1999-2000

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.

Sep 9

A first-year student trashes his room and begins walking home to Baltimore after doing five hits of acid at a party the night before; he shows up two days later having made it to a friend's house in New York City. [The Forward: October 22, 1999]

Sep 21

Sander Thoenes (F87), journalist and Hampshire alumn, is shot and killed by an anonymous militant while on assignment in East Timor. [The Forward: October 22, 1999]

Oct 28

President Greg Prince purchases a $10,000 hand-made bible, by Hatfield artist Barry Moser, for the Center for the Book. The purchase results in a $20,000 donation to the Center for the Book. Students are outraged at the purchase. [The Forward: February 18, 2000]

Nov 11

The Housing Advisory Committee changes housing policy so that mods losing quorum after the deadline will forfeit their mod for the next spring lottery; 19 mods are scheduled to go up for lottery next spring. An all-mod lottery plan is also being discussed. Many students are upset by the change in housing policy. [The Forward: November 11, 1999]

Nov 18

An emergency all-community meeting is held in the RCC to discuss recent assaults in the Five College area. Between November 1 and 18 two rapes occurred by the UMass pond, a woman was assaulted by three men near the pond, a woman was grabbed at the Smith College bus stop, and two women were chased at Amherst college. Over 700 students, faculty, and staff show up for the all-community meeting. [The Forward: February 4, 2000]

2000
Feb 4

Seven yellow emergency call boxes begin to go up around campus; the call boxes were scheduled to be up before students arrived the previous fall. [The Forward: February 4, 2000]

A group calling themselves “The Red Flag” begin publishing articles in The Forward addressing “the practices of this college”; hoping to create discussion, raise awareness, and promote change within the community. [The Forward: March 8, 2000]

Feb 11

UMass Police Department receives four more reports of sexual assaults over the period of February 4-6. [The Forward: February 15, 2000]

Feb 17

Mixed Nuts Co-op reopens after being closed since November due to a clogged and backed up sewer pipe in the Prescott Tavern. [The Forward: February 18, 2000]

Feb 27

Timothy Shary gives a lecture about Hampshire history and his compilation, A History of Student Activities and Achievements at Hampshire College, 1969-1990, which was commissioned by Community Council in 1990. [The Forward: March 8, 2000]

The Omen puts up posters advertising for their next meeting and requesting submissions. The poster contained an image of a naked anime-style character. Most of the posters are torn down the same day. [The Omen: March 11, 2000]

Feb 29

The Omen puts up the posters again, this time other students respond with a poster placed over the Omen’s poster stating that negative images of women will not be accepted on campus and by writing on the poster; resulting in a number of other posters around campus for weeks to come addressing images of women, race, and issues of censorship. [The Omen: March 11, 2000]

Community Council meets and decides to send a warning to The Omen, on account of the posters, about violating community norms and The Omen group charter. [The Omen: March 11, 2000]

Mar 2

COCA holds a service auction in the Dining Commons to raise money and awareness about financial aid. [The Forward: February 18, 2000]