Humor in the Hilltopper

Upperclassmen giving the lower classmen a good ol' fashion dousing.

A student that was apart of the yearbook reminisces about his years spent at St. Edward's.

Some of the students at SEU must have had an unfavorable opinion of the administration...

Due to the social climate, like Counterculture, humor in the Hilltopper was dark and radical. It is important to note the level of humor some students used to express their differing views. For instance, in September of 1971 The Hilltopper had an advice column entitled “Dear Cuddles.” In the September 24, 1971 publication of The Hilltopper, a student wrote to “Cuddles” asking him various questions on the topics of marijuana use, premarital sex, and what his political stance was. The irony was that “Cuddles” claimed to be a registered Republican specifically stating, “philosophically, I’m a responsible anarchist,” but also had relaxed views on taboo topics such as drug use and sex. [23] This shows how even though there were different opinions present on campus, there was a general sense of camaraderie between the student body.

The same sort of humor was present three years later when a group of students streaked across campus. Three male students had streaked from Doyle Hall, which was a men's dormitory at the time, to Teresa Hall, a women's dorm, and back in an attempt to beat UT’s record distance. The same night, eight female students streaked, although with towels on, to the Mary Moody Nothern Theatre and back [24]. This lighthearted pranking parallels the attitudes of the mid-seventies, when students and society were less involved or concerned with activism and politics and more interested in new commodities like pet rocks, activities like streaking, and individual self-expression, often through sex, drugs, and music.

During the 1970’s there was a lot of freedom among students, and this was illustrated in the way that the yearbook was constructed in free-thinking way. One page that stuck out was one towards the end that was written by V. J. Tramonte who appears to have been a photographer for the yearbook. He recalled many of the memories that he made during his time at St. Edward’s without leaving out any details that may be deemed inappropriate in today’s student culture. One thing that he addressed was the issues revolving around the health center stating, “I was to be shot at once and let die in peace. For damn sure, any nurse who gave enemas for a cut finger would never touch me while I was conscious.” He also goes on to lightheartedly critique the registration process along with cafeteria.[25] The freedom of speech was very strong during this time and students were not afraid to speak their mind.