Little Village is Kept Spic & Span by Toppers

Creator

Marion Miller

Preview

Creation Date

5-5-1944

Description

Article from College Heights Herald regarding first "Diddle Dorm" housed in Health & Physical Education building.

Leaving the early spring chirp of birds in the gymnasium, climbing the stairs to the second floor of Western's Physical Education building, and entering the door to "the little village," the new comer is astounded by the brightness and order which prevail in the living quarters of "Diddle's Boys."

Faintly reminissant [sic] of the famous Village, home of the athletes on the Hill for years, the long wide room which greets visitors is exactly as a college boy's room should be. Along one side is the row of double decker beds, not as long as it once was, but you can still see the names of boys who wore the Red and Gray this season. The story goes that Coach Ed Diddle had the cagers put their names on the beds so that he could give the one with the neatest bed a $10 prize at the end of the year.

Turning from the beds, the visitor is faced by a line of dressers and chests against the opposite wall. Draped with "spider" neckties, these catch-alls serve their purpose as caches for the odds and ends gathered by the boys.

Also holding the apparel of the man-about town is a spacious closet, with its burden of sports coats which would make any haberdashery green with envy. As the "Deacon" with his size thirteens hanging comfortable over the end of his short bed, aptly put it. "We have the best selection of clothes on the Hill."

The front portion of the once divided room contains each boy's personal desk. Bedecked with pictures - parents, girls, sisters, brothers in service - the desks usually have a blotter which is smothered in autographs, basketball layouts, phone numbers or just plain scribbling.

The walls hold their share of scenery, too. Their collection of calendars find little use as calendars should. It's the feminine beauty above that catches most of the attention.

Although the number of inhabitants is small now, next September will undoubtedly see the room rock and shake and gleam in the glory of another hard-working Topper squad.