The Undergraduate Chair
Student Cars Return to Campus; Big Green Prom Held; College Assigns Two Dorms to Married Vets and Wives
THE FAIREST THING is to warn you that this was written during final-exam week. If you remember, that is the week of downfall, and of sudden realization that all is not as well as it seems. Every semester we all make the fervent prayer that this time it is going to be different, that we are going to do every assignment on time so that when finals roll around we can just sit back and review our notes; somehow it never seems to work out that way, semesters come and go and apparently three-fourths of the fellows in college do the work for their courses the last day before the final. Those alumni who went to the "Factory" (nee Tuck School) can well imagine what one night's work will net you in Statistics or Cost Accounting. Right now the Tuck schedules are all mixed up, due to the Naval Supply School curriculum, so that you take half your courses in the College and the other half down at Tuck. This procedure sounds all right, but the way it works out is that you find yourself mixing up Social Relations with Accounting Procedures, and it just doesn't work. In the Jast hour exam given in Business Finance half of the civilians managed to work in something about Plato or the French Revolution, much to the dismay of the profs.
The first Big Green postwar prom has come and gone. As far as everyone was concerned it was a big success. Only one thing marred the perfect time; yes, it rained again. For four years we have hoped that the time would come when the fall week-end would be blessed with clean, wholesome, New England weather. It appears that our wish will never be granted. It was again the same picture; students sat through the game firmly entrenched in shelter halfs, old newspapers and blankets, and an occasional far-sighted individual even appeared in hip-length boots, southeaster rain-hat and beach umbrella. The game was well worth enduring the "intermittent rains and cloudiness," as the weather man puts it, for although we lost we certainly weren't outplayed. It was a big thrill to see the hundreds of cars in town and the characters rolling through the streets commenting on the quaintness of Dartmouth's "colonial dwellings." We missed the houseparties a^?,Rlerle Same> but then there were a lot of friendly get-togethers" after the game, and the fact that at last Dartmouth was on its way back more than made up for anything that was lacking from pre-war days.
Further evidence that Dartmouth is reconverting was given early in October when Dean Neidlinger announced that student cars would be allowed on the campus again. Captain Cummings went along with the civilian college and announced that the Navy would also be alowed to have cars, so now we can look orward to a renewal of Palaeopitus afety Drives" and Sunday midnight rides back from Smith. A Green Key committee went to see the Dean concerning the "wartime" restrictions. The restrictions they wished removed were those against student cars, cutting, drinking and women visitors in the dormitories. Dean Neidlinger answered the committee with a letter which said in part; "The prewar rules at Dartmouth restricted the use of motor vehicles to upperclassmen, in good standing, who obtained permission from the Dean War conditions no longer exist and I shall ask the Committee on Administration to restore the pre-war rule before the beginning of the next semester The prohibition of drinking in dormitories and the elimination of evening hours for women guests were steps that were necessary as soon as the student body became too small and too disorganized to support the system of Dormitory Committees The present regulations can not be changed until Dormitory Committees are reestablished on a basis that will effectively guarantee at least an honest attempt at controlling drinking and keeping out undesirable guests " This letter naturally caused a lot of comment around the campus. There were a lot of arguments pro and con, but the talk all boiled down to everyone's agreeing with the Dean that some sort of regulation would be necessary. The fact that cars are to be allowed and the Hostess House and Dartmouth House maintained for women guests apparently satisfies the students until fraternities open in March.
The Dartmouth Log recently printed a story that has aroused a lot of campus speculation. It read in part, "To increase the housing space available for married veterans returning to Dartmouth with their wives, and in some cases with families, the College has set aside Middle Fayerweather and South Fayerweather as special residence halls and has undertaken town surveys and other moves to aid the married men registering in November and following terms." It seems that more than a hundred married veterans will be in college by March. The fact that this means an increase in the feminine population of Hanover has enlivened the atmosphere all ready. It all started with small bits of casual banter on the prospects of seeing a pretty girl in the middle of the week instead of waiting for the week-ends. Then suddenly somebody made the startling discovery that Dartmouth men in general are not perfect examples of Esquire's better-dressed men. A week ago a tie or two appeared, and then somebody wore a sport coat to class (whether he did it purposely or not is not known at present) but the damage had been done. The next day three or four more coats appeared and at least three pairs of pressed trousers. If the present rate continues by the time the women arrive Dartmouth should approach the city colleges with their gray flannels and bow ties [ugh]. The only element lacking now is a sudden appearance of pipes, then the picture will be complete. There is another problem hinging on the married veteran "invasion" that is bothering some of the bachelors in college. What chance will a poor bachelor have of making "A" in a course when the married men can invite the professor over to the house for a real home-cooked dinner. One or two evenings over his favorite dish could work wonders.
