The Undergraduate Chair
THIS IS OUR last Chair and, in the words of the Shakespearean actor as he closed his performance, we hope that we have pleased you. We intend, by way of a farewell word, to express one thought which we have on the subject of our soon-to-be-closed years at Dartmouth, and also to review those years in search of any trends, developments, or changes which may be apparent at this time.
Despite the fact that we have had, during the past four years, as much fun as anyone could desire, and despite the fact that there are thousands of memories which we hold now and will forever cherish in relation to those four years, we are slightly irritated by those who say to us, "Well, this is your last year, eh? Too bad! The greatest years of your life, my boy. You'll often wish you were back in college."
When someone says that to us, we are reminded of the speech we made when, in freshman year, we visited our preparatory school and were called on to address the students in their evening meeting. We had been bothered, while in that school, by the graduates who "came back" from whatever college they were attending, and said to the assembled students, "You fellows don't know how lucky you are to be still here. You want to make the most of it. There's something about this place that you won't find in college." True though that statement was, it irritated us in just the same way that the words of older men now do when they express the sentiment I have suggested above. Therefore, on that occasion when we spoke to the students of our school, we said, "While I was here, boys I had known came back from college and told us that we were lucky to be here in school. Then, when they came to my room later they recounted to me some of the great pleasures and excitements they enjoyed in college. I'm going to say right here, to all of you, that you'll have a better time next year, in many ways, than you are having now, and I'm going to urge you all to look forward to college with all the keenness that's in you."
This from the lofty position of a freshman! Now, as a senior, we want to say that we expect next year, and the succeeding years, out in the wide, wide world, to be even better than the past four years here in Hanover have been. Dartmouth was "better" than preparatory school, which to our mind proves that the school is a good one, that it accomplished its purpose. The "outside world" will be "better" than Dartmouth, because Dartmouth is a good college. Therefore we are looking forward to graduation and the new things that it will open up for us. And unless we find this to be true, if we feel, after a year or two, that we wish we were back in college, that our college years were the "greatest of our life," we're going to do some mighty lifting on our bootstraps. Our only worry is about the friends we have made here. It's going to be hard to lose them, no matter how fine our as-yet-unknown friends may be.
We wish now to consider the College, and the changes that we have seen take place during our four years here. In the first place, there have been changes in the physical state of Dartmouth. Chandler Hall has been removed and by this alone the aspect of the campus has been greatly improved. The clear sweep of vision that is now possible between the central campus and the most attractive area surrounding the upper part of Tuck Drive greatly increases the attractivenes of the entire picture. The removal of Chandler Hall, and the accompanying improvement of aspect helps us imagine how attractive Dartmouth will be, in that later day when the individual buildings which do not "fit" with the rest of the college plant are torn down. Dartmouth Hall has burned and been rebuilt, which does not constitute a change in the physical structure of the College unless one goes inside to see the greatly improved classrooms and main lecture hall. Thayer Hall, largely hidden though it is by Robinson and the wooden wing of Commons, is a distinct addition to the College's buildings. If it is ever possible to remove the present Commons building, or replace it with a smaller, more attractive one, the existence of Thayer will be more apparent, and it will add even more importantly than it does now to the richness of the college plant.
The Lang Building, on the East side of Main Street, is, to our mind, the most important building that has been built in our four years. The unattractive aspect of Hanover's Main Street, for the heterogeneous lot of buildings that constitutes the street is indeed far from appealing, is a thing that more urgently demands correction that any other structural need. Arriving in Hanover, for the first time, or for the last time, one must, if he come by the White River road, be struck by the displeasing approach to what is a truly beautiful campus. When the commercial buildings of Hanover measure up to the academic buildings, the ideal college town will exist.
Going from one extreme to anotherhow has the spirit of the undergraduate body changed in the past four years? Can this spirit be defined? We think that unselfconscious and natural robustness of attitude does in part suggest the intangible thing that is complacently referred to as "The Dartmouth Spirit." Will this spirit ever be seen to change, or will its development be so closely allied with the changes of all society that no difference can be noted? Our feeling is that just as American life develops along new and different lines so will the College's life, ever maintaining the same comparative relationship, become different. In fashion notes we see that there is a leaning toward the styles of former years in that men's coats are found with three buttons. In Hanover the corduroy-sweater combination has given way to less "distinguished" modes of dress. Whether the analogy is correct or not, we are saying that the clothes of the Dartmouth students are becoming less peculiar to Dartmouth, more orthodox and conservative.
Since modes of dress reflect social attitudes, our discussion of this detail is not completely irrelevant.
In many ways the undergraduate body is showing signs of "quieting down." Inter-dormitory fighting on the first nights after registration in the fall was practically non-existent this year, whereas it was not only widely participated in but also considered as the regular thing our freshman year. Delta Alpha, the freshman parade at the time of the first home football game, was threatened with discontinuance and was only at the last minute reinstated as a function which would be closely directed and controlled by Palaeopitus. Old Timer's Day is no more, the present juniors having no memory of that "wildest of dances." And as yet this spring (Shh!) no one has painted the doors of the Nugget with propaganda demanding a 30-cent admission charge!
