Words of welcome and warning from Gazettes gone by
The Dalhousie Gazette has been publishing for nearly 150 years. As a new feature this year, we’d like to take a little bit of space each week to reflect on some voices from the past.
While freshmen settle into their lives on campus after a whirlwind week of fun and festivities, we thought it might be fun to kick off this feature by highlighting a few of the letters of welcome and warning that have passed through the pages of the Gazette over the years.
The Gazette would like to thank the staff at the Dalhousie Archives for granting us early access to their amazing new digital collection that will go live on the DalSpace website sometime this month.
John W Denoon – October 9th, 1930 – Vol 63, Issue 1
President of Student Council Gives Welcome
Freshmen – This past week you have had your first taste of college life. We tried to make your first week one of pleasure and profit to you and we believe your representative Mr. Grant when he says that you are a most “likely looking” collection of youths and maidens.
The first week is now over and we must now settle down to work. Those of us who have been here for some time know how the days slip by and the time of reckoning comes upon us. So be ready.
Your class is naturally the best one in the university. Mine is I know, and everyone else knows that his or hers is without doubt the most superior one.
Knowing as you do that you have a good class do something for it. Each and every one of you has a part to play in the affairs of this college. Play up and play the game.
In the name of the council of the students I welcome you to our University and I hope and trust that your stay may be four years at least in length and may be for you and for us the happiest time of our lives.
We are proud to have you with us here and our wish is that we may work harmoniously together for the building of a bigger and a better Dalhousie.
Gazette Staff – Wednesday Oct 2, 1963 – Vol 96, Issue 1
FOR THE FRESHMEN
It is traditional that the opening issue of the
Gazette welcome the incoming freshman class.
We certainly take this opportunity to do so.
However, the freshman should also be warned about the inevitable pitfalls they will encounter.
Freshmen initiation week starts a whirl of social activity that continues into the school year. There is a tendency for freshmen to be swept into the whirlpool with study schedules left undeveloped. It is exceedingly important that the university work load be tackled from the opening day’s classes. A sensible proportion of work and play must be arrived at early in the fall term.
(…)
This is a warning to Freshmen. There should be a desire to graduate from university after four years in this institution. Additional years at school are an increased financial burden to all concerned; don’t plan on failing courses.
The Freshmen should search out all possible forms of education available at the university. The complete education involves all facets of campus life.
The university is a student body composed of people from different colors, creeds, and religions. Part of your college life should be directed to contact, discussion and evaluation of the different forms of thought around you.
Through extra-curricular activities you can sharpen your abilities to meet people, handle deadlines, and explore avenues of activity that you have not experienced before.
Editorial – September 9, 1968 – Volume 101, Issue 1
Welcome Frosh, to a keen machine…
Welcome Frosh. My god you’re lucky. It’s not everyone who gets to come to university.
But now that you’re here, a few words from Big Brother.
It’s a really groovy place here. That is, everyone is in a groove. Sometimes they try to crawl out, but they never really make it. Because the grooves are pretty deep.
You’re going to find out sooner or later, so we might as well disillusion you now. It will save you the trauma that we went through, and that’s the way we want it, isn’t it, saving everybody as many traumas as possible? We hate to see people have traumas in public.
When we arrived here, you see, we actually believed all of those incredible stories that we heard about university – you know, the ones about freedom, about the university being a place for unhampered intellectual development, the right to argue with and criticize your profs, you know, things like that. Believe us. It just isn’t so.
All of this probably sounds pretty unbelievable when you consider the fact that people keep coming back here year after year, and pay through the nose to do it. But they most likely have personal reasons, like the fact that you simply can’t get to be a manager these days without your pinky stamps, and everybody wants to be a manager, don’t they?
(…)
Sounds pretty depressing in a certain way, perhaps, but don’t worry, and by all means don’t rush anybody. Don’t rock the boat. Everybody here for some reason is practically insane already. Traumas, you know.
But anyway, welcome Frosh.
My god you’re lucky.
It’s not everybody who gets to come to university.
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