Rat Week began in the 1940s and continued until the tradition was abandoned in 1978. During Rat Week, incoming freshman were required to wear Rat Caps for a week. Several activities accompanied the Rat Week festivities including; Rat Races, Rat Court, Rat Hop, a talent show, and many other activities as well. These events greatly added to the cohesiveness of the classes and allowed incoming freshman to meet other students they may not have otherwise met in a social setting outside of the classroom. In the late 1970s, as class cohesion began to deteriorate with the influx of non-traditional students, Rat Week as well as many other longstanding traditions faded into history.