An article in The Dickinsonian entitled "Sororities: A Time for Self-Analysis" examines the role and possibility for continuance of sororities. According to the article, sorority women are just as likely to befriend women who are not sisters due to the living arrangements for female students at Dickinson.
An article in The Dickinsonian, "New Social Rules Changes Result from SREC Efforts," explained some of the changes adopted that the Social Rules Evaluation Committee proposed, including unchaperoned visiting hours for women in fraternity houses as well as more permissive visiting policies for men in sorority houses. The SREC's proposals also resulted in increased late hours and car privileges for upperclass women with a minimum grade point average.
An editorial in The Dickinsonian criticizes campus social rules, especially those that pertain to women. The author insists that students are capable of behaving well and gives the example of the faculty allowing women visitors upstairs in fraternities, which "did not result in an upsurge of pregnancies." The editorial calls upon the Women's Interdormitory Council to extend these curfews on weekends to bring Dickinson's policies in line with comparable schools. The author also believes that the college should allow drinking upstairs in the fraternity when women are not present.
In 1958, Chi Omega members contributed to the Tri-County-Crippled Children's Home and supported Christmas and Easter Seal envelopes. According to the Microcosm entry, Chi Omegas had a "heavily laden" social calendar involving activities such as Frisbee matches against Sigma Chi, hockey games against Phi Kaps during the fall sports season, dessert parties, "raking" parties, and other socials with men's fraternities. Seniors were honored at their "High Society" formal, and pledges at the pledge formal dance.
Continuing the four-year tradition of electing a "Miss Microcosm" from Dickinson's coeds, the 1958 editorial staff of the Microcosm selected nine students from the nominations of fourteen national fraternities. The staff submitted photos of these women to three judges, who chose one Miss Microcosm, which the yearbook presented "as Dickinson's finest in grace, beauty, and charm."
The 1957 Microcosm continued its three-year custom of electing a "Miss Microcosm" along with her court. Like in 1956, fourteen national fraternities on campus nominated female students from which the editorial staff selected nine. These nine appeared before three judges who chose them based on their beauty and charm. They elected Barbara James Kline, a married student, as "Miss Microcosm." The runners up were Patricia Townsend, Mary Greensides, Patricia Eshelman, Inge Paul, Joan Brownell, Sue Fooder, Jeanne Thomas, and Nancy Cross.
Instead of presenting campus queens or Varga girls in the features section of the 1952 Microcosm, the staff chose to highlight social events from the year. They chose five events, including Homecoming, the Christmas season (which comprised a Nativity Play and a Doll Dance, among other activities), the Mid-Winter Ball, the Inter-Fraternity Weekend, and the Follies.
The Dickinsonian reports that the Pan-Hellenic dance, chaired by Ellen Morrow, would be scaled back from previous years. According to the president of the Pan-Hellenic Council, Elinor G. Derr, they would not hire a professional interior decorator and would use records for music. The dance would be Pan-Hellenic Week's only all-College event.
Dorothy F. Nagle (Class of 1946) reports in an interview that the departure of male students during World War II had an immense impact on the campus community. After they left, there were no football or basketball games and only a few "intramural attempts." Many of the female students who had boyfriends in the service waited to receive mail, and female students kept track of friends and followed war campaigns.
Jane Myers Sellers (Class of 1955) describes in an interview the relationship male and female students had at Dickinson during the 1950s. She reports that there were panty raids, water fights, and serenading. During these so-called "panty raids," men would invade the women's dormitories and steal panties.