Swarthmore College - Halcyon Yearbook (Swarthmore, PA)

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FRESHMAN CLASS The largest Freshman class in Swarthmore ' s history came surging m on the afternoon of Thursday, September 19th, 1940. Standing before them staunch and gray stood the buildings and campus over which they were to rule for one glorious week. Magill Walk presented a panorama of scores of puzzled faces, each one seeming to say What do we do now? ' , while others seemed to reply, Don ' t ask me, I ' m a stranger here myself. Mortar Board and Book and Key took a last deep breath and settled down to the tremendous task of entertaining two hundred and fifty freshmen. Overwhelmed by his iirst glimpse of the campus, some carefree Freshman started to — of all things — sing! In a few minutes another pioneer joined in, then another. Spontaneously the members of the class of 1944 had found their favorite type of entertainment; and as a result, acquired their first nickname — the Singiest class that has yet appeared. The process of registering and iinding where one ' s room was took most of Thursday afternoon. When this was over, ' 44 paraded into the dining room for its first meal at Swarthmore. Those little slips in the baskets at the dining-room door, directed each Frosh to the mixed table where he was to sit. The system of mixed tables was the ideal way to get to know one ' s classmates; and It was at this point that the questions began that dom- inated the conversation throughout most of Freshman week: What ' s your name? then Where do you come from? then What ' s your major? After supper the class gathered in Clothier for their first Collection, where they were addressed by one who described himself as another freshman, namely our 18