GAMMA ETA CHAPTER HousE--MAssAcHUSETTs STATE CoLLE<;F Kappa Alpha Theta e. Theta~ s Newest Chapte" Gamma Eta Chapter at Massachusetts State College i Main st. Essex Junction. p IONEERING in the East has ber 1, and pledging -0f charter members Decem­ marked the fraternity's progress during this ber 12, Massachusetts State Panhellenic had college year. First came Gamma Zeta chapter, conducted its fall rush, and the chapter to be­ 't. Lawton, Interbay, and the first national fraternity chapter for girls on come Thetas, had acquired sixteen new pledges. the campus of Connecticut State college, char­ Under their Panhellenic rules, these pleqges ter,,,.granted at convention, and chapter installed must acquire sophomore standing before they in October 1942. may be initiated. And, the week-end of pledging And now,_ ~n February, comes the installa­ for charter members, was the same week en.4.,,on tion of Gamma Eta chapter. At the time of last which Kappa Kappa Gamma installed a cha~~er summer's convention the petition of Phi Zeta at Massachusetts State, the group to whiC~lit for a charter at Massachusetts State college, had had granted a charter at its 1942 summe.t/:on- not been on file long enough to permit con­ vention. -~0 vention to vote the charter, it desired to grant. -~~ But, convention promised the group, that unless Massachusetts State Coll~g~:: some unforeseeable problem arose, a charter would be forthcoming November 1. No such One of the outstanding achievemet#;· of the yself grow daily, physi- problem arose, and so, November 1 the group middle of the nineteenth century was the- 're­ 1ally, emotionally, and received a wire stating the charter was granted. markable development in the field of science. All hoped for installation before Christmas This, in turn, brought about great. changes in lighten any temporary -but the time between November 1 and Christ­ industry, transportation, and agriculture, which in youth or middle age, mas vacation was so short that, in view of war stimulated the desire for new information and ttitude-"What's the i1se time restrictions on travel and demands on the further training. People were enthusiastic about to get as much out of time of Council members, it became impossible the possibilities of the future. It is not surpris­ as I possibly can." for those hopes to materialize. So, precedent ing, therefore, that scientific courses gradu~lly ually alert, awake, alive was broken, and though the promised fraternity found their way into the academies and col­ c, say and do not say. badges were not ready to wear home for the leges, though not·-without opposition from the :ally seek to preserve my holidays, pledge pins were. Mts Cook, president friends of the old classical training. In many r time, through adequate of District IV, went to Amherst and on Decem­ instances institutions founded along lit<rrary and and rest, sleep, careful ber 12, with the assistance of Kay Hoover, co­ philosophical lines did not favor the fottocluc­ oar exercise. organizer at Gamma Zeta, nine members of that tion of courses based on the needs of studep.ts nor with reason." 'new chapter, and the aid of resident Thetas, desiring to perfect themselves in the ted~git-al 1y time, my strength, my Mildred Briggs, Alpha, Mrs Grace law Foorde, principles and practices of the arts and Jf¥1us­ clothes. Iota, and Mrs Ray Stannard Baker, Eta, she try. Nevertheless the demand for -such cci~fses rays in terms of my po­ pledged twenty-four members of Phi Zeta to increased. It was evident that the old order of ~r than in terms of my Kappa Alpha Theta. education was. changing but at the time the new These girls, all of whom became charter mem­ was not apparent. It was under such conditions :ognize real love through bers of Gamma Eta chapter were-Marjorie that Massachusetts State college ha'd its birth. ognize its cheap substi­ Aldrich, Ruth Baker, Priscilla Bentley, Helen This demand for technical education finally :ty. Berger, Mary Jean Carpenter, Rosalind Good­ crystallized into the Morrill Act of 18().2, en­ mprehend that life will hue, Doris Johnson, Elinor Koonz, Daphne dowing colleges for this purpose in every -state :o me, just where I place Miller, E. Jane Smith, H. Barbara Smith, Cath­ of the Union. ;s, and that I shall miss erine Stockwell, Helen VanMeter, Mabel Arn­ Massachusetts accepted the provisions of the in life, if, I am not old, Betty Jane Atkinson, Jean Burgess, Eliza­ Morrill Act in 1863 by founding a new college hem, remembering daily beth Clapp, Barbara Crowther, Marjorie Gun­ at Amherst to be known as "Massachusetts Agri­ is not something we get, ther, Dorothy Nestle, Betsy Tilton, Barbara cultural college." It was not until October 2, v-e become." Thayer, Patricia Anderson, and Marilyn Hadley. 