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Title: Terry Parker
Description: Terry Parker, head of the Library’s Media Center, started at LaGuardia Community College as a student, later working in the Media Center recording events and activities across the College. He retired in 2017. (1:00) Talks about the working in the SETA(?) program at York College, and making the decision to start college, eventually attending LaGuardia in 1976 as a full time student. He describes and his first impressions of the college and thinking it was the airport. (5:50) Said students at the time operated in circles and you only notices who was in that circle. He was in the Student Activities Office. (6:24) Describes the students he attended with, mostly older nontraditional students influenced by the late 60’s and the Vietnam war and self-reliant. (7:41) Describes his Social Science class with Professor Reitano who let students interpret history themselves based on primary documents and how it changed his opinion on learning history. (10:02) Talks about his major, different jobs he had on campus and eventually working in with the Audio Visual person with Student Activities, which became his major. Talks about his AV role on campus. (14:47) Compares evening students with the day students, student clubs and the roles of Student Government and Student Activities on campus and their use of the Student Activities Fee. (19:51) Describes being part of the “student patrol”, which supplemented the professional security on campus. (22:56) The full time person at the Student Activities department had left and Terry had graduated and had filled his position. (23:17) Talks about the 1978-1980 Student Government elections and how voting was organized, initially with their own voting machines and then reaching out to an outside vendor to handle the ballots. (27:33) Started a film program and purchased a lot of equipment and was very pro student. His boss had felt he was too pro student. (30:48) Returns to talking about Student Government (31:57) Talks about the growth of the college, changes in student/faculty relations and the need for more space even after the addition of the E-Building. (34:48) Mentions the institutional support students and staff received in the 1970s and 80’s (36:45) Reflects on his time spent as a student at LaGuardia, how the college helped him create a career, and the gratitude he has towards the people he has worked with. “It is more than just a place where you come to work - it is your second home a lot of times it is your first home.” Total time 43:22
Subjects: Student Activities, 25th Anniversary, Oral History, Parker, Terry, Library, Students
Publisher: LaGuardia Community College (New York, N.Y)