Northeastern University - Cauldron Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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What a Difference Five Years Make A lot has changed in five years. When the Class of 1985 entered the hallowed halls of Northeastern in the fall of 1980, Jimmy Carter was President, the hostages were still in Iran, conservatives were a rare breed on college campuses, Christopher Cross was at the top of the charts, and Hill Street Blues was last in the ratings. Northeastern ' s campus looked a great deal different when we were freshmen. As a matter of fact, if you look at your NU identification card, you might find that you looked a great deal different when you were a freshman. The past five years have seen events occur throughout the world that have shocked and angered us. They have made us laugh and cry. They have helped us to grow and understand our place in this world. Before we move on to the future, we need to take a look back at what we have lived through during our college days. Do you remember what you were doing when: — Ronald Reagan was elected to his first term as President. — The hostages were released from Iran — The Russians shot down Korean Airlines Flight 007 — John Lennon was assassinated — The Huskies won the Beanpot twice — The US invaded Grenada — Anwar Sadat was assassinated — 240 American marines were killed in Beirut — The Pope and Reagan were shot — The Celtics won two championships — The Red Sox didn ' t — The last MASH episode was shown — You first saw Boy George These are just a few headlines that have occurred during the last five years. Of course, each of us have faced our personal low points and high points during these times. Friends and lovers have come and gone. Many of us have dealt with personal tragedy and triumph. Final exams, long lines, great parties, Beanpots. professors, classmates, and cooperative work experiences were headlines for most of us. These memories can be stirred and brought to life, when one thinks of them in their proper time frame. In the following pages, we will take a closer look at some of the headlines of events that have taken place in the course of our college education. We hope they bring back memories. '

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World Terrorism Escalates Three attacks on world leaders during 1981 brought back memories of the chaotic 1960s to many people. The first of these attacks occurred on March 30, 1981, in Washington, D.C. President Ronald Reagan was struck by two .22 caliber bullets fired from the handgun of John W. Hinckley Jr. Hinckley, 25, a drifter from an upper middle-class family, opened fire on Reagan following a speech by the President. The President was rushed to George Washington University Hospital where he underwent successful surgery to remove the two bullets. Reagan was shaken up by the incident, but regained his health quickly. He was released from the hospital one week later. A secret service agent and a Washington, D.C. policeman were also injured, and Press Secretary James S. Brady suffered severe head wounds. Initial reports of the attack erroneously claimed that the president was dead. Subsequent reports said that he had escaped unharmed, while others said that he had broken a rib when a secret service agent pushed him into his limousine. The motive for the attack stayed in the headlines for months, as Hinckley claimed his goal was to impress actress Jodie Foster. Hinckley said his love for Jodie drove me to this act. He was sentenced to a psychiatric hospital later that year. Less than two months later, a second major public figure was shot in an assassination attempt. Pope John Paul II was seriously wounded by Mehmet Ali Agca, 23, while passing through the crowds in Rome ' s St. Peter ' s Square. Investigation of the incident have led many to conclude that the attack was part of a conspiracy. The Pope ' s life was saved, but world leaders and the public responded in shock and anger. The attempt on a man representing global peace stirred high emotions. The third attempt occurred on October 6, 1981, when assassins found their target in the tragic murder of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat (See other story). The three attacks signified the increase in terrorism in the world, and encouraged stricter safety precautions for world leaders. These precautions have been applied to leaders throughout the western world. EM 1 - i- ' ' 8 Wn ■ ■- ' ... 1 ' ' It has been an era of contrasts for the music we have listened to and loved during the past five years. While the type of music each of us enjoy is based on personal tastes, it is a fact that music is the most popular entertainment among college students. Ever since The Beatles transformed the nature of popular music in the 60s, the favorite songs and artists of the day have been reflected in the dress, language and appearance of many students. Think about all the contrasts we have heard in our music. The last two years have seen the charts dominated by the danceable music of Michael Jackson, The Go-Gos, Duran Duran, and Culture Club. These artists produced fashionable pop music. On the other hand, there have been gutsy, emotional performances turned in by Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, John Lennon, and The Pretenders. The music these performers gave to us had an almost spiritual element and touched the innermost feelings of most of those who listened to them. Many other groups have produced some notable music, each with many fans. These performers include David Bowie, Genesis, Fleetwood Mac, J. Geils, The Police, ZZ Top, The Who, Lionel Richie, and The Kinks to name but a few. With the ' 80s came the advent of music television, more commonly knov MTV. This new medium offers heightened audio as well as visual entertain...... The music industry during the past five years has been weakened by the ans and the breakup of prominent groups. In the fall of 1980, we were all saddened by the untimely death of John Ono Lennon who was murdered as he was about to enter his home in New York City. After several years away from the music industry, Lennon had shown that he was still a gifted songwriter with his Double Fantasy album. This was perhaps the greatest loss to music during our college years. There were other important musicians who died during the past five years: Bill Haley, Bob Marley, Harry Chapin, Karen Carpenter, John Bonham, Keith Moon, Marvin Gaye, James Honeyman Scott, Muddy Waters, Jackie Wilson and Dennis Wilson, to name a few. Their music will be sadly missed. There are also groups to be remembered as they called a close to their musical careers together: The Who, Squeeze, J. Geils parted from lead singer Peter Wolfe, Led Zepplin, and the breakup of The Clash ' s original members into two se ' perate groups, both called The Clash. To those mentioned and unmentioned, we say a sad good-bye.