ART 256 Core Assignment #2

11

10

12

Link to source (color varies)

Another image available

Typed transcript of handwritten text

Personal reflection

Historical context

Adresses owner/person mentioned by owner

Relationship & organization of items

Annotation Guide

Page 14

Page 10

St Olaf 1970 - 1974

Scrapbook of Deborah L. Lease

Both this letter and the smaller one on the same page are signed by the mysterious "Certified Plumbing + Heating" --- obviously an inside joke between Deborah and the sender. However, as a result of this, we have no way of knowing who the sender actually is, including their relationship to Deborah. The one thing we know for sure about them is that they are a St Olaf student who, unlike Deborah, has already completed at least one year at St Olaf. Their language strongly suggests that they are a sophomore. They are also obviously at least somewhat close to Deborah, as she has clearly confided in them about some pretty deep stuff, a gesture which they return in the letter. When I first looked at the scrapbook, I thought that maybe "Certified Plumbing + Heating," was the person Deborah had been paired with for First Nighter, as the man in the picture on this page somewhat resembles the man in the picture on page 10 to me. However, the realization that the photo on page 10 was not of Deborah [see annotation 3], as well as the knowledge that the sender could not be a first-year, soundly put that theory to rest. Next, I thought that the sender might be a family member---perhaps her sister, like it could be for the letter on page 10 [see annotation 6]. This would explain their familiarity with Deborah and why they sign the letter off with "love" and an inside joke. However, the sender states that they are lucky to have an aunt in the Cities and refers to Deborah's family and home as separate entities from their own. That, along with the fact that they do not know Deborah's plans for Thanksgiving, suggests that their relationship cannot be familial. So, they are a peer and a friend who has at least partially taken on the role of a mentor, but I believe it is impossible to know more than that without knowing their real name.

Mystery Sender

Deborah Lease's St Olaf Gym Clothes --->

The comments regarding weight gain on the first page of this letter got me thinking about the beauty standards of the past and how St Olaf may have consciously or unconsciously reinforced them. Take Deborah's St Olaf gym suit (pictured on the right) as an example. The adjustable belt indicates that the suit was made to be "one size fits all," with the expectation that anyone wearing it could simply adjust it to fit their body type. However, the belt---which already rests in a somewhat tightly-cinched position, does not appear to extend too far beyond that. That means that every woman was likely expected to fit within a fairly narrow body type. I could not figure out whether St Olaf offered an extended range of sizes, but assuming they didn't, the limited range speaks volumes about the beauty standards for women at the time and how St Olaf reinforced them. At an earlier point in St Olaf history, the college also reinforced beauty standards through housing. Gertrude Hilleboe, St. Olaf’s Dean of Women from 1915 to 1958, stated in 1968 that one of the ways she would match female roommates was by height and weight. The idea was to avoid pairing women with someone who was much larger or smaller than them so that they would not feel self-conscious. However, it is very easy to see how that could have the opposite effect. It also indicates that, at some point before coming to St Olaf, female students had to tell the school how much they weighed. ---> Though certainly not the only source, St Olaf's reinforcement of female beauty standards could go someway in explaining why both Deborah and the author of the letter felt so self-conscious about their weight.

Beauty Standards of the Past

Image of Letter

Deborah L. Lease ---> (p. 215)

When I first looked at this scrapbook, I was operating under the assumption that the woman pictured with the man in the photo was Deborah L. Lease, the owner of this scrapbook, at First Nighter. However, upon finally figuring out how the names are ordered in the 1972 Viking Yearbook, I do not believe that it is actually her. Instead, Deborah is the woman pictured to the right. Given the coloring and texture, I believe that the picture in the scrapbook is instead a random photo from First Nighter that Deborah cut from the St Olaf newspaper. The actual couple in the photo is unknown.

