A new history course on the year 1984 allows students to walk in the footsteps of WashU students 40 years ago.
This fall, Peter Kastor is taking students on a journey back to 1984. While other Arts & Sciences courses spotlight individual years for their major historical events, the Samuel K. Eddy Professor takes a different tack. He believes the year is emblematic of the era not just because of its world-changing events, but because of the blend of everyday politics, movies, music, and books that defined it. In “1984: One Weird Year,” students immerse themselves in the vibrant overlap of these elements — just like Americans did at the time.
We gathered a few of the “artifacts” students are studying in the course. Kastor hopes these objects — and many more — will capture the essence of being a WashU student 40 years ago.
George Orwell’s “1984”: “The novel that coined ‘Big Brother’ came out in 1949, but in 1984 people were rediscovering it. Some thought it had accurately predicted the future while others thought the book had gotten it entirely wrong.”
The Apple Macintosh: “The Apple Macintosh debuted in January 1984 and it transformed how Americans thought about computers. Students will watch the famous ‘1984’ Mac ad that ran during the Super Bowl — a dystopian vision that nodded to Orwell.”
Time magazine: “Students will browse Time magazines from 1984 not just to see the major events of that year — Ronald Reagan’s re-election, the Olympics, Cold War proxy wars in Latin America — but also how magazine ads instructed Americans to consume.”
Prince’s “Purple Rain”: “In 1984, everyone bought ‘Purple Rain.’ It was the top-selling album for 24 straight weeks. Prince was a quintessential ‘80s artist.”
Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.”: “People interpreted this album differently depending on their politics. The left thought it reflected the bleak landscape of evaporating opportunity and income inequality of the Reagan era. For the right, it was a celebration of America.”
NBC’s Thursday night television lineup: “It’s hard to remember a time when Americans watched the same shows at the same time, and nothing reflected that experience better than Thursday nights on NBC. Millions of Americans sat down together to watch ‘The Cosby Show,’ ‘Family Ties,’ ‘Cheers,’ and ‘Night Court.’”
Photos of WashU students: “I want to simulate for current students what it felt like to be a college freshman in 1984, down to considering how someone applied to WashU in the pre-internet age. They would have likely read a brochure, written to request an application, typed it up on a typewriter, and physically mailed it.”
Were you on campus in 1984? We’d love to hear from you! Share your photos, stories, and memories with the Arts & Sciences community by emailing ampersand@wustl.edu.
