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Middlebury:
Town and College
Cultural Influence (cont'd)
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Commencement and the quarterly exhibitions of each college class
were exciting activities that attracted packed houses of enthusiastic
local inhabitants, and Commencement Day was a town holiday. Banks
closed and the streets clogged with area residents and alumni eagerly
awaiting the colorful parade from the college to the Congregational
Church, the oratorical masterpieces of the scrupulously prepared
graduates and the accompanying social activities5.
Faculty members and village residents also organized private cultural
groups such as the Hawthorne Club and Euterpe Club and worked together
on plays, concerts, and other events. Members of these clubs, usually
lawyers, doctors, well-to-do farmers, and leading businessmen, entertained
students and faculty |
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on various occasions. This allowed the college men to mix socially
with towngirls, and romantic relationships often ensued. ==> |
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