Social codes/rules

The discussion of new freshman rules at the April 30, 1923 meeting of the Women's Student Senate were documented in the senate's minutes. At the meeting, some of the following rules were suggested: that "there should be no curled hair for the first two weeks...there should be no powder or cosmetics for a certain period...[and that] it should be compulsory that...stockings be worn for a certain length of time..." The minutes mentioned no further action on these rules.

On October 2, 1922 the minutes to the Women's Student Senate were recorded and there was more discussion on rules for freshmen women. On the previous case of a student disobeying the rule of not wearing her freshman arm band, the senate decided not to punish her on the grounds that she was a freshman previously at Wilson College. Punishments for freshmen women who violate their rules were discussed and determined at the meeting. For the girls who live at Metzger Hall, they "should make beds" and that the "Day Students should wash the blackboards at Denny."

From the Eslinger Scrapbook, there are three small pamphlets on Good Manners and Good Form: Courtesy of To-Day Between Men and Women, At the Table, and Entertaining. At the Table, men should seat women first from oldest to youngest. One's waist should remain 5 inches from the table's edge. Don't eat with your mouth open. Elbows, while eating ,should be no more than 6 inches away from the body on either side.

The September 25, 1922 minutes from the Women's Student Senate discussed various affairs, one particularly emphasized was the case of female freshmen rules. It was decided that freshmen women had to wear arm bands to breakfast and on their coats. Failure to comply with this rule caused the creation of the "freshman rule", as one woman learned. She had been a freshman at a previous college and then came here, refusing to wear her arm band.

From the Wishmeyer Scrapbook, this listing provides over a dozen rules and regulations for all girls rushing sororities. Things like social phone calls between upperclass women and freshman  and showing any "preference between upperclassmen and freshman or rushee or unaffiliated upperclasswoman going through rush" are absolutely forbidden. In the text here, counselors must remain impartial and not support any one sorority by wearing letters or insignia or discussing certain sororities.

A photograph from the Wishmeyer Scrapbook shows a room ransacked of its contents during the rush season. The caption reads: "During the 'Silent Period' we raided our counsellors' room of all contents- what could they say??!" This probably relates to the many rules, also found in the Wishmeyer Scrapbook, listed as Fall Panhellenic Rules, that female students faced while rushing and pledging.

On April 4th, 1921, a special meeting was called for the resignation of the president of the Student Senate and was documented in the Women's Student Senate minutes. At this special meeting, the Dean of Women, Josephine Meredith, attended and explained that "certain matters of discipline [were] under consideration" for the president of the Student Senate. The president of the Student Senate's resignation letter was read at the meeting in order to make the resignation finalized.

From the Wishmeyer scrapbook, this schedule of meals includes etiquette regarding when to say or sing Grace before meals, seating assignments, and dress code. All meals are family style and occur at specific times throughout the day, much unlike our modern cafeteria meal plans today.

The minutes from the Women's Student Senate meeting on October 25, 1920 discuss issues brought to the association. One of these issues was the possibility of having a female cheerleader and what they should do about the matter. Another issue brought forth was the permission to allow females to march to games as a body. No resolution on either of these issues was documented in the minutes.

Because of a recent tragic death of a female student at a nearby college, Dean Meredith and the College crack down on the rules regarding the female students' travel plans. Women are now required to get an "Absence from Metzger" card every time the student wishes to go on a trip overnight or late at night. This card supplies information both to the college and at home of where the student will be staying, with whom, who will be driving and when they will return.