Time mag has this interesting photo essay that covers college campuseses (campi?) from the cinder block 30’s where the male dorm would communicate with the segregate chicks through light flashing morse code to the campus of today that features Coldstone Creameries, 7/11’s and rock climbing…
Here are the 3 best from the 15 picture slideshow:
The 1950s and 60s saw a surge in political and civil rights debates in America, with the college campus taking center stage in the debate over equality. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson outlined his plans for affirmative action during a graduation speech at the historically all-black Howard University, above. Meanwhile, massive state and federal spending sparked a boom in dorm construction, as minorities and disadvantaged students began flocking to campuses nationwide. In 1958, the University of California’s nine campuses could house only 2,900 students; by 1970, they had residential space for nearly 20,000.
Though La Vista del Campo Norte seems at first glance more like a hotel than a dorm, Bill Bayless, CEO of American Campus Communities, says these buildings aren’t just real estate opportunities: “Our properties are not Animal House. There are no kegs out by the pool.” Nowadays, students demand privacy, technology and the same amenities they grew up with, he says. “It’s what the student expects when they leave Mom and Dad’s.”
Not everyone agrees with the luxury-dorm fad. At Berea College in Kentucky, school administrators have adopted a unique approach to the problem of strangled budgets and coddled kids: Dorms are furnished by the college crafts workshops, cafeteria food is provided by the school’s farm, and students are required to work 10 hours a week in various campus jobs. “It’s about identity and the culture you want to develop,” says Gus Gerassimides, the college’s assistant vice president for student life. “Ultimately every community has choices to make. It’s who you choose to be.”