The Washington and Lee University Cadaver Society, a group of anonymous male pre-medical students, is perhaps the most well-known “secret” society on campus. The men are known for wearing black clothes and masks while prancing around campus every Tuesday at midnight. It’s very cool.
This October, three Cadavers, wishing to remain unnamed, agreed to interview with The Radish about this serendipitous Tuesday Halloween. This is the first insider look the Washington and Lee student body has had into the Cadaver Society.
“It’s really liberating,” one Cadaver remarks, “not having to wait until midnight to run around in my costume. With masks being acceptable today, I can play dress up for a whole 24 hours.”
Cadaver Two seemed particularly excited for the recognition he hopes to get. “It’s more fun to show off my outfit when people can see it. I put a lot of effort into looking good when I go out. A compliment or two would be nice.”
Although some Cadavers see this Halloween as a positive, our last interviewee had a different take. He felt inclined to emphasize how serious this occasion is. “There’s a lot at stake here. Whoever catches us gets free tuition- we’ll have to be particularly careful to blend in this Tuesday.”
The Radish also gathered some information on the use of the Cadaver tunnels. Aside from being a hideout to roleplay the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Cadavers told us some of their other uses, such as arts and crafts, poetry slams, and even the occasional cooking class.
“Not many people know how holistic being a Cadaver is. It’s not just about banging on people’s windows. We’re really just a group of intellectual young men who occasionally terrorize the campus in good nature for a little fun.”
– AGG ’26
The Radish 