Davidson College - Quips and Cranks Yearbook (Davidson, NC)

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. . . a i uncomfortable formality relieved on occasions b referenc ss lines of cars . lless loads of baggage. Monday ' s registration marked the end of Freshman grace from upperclass oppression. Old men began to arrive on campus in endless lines of cars with endless loads of baggage. Faithful janitors, themselves an institution at Davidson, unlocked doors and made up beds with sheets which were soon to lose their musty moth ball odor. A trip to the Post Office, where box rent was paid, and a visit to the bank, where deposit was made, were followed by a wait in line at the Bursar ' s Office, where calculation and semiannual relief were effected. Old friendships were renewed; stories of summer expe- riences were exchanged while continual groups waited in another line. Registration entailed deliberation and precipi- tated decision concerning classes to be taken in the coming semester. Momentarily, rush week and prospective pledges became the topic of conversation as orientation counselors voiced opinions based on the observation of the previous week. Students were soon reminded of the task at hand, reminded by the dollar charged for each change in courses since the preliminary registration during the previous spring. As freshmen, students found that the choice of courses involved a maze of numbers and letters, and hasty decisions were often regretted, sometimes dispaired. Patient professors provided helpful counsel as Sophomores now began to decide the pattern of their final three years, and Juniors were con- fronted with the responsibility of completing a major or perhaps choosing a new one. Sage Seniors carefully scru- tinized their records and made appropriate provision for deficiency in qualitv points. Page Twenty-two

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Student advisors found the period both enriching and informative. . grueling brain racking tests and pin sical examinations . . . Morning devotions, grueling brain-racking tests, and physical examinations .ill found their place in I955 ' s bus) orientation schedule. Lectures and informal discussions ex- plained Student Government, the YMCA, the Courl I Control, athletics, and the fraternit) system. t times, the bewildered were almost lost in the onrushing tide ol events; the perplexing was simplified In helplnl student advisors, who themselves discovered the period both enriching and informatn e. Wliilc new si iunds, C lhambers ' bell and the church chimes, and new laees quickh lost then quaintness, individual in- terests focused on the ' new life. I he ' success ol the football team, rush week. . m weekend plans readil) became topics ol contemplation . nA discussion. Saturday afternoon, with its intense heat, witnessed the Facultj reception, with its uncomfortable coal and tie foi mality; a formality relieved on occasions In reference to earlier student generations and contact with the ' professors whose elasses new students had been counseled to avoid, [n the Lite- afternoon, last minute preparation was made foi a second reception, a reception that has traditionall) been the subject | Campus speculation both a) Queens .md David mm Anticipation increased as the caravan ol buses arrived on the Queens ' ( ampus. Anxiousl) Miss Nanc) Rose and John Child, the respective Freshman Advisors, attempted to establish harmon) in the tumultuous discord. Confusion diminished as the evening progressed, and the skeptical all too snun found himsell indebted foi a ver) pleasant expe- rience, an indebtedness man) will repa) with recurrent 1 ISltv . . an indebtedness manj will repaj with recurrent visits. Pa«e Twenty-one

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popular iicms at the local emporiums. . . . a maze o numbers and letters . . . provision for deficiency in quality points. At Davidson, home was a single dormitor) room, fhus, students, I « 1 1 1 old and new, quickly purchased necessities. A wastebasket, a Fluorescent lamp, a tube of tooth paste, .1 I mi ol soap, and spiral notebooks were all popular items at the local emporiums. Confusion was almost inevitable; consequendy, during the First few days, several names went unanswered when the class rolls wen- checked. Gradually, a sense ol normalcy invaded our tree-shaded Campus. Contact with family and die t;irl left behind were replaced bj an expectant walk to the Post Office and cherished weekends I he summer, a wealth of memories, waned; the fall, a variegated panorama. was upon us. Old friendships were renewed; stories . . . were exchanged . . .