Class History
When we arrived
When we arrived on campus in 1988 we were young and idealistic. We were the last class known as “freshmen” and we saw the end of several other antiquated campus traditions such as gracious dinners, waitressed meals and smokers. This was an exciting time of new beginnings. The Village Commons and Equestrian Center were built, and the renovation of Blanchard occurred during our four years. This was also the age of technology with a handful of shared computers in each dorm, floppy discs to save our term papers, and the building of a centralized Academic Computing center in Dwight Hall.
Historic events
During our time on campus we witnessed momentous events. Apartheid was repealed and Nelson Mandela released from prison. The Berlin Wall crumbled, and East and West Germany reunited. The Soviet Union collapsed, and in China students protested for democracy in Tiananmen Square. In our dorms and classrooms, we watched the Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill hearings, Gulf War footage, and the horrific video of the assault on Rodney King and the resulting riots in Los Angeles. It was a time of change for society and ourselves. We began to understand the world and our part in it.
Free time
This was a time where email was limited, few had answering machines, and none had cell phones. We could be found watching afternoon soaps together in our dorm living rooms or shooting pool and eating French fries in Blanchard. We studied together at the library, or just walked around our beautiful campus. Once the Village Commons opened, we were lunching at Tailgate, browsing at the Odyssey or going to the movies. We enjoyed picnics on the Green, breakfast in our dorms and late-night discussions over our favorite M&Cs. Most importantly we spent our free time together and forged life-long friendships.
