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According to Maragaret McAdoo's experience while on Dickinson as recorded on her interview, she observed that there always seem to be 200 more men than women on the Dickinson campus. She further elaborated by stating that a quota was implemented that the male female ratio could not be more than 3 to 1. Thus, out of a total enrollment of 600, women only made up 150 out of the total student body population. This trend, she said, continued even as the Second World War persisted.

As explained by Margaret McAdoo in her interview, due to the College's lack of a widespread social ambiance fellow Dickinsonians had to rely on the Fraternities and Sororities on campus to hold social events for their entertainment. At the time women joined sororities just for the simple reason that there was nothing else to do. According to Margaret McAdoo "there were no parties... So it was...just left up to the group of fraternities and sororities"

The "New Gym", as it was referred to at that time, was the locale of which all soon to be graduating women of Dickinson rushed to, weeks before graduation in order to complete their physical education requirement. As reminisced by Margaret McAdoo in her interview, this regulation implemented by the college required that all women learn how to swim in order to graduate. (Ironically it is important to note that Dickinson did not have a womens swim team at the time).

In her interview, Margaret McAdoo explained that Metzger Hall, located six blocks away from the main campus, housed all the women of Dickinson College. Situated on North Hannover St., she stated that it offered its female residents dinning services, exercising facilities as well as one of their only sources of entertainment.For females on the Dickinson campus Metzger Hall was the only place they could and ever lived in.

At a Saturday meet hosted by Dickinson College, the Women's Track and Field team won first place in many of the events. Winners included Susan Bergh in the 800 meter and the 1500 meter run, Ruth Kline in the 100 meter and 200 meter run, Bridget Niland in the 3000 and 5000 meter runs, and Jacqui Zelno in the long jump and triple jump. Rachel Huffman, Baird, Zelno, and Kline took the 400 meter relay, and Bergh, Baird, Kline, and Zelno set a school record in the 1600 relay. Lisa Walaas won the discus throw.

A group of unidentified Dickinson students organized themselves and produced a pamphlet in hopes of bringing about awareness and stopping violence on campus.  “Its right here; RIGHT HERE ON THIS CAMPUS,” reads the headline on the first page, and is followed by the mission of the article/pamphlet.  Their demands include the investigation and end to all fraternity and sorority related hazing and ritualized violence and the investigation and prosecution of any act of hazing or ritualized violence by the college.  “Hazing has become painfully obvious,” and “detrimental to the social and intelle

Included in the STOP THE VIOLENCE publication, is Dickinson College’s definition of hazing as it appears in the student handbook.  It appears that “the breaking of these rules has become so routine on this campus that most people do not even realize it is against the law.”  On the same page, personal accounts of violent acts, some quite horrific, are included.  The names of all involved are withheld for safety reasons. 

 

In a particularly gruesome experience documented in the STOP THE VIOLENCE publication, a student recounts a night at an SAE party in which violence towards women was the party’s theme.  She recounts  misogynistic posters and that the brothers tried to deny that this mentality towards women was the theme of the festivities.

The STOP THE VIOLENCE publication includes numerous accounts of violence against women.  The accounts often deal with sexual violence and almost all of them include some form of humiliation and embarassment for the women who were invloved. 

The Dickinsonian discusses the changes resulting from having a sophomore (rather than freshman) year sorority and fraternity rush. 250 women rushed the five on-campus sororities.

This article by Features Editor Ken Ross comments that “Although
the campus itself continues to improve with age, now is the time for ‘real’
social change at the College.” Ross brings up such issues as the lack of availability
of condoms on campus (except when the Health Center is open), the scarcity of ‘alternative’
(alcohol-free) activities on campus and the situation of women on campus. He
says:

“Professor Kim Rogers, assistant
professor of history and chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women,
recently submitted the committee’s final report to Steven McDonald, Associate
Dean of the College and President Fritschler.

An opinion piece responding to many of the issues raised by the College's status of women report, incorporating discussion of the recent confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas.

The October 29, 1991 issue of the Carlisle Sentinel announced the events at Dickinson for Rape Awareness week, sponsored by the Women's Center and the Sexuality Resource Group, which included a play by the Awareness Act touring group and a "Take Back the Night" rally and march.

