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The College Blue Book The following are excerpts taken from the College Blue Book: A Guide for Courteous Collegians. The guide was first published in April 1934 by the Northwest Missouri State Teachers College and was sponsored by the Student Senate with contributions from about 300 Northwest students. Look for additional excerpts in future issues of the Northwest Alumni Magazine. Yes, times have certainly changed.
Northwest college students in the 1930s and 1940s, including those attending this Sigma Phi Epsilon dance, were given the College Blue Book: A Guide for Courteous Collegians, which provided reminders about proper social etiquette.
Part I: Campus Courtesies The underlying principle of true courtesy is consideration of others. It is exhibited in simple, natural, sincere manners. To be truly satisfying, a genuinely kind impulse must be implemented by a knowledge of etiquette. To criticize or ridicule the behavior of others is evidence of the greatest lack of social training and refinement. It is always important to remember that it is better for you to break a rule of etiquette than to hurt someone’s feelings or to make them uncomfortable. It is important for you to know the correct names of the members of the faculty, who should be addressed by the title to which their position or academic degrees entitle them. It shows lack of
respect to greet a faculty member with “Hello,” or refer to him by his last name without some sort of title. Faculty members appreciate such courtesies as having you open a door or having you rise when they enter the room or stop to talk to you. Part II: Introducing An introduction which is suitable for practically every occasion is: “Miss Senior, this is Miss Freshman.” You always present the younger to the older or more distinguished person, but a man is always presented to a woman. A more formal type of introduction is: “Miss Faculty, may I present Mr. Sophomore?” It is always better to ask a name again than to neglect to make introductions. A man always rises for an introduction, and a woman rises if it is made by or to an older person. A man always rises when a woman enters the room, as does a young woman when an older woman enters or is standing. The only phrase that is recognized in the best society as an acknowledgement of an introduction is: “How do you do?” You do not say “Pleased to meet you” and like phrases. If you are in doubt about shaking hands, let the older or more distinguished person make the first move. n
Freshman Rules and Regulations Northwest Missourian September 12, 1929
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1.
The word “Freshman” as used in this connection means any student of the college who has less than twenty hours of college credit upon enrolling for the fall quarter. However, a student who has been enrolled in this College during a previous fall term and has lived under these regulations, shall be exempt from Freshman rules regardless of the amount of his college credit.
2.
The rules for Freshmen are: a. All men of the Freshman class shall, when out of doors, wear the official Freshman cap. 1) Only caps approved by the Student Council are official. 2) The caps need not be worn on Sunday or holidays. 3) The caps are to be worn until Thanksgiving day. b. The Freshman class shall not be called in meeting without the permission of the Student President or its class adviser.
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c. All Freshmen shall keep off the grass on the campus. d. The front door is not to be used by Freshmen for entrance or exit during the fall quarter. This rule applies to both men and women. e. Freshmen shall remain in their places in assembly until upperclassmen and sophomores have passed out. f. The Freshman class shall sit in a body at all home football games and shall present a stunt on the field between the halves of each game. 3.
It is urged that all upperclassmen and sophomores cooperate in the enforcing of these rules. However, hazing in any form is prohibited. a. Hazing shall be defined as any attempt by any student or group of students to enforce student rules or to punish the violation thereof, by any form of force or humiliation which may cause bodily harm to the recipient. – Student Council. n