual impact...on these units of young iconic Davidson spring weekend. men,” as quoted by Beaty. However, an Until 1945, the administration had offiincrease in bodies on campus meant a cially banned dancing from campus. In 1838, rowdier social scene. Eventually, the fachardly ten years into the school’s history, a ulty began supporting on-campus dances student was forced to repent after having so that they could be “chaperoned and “taken some part with a company of youths drinking could be controlled,” according in dancing,” as reported in an October 7th, to A History of Davidson College. Dr. 1977 Davidsonian article about the history of John R. Cunningham led Davidson’s first dancing on campus. Essentially, any student legally sanctioned dance, which was held caught doing the day’s equivalent of dabbing on the weekend of February 9, 1945. could be accused of a deep moral wrongdoShortly before dancing was legalized, ing. A century later, in the 1930s, dancing was Spring Frolics originated from another still “an emotional issue on which honorable tradition: Junior Speaking. Before bemen could disagree” at the college, accordcoming seniors, juniors used to be re1992: Students advertised Frolics parties, games, and food ing to Mary D. Beaty’s A History of Davidson quired to give public speeches around opportunities. Photo courtesy of Davidson's Archives and College. commencement time. After this requireSpecial Collections With its deep Presbyterian ties, the Dament was lifted in the 1930s, “the juniors
ETHAN EHRENHAFT Staff Writer
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vidson administration deliberated over dancing throughout the first half of the 20th-century. In 1918, the school warned fraternities that the Board of Trustees “cannot approve of dancing on the Campus or in connection with the College in any way,” as quoted in A History of Davidson College. In an unanimous 1919 vote, the Concord Presbytery, the religious body which founded the college, officially condemned “the dances of today as a moral and spiritual evil.” Davidson struggled with actually enforcing this statement, which reads as if straight from the pages of a North Carolinian version of The Scarlet Letter. Whether or not The Davidsonian itself should be allowed to use the word “dance” was called into question. The debate surrounding dancing and parties was not limited to the administration or the board. In the same issue that “spring frolics” was
YOWL Paul Henderson '17 bids a (somewhat) sentimental farewell to The Yowl 6 Students earn P.E. credit by "jumping through hoops" 6 SPORTS Golf team competes at A-10 championship, Jack Lang wins individual title 7 The Davidsonian announces 2016-2017 sports awards 7 turned Speaking into a time to show off their party planning skills,” according to an article by Jan Blodgett on The Davidson Archives Blog. The parties were still hosted for several years in Charlotte, until the dance ban was lifted. From 1945 onwards, Frolics evolved into the end-of-year adrenaline-fueled extravaganza that it is today. The completion of the Johnston Gym in 1949 provided Frolics’ first big venue. By the 1950s, Frolics had become a highly-anticipated, annual event. In 1954, the Ray Anthony band performed, and students jammed to such hits as “When the Saints Go Marching In.” If one thought this year’s pirate theme was a bit odd, then they should take a look at 1956 Frolics; the theme was officially titled “Orchid Parade.” Blodgett’s blog states that the plan was “for each date [at the formal] to receive a miniature paper orchid and for ‘gay ranges of lavender and white to adorn the gym.’” In the 1960s, with the onset of counterculture, Frolics’ formals subsided and the parties moved out into the open. Spring Frolics began to resemble the Frolics today , albeit with some generational touches. Photos from the 1970s showcase a Frolics that looked like something of a Southern Woodstock, complete with students sporting tie-dye shirts, aviator sunglasses, and shoulder-length hair. The British band The Kinks headlined Frolics in 1975. In 1983, REM
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