Bethany College - Bethanian Yearbook (Bethany, WV)

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Diary finally found the fatal place. It was a large sort of room whose walls were lined with pictures presented by such people as the Third Year Greek Class of 1907. My mind harkened back to the days when a musty old prof sat in his musty old room and lectured to his musty students con- cerning the exploits of those Attic sages. But my reverie was soon brought to an abrupt end. A portentous and rather self-conscious youth enter- ed the room carrying an armload of little book- lets. These he passed among us and droned some obvious instructions in our direction, completing the oration by brandishing a stop watch and shouting, Go. So we went. For hours on end we answered questions such as, A dam is (1) the mother of a foal (2) something built to hold water back (3) a naughty word (pick one) . The air was filled with flipping coins as the cream of the high school graduates of the Tri- State area made their weighty decisions. At long last the thing in the front of the room said, Al- right, that ' s all for right now. So we left. Wednesday, September 16 — Today we had a different sort of test. We entered, seated our- selves, and waited with the boredom known only Upper right — Frosh finding drawer space for his sweaters. Loner left — Dr. Reynard assigning rooms and keys to new arrivals. Lower right — Counseled confer with Dr. Allen concerning schedules and tests. to the savants. But once again we were to be neophytes. The ominous upperclassmen passed out among us a deadly little weapon which had a two inch needle inserted in the end. Aha! I thought, today we shall have a dart throwing contest. But no such luck. Instead, we were handed little books with the names of various professors of the world on them. We were told that the proper way to handle the instrument was to punch a hole in the space which correspond to the space we would have filled in if we were tak- ing the thing in the orthodox manner. The only thing we could figure out as the reason for the complicated set-up was that we were being made to run a sort of a maze on paper. The explana- tion they gave us about the electric marking seemed a little fishy to me. In order to punch completely through the paper, I placed the sheet Pige live

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Monday, September 14 — Well diary, here we are at college, and I ' m not so sure I like it. Arrived gloriously this afternoon, and after dili- gently searching around under the trees finally found the dorm. The college seemed loath to give up the room key, but I finally convinced them that I had a right to the place. Got my baggage up alright, but was puzzled for a while where to put it. Finally got settled, using all the available space. Discovered the rooms aren ' t as large as Mr. Barlow pictured them. My roommate then entered. What had I ever done to deserve this? After a few minor disagreements we got Freshman settled except for about half my junk which is now sitting on the floor where it (my roommate) tramples on it (my stuff) every time it (my roommate) goes through the room. Ate dinner at Phillips Hall to the tune of Dr. Reynard. I would have preferred dinner music. Had an informal social hour in the drawing room, too. Not too informal and not too social. Played some games and sang some songs. After these were over, everybody loosened up a little and we were just starting to have a good time when they closed the joint on us. Found out bv experience that my roommate likes hill-billy music. Ugh — To bed. Tuesday, September 15 — Things are looking up. College life like in the movies started today with tests. Those tests were something for the birds. After tunneling under people or climb- ing over them to get a look at the bulletin board I discovered that I was going to a place called room thirty-four. We walked up and down the back porch arrangement which the old hands here insist on calling the Corridor, and, with the help of a distinguished gray haired gentleman Upper left — Mother helps Norma Jean Welch unpack in her room at Phillips. Lower left — Father unloads the family van for Mickey Madison. Lower right — First freshman-faculty dinner at Phillips Hall. Page Four

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a little off the arm of the chair on which I was writing and held my hand underneath it. This led to pain and, needless to say, much bloodshed. This seemed to me a bit early to start ingraining the doctrine of do or die for dear old Bethany, but we grinned and bled. Sat around the library all afternoon trying to get a conference. Finally succeeded in working out a schedule which has already begun to give me strange, gnawing fears. We all took a hike over the nature trail this afternoon. I hope I can remember how the thing went. Ate hot dogs, beans, potato salad, pickles, and guzzled lemon- ade. To our consellor ' s homes for dessert parties. Afterward to a meeting of the hall where we were told such interesting things as rules and re- gulations. Found out tonight that my room- mate isn ' t so bad after all. Actually seems to be A group of students planning stunts at their famous names party. Introductions and conversation at the Phillips Hall Social Hour. Freshmen enjoy their leisu re sipping cokes at the Bee Hire. a human being. Had some interesting experiences, too. Couldn ' t get to sleep very easily. Someone on the floor below has operatic ambitions, which must stop before my roommate and I go nerts. Thursday, September 17 — Today we started eating in separate groups. It takes some of the fun out of meals. Also we paid our bills. That took some of the fun out of life. Had our last test today, for which I am righteously happy. Keep seeing odd-looking faces around the cam- pus. Someone tells me that they ' re upperclass- men. As if we didn ' t have enough worries al- ready. Just think, someday I too may be an up- perclassman and run around wearing a patroniz- ing leer for the benefit of all green freshies. Someday I may have a superiority complex. Any- way, I hate to think of trying to learn their names. There was a reception at the church to- night complete with freshman talent and re- freshments. It looks like a good church, I may try going some Sunday. Everybody came in the room tonight and we told each other what big frogs and perfect cut- ups we had been in high school. We were all members of the upper tenth of our graduating class in Squankum High School and were the greatest collection of prodigies ever found under one smoke-screen. As the evening wore on, the pet jokes were trotted out. It ' s amazing the way this modern secondary school educational system has conventionalized everything. After they left, I opened the window to let in the fresh air and found that my roommate wasn ' t such a bad person after all. We both disliked the same per- Pagc Six