What was dorm life like? Class of 1973: "They put a sewing machine in the dorm. Well, I'm not sure that sewing was exactly what any of us wanted to do, but that was the male perspective on what women wanted." "I remember that we had a cleaning lady come two times a week and clean our rooms. Every Tuesday and Friday she'd come in and dust and make the bed and do the floor and we thought, 'Gee this is a great place. This is really living'." How well were women assimilated into the campus? Class of 1974: "I think it was sink or swim. I don't think they went out of their way to provide any particular supports for us." "I think the administration was very attentive to us." "I really feel that the women had a good sense of humor. A lot of what happened to us was really quite comical during those times because it was a whole new experience in coeducation." What was the classroom dynamic like? Class of 1973: "The women ran a much higher grade point average than the men, and there was a lot of resentment about that. I remember when the first semester was over and our GPA was higher. There was a lot of talk of boycotting women, never date them, don't go near them, because they're ruining life here."

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We Were Pioneers, an original play that tells the story of Lafayette's transition to coeducation in 1970, debuted in October during a three-day run at Farinon College Center.

Producers Amanda Roth '04 and Kamaka Martin '04 co-wrote the play based on 50 interviews with alumni from the '60s and '70s, as well as 15-20 with current students. The interviews and play were part of an EXCEL Scholars project led by Kristen Turner, assistant college archivist, and Diane Shaw, special collections librarian and college archivist.

Sarah Bassin '04 (front) and Briana Niblick '05 joined 11 other students in the performance of the original play We Were Pioneers.

"This play was produced as a way to display the research we have compiled over the past year-and-a-half," says Martin. "It allows students, alumni, and faculty to get a better understanding of the college's history, its growth, and the areas that still need work."

"The play [is] almost fully based on exact quotations, except for grammar and clarification editing," notes Roth. "We've done our best not to put words in anyone's mouths."

The students participated in another student monologues play, The Vagina Monologues, on campus last school year.

"The play format offers the campus a history lesson about Lafayette College, but hopefully an entertaining one," says Roth. "And, like any good history lesson, this play demonstrates how history connects to the present by offering some current students' voices to complement those of the older alumni."

The students gave a presentation on the EXCEL Scholars work last year at the ninth annual Undergraduate Women's Studies Conference, held by the Women's Studies Coalition of the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges. (Roth also presented her research on the links among femininity, sports, and feminism.)

The oral history project has provided a valuable learning experience for Martin since she began working on it in spring 2002.

Shari Leventhal '06 (left) gets script instructions from co-producer Amanda Roth '04.

Co-producer Kamaka Martin '04 (left) and Assistant College Archivist Kristen Turner discuss staging during rehearsal.

"I have been able to use my skills as a history major to record history and see its progression through time," she says. "This project has also honed my research skills and my ability to effectively communicate with others. Similarly, as an African American female, this project was enlightening because the history of both women and African Americans at Lafayette happened almost simultaneously, so the information we uncovered was eye-opening."

Roth began her EXCEL Scholars work in January 2002.

"I've come to see what it is like to really be dedicated to a research project, to work on it day in and day out for years and to maintain interest in it," she says.

"…The project has made me horribly anxious for the day when I am hitting 50 and someone from Lafayette calls and wants to interview me. I feel like I should start preparing now so I don't forget anything!"

Reco Collins '05 shares a male perspective expressed when women first arrived on campus.

Danielle Pollaci '06 helps tell the story of the student experience during the '60s and '70s.