(Not) Deborah L. Lease

As mentioned in annotation 4, First Nighter was an extremely heteronormative tradition. Men and women would be paired together regardless of sexual preference or orientation. It likely did not even occur to the organizers to allow same-sex couplings. In The Viking Update for the class of 1969, Paul Froiland '69 explains that, during the First Nighter of 1965, there were more women than men. Instead of pairing the remaining women with each other, "the tallest girls each had to take the opposite arms of one tall guy." For an event that wasn't supposed to be taken too seriously, St Olaf was clearly intent on using it to maintain the gender norms of the time. ---> (p. 2) Because of this, it is highly unlikely that the two men in the back of this picture were actually paired together by the college, despite what their position might suggest. Instead, they are likely joking around or even poking fun at the tradition by mimicking the stance of the couple at the center of the photo---and, presumably, the stance of most couples at the event. Dean of Students Rosalyn Eaton-Neeb ’87 pointed to the harm that the heteronormative nature of this event could have caused: “If our main focus your first night is trying to find you a date of the opposite sex…we have just carved out an ‘unwelcome’ sign for a whole bunch of students." --->

Heteronormativity of First Nighter

Deb --- Here's your belated apple. Have a good Thanksgiving --- whatever your plans. Love, Certified Plumbing + Heating

Typed Transcript of Letter

Mon afternoon. Dear Deb, I was right on my way to the Bookstore to buy you some M&M's when I got your letter. Good timing, huh? So you get an apple for a snack tonight. It was good for me too --- becuase I was planning to buy myself some candy --- and this way I didn't. It's standard freshmanitis to gain weight --- you actually haven't gained that much, probably the average amount. Just make sure you enjoy your Thanksgiving and Christmas --- I mean, after all, food is so good! (Note: I have 30 pounds to lose, so I can joke about it --- I have to --- so don't think I'm one of the enemies, those skinny things.) It's good to hear you're still going with Richard --- really good. I can see how it would be hard to be apart --- but it's also strengthening to know you've got something there. It's supposed to snow and (therefore) warm up tonite. Good, huh? Just wait, just wait until January --- last year we got cold weather instead of snow, but we all got through it. It wasn't even bad --- and I hate cold weather! What are you doing for Thanksgiving? I'm lucky enough to have an aunt's house in the Cities to go to --- and my roommate's even taking off and flying to Chicago. Well, even if you can't go home some of your classes will be cancelled. It's not a whole lot of consolation, though. Hey --- you'd better start wearing knee socks with your jeans when it's so cold! Now for my discussion. I have no idea whatsoever of what I'm going to say. And I've got so much work, like you wouldn't believe, that it would be much better probably for all concerned if that's what I did instead of this --- but I happen to know quite a bit about deep, manic depressivness. Rather, I know the feeling. At times I think I've recovered some sort of maturity and control over it --- right before another hit sets in. I haven't really got that much insight about it, however, so I have indications that I must be basically dumb. All these past lines have been stalling lines... Everyone gets depressed. Especially at this time of the year --- worst of all times of the year is the end of November. (Interim I'll help you with later on --- we have to go through this one first). It's part of being thrust up here. Right --- it's hard, really hard to be an "independent woman." To be able to rely on yourself, only yourself --- not parents nor Richard --- for everything is a bit of a drag. Also hard and extremely lonely. I missed my close friends from high school very much, and, at least for me, didn't get near close to anyone up here until interim ([can't decipher]) and even May (and then she transformed on me!). I still don't have that many friends I can go to to really confide in --- partly because it's them --- everyone's so busy with their own lives --- and mostly because I haven't made the effort to try to be even pleasant to get along with --- much less to act like a friend first before waiting always for them to make the move. Also, you were probably pretty busy last year in high school and with a car --- mobility I happen to like. Here it's a long, long time (it hasn't come to me yet) when you realize how much you have to study here, and actually discipline yourself (+ myself) to do the job. That is my big failing. Just don't get in the cocoon tho --- and hibernate away (mixed metaphors, horrible!). I had the most fun of my life last year in the dorm --- tho the bad parts have to be gone through. It's part of a cycle of a system or whatever. It just took me so long to get used to this place, that I feel really intensely about it if someone else is going through what I (do + did) go through. I didn't get along with my roommates last year, and really resented being in a triple. Then I found out that under the surface, a lot of other kids felt the same, and a good friend I found in the girl in the [can't decipher] that I never bothered about before. I had to learn to quit thinking about myself, and give a little --- somehow I lived through it. This year is so much better. Too bad the guys are all jerks --- and you don't ever have a problem at all in that category, lucky girl! Well, it's past 5:00 when you usually eat, so you'll be getting this later. And I forgot the money for an apple --- so how about I slip one in tomorrow? Write me soon, and write --- spellout the problems. For me it really helps. It's some part of therapy in itself. And I'll be there to listen --- and [can't decipher] --- and sympathetic! Even if my letters are messy!!! (Sorry about that.) Love, Certified Plumbing + Heating

Typed Transcript of Letter

According to tradition, the pairing ceremony for First Nighter [see annotation 1] always ended with a kiss and a rose. --> It is therefore extremely likely that the flower being preserved here is the rose that Deborah was given by her partner for First Nighter.

