Humor

An inset in The Dickinsonian pokes fun at coeducation in a fictional conversation between a coed and a male student.

D-son coed: (Smarting) Where would this college be without girls?

D-son man: (Cool) Penn Hall and Wilson.

Max Shulman writes another humorous piece in The Dickinsonian that doubles as a cigarette advertisement. Shulman tells that story of Blossom, an "impecunious freshman at an Eastern girls' college," who would not date due to lack of money.

In a humorous column that doubles as a cigarette advertisement, Max Shulman writes about "The Dating Season" and how to treat a girl. In order to treat a girl with respect, he jokes, a gentleman should offer a Marlboro "with its fine flavor and exclusive selectrate filter." He should also listen carefully, take her to nice places like the Bureau of Weights and Measures, and show that he is well-informed. Below the article are the words, "To the list of things girls like, add the king-size, unfiltered Philip Morris Commander."

A cartoon in The Dickinsonian humorously depicts curfew rules for co-ed students. With "Modern-Day Cinderella" at the bottom, the cartoon shows a befuddled-looking prince who watches as a young woman steps into a pumpkin carriage with only one shoe. The clock tower in the background appears to strike eleven o' clock with the words "Bong, Bong" next to it.

Writers in the 1895 Microcosm make fun of various students in a humorous section titled "Appropriate Gift Books". In this section they "recommend" certain book titles appropriate to each person. Two female students are included in this jesting, a Miss Root, who was recommended to be gifted 'Little Women' and a Miss Horn, who was recommended 'Between Two Loves'. Some of the other book titles given to the male students poke fun at women and relationships.

The men of the class of 1898 humorously lament in their class history about the lack of co-eds. The Microcosm states that the men were worried greatly because "'98 had no co-eds. The mere thought was at first unbearable." The male students continue on their lament of co-eds that "what would a class do without any of the dear ones to keep order in class meetings, fill the undesirable offices, soften the hearts of the Profs. by those bewitching smiles of which only Dickinson co-eds are capable or guilty (which ?), and the various other trifles which only the girls can do."

"To Whom It May Concern" is a poem written in the 1892 Microcosm about co-ed romance. The poem talks about a male student who has reformed all his devious ways for his "darling Archibald," a Sophomore. The poem concludes that the girl he is in love with is a co-ed, and that their romance is unknown to their parents.  

Published in the 1890 Microcosm, “Co-Education” describes the introduction of coeducation at Dickinson College.  The author of the piece asserts that coeducation at Dickinson was a direct result of the Methodist influence at the school and women’s participation within that church.  Thus, female students were accepted to the college on the same terms and with the same privileges of their male counterparts. Moreover, the author of the piece adds that the women at Dickinson contributed  to the beauty of the campus.