<p>I remember the swim test. In addition to swimming several lengths, had to put on sweats, oversized socks, and sneakers and jump into the deep end of the pool. Took those items off, threw them onto the deck of the pool, and treaded water for a while.</p>
<p>My daughter was required to pass a swim test at her college. I think many schools still have a PE requirement too. Although, c’mon bowling, camping, kick-boxing, yoga - that’s all fun stuff!</p>
<p>I think it’s strange when adults don’t have a drivers license. Now that’s a neccessity!</p>
<p>Forgot about that - not a bad life skill to have. Although I haven’t had to use it yet in the ensuing 30+ years.</p>
<p>my daughter doesn’t drive. She doesn’t want the expense and hassle of a car, she has been able to get around by walking, riding bikes, taking the train/bus or if needed going with friends.
She gets very nervous when she take the driving test, and our cars are both difficult to drive so neither her dad or I are very helpful about taking her to practice. If she isn’t pushing to get her liscence I am not going to push her to get it.
She has taken drivers ed, and she does drive other peoples cars, just doesn’t want to drive her own.
She can swim though ;)</p>
<p>S didn’t take his road test until the day before he flew out to college in CA. Good side was that we didn’t have to pay for his insurance. Bad side was that he didn’t have much road experience when he did drive out there. Good side was that CA’s roads are relatively well-marked and straight. Bad side (for him) and tell him he can’t take the newer car because I don’t want to worry about it, even after four years! D plans to take the road test in time to drive around this summer before she goes off to college.</p>
<p>In 1965 at the University of Michigan I took as part of my PE requirement a popular womens class called Posture, Figure and Carriage. (Any one still argue that it was time for the feminist revolution?) At the beginning of the class we were photographed in our undies next to a giant measuring stick. I cannot describe a more appalling and depressing image. After six weeks we were photographed standing up straight. Later when I read about the freshman photo scandal, I wondered if these photos were part of the mugshot conspiracy. I will say that I do have good posture, though.</p>
<p>momrath - Excited to see someone as far back in the Middle Ages as I was (college '66-'70). Apparently I “passed” my posture screening as never heard another word about it. Never heard of anyone who had to have “work done” either. Hmmmm.</p>
<p>There was a “Fundies” (Fundamentals of Movement) course. Sounds like your P,F and C. Littlemother, help me out here. Did we have to take it or was it optional? I can’t remember (see line 1).</p>
<p>I had to take a swimming class in college because I couldn’t swim. When I was very young I would never get in the deep end of the swimming pool. I was never comfortable in water, so I stayed out of it. The swimming instruction in college was great. I learned all of the proper mechanics of swimming. My problem is that I float very low in the water, so when I turn my head to breathe my face is still under water. Also, my kick is terrible and I can’t get much forward motion (maybe my muscle are too tensed up). Flippers helped a lot in that regard. The swimming class was physically exhausting for me and my instructor told me that my body shape and composition made swimming difficult. I haven’t been in a pool in almost two years. Maybe someday I’ll give it another shot. Since I can’t propel myself through the water I feel that if I jump into deep water I won’t be able to bring myself to the surface.</p>
<p>My wife was a classmate of Hilary, Wellesley '69. I asked her last night if she remembered naked posture photos: she wrinkled her nose and said “yes,” but it sounded like “ugh.”</p>
<p>I think it’s strange when adults don’t have a drivers license. Now that’s a neccessity!</p>
<p>Not in NYC,</p>
<p>Jmmom–I don’t recall a “Fundies” course, so that might have disappeared by the time I arrived on campus. Eight courses fulfilled the PE requirement, so I took some dance courses as well as snorkeling, scuba diving, gymnastics, downhill skiing, sailing, and crew. If I could have majored in PE, I just might have done that! Compared to my high school at which we were graded on posture (clothed–we wore bloomers for gym classes) and participated in such archaic sports as deck tennis and nine-court basketball, college PE offered so many more opportunities.</p>
<p>Hey - I can bring the two separate discussions (nudity and swimming) together: My freshman year at Ga Tech (mid-sixties), swimming was a required course. it was quite difficult for most becasue of the “Drown-Proofing” course, but easy for me because I was on the high school swim team. But the swimming class at Ga Tech was done in the nude. Why? Some nonsense about cloth fibers clogging the filters, but I never did believe that story. When I told my wife about it years later, she couldn’t believe that, but if there are any other Ga Tech grads from that time frame on CC, they’ll confirm it.</p>
<p>I remember something about a news story 20 years ago about pictures of naked freshmen taken in the in the late 50s to early 60s at an elite female college. Not naughty stuff mind you, but school mandated stuff. The person tasked to destroy them, instead stole them and most were not recovered. It was quite the scandal. If you were a frosh at one of those schools back then you might be somewhere on the on the internet today! Thats funny to think about.</p>
<p>Back in the day UW had an all male clothing optional swimming pool. One day some females decided to integrate the pool–in the nude–end of the all male pool and sanctioned nude swimming.</p>
<p>For males, Cornell’s swimming test in the mid-seventies consisted of swimming a length of the pool, nude, and giving your name to a guy at the end. They provided suits for the women, I was told.</p>
I began college in September 1959 at Russell Sage in Troy, NY.All these years later, I am still astounded and angry that we were required to have these “posture photos” taken at our first gym class session. I often wonder what actually happened to those pictures. When I think back to that horrid experience, I still get feelings of anxiety(at the age of 74). From this vantage point, I see that we were young and very naive and I realize that those gym teachers were all lesbians. I have always been a progressive and open-minded thinker, so the idea that they were gay would not have disturbed me in the least. The fact that they took those pictures, though, is simply appalling. I would love to know where those pictures are today, as I think I would have a legal right to them.
Thank you for your post and the information provided.
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