Becoming a Whiffenpoof and Why I Hate Scotch
These days, becoming a Yale Whiffenpoof is a very ritualistic process. You have to say you want to be one, try out and then the current year’s group selects the next year’s group. As has been the case for decades, beginning in 1913, theoretically the best junior year acapellla group singers make the grade. But much has changed since then and even since 1960. For example:
- Despite there being a senior class women’s group, (Whim’n’ Rhythm), in 1918 a woman who qualified became a Whiff. A first. “Old timers” like us were (and most still are) outraged. The ’17 Whiffs said it was inevitable. Since then, probably a half a dozen women and a non-binary singers have been/are in the group. And for the first time, the next “Pitchpipe” (musical director) will be a woman.
- Every year, the newly elected group takes senior year off to basically make moolah for the next summer’s worldwide tour. That means that a) they graduate a year later than they were scheduled to and b) despite being one of Yale’s best ambassadors, the University will have nothing to do with them. Why? They currently aren’t Yale students.
- Tryouts, among both males and females, almost exclusively determine the makeup of the next year’s group. Try out and you get a yea or a nay.
Now here’s how it all worked in 1959, our selection year. A bit different and far more in line with how it was always done.
Tryouts? No way. The ’59 Whiffs spent time going around all year listening to the 10+ acapella groups and deciding who would be the Whiffenpoofs of 1960. Secrecy was tantamount. Nobody (!) in our class knew would be selected. On one Spring night, “Tap Night” the ‘59s went to Mory’s, filled up a Green Cup goblet with Mory’s secret drink recipe (mostly champagne) and set out. A selectee was expected to drink out of the cup until an accompanying song including the new Whiff’s nickname (see below) was completed. With 12 stops to make, the Mory’s drink didn’t last too long so of course other alcohol needed to be added. It didn’t matter what kind. By the time it got to me, the cup was mainly scotch. I had to imbibe with every inductee selection as did everyone else. To make a long story short I have no idea how I got to my room, woke up sometime after noon the next day feeling close to meeting my Maker and have never had a scotch since. Even the odor reeks.
As you can see, our experience was a lot different from the Whiffenpoofs of today. We were all male. No tryouts, just being evaluated for a year. A male Pitchpipe, Bob Lindgren. Singing obligations often conflicted with classwork. Suck it up newbies. You don’t need a year off to sing. I can remember returning from a performance at the Queen of the Veiled Prophet Ball in St. Louis on a weekday night reading Masterplots (remember that?) just to learn the characters’ names for an English exam.
In a year I grew to love the Whiffenpoof Song. And I grew to hate scotch. All in the same year at Mother Yale.
The original Whiffenpoofs of 1960:
| Bill “English Muf” Finn Ernie “Publish or P” Harris Peter “Fond Fare” Wells Stew “Proto” Cole Bob “Pitchpipe” Lindgren Hawley “Two-Car Ga” Rogers |
Barney “Beef” Stewart Al “Topsey” Durfee Bill “Popocatepetl” [traditional name for business manager] Weber Hank “A-Hall” Marquardt David “Sasper” Elliott Norm “Cy” Klopp |