May 30, 2026
While every class goes through significant changes during its four years, I think our class can claim to be near the top of the list. We started with 511 students, including February freshmen, with 397 graduating in 1971.

There were major academic changes: self-scheduled exams and an increase in pass/fail grades; the first black faculty member; the establishment of a Black Studies major and then Black Studies Department. During the Vietnam War era, we had a rare two-day moratorium of classes after the Kent State shootings, followed by a strike by many students, resulting in options for pass/fail/incomplete grades at the end of our junior year. During our senior year, the one-week break at the end of October was instituted as was the January term plan.

But the non-academic changes during our four years were probably even more memorable. During freshman year we had curfews, some very strict housemothers, and no men allowed in our rooms. By our junior year, students had gained much more of a voice in determining non-academic life. We had dorm room locks, relatively lenient parietals, and alcohol on campus. As seniors, we saw housemothers phasing out in favor of faculty or resident fellows, and we had seventeen men living in two of our dorms as part of the 12-College exchange program.

These changes were, of course, accompanied by a significant amount of tension and disagreement. But we can probably all agree that we re glad two policies didn t, and haven t, changed: M&C and Mountain Day.
- Meg Harris, President, Class of 1971