St Josephs College - Footprints Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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6. Golden yellow, signifying that wealth has been added to the world, for Science. 7. Blue, Oxford color, for Music. 8. Olive, for Pharmacy. 9. Russet, for Forestry. In German universities, we note the strange fact that the hood is never used or given when a degree is conferred. German professors, teaching in America, have a special system for signifying their Alma Mater. They wear hoods lined with the official color of the German university from which they were graduated. On this lining is laid a triangular chevron of black, white and red. For example, a purple lining with a black, white and red chevron, signifies the University of Berlin, green lining with this chevron signifies University of Cherbourg, light blue, Munich, and red, Heidelberg. Caps and gowns and hoods are significant not so much because they are outward expressions of learning, as that they emphasize the existence of a true, the only true, democracy, that of learning. Whenever I see a group in caps, gowns and hoods. I wonder whether this democracy of learning is really appreciated. Could there be so many unbelievers, agnostics, and atheists among this group had they with time and open minds, delved into the facts of historical sciences, especially that of the history of the Roman Catholic Church? Toiling under false colors, true to untruth, how can they, rational beings, fail to see the light? They are debtors to Mother Church for the fact that there is such an institution as learning. They are indebted, even for their outward expression of erudition, to ecclesiastics. Yet they claim that the Church and learning are two human organizations which always have been, and always will continue to be irreconcilable. AGNES McSHAXK, ' 26. 4 14 r -

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saint- type iif hood is often given for different degrees. Cambridge gives a scarlet gown and hood, the hood faced with pink, for D.D., LL.I).. and M.I). Cine is amazed cm seeing a gathering of English university men, for what the degrees are, and what universities have conferred them are difficult matters to decide unless one is familiar with the system of each university. In America, the country must familiar to us. it has long been the custom for jurists. Doctors of Divinity and officials of universities, t wear Mack silk robes. Academic costume has not long keen considered an important issue. It was but recently that there was inaugurated a move- ment to establish a uniform system of academic dress in America. At first it was limited only to students graduating. Then students decided to wear caps and gowns fur commencement. When the members of the faculties noted the democratic yet dignified air which caps and gowns lent, they encouraged the practice and in fact adopted this dress themselves. The notion spread, until now. at leading American universities and colleges, the cap and gown are used not only for commencement but also other occasions. Today, in most colleges, students are compelled to wear caps and gowns when appearing in official capacity. An intercollegiate commission, sum- moned in 1894 to adopt a distinctive costume, has left us the present simple, adaptable code which regulates shapes of gowns and colors of h Is. They adopted these types of gowns : 1. Doctors — Silk gown; full, round, open sleeve which may be faced with velvet. The color of trimming on the sleeve must correspond with that on the hood. ' . Masters -Silk gowns with long closed sleeve, square at the end. with a slit for the arm. 3. Ikichelors - I ' .lack , worsted material with long pointed sleeves. The uniform cap for all degrees is the Oxford cap or mortar-board, with a black tassel. The practice of moving the tassel to denote advance, is not mentioned in the commission ' s work. The only variation in the type of tassel worn is shown in the privilege given a doctor to wear a gold tassel. Moods, the most important and distinctive feature of the American scheme, have an interesting system. In order to combat the difficulty which the English system presents, a simple color scheme was arranged. The basic color is black. Bachelors ' and Masters ' hoods are Oxford style. Masters ' being a little longer than Bachelors ' . Doctors ' hoods are made with a panel. A colored band, about five inches wide, on the outer edge, indicates the degree. The lining of the hood signifies the college or university conferring it. In case a college has more than one official color, one color is used as a lining for the hood and a chevron of the other color is laid on this lining. For example, the colors nf Princeton are orange and black. The lining of the hood is orange; a black chevron or bar is laid on the orange. The colors signifying the various faculties or branches of learning have historical associations : 1. White, for Arts and Letters, from the white fur trimming of Oxford and Cambridge B.A. hoods. ' . Red. traditional color of the Church throughout all ages, for Thee ' li igy. 3. Royal purple, of Kings ' Court, for Law. 4. Green, color ol herbs, for Medicine. 5. Blue, color of wisdom and truth, for Philosophy. 4 1 3 j3

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Wanted — More Degrees IF there is any accomplishment you would like to acquire, college is the place for you. Not having wide experience, I cannot vouch for every college, but I am sure that St. Joseph ' s provides the broadest training possible. Ostensibly you come to college for a degree, usually in arts; and if you are an earnest and thorough student, success will probably crown your efforts. Yet how many more degrees could, deservedly, be awarded at the close of our college career. In the first place, there is not one of us who would he unable to preside oxer Congress. Long experience with meetings conducted under the most strict observance of Parliamentary Law has made even such an occasion as the above seem nothing. 1 suppose committees for all sorts of events from an athletic meet to one ' s Senior Prom might also be included under this heading. But to my mind it certainly is an art in itself and worthy ot special merit to be able to convince the proprietor of New York ' s most exclusive hotel that a mere reduction of half his price is nothing compared ■ itli the privilege of having his place the scene of a St. Joseph ' s prom. Domestic science, also, holds not tin- least terror for us who have sur- vived a series of college teas and class days. If in years to come the literary market is flooded with hooks on this topic, 1 venture to say that the students of our Alma Mater will form no small percentage of their authors. The various little tricks that form a useful addition to the knowledge of any ■-killed cook are also among our accomplishments. There is not one of us who is not equal to an) emergency from opening cans without the conven tional can opener to that time-honored custom of stretching the soup supply by means of a glass or two of water. And. of course, the art of serving with speed and perfection is quite second nature. Basketball games and lectures naturally bring with them the necessity for colorful decoration, especially in the lunchroom; and so in this way the artistic side of our nature is developed. Hut it is not until Senior year that this all-round training reaches its completion. The Sanctum is the final test the application step, if 1 may call it such, in the lessons of general usefulness. It is certainly a summary of all previous experiences with several new ones for good measure. First of all. there is the acquisition of furnish ings, paint, draperies and cushions -to say nothing of the innumerable inci- dentals sure to crop up at the most unforeseen moments. There really is a decided thrill to purchasing them, although it is as nothing compared with the feeling of gratitude that comes when some very public spirited parent decides to do his share towards furnishing our room o ' dreams by a most welcome contribution of cretonne, paint or rugs. f course the most exciting time is during the painting. For obvious reasons, the particular brighl blue of Twenty-Six ' s Sanctum will be ever present in our memories, or at any rate, as long as most of our wearing apparel is in existence. Really, there seems to be no limit to the opportunities a college course at St. foseph ' s offers for acquiring general, useful knowledge. Our onlj regret — and time may dissolve even that — is that, through some oversighl oi the Faculty, all the labor and time expended on these courses is not rewarded by degrees. M ( RKT CROWLEY, ' 26. ■ 4 1 5 f -