Evening star., 1951-02-26
College Park illustrates the Changes Postwar University Life Maryland
BY George Kennedy

oy 1eor9e Nenne0y
How much college life has
changed since World War II is
indicated by one Of the major
problems Of university administra-
ton. It is the parking problem.
At the University of Maryland,
never known as an institution
favored by scions of wealth, it
became acute. The students much
preferred driving their cars to
walking from hall to hall. Build
ings where popular lectures were
being given became locked in oil
most inextricable traffic jams.
The problem had to be solved
the same way cities solve it. Cam
lpus police were added and a sys-
tenn Of 50 tickets (nonfixable) for
parking violations was begun.
Only in that way was the univer-
lsity able to get them to resume
the traditional book-laden saun-
ter from hall to hall.
The rule that clinched it was
that the students could not get
their marks until they had squared
their parking tickets. Near the end
of May last year, Dean Geary F.
Eppley was surprised by a young
man coming into his Office. plunk-
ing down $50 on the desk and say
ing, "I'll see you in June. sas he
departed. A look into his file
showed that he had "a tickets
against him. The 25th was brought
in by campus cop a few minutes
later.
Bursting at the Seams.
College Park, most of which is
across Baltimore boulevard from
the university miles from Wash
ington, also has its parking prob
lens because Of the number Of
student cars. It's off ff-the-boulevard
blocks are dotted with parking
meters. It's streets are lined with
cars at night because it is COM
munity bursting at the seams with
population Many of the older,
larger houses have been converted
into student apartments. Other
residents rent students rooms.
College Park is an exception in
the Washington area. Most Of the
Capitals communities owe their
growth of recent years to the cor
responding growth of the Govern
|ment. But the expansion of Col
|lege Park is due to the growth Of
the university, which has increased
its attendance Of full time stu
dents from 5000 to $4,000 since
DR.. Harry Clifton tCurley) Byrd
became its president is years ago.
It is a pleasant community
much more typical city suburb
than a university town. It has
street after street of comfortable.
attractive small houses shaded by
oaks left from the woods that
occupied the area only a few years
back.
Youths With Big Books.
q But the number of youths stroll
ing It's sidewalks carrying so many
big books show it to be otherwise. |
The young men look so surprising
ly well dressed in their sloppy
clothes, sport shirts and zippered
jackets. freshly pressed flannel
slacks and recently shined heavy
oxford brogues. And, despite the
bobby socks and saddle shoes,
the young women rate a pass
ing glance. They wear skirt
and sweater ensembles with a i
sorority pin, or better still a fra
ternity pin, on the bosom. Hatless,
as the boys, they comb their hair
between classes and let it toss in
the breeze.
There are no student boarding
houses as in most university towns,
but an occasional larger house,
usually of brick Georgian arehitec-
ture, with Greek letters above the
Intel, indicate that this Is no or
dinary suburb. While most of the
student body lives in the univer-
sity dormitories, or rented rooms,
or commute from their homes,
about 1000 of the students live the
traditional fraternity or sorority
house life.
No new fraternity houses have