University of Oregon monthly., February 01, 1908, Image 20

U niv er sity
of
O regon M o n th ly
23
was that Mary witnessed the commencement exercises and came
into her own. But the stern.judge -had disappeared forever in.the
place thereof stood only a white robed angel of mercy.
—W alter ¿Eaton.
T h e College Song
■ College1 songs,/commonly so called, never belong to any one in­
stitution'. “Bingo,”, “Come Rally Tonight,” and “Evening Bells’’
may have been popularized by Yale, but they belong to all the col­
lege world. So do “Clementine’’ and “Solomon. 'Levi,” “There is a
Tavern in the. Town,” “Seeing-Nellie Home,” “O, Who Will Smoke
My> Meerchaum PipeT’ “Bring Back My Bonnie,” “Good night,
Ladies,” and countless others. They represent in a general way the
spirit of- the college;, they reflect-the carefree mirth and jollity of
Friday night,, and celebrate with mock seriousness the trials of life.
Some exhibit pure, and lofty emotion, others descend to the plane of
rollicking and irresponsible nonsense and burlesque. Their spirit
is the spirit of youth, that lives with joy in the present time, that
exults with abandon ¿0 be alive, that trusts and hopes and has no
mournful or despairing thoughts of yesterdays and tomorrows.
It is a matter for regret that these Songs are passing. . The fact
is not denied. Their palmy days were days before co-education.
Men and women'seldom pare to sing when they may instead enjoy
the society and conversation of the opposite sex. This tendency, is
not. felt so- strongly in Germany, where the convivial proclivities of
the student clubs' bid fair? to, perpetuate the old songs. • But in
America college songs are no longer much cultivated and are often
°ply grafted-upon college life as an occasional affectation; they are
not/essehtially part of it. <
Instead, the men carol discordantly the latest rag time, while
the women warble the same melodies with as much fervor, if with
less discord.. A song must, make a deep impression to last a month.
One class of college song, however, is not passing. That is
what we may, call the “song of the college.” It is no vagrant. It