Kansas City journal., 1897-05-16
SOCIETIES IN GIRLS COLLEGES.
Lots of Them, but They Are Chiefly
Associated with Work.

The first thing college boy asks col
lege girl about her college is, do you have
any societies there?" In the average woln-
ems college the answer is no. because the
college boy has reference to the Greek let
ter secret societies. In coeducatioDal in
stitutions the women have their Greek
letter fraternities. In other women's col
leges there are lots and lots of societies,
chiefly literary. At Smith, for example.
first in prominence come the two literary
societies-the only Greek letter societies
in college-the Alpha and the Phi Kappa
Psi. The Alpha is the older. the Phi Kappa
being necessary outgrowth as the college
increased in size. They are both very eX-
elusive, the limit of their membership be-
ing fifty, and to say that girl belongs to
one of these is to say that she is brilliant
or popular. All the literary 'prods"-in
the other. In order that the girls may be
chosen for them with some discretion, no
girl is taken in until after the Christmas
vacation of her second year. The societies
alternate in having the first choice of the
sophomores, because, of course, there are
always a certain few particularly to be de-
sired as members. The Phi Kappa had the
first choice this year.
Although the society meetings always
take place on Saturday evenings. the cleo
tons are never known publicly until Mon
day morning, and then great is the eX-
citement. group of the members of the
society come to house to bring the note
Of invitation to join. Their approach is
heralded, and. as ii is quite readily sur
missed who is to be invited, all the girls in
the house rush to the room of the happy
individual to bear the announcement and
overwhelm her with congratulations.
After the literary societies at Smith may
be mentioned the scientific societies. on
much the same plan, only that the dis
tinction conferred by membership in one of
them is not so great as that of the literary
societies. There are two of them, the
'Colloquinna," for students of chemistry,
and the biological Society,"" for the stu
dents of botany and zoology.
All belonging to these societies wear pins
Nn1r Of ff,nfWs aN.a- 1T.
those belonging to the Voice Club, consist
ing of a select few interested in elocution.
But no such insignia marks those who
form the various seminars. These semin-
arS are really clubs managed by various
members of the faculty for special work in
their department. Thus there is a botany
siminar, a zoology seminar, a literature
seminar for seniors, history club. a So
cial science club. a philosophical society.
Membership in these clubs is determined
by invitation of the members of the faculty
conducting them. Sometimes only the shin
ing lights in a study are invited. sometimes
all interested in the subject.
The college boy would be likely to think
the college girls societies nothing but work
under another name; but not all of them
work all the time. Every once in a while
the literary societies have an open meeting
to which they invite their friends. and
prominent person on a literary subject.
The Biological has followed their lead with
Then there are societies purely for
amusement, as. for instance, the Gymnasi-
UNI and Field Association, which has
charge Of athletics, tennis, rowing. etc.
There is a walking club and. when there is
any snow, a snowshoeing club. A host of
small clubs exist among the girls Just
groups of friends who meet at certain in
tervals for social purposes. Under this
head might come the clubs of girls from the
same city or state. as the Chicago, st.
Louis and Maine clubs.
of course there are the usual musical or
ganiZations of a college-glee. banjo and
mandolin clubs. There are about fifty girls
belonging to the three. They are not al
lowed to go about giving concerts. except
occasionally at the end of term, when
some alumna in a not too distant city
throws open her home to them. The pro-
ceeds always go for some college interest,
generally the library fund.
The religious societies are very much
alive and active. All the students are sup
posed to belong to the Smith College As
sociation of Christian Workers" of which
the missionary society is a branch. The
Needlework Guild and College Settlement
Association of course have branches in the
college
Finally, 1t may be noted that a sort of
imitation fraternity was started last year.
Several girls rented a house. secured a
chaperon. and. living toge ther. called them
selves the Delta Sigma Club. Outside men,
berS were taken in, so that the whole plan
of it is quite smilam to a boys fraternity,
and proves so delightful that it may estab-
nSh a precedent.