International House Berkeley

International House Times 9 85 Stories for 85 Years: The Spirit of Activism Mixing up I-House Stuart Pawsey (IH 1964-66) shares a memory about the activism era at I-House. In the early sixties, even with the tumult around us on campus and in the streets, the issue of the separation of the men's and women's sections was never far from the minds of the I-House residents. Evening farewells to that special woman were (supposed to be) said at the door opposite the women's library as she climbed the stairs alone to the women's section. As a gesture to the maturity of the residents, however, I-House Director Sherry Warrick magnanimously allowed women into the men's section for a couple of hours in the afternoons before Sunday Suppers. These were jolly occasions, even without legal alcohol. It was said that one of the rules was that everyone had to keep two feet on the floor, but I suspect that was just a legend. I was on the Resident Council in 1966 and we discussed the gender barriers with Mr. Warrick on various occasions. He felt that, although we Westerners might be happy with allowing folks to cross into the territory of the opposite sex, it was not fair to the people from Asia, Africa and maybe Latin America, who might be deeply offended by the closer mixing of the genders. So (what else do you do when confronted by a problem?) the Council took a poll of the residents. We analyzed the results and the inescapable fact was that it was the Americans who were most against removing the barriers. We duly reported our findings to Mr. Warrick and, as I think we really expected, he said the current situation would remain. Democracy in action! It was left to a later year to change this. n For stories from the Activism Era and more, visit ihouse.berkeley.edu/85stories. Glenda Powell and Stuart Pawsey met and fell in love at I-House. e Activism Era Scholarship will be awarded for the first time next academic year, and there are many opportunities to contribute to this scholarship prior to its awarding. e scholarship will be awarded to a resident who demonstrates an urge to question the status quo. e Activism Era Scholarship joins the ranks of various other scholarships currently available at I-House. In the 2015 - 16 academic year, 100 students received aid directly from I-House, totaling nearly $600,000. In the coming years, I-House has a goal to expend $1 million dollars for scholarship support annually. Many residents would not be able to live in the I-House community without financial assistance. "It is of the utmost importance that I-House remains socioeconomically and culturally diverse," says Giesecke. "Through scholarships, we are able to ensure all deserving students have an opportunity to contribute their background and unique life experiences to I-House." One distinctive aspect of I-House's scholarship program is the Gateway Fellowships, made possible due to a three-way partnership between I-House donors and the Graduate Division and Academic Departments of UC Berkeley. For the 2015-16 academic year, I-House awarded 13 Gateway Fellowships. ese graduate student fellows represent ten countries, Australia (2), Mexico, Turkey (2), India, China, Norway, Germany, Uganda, Iran and the USA (2), and 13 academic areas. A number of these scholars plan to utilize their advanced skills and give back to their communities after completing their graduate degrees. (continued, next page)

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