Butler University - Carillon / Drift Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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IN REVIEW Registration for the upperclassmen began on Monday, September II. The freshmen regis- tered on Monday and Tuesday. This little cere- mony may have had its official beginning on Monday, but no one ever completely finishes registra+ion until the middle of the semester. Writer ' s cramp is synonymous with registration. Everything is minimized, thus enabling you to have only umphteen forms to fill out instead of the usual 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,001 2. This is only after you have been assigned an ad- viser, run down every professor in the university, and worn yourself out in general. School started with a total of 1,103, of which 764 were girls and 339 were men. Of this number there were 45 veterans of World War II. Monday night witnessed the first official uni- versity activity of the year: the Y.W.C.A.- Y.M.C.A. Freshman Mixer at eight o ' clock in the lounge and cafeteria. Dancing, games and refreshments were fine at the get-acquainted mixer, while Jimmy Powers provided the music. The mixer was a big success and was attended by upperclassmen as well as freshmen. By Wed- nesday the Freshmen were sure that college life was the life for them and the upperclassmen com- placently sat by and let the newcomers revel in their short-lived happiness. jistration smiles? i

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THE YEAR In September, 1944, the festivities at Butler- University started oii with the usual pre-school routine for the sororities and fraternities—rush- ing. They had good weather and they made the most of it. The rushing operation mvolves the attack on the unsuspecting freshman with great haste and eagerness on the part of the organiza- tion members. The formal rush for the sororities began with teas in the chapter houses on Tues- day, September 5. For the fraternities rushing began while the young gentleman was yet in his infancy— brought about by the prevailing short- age of men. Everyone acted so nice and labored so dili- gently to be chatty that they soon became indif- ferent to the gallons of colored water that they consumed. A hasty attempt was being made to formulate the next graceful phrase to be hurled at the unwilling listener. As always, every- one wore his Sunday-go-to-meetin ' smile so as to create a radiant personality. On Thursday and Friday the sororities held parties after stay- ing up most of the night before to conduct lengthy discourses concerning the attributes of the rushees. By this time people were so weary from rushing and being rushed that they stag- gered from one house to the other. All of this activity climaxed in the talcing of ribbons, ' ' with malice toward none, by the newly-won pledges. Immediately everyone went home for two solid days of sleep.

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THE YEAR In October the sorority and traternity open houses got into full swing. Amidst the rain and mud the well-wishers called on Sunday afternoon to meet the new pledges and sip bilious punch, in- termittently gnawing on stale wafers. This social event unfailingly produces immaculately clean houses, the occupants having spent the entire preceding Saturday carrying their belongings up to the attic. All of the floors shine as though daring you to step on them, and every piece of furniture has a polished gleam, impossible to maintain in a thoroughly lived-in sorority or fraternity house. Some even go so far as to put bedspreads on the beds. The punch is graciously served to rejuvenate your physical distress brought about as a result of a myriad of various and sundry handshakes. Upon stepping in the entrance hall to the house you hesitate to regain possession of your nerve, while your subconscious mind extends your hand to receive the bombardment of sweaty palms. If by this time rigor mortis has set in, you oblig- ingly utter Mr. Astainovitchoff, this is Miss Jones — Miss Jones, this is Mr. Saponaceous. At this point a smile has been coordinated so perfectly that upon extending your arm to thumb the pages of a convenient magazine your face lights up similar to a neon sign. George can dance too! Chow Christ II signs the guest book. rn