Ridge Project, University Students Cooperative Assn (USCA) June 1972 Photos

Time Machine 1970s -- Sheet 091, June 1972

What: Rogue's gallery photos -- Start of Sequence
Where: Ridge Project (now Casa Zimbabwe), Ridge Rd, Berkeley, CA

Bonus photos: Darryl Chong, Ridge Project 1967-1971
More photos: Stebbins Hall 1975

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Outside Ridge Project by tree

Comments

I started my college education by taking classes at UC Berkeley in the summer of 1972. To attend summer school, you don't need to apply or get accepted. You just pay the tuition fee and enroll.

I spent the summer living in Ridge Project (now called Casa Zimbabwe) on Ridge Road, one of the residences of the University Students Cooperative Association (USCA), now known as the Berkeley Student Cooperative (BSC). All residents must work for five hours per week to support the cooperative, performing tasks such as cleaning, food preparation, or management.

I was fortunate to be assigned the role of "house photographer." One of my responsibilities was maintaining a "rouge's gallery," a collection of portraits posted on a wall to help everyone get to know each other.

Wikipedia article on Casa Zimbabwe (aka Ridge Project)






In 2014, I got the following message from Darryl Chong:

I lived at Ridge Project for 3-1/2 years spanning 1967 to 1971. 

Do you know what happened to Joseph Wu?   Have you his email or phone?  and does he reside in the Bay Area?  Some friends were asking what ever happened to Joe, having known him during 1969-71.  He was majoring in math ... and assumed he would become a college professor or insurance industry actuary. [Answer: No, haven't heard from him since 1973]

By the way, here are Ridge Project photos of friends from 1969-1971.  [slide show; click right-arrow to advance]

There are two photos with Joe Wu here, and another which shown below from summer 1969.  You may recognize a few people who hung on until summer 1972. I left in Dec 1971 for a job at GE Nuclear in San Jose -- the place that (under)designed the Fukushima nukes and primary containments.

Since you programmed games for Atari in 1980s, you may have known Joe DeCuir.  I had Room 28 single for 24 months, great room and view!  I have not contacted Joe, but noted on the web he is still very active in EE standards committees and conferences. 

Ridge Project Spring 1970
Ridge Project Gang 1968-1971 (Darryl Chong Photo)

Ridge Project was a crazy place with 120 students of divergent origins and paths.  Straights, normals, weirds, drug addicts and dealers, loud musicians, beards, etc.  I was also house photographer for a year, and used the Ridge House darkroom, but did not keep the individual student photos!  These were my personal photos.  Joe DeCuir at lower left.  Let me know if you recognize any of these people. Even crazier is what the place looks like today [2008], along with the name change. 

-- Darryl Chong



Time Machine 1970s  ©2013 Gray Chang
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