The 1990s marked the end not only of a century but also a millennium. The decade leading up to the year 2000 saw a lot of change and excitement, with many important events that shaped not only the 1990s but our lives permanently.
The Digital Age took hold in the 1990s. At the beginning of the decade almost no one heard of the World Wide Web. People didn’t have Google at their fingertips, an email address, cellphones in their pockets, affordable and powerful laptops, and Starbucks. Yes, Starbucks. At the beginning of the decade there were only 100 Starbucks, with over 2,000 by the year 2000 (In 2016, there were more than 13,000 locations).
Flannel shirts graced the students’ backs on campus, while phases like, “Be kind, rewind”, “Donna Martin graduates,” and “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up” were destined to become instant classics.
While the world is advancing quickly, so is Moraine Valley. Since 1980, the college district population grows by approximately 4 percent. In that time, fall enrollment grows by nearly 25 percent. A change in leadership with the hiring of Dr. Vernon O. Crawley ushers Moraine Valley into the 1990s and beyond. Some might say “U can’t touch this” awesome decade.
Moraine Valley showcased its commitment to the community, arts and innovation during the 1990s. The college worked to meet the needs of the community through training and development programs and the creation of centers for both cultural diversity and peace and conflict resolution. The Fine and Performing Arts Center opened in 1994, establishing a first-of-its-kind venue in the southwest suburbs.
The college jumped on new technologies, like email–which was rolled out to 400 college staff and faculty in 1995–and the internet by establishing its first website in 1996.
Click on the image to see a gallery of photos from the 1990s.
