Humor

The 1888 January Dickinsonian starts off the New Year with a brief article about the "advantages" of co-education. Apparently, the president of the class of 1889 deviated from his speech because he had caught the eye of a particular co-ed that he was found of, in front of everyone. The Dickinsonian further comments upon the scene that if only the 1890 class president had glanced in the same direction, his speech might have been more inspired.

Cornelia B. White (Class of 1907), writes a limerick for The Salmagundi, a literary publication by the Harman Literary Society. The limerick is of, but what else, the Harman Literary Society. She praises how the society is "composed of some twenty maids charmin'...their knowledge was something alarmin'."

Included in Marion Bell's scrapbook is a song composed by the Metzger Girls about their Dean, Josephine Meredith:

I.

"We are the girls from old Metzger Hall,

We might as well be within prison walls,

For the "Creep" is always there,

Lurking behind each door and chair,

She never laughs and she never smiles,

She disapproves of us and our styles,

As we girls go screaming by

She utters with a sigh:

"Nice girls don't scream."

II.

In Metzger Hall we ain't got no mice,

The February 1889 issue of the Dickinsonian documents the occurrence that the co-ed bench was vandalized in the lecture room. The "muse of poetry" had paid a visit to Dickinson and wrote a poem on the bench about the co-eds. The poem states that "this is where they [co-eds] sit: They always want to go ahead, and won't be left a bit...they always are just right...and give the class much light."`

The July 1888 Dickinsonian discusses the occurrences and speeches given at the 105th commencement of the senior class. One of the speeches includes humorous and bogus gifts for each of the members of the senior class. For the women, such as Hildegarde Longsdorff, she would receive the gift of a ballot box for her "strong opinions on Woman's Suffrage." Another female classmate, Elizabeth Bender, would receive a marriage certificate because of what is in store for her future.

The "Locals" section of the October 1887 Dickinsonian contains a brief spoof on a graduate who was against co-education. "Crooks" from the class of 1889 was notorious for speaking out against co-education, but as the Dickinsonian had noted, Crooks was now attending Wellesley, a women's college. The Dickinsonian comments upon how Crooks was always "considered to be a bitter foe of co-education...but here appears a mysterious inconsistency...[he] has become a "co-ed" at Wellesley."

"Advice to the Freshman" is a piece written in the 1887 October Dickinsonian, giving some tips to the incoming freshman class. One part of the piece gives advice to the freshman women about their appearances.

The January 1886 Dickinsonian mentions one of the advantages of women receiving an education. This advantage is that it makes them independent, or in "homely phraseology 'able to hoe their own row'."This case of independence has become manifested in the college's co-eds by the community's observation of them.

In the 1885 December Dickinsonian, "Gussie" warns against the Co-eds. He calls Co-eds "a thing of recent invention and dangerous to meddle with." Gussie also advises other men that it is impolite to "call sixteen times a week at the same house."

The "Locals" section of the November 1885 Dickinsonian comments upon the curious case of the male student, "Crooks." Apparently, Crooks despises the female students, who unfortunately most of them have a "crush" on him. The Dickinsonian scolds him on being against them, because he of all people should be for the co-eds.