Today's big numbers are even bigger when we go back to that day, that year in 1968, when kids who had just arrived at university watched, from the college steps, tractors cutting down a sugarcane field. The Computer Science class followed the Cidade Universitária subdivision, where at the time there was only land and a few buildings. It was Unicamp with a few hundred undergraduate students. Today there are almost 40 thousand undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The Basic Cycle opened three years later. The square in front would be the scene of a historic scene decades later. Daniel Milanezi is called to be part of the group. The young men who watched the tractors and other colleagues with him are now retired gentlemen who occupy another staircase, that of the César Lattes Central Library. The photo of the “Class of 1968” meeting is recorded by many cameras and cell phones.
A resident of Brasília for forty years, Milanezi never returned to Unicamp and is unable to recognize the place where he is. “This central square...what’s the name of it?” The “generous” grass in the Basic Cycle square catches his attention, like everything else. The faraway look that looks for young Daniel. “It seems like I look like this and then suddenly I see myself walking around. Where are those people?”
There were many Antônios, several Carlos, several Josés, Paulos, Albertos, a few women, a black man. They got married, had children, grandchildren, moved cities, whether or not they practiced their profession, some of them died. They took the car, the bus, the plane, booked hotels or stayed at a relative's house and on Saturday, the 22nd, at 9 am, everyone who could, were hugging each other in front of the Unicamp Convention Center.
Planned a few years in advance, the reunion with college colleagues had the support of the university and a rector born in that same year, 1968. There was breakfast, ecumenical worship and a ceremony.
Announced by the academic registry, the two organizers, José Maurício Gonçalves Abreu, RA 680110 and Frederico Atílio, RA 680065, occupied their seats alongside the general coordinator of Unicamp, Teresa Atvars and the rector, Marcelo Knobel. Two trophies from championships played at the time were awarded to Unicamp. “Receiving this heritage from you is an unprecedented honor,” said Atvars.
Marcelo Knobel recalled a speech attributed to the founder of Unicamp, Zeferino Vaz. He said that a good university is built on people, people and people. “That’s what we have, people building the university and building the country.” The rector recalled that Unicamp is a consolidated university, fundamental for Brazilian development and suggested that the pioneering students write a book with their stories.
Old friend Fred even managed to read a long text he prepared telling the story of 1968, “the year it all began”. He detailed how the meeting was organized, which took place at least two decades ago between grilled skewers and caipirinhas. “We understood that we needed to meet ‘to work’ on the real meeting.” That's when things moved forward.
They thought about the republics, all of them, about who occupied the republics, they got in touch with the University and little by little they started building that day, when everyone was together again. Who married who. Who became who's godfather? “In my opinion, we created a family called Unicamp”, concluded Fred.
Follow the women and the only black person from the class of 1968 in the General Registry, produced by TV Unicamp.
Watch the videos that were presented on the 22nd:
1968 in the world, in Brazil and at Unicamp
Photos of students in University records (no audio)
Read and listen too
To remember the many stories of Unicamp
"Unicamp Direto ao Assunto" addresses the 50th anniversary meeting of the class of 1968
1968, the year that is beginning
Unicamp's class of '68 celebrates golden jubilee
