Knowledge

Medusa Society

Source 📝

186:
Trinity. "Originally the supreme adjudicative system on campus," a gradual shift in authority to the student government ultimately led to the obsolescence of the Medusa's presence on campus after 1968. In the decades that followed, various attempts by students were made sporadically to revive the Medusa, each time with a new mission statement. The last public manifestation saw Medusa as a platform for course evaluations in 1971.
169:
Throughout the 20th Century, membership of the Medusa represented "the campus sophisticate who had shown enough ingenuity to have himself 'tapped,'"—"tapping" referring to the public initiations which occurred on the Quad near the end of each spring semester. This public display differed greatly from
189:
Medusa held meetings in semi-permanent locations across Trinity's campus where its members socialized and conducted business. Due to the secretive nature of the organization, the locations remained unknown to most students and faculty. However, the most recent iteration of the society met Thursdays
148:
Modeled on the senior societies at Yale, Medusa was founded at Trinity in June 1892 by a group of eighteen juniors as a student governmental body and honor society "responsible for the maintenance of College tradition." This organization was believed to be the direct successor to the Grand Tribunal,
185:
Prior to its dissolution, the tapping ceremony was a yearly tradition that all students looked forward to. Taking place in the spring before the statue of Bishop Brownell, outgoing members of the society tapped seven juniors who had especially distinguished themselves in their first three years at
173:
The initiation ceremonies became well known on campus up until the 1960s, attesting to the prestige of its members. In Trinity College in the Twentieth Century, it is explained that "there was occasional criticism of the Medusa's exclusiveness, and there was some dissatisfaction with the Medusa's
152:
As an underground society in its current state, the Medusa maintains a high level of secrecy on Trinity's campus and is not recognized by Trinity College. Most information about the society is learned through word of mouth. Medusa members acknowledge each other through a system of archaic hand
170:
those of the 19th Century Tribunal, whose clandestine ceremonies "were conducted at night with elaborate and mysterious incantations, replete with coffin, human skeleton, sacred seals, and liquid flame, attracted much attention from the Hartford townsfolk."
177:
In its present form, little is known about what membership in the Medusa is predicated on. New members are chosen and "tapped" on random dates throughout the academic year.
149:
an institution founded at Washington College in 1840 by seniors and juniors as a rudimentary form of student government which had ceased to exist by 1890.
370:
As a way to punish the destructive behavior of some inebriated students, Nardelli and McKee asked about bringing back, in some form, the Medusa program.
443: 448: 438: 433: 278: 246: 229: 404: 383: 361: 342: 323: 140:. Though non-continuous in its presence on campus, it had a purported founding date of 1840. It went inactive in the 1970s. 428: 42: 129: 106: 392:"It would be useless for myself or anyone else in my year to attempt to set up a new Medusa. 190:
at 4am in Mather Hall. In its latest revival, the purpose of the organization is unclear.
8: 161:
The members wore pins bearing the head of Medusa, which lent its name to the society.
207: 422: 137: 112: 411:. No. 29. Trinity College Press. February 21, 1971. p. 5. 330:. No. 29. Trinity College Press. February 12, 1971. p. 7. 133: 312:. Hartford, Connecticut: Trinity College. 1950. p. 97. 228:
Weaver, Glenn (1967). "VII: This Dear Little University".
174:
having designated itself as the senior honorary society."
153:
gestures and expressions that are known only to members.
298:. Hartford, Connecticut: Trinity College. p. 46. 266:. Hartford, Connecticut: Trinity College. p. 46. 296:
Trinity College in the Twentieth Century: a History
264:
