LIFESTYLE: The Century Club

The University of Pennsylvania is a 250-plus-year-old Ivy League academy of knowledge. This statement alone screams "tradition," and University clubs are full of them. Not surprising, over this long history many clubs have sprouted to reflect the interests of the students. Having survived for a long time, these clubs have developed their own traditions, histories, and collective skeletons in their closets. · Mask & Wig Founded in 1888 by Clayton Fotteral McMichael, Mask & Wig is perhaps the most celebrated of the University's dramatic clubs. The Wiggers have maintained their tradition of lighthearted humorous burlesque theater for 104 years. In the beginning, when Clayton McMichael's pronouncement "Defer no time; delays have dangerous ends" prompted the first cast into the writing of their show, Mask & Wig began performing student-written shows similar to their annual spring shows in its book format. A book show consists of a full script containing a full-length developed plot – a format they have returned to over the past couple of years. "What we're doing now is much like what we did in the beginning. All the guys thought it was really important, and really cool to have us writing our own book shows," explained Mask & Wig senior Dan Bisbee, who directed this year's fall show. The Wiggers changed from sketch-style shows written by a Mask & Wig graduate club to the present format of the undergraduate-written, sketch-style fall show and the spring 'book' show only a few years back. Mask & Wig has developed its share of traditions along the way. In each and every show, the boys of Mask & Wig work in the line, "It's so crazy it just might work." Traditions include performers' pre-show scream of "I quit!" as well as pointing to theater-goers during the final number of each show. "We point to various members of the audience; some of us may or may not have diabolical purposes in mind in terms of pointing to young nubile women," confided Bisbee. And towards the end of each year's run of shows, the stage crew will unleash its share of jokes on the cast. As for the origin of the M&W; patented finger-snap applause, Bisbee explained, "Have you ever tried clapping with a beer in your hand?" · The Glee Club This group for jolly men was originally founded way back in 1862 (when the University was still in Center City) by John C. Simms, Jr. At the time, glee clubs were all the rage at universities, a wanton, happy-go-lucky era when collegiate tunes were belted out nightly by large groups of jovial students. And over these many years (and there has been a lot of them – they were the first group to wear the red and blue), the Glee Club has naturally developed a few traditions along the way. On stage, the all-male performers cover a traditional repertoire, and give a musical toast to whoever walks in the room. Off stage, traditions abound as well. "We've developed a lot like a fraternity. We make up nicknames for all the New Men," explained club President Scott Romeika. "Also, one of the New Men, on New Men's night, gets to pour a pitcher of beer on the President's head – usually the winner of the chugging contest." Long ago, back around the Grant administration, the eight-member proud Glee Club was the toast of the University entertainment circuit, crooning to guests of the University at nearly all official gatherings. Aside from these official get-togethers, the Glee Club also hosted concerts featuring old English "glee" songs. The format and the style of the group evolved into more formal works for more serious occasions. During the pre-World War I years, the Glee Club sang along with notables like the Philadelphia Orchestra, Orpheus Club and the Boston Pops. By that time a peak 70 members strong, the Glee Club focused on more sedate and formal performances. Around the 1950s, and especially since current director Bruce Montgomery's appearance in 1956, the Glee Club has combined the elements of its earlier years into its two-hour song-and-dance Broadway-style revues. In addition, they sing the national anthem each year for the Phillies, and often for the Eagles as well. The Glee Club brings its annual spring show on an East Coast tour and, every other year, a foreign tour. In 30 years of foreign tours, the Glee Club has hit 24 countries on four different continents, performing in basketball tournaments on the Black Sea and wowing Russians with graveyard tributes. · Bloomers While hardly as old or established as their ancient brethren groups, Bloomers has been around at least as long as any other women's performing arts group on campus. In fact, they'll be happy to tell you that they are the first and only all-female all-original comedy troupe in the country. Bloomers was started in 1978 by four freshmen who felt there was no outlet for women in comedy at University. "Bloomers started as a way for women to express themselves in a comedy forum," explained Bloomers Chairperson College senior Brooke Wurst. Club traditions range from stripping down to their bloomers onstage at some point in the show, to inviting Bloomer grads (endearingly called Girdles) onstage to sing their anthem. "Also, before shows, as good luck, to warm up we get in a huddle and yell 'Give 'em tit!" explained Wurst. · The Daily Pennsylvanian The Daily Pennsylvanian, affectionately called the DP by faithful readers and others, has been around for 109 long years, and has had a sordid and controversial history throughout its existence. Founded in 1885, The Pennsylvanian, as it was then called, was a weekly paper focusing on student issues – with an average size of four pages. Only during the first half of this century was The Pennsylvanian able to go daily. Throughout its history, the DP has closely monitored many on-campus occurrences, reporting, editorializing (and then some, critics might say). The DP has exposed faculty scandals, fraternity hazing violations, and student government abuses. During the turbulent '60s, the impassioned political sentiments of the times found their way onto campus and into the highly impassioned student government (this was before the UA's time). Around this time, student government support became increasingly polarized and hotly debated. The mood on campus had grown increasingly intolerant toward the dominant party, and was reflected in many critical DP articles. An anarchist party even was formed, with the sole agenda of disrupting government meetings. In late February 1962, the DP published a mock issue of the Pennsylvania News, the women-run newspaper at the University. After the DP went co-ed, the women's paper soon folded. In honor of the DP's success at satire, every year – sometime between late February and early March – the newspaper prints a mock issue of fictitious stories, just for the heck of it. Several days after the first mock issue was printed, the DP ran a front-page editorial calling for the abolition of the existing student government at the University. The editorial ran above the flag – a space newspapers usually save for presidential assassinations and such. But the student government got the last laugh. Student government leaders, who happened to control the pursestrings of the DP, decided it was time for the paper to take a little vacation, shutting it down for close to a week. And they gave the executive editor a permanent vacation, removing him from the paper altogether. When the DP returned, it picked up right where it left off, printing "part II" of the editorial. And on January 20, 1984, the DP signed incorporation agreements with the University, ending all financial ties.