RAMble, the University Libraries' blog

A new exhibit traces the development of the dress code, and focuses on a flash point in the late 1960s when a student was threatened with suspension for having hair that was slightly too long according to the dress code of the time. 

At most colleges and universities these days, it would come as a surprise to have a dress code at all. Being able to dress however they want is something most college students take for granted these days, except when playing for a sports team or if they attend a military or very conservative institution. 

But in 1967 at West Chester State College, a student named John Whiting was threatened with suspension for the length of his hair. As you can see in the photo of Whiting to the right, taken during a protest, his appearance seems formal to us now, his hairstyle not worth noting. It's a measure of how much things can change, and how rapidly, that Whiting's appearance was seen as anything but conventional, even conservative, at the time. 

Whiting’s experience reflected a larger struggle between mainstream culture and countercultural youth movements in the 1960s, with physical appearance often signaling political leanings and cultural values. The length of men’s hair was one common point of contention. At West Chester, the student response to Whiting’s treatment led to extensive discussion and important changes on campus. 

The exhibit contains images and documents from Special Collections. These include items from the newly processed Earl F. Sykes Collection, which contains a wealth of information about West Chester during the 1960s, when Sykes was president of the college. 

Take a trip up to the sixth floor of the FHG Library and enjoy a fascinating glimpse into West Chest University’s history!

100 years ago as of this past April 6, the United States entered World War I, and in commemoration, library staff have created a new exhibit located on the second floor of FHG Library. The First World War reshaped the map of Europe, and the balance of power throughout the world, as well as producing destruction of human life on a scale never seen before. It may be impossible to fully take in and comprehend the horror and tragedy of World War I, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t commemorate it and learn from it.  

There are numerous angles from which to approach such a huge topic. Part of the exhibit focuses on local aspects, such as the Red Cross volunteer work done by women students at West Chester State Normal School, and fundraising by students in support of various causes. There is a section about people connected to the West Chester community who served in the military during the war, such as: Charles Criswell, class of 1913, Ira Lady, a professor of mathematics, and Michael Sestrick, grandfather of music librarian Tim Sestrick.

There are also some topical focuses, including the roles of women during the war, as nurses, workers, and in the military; the development of technology; and creation of the first government propaganda machine in the United States. There are library resources on display in almost all of the exhibit cases, many of which can be checked out. For books inside a locked display case, feel free to ask for assistance at the Library Help desk.

The creators of the exhibit are Tara Wink, Jesse Brody, Ainsley Hume, and Regina Braidotti. For questions about the exhibit please email libspeccol@wcupa.edu. 

This week was an interesting week for me as far as movies go. I watched some great movies, but I also watched some movies that I didn’t enjoy at all but could appreciate as great films. Some of the movies I watched were Amour [IMC DVD 305.26 A525 2013], The Departed [IMC DVD 364.106 D419 2007], Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy [IMC DVD 327.1241 T589 2012], and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [364.1523 G525a2 2012].

Amour was the first movie I had seen during this adventure that I didn’t enjoy watching, but knew it was a wonderful film. This movie follows an elderly couple, the both of whom used to teach music. However, their life is changed when the Anne, the wife, has a stroke and becomes paralyzed on her right side. Her condition continues to worsen, leaving Georges, her husband, to try to take care of her. It was heartbreaking to watch, but so well executed that you couldn’t help but appreciate it as a film. This movie is currently on Reserve, but you can check it out after the semester ends.

To lift my spirits, I decided to check out The Departed, which many people had raved about to me. I enjoyed this movie thoroughly—the cast was excellent; Jack Nicholson especially shined. The story was also engaging, and it had a believable ending, which I appreciated. If you are looking for an action movie, I would highly recommend this movie.

The next movie on my list was Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Again, I was disappointed in my reaction to this movie—I had heard good things, but I found myself confused about the plot until the last twenty minutes of the movie. After the fact, I felt like I had missed something huge. To help figure out what I had missed, I decided to check out Roger Ebert’s review of this movie. I found that he felt the same way that I did, which helped to validate my confusion. However, if you can follow the plot line, the atmosphere felt realistic and the cinematography was well done.

Finally, the last movie I watched was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This movie has some very intense scenes, but I thought it was an amazing movie (side note: there are some graphic scenes that can be disturbing, proceed with caution). Rooney Mara co-stars with Daniel Craig and she steals the show, being mysterious, intelligent, and strong-willed all at the same time. Having now watched this, I would love to see the original Swedish version and see how the portrayal differs between the two movies. I have now added this book to my reading list.

Unfortunately I was unable to check out any of our featured Steampunk movies this week, but make sure to come and check them out yourself! This display will only be up until December 1^st, so don’t miss out. And don’t forget to follow along with your own adventure at https://letterboxd.com/peterstanley/list/1001-movies-you-must-see-before-you-die/ .

October certainly flew by! Hopefully everyone got a chance to check out our Halloween DVD display before it got taken down last week. I was lucky enough to get a couple more scary movies in before Halloween was over, including The Wicker Man [IMC DVD 791.4361 W636 2006], Nosferatu [available streaming online or at IMC DVD 791.4361 N897 2007], and A Nightmare on Elm Street [IMC DVD 791.4361 N688 2006]. Each of these movies was great for the Halloween season.

The Wicker Man follows the story of a policeman from the Scottish mainland who sails to one of Scotland’s smaller islands to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Everyone on the island claims they don’t know who she is, but slowly the policeman discovers strange happenings on the island and discovers the truth. I loved the bizarreness of this movie, stemming in part from the Gaelic pagan rituals in which the islanders are participating. The music was also a big part of this movie. If you like cult movies, this might be a good one to check out next.

Nosferatu is F.W. Murnau’s classic black and white film about Count Orlok (more famously known as Dracula). I didn’t know before watching it that Murnau had not gotten rights to use the names from Dracula, which resulted in the name changes (i.e. vampire became nosferatu). However, this movie became a classic, with wonderful special effects, especially when one considers the year when it was made. In addition, even if you’ve never seen the film in its entirety, you have experienced its cultural effect—namely Dracula rising from his coffin with stiff arms held out in front of him. This was a great film and worth watching for both the content and its immense cultural value.

The final movie I watched before Halloween was over was A Nightmare on Elm Street. It was great to finally be able to see the original Freddy Krueger movie, and again, the special effects were very impressive. I learned later that they used a rotating room to do some of the scenes, which was very effective. If you’ve never seen the original (I know they made a remake in 2010), then I would recommend seeing this movie because of its huge influence on the horror genre.

Unfortunately, Halloween is now over, but the IMC has a new DVD display for you to check out: Steampunk films! Come check it out and as always, you can follow along on your own film adventure at https://letterboxd.com/peterstanley/list/1001-movies-you-must-see-before-you-die/ .