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1936 Wesleyan Argus exchanges, Various authors, Wesleyan Argus, Fall 1936. This is a collection of short articles that trace the re-emergence of the Alpha Chapter of Theta Nu Epsilon back into the public life of Wesleyan University in 1936. The set of pieces read together very well, and need little clarification or addition. What is important about this, beyond accurate historical detail presented, is to see how situations like this ought to be handled. Everyone here behaves very well. (It is gratifying to see that it’s at Wesleyan where they get it right, but regardless of location, this is the right way to handle such a problem). Everyone involved in this little situation comes off beautifully, (with one little gadfly exception who seems to have been needlessly confrontational). This exchange, therefore, has more than just a passing antiquarian interest, and is worth preserving here. Wesleyan Argus editorial, (Frederick Lawrence Keefe, ’37), October 8, 1936. The Value of Honorary Societies Should an honorary society, secret or otherwise, have some definite, worthwhile purpose for its existence? Or is its purpose justly served by bestowing on worthy undergraduates the honor of membership? These questions can perhaps best be answered by examining the present set-up of honorary societies on the campus. Of these, the two best known are the senior societies. These two bodies are for honorary purposes only; that is, they have no definite program; they are merely the supposedly merited reward for extracurricular work. They have no special function to perform. Their only aim is good fellowship, and as long as they work toward this goal they are worthwhile. The Cardinal Key represents another type of honorary society. This newly formed junior organization is worth preserving only as long as it serves the college. When it ceases to do this it is useless. It is the one such society which should be constantly functioning, and if it cannot work efficiently it should be abolished. Its members should remember that service for Wesleyan is its main reason for being. It can, and should be, more than a glorified Personnel Committee. Finally, there are the sophomore secret honorary societies whose members have probably not yet found any logical reason for their existence. Built on politics, they live on politics, and serve only to breed more politics. It would seem that there are enough politics in the fraternities themselves without having an honorary society devoted to political ends. These secret societies have done much for the betterment of Wesleyan-deciding captains of various sports and members of senior honorary societies, among other worthwhile things, but the college could probably do well without them. They are organizations which have no possible justification for existence since they only help to undermine other more worthwhile groups. Thus we have the three general types of honorary societies. In questioning their value we mean not to attack the first two types as such. Political societies, of course, have no place on the campus, but there is a definite need for junior and senior honorary societies. And because there is such a need we believe that both should live up to their names and keep free of politics. The Cardinal Key should serve Wesleyan. The Mystical Seven and Skull and Serpent should, above all, be honorary. And both should be kept free of all political taint. Then, and only then, will they become definite assets and of important value to campus life.
The Gadfly, (R. K. Kilbon, ’38), December 7, 1936. Political Fertilizer To continue with our “muck-raking,” we feel it incumbent upon us to expose that nice little sophomore political society known as T.N.E.—Theta Nu Epsilon to you—which was mentioned editorially earlier in the year. At that time it was said that there was no place for such societies on the campus, since they do absolutely no good and serve only to undermine the senior societies and the College Body in general. We still feel the same way, but T.N.E. evidently does not share our feelings. Rumor has it that its junior members (whose names the Gadfly will disclose unless they disband at their meeting this week) are taking in a new batch of sophomores Thursday to carry on their noble work during the year. Timely, too, considering that College Body elections are less than a month away. The objections against T.N.E. are two-fold. In the first fold, they help to break down the very essence (?) of the senior honorary societies, whose membership should be judged on the basis of achievement, and not political manipulation. There has been in the past an obvious correlation between the membership of the senior societies and T.N.E.. In the second fold, the political influence of the society in College Body affairs has been markedly unhealthy. The muddy hand of the organization has been apparent in recent years in the elections of captains and managers, of College Body officials, and class officers. Of course, the abolition of officers for the lower classes has somewhat limited the scope of T.N.E.’s activity, but undaunted by this handicap, the little organization has struggled bravely on, boosting a manager here, a captain there, with a few College Body officers thrown in for good measure. Election to Cardinal Key has opened a new field of endeavor for this self-honorary group of pseudo-politicians who are operating, of course, for the best interests of Wesleyan. T.N.E. was banned by faculty vote in 1922, when it was moved to abolish all secret societies in the lower classes. Today it still exists. We urge that the present members of T.N.E., in their meeting this week, vote to disband instead of choosing their successors. If this is not done, all members of the sophomore class, in the interests of Wesleyan, should disregard any bid. Perhaps, as a last resort, the administration should take a hand.
