The Blister was a daily publication that was posted on the bulletin board in Glatfelter Hall from 1921 to 1927. The purpose of the publication was to provide commentary on life at Gettysburg College. The authors often included a poem, a cartoon, an editorial, and a humorous musing on the news of the day. One of the founders of the publication drowned tragically before he graduated and the publication was never the same after his death.
The Blister is often satirical in nature. Much of the publication is meant to be humorous and therefore it is difficult to know exactly what it says about the period in which it was written. While the authors clearly attempt to poke fun at their fellow students, there does not seem to be any direct opposition to the institution of Gettysburg College itself.
Excerpts from The Blister
This is the first issue of the Blister which outlines their goals. It is meant to make readers laugh.
This issue admonishes individuals who walk on the grass and therefore ruin the beauty of Gettysburg campus in the eyes of the authors.
This article compares the Great War to a fight between a knight of old and another. They seem to think that the conference of nations happening at that time could bring peace to the world.
Here, the writers discuss a game that Gettysburg played against Bucknell. They claim that Gettysburg out-cheered Bucknell at the game, showing that support for the school was strong among the student population during this time.
The editorial here admonishes students who steal things from dorms. They relate this to the figure of Eve who they say had a habit of stealing things from the garden.
This discusses the issues surrounding the fact that there are women at the college now and therefore there is romance. The writers feel as though it is distracting from serious scholarship.
In the editorial here, the writers say goodbye to the president of the school who was retiring and say that he touched many of the student’s lives.
In this issue, there is an editorial about students who miss their homes. They write that everyone should have something that they are anchored to outside of themselves.
This issue of the Blister talks about the possibility of having women students at the college (called co-eds at the time).
All copies of the Blister can be found at Special Collections. Special Collections is located on the fourth floor of Musselman Library at Gettysburg College. Additionally, all copies may be found online through Gettdigital.
