1977-78

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

September
Sep 15
 * Daphne Reed, the Coordinator of Governance, is leaving office after one of Charles Longsworth's last offical acts eliminates her position; thereafter, Hampshire governance faces an unprecendented era of apathy and disorganization over the next few years. [Climax: September 15, 1977]

Sep 21
 * The new Hampshire Women's Center holds their first meeting in their new office, Ezbicki House, across the driveway from the Admissions Office. [Climax: September 29, 1977]

Sep 24
 * Hampshire students join colleges from all over the country at Kent State University in Ohio to protest the proposed building of a gymnasium on the site where 4 students were shot to death by National Guardsmen in 1970. [Climax: September 29, 1977]
 * A makeshift wooden cross is set on fire outside Merrill House during a Third World student party; the perpetrator is unknown. [Climax: October 6, 1977]

Sep 29
 * In a meeting of over 400 people at the Dining Commons, President Simmons announces the formation of an investigative committee to study the cross-burning incident and "other incidents of racism" on campus; professor Frank Holmquist will chair the group. [Climax: October 6, 1977]

October
Oct 6
 * Student Stephen Cohen announces the creation of the Smokers Liberation Movement to support the rights of smokers on campus and in society. [Climax: October 6, 1977]
 * The Hampshire College Deviant Behavior Bowling League is active and meeting every Monday night, when its eight teams go bowling. [Climax: October 6, 1977]

Oct 8
 * The Board of Trustees approve Adele Simmons's Proposed Interim Investment Guidelines, which concentrate on corporations that cause "social injury", and form the Committee on Investment Responsibility to establish criteria for ethical investments. [Climax: October 20, 1977]

Oct 13
 * Climax publishes a special issue entitled, "Surviving Hampshire", devoted to explaining "how to survive the Hampshire experience". [Climax: October 13, 1977]

November
Nov 3
 * The Committee on Racism has been meeting four or five times a week for a month; they announce plans for a report on grievances encountered by members of the Third World community and an all-community meeting in addition to their main investigation. [Climax: November 3, 1977]

Nov 10
 * The editorial staff of Climax, students Steve Nesich, Peeper Koechl, and John Parnass, announce that they will publish one last issue of the newspaper before resigning on November 17, due to a variety of historical and personal reasons. [Climax: November 10, 1977]
 * Students Joanne Levine and Suzanne Arist publish an article called "The Physical Plant Tapes," detailing the shocking mistreatment of physical plant workers by students through interviews and personal accounts. [Climax: November 10, 1977]

Nov 17
 * Controversy rages over the $8,000 cost for Adele Simmons's Presidential Inauguration, nicknamed "The Coronation" by certain members of the community; it will be the largest event at Hampshire since the opening convocation. [Climax: November 17, 1977]
 * The Committee on Racism announces findings from its discussions on grievances with members of the Third World community and reports numerous problems with racism at Hampshire, making recommendations for needed work. [Climax: November 17, 1977]

February
Feb 1
 * "Meltdown at Montague" is published, a book on the consequences of a meltdown accident at the proposed Montague Nuclear Power Plant; it is the first report of its kind, authored by two students and faculty members. [Climax: February 6, 1978]

Feb 6
 * Climax returns with the editorial staff of students Peter Hurwitz, Ruth Horowitz, and Lance Haver. [Climax: February 6, 1978]
 * The Grassroots Network, a group of students working for political change within the college, has begun efforts to raise the student work wage to the federal minimum of $2.65 per hour, and then again to $2.85 per hour in January 1979. [Climax: February 6, 1978]
 * A group of 30 students march out of a Beginning Photography class and into Dean of Faculty Penina Glazer's office with a hastily written petition demanding another photography course to be implemented due to inadequate course offerings; Glazer agrees. [Climax: March 2, 1978]

Feb 14
 * The Retention Task Force, a school-wide committee of representatives selected by Adele Simmons to investigate problems with the attrition rate, has issued its report and recommendations, which include adding courses to facilitate the Division I program. [Climax: February 14, 1978]

Feb 15
 * The Committee on Racism presents its final 28-page report to over 200 members of the community at a meeting; among the committee's many recommendations is a request for "serious, sustained, and far more aggressive emphasis on third world recruitment". [Climax: February 24, 1978]

Feb 27
 * Adele Simmons holds an informal discussion in the FPH lounge to discuss a proposal from the U.S. Department of Transportation that would designate the Hampshire campus as a headquarters during a national emergency. [Climax: February 24, 1978]

March
Mar 2
 * A random survey of other Five College students shows that the typical image of a Hampshire student is "rich, pretentious, weird, and trying to be left-wing when they're actually conservative"; less than 10% surveyed have ever taken a Hampshire class. [Climax: March 2, 1978]

Mar 8
 * The Grassroots Network submits a petition with nearly 1,000 signatures to President Simmons demanding a student wage increase from $2.35 to $2.65 per hour. [Climax: March 10, 1978]

Mar 29
 * Prescott mod 90 is engulfed in flames and burns for over an hour, resulting in six-figure damages after an electrical heater ignites the bed of first-year student Liz Ross while she is sleeping. [Climax: March 30, 1978]

April
Apr 11
 * In light of recurring problems with pets in the dormitory, Merrill House bans dogs from the residence effective for the fall semester, 1978; many students contest the vote as being held without enough notice. [Community Council Misc.: 78S-Z13]

Apr 12
 * A report issued by the former residents of Prescott mods 89 and 90 charges the college with ignoring evidence that indicated the strong possibility of a fire prior to the March 29 blaze. [Climax: April 2S, 1978]
 * Third-year student Matthew Patrick is the first student to win an Academy Award; "Triptych", a six-minute 16mm film, earns the Experimental Achievement Award in the Student Film Awards division of the A.M.P.A.S. [Climax: October 5, 1978]

Apr 14
 * Only a small percentage of students surveyed in a poll by Climax feel that Adele Simmons has done an excellent (3.4%) or good (18%) job as the new President; the majority feel her efforts have been fair (37.5%) or poor (18%), with 20% undecided. [Climax: April 14, 1978]