1867, that the institution formally was opened to Beam!" Between the granting of the charter, Novem- students. At that time there were four teachers [183] Kappa Alpha Theta on the faculty and fou campus. The number < creased during the first 1867, forty-seven had b now over twelve hund On April 15, 1931, the was changed by legislat chusetts State college. l ning the college has gr fluence has been felt in t Women were as scare when two co-eds grad1 The number has increas when over one-third of of females. They are Women's Student gov their head. In 1940, th honor group) was foun and senior girls outsHm arship, and extracurricu Massachusetts State tories for women, and · women's fraternities. Women's Fral On the campus there three national women's Kappa Kappa Gamma, : Phi Zeta was the third affiliated with a Natior All year long, W.A.i sor Inter-Greek compet ball, hockey, volleybal spring, the Intersororit sponsors the annual si which time, each house two declamers-one in Two plaques are aware of the sing, and one f the two most outstan members of the faculty Frequently, Phi Zet members with one of evening meal. It also E. pledges of other grout Of course, competitic election of the Honora: ing of the Winter C Court. Two Phi Zeta' court last year. This y GAMMA ETA CHAPTER-GAMMA ETA PLEDGES chosen queen, and Mc Kappa Alpha Theta 185 on the faculty and four wooden buildings on Murrey were members of her court. campus. The number of students steadily in­ Phi Zeta has its own scholarship plaque creased during the first term and by December, upon which is engraved each year the name of 1867, forty-seven had been admitted. There are the girl with the highest average, and the name now over twelve hundred. students attending. of the girl showing the greatest improvement in On April 15, 1931, the name of the institution her marks. It also has a plaque upon which was changed by legislative enactment to Massa­ is placed each May, the name of the senior girl chusetts State college. From its modest begin­ who has done the most for her chapter. ning the college has grown steadily and its in­ Under the direction of Helen Berger, elected fluence has been felt in many parts of the world. Head Usher this year, the women's fraternities Women were as scarce as bananas until 1917, usher at the various college Social unions. All when two co-eds graduated from the college. of the groups usher at some time during the The number has increased amazingly until now, year for Sunday Vesper services. when over one-third of the enrollment consists of females. They are self-governed, with the Theta Activities Women's Student government association at their head. In 1940, the Isogon society (senior Six of the new Theta chapter are members honor group) was founded, made up of junior of the Women's Student government associa­ and senior girls outstitnding in character, schol­ tion: Olive Tracy, member of the Board; Betty arship, and extracurricular activities. Bates and Helen Beaumont, Sophomore repre­ Massachusetts State college has two dormi­ sentatives on Council; and Cynthia Leete, Bar­ tories for women, and thete are five houses for bara Crowther, and Jean Burgess, Proctors in the women's fraternities. Womens' dormitories. Jean is also vice-president of the Home economics club. Women's Fraternity Groups Ruth Baker is president of the Women's ath­ letic association, of which Patricia Anderson is On the campus there are two local groups and secretary. Five Thetas are sports managers: Olive three national women's fraternities, Chi Omega, Tracy, skiing; Jane Smith, dancing; Shirley Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Kappa Alpha Theta. Salsman, hockey; Virginia Julian, volleyball; Phi Zeta was the third local group tp become and Marilyn Hadley, bowling. Louise Pennock, affiliated with a National fraternity. pledge, is well known for her beautiful figure All year long, W.A.A. Sports managers spon­ skating. sor Inter-Greek competition in swimming, soft­ Reporting for the college newspaper, The ball, hockey, volleyball, bowling, etc. In the collegian is Betty Bates. Marcia Green was a spring, the Intersorority council (Panhellenic) member of the Index, yearbook board. sponsors the annual sing and declamation, at Mary Jean Carpenter and Cynthia Leete are which time, each house presents two songs, and vice-presidents of the senior and junior classes, two declamers-one in prose and one in verse. respectively. Mary Jean is also president of the Two plaques are awarded, one for the winner Intersorority council and is a member of the of the sing, and one for the house presenting active Student Defense council. the two most outstanding declamers. Three Helen VanMeter, manager of the Women's members of the faculty judge the contests.