Standing in Skandera Hall at Pitzer College on Oct. 19, Professor of Political Studies Nigel Boyle welcomed students to the college’s newest exhibit from the archives.
The exhibit is the third in a series that commemorates and celebrates Pitzer’s “Radical Roots.” This part focuses on Pitzer’s rich history of activism. Spanning the 1960s to ’70s, it features the formation of the Black Student Union (BSU) affinity group and Chicano Studies Center.
Boyle described Pitzer’s ties to radicalism as a natural development.
“Pitzer wasn’t really founded to be a radical institution, but because of when it was founded, it sort of became one,” Boyle said.
Stacy Elliott, the archivist for the Pitzer College Archives, started working at Pitzer in 2012 and designed the previous three parts of the exhibit before the COVID-19 lockdown.
In order to create the exhibit, Elliott interviewed faculty and alumni, reviewed primary documents from the Claremont Colleges Library and combed through drawers full of negatives from photographer Arthur Dubinsky, who captured Pitzer’s early years.
Elliott got emotional reflecting on what she hopes students and the community get out of the exhibit.
“I hope they look … the Black [Student] Union and the [Chicano Studies Center], I’m glad that they did all this,” Elliott said.
Students who attended the reception were deeply inspired by Pitzer’s history. Sarah Snyder PZ ’24 explained that the school’s history of radicalism is what drew her to Pitzer.
“As a high school student who was interested in real social action, this was the place that I saw it happening, and what’s discussed in these archives is a big reason why I feel like most of us are here,” Snyder said.
Snyder attended the reception as part of the curriculum for their class, “Power, Justice and the Environment” at Scripps. Clare Reimers-Jehnal SC ’26, who is also in the class, described how the exhibit is being integrated into their curriculum.
“We’re looking at archives around student organizing across the 5Cs and creating a walking tour that connects physical spaces to the student resistance … so we were excited to find out about this at the last minute, because this is really, really important,” Snyder said.
However, Reimers-Jehnal also discussed current issues at Pitzer and its controversial image as a radical institution.
“Something we’re also interested in in our research is how the admin co-ops student organizing to just contribute to marketing and admissions,” Reimers-Jehnal said.
Anthony Shing PZ ’24 noted much of Pitzer’s radical identity is a result of student action rather than by administration.
“As a high school student who was interested in real social action, this was the place that I saw it happening, and what’s discussed in these archives is a big reason why I feel like most of us are here,” Sarah Snyder PZ ’24 said.
“[Students refer to] Pitzer’s Radical Roots when you talk about student activism, but no one says radical administration,” Shing said. “We currently have another list of demands from First Gen, a marginalized group on campus. How can you be championing these things, where you’re not currently really doing the things for the students you’re supposed to serve?”
Elliott has seen this disconnect between Pitzer students and Pitzer administration.
“[Students] always say, ‘I love Pitzer, but I don’t like [the administration],’” Elliott said. “They always say ‘I love the professors, but the [administrators] are not nice.’”
In addition to the opening of the exhibition, the reception celebrated the achievements and commitments of Pitzer faculty who earned tenure this year or have reached a milestone in their years of working at Pitzer — some having taught for as many as 35 years.
“I do want to say that it’s really beautiful to see so many Pitzer alumni and faculty who really do care about the students and the organizing that we’re doing here, and want to preserve this institutional memory,” Snyder said. “I think it’s great that so many people who were potentially a part of this organizing history are here to make sure that it gets remembered.”
The Radical Roots exhibit will continue until the spring of 2024 and is available for viewing in Skandera Hall. For access to the conference room, which contains the majority of the exhibit, students can contact Elliott.
For more information, see the website https://www.pitzer.edu/archives/ or the Pitzer College Archives Facebook account.
Social teases: Standing in Skandera Hall at Pitzer College on Oct. 19, Professor of Political Studies Nigel Boyle welcomed students to the college’s newest exhibit from the archives. The exhibit is the third in a series that commemorates and celebrates Pitzer’s “Radical Roots.” Focusing on Pitzer’s rich history of activism between the 1960s to ’70s.
“As a high school student who was interested in real social action, this was the place that I saw it happening, and what’s discussed in these archives is a big reason why I feel like most of us are here,” Sarah Snyder PZ ’24 said.
“I do want to say that it’s really beautiful to see so many Pitzer alumni and faculty who really do care about the students and the organizing that we’re doing here, and want to preserve this institutional memory,” Snyder said. “I think it’s great that so many people who were potentially a part of this organizing history are here to make sure that it gets remembered.”