F!rosh Week

History

Since time immemorial, students have always sought a way to make new students "official" members of Skule™. It was in that spirit that the original F!rosh Weeks were carried out. Mostly the responsibility of the second years, those events typically involved a simple afternoon of hazing, followed by a large F!rosh-Soph banquet to show that there were no hard feelings. These orientations tended to involve whatever physical abuses or humiliations the second years could think of, but this was all quite acceptable at the time. In those days, there was a strong sense of camaraderie among the engineers that diminished significantly during the '60's and '70's, but is now again on the rise. In fact, Dean C.H. Mitchell, who became dean in 1919, insisted that he too was a "freshman" and decided to endure the same initiation as the other F!rosh.

By the 1920's, orientations had become a bit more structured. The following "Rules for Freshmen" were published annually in that venerable paper the Toike Oike from the '20's through the '40's:

"The first group of Rules will be enforced during the whole of the School (sic) year."

1. The first year will supply all fatigue parties required by the Engineering Society Executive. These parties will be detailed by the first year Executive.
2. The first year will provide one man daily, to report to the President of the Engineering Society, for whatever services may be required.
3. The east door of the Engineering Building shall not be used by any Freshmen.
4. Freshmen must not wear Spats or Derbies.

"The following Rules must be observed up to the time of the School initiation."

1. All Freshmen will wear a green tie of the style approved and supplied by the Supply Department of the Engineering Society.
2. All Freshmen will enter the school building by the basement doors only.
3. Freshmen will remove their hats in all school buildings"

The "green ties" mentioned were a big part of early orientations, enduring up until the 1950's. All F!rosh would be issued one, to be worn for the duration of the week, not unlike modern yellow hardhats. Also like modern F!rosh hardhats, jealous members of other faculties and colleges would persistently try to steal them. Indeed, the early initiations were often referred to as "tie-cutting season" for that reason. Other students would attempt to cut a F!rosh's tie off from just below the knot, and bags of these so-called "tie scalps" were prized by all. If a F!rosh were particularly unlucky, he might find himself disrobed, painted and have his clothes hung in a tree by hordes of overzealous students from other colleges.

By the 1930's, orientations were starting to get out of hand. In 1932, a scrap in the Skulehouse (the original engineering building, demolished in 1966 to make way for the Med building) ended with what the Varsity described as "rather severe handling of the Dean (C. H. Mitchell)". In response, the Dean banned initiations in favour of a "modernized reception" for the F!rosh. He was only partly successful, though. Green ties, Freshmen dances and toned-down initiations remained right through to the '50's. In addition, a new part of orientation appeared: engineering caps. These striped caps were worn for many years in addition to the green ties. Then in 1954, things took a turn for the worse. Campus tours had always been a big part of orientation, and on such a tour that year, Trinity, Vic and UC were looted by the F!rosh. Apart from property damage, the UC registrar was injured in the fray. The University responded by suspending the Engineering Society's constitution and giving the Engineering Faculty Council the sole power to reinstate it. But just when things were looking bleak, Hurricane Hazel hit Toronto, leaving massive damage. The engineers responded in massive numbers, donating both money and manpower to the cleanup effort. In all, over 1100 engineers turned out to help, versus a paltry 200 from the rest of the university. The faculty council reinstated the EngSoc constitution and from that point, orientation began to take on a more constructive format. It is from here that modern f!rosh week charity events evolved. After the looting, green ties and engineering caps were officially banned, but in their place, hardhats came into use.

During the 1970's, many of the f!rosh week events we now know and love were born. The Oath of Initiation was drafted during that time period and the annual Scavenger Hunt was started. An increasing sense of political correctness saw a significant decline in the more humiliating aspects of initiation that carried on into the 1980's, culminating in what is now F!rosh Week.

References/Credit

History adapted from Adam Trumpour, Archivist 0T2 - 0T3 and originally published in the Cannon; Volume XX, Issue I