As I dug further into the negatives tonight, I was looking for something that would be one of those quintessential 1970s photos – plaid pants, long hair, and perhaps some old computers. I found those shots and scanned them in immediately. But, as I was looking for a Sun article to go along with them, I came across the following:
“Bzzt, Boink, Brrring!”
Needless to say, my curiosity was piqued. I thought, “Wow, the computer must have really screwed up in scanning in that article!” So I clicked through. It was an article on pinball. Ahhh well that makes more sense! I’d come across a few strips of negatives labeled PINBALL earlier, but I skipped right over them. I didn’t think much of it. I was obviously quite wrong. Pinball, according to this article, was a huge deal. We had three game rooms with pinball machines!
I have to admit, I was slightly jealous when I stumbled upon these photos. Why can’t we have pinball machines in Willard Straight?! Or a game room of any sort, for that matter? I guess it was to prevent the crumbling of the moral foundations of the most upright American Youth.
Work Hard, Play Hard – February 4, 1974: Students play pinball in the old Straight Game Room. Photographer unknown.
Intense Focus – February 4, 1974: – The Straight Game Room, which overlooked the Cornell Store, included an array of pinball machines and billiard tables. Photographer unknown.
Study Breaks – February 4, 1974:Pinball machines were installed in each of the three game rooms on campus – Willard Straight, the former Noyes Center and the North Campus Union. Photographer unknown.
If you’re interested in learning more about our archiving project, Jenn can be reached via email at [email protected].