Diary of a Freshman
DURING Christmas vacation we have had a chance to talk over the whole situation, to spread out our ideas on college and to exhibit any benefit we have derived: "Well, my son, college will make something of you yet—one way or another!"— All the pleasures of the holidays are over and we return for the winter (that's its calendar name!). If we don't get some snow pretty soon Dartmouth will be losing her reputation for winter sports. For some reason these exams, which are less than three weeks off, begin to suggest work. The realization of a point missed here or a class cut there is generally reason to warrant some extra study. Just what these "finals" are like we'll know better a bit later, but they sound plenty rough. "Get in those last cuts, boy, you may not have any more!"—" That's just it, I may have perpetual cuts!" At any rate there's a lot of work to be done in the books. We've seen the varsity basketball team open its league season with a win over Cornell—a fine start for what we hope will be a fine finish!— Lack of ice has kept the hockey team inactive and the Middlebury game was cancelled. Well, maybe when winter does come it'll stay a long time.
At last, a break in the weather and a bit of snow! This is more like it, but it doesn't last long. The freshman hockey squad, playing on an informal schedule this year, has been called out by degrees and some progress has been made. In the yearling basketball league an outfit was chosen and proved itself by defeating New Hampton School—our hockey team has also won a game from this same school and thus we have still kept some form of competition. The paper has finally opened competition to freshmen and twenty-six of our class have joined the ranks as heelers on TheDartmouth—perhaps the beginning of real journalists!
Playing away from home the varsity five has lost to Penn but scored a win over Yale and stands second in the league. The hockey team, hit by sickness and no practice, lost to Yale but there's a chance for revenge when the Elis come to Hanover soon.
This short time since vacation has surely gone quickly and we approach the exams and all that goes with them. As we complete our first semester of college, our outlook is somewhat different that it was three months back. We are well acquainted, well settled, and though still baby freshmen we perhaps begin to absorb some of the qualities of college calibre. This education is a hazy thing, but it will tell some day. We've been tested in many ways and now for the scholastic fight. Wish us luck!
