Cap Day, EMU, 1925

In this time of year, decades ago, Cap Day and Cap Night occurred on EMU's campus.

Freshmen at EMU (and U-M, and other schools) were required to wear beanies, or freshman caps. They were also obliged to take them off as a salute whenever an upperclassman demanded it. EMU's freshmen's caps were green. At the close of freshman year, freshmen whooped it up on Cap Night, and burned all of their caps in a bonfire.

Cap Day, pictured here, seems to have been a similar rite-of-passage day. It looks as though the freshmen (?) are being forced to undergo some sort of obstacle course. I'm guessing that's a senior watching and likely mocking them.

Freshman caps and cap day/night festivities persisted into the 1960s, then faded away.