Abstract
This interview with members of the Brown University class of 1988 summarizes the undergraduate experiences of Christine Arbor, Claire Cavanah, Martha Gardner, Kasia Welin, and Diana Wells, at their 25th reunion.
This interview with members of the Brown University class of 1988 summarizes the undergraduate experiences of Christine Arbor, Claire Cavanah, Martha Gardner, Kasia Welin, and Diana Wells, at their 25th reunion.
The interviewees begin by introducing themselves with brief personal and professional backgrounds and by explaining why they chose to attend Brown. They go on to discuss their first impressions including the academic, intellectual, and friendly, atmosphere, as well as some of the extracurricular activities they participated in such as the Crew team and the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center.
The conversation becomes more serious as all of the interviewees recall participating in protests on campus. Issues included a citizen’s arrest of the CIA by students which led to a trial of the involved students held by university officials in Alumnae Hall to determine appropriate punishments; the suicide pill referendum, which required the university to stock suicide pills to be distributed in the event of nuclear war; violent acts of racism on campus that led to a sit-in in the John Carter Brown Library; a speak-out against sexual harassment and violence on campus that was held on Wriston Quad and attracted more than 2,000 students; and Brown’s divestment from South Africa during Apartheid.
The interviewees also discuss various centers that connected students and encouraged their involvement in these protests. Gardner mentions the gay, lesbian, and AIDS activism that developed out of the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center, while Grossman details the creation of the Dyslexics at Brown organization and the immense support she received to help her manage her dyslexia.
On a lighter note, the interviewees remember their mailboxes, courses they took, using computers for the first time, and having telephones in their dormitories.
See also: An individual interview with Martha Gardner, class of 1988.
Recorded on May 25, 2013 in Pembroke Hall, Brown University, Providence, RI.
Interviewed by Wendy Korwin
Suggested Chicago style citation: 25th Reunion, class of 1988. Interview. By Wendy Korwin. Pembroke Center Oral History Project, Brown University. May 25, 2013.
Biography
While the Brown University class of 1988 participated heavily in various protests on campus throughout their time as students, their senior year was much quieter. Nationally, the stock market plummeted more than once, the winter Olympics were held in Calgary, the United States terminated financial aid to Panama, and Congress focused on trade debt. On campus, ground was broken for a new gymnasium. On November 4, the high temperature was 77 degrees – the highest ever recorded temperature for that day. Eight days later, on November 12, the campus was blanketed in over ten inches of snow – the worst November blizzard to hit Providence since 1904. Guest speakers included Jesse Jackson, Liv Ullman, Gordon Liddy, and Sam Nabrit. The class of 1988 was the last class to graduate under President Howard Swearer.