I love these photos, taken by Bill Ray for LIFE Magazine, which depict the goings-on in a coed dorm at Oberlin College in 1970. The school had instituted coed living just two years prior, and the "experiment" garnered mixed reactions. Some were uncomfortable with the change; others celebrated its upsides - one student reported that he was now “taking [his women classmates] more for granted as people, something I’d never done before.”
A few of these shots - the one of students playing music in the hallway, in particular - look like they could have been taken during my time at UC Santa Cruz, where I shared a dorm - bathrooms and all - with boys my freshman year.
Didn't realize you were a UCSC alum - me too! 2009 : ) Love your blog
ReplyDeleteDidn't know you were a UCSC alum, me too! Class of 2009. Love your blog : )
ReplyDeleteOh, dorm life... totally could've been my freshman dorm, too. Except, I never, ever, ever, saw anyone (guys or gals) ironing... doing laundry was a big enough feat.
ReplyDeleteI'd say model apartment living is the closest I've gotten to that kind of experience, but co-ed apartments were always so much more fun! I remember one time having a catwalk party in the living room while some of the guys attempted to DJ :)
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During my first semester away at school, I lived in the third dorm room on the right hand side of a hallway. Every other room on that end of the hall, both sides, was boys. Each room had its own bathroom, though (perk of going to a private college).
ReplyDeleteI work at a university so these photos are pretty rad for me to see way back. Our uni, UCLA, was the first ever to institute coed dorms. Found you on Cup of Jo & I am so happy I did. Love your photographs. I am an (very) amateur photographer in my spare time.
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I got so nostalgic looking at these photos (even though UCSD dorm living looked nothing like this). Thanks for the walk down memory lane :-) I miss college, now.
ReplyDeleteThese make me so nostalgic for college!! Love!
ReplyDeletethese are awesome!
ReplyDeleteaww, as someone who did not dorm for college, i am so fascinated by these little glimpses of dorm life. really fascinating! i love the eating on the floor picture!
ReplyDeleteLinz, thank you so much! Slugs 4 life :)
ReplyDeleteAuste, haha, I guess I never saw an iron, either!
Sea of Love, sounds so fun.
Carmen, thank you! I can't take credit for many of the photos, but I'm so glad you like the blog!
whoa, so cool!
ReplyDeleteJust love those photographs, everything looks so communal!
ReplyDeletelove these pics.
ReplyDeleteI never lived on campus during college (staying in your home city for college negates the reason to live on campus, and my best friend and I opted to get an apartment of our own...oh the stories we have from that apartment!) but photos like this make me nostalgic for something I never had, if that makes sense. xo
ReplyDeleteErin, totally makes sense. But your experience sounds awesome, too!
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