A collection of articles from the first 100 years of St. Olaf's history were collected and printed in the Nov 8, 1974 edition of the Manitou Messenger. The majority of the articles are written about students' feelings and reactions rather than on campus events.

"Physical proportions of men" (June 1912)
Men at St. Olaf appear to have had the upper hand in regards to the build of their bodies. The physical director of St. Olaf took measurements of 169 college men during the 1911-1912 school year. "In relation to the averages of other schools, St. Olaf has an advantage in nearly all respects, a natural condition since so many of the students attending St. Olaf are of the hard working class. With the records shown, it ought to make students and Norwegian-Americans proud of their type and anxious to maintain their superior bodies." The average weight and height of college men in 1912 was 144.9 lbs and 5'8", respectively.

"Romance asks a chance" (January 11, 1946)
Relationships at St. Olaf today seem to fit into two categories: 1) the long term "other" from a hometown, and 2) the casual one night fling. In 1946, St. Olaf was not only known for its high academic rating and its choir but also as a matrimonial bureau. "Almost every man is looking for that Śsomeone' to complete his life." Some students give up on finding that person at St. Olaf because "the streets of Northfield are cold and bitter. The amusements and diversions are few. So what? St. Olaf needs is a place where couples can get together. A frame building would do. A place with about three departments: a lounge with semi privacy, a snack kitchen where gals and fellows can make fudge, popcorn, make coffee or cookies and an arts or crafts room. And this, all of this without too strict of supervision." Although there may not have been that perfect place to go, romance still made its way into the lives of students.

"The dangerous dance" (March 16, 1965)
Students were pushed to their entertainment limits with dorm talent shows and open houses that ended at 10 p.m., leaving them with two full hours of nothing to occupy their Saturday nights. School dances came to the rescue and St. Olaf students were overcome with loud, noisy rock bands and guitars. However, at one dance, named the "Frosh Hootenany", students were upset that the band played too many folk songs, a type of music many students did not want to "get down" to. "If this continues, any creative talent that students now possess will go unused and events will occur around getting a Ślouder and cooler' band than the last one. It would certainly be a distinct loss for St. Olaf College and for the student body to allow this to happen."

"Yearly Christmas concert cavalcade told by men who made it great" (Dec. 15, 1950)
In less than one month, St. Olaf choir students will take to the stage to grace spectators with yet another celebrated Christmas Festival performance. Today's four performances, elegant robes, and hundreds of spectators are a sure sign of progress from the earliest Christmas festival performance.

In pre-Christmas Festival times, a small group of students and faculty would gather to sing old choral pieces and to read Luke. On rare occasions Professor F. Melius Christiansen played his violin. Around the time that F. Melius' St. John's church choir, who changed their name to the St. Olaf choir to advertise the college, was about to make a tour to Chicago and Milwaukee, the very first Christmas concert was performed. In 1912, inside the Hoyme Memorial Chapel, programs were given out to spectators who viewed the performance free of charge. Changes in the show were made from that point until after the first World War when the band was included. The music still consisted of old songs, as there was no a-capella music at that time.

Soon after, crowds of people came to view the concert in the chapel, and after a fire the concert was moved to the gym. Spectators began lining up at 5 p.m. to make sure they could see the show. A strong demand brought St. Olaf to host two shows for the first time in 1932. Crowds became larger and ticket requests were being turned down. One year, a major ice storm hit Minnesota and the campus was nearly inaccessible, yet the gym was seated to full capacity.