{"id":7793,"date":"2018-07-31T11:57:19","date_gmt":"2018-07-31T15:57:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=7793"},"modified":"2024-04-25T13:29:14","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T17:29:14","slug":"apathy-the-class-of-68-and-student-life-at-mason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=7793","title":{"rendered":"Apathy? The Class of \u201968 and Student Life at Mason"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is Part 3 of a four-part series of articles pertaining to the George Mason University Class of 1968. The text is borrowed from SCRC\u2019s exhibition \u201cFirst Class: Mason \u201968 and Beyond\u201d currently on display through August 2018 in the SCRC Gallery.<\/em><\/p>\n

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“Student Apathy”. The Gunston Ledger<\/em>, Volume II, No. 5. December 18, 1964. University and Student Publications, Broadside<\/em> and The Gunston Ledger<\/em>, Box 3. Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries<\/p><\/div>\n

As is sometimes part of the two-year commuter-college experience in America, the George Mason College student body at times showed signs of detachment and disinterest during the early years at Fairfax. The atmosphere at Bailey\u2019s Crossroads differed in that the number of students was smaller, the building, though quirky and in need of repair, was thought of as a special place. The relationship between the students and faculty was seen as much closer. General morale and spirit seemed high at George Mason, but students appeared hesitant to organize new activities and groups or take part in the creation of new college traditions. This condition was chronicled most clearly in the pages of the student newspaper, The Gunston Ledger<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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“GMU Leaders Level Blast at Spritiless Students”. The Gunston Ledger<\/em>, Volume III, No. 3. November 25,1965. University and Student Publications, Broadside<\/em> and The Gunston Ledger<\/em>, Box 3. Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries<\/p><\/div>\n

The Ledger<\/em>, which began operation in the fall of 1963, served to inform students of news and events on the George Mason campus, initially at Bailey\u2019s Crossroads. The idea that apathy was endemic to the George Mason College student body was a common thread in the Ledger<\/em>\u2019s reporting on campus life at Mason. Almost weekly, the Ledger<\/em> and its readers chided their fellow classmates for their apparent lack of cohesiveness and interest in improving student life at Fairfax. Whether it was that some students preferred to drink beer in the parking lot during off-class times; or that the student body did not react strongly enough to a mandatory dress code enacted by the administration; or to protest early American intervention in Vietnam; or that students ignored three opportunities sponsored by the Ledger to choose an official mascot for Mason, apparent apathy at Mason was a continuing storyline.<\/p>\n

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Focal Point: The George Mason College Student <\/em>Handbook (1967-1968). University and Student Publications, Telephone Directories\/Student Handbooks, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries<\/p><\/div>\n

A subtle change seemed to occur once Mason was granted four-year status in 1966. All of a sudden Mason had a junior class, which looked forward to becoming the first graduates of the institution. Beginning that year the student body published both a student handbook and directory. Campus organizations, both established and new, began to flourish. Among them were SAGE, a women\u2019s service club, the Pep and Glee clubs, the Women\u2019s Athletic Association, the Sports Car Club, and People to People, to name a few. Mason\u2019s Student Assembly drafted a new student constitution. While the fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon was in existence at Mason since 1964, two additional Greek organizations (fraternity Delta Tau Sigma and sorority Lambda Tau Omega) appeared in 1967, with Delta Tau Sigma sponsoring the first Spring Formal that year.<\/p>\n

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Still\u00a0image from the student film, Agora Presents Jeckle and Hyde<\/em>. George Mason University audiovisual collection, #R0136, Box 58 Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries<\/p><\/div>\n

In addition, a drama club named the Agora Society, which was formed in the fall of 1965, staged its first production, Alpha Omega \u2013 The Beginning and the End, in 1966. Agora also created a film adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde<\/em> in 1967, screening it in the new Lecture Hall auditorium in February of 1968.<\/p>\n

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16 mm film reel canister containing the film Agora Presents Jeckle and Hyde<\/em>. George Mason University audiovisual collection, #R0136, Box 58, Special Collections Research Center George Mason University Libraries<\/p><\/div>\n

