The Rules For Freshmen: A Look Into Inter-Class-Year Social Dynamics of Early 1900s Haverford
Detail from "For the Guidance of Fresh," the rules for freshmen established by the Class of 1909 for the Class of 1910. From Haverford College Rules for Freshmen collection (HCQ.000.004) Quaker and Special Collections
In this post, Rachel McQueen '25 explores inter-class dynamics at Haverford in the early 20th century by examining "The Rules for Freshmen," posters with rules for first years created by the rising sophomore class. Rachel works in Quaker & Special Collections as a Documenting Student Life Project student liaison.
Many colleges and universities have yearly traditions that students value and look forward to. Haverford has many such traditions, ranging from the campus-wide, end-of-year event Haverfest to the small traditional activities that various clubs and sports teams perform every year. However, not all traditions can stand the test of time. One of these is the “Rules for Freshmen” that the sophomore class would write for the incoming freshman that year. In the College Archives, we currently have copies of these rules from 1898 to 1929. It’s unclear when this practice began and ended, but since it isn’t currently in practice at Haverford today, these rules provide some perspective on how different class years used to interact.
The Rules for Freshman almost always started off with a message from the sophomores to the freshmen, occasionally in “ye olde” English, usually referencing this new stage of life they have just entered. It would then go on to explain that these rules, bestowed by the older, more experienced and educated sophomores, were there to help guide the freshmen in various ways. In these messages, the freshmen were often described as babies or were referred to using infantilizing language, expressing that the sophomores were their “protectors” or “role models” in some way. One copy, from the Class of 1931, even called the freshmen “Rhinies,” which, according to the "Welcome Rhinies" article on page two of this issue of the Haverford News and a chapter by Diana Franzusoff Peterson in Founded by Friends, means “little green worm.”
The rules themselves vary across the years, but a few of them do carry over, like rules about freshmen “not hissing,” keeping a copy of the rules in their room, and restricting what they could wear during various events like class, weekly meeting, and general day-to-day activities. However, the most notable throughline in all of these different rules is the number of them that express that upperclassmen have precedence over the freshmen and that they are “required” to yield to them in various, mundane situations like the doors they are allowed to use and the meetings they attend. Oftentimes, these acts of deference end up being the first rule.
All of these factors cause one to wonder, “Were the sophomores serious?” Many of these rules demean and patronize the freshmen, making them appear to be of lower status than the upperclassmen. Additionally, the fact that they are printed and some even have official-looking graphic designs would cause you to infer that the sophomores took this tradition very seriously. A few of these designs and images show this power dynamic very obviously, such as on the copy of the rules made by the Class of 1909 that depicts a member of the Class of ‘09 on a throne with the Class of ‘10 kneeling on the floor below him.
However, there is also an air of whimsy in the wording of these rules that makes you think, “They can’t possibly be serious about that, right?” For example, rule 2 from the Class of 1903, “II. Revolvers, nursery rhymes, and Mother Goose tales must be sent home immediately,” and rule 16 from the Class of 1906, “Carry the baggage of visiting athletic teams to and from the station” are fairly outlandish. And yet, some rules seem like they’re college policy or college standards rather than rules arbitrarily made up by the sophomores, like rule 8 from the Class of 1908, “‘Freshmen’ must not mar, damage, or abuse College property,” or rule 15 from the Class of 1903, “Sweaters or jerseys shall not be worn to dinner, meeting or lectures.”
Ultimately, it can be inferred that these rules were a serious, recognized tradition amongst Haverford’s students, whether well-intentioned or not, that derogatorily inducted freshmen into the Haverford community. They mark a time that is very different from the one we currently find ourselves in. Nowadays, hazing is strictly forbidden, and if this were to take place today, it could be considered as such. Many now upperclassmen see freshmen as equals rather than underlings, and if anything, upperclassmen feel more of a responsibility to help freshmen adjust to college life without causing them to feel othered or alienated, even as a joke. This respect and understanding is part of what makes Haverford’s community so student-focused, maintaining the appreciation and care we students deserve from one another.
