Concern over the reputation of the Tank Scrap and how it reflected on Purdue was always on someone's mind. One of the most interesting somewhat tongue and cheek editorials in the Exponent noted that the event was being reported in newspapers across the country. According to the editorial writer, since the Tank Scrap was, "the most unique and the most widely known college custom in the United States," the University should be proud and the participants should keep "upon the same high plane." Preliminary scraps are now coming off nightly and we hope those connected with them will bear in mind that the annual class fights are not pitched battles between ruffians, but rather friendly contests between gentlemen. It is not necessary to say, "Pardon me, but I am going to knock your block off" or "Pray excuse me while I jam your face in the mud," but go quietly about the business with a grim determination to win without brutality. A little courtesy shown a man bound and helpless while while hundreds of feet are stepping on his face will go a long way toward making a freshman love Purdue and Purdue men.
Cartoon of students fighting in Tank Scrap.
Source: "The Tank Scrap," The Purdue Exponent 21 (September 11, 1909): 2.
