Bridgewater State University - Alpha Yearbook (Bridgewater, MA)

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CLASS HISTORY September. 1945. Our freshman year. WE REMEMBER : the newness, the strangeness of it all — taking physical examinations while we clutched and grabbed at angel robes which were the uniform of The day. We remember when the dreaded first day of initiation arrived. We sang, we danced, we duck-walked around the campus, we weeded tennis courts, in fact there was no limit to our abilities. Everyone was considered potential talent by the terrifying sophomores. Then at long last, the final day of initiation arrived and we remember the party given us by the sophomores. With relieved and happy sighs we wearily untied our grotesque coiffures and laid our name-signs aside, and then concentrated on having a most en- joyable afternoon with our new friends, the sophomores. That year we chose for our class officers: John Berry, president; Alice Holden, vice-president; Ann Venti, secretary; and Alan Bates, treasurer. We achieved the distinction of being the first freshman class to include vet- eran students after the end of the war. John Berry and Walter Gibson were two of the first to enter and as the year continued, more men students joined our ranks, and at last Bridgewater showed promise of becoming a co-ed college once more. In the spring of that year practically every member of the freshman class took part in the great musical extravaganza, Freshmania, which was ably organized by Walter Gibson. The show was a huge success and we feel that it has provided us with many memories for years to come. The memories of our freshman year are pleasant ones. We remember the W.A.A. Supper Hike where we sang around the campfires in the brisk fall evening; Mardi gras with Riviera scenes and brightly costumed dances, and finally the graduation exercises of the class of 1946 where we took our places in the ivy-march and felt that now we were really a part of the Bridgewater tradition. September, 1946 We entered school as sophomores that fall and we were looking forward to a year of memories and achievements that we would hold dear in the future years. We elected as officers to lead us through our second year at Bridgewater: Ann Venti, president; Rita Fiorentini, vice-president; Alice Holden, secretary; and Marie Vincent, treasurer. That year we participated in the biennial Gym Jam where we swung our part- ners, whirled and dosey-doed, exhibiting our abilities as square-dancers and folk dancers before our friends and relatives. We will never forget the confusion when the electricity failed. And this year found many men back in college. They were for the most part veterans; some of them returning to Bridgewater for a second time and others entering for their first year. It was truly fine to see them on campus. The spring of our sophomore year found us making plans for another musical show. Our sophomore show was called S-Capades, and we hoped that it would even surpass the success of Freshmania. Our hopes were fulfilled and everyone pronounced it a grand performance. {18}

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R ,ARELY do four years in a person ' s life bring such valued friends. May these pages keep alive for you the beginnings of our many friend- ships and associations. Seniors

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We remember taking our turn at initiating the freshmen, struggling through sophomore geography and physical science, the Christmas banquet and party, carol singing in the rain, the National Grouping sophomore test that we took for long hours in the auditorium. Again it was the end of May with final exams and graduation swiftly ap- proaching. One graduation day as we stood with our oak boughs raised high in honor of the class of 1947 we remembered that this had been a wonderful year of memories for us at Bridgewater. September, 1947 We again returned to Bridgewater as upperclassmen. We felt certain that this was to be a well-remembered year. Our thoughts, and perhaps in many cases fears, were centered about Training School. This year we were to leave our studies to actually lead a class. At the end of our eight weeks training period we found that many of our fears had been ridiculous but there had also been problems that we had never thought of. As we left training school most of us felt that we had gained a valuable experience. We elected Jean Gillette as president of our class. Her capable assistants were Marjorie Knight, vice-president; Alice Holden, secretary; and Claire Danis, treasurer. The most important social event of the year for the junior class was the junior weekend which we held in the spring of 1948. Who will forget what fun we had at the midnight supper and dance; at the hot dog roast the next day; and at the barn dance with which we ended the weekend festivities? {19}