Article "The Days of Rats and Curfews"

Article "The Days of Rats and Curfews"

This article looks back on the rules for men and women at the University of Richmond during the first half of the 20th century. The men's rules apply to "ratting" or a freshman hazing event in which freshmen "rats are full-time pledges to upperclassmen on campus." Their rules include things such as "freshmen must wear coats and ties to classes" and "freshmen must stand when upperclassmen sit at the dining hall table and and must never sit at the head of the table.” The rules for women appear to have been for all years at Westhampton College included things such as “women couldn't walk around the lake after dark” and “when going off campus, women could not drive outside a radius of several miles without parental permission.” The difference in the rules for men and women underline the paternalistic and patronizing form of sexism on campus in the 1930s and after.

"The Days of Rats and Curfews" The University of Richmond Collegian 78, no. 5 (October 10, 1991): 5. https://collegian.richmond.edu/?a=d&d=COL19911010.2.14&e=-------en-20--21--txt-txIN-

The Collegian, University of Richmond

1991-10-10

English

Collegian78.6.5-19911010.png

Richmond (Va.)