University of Delaware Womens College - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Newark, DE)

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l'1cANcns Louisa Mellini. . . ...... Prefident l 1 l1Ama'rr1 ilVliANClIES'l'I5R. . . . , .Vice-Pvfrident E1 IlAlilE'l'I-I ilfl'ICKIX-'IAN . . . . . .Secretary lXlA1u1.Ic12 .IONES ..,N ,... ...... T i 'E61J'1L7'E7' Miss lfiI,IZABli'I'lI G. iKl5l,LY ..,. Faculty Advixor Ginza Gllftirera Zllrunrez Ennis: Qllrtme .Unninr Qllaaa lliatnrg N September 16, we hung our little white tennis dresses on the nail in the oack of our closets, put cucumber lotion on our faces, and vaseline on our eyelashes, and fervently prayed that we might turn beautiful and wise over night. VVe didn't, but we donned our smart new Fall hats-they were derbies, too- tucked away our last blue linen handkerchief, and came to college. It was raining a little, but that didn't seem to make any difference. All that mattered was the ghastly sinking feeling at the pit of our stomachs and the grey-green mist in front of our eyes. XIVC vaguely wondered how pioneers ever stood it. Then we arrived, and were immediately dropped into a seething caldron of business offices, What's your room number? this is Residence, Sussex is the building over there, meet hfliss Allen, have you been measured for your gym suit? and lunch and dinner in a strange hall with people-alien people staring, staring-and finally fthe peace of a little bed all our own and a small white pillow into which we wept tears of loneliness and woe. But we soon regained our old identity and poise. Freshman Weeks don't last forever. And the first day is only twenty-four hours long. By the time the twenty-second drew near, we knew people and were known. There had been group meetings at night, and charming upperclassmen with tales of college life that made us want to stay-tales of dramatics, dances, games, Phi Kappa Phi. And stunt night with Sally. Wells doing the horse in The Higlzwaymavz, and a lxxiii

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makeshift reproduction of the phenomenal wooden beast in The Fall of Troy. Then came hordes of upperclassmen swarming about, kissing everyone in sight. The next day classes began. We were heartily amazed. The difference between high school and college wasn't phenomenal after all, except that the number of pages to read in one assignment was appalling. But we settled down to it with a will. In fact, we settled down to everything with a will. We organized, electing Caroline Cobb class captain, and Elizabeth Hickman sub-captain. Then we smiled to ourselves. VVe belonged. Founders' Day came and with it our class color-bright green-p1'esented by our sister class. And later we were honored with insignia by the Sophomores- insignia that took the form of green hair ribbons and enormous pink celluloid ears. The auditory adornments had the remarkable faculty of making us look unusually handsome, and tl1e annoying one of catching the sun and proclaiming the approach of Freshmen, though we were blocks away. They were removed on a cold dark morning before the Thanksgiving vacation, at which prone falls and Praise Allahsn were the chief diversions. We perfected our abilities to walk up the stairs backwards and learned to sit down gently in the days which followed. At the beginning of the second semester, we elected Frances IVIcGee class president, and Nfiss Kelly class sponsor. And an orgy of events followed-the gym meet in a brand new gymnasium, at which we were properly embarrassed as we did out little forward rolls, and our serpentine. The Freshman Formal, with Fran hfIcGce looking like a story-book princess in a blue taffeta dress, and Virginia Graves leading the grand march. Eyebrows that had hitherto remained unplucked were dark and line that night. YVe all took on a new sophistication that was never to leave us. The hrst of Nfay came and we presented our big sisters with bouquets of fragile Spring flowers. They, in turn, took us to see Ruth Chatterton in Tomor- row and Tomorrow after a very charming dinner in the south wing of the dining hall. All of which reminds us of the party we gave in honor of the Juniors when we dressed as four-to-six-year-olds and romped on the campus, casting to the winds our precious sophistication and worldlywiseness. Then came Nfay Day, and our bosoms swelled with pride, for Elinor Townsend, our duchess, and Frances NIcGee and Vera iVIcCall our attendants in the Nfay court were the loveliest courtiers a lVIay Queen could ever desire, and I-lildegarde Hagen looked so disarming in her Scottish kilt, that we coulcln't help loving it all. Indeed, by the end of the year, we had made quite a name for ourselves, considering the number of laurels we had won. The championships in Hockey, Basketball, and Track had all been ours, and our humorous song had taken first place in the Song Contest. Then there was the competitive play Saved, with Virginia Lee, and Kitty Quillen that took second place. And Wilson Walker and Nfarjorie Slider won hrst and second Dean Edward Laurence Smith hlemorial Prizes, for their plays, I-Iezekiah's White Chile and The Statue. Forgetting the disgust with which we had viewed the unconhned emotions of the returning upperclassmen in 1931, we scrambled about on September 26, and swarmed exactly as had our predecessors. In fact, we too were not above kissing every classmate we overtook. There was something strangely right about being in Delaware, and something hne and uplifting about viewing once more the ivy-covered walls, and breathing in the warm September air. Frances McGee was lxxiv