Harvard University - Red Book Yearbook (Cambridge, MA)

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equally enterprising English A section man reached lor a seeming gilt from heaven and brought an end to the sport. The learning process was by no means neglected. Dozens of historical boundary changes, sets of political philosophies, scores ol physical principles, and pages ol astronomical data became almost as common knowledge as the names ol the Yard cops, Union serving girls, and Bay State head- line-makers. And all through the year the lew men lucky enough to own copies of the Wellesley Freshman Register were no more lonely than owners of extra Yale game tickets. Above all, there was the feeling ot too much to do in too little time. The maiority ol195O men, though they took only lour courses, Found that competition for marks was very still and the necessary work extensive. Less emphasis on grades was one of the leaders in the RED BOOK l3oll's section on What l-larvard needs most. ln the Field of studies, too, we were Fortunate to get in on the ground Floor as lar as General Education courses were concerned. Most ol these studies proved interesting and valuable, and the predic- tion of more to come was gladly received. The relatively large number of 1950 Yard residents as compared to seniors who were gradu- ating caused a hard scramble lor space in the l-louses. The House applications which were Filed early in the spring eventually provided rooms for only hall of the 1,360 applicants. The others, hoping For better luck next year, returned to the Yard or were assigned to rooms in Claverly, Little, and Apley. Along with the birds, bees, and Flowers, spring also brought parking meters to Cambridge. One of these handsome additions to the local scenery soon found its way into the trash can of Matthews l'lall's North entry whence it was politely redeemed by the city constabulary. Generally, though, the year was a quiet one with the calls ol Are You Hungry? lar outnumbering those of l2hinehard. An interesting form ol exercise was that ol auto pushing on the part of the rare vintage buggie owners. Though the Poll established the average age of Freshman cars at seven years, several men admitted owning horseless carriages dating back as lar as 1924.

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Sever and Emerson ediourn for lunch 1950... 1950 MEN, a deceptively simple classification, was the title under which we began our freshman year. With hopes for and occasional promises of the impending return to normalcyu we lined up for meals, books, physical exams, and eventually for football tickets. The class member- ship of approximately 'i,500, was divided among Yardlings, commuters, and l-louse members. Most of the latter were veterans. Most confusing were the stock-market-like fluctuations in 1950 enrollment, which rose and fell as service and transfer credits were evalu- ated. The elements of normalcy, however, were not entirely absent. The U. T., as in past years, served as a threat to studies, l'listory I produced its usual number of ulcers, and forty per cent of the Yard residents polled by the RED BOOK named women as their favorite pastime. Warned at the term's start against studying to the exclusion of other activities, we grew somewhat cynical iust before November hours. The Yale weekend managed to wipe away any possible unpleasant memories of the first months, while the prospect of the Christmas vacation carried us through until the middle of December. Through this period 'i95O men proved themselves of considerable character. One embittered lover sounded his mating call through' the classi- fied column of the Crimson and was answered by several reasonable offers, a great deal of publicity, and an almost immediate parental veto. Later, as the first year at I-larvard showed even more pronounced effects, a few enterprising souls thrilled to the sport of throwing hot pennies on the Massachusetts Avenue sidewalk from a Wigglesworth vantage point. An Facing Page: Photo by D. l-l. Wright '50

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The RED BOOK Poll provides many interesting insights into the Freshman mind at work. Sex was undeniable a prime consideration at all times, rearing its so-called ugly head at the strangest times and in answer to the seemingly most unrelated questions. 1950 men, showing their preference for getting down to basic factors, named sex as thing to be looked for most in females . . . an admirable, though not unexpected, piece of analysis. ln other fields, though, the Poll revealed many facts of varying interests. The Poll which was made among 1950 Yard residents, many of whom were not veterans, showed the average age to be eighteen, professed political adherence predominantly Republican, and favorite food overwhelmingly steak. The number of smokers and non-smokers was split about evenly, with cigarette, and more particularly Chesterfield, smokers forming the largest per- centage of them. An easy maiority chose football as their favorite sport to watch, but many iudicially switched to other sports, largely tennis, when the question of participation was raised. Medicine, law, and business in that order were the choices for life work among the 1950 men who chose women, resting, and reading as their favorite avocations. Govern- ment, English, and Economics were the favorite fields of concentration, while the average number of hours of homework done per week was set at about twenty-five. Classical music, particularly as played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, was the maiority choice, beating out the popular music lovers and their favorite, Tommy Dorsey. Skip- ping an average of four Union meals per week, 1950 men named roast beef, ice cream, and several of the serving girls as their favorite dishes at the dining hall. Wait till you try to get books Photo by Paul Southwick 43 h