The Dickinsonian reports the responses of five students to the question: "How do you view the Women's Center?"

This "Features" article discusses the recently-created Pro-Choice Alliance group at Dickinson, headed by junior Elizabeth Webber. Since its founding at the beginning of the semester, the group grew to have a mailing list of 245 "which includes students, faculty and administration . . . about one-quarter are men."

In what appears to be a tri-fold pamphlet, distributed by the STOP THE VIOLENCE anonymous group, students, specifically women,  are encouraged to speak out against sexual violence.  The pamphlet poses several thought-provoking arguments, asking the reader if they have noticed that "women's issues are not taken seriously" and why Dickinson "worries more about lawsuits than protecting [women] from rape."  The pamphlet hopes to compel women to "end the silence and stop the violence."

An editorial piece discussing the possibility of making condoms available in
residence halls, stating “if that course of action saves just one individual
from an unwanted pregnancy or the AIDS virus, it will be worth it.”

In this Dickininsonian article from March 1992, the issue of percieved gender roles for professors and staff at the College is discussed. The need for not just more women professors but women professors across all academic disciplines is addressed.

This Dickinsonian article covers an abortion rights protest in Washington D.C. that over 100 Dickinson College students attended and participated in.

Two articles on the front page of the April 16, 1992 Dickinsonian discussed the talk and reactions to the talk given in ATS by former Sports Illustrated model Ann Simonton about women, exploitation and the media.

This Dickinsonian article discusses the prevelence of eating disorders on college campus and what Dickinson specifically does to identify and treat these illnesses.

In the October 22, 1992 edition of The Dickinsonian, Vikram
Dhawer reports on the coming events of the third annual Rape Awareness
Week as well as rape statistics for the world and Dickinson College.

In a letter to the Editor in the October 29, 1992 edition of The Dickinsonian, Julie Wise of the Women's Center  addresses the need for better communication and clearer consent in sexual relationships to avoid rape.

Tracy Rhoades reports for The Dickinsonian on the successful 1993 Rape Awareness Week and the new events and programs involved.

The Carlisle Sentinel reports in its February 9, 1993
edition on the upcoming exhibit entitled "The Clothesline Project" which
appeared at Dickinson and displayed T-shirts made by women who were
victims of abuse or violence in the central Pennsylvania area.

This article from the Dickinsonian, February 18, 1993, reports on "The Clothesline Project" on display in the Social Hall and calls for awareness and action.

On March 9, 1993 The Carlisle Sentinel published an article on
Bettina Gregory's talk at Dickinson as part of Women's History Week,
sponsored by the Women's Center.  In her talk, Gregory addressed the
changing situation of women in Washington, D.C.

A photo of Bettina Gregory, ABC News correspondent, speaking at Dickinson for Women's History Week from the March 11, 1993 Dickinsonian.

Mikelene Elash reported in The Carlisle Sentinel's April 19, 1993 edition on two events occuring as part of a symposium co-sponsored by the Women's Center at Dickinson entitled "Women in the 90's: Facing the Challenges."  One event was a discussion on sisterhood between black and white women.  THe other was a panel on the multiple choices facing young women.

In this letter to the editor in the April 29, 1993 edition of The Dickinsonian, Hannah Fretz, '94, complains about the lack of coverage of Women's History Week and the Women's Studies Conference other than two photographs in a paper filled with more trivial news.

On November 11, 1993, Matt Kinsman reported for The Dickinsonian
on the events of Rape Awareness Week, including educational forums
hosted by the Women's Center and a "Take Back the Night" rally and
march.

 

This advertisement in the November 11, 1993 edition of The Dickinsonian lists available services and locations for the Hillcrest Women's Medical Center.

In her Letter to the Editor in the November 11, 1993 Dickinsonian, Erica Stoutenburgh '94 explains why she distributed a survey on rape at Dickinson and why addressing rape is important.

This article by Erica Stoutenburgh in The Dickinsonian, November 11, 1993, presents the results of a survey on rape and sexual assault handed out to women on campus. 
The survey asked questions about incidents on and off campus, before or
during the woman's time at Dickinson, and the woman's classification. 

