While Greene could offer no definite reason for the Yardling patterns of behaviour, he did feel that "a lot of freshmen are for (H. Stuart) Hughes, and joined the Young Dems to work for him."
He thought many freshmen saw a "sense of permanence" in the YDCHR, and had decided that their efforts would be better spent in such a group instead of some "temporary students for Hughes" movement.
Tocsin also had remarkable success, interesting at least 60 Harvard freshmen and 30 'Cliffies in its cause. Last year, even with the historic Washington Peace March, Tocsin had difficulty exceeding 100 in total membership.
Commenting on this extraordinary situation, Todd Gitlin, Tocsin's leader, said "the freshmen show an awareness of the issues (of disarmament and the arms race), even though they are uncertain about the answers."
The disturbing events of the summer also helped stimulate an interest in Tocsin's program, Gitlin contended.
Although pleased with the interest in extracurricular activities, Gitlin, unlike other leaders, "was not overly surprised." In fact; he expects even more freshmen to join during the second semester.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, Robert V. Hohon, Secretary of the local branch Young Americans for Freedom, said his group "did better than last year but not as well as we had hoped."
Still, he reported that when teams of YAF promoters, visited rooms in the Yard they found the freshman to have "greater background than last year, and a greater willingness to discuss the issues." In many cases visits lasted more than 45 minutes in each room.
One of the most surprising centers of freshmen interest is Phillips Brooks House. PBH leaders are still trying to force themselves to believe the figures. A grand total of 671 freshmen signed interest cards, almost all for more than one committee. Last year the figure was 305.
Why did they sign up? The answers are numerous, but most expressed the belief that PBH offers the most fruitful way to spend extra-curricular time, and they definitely want to spend the time. Others were impressed by the efficiency and low key nature of the PBH recruitment drive.
Musical organizations also extended an enthusiastically accepted invitation.
The freshmen glee club was swamped with hopeful singers. The orchestra, with the selling point of its Mexican tour, discovered numerous new prospects.
The band, long plagued by a study atmosphere in the college which seemed to bode no good to its future, heard a total of 70 freshman applicants, twice the number for the previous year. For the first time since the good old days of flowing booze and wild parties, the band will march with more than 100 beaters and blowers.
Publications are just beginning to find out how much of this energy will be given to their efforts, but subscription sales were encouragingly high, and that is always a hopeful sign. Other groups are also looking optimistically ahead to better days.
How long '66 will persist in its extracurricular inclination no one can say. Certainly by November hour exams some of the enthusiasm will have been replaced by proper Harvardian cynicism.
Extra-curricular activities have been in steady decline over the past few years as a result of stiffening academic pressure and a general orientation towards graduate school on the part of the student body. This year's Yardlings seem to be bucking a trend that has overwhelmed everyone else.
While it appears doubtful they will work a major change in the college. It is hard to resist the conclusion that '66 is moving in, and moving in fast.