A Blast from the Past

Image courtesy of shutterstock.com

Going through the faded pages of The Commuter archives is always an interesting and humorous read. The papers act as peek through the doorway of the past into the wild times of the ’80s and ’90s, where the unimaginable now was a daily occurrence then. Looking at the hair styles and fashion from then is entertaining, but the ads definitely take the cake.

“Now you can afford to dream in color,” chimes a marketing slogan for the Macintosh.

“Declare your love everlasting,” announces a French’s jewelry ad.

“Here’s a cheap roommate you’ll actually like,” reads another Macintosh ad.

It’s challenging, if not near impossible to replicate the corny advertising that was fairly widespread during the time. There is more corny material to see in the Commuter archives, but there is still something quite valuable that can be gleaned from the pages of the past. Reflecting on the past can be a worthwhile endeavor, after all, history often repeats itself.

Loss Prevention Clerical Specialist Mindy McCall recalls several student events being held over the years, but an annual flower sale hosted by the Student Life and Leadership office (SLC) used to be the main event.

Carnations were sold for cheap and there were deals to buy bundles of flowers in abundance. The Student Life and Leadership members even used to deliver the carnations across the campus for free. For many years, the event was a great way to raise funds, but circumstances have changed.

It’s important to note that those sales took place almost three decades ago and over that period of time a lot has changed. In the last two years that the carnation sales took place, the SLC wasn’t able to host the events, so the Honor Society took over the fundraiser. During those years, the Honor Society had varying success with the sales, but ultimately, the event just wasn’t seeing the same profits that the event had seen in previous years.

With the Honor Society being inactive this term due to restructuring, the flower sale being less profitable in recent years, and the SLC being focused on other events, the carnation sales didn’t take place this year. It may seem unfortunate that the event doesn’t take place anymore, but it may be for the best.

“Any student project has to be second priority at best because school comes first,” said Club and Engagement Director Mark Wiebe.

Wiebe also explained that Valentine’s Day is just different now than it used to be. A few great examples of how the holiday has changed over the years can be represented by the SLC “Be Kind Bazaar” from a couple years ago and the annual welding fundraiser where the students hand-craft metal roses to sell to students. To elaborate on what Wiebe said, the events are not worse or better than they used to be, they are just different and represent a shift in the how the community celebrates Valentine’s Day.

At A Glance:

Contacts:

Mark Wiebe, By Email: slcclubsengage@linnbenton.edu

Mindy McCall, 541-917-4309, RCH-119, By Email: mccallm@linnbenton.edu

The Commuter Office, 541-914-4451, F-222, By Email: commuter@linnbenton.edu