Did you know?

100 years ago, Nov. 20, 1907

A Tartan blurb describes a type of student that gets on everyone’s nerves: the “rah-rah boy.” According to the blurb, rah-rah boys can be spotted by their clothing, which often includes a velvet hat, padded jacket, and — I quote — “turned up peg trousers that strike him above the ankles, thereby displaying hosiery that fairly shrieks.”

50 years ago, Nov. 26, 1957

A Marlboro ad in the form of a column tells the story of a college couple that never fights, because the girl — a psychology major — tries to settle all their problems therapeutically. Bored, the boy tries to provoke her into an argument, insulting her hair, face, and clothes, but nothing gets the girl angry. That is, until he insults her cigarettes. “Nobody’s knocking that filter, that flavor, that flip-top box while there’s breath in my body!” she says.

25 years ago, Nov. 16, 1982

In the spirit of charity, the sisters of Delta Gamma organize a Beautiful Eyes contest, the proceeds of which went to the blind. And to think, all they do now is sell jeans and perform musicals.

10 years ago, Nov. 17, 1997

President Cohon is inaugurated as the eighth university president. During the ceremony, Cohon emphasizes three themes: individual exploration, interdisciplinary research, and interaction with the Pittsburgh community. Well, the unspoken fourth point must have been installing a giant phallus in the middle of campus, right?

5 years ago, Nov. 18, 2002

The Person’s Opinion asks, “Have you ever considered becoming a vegan?” The students polled gave a unanimous “no,” citing a variety of reasons, including bacon, rice cakes, and pepperoni pizza. By far the most bizarre, a junior computer science major said the following: “I wouldn’t be a vegan because — have you seen the movie Chicken Run? Do you want chickens to take over the world?”

1 year ago, Nov. 20, 2006

At the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, a 3-year-old receives an unusual visitor: Spiderman. But behind the mask, it isn’t Peter Parker — it’s Ian Harding, a (then) sophomore in the School of Drama.