On the whole, in many small ways, the Dartmouth Spirit, or the mores of the undergraduates, or whatever you choose to call the impelling force that moves the students, is becoming a slightly milder, more self-contained thing.
As for Dartmouth sports, we have seen and enjoyed watching a four-year development to the point where the College is enjoying an "our teams are champions" attitude which comes to most institutions at one time or another. Football, basketball, hockey, etc., not to mention a skiing team. There have even been "Vox Pops" in TheDartmouth charging the College with becoming a group which seeks only victory on the field of sport. The writer deplored the loss, as he saw it, of the "Sport for Sport's Sake" attitude which he saw as something too valuable to be lost. Is it not the fact that so thorough is the Dartmouth athlete's enjoyment of his sport, and so unquenchable his spirit, that victories are results rather than ends? Our rhetoric is based on the assumption that there really is something in the fact that keen enjoyment of a thing makes for better execution of that thing. Coaches and "material" we do not belittle, we praise them equally as we praise the universal spirit that has helped Dartmouth teams win victories.
Dartmouth Out-of-doors is a publication backed by the Outing Club. The outdoor life, especially skiing, of Dartmouth men is an ever-growing facet of undergraduate life. Bill Cunningham wrote amusingly, this winter, of the attitude his generation held toward those who skied. Even in our four years there has been a marked increase not only in numbers but more importantly in the types of men who ski. Those who four years ago used the word "Chubber" with the greatest implied scorn now meet men from their own groups on the slopes of Woodstock. For the sake of our point we do not mention the debutantes, etc., who also meet their friends in Woodstock "Outdoor" activ- ities are certainly among the more important of the many that compose the college life.
What, if. there is any one thing, has been the most important part of our life here during the past four years? The question is immediately, and ultimately, answered briefly: "Our Friends." And as we said in a previous Chair, our best friends are in our fraternity. It should be important, then, to observe how fraternity life, and the status of, and the attitude of and toward fraternities, has developed or changed during our four years. Some of the answers we were able to get from Davis Jackson, College Adviser to the Fraternities.
The three year probationary period on which the fraternities have been placed by the administration will close in June, 1939, and it is possible that there will be, at that time, a definite announcement concerning the future of the chapters at Dartmouth. The Interfraternity Dartmouth Committee, composed of three men residing in New York who represent all the chapters, has been extremely helpful to the Hanover Committee on Fraternities. The Chairman of this New York committee, Mr. Alvan E. Duerr, will have an article in a coming issue of Banta's GreekExchange in which he will strongly attack the system of national affiliations. This magazine, the publication of the Interfraternity National Association, is widely read and Mr. Duerr's article may bring results. The added expense brought by national affiliation is certainly a thing that is open to attack and to discussion.
As for the committee in Hanover, they feel that the most important problem now is the one that is being worked on by the subcommittee on "Rushing and Chapter Sizes." This group, consisting of Professors Montsie and Merrill, and of Davis Jackson, and of undergraduates Gilbert Tanis, Sidney Cardozo, Robert Foley, and John Cutler, is investigating and examining this particular problem and will from time to time make recommendations and rules concerning these aspects of fraternity activity. President Hopkins has shown intereSt and concern in regard to this particular problem. The extremely important work of this committee deals with such problems as a simplified rushing system, and the inauguration of a limit to delegation size which would, in three years, establish the size of the chapter itself. Already this committee has passed the resolution that "no fraternity may pledge a man who is on probation." This suggestion will probably be put into effect by the administration next semester, and will obviously change the situation greatly. At present, sophomores may be pledged while on probation, and frequently are, but under the present rule they may not be initiated until they are declared off probation. This new rule will change rushing procedure greatly, and will have many far-reaching effects, added stimulus for hard work by freshmen being not the least important.
Within the fraternities themselves, we feel, there is truly an increased interest in what are presumed to be worthwhile activities. For example, though these facts may be superficial and are not the only instances where increased activity is being shown, the enrollment in both the interfraternity debating and play contests has this year broken all past records.
Personally, we hope for success by the fraternities, and we feel that the will for improvement is active and perhaps irresistible.
And now we close, with the hope that we have succeeded in making this column what it should be. A junior will succeed us to the Chair next month, and we wish him luck. We also hope that he will derive as much pleasure from this function as we have; it has been an important addition to the many things that were so agreeable to us this year—things that are now drawing to a reluctant close.
BEN AMES WILLIAMS JR. '3B Editor of the monthly UndergraduateChair. His home is in Chestnut Hill, Mass.He is the son of Beri Ames Williams 'lO.
FAMOUS HANOVER PAIR Bob Gibson, center on the football team,,and Chesty, his St. Bernard puppy, are afamiliar campus sight. Dogs and ski capsare still standard equipment for Dart-mouth undergraduates.
MOUNTAIN WEATHER The senior trip to Mt. Washington lastmonth encountered gales and blizzardsthat called for plenty of protection includ-ing crampons instead of skis.