There is a very serious side to this invasion that someone will have to do a lot of work on. The answer will have to be attacked from many angles. First, what will the wives do for recreation? Second, where will a lot of them live? And third where will a lot of the wives find sorely needed jobs? The recreation problem will undoubtedly take care of itself with the start of knitting circles, sowing bees, dances, and whatever women do when they get together, but the problem of finding a place to live and a job are entirely different. The town seems to have been lacking in foresight through the years in planning for an influx of this type. Many of the off-campus houses do not want to take in married couples who want to cook their own meals, and with the closing down of Thayer for students, Mac's, Hap and Hal's, and the eating clubs, finding a place to eat is difficult. In the realm of finding a job, Harold Rugg, the assistant librarian, reports that he has had applications for over 100 jobs in the library that they could not possibly fill. There is a dark side to every issue, but it will undoubtedly work out, and in the meantime everyone is having a good time speculating on the tradition-shattering situation of the wives coming to town and living with their student husbands in Fayerweather Row.
A reception was held on Friday evening, October 12, for President-elect and Mrs. Dickey in Baker Library. We had not believed it possible that the number of people that appeared could actually get into Baker. At least 1000 people were present and the line of people moving slowly to greet President Hopkins and his successor stretched all the way through the mam lobby, down the east steps, and into the reserve lobby below. For those receiving and shaking hands it must have seemed as if the line would never end. Green Key did the ushering as usual, but with the smaller student body there were only 15 Green Key men present and after a while the strain became quite apparent. One of the fellows provided President Hopkins with a laugh while introducing a Mrs. Downs to him; instead of saying "President Hopkins, Mrs. Downs" he got mixed up a bit and said "Mrs. Hopkins, President Downs." Mr. and Mrs. Dickey stood the ordeal very well and it was universally remarked afterwards that they had favorably impressed everyone in their first appearance on campus since the announcement of Mr. Dickey's election. The previous evening at an impromptu gettogether at the President's House the students presented Mr. Hopkins with a scroll, taking the place of their gift of a picture painted by Paul Sample, as yet unfinished, in token of their esteem upon his retirement. No one had been told of the get-together, to keep the surprise as complete as possible. About 7 o'clock some one got a few students together and gave them torches; they paraded around for a few minutes and gradually picked up a crowd. Led by the band they made their way down to the President's House. Mr. Hopkins was called out and after the singing of Dartmouth's in Town Again, Marine Al Southey presented the scroll to Mr. Hopkins which read: "Ernest Martin Hopkins. We, the undergraduates of Dartmouth College, sincerely desiring to express our gratitude for your personal friendship, present this token of our feelings on the occasion of your retirement as President. It also conveys our gift of Paul Sample's painting "Dartmouth Campus" now being completed, which we hope may serve as a constant reminder of days at Dartmouth. The Undergraduates." President Hopkins was visibly touched by the presentation and the gathering, and at that moment many of the fellows felt a more binding attachment to Dartmouth then they ever had before. The group sang Men of Dartmouth and then marched back to campus singing For He'sa Jolly Good Fellow. This rather small group of undergraduates expressed the feelings of the whole campus much more adequately than could have any large and formal gathering.
PAUL J. CARAVATT '45.
MILESTONES
PHI BETA KAPPA: Lawrence Levine '45, Mount Vernon, N. Y.; John M. Kaufman '47, Newark, N. J., Charles R. Tourtellotte '47, North Grosvenor Dale, Conn.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, CLASS OF 1949: Chairman, Roland G. Becker, Worcester, Mass.; members, Robert E. Alden, Melrose, Mass.; Richard M. Hook, Swarthmore, Pa.; Bertram Rodman, Dorchester, Mass.; Robert H. Zeiser, Providence, R. I.
DARTMOUTH LOG: Managing Editor, A/S Edmund R. Senghas, USNR, Leonia, N. J.; Sports Editor, Marc Weiss '48, Cleveland, Ohio.
DARTMOUTH GLEE CLUB: President, Pvt. Francis D. Walsh Jr., USMCR, Middletown, Conn.
THAYER PRIZE FOR MATHEMATICS: Winner, William C. Jones '48, Pittsburgh; Honorable Mendeclared tion, Pvt. John W. Fondahl, USMCR, Washington, D. C.
CHEER LEADERS: George E. Crosen '47, Wrentham, Mass.; Walter A. Baker '48, Sufiield, Conn.; Richard G. Higley '49, Hudson Falls, N. Y.; Robert J. Weber '49, Mt. Vernon, N. Y.
SOCCER TEAM: Captain, A/S Daniel T. Carroll, USNR, Burlington, Vt.
CROSS COUNTRY TEAM: Captain, A/S John T. Hanley, USNR, Chicago, Ill.
THE BIG GREEN PROM on the night of September 29 provided the climax to the social program built around the Dartmouth-Holy Cross football weekend. Navy and civilian students danced to the music of Mai Hallett in Alumni Gymnasium from 9 to 2.
