University of Maryland College Park - Terrapin / Reveille Yearbook (College Park, MD)

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FRESHMAN CLASS OFFICERS President Jack Clark Vice-President Fred DeMarr Secretary Nell Ligon Treasurer Barbara Schneider T. HE first peacetime class to enter the Uni- versity of Maryland in three years, the Class of 1949 did what it could to restore the pre-war atmosphere on campus; and, by the end of Feb- ruary, the only visible evidence of the recently concluded war was the mixture of GI uniforms and navy raincoats with the traditionally col- legiate plaid shirts. While the majority of freshmen concentrated largely on making the necessary scholastic average, there was always time for play, and morale was high. The ' 49ers made their place on campus at Home- coming in November when they pulled the sophomores into Paint Branch during the annual tug-of-war. As a result, they threw away their rat caps and w ere absorbed into the student body as freshmen instead of rats and rabbits. Because of the influx of new members during the fall, the Class of 1949 delayed its organizing until early in December, when Jack Clark de- 20

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S S E S

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feated Chuck Callegary for the class presi- dency. Other officers elected at that time were Fred DeMarr, vice-president; Nell Ligon, secre- tary; Barbara Schneider, treasurer; Mary Pat Smith, historian; and, Bob Kambies, sergeant- at-arms. Being the largest class on campus, the f resh- men were chiefly veterans who, by mid- semester, had recaptured their positions in most of the men ' s dorms which had been occupied by coeds during the war. To help these new freshmen, most of whom had entered the University of Maryland at the beginning of the second semester, to get acquainted, the class sponsored a series of freshman mixers in place of the usual single mixer. These dances were given in the new student lounge with the aid of the freshman girls in Margaret Brent, Anne Arundel, Dorm C, and Calvert Hall. Biggest item on the activity schedule of the forty-niners was the traditional freshman prom. Here again the frosh showed ingenuity in the choice of a theme, featuring the music of Clark Sheetenhelm and his orchestra. The dance committee, under the direction of Jack Clark, class prexy, and Dick Betson, social chairman, termed their dance the Gold Rush of ' 49. Goldie Schall and her decoration committee did a first-rate job of transforming the Gym Armory into an appropriate setting. Murals, depicting the glorious future of the ' 49ers at Maryland, were strategically placed around the gym. To further carry out the theme, picks and shovels were used as decorations. At midnight, a colorful spectacle occurred as the band played Pennies from Heaven and a net of black and gold parted, releasing multi-colored balloons to descend upon the dancers. All in all, the ' 49ers gave Maryland a novel and enjoyable evening. Thus began the story of the Class of 1949. The nights are grim. ' til the Sophs take a swim. • ■ 21