The Times
Just as seniors were returning to Cortland for their final year, on August 20th, 1989, two young college-aged brothers, Lyle and Erik Menendez, brutally gunned down their parents in their Beverly Hills home. Initially claiming the murders to be a mob hit, it was later revealed that they shot their parents at point blank range. They were eventually arrested in March 1990 after confessing to a therapist that their father had abused them for years while their mother stood by. After two trials as well as mistrials, the brothers were convicted in 1995 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. As of 2025, they were both re-sentenced to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole.
On November 9th, 1989, it was exclaimed that the “greatest street party in the history of the world” was held when East and West Germany were reunited as the Berlin Wall came down. East Berliners flocked to border checkpoints chanting “Tor Auf!” meaning “Open the Gate!” Within hours, guards were letting crowds through, and West Berliners greeted the East Berliners with flowers and champagne. People used hammers and picks to knock away chunks of the wall and became known as “mauerspechte” or “woodpeckers!” The wall was a symbol of ideological and physical separation and signified the end of the Cold War and the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe. East and West Berlin was united for the first time since 1945.
1990 Cortland seniors returned to campus with the news that Manuel Noriega, Panama’s dictator, had surrendered to the U.S. Noriega, accused of drug trafficking, was brought down on January 3rd, 1990 by Operation Just Cause, with more than 20,000 US troops invading the country to seize control of key military installations. On the other side of the world, Nelson Mandela was released from prison on February 11th, 1990 after serving 27 years under brutal conditions. Mandela had been arrested for having been one of the leading voices for peace and equality in his quest to end South Africa’s apartheid. Four years after his release, Mandela was elected as South Africa’s first black president.
Rather than studying for midterms in the Spring semester of 1990, Cortland students were glued to the TV as they watched the premier two-hour episode of the much publicized “Twin Peaks.” On April 8, 1990, David Lynch’s surreal TV drama posed one question: “Who killed Laura Palmer?” The show’s main character was the relentlessly quirky Agent Dale Cooper, played by Kyle McLaughlin. The show was highly promoted by ABC, and shot more like a movie with cinematic pacing, complex themes, character development and eccentric humor. After the first season, viewership waned, and the show was cancelled. The third season was launched in 2017 on Showtime which picked up where the show had left off, but it was now 25 years into the future.
Notable Events
- The Menendez Brothers – 1989/1990
- Young brothers, Lyle and Eric Menendez gunned down their parents and were arrested in March 1990 after confessing to a therapist that their father had abused them for years while their mother stood by. As of 2025, they were both re-sentenced to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole.
- Fall Of the Berlin Wall – November 9, 1989
In a major step towards the end of the cold war, on November 9th, 1989, what was hailed as the “greatest street party in the history of the world” was held when East and West Germany were reunited when the Berlin Wall came down. People used hammers and picks to knock away chunks of the wall and became known as “mauerspechte” or “woodpeckers!”
- Nelson Mandella Freed From Jail – February 11, 1990
- Nelson Mandela was released from prison on February 11th, 1990 after serving 27 years. Mandela was arrested as one of the leading voices for peace and equality in his quest to end South Africa’s apartheid. Four years after his release, Mandela was elected as South Africa’s first black president.
CONCERTS THAT CAME TO CORTLAND 1989/1990
The Kinks – 4/29/90 – Alumni Arena
In 1963, brothers Ray and Dave Davies formed The Kinks as teenagers in North London. At the start, they played mostly school dances and even featured Rod Stewart as their lead singer at least once. By 1964, they were beginning to get noticed in Britain and the US with their first hit singles “You Really Got Me” “All Day And All Of the Night” and “Tired Of Waiting.” Over their decades of hits and musical innovation, they became one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and early 1970s as part of the British Invasion and influenced The Ramones, The Clash, Blondie and Van Halen. Almost 30 years after their start they played the Alumni Arena in Cortland. By then they were on a bit of a downward slide as they had declined in popularity after several commercial album failures and were dropped by MCA records. However, a few months earlier, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Ahmet Ertegun, head of Atlantic Records and Graham Nash of Crosby, Still and Nash. Their 1990’s US tour was focused on performances at universities and arenas. For the Cortland show, they performed many of their greatest hits including “Lola” “All Day and All of The Night” “You Really Got Me” “Apeman” and “Come Dancing.”