Clash of Classes renews campus tradition

Like a strange case of sibling rivalry gone terribly awry, the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classes will continue their battle for Penn prestige as the 2004 Clash of the Classes draws to a close.

After a nearly century-long hiatus, some of the traditional competitions that defined the Penn experience for many generations have been revived by the class boards and the Penn Alumni Student Society. With five events scattered across two weeks -- including Pushball, Quizzo and a scavenger hunt -- the Clash of the Classes was reinstated for the purpose of establishing class bonds, according to coordinators.

"We were hoping that it promotes and inspires class unity," said Elise Betz, director of student development programming for the Penn Fund. Betz, who aided in planning the event, also noted that it "helps to teach tradition and foster Penn pride."

The activities were specifically designed with balance in mind, Betz said, so that "students who weren't athletically inclined" wouldn't shy away from the events. The trivia-based game of Quizzo and an ongoing scavenger hunt across both downtown Philadelphia and Penn's campus bring a more problem-solving-based spirit to Clash of the Classes, while Pushball and tonight's Superblock Capture the Flag session were designed to stimulate more physical activity.

During the three-period game of Pushball, teams used a "15-foot-diameter ball and two smaller balls" to score goals, according to Junior Class President Matt Klapper.

"The energy picked up each period," Sophomore Class Vice President Pierre Gooding said of the popular game, which he described as the "biggest attraction" of Clash of the Classes thus far, with about 100 people in attendance.

The Crazy Hair and Facial Hair competition --which will be held today -- also promises a bizarre spin on traditional fun, with both men and women displaying their creative side.

"The version of it that [Penn students] used to organize solely measured the length of the man's beard," College junior Jon Lubin said of the contest, which was last conducted in the 1930s.

Lubin, who serves as the PASS vice president of social events, researched the history of the Clash of the Classes in preparation for the 2004 version.

Calling the events a "blended version" of old and new, Lubin described the atmosphere that used to accompany the early-20th century activities.

"Around 1900, colleges used to be seen as your last chance to do something childish," Lubin said. In some respects, however, the events were seen as symbols of masculinity.

"Class fighting -- while unacceptable today -- was then considered proof of manhood," Director of University Archives Mark Frazier Lloyd said. Though he attributed the disintegration of the class fights to "the integration of women on campus," the violence associated with the events also may have stunted their longevity.

"The competition got so fierce that there was actually a casualty," Klapper said of a Pushball incident early last century during which a sophomore was trampled to death.

Betz assured that this year's Clash of the Classes was updated to be "safer and more appropriate for 2004."

Now that the threat of violence has been eliminated, coordinators are focusing on re-establishing the Clash of the Classes as a staple University event.

"It's really a process and this year is just the beginning," Klapper said. "We're going to try to build this up to an event that people look forward to throughout the year."

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