By Patricia Bianco (MThtr’65)
Author Patricia Bianco (MThtr’65) has some great memories from the '60s.
I was a residence adviser for students living on the side of Sewall Hall in 1962-63. My little “apartment” was just off the huge living room. Sewall was an upper-class women’s residence hall. We called it Menopause Manor. The women and I obeyed most of the rules and had wonderful times together.
Sewall had beautiful furniture. One of the stellar furnishings was a grand piano. It was regularly tuned but few used it. I’d taken piano — classical — as a child. Hated it. The grand drew me in though. I 
began to play bits of old, memorized pieces. Finally I bought a couple of jazz books and went off in a new musical direction. I remember studying in my room, playing to relax, studying, playing. . . sometimes I play now for Semester at Sea voyages — in the piano lounge — an avocation that began in Sewall.
Women had curfew hours. Another rule was, we had to wear skirts to dinner every night. The winter of 1962 was “wicked” cold. Revolt was in the air. I made a deal with the residents that they could wear long pants (not jeans) to dinner every day it was below freezing. No one wore skirts for a long time.
The 1962-63 school year was one of transition, with unrest, hi-jinx and panty raids. Students used to trash the dorms during the panty raids. If anything seemed to be brewing we had a “lock-down.” One evening the head of housing called me. Students were throwing rocks at the president’s house, where Quigg Newton lived (now Koenig Alumni Center). Would I walk over to see how much trouble was brewing?
When I arrived, folks were tossing small stones at the president’s windows, but it was mostly a party. As I stood there watching, patrol vans rolled in, police jumped out and 
formed a ring around students — and I was in it. No one was impressed that I was an RA. My one phone call to the head of housing saved me, but the next day, on the front page of the student newspaper (or possibly it was the Boulder Camera) was a picture of the students being arrested, including me. I sent the picture home to Mom and Dad.
The corrugated outer texture of Sewall gave finger and toe holds to ardent swains who became human flies after hours. I dug them out of closets and from under beds when folks reported them on the floors. But I just threw them out and didn’t bring charges. C’est la vie. I did report a mountain climber who scaled the fountain side of Sewall and broke one of the sandstone blocks as he rappelled down from his love or lust’s second-floor window.
Many of us were broke and far from home the winter of ’62. Thanksgiving approached and it was depressing — no family — eating in the dorm. Sewall had a large, magnificent dining room with elegant furniture. I called a dorm meeting with the women who would be 
staying with me for Thanksgiving. We decided to “dress” for dinner. The staff pitched in and there were candles and, really, a banquet. I remember the fabulous food, sugared grapes, “jeweled” fruit and music, to this day. Eyes sparkling, we read, recited, or shared a memory around our banquet table. With the joy of frank astonishment, we became a family for that evening, which continued into a pajama-filled night of talk, songs and games in the living room.
I hope these words are poignant. My life’s journey led from Sewall to marriage and Spain. Later I became a University of Pittsburgh professor of theater for nearly 30 years. I’ve never returned to little Boulder. Tulagi, The Sink, The Terrace and Sewall remain forever unchanged in my eclectic memory.
Patricia Bianco (MThtr’65) earned her doctorate in theater at Florida State and taught theater and was the department chair at the University of Pittsburgh for many years. Now she lives in Quincy, Mass., where she’s a full time artist. Check out her website. She travels with Semester at Sea teaching world theater and performance, and has circumnavigated the globe with the program three and a half times. She has one daughter and two grandchildren who she adores.
I lived in Sewall Hall after arriving to CU in April of 1957. I was one of the Hungarian refugee students given a scholarship by CU.
I am still in tourch with my oldest friend is the US, Nancy Cranton whom I met in Sewall Hall. We travel together and just went on a rafting trip on the CO River .
I live in Rockland, MA not too far from Quincy and would love to meet you and see your work.
Please keep me informed.
Yvette
Sounds as though you were there just before me. It was a world from OZ back then. I can’t imagine being an RA today. Maybe the dorms are calmer with the co-habitation — but — I wonder.
Thanks for your comments. My studio is in Marina Bay. Write me an E mail — I am here most of the time and would enjoy showing you my paintings — none from Colorado. I always think that I will go back someday — but — then I’d remember it as it is and not as it was.
Bring pictures of CU when we meet, if you have some.
Warmly, Pat
Yvette, Someone told me that we both belong to Old Ship in Hingham, Ma. True?
Pat
Very enjoyable story. Boy, had Sewell changed by the time I got there in 1980. Skirts, no boys in rooms…what kind of planet did you live on? :) Thanks for sharing, Patricia!
I, too, wonder what kind of world we lived in then. It was OZ for sure. I am not sure how I would do as an RA today with mixed gender — maybe it is more calm — I’m not sure. I never had to deal with drugs or alcohol either. I am sure some went on behind closed doors — but it didn’t surface.
I did have to have the campus police unlock one student’s door as she had seemed depressed and didn’t appear for three days. Sure enough, she had shaved her head and wasn’t eating. I always wondered how she did after she dropped out of CU.
Most memories were of good times. The time when I closed the main door each evening was full of testosterone. Waves of it emanated from the make-out sessions on the steps and in the courtyard! Some things never change.
