After ten months of planning, meetings, and hard work, it seemed like October 18th, the day chosen to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Berkeley Student Cooperative, would never arrive.  The excitement of the alumni board, the current students and Co-op staff was almost palpable as last minute details were attended to during the week preceding the event.

“It has been 70 years since I left Berkeley. My first year was at Barrington Hall in 1937, In 1938 I transferred to the new Oxford Hall and was there until 1941. I spent a lot of time my first two years in the Central Kitchen as a kitchen assistant. In the 1938 Christmas-New Years time there was a Student Christian conference at Asilomar (near Monterey). The Central Kitchen was given a contract to provide the food services for the conference, so I went along to work there. I had plenty of spare time so was able to attend many of the conference lectures. I was introduced to a ‘wonderful’ girl, who in time became my beloved wife of 61 years, and who has now passed away. This shows how influential the Co-op has been in my life. Among my life-long friends have been Ted Johnson, George Yasukochi, Hal Norton, to name a few of many.”

Evan Weaver

Recipient of the Harper Puziss Scholarship, awarded to a UCB student mostly on the basis of co-op involvement, then academic achievement, and finally on financial need.

FROM: San Luis Obispo, CA

CO-OP: Ridge House

MEMBER SINCE: Fall 2005

MAJORS: Math and Physics

Evan has lived at Ridge House for four years, and is sorely going to miss this home that has been so integral to his college experience. He is proud to have given back to the house through his longtime service as maintenance manager. He is particularly proud of the backyard patio he installed, which is frequently used for house BBQs. On top of being a leader in his house, Evan has spent four years as a devoted member to the UC Berkeley chapter of the Objectionist Club. During his involvement, his chapter has emerged as one of the most prominent in the country. Evan is currently spending his final semester focusing on research and exploring internship options. He hopes to continue on a career path that helps him better understand the world and all of its processes.

The Alumni Association Board has voted to increase the Annual Membership dues from $25 to $50 ($10 to $20 for recent grads). Your spouse can still be included for an additional $10. This is the first dues increase since the Alumni Association was created in 1996. We believe that this is still a great value—all funds continue to support the Co-op. If you are not a member, please join us. We are committed to making the Alumni Association serve both alumni and current co-opers.

I enrolled at Cal in 1953. I had only $600 in the bank, and my family gave me no financial support. I was thrilled to be at Cal, but I lacked money enough for even one semester. I was greatly relieved to find I could live in a student cooperative house and pay just $52 per month for room and board. I progressed through a challenging freshman year (i.e., dropping French when I realized that most of my classmates already spoke the language fluently). But because the student coop gave me support and encouragement, and because I didn’t have to worry about the source of my next meal, I was able to enjoy my university experience to the fullest.