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Most everyone who visits Washington and Lee takes a stroll down its suspension footbridge. Spanning a creek and tennis courts, the bridge is 550 feet long, stretching towards Wilson Field. While it's known around campus as, 'Cadaver Bridge,' tour guides say it's rare they get all the way to the footbridge before forging the topic of the secret society. Parents and children alike usually have trouble bottling their curiosity about one of the strange symbols on campus. Many of Washington and Lee's secret societies leave calling cards or clues strewn about campus, but some are easier to decipher than others.

The mink, a member of the weasel family, has long been the mascot of various groups at Washington and Lee. Students at W&L first associated themselves with minks because the males have a tendancy to steal each other's mates if they're not protecting them. When Virginia Military Institute keydets would leave their dates at midnight to return to their barracks, the men at W&L would swoop in and escort the ladies to their parties. At some point students named a society after this rodent, and the Mongolian Minks were born.

The Mongolian Minks do very little in the public eye, but once a year they're out and about for everyone to see. Each homecoming the Minks hold their initiation. The new members are in various states of dress, and their mouths are stained with red, blue, green, or yellow food coloring. Each fraternity with initiates dresses them in a specific uniform. The event is usually well attended by students, alums, and even house mothers.

Most football stadiums have numbers on the field every ten yards, but once in a while Wilson field is marked at the 13 yard line. This is believed to be the work of the Phalanx, an anonymous service fraternity at W&L. Much as people believe Minks is related to Sigma, many believe the Phalanx is a stepping stone for students who'll become Cadavers. One member of the group that asked to remain anonymous simply said, "The group exists to do community service in the Rockbridge area." Little is known about their name, which could've been taken from an Ancient Greek military system that gained fame for beating the Persians at Marathon and Plataea.

Founded in 1880, the Sigma Society is one of the oldest organizations at Washington and Lee. For many years, the society owned a cabin where the current Science Library stands. The specifics of the society aren't well-known, though they've long had a reputation for raucous behavior. Says one alumnus, "We would always go to the cabin on Thursday afternoons, because it was right behind the Science building, and that's when the pre-meds would have their big tests. So as they'd be struggling with exams, we'd be hooting and hollering and having a grand old time." When W&L built its new Telford Science Library they razed the Sigma cabin, and though they had a handshake agreement to rebuild it, the school has yet to deliver on its promise.

While most football fields do not have a 13 yard line, there's little doubt that no other field has a symbol quite like this. This is the calling card of the Cadavers, a secret society that dates back to 1957. The Cadavers provide Washington and Lee with anonymous financial assistance, and the school is covered with evidence of their gifts. Some of their largest contributions went towards the Fraternity Renaissance program, the Elrod Commons, and the Fitness Center.

What looks like a relatively drab study room on the first floor of Leyburn is rumored to have a second function. Students who are up late enough will some nights catch a glimpse of the Cadavers. Dressed in black cloaks and masks, the group runs around campus putting up fliers and drawing its symbol. This author has had the unsettling privilege to watch members of the society open up a grate between Reid Hall and Newcomb, then jump into the tunnel underneath. Another way they're suspected of getting underground is through the small door you see on the right side of the picture above. Though the door is rarely ajar, when opened it leads to a cavernous brick lined corridor which makes it tough not to imagine underground lairs and candlelit meetings.

Finally, we're back to the bridge. It gets its name from the modest pair of plaques at the end closest to Wilson Field. The smaller of the two reads, 'Cadaver Society, a Friend of the University.' From the rather mischievious look of the skull it makes one wonder just how many friends Washington and Lee has lurking in the shadows or the bowels of its campus.

'Cadaver Bridge'