The Sophian

Issue date: 5/14/09 Section: News

In May of 1984, Smith released yet another group of outstanding graduates. Twenty-five years later, some of them are published, such as poets Shaun Hunter and Mary Adams and author Constance Adler; many hold high positions, like Sage Publishing President Leigh Peake; and one is the 2009 Commencement speaker, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin.

Each year at Smith, things happen that make news - or at least Sophian news. The editors of the Sophian during the 1984 graduating year did not think that a lot of thrilling news hit the press during their term. However, looking through old issues of the Sophian, our current staff pulled out several noteworthy events that made the front page.

In the fall of 1983, Seelye Hall got a wheelchair lift. Now Seelye has an elevator allowing for even greater wheelchair accessibility. This was also the year Amherst College decided to ban fraternities. Now the college's Greek life is underground and probably possesses the same seedy reputation.

The closing of Hover House was big news. This event seemed to mark the biggest controversy of the year, inciting a protest during reading period outside of College Hall. Sadly, even after student unrest, Hover House closed after spring 1984 and remains absent from the minds of those who have attended Smith in following years.

1983 to 1984 was also the year the Board of Trustees voted to change the class schedule from a MTW and WThF schedule to the current alternating days schedule.

President Jill Ker Conway, the college's first woman president, resigned during this year, too. While Conway was at Smith, she implemented a program to help mothers on welfare who wanted to attend Smith. She also created the current Ada Comstock Scholars program.

No matter how many thrilling or unexciting things made news during the class of 1984's last year at Smith, the people they have become is surely more important.

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