The college’s voice, decade by decade
How did the college talk about itself? We measured the text of its publications decade by decade: how long the sentences run, how often they end in an exclamation mark, how often they speak to the reader as “you”, and which words set each decade apart. Each card quotes real sentences from that decade, linked to their pages, and ends with a short welcome we wrote today in that decade’s voice, labeled as ours. Two decades are here so far.
The measures come from the scanned text, which has errors, and the 1890s volumes are mostly catalogs while later ones are yearbooks, so treat the numbers as rough.
The 1920s
- Average sentence
- 17 words
- Sentences ending in "!"
- 8.5%, the most of any decade
- "You" per 10,000 words
- 60
- Words that set it apart
- literary, followers, gleam, banquet
In its own words
How the average student reads the INTERMONT: Looks through five times hurriedly for her own name.
The Intermont, 1920. See the page.You should see her as she converts the tennis court into a dance floor!
The Intermont, 1926. See the page.With new buildings, new equipment, a new athletic field, and a faculty constantly growing in efficiency this old school is keeping abreast of the best things in modern education.
The Intermont, 1922. See the page.He who thinks these jokes are poor Would straightway change his views, Could he compare the jokes we print With those we do not use.
The Intermont, 1925. See the page.
Written today in the style of the 1920s Intermont. Not a quotation.
Welcome, dear reader, to old Intermont! Turn these pages slowly -- or do as every girl on campus does, and look through them five times for your own name first. Here are the plays in Chapel, drill in gym suits three mornings a week, the Junior-Senior Banquet, and the friends who made this dear school what it is to-day. And if you think our jokes are poor, remember the ones we did not print!
The 1950s
- Average sentence
- 12 words
- Sentences ending in "!"
- 1.8%
- "You" per 10,000 words
- 19
- Words that set it apart
- Korea, Venezuela, diary, dorm, typing, hobbies
In its own words
Not only could we wear bermudas to class, but our teachers treated us like Queens!
The Intermont, 1956. See the page.The Effigy Hunt, the same day, found us falling out of trees, crawling out of tunnels and literally turning the campus upside-down!
The Intermont, 1953. See the page.It’s quite a thrill to awaken in the middle of the night to the melodious fire alarm.
The Intermont, 1952. See the page.Her hobbies are cooking and traveling, and her interests include painting, music, and good plays.
The Intermont, 1955. See the page.
Written today in the style of the 1950s Intermont. Not a quotation.
Welcome to Intermont! Let’s take a campus tour. First stop is the gym, where the Junior-Senior game is tied and everyone is cheering. Next come Song Contest, the Effigy Hunt, and Torchlight on the front campus. Classes keep us busy, from typing to child care, but there is always time for a dance. Bring your bermudas. We think you’ll love it here!