Wesleyan Argus, letters page, December 17, 1936. T.N.E. An Open Letter to the Faculty: In June of 1910 the faculty of Wesleyan University discussed the problem of the then existing sophomore societies, Theta Nu Epsilon and Zeta Psi. It was decided at the time that the merits of the two societies were decidedly offset by their questionable practice of politics and by their conduct at meetings and banquets; accordingly, on October 25, 1910, it was voted that no student of Wesleyan University be allowed to be a member of any sophomore secret society. In 1931 a Wesleyan alumnus, a member of Theta Nu Epsilon, realizing the beneficial potentialities of a sophomore society, reorganized the Alpha Chapter of Theta Nu Epsilon, the mother chapter of the national fraternity. Since its reorganization Theta Nu Epsilon has had little to do with the objectionable practices that caused its dissolution, and during the past three years the society has done nothing to warrant any criticism from anybody. At present Theta Nu Epsilon at Wesleyan is an honorary society that rewards by membership those who have shown athletic ability in freshman sports, and attempt to keep up the same enthusiasm in ’varsity sports that is manifested in the freshman contests. It is a means of unifying the sophomore class through the fraternalizing of the leaders of the class; in this respect, too, it is an instrument for the furtherance of interfraternity relations, since a majority of the fraternities are represented. Theta Nu Epsilon is in no way connected with the other undergraduate societies. The fact that a high percentage of its members are in Cardinal Key and the Senior Societies is purely coincidental and a proof of its attempt to pledge the best men eligible. It is with the hope for the continuation of what Theta Nu Epsilon is now doing for Wesleyan, that the undergraduates connected with the society, respectfully petition the faculty to abrogate their ruling of October 25, 1910. Seniors: Douglas Robins R. W. Fillback Edwin E. Smith Frank A. Ketcham Roger Maynard Richard J. Ackart Harold D. Clark, Jr. Warren L. Klinger Walter W. Wright Murray P. George
Juniors: Joseph R. Grubb, Jr. Archie R. Horne Edward C. Cerny, Jr. Thos. A. McCaslin, III Edgar T. See R. W. Petherbridge Eric R. Clarke David I. Dary C. E. Hultine John B. Poor Charles E. Seel Walter R. Sonstroem
Wesleyan Argus editorial, January 22, 1937. A Plea For Recognition The petition of Theta Nu Epsilon, sophomore society, asking for recognition by college authorities, will be one of the problems facing faculty members at their next meeting. President McConaughy, speaking in assembly yesterday, declared that recognition of the society would depend in part upon undergraduate opinion on the matter. Since a column in this paper was the cause of bringing the whole matter to light, it is only apt that we comment on this situation. At the time, we believed that abolishment of the society was the only measure that could be adopted since it seemed obvious that the organization was going to remain secret. Theta Nu Epsilon’s recent action, however, gives rise to a new slant on the whole matter. We can see that a sophomore society, officially recognized as such and whose members are known to all, can be a definite asset to the college. Judging a secret group that has admittedly played politics in past years and judging a society that is out in the open and that has praiseworthy aims are two entirely different things. We judged T.N.E. as a secret society and found much to condemn; in judging the newly disclosed group we find that its aims make it worthy of college recognition as long as it stays out of secrecy. We favor recognition of Theta Nu Epsilon, but only if it is to be an open and above board sophomore society. It may or may not be true that for the past three or four years Theta Nu Epsilon has had no hand in athletic politics or senior society elections. It is true, however, that the society in the past has been very much concerned with both of these matters. The obvious danger lies in the likelihood that the group might turn to such affairs again sometime in the future. We believe that by unmasking and thus revealing its members the society has put itself out of this danger. Out in the open, if it does indulge in political maneuvering, the whole College Body will be more or less aware of its action as it is at the time of senior society elections. If recognized, then, Theta Nu Epsilon would take its place with the other campus honorary societies. Justification for recognition of T.N.E. comes from the fact that it would serve as a reward for athletic ability in freshman sports and would furthermore be for the betterment of interfraternity feeling. Both of these points were made in the petition of the society to the faculty; we need only point out the validity of the arguments. Special stress should be laid on the point that the society is a factor in breaking down fraternity boundaries and in building up class spirit. Any instrument that can be used to strengthen the bonds between the fraternities on the campus has much in its favor. What the faculty should ascertain, then, is whether the group will truly be an open society if recognized. Obviously, Theta Nu Epsilon can do far more good on the campus as such than as a secret organization.
News item, January 22, 1937. T.N.E.’s New Crop ... While the fate of T.N.E.’s petition for recognition awaits the faculty’s pleasure, the sophomore honor society chose its successors bright and early one Sunday morning a few weeks back. Perhaps you were wondering with us what hit Sunday chapel that morning, as a flood of red and white carnations invaded the gloomy depths -the carnations were nothing more than the badge of membership, red for the juniors and white for the incoming sophomores. If the news of who was chosen for T.N.E.’s new crop hasn’t reached your end of the campus, here they are: T.N.E. for the coming year: Alibrio, Barrows, Blackmon, Bottjer, Daddario, Davis, Derge, Gillispie, Hake, Holzer, Heermans, McCabe, Ovens, Phillips, and Sutherland.
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