Emerson College - Emersonian Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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Crises Over The Union Students say No, when Winter room changes leave them in me cold mm mm Unm StspIS 13s 9 IB ' fils mw The Student Union was the center of controversy when students protested an administrative decision to move Music department facilities into the building, due to renovations underway at 150 Beacon Street. The Abbot Library is scheduled to move to 150 Beacon Street in the fall of 1982. The most gripping drama to unfold at Emerson this year was not pro- duced by the theatre department, did not sell out, and did not close to rous- ing applause, although it appeared briefly that it might bring down the house. The production was a nearly month long improvisational variation of A Comedy of Errors, except that there was nothing funny about it. At center stage was the Student Union, the only building on the east end of campus which is known by name instead of by street number. When students returned from their January break they discovered that several rooms in the Union had been converted into Dance and Music class- rooms and offices. The conversion of 150 Beacon Street into a new library forced these classes to relocate tem- porarily in the Union. Those entering the Union found that Emerson Inde- pendent Video had moved, the Cultu- ral Center was being renovated and that there was a piano in the weight room. Students were angry — some, in- censed — that these moves had been made arbitrarily, with no student in- put. Meetings were called and plans were made; for the first time in recent memory, students were rallying around a common cause. “We decided that we definitely weren’t going to take it lying down,” said Danny Amorello, the 1981-1 982 Presi- dent of The Student Government Association. Amorello met with the SGA Executive Council on Tuesday, February 2, to plan a strategy for re- versing some of the space allocations. The next day the Executive Council attended a mass EBONI meeting that had been called for the same purpose. EBONI leaders were especially in- censed because Co-chairmen Ron Mitchell and Terri Waller had, they said, been promised by Emerson Pres- ident Allen Koenig earlier that the Cultural Center would not be affected by any changes in Union space alloca- tions. continued on next page 19

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The Emersonian 1981 — 1982 Editor David S. Millstone Jr. Associate Editor and Advertising Manager Georgiana Drew Assignment Editor (Photo) Robert C. Rycroft Production and Staff Writer Kurt Hughes Faculty Advisor Tom Dahill (Professor of Fine Arts) Contributing Photographers.- Gina Siciliano, Kayla Doherty, Alys Weisman, Lori Wortman-Millstone (’79), Dawn Steinberg, John Smith. Special Thanks to: Eileen Dolan (advertising), Tony Sqarro ( graphics), Linda Slowe (Union Director), Jean Peckham (Athletics Department Secretary), Jim Peckham ((Director of Athletics). Meg Donovan (Public Relations), Dick Swiech (Hunter Publishing), The Berkeley Beacon, and to all other contributers of photography, artwork and copy. C jb The Emersonian is puJLheci b yjfee 9tud$nls A Emerson College art is funded by the Emerson Collage, Btudenyfiovemment Associaufn. ft , ( was printed by The Hujjter Publishing yCompany AWm on-S»fta,jN»rth ■ Oa oTma..mo ' S»gfaphie , processing a A printing, was done by Emerson i u j v, students, Subtra titp Teclkiology of 1 I . Bost nAiass cAusatts, ' hfA 1 ” Mass , bf Swamp Crises Over the Union 19 Winter changes at 96 Beacon Street meet chilly student reaction. Deja vu? 22 After more than a decade, EBONI’s original concerns are still to be dealt with. Working Students 24 Many Emerson students work on the side to pay bills or put change in their pockets. Internships 27 Some jobs can lead to future careers. What do you want to be when YOU grow up? 28 Twelve Emerson Seniors respond to this oldest of questions. Communication in the Raw 30 A sports program does exist at Emerson College. “It’s Not Supposed to Work” 31 Jean and Jim Peckham live, and work, together. Learning to Take the Cold 33 SGA President Danny Amorello sees what Emerson really teaches us. Convocation Address 33 Amorello speaks on trust, and accessibility, at 1981’s first All College Convocation. The Hollywood Trip 34 Politics and personalities surround the seminar in California. Is Back Bay Big Enough For Both of Us? 35 A Berkeley Beacon article looks at the legal battle between Emerson and NABB. Emerson’s Newest Minority 35 More students than ever before are remaining at Emerson for four years, bucking a national trend. The Comedy Workshop 37 an integral — and representative — aspect of our “Emerson Experience” Forensicators do it Orally 41 keeping it together on the road The Cross Cultural Club 43 A needed support group for foreign students now exists. The World 44 A brief compendium of what went on around us: Reagonomics 44 DC- 10 Crash at Logan Airport 44 Poland 45 El Salvedor 45 Obits 46 In Tribute; Anwar Sadat 47 A visionary is cut down. Also . . . Steam Shuffle 84 Shelton Forrest 85 From the Editor 165 Coverage of campus events continues on page 184 18

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Crises Over The Union At this time, an unusual coalition was formed. EBONI and the SGA Ex- ecutive Council agreed to work together to push for re-reallocation of Union space. As part of the agree- ment, SGA vowed to assist EBONI win administrative commitment to a number of demands, among which were the hiring of more Black faculty, the strengthening of affirmative ac- tion at Emerson and an increase of black history and culture into the col- lege curriculum. While students were forming a unit- ed front, and rumors of a possible show of force via a takeover of the Union or administrative lock-out were circulating, President Koenig was out of town. The President returned and met that Saturday with, among others, members of the SGA Executive Coun- cil, Vice President of Business and Fi- nance George Broadbent, Acting Dean of Student Ron Ludman and Dan Posnansky, who was in charge of space allocations. The meeting con- cluded with Koenig delegating the re- sponsibility for arriving at an equit- able solution to Ludman. Ludman had been involved in the original reallocations which had up- set so many students so quickly. He explained the position of the Student Affairs staff after the President’s Council determined in early January that Union rooms had to be made available to the Music and Dance de- partments. “There wasn’t really any choice at that point . . . the options were very limited. We were trying to establish if there was any possible way that we could arrange it so that the students would be less ticked off, and there real- ly wasn’t, so it was just a game,” said Ludman. Amorello’s interpretation was diffe- rent. “They had ajob they were getting paid for, and they just took the first solution that came into their heads, with no forethought. Their attitude was ‘well, the students are going to be pissed off anyway, let’s just try and take the heat.’ ” Clockwise from above: SGA Treasurer Pam Smith makes a point during a heated meeting of students in the wake of space changes in the Student Union; EBONI Co-chairman Terry Waller; a resident of 100 Beacon Street, which was talked of as a site for a building sit-in, Brad Epstein. Flared tempers and an unusual coalition were produced by the meeting, (photos by David S. Millstone Jr.) 20