Simmons College - Microcosm Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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The class of 1981 was greatly affected by political changes in this state and throughout the country. Much controversy surrounded Governor Edward King's decision to raise the legal drinking age to twenty in 1979. Many Simmons women signed the Covenant, a document supported by hundreds of thousands of Boston-area people to show their concern and pledge their help for a city torn apart by racial strife. Simmons women became quite concerned when President Carter proposed the reenactment ofthe draft, including women, in 1980, since the Equal Rights Amend- ment had yet to be approved and added to the Constitution. Ronald Reagan, sup- ported bythe Moral Majority and a massive swing to the right politically throughout the country, won what was probably the first presidential election most of the class of 1981 ever voted in. The major issue that defeated jimmy Carter in 1980 was, of course, the way he handled the economy. There were, however, multitudes of other issues and problems that he could not seem to solve. During the Carter administration the United States faced the gas crunch caused by Arab oil embargoes, the Three Mile Island catas- trophe, followed by many nuclear plant protests throughout the country. People complained about illegal immigrants from Mexico. U.S. generals denounced the SALT II treaty, women lobbied for legalized abortion, the government established diplmatic relations with China and broke its treaty with Taiwan. The Soviets invaded Afghanistan, so the United States and many other countries boycotted the Moscow Olympics. The government relinquished control of the Panama Canal. it ' - 41 I 4 fs , 4 G5-'iv H ffl! Blish. 5, . ' ,ik-gh 8 -P4441

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Simmons for Survival was created in 1978 in response to the growing need for information on issues that threaten mankind's survival in a nuclear age. Eventually its purpose evolved to include discussions about a wide range of political issues. The Women's Center provided a supportive atmosphere for women to become more aware of themselves and the forces which influenced their lives. The Center sponsored various ac- tivities such as Women's Month, and housed a small library and magazine collection on women's topics. The Human Sexuality Program Committee sponsored pro- grams, speakers, and films to dispense information to the Sim- mons community about all aspects of human sexuality. The Dance Collective provided weekly exercise and dance courses to students who wanted to continue their dance training or to learn basic dance principles. The Computer Club was formed for members of the Simmons community who were interested in computer technology. The club sponsored speakers from computer-related fields and held a career night. i :uf 1,3 1

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