Flower

The "First Nighter" was a long-standing St Olaf tradition. On the first day of orientation, first-year men and women were each lined up and then paired off with each other in order of height. The person of the opposite sex that you were paired with would be your "date" to the dance that night. ---> It appears as though the traditon was started around the same time as the opening of St Olaf College and was discontinued sometime around the mid-to-late 1980s. --->

First Nighter

Typed Transcript of Letter

Dear Secret Sis, These are for you. See how nice I am. Deb You sure are a honey --- you must think of everything! It did the trick, too --- see how nice I am.

The ambiguity of this letter presents a bit of a mystery. Based on the photo and ephemera that accompanies it, we can infer that it has something to do with the First Nighter [see annotation 1]. However, it is unlikely that Deborah wrote it to the person she was paired with. Deborah addresses the letter to "Secret Sis," and, as established in annotation 5, she would not have been paired with another woman. It is possible that "secret sis" refers to her actual sister, Nancy, who Deborah exchanges letters with frequently throughout the scrapbook. The humor of the letter matches how they speak to each other in their other exchanges. Originally, I thought that the items being referred to in the letter were flowers, like the one being preserved next to it. However, as established in annotation 2, that flower is likely the one given to her by the man she was paired with. That theory is granted additional weight by the fact that the woman in the picture on the same page is holding similar flowers, clearly given to her by the man she is with. Of course, it is still entirely possible that the items the letter refers to were actually flowers, as, again, suggested by the letter's proximity to the one being preserved. Alternatively, it could be that Deborah gave the recipient another gift or lent them something for the event. This would especially make sense if the recipient of the letter was, in fact, her actual sister.

Ambiguous Letter

Feelings About First Nighter

First Nighter [see annotation 1] was a very public and heteronormative display, not to mention one that took place on the first day of freshmen orientation---a day that would already be overwhelming for many. As a result, most alumni of St Olaf seem to remember the event in a somewhat negative light.

• In a speech to welcome the class of 2010, President David Anderson '74 remarked that First Nighter was "an awkward evening" for most students. --->

• In the Viking Update for the class of 1971, Barbara Sletten '71 commented on the "horror of First Nighter." ---> (p. 334)

• In a 2015 Messenger article, Dean of Students Rosalyn Eaton-Neeb ’87 stated that First Nighter was a form of "instiutional hazing" and that the memory of it "remains sharp" for many St Olaf alumni. --->

• In the Viking Update for the class of 1970, even William Davis '70, who married the woman he was paired with for First Nighter (Meredith Nelson '70), said that, while marrying his First Nighter was the best thing he ever did, attending the event was not. ---> (p. 80)

The only things that accompany this photo on the page are two letters, both of which revolve around "Certified Plumbing + Heating" and their quest to give Deborah an apple. It would therefore make sense for this to be a picture of "Certified Plumbing + Heating" while they are putting one of the letters in Deborah's mailbox. However, there are two problems with this theory. Firstly, for what reason would someone take a picture of that? Is it meant to be used in an evidentiary capacity---to prove that the letters were truly delivered? The photo's proximity to the letters indicates that this could be the case, but if so, who took the photo and how did it make its way back to Deborah? She couldn't have been there with the sender because then they would have just given her the letter directly. Secondly, the wording of the letter strongly suggests that the sender is a woman, particularly the part where they talk about how hard it is to come to college and be an "independent woman." Of course, it is entirely possible that the letter was simply written by a particularly empathetic man, but it would make some of their comments seem a little strange. So, assuming that this isn't "Certified Plumbing + Heating," there are a few alternatives. The man in the picture could be a friend of "Certified Plumbing + Heating" who is putting the letter in the mailbox on behalf of the sender themselves, which would also help explain why a picture was needed to "prove" that the letter was delivered. Or the man in the picture could be a friend of Deborah's who is retrieving her mail for her, which would also explain the need for proof that the letter was retrieved. Friends taking pictures of each other doing silly, trivial tasks is still common now, so this is well within the realm of possibility. The organization of the page and the objects makes it highly unlikely that the photo is unrelated to the letters, and both of these theories still align with the idea that the photo was taken and included in the scrapbook as "evidence." However, the identity of the man still remains a mystery.

