Furman University - Bonhomie Yearbook (Greenville, SC)

Page 21 text:

 XHOISMI

Page 20 text:

». « % .'» » 4V IV um Has T. r r T,'t. T. ■ t. ’-r v m-i+M C Oi iit I4 l!i I I klKiJ Student life at Furman has changed more than any other facet of the Furman campus during the past ten years. The Feminist Movement of the 1970’s had its impact on F'urman by way of federal regulations and shifted the regular pattern of life at Furman. Flquality of standards for male and female students called for the removal of w omen’s regulatioas which were not required for male students. Although women first joined the F'urman men on the present campus in 1961, female students in 1970 still had 11:00 p.m. curfews, quiet hours, bed checks, closed study, lights out, required sign-outs, and no Open House. The Social Standards Board published a booklet on Fitting Furman Fashions which illustrated the dress code for every F'urman occasion. Now Furman females come and go as they please, and dress has changed from the mini-shirt and rare slacks seen in the early part of the 1970’s to the straight-leg jeans and disco look of 1979. Many of the old F'urman traditions died out during the decade. “Miss Bonhomie”. May Day, and Rat Week no longer exist, but in their place have developed new traditions — May Day Flay Day, tossing people into the lake, and the short-lived F'all F'ling. Students became more healthconscious in the 1970 s. Perhaps it was caused by the advent of HPE 10, which emphasized personal fitness. Jogging, racquetball, tennis, and Furman Fitness programs became popular student past-times. Participation in intramurals reached an all-time high. ■ - •. r

Page 22 text:

And When The life of a freshman at Furman is quite different from that of a senior. During Orientation, freshmen are bombarded with acronyms such as CESC, WDC, MDC, KA, CLP. WFRN, AFS, FCA, SAE, PAC, RA, WDA, and FU. New students are also encouraged to learn the more useful Furman names such as Alverson, Anderson, Cartee, Carlton, Chiles, Cort. Seniors already know the acronyms and the names and the faces well. Freshmen are all introduced to the campus the same way. They are given the same tales year after year about the length of the blades of grass, the non-existant leaves on the ground, the millimeter-spaced trees, the untouched trees, the untouched roses, and the curved paths and asphalt sidewalks which must be walked on at all times. Seniors, though retaining their appreciation for the beauty of the campus throughout their four years, tire of the tales in the face of academic pressure and social deprivation. A memory which does stand out is the ever-ingenuous decoration of Putto. A freshman notices that the men’s and women's dorms are located on opposite sides of campus. However, both freshmen males and females quickly learn the maze of the women's dorms. No senior has ever left Furman not knowing his way through Gamhrell. Ten people run for freshman class president. Seniors have one unopposed candidate to be their leader. Freshmen are enthusiastic and active in building a Homecoming float. Few even show up at CLASS NOTES art diUgeatly taken by Martin Foster and AlHvon Williams while Kevin DeW’itt dozes ofT. “ONE OF THE PERSONS on either side of you will not graduate,’’ warns the Orientation speaker. THE HAND MACHINT demonstrates yet another glorious invention by Furman brains for senior Nancy Schultz. THE LIBRARY becomes a source of entertainment when the social hour of nine o'clock arriv es. LISTENING IN on guest speaker Pug Ravenel, Alan Altman, Michael Schnalterly, Matt Williams, and Neal Rabon gather outside the classroom door. 20 Student I.ifc We Were Freshmen... the senior class float construction meeting. A freshman thinks being thrown in the lake is fun and wants everyone to know his birthday. A senior divulges his birthday to no one but his ROTC commander and eyes everyone suspiciously that day. Freshmen and seniors register for classes quite differently. Freshmen are concerned with finding three courses which they are interested in. They have no preferences in professors. Seniors at registration rule out courses in this order: (1) 8:00 classes, (2) Dr. Brewer, (3) Dr. Lavery, (4) an Asian-African course as an elective. Freshmen are brainwashed at Orientation. They are told to look at both persons on each side of them. One of those two persons will not graduate. No wonder they plan to study six hours a day, and read their twenty-seven pages of Western Civ every night. Three years later, they are reading the chapters the night before each test. Freshmen diligently take down every word of a lecture. If a freshmen has to miss a day of class, he gets the notes from someone that night. Seniors sleep on the front row of clavs, knowing they cannot flunk the course. And if a senior cuts, so what? Freshmen come to Furman thinking, “Well, I’ve always looked forward to dating lots of good-looking guys(girls) at college.’’ After they are done with the dating circuit, they think, “I can count the number of dates I’ve had here in the past four years on two hands and the number of good-looking ones on one hand. The only one I would date again flunked out last year.’’ Freshmen work at being noticed. They go to class dressed in color-coordinated pants and shirts bought during the summer. Seniors, on the other hand, go to clavs barefoot, wearing gym shorts, sweatsuits, jerseys, bandannas, hats, and carry cofTee and cokes to class. Eager freshmen go to their mailboxes twice a day to get letters from friends. Frustrated seniors go to their mailboxes twice a week, shoving their ex-student boxmale’s mail back through the chute. A freshman wants everyone to sign his yearbook. A senior remarks that he made it through four years without once being in a candid photo. A freshman does not contemplate his future. He think, “I just got here. I don’t have to have a major now. He knows he will make an A in Humanities because he always did so well in high school English. Seniors are constantly asked, “Say, Bill, w hat are you going to do after you graduate?” Few seniors know the answer and it scares them. A lifetime of accomplishments is written on one sheet of paper for job interviews and the senior suddenly realizes that he never joined any clubs. Senior Panic strikes and a wave of diamonds are flashed into faces of friends and enemies. The senior is more sentimental than the freshman. He constantly thinks, “This Is my last year here.” The seniors will soon part, but the lasting friendships will be treasured forever.