Fall 2001

Looking Back


The Handbook:  Bringing Up "Courteous Gentlemen"

Another academic year is upon us and the eager members of the class of 2005 have started the path to a Rose-Hulman degree. They arrived with lots of brains, healthy amounts of ambition, and probably some slight doubts about their decision to come. In other words, the class of 2005 is like every other class since 1883. Like most, they want to make friends, know how to get the good profs, how to log onto the network and collect e-mail, best pizza place and, lastly, the rules of Rose – written and unwritten – that will govern their lives for the next four years. And that’s normal, there are rules everywhere. For Rose, they will be found in a forty-six page document tucked inside each freshman packet titled Academic Rules and Procedures.

Not so many years ago The Student Handbook, as it was  known for generations, was a slim little volume 3" x 5" that could be tucked into a shirt pocket. It had the rules and a liberal amount of fatherly advice.

Under "Suggestions for New Students" (circa 1932), the young matriculants found the following: "Too many stories of college life convey false impressions. It is best not to let your reading in juvenile literature determine your ideas about temptations in college."

FRESHMAN CAP

Now, down to business – the beanie. For generations freshmen had to cover their heads with the distinctive if none too attractive green beanie. The handbook of 1922-23 was quite explicit.

"It is the custom for Freshmen at Rose to wear skull caps during the whole of the Freshman year to distinguish them from the more learned Engineers.....The caps must be worn, both on the campus and about town, from sun-up to sundown, on all days but Sundays. It is very unsafe to bring any other caps about the Institute grounds. Any Freshman violating this green-cap rule will be subject to severe discipline at the hands of the upperclassmen."

See, we do make progress at Rose!

Woe be unto the entering frosh who did not commit to memory the key laws handed down from on high since time immemorial.

1. No walking on cinder path at any time.
2. No smoking on campus.
3. No corduroy to be worn at any time.
4. Green caps (see above)
5. Caps must be obtained not later than two days after their arrival at the bookstore.
6. All freshmen (in old clothes) must be at all home games with Rosie.
7. Must carry matches at all times.
8. All freshmen must wear garters.
9. May not smoke pipes anywhere.

The goal was noble. The upperclassmen, in enforcing the rules, only wanted "to bring up the freshmen to be nice, courteous gentlemen." Penalties are also listed so as to not surprise the guilty. Failure to follow rule 3 would lead to a student being "divested of their trousers because they happen to be of the sacred corduroy variety."

ROOM AND BOARD

New students in the early 1920s were advised to introduce themselves on arrival in Terre Haute to Train Committee men, who would guide them to campus. The Train Committee men could advise on rooming houses and help find roommates. "It is best to find your roommate before renting your room, so that both will be satisfied with it....Good rooms may be rented by one person for $7 to $10 a month." Those not able or not wishing to dine in their rooming house were advised to find board nearby for convenience in bad weather and to have it understood with the owner of the rooming house that "you are to leave whenever you feel like it."

The next issue will continue a historic review of the handbook.