The origin of college cheers may be traced to the boating contests of twenty-five years ago on Lake Quinsigamond between Harvard and Yale in the old fashioned sixes. The 'Rah! 'Rah! 'Rah! was then first heard; that of Harvard rolled out with a full strong sound, while that of Yale was given sharply and defiantly. Although both cheers look the same in print, the similarity is more apparent than real. Anyone who has ever been present at an athletic contest between these rival Universities will have readily observed the difference between the cheers. In the Town and Gown affrays, which formerly occurred here, the rallying cry was "Yale! Yale! Yale!" and was so well understood that it almost immediately emptied the college buildings of students and assembled them in a body on the campus. A "tiger" was formerly employed after the athletic victory, but has gone into disuse of late. It ran:
'Rah! Rah! Rah! V-i-c-t-o-r-i-a! The "Sky-rocket cheer" of Princeton, 'Rah! 'Rah! Rah! S-s-t-boom - ah! probably ranks next in point of interest. It also sprang up as the result of athletic enthusiasm, first venting itself over some triumph. It certainly is very original and striking. The cry of Cornell is doubtless noisiest and most irreverent of college cheers, still it has a certain vigor about it that is attractive. The original form was Cor-Cor-Cor-nell! I yell! Cornell! but to this an addition is very frequently made to cause it to run Cor-Cor-Cor-nell! I yell - like - H-ll! Cor-nell! It is needless to add that the female members of the university prefer it as it stood originally. - Yale News.
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