Campus Connection

A look at campus life at UWL, 40 years ago

By Brad Quarberg, Distinguished University Relations Specialist Emeritus

Oktoberfest. A presidential election. Spring fever. They were impacting campus 40 years ago, just as they are today. Back when life in the 1980s was real and not just something on Sirius XM’s ’80s on 8, campus was bustling with students enjoying college life. Here’s a look at what was happening at UWL 40 years ago, during the 1984-85 academic year.

See the complete 1985 "La Crosse" yearbook.

Celebrating ‘By Lantern’s Light’

Students still celebrated Homecoming in 1984, and the year’s theme — “By Lantern’s Light” — focused on one of the university’s longest traditions, “The Hanging of the Lantern.” The tradition dates back to UWL English Professor O.O. White’s letter to alumni in 1931, in which he wrote: “We’ll hang the lantern in the old college tower over the south door. You won’t need your key, the door will be open.” (The lantern hung on Main Hall each Homecoming until the mid-90s when it moved to Hoeschler Tower.) Among other Homecoming events: “Lighting of the L” on Grandad Bluff, Rushing the Rivoli Theater downtown, a bonfire in Hixon Forest, and, of course, the crowning of Homecoming King Dan Nievinski and Queen Carlyn Nicholas.

There she was: Miss Wisconsin

Oktoberfest was popular in its second decade. And in 1984, there was even more reason to celebrate. UWL student Barb Mullally was named Miss La Crosse-Oktoberfest 1983 and went on to be crowned Miss Wisconsin in June 1984, bringing pride to UWL and Western Wisconsin. At the fest in fall ’84, the “Festbusters” emerged, “to get their share of the polka music, slam dancing, beer drinking (and throwing), carnival rides and food from the concession stands,” according to the 1985 La Crosse yearbook. Oktoberfest continues to shine each fall and serves as the official La Crosse homecoming.

A 75^th anniversary party

On Sept. 18, 1984, campus looked like it did when the university opened its doors in 1909. The “Recreation of the 1909 Dedication of La Crosse Normal School” pageant gave attendees an opportunity to experience what it was like in November 1909, when the campus was dedicated as the state’s latest normal school. The pageantry was the climax of a year of events celebrating UWL’s 75^th anniversary.

A presidential landslide

It was the largest electoral vote in the nation’s history: President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H. W. Bush won 49 states and 49% of the popular vote in the 1984 presidential election. Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale made history when he chose Geraldine Ferro as his vice-presidential running mate. She was the first woman to be nominated for that level of political office.

Hold the phone!

Long before everyone had a cell phone, those hoping to call home would use a residence hall room phone that took days to initially hook up and was quite expensive. But starting in the 1984-85, on-campus students paid about $30-$40 less in room fees for long-distance service. There was no longer a $19 per phone access fee along with a three-to-four-day delay for service. The caveat: two rooms were on one line to keep costs down. The students still had to pay for the long-distance calls, with one of the four students on the line designated the “bill collector” to collect money from the monthly itemized long-distance charges to pay the university business office. Another plus: Phones were never lost — they were attached to the wall.

Before Spotify and Sirius XM, there were airbands

Inspired by MTV and music videos, airbands took the stage in the early ’80s. Brooms became guitars and bananas served as microphones. Pop music of the day was king. The Hutchinson Hall Pit served as the backdrop for the fourth-annual Airband Extravaganza on April 25, 1985. Despite rain, 17 bands provided a great show for an estimated 2,000 students.

Start of the long run

Three years of national titles in women’s outdoor track and field (1982-84) sparked a long, strong tradition of success for both the UWL women and men. It also brought change for the track surface at Veterans Memorial Field, which would eventually bring to campus the state high school track and field meet in the ’90s, as well as numerous NCAA national meets and titles.