Worcester – The question, the graduate of the Warkster Polytechnic Institute, Chris Giruard, class of 2013, said he had heard of stories about a secret society in the campus related to a small stone building, but that could be anything, stories.
It is called the tomb of the skull and as it describes it, “a small building at the base of the hill near the library.”
As for the secret society, he said that he sometimes “saw a bunch of people with hoods near the building,” but said that such things were common in the campus during his time in Warchester.
The small stone building, built in the 1880s, was originally intended to accommodate the WPI electromagnetic laboratory before the school newspaper moved around the early 20th century.
According to the WPI, the building was used by one of its most famous graduates Robert Godard, the father of the modern rocket.
After graduating from WPI, Godard worked at the school physics department for two years before moving on to advanced training at Clark University. It was during this time that he continued to experiment on the campus.
Crying the tomb of the skull in WPI.
“Legend has it that while using a laboratory in Salisbury, the explosions caused some damage and he was moved to the magnetic laboratory (now the tomb of the skull). Even here the neighbors are complaining about hearing loud noises,” the school writes on its website.
This is not the only legend surrounding the building, according to some, the building represents the remains of a secret society on the campus.
The society, known as the Senior Success of the WPI skull, or Skull, was founded in 1911 and moved to the small building in 1921, which gave the building its present name to the tomb of the skull.
The society is just one of nearly 200 organizations in the school, including the Glee Men’s Club, the theater group and more than a dozen brotherhoods and cooperation.
According to WPI, adolescents are nominated to become members of society, composed of students, teachers, graduates and staff.
According to a WPI document of November 15, 1998, there are three main goals for the Skull’s honor. First, members are tasked with preserving the history and traditions of WPI, “by restoring certain events that have come in the history of the school.” Second, members must act as “sounding advice for students and concerns for students.” And last but not least, members should strive to gather different campus groups to support the combined WPI mission.
However, when he asked, the school said there was no one to talk about society.
The online community was also not useful, with simple answers like “It’s a secret.”
While society no longer uses the stone building, it remains a reminder for students.
Maya, Jr., who did not want to give a surname, was in front of the school working on a classmate project. She explained that she was testing a hypothesis about an ancient Dodedecader as a study device. As for the secret society, it’s no secret, she said.
“During the orientation of the freshman, we make a bridge crossing,” she said. “Then, when you graduate, you go back over the bridge. I remember seeing a part of the skull wearing the cloak as they pass back over the bridge.”
By pointing to the small stone building, Maya said she had never seen anyone enter or go out. It is clear that he remains locked and boarded.
“The way people talk about them (the skull society), they must exist,” she said with a laugh. “Or at least they want you to think they exist.”
The Warkster Museum had a similar answer and admitted that there was nothing in its archives except speculation.
There are several discussions in WPI’s Subreddit of WPI, spanning decades regarding the secret society and the small stone building, legends and other rumors in the campus. Some believe that there is a small Luke within the tomb of the skull that leads to a tunnel system under the campus and eventually in the “Warchester Catacombs”.
As for entering society, there are several stories of theft of bronze goat sculpture to increase the likelihood of membership and even the existence of other secret societies in WPI: gilded horn, black gaul and phoenix.
“You will be expelled if you are caught in the steam tunnels that do not exist,” one Redditor wrote.
“If you step on the Quad print, it will take you more than four years to finish,” another jokes.
As for the Quad itself, the hundred -year -old path decorates the floor in the campus of the school with bricks dedicated to those who have left their imprint in the school. Many bricks identify the members of the skull society with pride, proof that society is alive, good and excellent for maintaining secrets.
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This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Skull Society in WPI remains a good security secret