Follow Special Collections Research Center on Social Media\u00a0<\/em>atour\u00a0Facebook<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a><\/span>, and\u00a0Twitter<\/a><\/span>\u00a0accounts. To search the collections\u00a0held at Special Collections Research Center, go to our\u00a0website\u00a0and browse the finding aids by subject or title. You may also e-mail\u00a0us at\u00a0speccoll@gmu.edu<\/a><\/span>\u00a0or call 703-993-2220 if you would like to\u00a0schedule an appointment, request materials, or if you have questions. Appointments are not necessary to request and view collections.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is Part 3 of a four-part series of articles pertaining to the George Mason University Class of 1968. The text is borrowed from SCRC\u2019s exhibition \u201cFirst Class: Mason \u201968 and Beyond\u201d currently on display through August 2018 in the SCRC Gallery. As is sometimes part of the two-year commuter-college experience in America, the George […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[529,272,94],"tags":[676,455,273,211,421,504,94],"class_list":["post-7793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-george-mason-university-history","category-gmu-fairfax-campus","category-university-archives","tag-apathy","tag-archives","tag-fairfax","tag-george-mason-university","tag-history","tag-students","tag-university-archives"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Ep5i-21H","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6003,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=6003","url_meta":{"origin":7793,"position":0},"title":"Vietnam Moratorium “Scroll” Documents George Mason College Community’s Activism","author":"Bob Vay","date":"November 21, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"On October 10, 1969 a neatly dressed George Mason College student presented Chancellor Lorin A. Thompson with a loosely-rolled scroll of paper containing the signatures of over 600 Mason students, faculty, and staff. The document petitioned Thompson to excuse students, faculty, staff and administration from classes and college business on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "GMU Fairfax Campus"","block_context":{"text":"GMU Fairfax Campus","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=272"},"img":{"alt_text":"Student representative from the George Mason College Vietnam War Moratorium Committee presents Chancellor Lorin A. Thompson with petition asking college administration to excuse members of the campus community from classes on October 15, 1969. From The Gunston Ledger, Volume 7, Number 4. October 14, 1969. ","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/ThompsonStudent.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7849,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=7849","url_meta":{"origin":7793,"position":1},"title":"The Class of \u201968\u2019s Senior Year","author":"Bob Vay","date":"August 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This is Part 4 of a four-part series of articles pertaining to the George Mason University Class of 1968. The text is borrowed from SCRC\u2019s exhibition \u201cFirst Class: Mason \u201968 and Beyond\u201d currently on display through August 2018 in the SCRC Gallery. What was the last year of college life\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "exhibits"","block_context":{"text":"exhibits","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shea_leftoff_composite.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shea_leftoff_composite.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shea_leftoff_composite.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shea_leftoff_composite.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shea_leftoff_composite.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/shea_leftoff_composite.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10152,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=10152","url_meta":{"origin":7793,"position":2},"title":"Establishing Our Identity: George Mason’s Fairfax Campus","author":"Bob Vay","date":"June 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"This post is part of a four-part series detailing the history of George Mason University from the student perspective. Our initial post, Before We Became George Mason University: Our First Campus at Bailey's Crossroads, can be read here: https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=10138 In August 1964 George Mason College moved from Bailey\u2019s Crossroads to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "exhibits"","block_context":{"text":"exhibits","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/patriot.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/patriot.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/patriot.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4853,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=4853","url_meta":{"origin":7793,"position":3},"title":"Student newspaper exhibit now on view!","author":"admin","date":"January 31, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Special Collections & Archives is happy to announce a new exhibit is on display in Fenwick Library featuring materials from the University Archives. The exhibit is divided into two parts: What's in a Name? and Broadside Images in Context. This exhibit draws on materials from the George Mason University Broadside\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "exhibits"","block_context":{"text":"exhibits","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/whatNameIntro.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/whatNameIntro.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/whatNameIntro.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/whatNameIntro.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10138,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=10138","url_meta":{"origin":7793,"position":4},"title":"Before We Became George Mason University: Our First Campus at Bailey’s Crossroads, 1957-1964","author":"Bob Vay","date":"May 3, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"This post is part of a four-part series detailing the history of George Mason University from the student perspective. Other posts in this series include Establishing our Identity: George Mason\u2019s Fairfax Campus, which can be read here: https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=10152 and George Mason University Becomes Independent, April 7, 1972, which can be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "exhibits"","block_context":{"text":"exhibits","link":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Final Day Exercises, 1963.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/R0120_B01_final-day.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/R0120_B01_final-day.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/R0120_B01_final-day.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/R0120_B01_final-day.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/R0120_B01_final-day.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vault217.gmu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/R0120_B01_final-day.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7653,"url":"https:\/\/vault217.gmu.edu\/?p=7653","url_meta":{"origin":7793,"position":5},"title":"George Mason College’s Class of ’68: Green and Gold and Mason Day","author":"Bob Vay","date":"June 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"This is Part 2 of a four-part series of articles pertaining to the George Mason University Class of 1968. The text is borrowed from SCRC\u2019s exhibition \u201cFirst Class: Mason \u201968 and Beyond\u201d currently on display through August 2018 in the SCRC Gallery. 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