More Rules? Or More Fun Breaking Rules?

Written by Joy Scherry

“Back when I was your age, we walked to school in 3 feet of snow, uphill both ways…”  So starts the classic tale of woe we hear from our elders as they try to elicit our sympathy for their supposed hardships.  Have you ever stopped to wonder how different their educational experiences really were?  Take a look at these excerpts from a 1964 Delaware State College student handbook to see some of the rules students were expected to obey.  Did your predecessors have more rules or did they just have more fun breaking the rules?  That is the real question!

"Attendance at the College is a privilege and not a right."

"All rooms must be thoroughly cleaned on Saturday morning and may be inspected any morning during the week."

"Women students are required to sign out when leaving the campus for town, church, or any other campus events."

"Women students are not permitted to enter any automobiles except their parents' or guardians' without the permission of the Dean of Women."  

Welcome Class of 2019!

This June and July, Delaware State University is welcoming incoming freshmen to New Student Orientation sessions on campus.  The archives would like to take this opportunity to address our newest students. 


Members of the 1968 Photography Club

To the Class of 2019:

You probably have some common fears about starting a new chapter in your life, and it might be hard for you to overlook these fears to see how much you will be gaining here at DSU. Take it from the past DSU students pictured here.  They made it and so will you!



A professor congratulates an Honor Society member at a
1971 award cermony.

1. You will find friends.  DSU prides itself on the diversity of individuals who find themselves on campus.  Whether you are quiet, reserved, fun-loving, exuberant, or perhaps a tad mischievous, you will find peers who enjoy the same things you do and appreciate you for who you are. Don’t be shy! Reach out!
 

2. Your professors are friends not tormentors.  They are here to see that you succeed.  Sure, you’ll face some challenging assignments, but the professors do not take pleasure in watching you struggle. Don’t be afraid to ask for their help.



A female student stands in her decorated
dormitory room c. 1980

3. Residence Halls are home.  Right now you might be picturing monsters as roommates, plastic covered mattresses, and communal showers.  You will be surprised. Soon you’ll be finding yourself calling your residence hall “home” and those who live in your hall “family.”

4. In all of DSU history no one has died from eating campus food.  Believe me, if someone had died eating DSU food the archives would have the records to prove it. No such photographs, news clippings, documents, or reports exist.  Our food is delicious! On Tuesdays you will want to get to Conrad Hall early to beat the line for fried chicken.  Consider yourself warned.



Students enjoy a meal on campus in 1975

A student shoots pool c. 1975

5. Take “me” time.  There will always be homework, and friends who want to hang out.  Don’t forget to take time for yourself.  Your time at DSU will fly by. Take time to step back and soak it all in.

 Welcome Class of 2019! We are so excited to have you!

Before you know it, the day comes when you are too cool for school and it’s time to leave. You’ll be walking across the stage at graduation and wishing you could go back to freshman year to re-live your experiences.  So don’t be scared! You got this!

Remember, the William C. Jason Library is always ready to help you.  Information is our business.  It doesn’t matter if you need help with research projects, are looking for a quiet place, or need help getting connected to services on campus. We can direct you.

Written by Joy Scherry

Happy 125th Anniversary to the 1890 Land-Grant Universities!

Written by Joy Scherry

Above: First Officers of the State College for Colored Students,
known today as Delaware State University.
SCCS Cadets wore military style uniforms to reflect their studies. 

It’s the 125^th anniversary of the 1890 land-grant universities!  This year Delaware State University joins eighteen other American universities in celebrating their common heritage in the Morrill Act of 1890.

In 1862 Congressman Justin Smith Morrill introduced an act which intended to provide land for the purpose of encouraging industrial colleges in each of the United States.  The proposed institutions would teach military tactics, mechanical arts (engineering), and agriculture.  The first Morrill Act was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln in July of 1862.

Well after the Civil War, in 1890, Congress recognized that persons of color were not afforded equal opportunities to attend college.  Therefore, a second Morrill Act was passed in order to require that the established land-grant universities either demonstrate that race was not a criterion for admission, or create separate institutions for African Americans.

In total, seventy colleges and universities were created as a result of the Morrill Acts. Today Delaware State University and other historically black colleges and universities across the United States proudly celebrate a mutual heritage.

Above: Delaware State College students participate in a tractor driving competition and an egg judging.  The contests were a part of a Future Farmers of America (FFA) convention held on the DSC campus during the 1949-1950 academic year. The DSC agricultural building circa 1949 is seen in the background. 

Do you want to learn more about the Morrill Acts and the 1890 land-grant universities? Click here. You can also view a calendar of commemorative events in honor of the 125th anniversary and learn about the current goals of the 1890 land-grant universities.  

Click above to visit the current webpage of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Delaware State University