Thanks for writing.
Warmly, Pat
Lived in Sewall in 1961. Mary Mothershed, was our RA, and became the first African American homecoming queen. A group of us living on the first floor bought 1 bottle of champage and we divided it up between everyone on the floor to celebrate one of the girls BD. We got arrested for drinking a thimblefull of champagne and we all went to Student Court where we received probation!
That sounds about right. Before I graduated a large cloud of “grass” smoke had begun to form over Boulder. Tulagi sold more beer than any other establishment — they said — in America. I dated the bartender from “the tool” who also bartended at several other places. Boulder was dry — but had little islands that weren’t dry. I never understood the configuration or the reasons for it.
Dorms were way off bounds for alcohol. People were “grounded” for infractions — girls were. Boys didn’t have the same rules — lockdown, etc. Equal rights were only on paper.
Warmly, Pat
Saw this on the Alumni Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/CUBoulderAlumni. Brought back memories. I was a student cook at Sewall Hall from 1965 to 1967 during my undergrad time at CU. It was maybe the best job I ever had, and of course as a boy with keys to the front doors and to the elevator of a girl’s dorm I couldn’t complain about the opportunities for dating. I think there was more than one grand piano, but I could be wrong, and I think it was in Harding wing. Anyway, things were pretty much as you described, but big changes were on the way with Vietnam.
Thank you very much Patricia
Tim
Changes surely came in a hurry. There was more than one grand piano. I cannot remember the name of my wing _(entire right side as you faced the building) but I only played the grand in the living room there and really, had little contact with the other side of the dorm. I lived directly behind the fountain — which ran all the time in spring, summer, fall. There was no AC, as I remember and we kept the windows open. The sound of that constantly running water encouraged trips to the bathroom.
Thanks for your comments!
Warmly, Pat
All, we’d LOVE to hear all your stories of your CU days (or ‘daze’ as the case may be!). You can submit your CU Memory or CU Voices article at: http://www.cualum.org/category/cu-memories/ – tell this generation what they missed!
I lived in Sewall my Freshman year, Sept. ’68 thru May ’69. First floor, Lester wing. Though CU was becoming the radical school that it remained through my four years there, there were still some of the things that Patricia wrote about. As I recall, there was still a curfew, and after a certain time of night (don’t remember exactly when), we had to come back in through the main door — the others were locked. I remember the big tv room in the basement, the funky laundry room and the really good pizza they served once in a while. No refrigerators in the rooms so we sometimes kept snacks cold outside on our window ledge in the winter! Met some great people, had a lot of laughs, and was close enough to campus to dash to 8 o’clock classes in a matter of minutes! I can’t believe it was 42 years ago….wow…
You are right about the main door. I had to lock the doors at the end of the halls at a certain time and then go lock the main door. The air reeked of testosterone just before the girls were to come in — the make-out sessions were spectacular in the courtyard and goodnight kisses on the steps went on forever. Sometimes I dragged girls in — literally!
When I awoke in the AM to unlock the doors, sometimes I found that the end doors had been propped open. There was no alarm on them. I remember sneaking out of my own dorm room when I was a student at Rollins College and there was a low roof just off our balcony. A lot of the rules were strict but I always thought, “is this worth ruining a college degree?” Mostly I warned and watched. People cooperated.
Thanks for writing! Ah, the 60s.
Warmly, Pat
I loved my 4 years at CU – 1950-1954. I began as a freshman hasher in Sewall (Lester) and that year became a switch-
board operator which I enjoyed. In 1951 I became a dorm director in Sewall and then at 1165 Broadway. Along the way I met my husband Harold Bell Dunning and we were made councilors of first Guggenheim Hall (scholarship athletes)
and then Crossman Hall (married couples). WE have much to thank the University for, and always will appreciate the
good life that we had. Bly Curtis was our mentor and boss, a very good person.
Sorry Mary Ann– Somehow I write to Annabelle and posted it to you. Good thoughts anyway. Pat
I was a resident in Sewall Hall (Mc Keon) in 1952. It was a great time to be a student at CU. I lived on the fourth floor and had to trudge up the stairs a few times every day but didn’t seem to mind. Only freshmen girls were in residence but an upper classman was assigned to each floor and made room check after hours to make sure we were all in our rooms. Then the sandwich man came and we could buy food if we were hungry as no food was allowed to be kept in the dorm. I got pinned near the end of the semester ( it didn,t last) and can remember standing on the front balcony with my boyfriend and being serenaded by the SAE’s with all the girls in the dorm looking on from their windows. I recently lived in Denver so have been back many times and have seen many changes -good and not so good). My grandaughter goes there now and so I hear all the news about what is going on. I’ll never forget what a great place it was to go to school back then. And yes, I did marry a CU man after graduation and had a wonderful marriage .
Thanks Annabelle, Although our time frames were different — I am sure that your essence was still wafting through Sewall when I came to pursue my MA and try to keep the girls from harm. It’s fun to remember and also fun to hear more currents exclaim, “Dress Code?!”
Cheers, Pat
Anyone remember the first co-Ed year1970-1971??
Just wondering what happened to all the people from that year. It was a great group…. I left, tried life as a musician (Berklee College of Music, etc.) then went on to law school….