As ARCHAEOLOGISTS unearth the trash form the past they'll discover More about the lifestyle of colonial undergraduate. And very old Harvard rules and regulations give some additional clues.
1642
The following tidbits come from the "Laws Liberties and orders of Harvard College," approved by the President and Fellows from 1642 to 1646. They are listed in the College Books, the records of the Harvard Corporation from 1636 to 1750.
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
"When any Schollar is able to Read Tully or such like classical Latin Author ex tempore, & make and speak true Latin in verse and prose suo (up aiunt) Marte, and decline perfectly the paradigmes of Nounes and verbes in ye Greeke tongue, then may hee be admitted into Ye College, nor shall any claime admission before such qualifications.
SPEECH CODES
"They shall bee slow to speak, & eschew not onely oathes, Lies, & uncertaine Rumours, but likewise all idle, foolish, bitter scoffing, frothy wanton words & offensive gestures."
MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS
"None shall pragmatically intrude or intermeddle in other men's affaires."
1734
In 1734, the College rules were expanded. Also listed in the College Books these revised regulations went into more detail--and described methods of punishment.
CRIME DOESN'T PAY
Forget about the Ad Board. if Harvard students transgressed in the eighteenth century, they had to pay--in shillings and pence. Here's a menu of charges of student sins.
. Tardy to prayer two pence.
. Absent from prayer: four pence.
. Out past 9 p.m. two shillings.
. Careless work: ten shillings.
. Leaving town without permission: five shillings.
. Letting someone--besides a parent or guardian into--your chambers: five shillings.
. Associating with "any person of loose or ill character": five shillings.
. Swearing, cruising taking God's name in vain: five to ten shillings.
. Drunkenness: five shilling or a "publick confession."
. Playing a cards or dice ten shillings, or possible expulsion .
. Making "tumultouous Indecent Noises": five shillings.
ADAMS HOUSE, ANYONE?
"...if any Shall Presume to put on or wear Indecent Apparrell, he shall be punished According to the Nature and degree Offence, by the President or one of the Tutors; but if he wears womens Apprell, he shall be liable to publick admonition, degradation or Expulsion."
Read more in News
ON CROSSING RIVER POTOMACRecommended Articles
-
The Referendum: Gauging City SentimentVoters in Cambridge will receive three ballots tomorrow: one for City Council, one for School Committee, and a third they
-
THE MOVIEGOERWorld War II must have come like manna from Heaven to Hollywood. Since the outbreak, that city has wallowed in
-
WWII Film Offers POV on HolocaustFrom harrowing early documentaries providing the first looks into the Nazi death camps to award-winning blockbusters like “Schindler’s List,” cinema has proven itself uniquely suited to conveying the grim significance of the Holocaust. The volume of cinematic depictions can only be explained by the event’s call for intensely visual artistic response.
-
94 Students Celebrate Mid-Year GraduationNinety-four students were officially recognized Thursday afternoon as mid-year graduates of Harvard College at the Graduate Recognition Ceremony in the Radcliffe Gymnasium.
-
Speeches PastWoven throughout his speech, Obama referenced great prose of the American past. “My fellow Americans”: He quoted John F. Kennedy. “We the people”: He harkened back to the American Constitution. “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” reminded his listeners of this country’s Declaration of Independence.
-
Suggestions for the New Honor Code
