Dating

Found in Marion Bell's personal scrapbook from her years at Dickinson College (1941-46), this document of six pages outlines female regulations in dress and socialization in games, bars, dancing, and dining, with a special section regarding social possibilities on Sundays. It also includes rules regarding curfews, tardiness, noise disturbances, and distinctions between freshman women and upperclassmen not "on rules- those having a 75 average." It even provides a section for transfer students.

A complaint was brought forth in the 1888 February issue of the Dickinsonian. According to those attended a certain church service on Sunday, "the billing and cooing of a certain sophomore and a co-ed" was found quite disruptive to others. They felt that the "silly antics of a love-sick couple" should not be allowed to degrade the college name. The display put on by the couples was so offensive to its viewers that a "stage or dime museum" was found more preferable.

A male student, "Ashley," is quoted about the attractiveness of the female students in the 1888 February Dickinsonian. Ashley defends himself from being accused of flirting during chapel exercises, because he feels that "no man can withstand the winsome appeals of the lovely co-eds of Dickinson College." He further affirms that he can only but respond to those feminine appeals, even if it is in the form of "an occasional smile."

An untitled poem in the 1908 Microcosm discusses how springtime means opportunity for the men of Dickinson College. The springtime turns a young man's fancy to "thoughts of the co-ed hall." Outside of the hall the men will linger "like a bee about the hive, waiting for the honeyed sweetness of the honey-comb inside." These are the "supposed" daily occurrences of the men in springtime at Dickinson College.

"A Tight Place" is a poem written about what a man will do for a fellow "inmate of Lloyd Hall" that he has feelings for. Wanting to grab her attention, the man asks her if she can make good fudge. The woman agreed to make some, so long as the man bought her all the supplies needed. Unfortunately for the man, he realized that he had no money in his pockets, being that he was in his Sunday clothes. Kindly, a fellow female friend lent him the money needed, rather than one of his male friends. The man successfully bought all the necessary items, and the girl never found out about his plight.

"Queenie's Balm for Lovers" is a whimsical piece about dating questions fellow Dickinsonians might have. One of the questions is about a man who has fallen in love with a fellow co-ed student that is in all of his classes, but does not know how to approach her. Another question is about co-ed romance, except this time the man has too many co-eds that like him. In total, he has 8 co-eds that are after his affections and is confused on how to choose the right one for him. These and other questions on such "tangled love affairs" are answered by a said "Queenie".

"To Mrs. McAnney" is a poem published in the 1907 Microcosm about the woman who watches over the females in their housing. According to the poet, these co-eds are "seldom happy, unless they're with a boy." In order to see these co-eds though, the men have to keep Mrs. McAnney happy when they are at the "Hen Roost" for she will always "treat them square."

"After the Exam" is a poem about a male student being taken by a female student's charms after class one day. On this particular day they had taken an exam and the female student tells the male one that she had flunked the exam today. The male student cannot believe what kind of Professor would "flunk such a winsome lass? Her smile would be worth an "A" to me." He further states that he would have passed her in an instant, if he were the Professor, even if she had only given him the slightest nod.

A comic strip published in the Microcosm depicts a man's lament at the complications of dating at Dickinson. The 4 scenes show the man getting ready to visit his lover and how he wants to be close to her, but because of formal rules they have to be chaperoned by a Mrs. Love and have to distance themselves.

"Betsy" was a poem written in the Microcosm basically about a male student's infatuation with a fellow female Chemistry classmate. When "Betsy" comes into his Chemistry class, he falls in love with her and tries to "woo" her, but she is too shy and distant to take notice. This poem is representative of the male and female romances that sprung from both having class together. There was possibly one girl, Elizabeth "Bessie" or "Betsy" Armstrong who was often noted as enjoying scientific labs that this poem could have been written about.