What most students probably don’t know is that DMACC was established in 1966. What even I didn’t know was that the history of DMACC began to be documented in the student newspaper, which started up in 1972.
The long history of the student newspaper came to my attention when copies of these 50-year-old articles were scanned and made available online at campuschroniclenews.com. So, with heavy interest, I decided to go through a couple of stories written then and see how they hold up compared to now.
Apart from many of the visuals being done in a cartoon-ish fashion, the paper also went through a different name: The Eclectic.
One of the stories they ran was a Fall edition from 1974 called Part-Time Students – A Money Dilemma by Jack Magarrell. This covered a study by the American Council on Education exposing financial discrimination against part-time college students. Though they outnumbered full-time students, “59% of four-year colleges and universities charg[ed] higher tuition fees, proportionally, for part-time students,” while most grants, loans, and tax breaks favored full-timers.
At a time of inflation and shifting job markets post-Vietnam, more adults were returning to school, yet institutions still saw part-timers as less committed, going on to call these students “largely frivolous and wasteful.” The study disagreed, noting they “have equally or more serious motivations” and often “achieve as well or better.”
Today, while Pell Grants help a little, part-time students still face inequalities. With growing online options and a heavy interest in job experience, schools like DMACC see equitable support as a pressing need. As a student, I see fair support for part-timers not only as helpful but just as essential for keeping education available in today’s world.
Another piece that caught my eye was Martha Perry’s frustrating but funny experience with class registration at DMACC in a May 12, 1975 issue; fittingly named Registration lines are so much fun. Recalling her first quarter, she writes about how: “I was terribly insulted when I had to wait five hours just to give my money away.”
Each new quarter brought unpredictable chaos. Sometimes she’d wait a little bit, other times lines wrapped around the building. All the while, complete with staff running late and various bureaucratic issues. One standout moment was a story that involved a student at the front of the line who was told she couldn’t register because of an unpaid parking ticket, one she insists was waived. When the staff member refused to call and verify, despite a phone being right there, the student nearly snapped: “Then I will!” she shouted, prompting the staff to finally make the call, confirming she was right.
As a DMACC student today, I find it amusing how timeless the struggle is to figure out classes and the hassle needed to get it done. Even though online registration has replaced lines and overall has improved, the pressure to meet deadlines and clear every hurdle remains a familiar part of the college experience. Her sarcastic dread of registration season, complete with nightmares about 10-hour waits and the school only accepting French francs, reflects a universal student experience of no matter how much things change, figuring things out on your own is just part of what college is all about.
Looking back at these articles from DMACC’s early days, it’s clear that some things have changed, but many student struggles remain the same 50 years later. From overcoming financial barriers to dealing with the chaos of registration, these and many more stories highlight the challenges that continue to shape the college experience. The academic journey is not guaranteed to be easy, but it’s part of what makes the college experience so memorable.
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