#TBT in the Archives 3/31/16: Spring Fling!

Spring was a very exciting season at Shippensburg University in the 1970s and 80s. With each spring came the annual "Spring Fling" gala, an outdoor rock concert, which was hosted by Sigma Pi. The gala became such a huge event that by the 10th Annual Spring Fling in 1982, college students from all over the country journeyed to Ship to enjoy the festivities!

This photo from the April 27, 1982 Slate shows attendees enjoying the Spring Fling

To ensure that the 10th Annual Spring Fling would be the biggest and best yet, the event was advertised in newspapers in all of the big schools around the state. The Flashlight newspaper out of Mansfield (shown below) explains the details of the event. The Edge, Second Wind, and Great Train Robbery were the opening acts for the heavy-metal band KIX.

Example of an ad placed by the Ship chapter of Sigma Pi in the student newspapers across the state

The bands who came to play the 10th annual gala were well-known artists who Sigma Pi hoped would draw in large crowds. The previous year had seen 7000 people in attendance and Sigma Pi hoped to up the number as much as possible.

Great Train Robbery was one of the bands who played at the Spring Fling

The Spring Fling offered a day of relaxation, fun, and sunbathing before finals and the summer holiday began. However, with more people in attendance, crowd control posed more of an issue year after year. With growing concerns for student safety, the Spring Fling tradition was ended after the 10th year.

Want to learn more about Ship's history? No need to wait for the next Throwback Thursday! Contact Archives & Special Collections via e-mail: specialcollections@ship.edu or phone: 717-477-1516.

Why do we celebrate April Fool's Day?

BA, April Fools by Stijn Vogels, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

April Fool's Day celebrations have been linked to the first day of spring in the western hemisphere, the ancient Roman festival of Hilaria, and even the date when France switched from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. Those that didn't realize the switch celebrated the new year on April 1, which we now know as April Fool's Day.

Whatever the reason that April 1 is the day for pranks, you can find more information about any of these historical April Fool's Day topics, or more modern pranks, in the library's collection.

Have you heard about Sidd Finch? Or what about when Taco Bell advertised in the New York times that they were going to buy the Liberty Bell? Do a little digging in ProQuest this April Fool's to find some of the most successful April Fool's Day pranks of all time. 

April is National Poetry Month: Poetry Gallery @ Lehman Library

To celebrate National Poetry Month, Lehman Library and SU English Department proudly present the Gallery Poetry featuring poetry in action and mixed media poetry created by student in ENG 427 - Advanced Poetry. 

April 4-8, 2016

This debut poetry gallery presents art, three dimensional poems, student-made anthologies, photography, glow in the dark poems, collaborative poetry, the art of failed poems and much more.

These hands-on poems display the importance of joining language, art, and other objects as a means of expression and response in a complex world.  

Please visit Lehman Library to see how the poets here at Shippensburg University respond to and create cultural experiences as they embrace the process of blending the arts and blurring their boundaries.  

Please join us at the Gallery Reception to meet and greet with the poets on Thursday April 7 at 4:00-5:00 pm.  Lower Level Lobby, Lehman Library.

The end of the semester is right around the corner ...

Research consultations are a great way to get a little extra help on any paper, project or research topic you're wrapping up as we get to the end of the semester. So when you're pulling your hair out and 100% stressed, stop by the library, or make an appointment at the link below, and one of your friendly Ship librarians can help ease your stress level!

Make a research consultation appointment here.

#TBT in the Archives 3/24/16: Early 20th Century Ship Sports

During the early 20th century at Shippensburg University, school sports did not look like they do today! While today's teams have 20+ members on the average team, there were far fewer athletes on the teams in the early 1900s. Also, the athletes' uniforms looked quite different. An example of this is the 1910-1911 basketball team. They wore pants, unlike today's team which wears shorts, and they wore different types of shoes as well.

The 1910-1911 basketball team doesn't quite look like the team of today!

Action shot from a 1910-1911 season basketball game!

Team uniforms were not the only things that were different in the early 20th century. The 1911 baseball team photo shows the equipment that the team used. Though wooden bats are still a staple in Major League Baseball, the photo below shows that the players' gloves were extremely different and and the catcher's gear did not seem to have as much padding for protection.

