Religion and spirituality

In her senior oration "The Protestant Sisterhood," Olive Taylor discussed the centrality of women in religious communities throughout history. She argues that women's activity as reformers and missionaries within the church in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was unprecedented. For the first time, she asserted, protestant women were leaving the private sphere and working independently within the public sphere. However, Olive argued, women were still being the motherly figures they were born to be.

In her senior oration "The Development of Science from Superstition," Elizabeth Anna Low discussed the origins of modern scientific thought. Low argued that science originated from superstitious pracitices of early civilizations. She explained that, "To us, they seem absurd and ridiculous, and yet, to astrology, freed from its superstitions and prejudices, modern astronomy owes in part the firm basis on which it rest to-day." In conclusion, Low asserted that Americans must furhter distance themselves from such superstition in order to further scientific scholarship.

In her essay, "Women at Dickinson College," Josephine Brunyate Meredith took an in depth look at female students' role in religious life. She first looked at the Y.W.C.A., citing them as "somewhat of a problem" because they did not "reach many girls in a vital way...and lack definite objectives." However, the joint Y.W.C.A. and Y.M.C.A. meetings were well executed and well attended. She also discussed the organization of student called the "Freshman Commission." The organization held a weekly service on Sunday evenings in Metzger Hall.

In a pamphlet entitled "Topics of the Y.W.C.A. of Dickinson College Winter and Spring Terms," Dickinson's Y.W.C.A. outlines there events for the year. Such events include discussions on aid to women in other countries, health, "Mormonism as a Menace" and "What a College Girl Owes to Her Home Church." They also scheduled joint meeting with Dickinson College's Y.M.C.A.

 

In response to the posters put up by an anonymous student in protest of the Roe v. Wade anniversary posters of the Women's Center, Susannah Bartlow of the Women's Center created this lunch forum sponsered by the Women's Center, Office of Campus Life, Office of the Dean of Students, and Institutional and Diversity Initiatives.

After seeing posters attached to coat hangers put up by the Women's Center in celebration of the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, an anonymous student put up a reaction coat hanger with this poster. Some of the Womens Center celebration awareness posters included phrases like "Don't like abortion? Get a vascetomy!" and "Keep your theology off my biology."  The anonymous student wanted to make it known that abortion and other female issues are much more complicated than narrowing them down to religion/politics and other aspects of opinion.

For female Dickinsonians, this article tries to help students manage their studies while involving themselves in an extra-curricular, as well as participating in the social side of campus life. Sunday, however, remains for church and relaxing.

For mental and physical comfort, it reads:

a. A minimum of 8 hours a day of concentrated work

b. A minimum of 1 hour a day of outdoor exercise

c. A minimuim of 1 hour a day or rest or reading

d. A minimum of 8 hours a night of sleep.

A small pamphlet compiled by Dean Meredith, the Dean of Women, contains prayers and Biblical selections for: "My Neighborly Duty," "The Right Use of Time," "Loyalty," "Essential Beliefs," Profitable Troubles," "Self Discipline," "Prayer," "Enduring Happiness," and "Good Health as a Duty." Miss Margaret Eslinger  kept this little book to remember her membership in the Young Women's Christian Association.

In 1902 the officers of the organization were: Mary Ranck, Georgia Cranston, Laura Dix and Mary Mosser.

Included in the 1917-18 student handbook, published by the Christian
associations, is the full constitution of the Young Women's Christian
Association. Prior to 1913 only parts of the YWCA constitution were
printed in the student handbook. The constitution included information
on membership, meetings, Bible study, mission study, missionary work,
conventions, student conferences, and its mission statement. Article II
of the constitution states that the object of the organization "shall
be the development of Christian character in its members and the