Rules for Bucks

Once upon a time, as the saying goes, new students were known as “Bucks.”  Williston Academy alumni prior to around 1966 may recall an annual fall performance called the “Buck Party,” in which all new arrivals to the campus were expected to demonstrate their talents, if they had any.  If they didn’t, they acted in skits.

The Buck Party was a mostly innocuous vestige of a larger tradition.  Back in the Good Old Days, which is sometimes a euphemism for the Bad Old Days, new boys were subject to a certain amount of welcoming “indoctrination.”  Today we call it “hazing” and do not tolerate it, either as an institution or as individuals, regardless of its intent.

But it is part of our shared history, and should thus be considered — especially when one comes across a document that is not only witty but very much a reflection of its times.  The text below first appeared in the 1912 Log.  This printed placard, ideal for dorm room decoration, must date from around then.

Your questions and comments are encouraged.  Please use the link below.