Month: December 2001

By Myke Atkinson

August 2, 1990 Crop circles were found in a field west of campus now owned by the university. Campus Security believed the circles were a local fraternity prank, but others, such as Dr. Roger Jackson of the Canadian Olympic Association said, “The circles appear to be a crude attempt to replicate the Calgary 88 logo.”… Continue reading The ’90s: Presidential musical chairs

By Lawrence Bailey

What can anyone truly expect from a decade that gave us Flock of Seagulls, Prom Night and tried to make Emilio Estevez a star? Granted, the United States had covert operations in every second country, the Olympics trekked north with them damn commies living in Rez and Ralph Klein was mayor, but on campus, the… Continue reading The ’80s: Triumphs and tumbles

By Natalie Sit

Like the rest of the world, the University of Calgary was caught up in a whirlwind of protests and social change. Legalized drinking reared its head on campus and created the immortal dilemma of drinking versus learning. The Students’ Union also had its share of problems. Tuition increased but unlike today, administration and faculty protested… Continue reading The ’70s: The last gasp of cool

By Ryan Laverty

The ’60s was a decade of uprising and revolution. Campuses across the continent came alive with the sentiments of people like Manuel Neira and Eldridge Cleaver. Students began to challenge the authority of the institution and right-wing ideology was rapidly swept under the rug in exchange for a new, more liberal idea of post-secondary education:… Continue reading The ’60s: We’re not talking revolution

By Mike Leung

In the early 1960s, the University of Calgary was no more than a barren snowfield where two lonely buildings stood, isolated from the surrounding blanket of white dust. Today, with over 650,000 square metres of floor space and over 20,000 full-time students, the campus has a stronger sense of direction and purpose under the Campus… Continue reading U of C campus: a work in progress for 41 years and counting

By Kris Kotarski

I remember the halcyon days of the Red Gym, when we used to pack 2,000 fans in,” said Dinos Sports Information Director Jack Neu-mann with a grin. “People were lining up hours before to get in–not just fans, but people who would have never gone to another basketball game.”Jack was describing Karl Tille-man’s final game… Continue reading Memories and heroes

By James Keller

Myths and folklore are part of any institution or community and the University of Calgary is no exception. In a history that spans almost 40 years, it would be surprising if no myths or folklore had developed. And although there’s no Big Foot crawling in the depths of engineering, campus lore tells the tales of… Continue reading The tales and myths of campus lore

By Ruth Davenport

During its brief 35 years as an established post-secondary institution, the University of Calgary has seen its fair share of lawlessness and disorder, culminating sometimes in organized mischief and sometimes in disaster.By far, the engineers take the cake as the most innovative and gleefully evil group of students on campus. The 1988 tale of a… Continue reading A history of horrified laughter

By Wendy Maloff

The following is my adventure attempting to find the history of the University of Calgary Students’ Union. The voyage started on Monday afternoon, with a copy deadline looming large. I commenced my search for the deep dark secrets of the SU in the most obvious of places–the SU’s own offices.I was expecting to find an… Continue reading The SU: Decades of disorganized dissent

By Harvey P. Weingarten

I commend the Gauntlet for preparing a special supplement on the history of the University of Calgary. Universities are creatures of history and this university is no exception. As I have discovered as the new President, the U of C has a fascinating history and one that is longer than most would expect.Recently we marked… Continue reading Presidential address