US Naval Reserve Midshipmens School - Capstan Yearbook (Notre Dame, IN)

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N.. fi.: .45 . M.. 1 monetary encouragement and there were plenty of good dancing partners, there was the ping-pong table for the ambidextrous, writing tools and re- minders for the forgetful, card tables for the bridge or gin-rummy addicts, plenty of good books and magazines to relieve the mind of Bowditch and Knight, and soft, comfortable chairs for those who cared only for ordinary relaxation. The moment we stepped inside the door, we were put at ease. lt was surprising how many of us attempted to make a date with the girl in the black dress or the blond who danced so well. And where did we go if we did date her? That was easy. We just followed the crowd to any of a dozen places. Those who were in the habit of Hdoingw the hotel ballrooms in their own home towns, liked the Hoffman for an evening of danc- ing. The music was good, the dancing enjoyable, and above all there were always twenty or more of their shipmates on hand to help make the evening enjoyable. ,df PJ J 11841 If one didn't want to cut any rugs', but wanted some music to brighten up the evening,s conversa- tion, he stopped in the Blarney Room at the Oliver Hotel where the Irish motif and the brogue are all the style, Then when he felt he'd like to spend a few hours stagfwith all due apologies to the girls- he dropped into the Brandywine Room in the La Salle. It was the type of place where men liked to congregate on a cold Saturday afternoon to re- hash the events of the past week, and to map out a plan of action for the week-end. There were, however, many of us who were strictly ballroom dancers, from Roseland to the Trianon. For us, the Palais Royale was the spot. There, dancing was they order of the evening, and it was there that the music was played by the bigger uname bandsw. Now you question, 4'That was all very nice if one had a date, but where did a guy go to meet sorneone?,' The answer to that is Anywhere,,. People are so darned friendly in South Bend that

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t 3, The jfs! lhing you wan! to do ir explore the splendid libragz they have here!,' oligerfy ef ROM this book, you who are to follow this first Midshipman class will learn many things about our life at Notre Dame. You will learn about instructors and classes, drills and exercises, logs and watches. But the first question you will ask of a Mate is, 'Wvhat is there to do on Liberty?,' We answer by telling you some of the things that we have done during the past four months. Before we had lost the last vestiges of civilian life in the strangeness of bell-bottom trousers and un- dress jumpers, we were already accepting invita- tions to Sunday dinner proffered by the residents of South Bend, who knew that loneliness reduces a man's efflciency and that loneliness can best be overcome by the knowledge that new friendships are to be formed for the asking. It must be said of these people that their names are too numerous to mention but that their kindness will be remem- bered by all of us. They dropped South Bend in our laps and we proceeded to look around and get acquainted. Some of us looked first to the Service Men's Center. All of us knew where it was located- H831 across the street from the La Salle Hotel and the South Shore station. What service it performs can be measured best by the numbers who repeatedly went back for more of the Indiana hospitality, by the smiles on the faces of those who were spending an afternoon or evening in the informality of its atmosphere. Under the direction of Mrs. William T. Riley and Mrs. Arthur Haley, the sixty-odd girls who have volunteered to take the place of a thousand girl friends from Seattle to Savannah were organ- ized into military regiments. Each regiment was on duty at a particular time, so each mate was fore- warned. If he intended to carry the torch for the raven-haired lovely with the Sunbeam smile, he had to find out her regiment and her hours 'fon dutyn. Since our only opportunity to get into town came on the weekends, we won't concern ourselves with the daily function that the Service Center carries out for the men in the army, the navy and the marine corps. On Saturday and Sunday, the Center became a Midshipmenls Club. There was the ever-present juke-box' that required no

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one canlt go anywhere without striking up an acquaintanceship. Granted that no one liked to go to the spots in town alone, there were still some entrees into the social life of South Bend that haven't yet been mentioned. At least once every day, and some- times more, among the announcements at chow formation was a notice from Lt. Palmer's olliee in- viting sixty or a hundred men to a sorority dance or party the following Saturday night. Few of us went wrong on that kind of a deal. All we had to do was to climb into our dress blues come Liberty and show up at the appointed place. There were also many cases where we only had to walk to the front gate and be furnished our transporta- tion. And if the little party didn,t pan out as well as expected there was nothing lost. Lt. Palmer would have a dozen more invitations for the next week. ' Every other week the South Bend Y.X'V.C.A. sponsored a party and dance for the service men. There was always something different and always plenty of good food. lWany other church organi- zations and private clubs made it common practice to throw periodical parties for the Notre Dame Midshipmen. And one didnat have to worry about his ability to have a good time. He found that these dances were attended religiously not only by the smooth Hoperatorsw who were born on the H851 dance floor, but also by many who had never done the Lindy Hop in their lives. He found the girls excellent dancers and always more than willing to polish up his stumbling attempts at the latest steps. He never regretted finding out where the Indiana Club was located. He saw a lot of it in his four months. To begin with, there was the 'fFarewell to Indoctrination Daneef, It seemed as if there were more lylidshipmen there than at the swearing in ceremony the day before. Everyone went. Then bi-weekly followed the Midshipman formals where Midshipman Gish and his girl friend danced amid all the atmosphere of a military ball. He met and associated with men in other Battalions with whom he would never have come in contact through the ordinary daily routine. He learned that the fellows in Midshipman School were the same ones with whom he went to college fthe same men with dif- ferent names. But this time, however, he had only one college song and only one set of school colors- the ones raised every morning and lowered every night. Yes, Saturday night was very well taken care of. On Sunday, too, before rushing into another Hterrorw week of studies and exams, there was con- siderable opportunity for recreation. And here, in offering all the recreational facilities on the campus for the midshipman's leisure hours, is where Notre Dame stepped into the picture. During the fall