The Seven Year Itch

The Straus Trophy--which looks like nothing so much as an old-fashioned samovar--was triumphantly carried to Dunster House yesterday from its former possessor, Kirkland House, by an irregular procession of two motorcycles, a convertible, and a crowd of cheering Funsters. A planned march down Memorial Drive, frustrated by a lack of a parade permit, turned into a "spontaneous walk" along the same route.

Master Taylor and several disappointed Kirkland jocks stood by Taylor's house, with the trophy on the doorstep. As the crowd of Funsters gathered a respectable distance away, in front of Winthrop House, there was some talk of a riot, but no disturbances occurred.

Master Pappenheimer, Senior Tutor Carey MacIntosh, and Dunster house committee members, all wearing top hats, drove up in a convertible to Taylor who handed the urn over with a smile and a handshake, obviously planning to get it back for another seven years.

And that was the end of the big ceremony. They drove off, escorted by the two motorcycles, with one house committee member clutching the trophy and everybody smiling like astronauts on parade.

But the best part was yet to come. After standing around admiring the trophy and passing it from hand to hand, one enterprising person noted that it had a spigot. Another Funster quickly discovered a bottle of New York champagne, and they put the two together.

Within minutes, everybody gathered around (by now the spontaneous walkers had straggled back) in front of the courtyard gate to drink it up or at least to watch. A detachment from the Band, prevented from joining the march, provided inspirational music on the scene.

Enthusiasm among the crowd ran high, especially when house committee Chairman John Purvis told them the march on Kirkland had been thwarted by a Cambridge regulation which requires a parade permit to march across a city street. Temporarily frustrated, the crowd of eager Funsters turned to shouting "wonk" to students deserting the cause for Lamont and study.

Most students were rather reticent about approaching the champagne trophy, and preferred to watch the Master, Senior Tutor, bandsmen, and house committemen attempt to drink from it. The chief difficulty appeared to be that it was rather difficult to judge just where the trickle of champagne would fall as you bent underneath the graceful silver spigot. Nevertheless, there was a general feeling of elation. The trophy would certainly prove useful at tea, if nothing else.The final trickle is sopped up by an eager Funster.