In the 1960s and 1970s, students at Western New England would be counting down the days to Thanksgiving break this time of year, as most of us are surely doing. However, they would also be counting down to another momentous occasion on the school calendar – the day the freshmen could be rid of their beanies.

A tradition adopted by many colleges and universities in the mid 20th century, beanie wearing by underclassmen was seen by some to be a way to instill class spirit and school pride in the new additions to the student body, and by others as a hazing ritual. Whatever the motive behind it, the tradition was rampant on college campuses in the middle of the century, and Western New England was no exception!

Many school put their own spin on the tradition, and Western New England certainly made it their own, as well. The annual rope pull – a tug of war contest over a muddy pit between the freshmen and sophomore class – played a crucial role in WNE’s beanie tradition. If the freshmen beat the sophomores, they no longer had to wear their beanies. If the freshmen lost to the sophomores (as was usually the case), they had to wear their beanies until Thanksgiving break.

So as you’re getting ready to perhaps leave campus, or enjoy a long break from classes, be thankful that finding a place to store your beanie is not on your to-do list this break!