Welcome Freshman!

Things to bring to college, learning a new campus, and experiencing a new group of people are all things our incoming classmates are experiencing.

Back in 1924, the Washington College Y.M.C.A. made a booklet to help incoming freshmen know what was expected of them.

 

The College Archives has many of these student and freshman handbooks from throughout the years. Along with information on the history of Washington College, grading, College songs, and traditions, there are the “Freshman Rules.” The 1920s and 1930s were a time when hazing was rampant at colleges and universities around the country and these rules show how it was condoned. Rules like freshmen could only use the back doors of William Smith, freshmen must purchase a “freshman cap” to be worn at all times, and freshmen must hold themselves ready to do reasonable requests of an upperclassman. These were also enforced, and violations were adjudicated, by the Student counsel. The booklet specifically mentions that “all corporal punishment has been done away with.”

Hazing fell out of favor during WWII and with many students returning to Washington College after service, hazing of freshman and incoming students stopped, but the traditions continued on in the Fraternities and Sororities. The hazing of freshmen had a resurgence in the 1950s; Emily Dryden, class of 1956, had to wear her freshman cap and her freshman yearbook had two pages dedicated to the practice.  

By the 1970s, organized hazing once again had fallen out of favor. Today we want our new students to feel comfortable and help them navigate this new experience. We know that the best way to build comradery in our student body is through empathy and support. So, let’s remember how we all felt during our first semester at college and make this a semester of happy memories for the class of 2028.