College of William and Mary - Colonial Echo Yearbook (Williamsburg, VA)

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Opening the door of the Project Plus house, resi- dent Ann Thurston returns fronn a jog Though mov- ing a Creative Arts house into the vacated building was discussed, no final plans had been made for the Botetourt unit — Photo by Warren Koontz. Founder and initiator of the Project Plus program, Dr Beyer saw the project end after several years of declining interest, — Photo by Mark Beavers Swamped with books, Bobby Johnson writes the rough draft of a geology paper in the Plus study lounge The wide tables in the Botetourt lounges were a big help when he had to spread out to work, — Photo by Warren Koontz 28 , ' Project Plus

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A Touch of Class with a Lot of Personality Mother would never allow writing on the walls; she would not be ecstatic to see beer cans stacked pyramid-style on the shelf or weird scribblings and wild pictures plastered on bedroom doors. But then, mother wasn ' t around too much anymore and this room was no longer within her domain. She never needed lit- tle signs, posters, or name tags to indi- cate the identity or hint at the personality of the inhabitant anyhow. A dorm room, however, often occupied one miniscule corner in one long hall of a three-story dwelling, where loads of other unfamiliar faces resided within identically- constructed rooms. Lumped together like this, it was no surprise that students got the itch to add a bit of distinction to their limited personal territories. Door decorations often pro- vided excellent indications of the type of person behind that closed door — comic strip clippings, silly snapshots, political inclinations, religious proclamations, magazine-type mosaics, bumper stick- ers, personal jokes, and lively notes were prominently displayed all over the place. But door decors only hinted at what flourished within, and a wide range of personal styles flared up everywhere, en- hanced or otherwise affected by house- keeping habits. Lofts were definitely in vogue, adding a bit of college-style class and a lot more much-needed floor space between the cinder block walls. And though a few of the more refined and conservatively-furnished rooms would have pleased any traditionally-inclined mother, various items (picked up in sometimes obscure locations) added more character than style to many places — from delicate tapestries and finely-woven wall hangings to less than aesthetically pleasing but certainly more attention-grabbing objects like fire hyd- rants and signs. Not just little flimsy mementos slapped on bulletin boards, but those monstrous metal signs seized from road sides and bridges. Roommates Danny McCoig and Bob- by Spivey were prime examples of those who lent a little character to their rooms — wall scribblings, newspaper clippings, assorted applique ' s, beer cartons and cans, among a host of other items, inun- dated the territory. As McCoig put it, Well, the idea came out of the chaotic state of the room — we decided to pick up the mess and put it on the wall. Lots of it is residue from the Corner Delly, which was closed down as student housing last year. Perhaps some doors and walls reveal a little more than even mother knows. — J.B.B Door decors have a lot to say about the attitudes of the inhabitants. The Weird Get Weirder (which, incidentally, is the door to the Corner Delly room on the opposite page) and Jesus Is Lord exemplify the wide variety of messages conveyed. — Photos by Mark Beavers. Some rooms do attain (and maintain) that refined, immaculate look. This one, equippea with a loft, belongs to Bart Seitz of second floor Old Dominion. — Photo by John Berry Room Styles 27

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Project Plus: R.I.P After Nine Years, the End of a Unique Program The epitaph on their T-shirts bore the tribute: Project Plus, 72-81 , RIP with the outline of a tombstone etched around it. Sadly to some, W M ' s first special in- terest housing program was about to be the first to go. Back in 1965, Dr. Carlyle Beyer insti- tuted a general honors program in which freshmen and sophomores took two hon- ors coloquia each semester. Seven years later it flourished into a classroom-living environment when 80 students moved into the newly-built Botetourt Residences as participants in the Project Plus pro- gram, which also marked the debut of the pass fail course at W M. Students had a fixed curriculum with eight different classes and a Forum Advisory Commit- tee, which booked weekly guest speak- ers to address subjects pertaining to the year ' s study. And the program was rated a success. Devoted to the theme of Food and Energy this year. Plus students recycled aluminum, glass bottles, and newspap- ers. In addition to regular classes, four students worked with Professor Hans von Tying one on. As part of the Food and Energy colloquium this year, Robert Earie bundles news- papers for recycling. The group also collected glass bottles and aluminum — Photo by Mark Beavers Baeyer of the Physics department to formulate an energy plan for Williams- burg, But after nine years, the simul- taneous decline in both student and faculty interest led to the program ' s de- mise. Although they received no mone- tary compensation, professors assumed an overload to teach the Plus seminars, and it became increasingly difficult for them to get away from their departments. Appealing to his Millington auditorium audience, Plus speaker Allan Geyer makes a point about world hunger Geyer served as executive Director of Churches ' Center for Theology and Public Policy in Washington — Photo by Warren Koontz, Furthermore, many were reluctant to teach a new course they knew would not be continued. As for students, many were more career-oriented and considered un- graded courses a liability. And as Dr. Beyer pointed out, some students just wanted to go home after classes. The novelty of Plus had worn off; it was no longer the only coed housing nor was it the only pass fail program. A new program was being planned for next year that resembled Project Plus, but with no residence: eight colloquia grouped according to theme with lec- tures. These courses, however, would be letter-graded and would fulfill area re- quirements. Though student interest waned more than ever this year (35 non-program stu- dents lived in the Plus building), some thought it was a big mistake to end the program. The new program is similar in many ways, pointed out Kevin Hand- erson, RA for Plus, but changes that we asked for Plus were put into the new program instead. I ' m sad to see Project Plus go. — L.C., J.B.B Quicl(, Where ' s the answer . . . During WCWM ' s Sunday night Quiz Kid show, Walter Placzek and Christy Notel scramble for information by the hall phone, — Photo by Warren Koontz ik i 5 H B i 1 Project Plus 29