The 1911 baseball team sitting on the steps of Stewart Hall for their team photo.

There were also sports in the early 20th century that we no longer have at Shippensburg. For example, Stewart Hall, the gymnasium at the time, had gymnastics equipment for the gymnastics team, which was present at the time.

Gymnastics equipment set up for a meet in Stewart Hall

The Stewart Hall gym also hosted several other more unique pastimes of the period. The university gym classes had students participating in pyramid building, athletic dance, and folk dancing, as well as many other groups and activities.

Pyramid Building

Athletic Dance

Folk Dance

Want to learn more about Ship's history? No need to wait for the next Throwback Thursday! Contact Archives & Special Collections via e-mail: specialcollections@ship.edu or phone: 717-477-1516.

The Poetry Gallery

When do we need Poetry?

The answer is Now!

Lehman Library proudly presents:

The Poetry Gallery: Featuring poetry in action and mixed media poetry by students in ENG 427 Advanced Poetry. April 4-8, 2016

Gallery Reception: Thursday April 7 at 4:00 pm

This debut poetry gallery presents art, three dimensional poems, student-made anthologies, photography, glow in the dark poems, collaborative poetry, the art of failed poems and much more.

These hands-on poems display the important of joining language, art, and other objects as a means of expression and response in a complex world.

Come see how the poets here at Shippensburg University respond to and create cultural experiences as they embrace the process of blending the arts and blurring the boundaries.

#TBT in the Archives 3/17/16: Clubs on Campus

During the history of Shippensburg University there have been many different clubs on campus! Clubs come and go with new trends and evolve to meet student interests. This week, let's look back on the student clubs of yesteryear.

In the 1930s, Ship had a Nature Camera Club. This organization brought together students who were passionate about the outdoors and photography.

Nature Camera Club, 1931

The 1930s also saw the rise of an all-female Table Tennis Club. These women would practice against one another and hold Table Tennis tournaments to hone their skills.

Table Tennis Club, 1933

During the 1970s there was a Fencing Club at the university. Despite the group's small numbers, the Fencing Club provided its members with an opportunity to learn and practice new skills.

Fencing Club, 1975

Although Shippensburg is not near any oceans, during the '60s and '70s the university's pool was often occupied by the Aquatic Club and the Scuba Club. The Aquatic Club used the pool for swim practice, and the Scuba Club worked on their diving.

Aquatic Club, 1965

Scuba Club, 1977

Similarly, Shippensburg isn't very close to many ski locations (except during the winter months), but in the 1970s the university had a Ski Club that would take trips to ski resorts near and far to get out and enjoy the slopes.

Ski Club, 1976

Do you belong to a student club or organization? Or are you an alum who used to belong to a club, or are you related to a past club member? Do you have any old Ship student club photos, meeting minutes, rosters, or other memorabilia? Get in touch with Archives & Special Collections! Your memories are Ship's memories, and we need your help to commemorate the student experience on our campus. If you would be interested in learning more about donating student club memorabilia to the Archives, e-mail specialcollections@ship.edu or call 717-477-1516.

Want to learn more about Ship's history? No need to wait for the next Throwback Thursday! Contact Archives & Special Collections.

Irish for a day or all year, these databases have something for you

Everyone knows we celebrate St. Patrick's Day on March 17, but did you know that March is also Irish-American Heritage Month? Our friends at Films on Demand have put together a list of streaming videos on that topic, accessible here. You can find videos about St. Patrick's Day through this database, too, by following this link.

If your St. Paddy's Day celebration is missing music, log onto Naxos Music Library, click on "Genres" and select World Music, then navigate to Celtic to find a selection of Celtic and Irish songs to create a streaming playlist. Have fun, and Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!

Everyone Votes PA! 3/16 @ 7pm Old Main Chapel

Wednesday, March 16, 2016, Old Main Chapel

Be there @ 7pm!

If you want a direct voice in this year's primary election, get registered to vote!

The Pennsylvania Department of State (DOS) is coming to Shippensburg University, to launch Everyone votesPA, a web-based voter education platform that provides a toolkit to help individuals maneuver through registration with ease, understand the voting process, and know their rights as eligible voters.

