Sophomore at last--no longer would the man from the class of 1927 be at the bottom of Harvard's intellectual pile; no longer would pert Radcliffe classmates snootily tell him that they didn't date "freshmen." He felt he had grown up over the summer, and might now talk about the current Coolidge-LaFollette Davis Presidential race with authority. During the fall, he Crimson treated him to an almost undiluted diet of football, religion, politics, and more football.

Registration showed that the class had dropped to 763 men, although college enrollment reached a new high--2,909. The socially-minded sophomores soon found that curbs on club rushing activities before October were more stringent than ever.

To keep the politically-minded informed the Crimson ran a daily column called, "The Campaign at Harvard." Charges and counter charges from the newly-organized Lafollette-Wheeler Club and the Old Guard Republican Organization furnished steady entertainment for undergraduates. Even President-emeritus Eliot entered the fray by taking over the leadership of the John W. Davis League which was stumping for the Democratic nominee. In a college straw vote poll Collidge's national victory was anticipated as he won by a two to one margin.

Eleven sophomores were retained on the varsity football team when coach Fisher made his first cut on the second day of practice. Among the '27 standouts were tackle Leo Daley, quarterback Nathaniel Hamlen, halfback Alfred Miller, and quarterback Isadore Zarakov. Fisher kept to his old system of many promotions, however, and several sophomores got the long a waited call, "Give him a red shirt," and left the scrubs.

Fall crew showed the greatest improvement over the previous year and sophomores Geoffrey Platt and Johnny gates made the first boat, while Barrette scudder stroked the third. Four 1927 freshman regulars--Richard Thomas, Joseph MacKinnon, Hiram Gans, and Walter Tresvett--made the soccer team which had a four win, four loss season. Individually, John S. Malick placed first in the 100 yard dash and the 440 in the University fall track meet.

On September 27 the University announced its program for building a new Graduate School of Business Administration. George F. Baker had given $5 million to constrict the buildings, which were to go up on the other side of the Charles.

A month later the Corporation planned five new Yard buildings to be built along Massachusetts Avenue. The Planning Board also proposed a new Fogg Museum building and a chapel as a memorial to Harvard's World War dead.

This fall the football really played to a nationwide audience; for the first time the games were broadcast coast to coast by WNAC and WBZ. The season was still rather unsuccessful, however.

Remembering the class of 1927's freshman academic difficulties, the faculty came up with a new policy, "no probation after November hours." Relived, the sophomores helped make the Dartmouth game a sellout, but four fumbles gave the Big Green a 6 to 0 win. Despite this setback, football seemed to be uppermost in the undergraduate mind--so much so that Dean Greenough '98 complained. "Mother prefers to have her son a quarterback on the football team rather than have him a scholar."

Disaster struck again. B.U. fell, but inspired Princeton romped to a 34 to 0 victory and Brown soon followed suit, 7 to 0. The sophomore clutched his date and glumly took a bootlegged nip at every adverse touchdown. Finally, 1924 repeated itself as songs, cheers, rallies, and secret lineups failed to prevent undefeated Yale from bulldozing the Crimson, 19 to 6.

In November the class took time out to elect new officers and chose Bayard L. Kilgour, Jr., president; Alfred H. Miller, vice-president; and Frederick Vanderbilt Field, secretary-treasurer.

Meanwhile trouble came when the University denied Professor George P. Baker '87, head of the 47 Workshop, a new drama building. He offered to raise the money himself, but the Administration clamped down. Harvard's loss was Yale's gain, as lured by the promise of funds. Baker went to New Haven and established the Yale Drama chool. Dean Briggs gave Baker a farewell gift and the Workshop held a final meeting entitled. "The Last Aot." The CRIMSON ran a black-bordered Memoriam Box expressing sympathy to the Workshop family "on the loss of its father, George Pierce Baker."

About this time the Union, remembering the previous spring's Russell Lowell debated, amended its constitution to ensure all guests complete freedom of speech. And Widener Library book pilfering reached new heights. In January sophomores fingered their wallets and breathed a sigh of relief that the new $50 increase in tuition would only apply to new students.

Gripes about Memorial Hall food were always prevalent. After 2,300 students claimed in a college poll that they never ate there, the University decided to discontinues the dining hall. Black arm-banded students flocked to the evening meal on January 10 to celebrate the Hall's "Last Supper" with a turkey dinner.

Midyears were coming and causing worry to others besides the victims. Track coach Farrell said gloomily, "The main thing on the track calendar just now is the mid-year examination," and Coach Campbell told baseball aspirants that "An ineligible athlete is a disgrace to Harvard." As sophomores retired to Widener, the cram schools in one last burst offered out-rate printed lecture notes at a dollar, Later the Student Council rejected a suggested honor system for exams.