Casey Dodge
Rhet 105
Prof. Hays
March 28, 2016
To Be or Not to Be Illini Wise
Compared to the life of female college students in the 21st century, therules and code of conduct for women who attended the University of Illinoisin 1960 were very different from those that apply to female students today. To ensure that the women were complying withthe definition of what was considered to be fitting for womenduring the 1960s, the University of Illinois issued a booklet to every female student in the undergraduate program. The title of this booklet was the “Illini Wise,” and the 48-page booklet covered areas ranging from the handling of money to how to dress on certain days and for certain occasions.It also provided tips and guidelines for female college students at the University of Illinois to follow to enhance their collegiate experience, while also explaining the ways that female students must act in order to be proper ladies. In order to provide further clarification for how female students were to act on campus, the booklet provided numerous examples about what it meant for them to conduct themselves in an appropriate fashion.
The “Illini Wise” was a reflection of the era in which it was written, and its thesis or primary claim was that female students must follow its regulations and guidelines in order to be considered proper women, and to be successful students at the university.In the section of the booklet called The Wise Miss Illini Minds Her Manners, where it describes how women are to be on their best behavior, the booklet supports its claim by reasoning that “Your actions at all times reflect on the girls you live with just as they would reflect on your family. For this reason, to become ‘Illini Wise’ you should observe certain formalities.” These statementsbolster the booklet’s claim by explaining that women were to conduct themselves in an orderly fashion at all times because their behavior not only reflected upon them, but also upon the people around them(Student Committee of Freshman Advisers, 18). By conducting themselves according to the ways that the “Illini Wise” promoted, they were essentially acting in a manner that the booklet would call“Miss Illini Wise,” or in other words, in a way that reflected well upon their peers.
While the booklet was primarily written to guide women, there are manywarrants or values contained in the booklet. One warrant of the “Illini Wise” was obedience. To protect students from dangerous situations and accidents waiting to happen, the “Illini Wise” set curfews for female students. During the week, the curfew was set at 10:00 P.M., while on the weekends the curfew was set at 1:00 A.M. Curfews backed the value of obedience because these students were required to adhere to the curfews or otherwise they would not be allowed back into their housing and would be punished for their actions. By following the guidelines of the “Illini Wise’s”curfew policy, one could ensure theirown safety, as well as a place to sleep at the night. Safety also happens to be another warrant of the “Illini Wise.”
Another warrant that the “Illini Wise” conveyed was the value of appearance. As noted above, your manners not only reflected upon you, but also upon your friends and classmates.Of course, thisassumes that Illini undergraduate women care about what others think of them, or that their classmates actually care about how they are dressed. By making the point that your manners reflect upon others, however, was the university’s way of saying that it reflectedupon the entire school. Also, it conveys that how you appear around campus is valued by Miss Illini. The backing of the warrant is brought forth by the booklet and many guidelines that it provides on how to appropriately dress for certain occasions. For example, the “Illini Wise” states that “skirts and sweaters or blouses, casual dresses, tailored suits, jumpers” should be worn on class days. The booklet goes on to describe appropriate attire for picnics, athletic events, formal dances, and so on. By providing a dress guide, the “Illini Wise” is showing concern for how the undergraduate women present themselves in public.
The Qualifier of the “Illini Wise” is that the artifact is specifically for women who attended the University of Illinois. While these guidelines could help women who attended other universities, the “Illini Wise” was created specifically for the undergraduate women of the University of Illinois. The rebuttal of the“Illini Wise” is that it was written at the time in order to provide women with helpful tips in order to be successful. Throughout the 1960s, the roles and views about men and women were very different than they are now. Therefore, this book was solely designed to help women fit the look during that era. As shown through sections of the book, such as What You Should Know and The Right Clothes at the Right Time, the Illini Wise demonstrates that the writers wanted the best for their students. This ultimately led tothe committee of freshman advisers the idea of righting the “Illini Wise.”
The ethos (the writer) of the “Illini Wise” is the committee of freshmanadvisers from 1960. While the University of Illinois probably played a role in creating this booklet, the student committee had complete control over the writing of the “Illini Wise.”The pathos (the audience) is all of the female undergraduate students whom attended the University of Illinoisin 1960. The booklet was only given to the women, therefore eliminating men from the audience. Last, but not least, the logos or message, so-to-speak, of the “Illini Wise” is that women are being guided by the booklet to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner.
Presently, you will not find a booklet regarding the appropriate attire for female undergraduate students, when or not they are able to attend events, and the handling of money by female studentsat the University of Illinois. This is largely because the outlook upon, and perception of appropriate behavior for, women was much different then than it is now. Therefore, while this booklet was deemed appropriate to hand out at the time, it certainly would not be considered appropriate today. Furthermore, the reasons used in support of the claim certainly would not be well received in modern times.
All-in-all, while the “Illini Wise”booklet was there as a guide for women decades ago, the support for its claim is no longer applicable today. College, just as society, has changed throughout the years, and is much different now than what it was then. Nevertheless, the “Illini Wise” provides a glimpse as to the challenges that women faced in college during the 20th century. To be what was consideredwell-mannered and proper ladies, the women who attended the University of Illinois were to obey the “Illini Wise” in order to ensure their success, safety, and happiness at the institution in which they attended. Ultimately, that was then, and this is now. The claim, grounds, warrants, and backing demonstrated in the booklet the “Illini Wise,” are a reflection of the past, but are not compelling today.
Works Cited
"Illini Wise." Student Committee of Freshman Advisers. N.p.: University of Illinois, 1960. N. pag. Print.