What were you doing back in 1993?
If you are like me, then you probably don’t remember because you were still under the age of three. Luckily, a foray into the dusty depths of The Chronicle archives revealed what was going on at our to-be alma mater.
Tuesday, September 28 opened with an ongoing search for the missing body of Brian Wright, an engineering senior. Wright presumably drowned in a rock quarry filled with water in near the Eno River—an attraction that current Duke students still frequent.
On a lighter note, did you know that in 1993 the idea of making East Campus an all-freshman campus was being seriously considered? And that many students were vehemently opposed to it? On Tuesday, The Chronicle displayed the protests on the front page. Over 50 students met on Monday night to discuss their reasons against the change, which include issues such as isolation of the freshmen, the different pace of life, and expenses (West Campus dormitories were more expensive than those on East Campus).
The debate continued over the next few days. On Wednesday, September 29 one senior weighed in with his…interesting perspective. Here is one paragraph:
"East is the yin, the female. At its bosom lies the dome of Baldwin. Art and music and dance are the languages spoken among its ionic columns and coffeehouse. West is the yang, the male. Standing erect, the Chapel dominates this space. Basketball and the sciences are rationalized under Gothic arches and Burger King."
Well, I’m never going to look at our iconic landmarks the same way again.
The Chronicle also announced the creation of an experimental race car on Thursday, September 30. Dave Zavelson, president of the University chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), made the car for an annual national competition. The car was able to go from zero to 70 miles per hour and was displayed for Duke students to see in a parking lot. He is incidentally now working for Dell and recently presented Dell's upcoming Inspiron duo, a combination of a tablet and notebook.
And it is not just the articles that provide a blast from the past. Here are some photos from Friday, October 1:
(To the left) East Campus bus stop, which hasn’t changed much, but from what I can see of the buses have. Imagine riding in that lovely submarine-like vehicle!
(To the right) Some things, however, never change, and some do. Duke students seemed to have replaced Budweiser with Busch Light as their bulk drink of choice.
In Friday’s issue, I found two letters to the Editor complaining about a cartoon that was published on Monday. The letters strongly disapproved of a cartoon called “Road Kill.” According to one letter, the cartoon, “portrayed a dog catcher from the city pound and the owner of Hong’s Korean Food staring at a stray dog. One of them says to the other, ‘You wanna flip for it?’” The implication was that the Asian man was going to eat said dog. Both of the letters to the Editor complained about the inherent racism and disrespectful nature of the cartoon. Unfortunately, the archives did not contain the Monday issue.
That's it for this week, but who knows what this amateur archaeology may uncover next? I don’t, and you probably don’t either, so stay tuned for next week’s post!
"This Week in Chronicle History" is a weekly feature that dives into the depths of The Chronicle archives to recount what was going on then—now.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.