Greek Life

College report evaluates the status of women

Date
October 17, 1991

“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.

Students adjust to sophomore rush- Over 250 women rush

Date
September 26, 1991

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.

A Female Graduate of the Class of 1923 Described Herself as an Activist While Attending Dickinson College

Date
March 1979

In her 1979 Women as Leaders Survey sent out by Dickinson College, a graduate of 1923 remembers her days at Dickinson. When asked about the issues of the day, the alum remembers, "our topic of debate was the Equal Rights Amendment."

She goes on to recall the anger at there being two senates: a women's and a school senate run by men. To protest the issue, a group of women attended the men's senate.

The Student Handbook Describes the Doll Dance, 1951-52

Date
January 1, 1951

In the 1951-52 Student Handbook describes the annual Doll Dance in its "Social Events" section. The handbook explains that the dance is held on the last night before Christmas Vacation. It was started by female Dickinsonians in 1901 when they promised Mrs. Maude Ballington Booth that they would "make and collect dolls to be given to the children of New York prisoners." Dancing and skits by students were central to the activities of the evening.

A Female Graduate Describes Her Experiences in Graduate School, 1922

Date
November 12, 1922

In her letter to President Morgan dated November 12, 1922, Helen Witmer describes her experiences as a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Witmer was struck by the sheer size of the University and asserted that there were 30,000 people at the homecoming football game alone. Though she was impressed, Witmer explained that she would "still prefer to see an F&M v. Dickinson game."

"The State of Women at Dickinson"

Date
May 1981

Christina Bartolomeo writes an article for The Dickinson College Magazine in the May issue of the publication about the state of women on campus. In her article she includes several interviews from various women on campus, many of whom say that the status of women is discouraging.

Women, why are you SILENT?!

Date
February 5, 1992

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."

Will the violence towards women ever stop?

Date
1991

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. 

Misogynists on Campus

Date
1991

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.

Prohibition of Hazing

Date
1991

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. 

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