November 14, 1958
THE SALEMITE
Page Three
Studying And Homemaking
Don’t Jive Says Mrs. May
The Silent Years - No Giggle Until 1900
Extract from the Rules of Salem
Female Academy 1817.
■ “In a recent class our visiting
poet referred to an article he had
written entitled “Shakespeare at
three o’clock.” The title , of this
article could go a little farther
than his and could pertain to
eleven students in the Day Stu
dent Center — “Shakespeare (or
American History, or Home Ec.
112) at seven o’clock while cook
ing poached eggs and scraping
burnt toast.”
iThese eleven students who have
just been referred to, are of course
the married populace at Salem Col-
iJege who are, with some difficul
ties, attempting to receive a col
lege diploma and at the same time
clean house, cook three meals a
day, keep within a reasonable bud
get—without the help of Mr. Sna
yely—and keep husbands happy and
gay.
This seems to be desirable to
Tjinety-nine percent of the Salem
girls who often comment, “Oh, how
lucky you are.” But, then others
seem to understand the difficult
tasks by saying, “How do you get
everything done while going, to
school and trying to keep house
The reply—“We don’t.”
Take for instance six weeks
tests, which this year began three
weeks after school began. How
can you make a passing grade and
keep a clean house? The answer
is simple. You compromise. Either
husband keeps wearing that same
shirt he has been wearing for the
past five days and keeps bathing
in a tub which has five rings or
^lou fail the test, hoping you’ll have
a chance to take a re-test.
Now this brings to my mind
another problem. There are two
types of husbands—those who are
also going to school and can there
fore study at night with their
Salem wives, and those who work
during the day and have nothing
to do at night while their wives
are studying. It is this last type
of husbamd which is the problem
-how to entertain him. He can’t
turn on TV since this is a dis
turbance to his wife’s studious
mind; the poker game meets only
twice a month; the price of movies
is too high for the budget. But
the problem has been solved by
some students One such husband
has become an authority on Stein
beck, Hemingway and Tennessee
Williams—due to his wife’s taste
in literature; another has become
first-rate dishwasher, due to his
wife’s disorganization of house
hold chores; and another has de
veloped the habit of going to bed
at 8:30.
The study habits of the married
student species are also different.
Instead of writing a paper be
tween classes, a married student
writes one between changing the
washing machine loads; a chapter
in physics is read between bed-
making and dusting; and a chap
ter in U. S. History is studied be
tween “shirts.”
So, you can see that it goes
hard for those eleven students
Although they may pass college
studies, they will more than likely
make incomplete on housekeeping
—Shan Helms May
agine what we would have done— been around even way back in
“In the morning immediately
after the ringing of the bell, the
pupils are to rise, and go to their
rooms in silence. No one shall
leave the sleeping hall before the
bell rings.
“Each pupil will have a place as
signed to her in one of the wash
rooms. In that room and in no
other, she is to wash at all times.
“The bath rooms are never to
be visited except for the purpose
of taking baths. Baths can be
taken only by special permission,
and at times indicated by the
teachers.
“When meeting for class or
changing classes, all noise, con
fusion and loud talking must be
avoided. Order and decorum at
these times are strictly enjoined.
“At table, all loud and unneces
sary talking is positively forbid
den, and no waste of victuals dare
be attempted.
“At bed-time, the pupils will de
voutly attend evening prayers, and
then retire to bed in perfect silence
and order. No talking, whispering
or disturbance of any kind whatso
ever can be tolerated in the sleep-,
ing apartments.”
Anyone for a convent? I got
the “clause” just copying these
things off the wall in Babcock.
How could a human being live
under those rules ? Can you im-
Yes, so can I.
Of ;ourse, I thought, these girls
probably were just like we are, and
if we could see a personal side
of them, we would find that as
many funny and silly things hap
pened in their Old Moravian Cam
pus as do today. Well, they didn’t!
Proof of this lies in the “Trea
sure Room” of the library. On the
third floor, behind one of those
little doors you never notice on
your way to the record room or
to a seminar room, lies the “Trea- ;
sure Room.” The “Treasures” are
old letters and books, libraries,
diaries, autograph albums, and even
sea shells.
After I read a few of the letters
and some of the autograph albums,
it was obvious to one that these
poor girls were content to live
this. For example, Maria Crockett
says in a letter to her father dated
January 13, 1818;
“I am happy, my dear father, to
inform you that this place is much
healthier than it was some time
ago, all the young ladies that were
afflicted have recovered their health
again.
The
green
death” must have
1818!
“On last Monday, we went to
the church and heard the rules of
the school read which I thought
were very good.”
This child is bound to be a
robot! And to top it all off, she
didn’t even get home for Christmas.
Even in talking to their friends
and in signing autograph books
these “Salem Females” were always
serious. I don’t believe there was
a giggle heard here from 1772 until
1900. Just look at this autograph;
“Ever around you are duties.
And lessons will come each day;
Rich rewards will fidelity bring
you.
Though rainbows may vanish
away.”
Affectionately
S. E. Shaffner
Salem
May 29, 1885
By this time 1 was thoroughly
depressed from thinking how hor
rible their existence must have
been that I screamed and got a
call down from making noise.
Things really haven’t changed so
much after all.
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