Harvard freshmen who were dreaming of a white Veteran's Day had their dreams come true yesterday.

The year's first snowfall could best be described as a "thin film" which blanketed the Yard last night, although several students reported seeing drifts as high as an inch in some areas. As the annual Yard snowfight got underway, many freshmen were guilty of "conduct unbecoming of a Harvard student," flinging snow at friends and enemies alike. The Ad Board. has not yet taken any disiplinary action.

"There won't be much organized warfare until there is about six inches of snow," said Oliver C. Chin '91. "However, I might hit someone in the back or something," he added.

Chin, a Los Angeles native, is one of many freshmen who has not had much experience with snow before. "I had touched it once before yesterday," Chin said. "I thought it would be more white."

Other naive freshmen also expressed some disappointment with this new form of precipitation. "It wasn't like what I expected. It's a lot like rain. I didn't expect there to be ice on the ground, and I thought the entire ground would be covered with white," said Jim A. Barrios, a freshman from Southern California. Barrios said that he hadn't had much of a chance to play in the snow. "I'm having enough problems just keeping my balance on the ice."

Indeed, even freshmen accustomed to slippery conditions were having problems yesterday. Jonathan Roosevelt '91, a Cambridge native, said that he was running through the Square yesterday with a new mug his mother had given him. "I slipped, flipped a somersault, landed on my butt and broke the cup."

Roosevelt received some minor bruises, and went home to sleep off his injuries. "But the cup is beyond repair," he said.

"I'm going to be more careful in the future, bend my knees more, and take it slow," Roosevelt said. He advised all those not familiar with icy Cambridge conditions to "just take it slow."

Other freshmen were less constructive with their advice. "Just deal with it," said Elisabeth M. Battinelli '91. "This is nothing. Wait until January," she warned.

Still other local students took a practical perspective. "Make sure you have a lot of fun with it before it gets dirty," said Daniel M. Cogan.

And remember, there's a lot more snow to come.