In honor of the Class of 1987's 30th reunion, I thought a list of 30 things that had changed was in order. Share with your children - they should get a good laugh.
1. President Ronald Reagan - a former TV and movie actor. Couldn't happen again, could it?
2. 55 mph speed limits on the Interstates
3. Long distance phone charges - up to 50 cents per minute during prime time. We would wait until after 11 p.m. for the lowest rates.
4. Drinking age was 19 for most of our college times. Went up to 21 in 1986 across the nation.
5. Pay telephones were still in common use. 25 cents for a local call. Don't ask: the price of long distance.
6. VCRs were a luxury that few had.
7. Color TVs were 19 or 21 inches diagonal at the most. Your modern desktops and laptops are that big now.
8. Answering machines were actually machines separate from the telephone - wired into the system. Again a luxury that few had.
9. Cordless phones with antennas were still not in use. A long phone cord was very desirable.
10. Paper maps were common in cars.
11. Cassette tapes were the preferred way of listening to music, but vinyl albums were still commonly sold.
12. No one had a desktop computer. But you could use the public desktops computers for word processing in the computer labs.
13. Discount airlines were in their infancy. One short lived example was People Express.
14. Airline tickets were booked by going to a travel agent.
15. Lexington VA got its first McDonald's which was a big deal then.
16. The Palms Cafe was (and still is) a popular spot for lunch, dinner and drinks.
17. There was one Asian restaurant, the Aloha Wok.
18. Stores in Lexingon would commonly open charge accounts and bill the student at the address desired (even your parents in another state).
19. The Confederate Flag was commonly displayed in windows, clothing, stickers.
20. Dorms were not air conditioned nor were nearly all buildings on campus older than World War II. Which was nearly all.
21. The Leyburn Library was state of the art in the 1980s. It was open 24 hours a day.
22. There was a campus pub originally called the Cockpit, which had bands and big parties on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
23. There was no Wal-Mart - but there was a similar type store (much smaller) called Rose's.
24. A new show premiered called Late Night with David Letterman. Even on very late at 12:30 a.m. it was very desirable to be able to watch and discuss.
25. The Challenger explosion in 1986 was a defining event for the country - as was the Iran/Contra hearings in 1987.
26. Gasoline of course costs about 60 cents a gallon. Busch beer was about $4 or $5 for a 12 pack.
27. Apartment rent for a 2 bedroom apartment was $340/month.
28. Washington and Lee tuition was $7,500 a year. Today is is $49,170. Tuition alone!
29. Washington and Lee had just admitted its first full time female students in Fall 1985. The Class of 1987 had 6 female grads - I hope to see all of them at the reunion.
30. Washington and Lee was ( and still is ) a top-rated, desirable college with proud alumni. Some things never change!
27. I don't know what kind of high class place you lived in, Greg, but at 25.5 West Washington Street (the alleyway near Lloyd's, and yes, that's the actual address) we paid $180 for three bedrooms. $60 each!
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