Lilias C. Jones, '74

I hated conservative Appleton. Most students were over-protected and wanted to stay that way. Downer never served my still-teenaged stomach enough food. I was always either on academic probation, in trouble with Deans Crockett and Lauter, or sneaking around trying to avoid bigger trouble. I spent much of my time at Lawrence developing a major drug and alcohol problem, which I have to deal with every day of my life. The most important event in my LU life, as immortalized in the sesquicentennial publication Time and Traditions (page 31) occured when African-American students took over the administration building (that's Archie Koranteng, '72, and me blocking the door).

Finally, after seven years and four graduation ceremonies, I'd paid enough money and passed enough courses so that they had to give me a diploma. We smoked pot, yelled at friends, and shot off a cannon on the Main Hall lawn through the ceremony.

My memories of Lawrence are not golden. Yet, every fall I went back. It was partly because I didn't know what else to do. Partly because it was what my parents expected. Partly because a few history teachers caught my attention. Mostly, it was what I learned from the students I did get along with. We grew up together--emotionally, intellectually, socially, politically.

All this is pretty ironic today. I'm in my second year of a new career--teaching college! 

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