Trinity College in the Twentieth Century: a History
390:. No. 14. Trinity College Press. p. 3. 384:"Adult Treatment Requires Maturity From Students" 420: 368:. No. 8. Trinity College Press. p. 1. 349:. No. 16. Trinity College Press. p. 2. 283:. Hartford: Trinity College Press. p. 161. 251:. Hartford: Trinity College Press. p. 219. 234:. Hartford: Trinity College Press. p. 103. 381: 359: 245:Weaver, Glenn (1967). "XIII: A New Regime". 277:Weaver, Glenn (1967). "X: The Gilded Age". 293: 261: 444:Student organizations established in 1892 156: 362:"SGA Hosts Open Forum On Alcohol Policy" 294:Knapp, Peter J.; Knapp, Anne H. (2000). 280:The History of Trinity College, Volume I 262:Knapp, Peter J.; Knapp, Anne H. (2000). 248:The History of Trinity College, Volume I 231:The History of Trinity College, Volume I 128:was an undergraduate secret society at 421: 340: 276: 244: 227: 16:Secret society at Trinity College, US 360:Jamie Griffith (November 12, 1996). 449:Defunct fraternities and sororities 382:Jamie Griffith (February 9, 1999). 13: 439:1892 establishments in Connecticut 14: 460: 397: 375: 353: 334: 316: 302: 287: 270: 255: 238: 221: 200: 1: 434:Trinity College (Connecticut) 193: 164: 76: 7: 429:Collegiate secret societies 310:The Ivy, Trinity's Yearbook 180: 10: 465: 143: 341:J.A.S. (March 21, 1989). 101: 93: 85: 72: 64: 56: 48: 26: 21: 32:; 132 years ago 157:Symbols and traditions 52:Senior secret society 210:. Trinity University 409:The Trinity Tripod 388:The Trinity Tripod 366:The Trinity Tripod 347:The Trinity Tripod 343:"Op-Ed: Editorial" 328:The Trinity Tripod 126:The Medusa Society 123: 122: 456: 413: 412: 401: 395: 394: 379: 373: 372: 357: 351: 350: 338: 332: 331: 320: 314: 313: 306: 300: 299: 291: 285: 284: 274: 268: 267: 259: 253: 252: 242: 236: 235: 225: 219: 218: 216: 215: 204: 119: 115: 109: 81: 78: 40: 38: 33: 19: 18: 464: 463: 459: 458: 457: 455: 454: 453: 419: 418: 417: 416: 403: 402: 398: 380: 376: 358: 354: 339: 335: 322: 321: 317: 308: 307: 303: 292: 288: 275: 271: 260: 256: 243: 239: 226: 222: 213: 211: 206: 205: 201: 196: 183: 167: 159: 146: 130:Trinity College 117: 116: 111: 105: 79: 43:Trinity College 41: 36: 34: 31: 17: 12: 11: 5: 462: 452: 451: 446: 441: 436: 431: 415: 414: 396: 374: 352: 333: 315: 301: 286: 269: 254: 237: 220: 198: 197: 195: 192: 182: 179: 166: 163: 158: 155: 145: 142: 121: 120: 103: 99: 98: 95: 91: 90: 87: 83: 82: 74: 70: 69: 66: 62: 61: 58: 54: 53: 50: 46: 45: 28: 24: 23: 22:Medusa Society 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 461: 450: 447: 445: 442: 440: 437: 435: 432: 430: 427: 426: 424: 410: 406: 400: 393: 389: 385: 378: 371: 367: 363: 356: 348: 344: 337: 329: 325: 319: 311: 305: 297: 290: 282: 281: 273: 265: 258: 250: 249: 241: 233: 232: 224: 209: 203: 199: 191: 187: 178: 175: 171: 162: 154: 150: 141: 139: 135: 131: 127: 118:United States 114: 108: 104: 100: 96: 92: 88: 84: 75: 71: 67: 63: 59: 55: 51: 47: 44: 29: 25: 20: 408: 405:"Traditions" 399: 391: 387: 377: 369: 365: 355: 346: 336: 327: 324:"Traditions" 318: 309: 304: 295: 289: 279: 272: 263: 257: 247: 240: 230: 223: 212:. Retrieved 202: 188: 184: 176: 172: 168: 160: 151: 147: 125: 124: 102:Headquarters 73:Defunct Date 138:Connecticut 113:Connecticut 80: 1971 60:Independent 57:Affiliation 423:Categories 214:2024-07-01 194:References 165:Membership 37:June 1892 30:June 1892 208:"Medusa" 181:Activity 134:Hartford 107:Hartford 94:Chapters 144:History 68:Defunct 35: ( 27:Founded 65:Status 89:Local 86:Scope 49:Type 425:: 407:. 386:. 364:. 345:. 326:. 136:, 132:, 110:, 77:c. 217:. 97:1 39:)

Index

Trinity College
Hartford
Connecticut
Trinity College
Hartford
Connecticut
"Medusa"
The History of Trinity College, Volume I
The History of Trinity College, Volume I
The History of Trinity College, Volume I
"Traditions"
"Op-Ed: Editorial"
"SGA Hosts Open Forum On Alcohol Policy"
"Adult Treatment Requires Maturity From Students"
"Traditions"
Categories
Collegiate secret societies
Trinity College (Connecticut)
1892 establishments in Connecticut
Student organizations established in 1892
Defunct fraternities and sororities

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.