Duke University - Chanticleer Yearbook (Durham, NC)

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Thai was the year. Add five concerts starring the Don Cossack Singers, Yehudi Menuhin, Law- rence Tibbettj Axtur Rubinstein, and the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra; then remember the usual Rush Week periods for fraternities and sororities, and the usual spring elections, then you will remember the year. We went to football games, we danced and dated, we weathered numerous hull sessions, and we studied. The ordeal of final exams was not too much, and the Spring found us hack cm the merry-go- round with slight touches of the oft-mentioned Spring lexer. We anticipated and were not dis- appointed in the many Spring sports. Baseball, lacrosse, track, and tennis kept our school spirit going strong for 1). U. Through the- lovely gar- dens and on the downy 1 a w n s we promenaded arm in arm. exhuherant in spirit and w ilh love for the world in our hearts. We live in the present, this ear fo r m i n g the hack-drop for what will always he one of the most memorable periods of our young lives. As the setting sun of an- other school year starts to cast its beautifully sad ra- diance over our campus, some of us look forward to life beyond this small world that has been our home for four years, oth- ers anticipate fu rthe r preparation for the event that is the consummation of all our school dreams — graduation. Pre- liminary to all this is the gala May Day celebration, and then — final exams of the year. Our hearts are filled with a mixture of sorrow and happiness, but no matter what the future portends, we shall always have with us the knowledge of the most pleasant associations and experiences that spell another year at Duke. Through the years Duke University has advanced steadily. This advancement did not take place in piece meal or haphazard fashion. Each new part of the Uni- versity was finished capably and completely, without a halt in the advancement. Unlike some of the visitors, the people who know the college and its leaders do not expect contributions which will astound the world from the relatively new Duke University. They are pleased and amazed, however, at the amount of progress made in such a short time. The University boasts world au- thorities on many subjects and is continuing to put onK the hest instructors on its faculty. Duke students arc- proud of their hideous green statues. Those statues are of the men who made our school possible. The stu- dents are proud of their faculty, their campus, and their school. Eugene Wilson, Set relay y; fhomas Hanlon, President; Jack Palmer, Vice ' resident. 26

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the first semester quickly indicated that it was to be just another good college year. Normalcy began when the freshmen purchased their dinks, and continued as B. O. S. men in particular and upper-classmen generally practiced traditional influence over the frosh. It continued as we cheered for the Blue Devil eleven at weekly games. A million-dollar construction program was an impor- tant part of the 1939-40 history. Some 500 graduate students took up new quarters in immense Few Quad- rangle, our fourth West campus living section, which was appropriately named after the fourth president of Trinity. In January the new indoor stadium was chris- tened by a basketball game with Princeton. And in June a five-story hospital wing has scheduled completion. Also significant was the creation of a third college. Duke formerly had been Trinity College and the Wom- an ' s College. This year it was divided further with the creation of the Engineering College, of which Dr. W. H. Hall was appointed dean. Twelve per cent of all the University students are enrolled in the new unit. The familiar grind . . . . Between classes on the Chapel steps. To cheer the boys in blue MMi AT DUKE A much-discussed Recreation Center took several steps toward actual existence after a student-faculty commit- tee met and discussed plans. They announced that the Center would be possible if the students could raise §20, 000. The Co-eds went to work with an I want a recre- ation center drive, and the men followed their inspira- tion. Within a week $2,500 were contributed. - ' ,

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Wilson, 1 [anion, Palmer This year ' s Student ( h eminent ( louncil came into office as the first one under the new elec- tion system. The purpose of this new system is to get men of t he highest caliber, and at the same lime, to prevent one combine or group from sweeping .ill of the offices. With main campaign promises having been made, it was then up to the new council to investigate them and see if they were worth) ofbeing carried out. When this council came into office they im- mediately took up where the last one left off. Each organization on the campus was investi- gated to see if they were serving the purposes for which they were set up. This year the council interested itself in many of the campus problems. A committee was ap- pointed to see what suggestions could be made to improve the Union food. These suggestions wen- given to Mr. Thompson, and many of them have been put into practice. Another project that was seriously considered by the council was the air-conditioning of the Union ballroom. This idea was dropped because there was no place to put the mechanized unit and because the cost of the installation and operation would be too much for the services received. MEN ' S STUDENT GOVERNMENT The main objective the Student Government has been working for during this year is the build- ing of a recreational center for the students. In order to bring this idea to a reality, the association voted to donate $400 to the Recreational Center fund. This year there has been a striving toward faculty-student cooperation and relations. The coun- cil forms a go-between for the faculty and students. The Council also forms a connection between all the campus organizations as well, being indispensable in this respect. This year has seen in- telligent treatment of the many problems confronted by the council. Born with the express pur- pose of guiding the students rather than policing them, the council has become this year the co- operative body that it was intended to be. Garrk k, Williams, Connar, Moyer, Schenkemeyer. 27