STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS. No student could rightfully complain in the twenty-odd years between the beginning of the Wessell administration in 1953 and the inauguration of Jean Mayer in 1976 that there were insufficient organizations or activities on campus to which to belong or in which to participate. They met every conceivable need, from the serious academic and intellectual, to purely social interaction and even a bit of frivolity. Some had long and continuous histories, while others were only ephemeral and were soon forgotten. Some were one-time events that attracted attention only for the moment, like a "plant-in" in May 1967 which had for its aim the beautification of the campus with flowers raised from 500 seeds distributed to fraternities, sororities, and dormitories. The project was sponsored by the "Friends of Autumn" which featured a parade led by the "Friends of Autumn Marching and Chowder Society Band." The "First Annual Riotous Carmichael Extravaganza" (FARCE) was held

The liveliest period in the spring for many years was the four-day Ivy Weekend devoted to general socializing which included bicycle races, piano-smashing contests, and soap box derbies. (The winner one year was a classroom desk fitted with wheels.) There was also, in 1966, a three-way mayoralty competition, held in an attempt to revive the tradition of a campus "mayor" whose principal function was to personify and promote college spirit. The tradition had come to an end in 1959 after almost a quarter of a century. Part of the tradition was revived temporaily when a contest was held on Alumni Weekend in 1984 among those who had at one time been candidates for the office, successful or otherwise, while undergraduates. During Ivy Weekend in 1967, Jill Gardner became the first woman to receive the "Mr. Tufts" award for campus leadership. It had been established in 1956 to honor George S. Miller, an alumnus with over half a century of association with the institution.

An administration-sponsored spring festival called SPIRIT (Society for the Promotion of Internal Rejoicing in Tufts), was introduced in 1979 by Howard M. Solomon, Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Academic Affairs. It became an important vehicle for enhancing the quality of student life, promoting shared "membership in a single community," and breaking down isolation among students, faculty, and administration. It sponsored dinners, and all kinds of special programs and informational, social, and recreational events such as jazz festivals.

There were sixty-five active student organizations (exclusive of fraternities and sororities) when Wessell became president. By the end of the next academic year (1954), the number had risen to 78, with 255 students holding some kind of office. An Inter-Dormitory Council was formed in 1953-54 and a system of faculty residents was introduced in the larger dormitories to supplement the work of student proctors. There were seven religious organizations from which to choose, and a Religious Council was created in 1954 to coordinate their activities. So many organizations had sprung up by 1961 that the Committee on Student Life declared a moratorium on new ones which lasted for two years. Almost as soon as the ban was lifted, seven new organizations were approved, and between 1976 and 1978, thirty-two more were recognized. A record was set in 1979-80, when a grand total of 125 student groups were registered, including fraternities and sororities which were in the midst of a period of revival.

Beginning in 1964, the society sponsored each spring a "Kid's Day" which drew hundreds of youngsters from Medford and Somerville, and other communities in the Boston area as well as from the city itself. A full day of activities, from arts and crafts to carnival rides, was arranged by volunteers who had often worked with the children during the year.

The society's work came to national attention in 1965 when it was cited by the Lane Bryant Annual Awards Committee for outstanding volunteer community service and became a semifinalist in a national competition. An illustrated article in Life magazine in 1967 also brought national visibility.

Participation in the society's activities began to decline after 1967, due in part to lack of organizational leadership, shifts in student interests, and reductions in budget allocations at a time when the number of programs it sponsored exceeded fifteen. By 1974, student participation had dropped to approximately 100, but two years later had rebounded to 300; by 1976, the society was offering twenty-two programs in which students could take part. The most popular were tutoring and working with mentally retarded children. The very fact that the Leonard Carmichael Society continued to be one of the largest and most active student organizations on the campus, in spite of the fact that participation was often very demanding and that the rewards were only personal satisfaction, testified that social commitment was "more than a passing fashion."

One of the most durable and best known undergraduate organizations was the Beelzebubs, a male a cappella vocal group started informally by four students in 1962 and organized a year later. The

The Beelzebubs were a hard-working and enthusiastic group who spent much time in rehearsal, with an average of two and one-half

The Beelzebubs teamed up frequently with the Jackson Jills, a similar vocal group also organized in the early 1960s. The Jills too produced a recording (in 1973) and went on spring tour with the Beelzebubs in 1975. The Jills' second album, "Building Blocks," appeared in the spring of 1985. Both singing groups were supplemented in 1985 by the Amalgamates, Tufts' first mixed a capella group. Both the Beelzebubs and the Jackson Jills were going strong in the 1980s as the former group celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 1983. Both made a significant contribution to the artistic life of a campus full of vitality and variety.