Twenty-six members of the Auburn student body were infected with measles in the spring of 1989… which doesn’t sound like a lot until you consider that only nine cases were recorded in the entire state during the previous five years.
The result? Classes canceled. Mass vaccinations administered.
The outbreak inspired a Phi Gamma “Inoculation Party ’89,” (including “BYO Vaccine” shirts) and this Tiger Rags commemoration – a droopy tiger, spots mingled with his stripes.
Twenty years later, is it likely we will see a pig/tiger hybrid (piger? tig?) in honor of the 10 students reportedly infected with Swine Flu? No? Too soon?
Look for a feature story on Alice — and more photos — next week.
Related: Alice enters the real world [photo links ahoy!]
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Keep Reading:
* Derek Jeter’s guardian angel spotted—and he’s an Auburn fan
* Ad for a Wet T-shirt Contest at Nichol’s Alley
* Pat Dye buying sunglasses
* Muhammad Al on the Haley Center concourse
* Playboy in Auburn, 1989
* Outer Space is full of Auburn shirts
Seems like during the measles break out of ’89, The Violent Femmes played behind one of the fraternity houses to raise money for something. I remember questions from people if we should go, and the response from my group of folks — The Rude Campers — was of course. We had enough alchohol in our systems to fight any virus.
I loved those parties because you could bring coolers into the party. $8 cover and anothe $8 for half case of Busch, and you were set.
The Femmes, along with U2, were the music of my freshman year as every cover band played them. But now they were doing Blister in the Sun for real. During that or add it up, a water (and probably some beer but I didn’t waste that) fight broke out pretty much infecting half the crowd.
Wow. Great concert. Don’t remember the measles scare ….
AU had some great home grown bands during that time also. The Bone Dali show where fantastic.