“Way back when, in April of 1973, I took some black-and-white photographs of students on College Green,” says Michael Malyszko C’73. “It was a beautiful day and there were hundreds of kids in all their hippie splendor, playing Frisbee, making music, and just hanging out enjoying the day.”
Despite the big crowd, it wasn’t a coordinated event, says Malyszko, who sent this photo to the Gazette in honor of his class’s 50th Reunion this May. “There was nothing special going on, just a spontaneous gathering on one of the first nice afternoons of the spring. For us seniors, it was close to the end of our undergrad days.”
Malyszko, who double majored in biology and sociology, says there were no photography classes at Penn at the time. “I did, however, get a transfer credit for taking a photography course in Powelton Village with Michael Smith my senior year. It cost me $100 and changed my life.”
Fifty years later, he’s now a professional photographer based out of Boston, with clients in the corporate, educational, and healthcare fields.
“Film was expensive for me then, and I bulk loaded my Tri-X instead of buying individual rolls,” explains Malyszko. “Little did I know that I was merely six weeks away from having my first job as an assistant at a studio on Arch Street in Center City.”
Can you spot yourself or a friend among the “happy, hairy hippies” in Malyszko’s 50-year-old photo? Drop us a line if you can! —NP