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

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The changing faces of Davidson So you thought you knew your way around Davidson? Guess again. The famil- iar downtown layout holds a number of sur- prises for the unwary student. New devel- opment and relocation is literally changing the face of the Davidson business district. Peregrine House was the first to secede from Main Street as it abandoned the histor- ic Hattie Thompson house, where it first opened in 1975. Peregrine ' s new home is at 127 Depot Street, once the site of the David- son jail. The structure vacated by the move dates from the 1870 ' s. Its historical significance prompted some concerned citizens to inter- vene In the planned demolition of the build- ing. They purchased it and planned to have it moved to a nearby site. Further down Main Street, at Piedmont Bank and Trust, more changes appeared. The bank stayed where it was but merged with First Union National Bank, one of the largest banks in North Carolina. These early alterations set the stage for a major development project begun by the town. The Davidson Town Plan is a 3-5 year project that includes the construction of a mall, a road, and walkways connecting the new structures with Main Street. The first installment was scheduled for completion sometime in the spring, with weather condi- tions being the major obstacle to definite planning. Upon completion, this first structure be- came the new home of the Davidson Post Office. But there is no reason to forget that trek to the old Post Office building! The walk will remain — it will only be a little longer. Confused? Don ' t despair — according to the Town Office, there is method to the changing faces of Davidson. — Katherine Gatchel Gina Triplett An aerial shot captures the picturesque scene of the Davidson campus. changing faces 17

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The Hattie Thompson house is ready for a roadtrip after being vacated by Peregrine House restaurant. 16 STUDENT LIFE

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asn: Dance craze sweeps campus There ' s a new craze sweeping the nation to which even the small town of Davidson is not immune: Davidson students have caught the fitness craze. Guys and girls alike, clad in sweats and jogging shoes, are running, stretching, and lifting themselves into shape. It all began a few years back when a few early risers, dressed in sweatshirts and run- ning shoes, took to the streets to jog them- selves into shape. The media picked up on the fad and soon were reporting that these people were not only healthier but also felt better about themselves. Soon everyone wanted to get into the action, and Davidson students were no exception. Even today there is hardly a daylight hour when one cannot find someone run- ning, jogging, or virtually crawling around the track. Each person ' s reason is different — skinny guys wanting to develop nearly non-existent muscles, athletes hoping to improve their speed, and overweight girls hoping to shed some unwanted pounds — but all the reasons come back to a common concern with physical appearance. Every- one wants to look good. But, as we all know, jogging isn ' t for ev- eryone and as concern with fitness rose, so did the number of ways people approached it. The number of bicycles on campus grew substantially, and new racks were installed this year to meet the growing need. Last fall students returned to find new Nautilus equipment available in the weight room. Weight-lifting, once considered a male sport, has seen an increase in the number of women working out. For most, the goal is not to become superwomen with biceps larger than the average male, but to tone ' flabby muscles and increase their strength. The era of the soft, fleshy, feminine woman is gone. The ideal woman today is tanned and muscular. More recently, the craze has branched out into the field of aerobics. Once limited i to actresses, models, and a few housewives struggling to keep up with Jack LaLanne, aerobics now has a huge following. A num- ber of celebrities, including Jane Fonda and Olivia Newton Johm, are cashing in on this craze. Davidson is not without its share of Jane Fonda ' s disciples. The lounge of Can- non becomes a women ' s gym for one hour each day as a group of girls dressed in leo- tards, tights, and legwarmers submit to the commands of the demanding Ms. Fonda — and it isn ' t easy. Take it from someone with experience, when the background music asks Can you feel it — you do, and when Ms. Fonda says, there you are, you ' re all through with your workout — don ' t you feel good? , the only thing one really feels good about is that it is finally over. But this year Jane Fonda ' s workout has met some competition as a new Flashdance course has taken off and soared in popular- ity. Modeled after the summer smash-hit movie by the same title, the course consists of a series of spot exercises and aerobics intended to get the heart beating as fast as possible. According to program coordinator Phred Huber, this group is dancing its life away — almost literally. In reality, admits Huber, there is very little dancing at all. We called the course Flashdance because we knew it would attract a lot of people and it works. Nearly 70 people, guys and girls alike, meet three days a week for one hour to work out. According to Huber the class challenges the most fit athlete. Even the guys are impressed, she said. It ' s a lot of hard work. But is the course any fun? The answer is yes and no. It ' s hard work, and it hurts. So why bother? Perhaps the old phrase No pain, no gain, applies here. It is a means to an end. What it costs in immediate discom- fort, it rewards in long term gains. The course works for those who stick with it. They are, in fact, developing stronger, healthier, and more muscular bodies. Aerobics is not, however, restricted to land. A few years ago a trim swim class was added. It attracted its own group of girls and has held its own ever since. Trim swim is water aerobics. It is a vigorous ! 2-3 hour daily workout aimed at trimming away ex- cess pounds and working the heart. The workout is gradually increased over the ten- week period, so that the challenge never ends and neither does the pain! It is the ideal way to exercise for those who don ' t like to sweat and has the added benefit of requir- ing students to see themselves in bathing suits daily. Of course, for some the fitness craze has become an obsession and for these people exercise ceases to be beneficial because it negatively affects other aspects of their lives. Consider the freshman whose mother asks him if he passed his first review. Will she be satisfied when he replies, No, Mom, but 1 can bench press 200 lbs. now ? Some- how I doubt it. Although exercise can be beneficial, one must put priorities in order. Sure the Davidson motto encourages all to develop strong bodies and sound minds, but no one is grading students on how well developed their biceps are, and no one has ever been kicked out of school for failing to develop them at all. So, what ' s it all about — this new fitness craze which has affected all our lives in some way? Why does Olivia Newton- John want to get physical and why does Diana Ross want muscles ? The answer is sim- ply — because it is the latest fad. Davidson students are conforming in an attempt to develop the characteristics of the new ideal man and woman. The student store has added new lines of athletic gear to meet the growing needs, and the students are buying them in mass quantities. A jazz and an aer- obics class have been added to the RE. course list. Students wear sweats, ban- danas, and jogging shoes to class. (Our fore- fathers must be rolling in their graves.) Cars have been abandoned for bicycles — all in an attempt to get fit. But is it working? For those who are dedi- cated and willing to withstand the pain, the answer is yes. Realistically, for most there has not been a dramatic improvement in physical fitness. Davidson is not yet a cam- pus of Jane Fonda and John Travolta clones. Perhaps there are other benefits that justify the time and pain spent in exer- cising. Exercising releases tension, and tension is a reality at Davidson. It builds self-confidence and for most, increases study productivity. If it isn ' t helping, it cer- tainly isn ' t hurting to go ahead and stretch those muscles, run that mile, and lift that weight . . . After all, everybody is doing it! — Joanne Stryker la STODENT LIFE ■ ' H - i