Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-07-28
A Unique Dormitory
Built For Radcliffe
Bertram Hall Represents New Type of College COM
mons Containing the Comforts and Privileges
Mans Clubhouse One of Proposed Group of
''Fialls of Residence Designed in Colonial Style
of Architecture

one building on the street front and
to erect three more On either side of
the big quadrangle, leaving one end of
it open.
The household economy of Bertram
Hall is interesting. All the expenses
light, except open fires and laundry
work--and even then the linen is all
provided-are included in the rental
charges. Yet by skilful management
it has been possible to reduce these
to a minimum below that of the ordi-
the single rooms to a little more than
S. a week aiece for each of the girls
sharing the larger suites.
Just at present the dining room in
Bertram hall is the nearest approach
Radcliffe has to commons" though
the college probably never will have
common dining hall for all its build
ings but will maintain separate provi-
sions in each dormitory in order that a
certain degree of home life may be
maintained. Board here costs Sc a
week for the collegey ear, exclusive of
the Christmas and spring recesses
when most of the residents in the
building are away, and when those who
stay are called upon, of course, to
, meet the extra expenses of a small
number. So that the total cost of liv-
ing in !Jertram can be, at the out
side, but little ever $500 for the col
lege year and may be as low as $316.
One of the novel features of this
unique house-one of the clubhouse
features-is an extra suite on the
fourth floor used most frequently for
guests-it may be a relative or friend
one of the resident girls, or a returned
! gradua e who is spending day or two
in Cambridge-bu where student
W IS il can be completely isolated
with assurance of absolute quiet;
though so good is the health of the
house that never but twice have the
rooms been used in this way. AT
class day and commencement time the
house extends its hospitality to the ex-
tent of its capacity and never a night
passes that it is not crowded with
alumnae who have returned to renew
their student days.
The Radcliffe theory is that apart
| from any special knowledge a girl may
gain from books and recitations and
lectures her college should give her a
knowledge of life as she will find II
when she goes out into the world
diploma in hand. This is part ano
parcel of the university training idea
Especially important among its ele-
ments is the social freedom the stu
dents are allowed Instead of cloister.
ing themselves in the company of none
| but girls of their own age they meet
men and women, and encounter the in
] fiuence of younger people and older
| just as they must in their later lives.
So the girls who room at Bertram
come and go as they please. Miss e.
NJ. Hoppin, the resident mistress
stands in the place of meteor only as
their mothers do when they are at
home. There are no fixed rules other
than those of well ordered and refin-
ed family; no questions are asked of
how or when or where, save that when
they go out in the evening they are re-
quired to consult Miss Hoppin and to
take with them chaperon of whom
she will approve. The society of d
university city like Cambridge is
peculiar, but its peculiarly is of a sort
particularly desirable for young wo-
men.
This year there are 45S students at
I, Radcliffe and these the rs at Bertram
constitute but small group, of course.
The others whose homes are not near
enough to Cambridge to make it con-
venient for them to go back and forth
every day are housed with private
families and in a few boarding houses
approved by the college authorities.