|
Parental Advisory
In the fall of 1966, a group of just over 800 wary young men gathered in Alexander Hall on the campus of Princeton University to
hear the Dean of Admissions inform them that they were perhaps the best
class ever to enroll into the University. Little did they know at the
time that the Dean recycled this speech every year-- but for once he
may have been correct!
By the time they graduated four years
later, the University had changed tremendously, and they had a large
role in that transformation. As undergraduates the Class of 1970 had
their share of hijinks, including the nude photosthe Cannon Hoax. They also contributed to the demise of In Loco Parentis and helped abolish parietals, roundly defeated the sophomores in Cane Spree, helped found Stevenson Hall, opened the Fitzrandolph Gates, proposed the Fall recess, and perhaps most importantly of all,they ushered in a new era of education of women at Princeton. at McCosh Infirmary, the shepherds pie riot, the pitched Brown:Dod battles, and
The Seventy legend is rife with many tall tales.
By the time their senior year rolled around, the world had changed a
great deal, and many never took exams that final spring, because most
of the campus was on strike. As a result, they had no senior prom, no
house parties, few marched in the P-rade in 1970, and most eschewed
caps and gowns at Commencement. To add to the eerie scene, New Jersey
was visited by the seventeen year locusts, a fact not lost on Bob Dylan
who received an honorary degree that year. Small wonder that the Class
was considered a real disappointment by many alumni, so their awards,
spirited reunion themes, and legendary Seventy-Pede make their many alumni achievements all the more noteworthy.
Indeed, knowledgeable observers opine that no Princeton class the past quarter century is their equal. However, the Class of 1995 shows great promise and enjoyed many salutary relations with the Class of 1970,
including the 70:95 Careers Program, the Annual Giving Challenge, and
other close ties. Only time will tell if they end up like so many other
disappointing classes one might mention, or if '95 someday surpasses
their illustrious elders such as the Class of 1939, 1952, 1963, or dare
we even think it-- 1970! Reunions 2020 will be very interesting.
|