Freshman Rules: The 1920's
Only two 1920's editions of the Hand Book are held in the Archives' collection.
1922-23 Hand Book
This edition of the Hand Book includes nothing specifically relating to freshmen, indeed, it is more of a list of important facts related to the college--train schedules, sports scores, school songs, etc.--than a rules and regulations manual. Many of the rules and regulations may be found in the Annual Catalogs of the period.
1925-26 Hand Book, the "FROSH BIBLE"
This Hand Book
resembles the 1922-23 edition in most ways. The primary difference is the
inclusion of Freshmen Rules:
(P. 12)
FROSH BEWARE
The following rules are drawn up by your superiors for your benefit and must be obeyed at all times. Blow out your hair brain rather than not keep them sacred.
RULES
1. Every freshman must wear at all times a regulation green cap with a
brown button, which shall in no way be mutilated or destroyed.
2. No student shall wear athletic, class, or society insignia from
preparatory or normal schools.
3. Freshmen shall attend all class meetings, pep meetings, athletic
contests, mass meetings and they shall not leave same until closed by proper
authorities.
4. Freshmen must speak to all other freshmen.
5. Freshmen shall not speak to upper classmen unless spoken to first or
shall not talk back to upper classmen when being instructed by them.
6. Every freshman shall wear a tag on which his name is legibly printed,
the letters to be one half inch, the tag to be three inches square.
7. Freshmen shall not call upon or accompany any lady except when
entertaining visitors, or at such social functions as the senate shall
designate. The senate shall decide whether or not advantage of this rule
has been taken.
8. All Freshmen are required to memorize college songs and yells.
9. All class rushes are under the supervision of the student senate.
10. Under classmen shall not be permitted to adorn their faces with any
growths of hair.
11. New men shall not take a seat in the street car until all old men are
seated.
12. New men shall remain back of the bakery door and back of the monastery
door until all old men have entered the refectory.
13. Freshmen shall back and subscribe all college publications.
14. The order of leaving the chapel and refectory, is according to class
seniority.
15. Freshmen shall carry matches at all time for the upper classmen.
16. Freshmen shall always be at the service of athletic managers;
they will be assigned to duty according to alphabetical order.
17. Freshmen shall keep their hands out of their pockets at all times.
18. Beware of walking on the grass, the sidewalks were made to use.
19. Freshmen must not use the middle stair case, and must enter or leave
the college building by the SOUTHERN BASEMENT DOOR.
20. Permission to tread on the walk leading from the central door of the
college to the gymnasium is forbidden.
21. Freshmen must enter and leave the grounds by the eastern walk.
22. Freshmen must not occupy the first ten rows in the theatres.
23. A three game series shall be played during the second week of
May. If the Frosh are victors they may discard the green caps, if not,
they shall be worn till the end of the school year.
24. The privilege of accepting rides is forbidden to all freshmen till
after the first semester.
25. All college men who have not been under freshmen rules a whole year
are subjected to these regulations.
26. All Freshmen shall room on either the third or fourth floors, no Frosh
are allowed to room with upper classmen.
Note. Rule 7 will become passe if the freshmen win the fall flag rush.
THE SOLE POWER SHALL BE VESTED IN THE SENATE TO INTERPRET ANY OF THESE RULES.
Verily it is said that the hand of Justice is heavy. Woe be unto the disobedient for it will descend with all its weight upon the soft head of any pea green Frosh. who is condemed by the Class of 1928.
The October 19, 1928 edition of The St. Bona Venture noted that "Freshman Rules Become Effective During Week" in a front page article. The piece quoted nine of the rules, which varied little from the 1925-6 set listed above.
What were some positive comments people had to say?
What were some negative comments people had to say?
Additional Information About Rules
Bibliography, Links, Author and Acknowledgements
Page added 21
March 2005 by D. Frank
Last updated: 02 March 2006