Letters, Sophomore Year, Semester I , 1918 October-December

This folder describes the first semester of Henrietta’s sophomore year. Interested researchers will find a description of student jobs on campus, the effects of the flu quarantine on a college campus, traditions Henrietta attended her sophomore year, and the end of World War I.

Only a few days into the beginning of Henrietta’s sophomore year, the school was put under quarantine due to the Spanish Influenza pandemic. No one except students and staff were allowed onto campus. Students were not allowed to leave except if their parents decided they would fare better staying at home during the outbreak. A fear of contagion spread over the campus, going as far as to put “a fine of 5 dollars if any of the students sneeze or cough without holding a handkerchief to their mouth”. With the quarantine keeping students on campus, Henrietta describes alternative forms of entertainment, such as having picnics in “the fields,” shampooing and styling the hair of other students (to raise money for the Service Corps), and a field hockey game between the “odd” (1919 and 1921) and “even” (1920 and 1922). During this time, Henrietta became the mail mistress for Pembroke East. She recounts to her mother that all the mail is late, since many of the post office employees have the flu. At the end of the semester, Henrietta contracted the flu; however, she recovered within a short period of time. Accounts from Henrietta’s mother and father of their experiences with the flu epidemic supplement Henrietta’s letters.

Henrietta briefly details the student traditions she attended during her sophomore year, such as Parade Night, the Sophomore dance, and the Banner Show. Henrietta gives an extensive description of the morning of November 11th, when the armistice agreement for World War 1 was announced. Henrietta talks about military drills and mandatory war work on campus. Henrietta’s choice of work was to knit socks using the knitting machine in Merion Hall.