International House Berkeley

hand, some from abroad were shocked and dismayed to witness what they perceived as police abuses in a democratic society; others were amazed to see a degree of free expression unknown in their societies. With world politics and controversies a central concern of students, I-House became an extraordinary place from which to view the momentous events of the time. An alumna from 1968-1969 writes: What I learned in the library and from my professors came alive when I returned 'home' each evening to International House. Over the dinner table, I remember having lively political discussions about Sihanouk with a member of his family, discussing the Vietnam conflict with students from South-East Asia, hearing of the Biafrian war from an Ibo PhD candidate. Around the TV each evening, students from over sixty countries listened to Walter Cronkite conclude: 'And that's the way it is.' But I learned from my I-House friends that maybe it was not necessarily 'that' way. The spirit of the '60s, which encouraged more student involvement in campus administration, was reflected at I-House. Residents were invited Dedication of the Fleishhacker library, 1968. before; it was impossible in my homeland. But there were no barriers between Turks and Armenians here. The '60s and '70s n 1961 Allen Blaisdell, who served the House for 31 years, retired. W. Sheridan Warrick, appointed as I-House's second executive director, had previously served as the Berkeley campus foreign student advisor, assistant dean of students, and as a member of the History Department at the Davis campus. Like Blaisdell, Warrick continued to serve as the foreign student advisor while managing House affairs. Whereas the '60s brought considerable turbulence to the campus during the "Free Speech" and anti-war movements, the House remained relatively quiet. There were, of course, the usual debates, which included intense discussions about the campus controversies. But the House itself was not directly embroiled in the campus conflicts, perhaps because it was already a "Free Speech" institution. One resident from 1964 to 1966 observed that the campus crisis had significant impact upon the views of many residents. On the one Students socializing in the Great Hall circa 1970. I 8

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