THE DYING GLADIATOR

The passing of Memorial Hall as the scene of the Junior Dance will cause little lamentation among undergraduates. Since the affair was first held there several years ago its quality in every way has been going from bad to worse. So now if the traditional function itself is to be kept alive for another year, the Union or a Boston hotel are the only alternative locales.

There is no reason to suppose that a Junior Dance at the Union would be any more popular than in Memorial Hall. The room might be slightly more cheerful, but if the dance were really well-attended the place would be much overcrowded. With a small number the function would be no more distinctive than a mediocre Union Dance. Certainly the Class of 1930 has no desire for anything of this sort.

On the other hand there remains the possibility of holding it in a Boston hotel, which seems to find favor among a few vociferous Juniors. Whether a strong feeling for this idea really pervades the whole class is another question. A 1930 affair in the midst of Boston's night clubs would have little Harvard atmosphere, and even if the University authorities permitted it, a Boston dance might be even less successful than the white elephant in Memorial Hall.

Traditions are difficult to end. But the first step has been taken, and the inevitable funeral may well be held somewhere in Boston as inconspicuously as possible. It is only to be regretted that the Class of 1930 has apparently lost the distinction of emancipating itself entirely from this historical bugbear.