by Cassandra Linder

Rally for Adas

In 1994, the Ada Class came together, along with many members of the traditional-aged student body and members of faculty, to protest the cuts made in the Ada Comstock Class’ class size and financial aid. From the program’s inception until the 1989-1990 academic year, the program steadily increased in size and need for financial aid.1 The 1998-89 academic year saw the largest Ada Class population at 13.5% of the Smith College student body.2 However, in 1993, the total percentage of the Ada Class population decreased to 9.9% with a total of 277 Adas.3

 

On Thursday, April 28, more than 100 Ada Comstock Scholars and traditional aged students rallied in front of Neilson Library to protest the diminishing numbers of Ada Comstock Scholars.4 I was unable to determine whether or not the rally caused any changes in the administrations decisions to make the cuts to the program, but whether or not any occurred, ultimately, program cuts were made.

Footnotes

  1. Ada Comstock Scholars cuts protests, 1990s. Box 3023. CA-MS-00317 and Student Demonstrations collection. Smith College Archives, Smith College Special Collections, Northampton, Massachusetts. ↩
  2. Ada Comstock Scholars cuts protests, 1990s. Box 3023. CA-MS-00317 and Student Demonstrations collection. Smith College Archives, Smith College Special Collections, Northampton, Massachusetts. ↩
  3. Ada Comstock Scholars cuts protests, 1990s. Box 3023. CA-MS-00317 and Student Demonstrations collection. Smith College Archives, Smith College Special Collections, Northampton, Massachusetts. ↩
  4. Fischer, Karin. “Students Protest Proposed Cuts in Ada Program.” The Sophian, 19 May 1994, pp. 1. ↩