1997-98

This Timeline is based on a portion of Sarah Finger's A History of Student Activities and Achievements at Hampshire College. Anything not otherwise cited comes from this source.

1997


Sept 8

Grand opening of the Goodread Library. Poster: [[Media:Scan_2goodreadlibrary.jpeg]]

Sept 18

Professor David Kerr starts a lending library in the middle of Donut 1 in Greenwich. The library is open for the community to use, books are available to take, and the only rule is return the books or pass them on to others. [The Forward: September 18, 1997]

Sept 19

A teach-in is held about the staff union movement at Hampshire College. Community members gave five minute speeches about a variety of issues surrounding unionization. After the teach-in many participants carried signs to the all-community clambake to show support for the union and to request administrative neutrality. [The Forward: October 2, 1997]

Oct 3

A celebration of Eqbal Ahmad’s contribution to Hampshire and the world takes place. Ahmad is leaving Hampshire after 15 years as a Professor of Politics and Middle East Studies, to return to his native Pakistan. [The Forward: October 16, 1997]

Oct 16

The Green Core work-study program is a month old. The program allows students to do work-study through environmental activism, including the school-to-farm program, campus outdoor trail maintenance, campus gardening, and other environmental studies programs. [The Forward: October 16, 1997]

Oct 28

Rebecca Saunders, Community Council Chair, resigns, citing academic work and an ineffectual relationship with Dean of Student Affairs Bob Sanborn as reasons. Saunders was elected Chair after Will Doane resigned following accusations of illegally modifying Council bylaws. Co-chairs Jenny Donovan and Peter Lull will take her place. [The Forward: November 13, 1997]

Nov 2

Mixed Nuts Food Co-Op, struggling with financial troubles, holds a meeting to discuss the problems. Of 200 members only 20 show up for the meeting. Mixed Nuts is marking up food prices and paid managers took a pay cut. [The Forward: November 13, 1997]

Nov 13

A Constitutional Reconciliation Committee is attempting to produce a constitution that can be passed by Community Council, the Faculty, and the Board of Trustees. After six years of failed attempts by larger bodies, they hope to have a new draft by December 5 for the Trustee meeting. [The Forward: November 13, 1997]

1998
Jan 23

Kathy Dutton, Hampshire’s Director of Special Programs, organizes a meeting entitled “How Do Unions at Private Colleges Really Work?” with guest speakers from Antioch College, Boston University, and Harvard University. [The Forward: February 5, 1998]

Jan 26

A few dozen students, pro-union staff members, and union supporters participated in a “tug-o-war” protest organized by the Student Action Organizing Committee. Protesters want President Prince to refrain from spending college money and time in attempts to discourage the union. [The Forward: February 5, 1998]

Feb 5

A vote is taken on the staff unionization (last Friday). The professional staff vote against being included in the union, and the non-professional staff votes were tied with a number of challenged votes due to the voters' job descriptions. The tie and disputed votes will be settled in a National Labor Relations Board hearing in the upcoming weeks. [The Forward: February 5, 1998]

The trustees approve the plan for school reorganization into three core schools and two experimental schools. The core schools will be Natural Science, Social Science, and Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies. The two experimental schools which will be reviewed after two and five years will be Cognitive Science and Interdisciplinary Arts. The plan will affect the Division I structure starting with a transitional year beginning in the Fall of 1998. [The Forward: February 5, 1998]

During the final weeks of last semester bands were informed by a note on the door of FPH that they would no longer be able to practice because of noise problems. After complaining band members were told that they may practice after 11pm. The problem of disturbing nearby students has still not been resolved and no solutions have been found. [The Forward: February 5, 1998]

Feb 14

An anti-Semitic poster is placed on the door of a student in Merrill A. Public Safety is investigating the incident. [The Forward: March 5, 1998]

Feb 19

Div III student Emily Kellert, publishes a letter asking for the community to help with the Yurt project after recent vandalism. A lock was placed on the yurt door to prevent further vandalism, but Kellert asks for the community's help to keep an eye on the yurt. She also asks for help with fundraising and construction in order to complete the yurt this semester. [The Forward: February 19, 1998]

After a system failure of Hampshire’s UNIX server, hamp, the problem has be found and hopefully fixed. The system was being used to send unsolicited “spam” email by a user, possibly off campus, which was overloading the system. [The Forward: February 19, 1998]

Mar 5

Over the past several months Public Safety has received reports of prank phone calls being made by a male who pretends to be an acquaintance of the victim, or heavy breathing. Smith and Mount Holyoke have reported similar problems. [The Forward: March 5, 1998]

Apr 2

Meredith Michaels resigns her position as Associate Professor of Philosophy, unaware that this decision forfeited her other position as Dean of Cultural Studies. Michaels does not support the school’s plan to combine Cultural Studies with Humanites and Arts as a single department. [Forward: Apr. 16, 1998]

Apr 16

Students vote in favor of charging 25 dollars to each tuition bill to go into an endowment for the building, maintenance and programming of a community center. [Forward: April 16, 1998]

The Forward publishes a comic, "Hamp, What's Your Deal?" that makes fun of Hampshire students. [[Media:Scan_8theforward.jpeg]]

Apr 25

Eric Davis, 20, of Springfield is arrested by Amherst Police upon the report of a disturbance in Mod 58. Shortly after the arrest Davis is charged a sexual assault committed on campus. [Forward: April 30, 1998]