In the first of six interviews, Eisenman provides details of his educational experiences at Harvard and the University of Illinois, including his work reporting on the Illini Union protest on September 10, 1968. He also describes his work during the UI centennial and the creation of scholarship funds for students who could not otherwise afford the fees required to attend UIUC.
In part two of his interview, Eisenman focuses on his time working in Governor Ogilvie's administration to lower the cost of higher education by allowing the cost of tuition to rise, but providing more scholarships for low-income students. Additionally, he discusses the Illinois Blood Labeling Act, the creation of a large-scale blood drive at the University of Illinois, and local politics regarding the Champaign County Blood Bank.
Eisenman discusses the differences in campus culture between the University of Illinois and Harvard. He also describes the academic environment at UIUC, with a particular focus on faculty in the sciences.
Eisenman discusses the discontent certain faculty members and students felt during the centennial year regarding the quality of education at the University of Illinois. Of major concern was the length of time it took for new courses to be approved, which Eisenman found discouraging during the Vietnam era, a period of rapid change.
Eisenman discusses the interdisciplinary work that occurred at the University of Illinois in the 1960s. He highlights the use of computers in fine and applied arts, which was uncommon at the time. Finally, he talks about electronic and classical music, composer John Cage, and Cage's work at the university.
Eisenman expands on electronic music and John Cage's compositions, which were introduced in David Eisenman (Part 5). Eisenman touches on Cage's composition methods, the performance of HPSCHD in Assembly Hall, and a class on electronic music taught by chemistry professor Lejaren "Jerry" Hiller.
Joseph Hardin attended the U of I between 1965 and 1970. He was active in the counterculture and alternative scenes on campus and helped found the Walrus underground newspaper. Hardin was also active in the Students for Free Speech, and he attended the national Democratic Convention in 1968. Hardin describes his work with Earthworks Garage and the offshoot of underground newspapers that appeared after the founding of the Walrus.
Michael Metz attended the U of I from 1965 to 1970. He came from a family with very traditional values, but he eventually became active in the Free Speech Movement and protests of the Vietnam War. He feels that his liberal arts education and conversations he had with friends helped him understand the injustices of the world. Metz also mentions that the people protesting were initially a small but powerful minority, but over time, the majority of students likely believed in their cause.
