Revelations and rude awakenings . . • Some things just aren't in the catalog When the 3000-plus students registered for the fall semester, setting an enroUment record for Harding, 98S were freshmen. As usual with Christian universities, some freshmen came because they had toured the campus with youth groups for Spring Sing; some because parents, brothers or sisters were alumni; some because of scholarships and others because they had no real preference. A few came against parental wishes - others were coerced into trying Christian education with the understanding that they could transfer later. Regardless of the variety of reasons for coming and the diversity of backgrounds, freshmen held one thing in common - unmerciful newness. Inevitably the freshmen, apart from a few Searcy residents, had to start from scratch, learning the ropes and absorbing campus trivia that upperclassmen took for granted. Questions arose, begging for answers. "Why does maintenance water the sidewalks?" Some things one had to find out by violating an unwritten rule. "What do you mean no one at Harding carries a purse?" Discovering the optimum time to take a shower when there was hot water and maximum pressure was one example of an acquired finesse. After the first few days, most agreed that the most obnoxious early morning noise was the Doniphan, Kensett and Searcy Railroad train whistle, although a roommate's 1200 watt hair dryer ran a close second on the aggravation scale. Through practice, women learned the prime time to hit the Cathcart sun deck to get the best tan, the most elbow room and to offer the best show to passing crop dusters. Testing the flexibility of curfew regulations resulted in a qulck accumulation of late minutes for female students, who found thai when the bell rang at 10:25, it did indeed toll for them. An important revelation that came to freshmen was the amount of walking required over rough terrain. Students jumped mud puddles, forded Lake Harding - the front lawn - and dodged the traln. After a few days of wading to class and longing for hip boots, new students began to reaUze that, due to the Ad Building's proximity to the Ganus and Bible buildings, it provided a dry shortcut to many classes during monsonn season. The brick edging that kept the mulch intact around the shubbery also kept a deluge from draining off walkways. The brick sidewalk running across the front lawn was deceptively quaint - as those women could testify who, while crossing the sidewalk, caught a heel and tripped in full view of between-dass crowds. There were other surprises: learning that Omega Phi was pronounced differently at Harding, due to an abundance of Greek llnguists on campus; learning that the Main Auditorium was not really "main"; that the Armpit was the freshman dorm for men, Armstrong Hall. Students chose sides and joined the cross-campus debate as to whether Cobb's atmosphere or Heritage's above ground light and air made for better eating. When finals were over in December, most freshmen decided that in the wake of each pitfall he had come closer to being a part of the mainstream of campus life. Each bit of inside information he picked up further cemented his sense of permanence - a feeUng that omy came from knowing whars what. ~ LEFT: AIDED by paren", IreoIuncn pack their belonsInP up ...... rush" outside Cathcart Hall durinJI August ..palralion. BELOW: EXCELLENT al • baduett, • trft provida wde for studying or relaxing durtna warm months. Here, janet Carter taka tlmt out to road her Bible. 17 Whar.What
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