Bethany College - Bethanian Yearbook (Bethany, WV)

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THE FRESHMEN COME TO COLLEGE Largest class in history of college arrives. Fresh- men week activities in- troduce them to collegi- ate world. Bethanian examines class of ' 42. Freshmen give views on Bethany. BY WILLIAM RUTTER One hundred sixty-nine freshmen en- tered Bethany on September nineteenth, the largest freshman class in history — 168 Oc- cidentals from nine states, and one Oriental, Miss Violette Chun, of China. Busy proctors stowed grips and gals that Sunday in September. Two freshmen left toy horses at the high school relations office, for Mr. Barlow had promised pro- visions for all horses. Introductions at Phillips hall Sunday night started the inevitable freshman week. With breakfast and the bursar ' s office, the class of ' 42 became realists. With the afternoon came tests — to live, eat, and sleep with from then on: history, intelligence, language, and science tests ad infinitum. Time out for a picnic and hike with Dr. Weimer and to see the town. The freshmen soon knew the village from its cemetery to the College Inn, Beth- any ' s two social centers where everyone meets everyone but the faculty. All the freshmen are not entirely light- hearted and light-headed. This class made excellent records in high school. Sixty per cent of them stood in the first quarter of their respective graduating classes; six were valedictorians, four salutatorians. Two days after freshman week. Sep- tember twenty-fifth, at sod-buster ' s in the hall, freshmen and upperclassmen (theo- 1. Miss Ball ' s crew prepares for coming of Freshmen. 2. Fresh- men girls unload. Two trunks, five suit cases and seven packages. 3. Miss Hosp and Miss McKinnis welcome the German and Chinese exchange students. Miss Annamarie Bettinger t and Miss Violette Chunn. 4. Freshmen play a game at their first party.

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Chapel commenced at 7:30 in the morning. Intemperance was a problem in student guidance. Vol. I No. 2: Students were called upon to boycott J. S. Poole of Wellsburg because he would not advertise in the Collegian. Underclassmen were tired of hearing that we are fitting ourselves for the great drama of life. During the presidency of T. E. Cramb- let, the Bethany Collegian maintained a different character. It was published in town by Pres. Cramblet, E. Lee Perry, S. S. Lappin, and others. It was then intended to be the newspaper of the town and contained a Washington gossip column. With the growth of journalism as a career for young men and women, the Collegian again changed its style. The literary societies had died out and the Bethany Publishing company had disappeared so that the Collegian was published by representatives of the student body. By in- creasing its publication to bi-weekly dates an at- tempt was made to make it the news organ of the campus. In 1926 the whole form of student govern- ment was reorganized and a board of publica- tions was created which undertook the mainten- ance of a newspaper and an annual. The first annual at Bethany was brought out in 1896. The class of ' 97, in presenting the Meteor, desired that it represent our college and her life. Truly it was a Baedeker to Bethany, describing the history of the college, the lives of its presidents, portraying its scenic beauties and telling its traditions. Most of the literary work in the annual deals with college activities. Essays and poems extoll alma mater, the music department, the literary societies, the freshmen-junior scrap and other like points of interest. The humorous sections included an education in the maxims of etiquette, for example: tea and coffee should always be poured into the sau- cer, then by lowering the head, sip it so as to avoid the rattle of the spoon ... In eating pie, grasp firmly with both hands and deliberately draw yourself to it. In 1898 Bethany published the second volume of the Meteor, but as there were so few students here then, it turned out to be a non-paying in- vestment. However, in 1905, the junior and senior classes attempted another annual which they called the Kodak. In 1909, the year of the Centenary of the continued to page 29 PAGE SIX

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retically) got acquainted. Upperclass men ap- praised the pulchritude of freshmen girls; fresh- m en girls evaluated the lack of ugliness of up- perclass men. No comments! Fraternities and sororities next opened their official rush season. Freshmen have done things besides pledging though. Thirteen strong made the football teams. Four lead cheers. Band and orchestra have their quota of first year students. The photo-editor of the Bethan ' tan itself and the sports reporter are from the freshman class. So much for what freshmen have done. What do they think of Bethany — in their spare time, of course. Interviews tells us. One freshman came to Bethany expecting a virtual Utopia and got it. Another was sur- prised to find the place alive. (He had seen it in the good old summer time.) Courses are stiff but they should be. It is a challenge to one ' on his own ' . But freshmen are not believers in panegyrics. They have some complaints to make. First, the library is inadequate, i. e., there are too few cop- ies of books in the library for required readings. They want longer library hours in the evening. We haven ' t enough time for studies. There is too much emphasis on the quantity and too little on the quality of work required. Everything costs too much. There is a plea for cheaper rooms and cheaper texts. (Most of the freshmen come from schools where the state supplies the books.) They even have to drop a nickle for their music. The boys of Cochran hall want a magna vox instead of the slot machine they have. They want an increase in athletic equipment; rings, mats, parallel bars, spring boards. However, as one freshman said, The faults are offset by increased opportunities. Everything is on a higher level here: scholarship, intelli- gence, morals. The average Bethanian is a pret- ty swell guy. The history of the school especially appeals to freshmen. Most of them have come from high schools built within the last twenty years or so. The traditions of these schools consist mainly of hazings , class supremacies, and senior plays. At Bethany they have found a school with a hun- dred years of education behind it. The tradi- tions of Bethany are mellowed and are respected by every student and faculty member. In the great age of Bethany college, these freshmen have gotten a glimpse of one of the finest educa- tional traditions west of the Alleghenies. ADMONITION TO THE FRESHMEN Your entrance is just a week before The entrance of the sophomore. It ' s better thus you had your fling Just before death is when swans sing. One week you will fill an honored seat. The powers to be bow at your feet. We envy you for hopes and youth, We pity, because you must learn the truth. 7. The inevitable bursar. 2. Intelligence tests, diagnostic tests and placement tests perturb the class of ' 42. 3. Freshmen enter College Inn, cultural, intellectual and social center of Bethany. PAGE EIGHT