Lehigh University - Epitome Yearbook (Bethlehem, PA)

Page 26 text:

themes. ..ourfirst impres- sion of university life, the little nook that we had neatly fabricated for our college years, is wiped away. We become en- tangled in a harried pro- gram of daily existence, a w-hirlwind of deadlines. To regain our stability ap- pears hopeless — and for some of us it is. But when summer arrives all that remains for most of us is a feeling of relief, satis- faction, and a sense of accomplishment that must resemble — in es- se nce if not in intensity — that of the graduate. Our memory is focused only on the year ' s most enjoy- able aspects. There are no pranks common to a co-ed institution — no panty raids, no flirting in the room. The Lehigh man remembers the bonfire, the pajama parade, dis- astrous Christmas par- ties, stumbling up the hill on House-party — and rolling back down, hor-

Page 25 text:

For the first week or two, for the first month perhaps, we are a god unto ourselves. Our interest develops, expands; college life agrees with most of us; letters of reassur- ance and self praise go home to anxious parents and lonely girl-friends. All this before the deluge— before Lehigh ' s first dose of reality: the first set of hourlies, lab reports, 21

Page 27 text:

rendous freshman mixers, the Tally -Ho, romantic frustrations on big week- ends. All this along with an incredible, almost in- tolerable workload. By the time of his graduation, the simplicity with which the Lehigh man once faced his future has been destroyed. He is about to make his start in life, certain of success (at least in the material sense). Lehigh has forced upon him a seriousness about his field, a strong ability to think, a means of attacking problems. The only major threat to his success is a life with- out purpose. This is the main concern of the graduate: to extract from all his experiences the es- sentials of a truly suc- cessful life — to reduce the complexity of his make-up in order that he might direct himself to some purpose which Le- high ' s professors have not — and could not have — specified.