DOS wants to ensure all eligible voters not only recognize the importance of the process, but also the impact of their vote. There are approximately 1.5 million eligible unregistered voters in Pennsylvania, according to the U.S. Census and DOS voter registration statistics.

The Everyone votesPA materials are aimed at voters, civic engagement groups and organizations that conduct voter education outreach. DOS hopes to enhance the voting experience for all Pennsylvanians. This visit will focus on the youngest generation of voters, a group that historically has been under-represented at the polls.

Representatives from DOS will be on campus Wednesday, March 16, 2016, to present Everyone votesPA to our student body, faculty and staff. We hope you will attend and encourage your friends and classmates to participate and engage with the DOS staff.

Regular Library Hours Resume on Monday (March 14)!

Regular hours resume Monday March 14

We hope you're having a great spring break! Campus is pretty quiet right now, but break is over in a few short days.

Need some quiet study time before that?

The library will be open 8-4 this Friday, 4pm-midnight on Sunday, and will be open regular hours starting Monday March 14.

#TBT in the Archives 3/3/16: SU's Dress Code

From the 1940s to the 1970s, Shippensburg had a dress code for students. Though it was expected that all students dress up for dinner, the dress code for women was much stricter than the regulations placed on men's attire. The 4 photos below show the differences in women's dress from the 40s to the 70s.

Top row from left to right: 1941, 1957
Bottom row from left to right: 1961, 1976

During the 1940s, it was unsuitable for women to dress in shorts, playsuits, housecoats, and similar apparel outside of their rooms. Wearing slacks was also frowned upon on campus. Dresses for women or suits for men were required for dinner; sweaters were never allowed in the dining hall.

In this photo from 1944, women wear skirts past their knees as well as jackets and dress shirts.

In the 1950s, the university made the women's dress code even more restrictive. Shorts, slacks, and gym clothes were not acceptable on campus or downtown. Women were not allowed to walk the halls of their dorm without "proper clothing." Bathing suits were not to be worn in mixed company; the student handbook explicitly forbade sunbathing in the presence of the opposite sex.

The women in this photo from 1956 would not have been permitted to enter the
dining hall without first putting on proper shoes. Socks were not allowed!

The dress code was expanded in the 1960s. While Bermuda shorts and slacks were permitted in the dorm, women could never wear them in classrooms, the library, or in administrative or faculty offices. In 1970, the dress code was abolished by the Student Senate, but the student handbook continued to state that "women must be fully clothed in street attire when walking or lounging in the main lounge of each residence hall."

This memo from March 1970 announces the end of the university dress code.

For more information on the campus dress code, visit the exhibit, "Dressing Appropriately," currently on display on the lower level of Lehman Library. The exhibit will be on display until March 31st.  Created by Lydia Middaugh, University Archives & Special Collections Graduate Assistant, and Kira Piper, History Department Graduate Assistant, the exhibit highlights the evolution of the dress code over the course of four decades.

Want to learn more about Ship's history? No need to wait for the next Throwback Thursday! Contact Archives & Special Collections via e-mail: specialcollections@ship.edu or phone: 717-477-1516.

2016 Spring Break Library Hours - March 4 to March 13

The library will be open limited hours during spring break. The library will close at 4pm on Friday, March 4, and be closed over the weekend. The daily schedule is as follows -

Friday March 4: 7:30am-4pm
Saturday March 5: closed

For a good beach read, check out the Young People's Collection
in the library basement, right side. 

Sunday March 6: closed
Monday March 7: 8am - 4pm
Tuesday March 8: 8am-4pm
Wednesday March 9: 8am-4pm
Thursday March 10: 8am-4pm
Friday March 11: 8am-4pm
Saturday March 12: closed
Sunday March 13: 4pm-midnight

Regular hours resume Monday March 14.

Enjoy your break and stay safe!

Research Consultations - make your appointment now!

Focus on your topic with some help from a librarian 

Don't know where to start your
research project?

Having a hard time coming up with a good topic for that paper?

Can't find any journal articles that fit your professor's specifications?

Make an appointment for a research consultation! 

A librarian will meet with you to discuss your project and address your concerns one-on-one. 

Click here to schedule an appointment! :-)