Anima: The Journal of Human Experience (Spring 1994, vol. 20 #2)
presents an article on the Clothesline Project exhibit at Dickinson,
organized by the Women's Center as part of Dickinson's 1993 Public
Affairs Symposium on Violence in American Society.  The exhbit contained
over 90 shirts contributed by women who were victims of violence.  The
article includes pictures of some of the T-shirts along with
explanations by their designers.

In this article from March 10, 1994, Erica Stoutenburgh reports for The Dickinsonian on a talk given by Rebecca Walker on ten guidelines for 'the Third Wave of Feminism.'

Frances Vuilleumier (Class of 1924) claims in an interview that the college viewed men and women equally in the 1920s. She believes faculty like female students because they performed better in the classroom than their male colleagues. Frances recalls completing the same academic work as male students did.

Frances Vuilleumier (Class of 1924) explains in an interview that her sorority, Phi Mu, did not extend membership to black or Jewish students, adding that there "was probably some[one] else we didn't allow." Calling Phi Mu exclusive, she explains that these practices were normal during that period. She points to the 1960s as the decade in which "they didn't stand for that anymore," although the national chapter of some sororities, according to Vuilleumer, still prevented the pledging of minority women.

Frances Vuilleumier (Class of 1924) describes in an interview how she met her husband, Ernest Albert Vuilleumier, in her chemistry class. The current dean placed her in the class, and according to Frances, "being new, I required a good deal of assistance, you know, so somehow or other..." Professor Vuilleumier, who chaperoned dances, sent a note to Frances inviting her to a fraternity dance. Frances explains that it was acceptable for female students to date professor as "it had happened before." Previously, President James Henry Morgan married a student.

Frances Vuilleumier (Class of 1924) reports in an interview that Dickinson had four sororities: Pi Phi, Chi Omega, Phi Mu, and Zeta Tua Alpha. She characterizes Pi Phi as the oldest and strongest sorority as well as the only sorority that "survived." According to Vuilleumier, "it was considered quite a good thing to be a Pi [Phi]," and daughters of faculty members often joined Pi Phi. Chi Omega, explains Vuilleumier, was not as old as Pi Phi. Vuilleumier claims that its members were "very social." Vuilleumier's sorority, Phi Mu, was a newer sorority and was always academic.

In her paper entitled "Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Life at Dickinson," Alison Thomas analysed Dickinson's burgeoning GLB movement on campus and what caused the sudden consciousness. To do so, she interviewed a variety of Dickinsonians, many who identified as queer.

Mary Louise Shuman, who attended Dickinson during World War II, reports in an interview that Dickinson College had difficulty when it moved female students to East College. According to Shuman, the dean of women was concerned because the building, which had not previously been a women's dormitory, had fire escapes; she worried that men would enter the dormitory via the fire escapes.

In 1994, the Equality House gained Student Senate Recognition. According to their constitution the purpose was to establish "equal opportunity for every person without regards for the indivdual's sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, and monetary or physical status... The Equality House is formed with the purpose of working for the development and preservation of the Equal Rights of every person in the Dickinson Community."

This article in The Dickinsonian, discusses the Breast Cancer Awareness session sponsered by Wheel and Chain.

This Dickinsonian article discusses Rape Awareness Week that began with "Take Back the Night", a march through the dining hall which culminated in a "speak out" in the HUB.

This Dickinsonian article discusses the review of the College's sexual harrasment policy following a request from the Women's Commission the previous year.

This Dickinsonian article discusses the visit and lecture given by Dr Janice Hamlet, Director of Ethnic Studies at Shippensburg University, as part of the College's celebration of Women's History Week. Her speech "centered on the role of black feminist thought in modern society." Hamlet was introduced by Dickinson Senior Liz Torpey who said "We need more of an African-American dimension in our curriculum."

This Dickinsonian article discusses the College's upcoming first annual symposium of Latina and Chicana literature. The three women writers invited to visit are "part of a group of women that has increasingly contributed to the discussion of Latina and Chicana issues. Before this period of time, women did not have a very strong voice to express their own opinions regarding the experiences of Latinas and Chicanas."

This Dickinsonian article discusses how a delegation of students from the College "joined over 100,000 women as they rallied in Washington, D.C., protesting violence against women." It mentions the inclusion of the Clothesline Project, both at the rally itself and at Dickinson.