Caught in the Act?

Although these may appear to be random scraps of trash at first glance, their proximity to the photo and other ephemera from First Nighter suggest that they are some of the remains of the event's decor: bits of paper, part of a banner---maybe even confetti. The balloon is an especially dead giveaway, as it is exactly the kind of decoration one would expect to find at a school dance. This theory is granted additional weight by the fact that the scraps are being preserved next to a flower, which can clearly be seen in the photo from First Nighter on the same page. If there were a photo from the inside of the event, we would likely see decorations that match the preserved scraps.

(Not so) Random Scraps

Imgur link for bigger/better quality:

[See typed trascription for a better reading experience]

Page 4

Page 3

Page 2

Page 1

Images of Letter

When I first looked at this letter during our initial library visit, I only read the first half of it. I stopped because I already knew that I wanted to work with it for this assignment. I was struck by how familiar it sounded. It felt less like something that was written almost 55 years ago and more like something that one of my friends could have written to me yesterday. Additionally, I saw that it was signed by "Certified Plumbing + Heating," and I was intrigued by the mystery. As mentioned in annotation 11, I thought that the sender might be the person Deborah was paired with for First Nighter, as the man pictured on this page looks somewhat similar to the one pictured on page 10 to me. While that theory was quickly blown apart by a look in the Viking Yearbook [see annotation 3], I was still fascinated with the letter because of its familiarity. I didn't realize just how familiar it was until I finally read the rest of it. Admittedly, the discussion about depression caught me completely off guard --- partially because it was a very sudden tonal shift but also because I really just didn't expect it from something written in 1970. This may be ignorance on my part, but I have always thought of "mental health talks" as a very millennial and Gen Z thing. Obviously, I didn't think that people back then completely ignored the topic, but the sender writes about depression exactly like I would expect someone today to. If you showed me this letter without telling me the date, I would guess that it was written yesterday. I also think it's fascinating how little the freshman experience has changed. The issues that the sender writes about are the exact same issues that I remember going through my freshman year. I feel like a lot of them are fairly universal around campus today. Additionally, the advice that the sender offers still feels useful and relevant. My favorite historical documents/ephemera are always the ones that remind me that people have pretty much always been the same, which is exactly what this letter did.

Relating to the Past

I had no idea that First Nighter was even a thing before starting this project, and I still have a hard time wrapping my head around it. When I first told my roommate about it, she didn't even believe me. We both agreed that, not only was the tradition weird, but it's also weird that we've gone four years without ever hearing about it. Especially as a history major who has looked into the gendered aspects of St Olaf history previously, I'm shocked that it hasn't come to my attention before now. Originally, I thought that it was just a strange St Olaf tradition. However, when I was looking at the scrapbook during my meeting with the archives, I mentioned it to Kristell Benson, and she said that her college had a similar thing when she was a freshman. So, apparently, it's not just a St Olaf tradition, which is even weirder. It just seems so implausible that St Olaf---or any college---would do something like that past the 1950s. I can't imagine what the rationale was. To make students feel welcome? I would feel the opposite. To help them make a friend/find a partner? I would refuse to look that person in the eye ever again. I was joking with my roommate that, if St Olaf still did First Nighter today, I would have transferred before school even started, even though participation wasn't mandatory. My mom went to another small liberal arts college in the 1980s, so I called her to ask if her school did anything similar. Funnily enough, she said, "If they did, I wouldn't have stayed there long," so I suppose we're on the same page. I can understand how, for a very, very small number of people, it might be romantic. Assuming you actually married the person you were paried with, it would certainly make for great meet-cute story. Still, I have to imagine that it was simply awkward for the vast majority of students. Plus, as mentioned in annotation 5, the tradition implicitly asserted that heterosexuality was "standard" and thereby inherently excluded anyone of a different sexual orientation. I can partially acknowledge that it was a product of its time, but the 1980s feels far too late to still be doing it. Despite my horror, I am glad to have learned about First Nighter for this project. A school that's been around as long as St Olaf has is bound to have more than a few stains on its record. It's important that the more negative aspects of St Olaf history are not forgotten so that we can continue to learn from them. Plus, it's always good to look back and see how far we've progressed.

A (Thankfully) Retired Tradition