The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1906-03-16
WHY GIRLS GO TO COLLEGE.
Philadelphia North American.

Philadelphia North American.
A mother who took house in sight
of the campus of one of the large
coeducational universities of the
Middle West, where her daughter had
entered as a student, writes to the
Independent to tell of the distractions
of the college sororities. The picture is
one of strenuousness that seems to
surpass even that of the ''frats."
According to the inter-fra ternity
contract-the mother speaks of these
college sisterhoods as fIaternities-
"spiking" and rushing" were lin
tied to ten days. 1t appears that
"spiking" and rushing" are terms
covering all methods of competition
among the fraternities for desirable
members. The articles of war were
framed with view to reducing the
rather alarmingly large expense of
landing new sisters.
The following list of the daughters
entertainments during the ten days of
the rushing" season is taken from
her diary:
Tuesday morning-Alpha Gamma
girls called to take me to sign up;
they invited me to drive again in the
afternoon.
Wednesday afternoon-A luncheon
party at Mrs. F--'s, a Sigma alum
nus.
Thursday morning-Drove with the
Sigmas during chapel period.
Thursday evening-Big Gamma
dance, at which all the fraternity men
were present
Friday night-Sigma dance.
Saturday morning-A number of
Gamma girls called.
Saturday afternoon-Gamma recep
tion to the resident alumni and fresh
men girls being crushed.
Saturday evening-Dance given by
the Delta Nus mems fraternity-to
which many of the freshmen being
crushed" were invited.
Sunday morning-Drove with the
Sigmas.
Monday afternoon--Sigmas called.
Tuesday afternoon-Sigma recep-
tion to alumni and girls in the
rush.
Tuesday eveniug-Gamma dinner
party to the girls they are rushing.
Wednesday afternoon-The formal
invitations to join their societies were
sent out simultaneously at 3 o'clock
by all the fraternities.
Ellen-the daughter--fnally put on
the Sigma colors, but it appears that
the mothers sigh of relief was pre-
mature. That very day the neophyte
was invited to an informal dance to
celebrate the Sigma victory, and her
mother was surprised by the first
evidence of sorority influence. 1t was
an appeal on Ellen's part for some
thing to wear, thing before unheard
of in that family.
The next day there was an invita-
tion from one of Ellen's fraternity sis
ters to assist her at the first of a
series of small card parties which she
was to give to her favorite mems
fraternities. At the end of two weeks
the social pace seemed to be inoreas-
ing in speed rather than diminishing.
There were football games, big formal
dances of mems and women's fraterni-
ties, celebrations for newly won men,
hers, and spreads" by the "spikes"
themselves.
At the end of the fifth week the
mother couldn't see that Ellen had
had any time for study, and the girl
had lost Ave pounds under the social
pressure.
1t was Ellen's father who solved
the problem by making an unalterable
rule that one evening week was all
that was to be devoted to dances, and
that 12 O'Clock was the dead line in
the matter of time.
Ellen thought she faced social
ostraeism under the rule, but her fra
ternity sisters made allowances for
necessity and voted her father a