Ladies and Norwegian

In class Wednesday DeAne told us about the shack dances in the woman dorms in the 1880s. "Although dancing was supposedly forbidden at St. Olaf, evidence of a grand ball in the attic of Ladies' Hall in 1894 has come to light. And the outdoor platform built in 1888 provided a pleasant place and prospects." - Lady's Hall. I think it is interesting that women in the old times were not rule followers- much like college students today. It is not to say obeying the roles is a bad thing to do, but I feel that having this piece of information is crucial to the understand a Ole more than 200 years ago. When I thought about women in that period of time, I thought about women dressing in modest clothing and staying in their room all the time, and the description of the Ladies' Hall pull me closer to the women then. Along with DeAne's essay, on Norwegian religious, political policy and identity, I feel that student life was not just academic itself but with many other important parts to it.