Judge — August 25, 1928 — page 27: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from Judge presents college humor from circa 1930, featuring satirical quips about student life at elite universities (Yale, Harvard, Trinity, Penn State, Denver U.). The top cartoons mock collegiate pretension: one shows a student unable to use "sinew" in a sentence despite attending Harvard; another depicts gossip about romantic encounters. These target the gap between elite education's prestige and students' actual intellect. The large bottom cartoon satirizes the "modern girl"—a 1920s-30s social anxiety. A reformer inspects what appears to be a bohemian living space, finding evidence of drinking, smoking, and casual morality (the "wonderful line" reference suggests seduction tactics). This reflects contemporary moral panic about women's increased independence and sexual freedom post-WWI. The "Home Collegio" poem parodies college life's contradictions: attending college while never attending class, dressing fashionably, and cultivating charm rather than learning. Overall, the page satirizes both student mediocrity and anxieties about women's changing social roles—typical Judge magazine fare targeting affluent, conservative readers.