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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 1976)
Tales of campus life, Part 4 Protesters find life varied, ‘arresting’ By BRAD LEMLEY Of the Emerald There was a protester on the steps of Johnson Hall. I spotted him through sheer chance. Three months ago, when I first arrived at the University, it would have been impossible for me to miss him; I had been in the habit of checking the steps for signs of protest every day. Even tually, however I had come to the conclusion that my surveillance was a waste of time, since except for an occasional dusty adminis trator trumping down the stairs, the building's facade was as life less as the moon. But that morning, as I shuffled east on 13th, the sun had chanced to poke through a gap in the ceil ing of clouds, and as the glare 30% SAVINGS! ' New excursion fares give you savings on roundtrip travel to many destina tions. For example: Eugene to: San Francisco $77.00 Los Angeles $105.00 Chcago $199 00 Boston $274.00 Fares effective thru 31. 1976 Subject to securiy charges Call or come in for details. ' Miking Trgi/el NOW—Nobody 7:30; Hndervburg 9 45 —PLUS— BARGAIN MATINEES Sat., Sun. 1:00-5:00 Mimw J44-3M1 CinemaM NOW-Amarcord 7:30: Wonnan 9:40 PETER FALK»GENA ROWLANDS "WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE" —PLUS— EXTRAVAGANTLY FUNNY. „ mtisM&RD a m> mm iv Franco Zeffirelli Prod.* to. (PG| Romeo ® (TlULIET —plus— BROTHER SUN SISTER MOON PartA C stabbed my dime-sized pupils I in voluntarily turned my head to the left and there he was. He wasn't much, mind you; short, dark, with grizzled hair, a beard and an outfit somewhere between nondescript and army surplus, but no one could deny that he was a protester. He had a sign, first of all, emblazoned with an ingeniously multi-purpose We Protest," and he was shouting, though his voice was rather weak and tremulous, some specific suggestions to the occupants of the building concerning where they might go and what they might consider doing when they got there, along with some rather ir reverent guesses as to their parentage. But even more than these obvious manifestations there was something about the way his eyes gleamed and his chest puffed out defiantly that said that here, indeed, was a rabble rouser from the old school, thawed from seven years of sus pended agitation by some unjust blast of bureaucratic hot air that had escaped the duller senses of the rest of the student body. But we re going to sharpen those senses back up again, I re solved, bobbing and weaving across 13th through the current of whizzing Schwinns and Peugeots. I knew that Mt. Baker wasn't the only hot spot in the Northwest, and beneath the thin crust of apparent contentment, the simmering students were ready to erupt into a protest that would make Krakatoa look like a firecracker. It’s going to be just like old times, I mused. Death to the fat cats! Power to the people! "Hey, brother!" I shouted as I drew up next to the man. "We're behind you all the way! The re volution is on! We re not gonna be establishment groupies any more!" "Huh?" he said, looking bewil dered. "We re on your side, man," I cheered, pounding him on the back. "What's the plan? Fifty through the front door and a hundred through the rear? I think I know where I can get some masks—if the pg s try pepper gas we've got to be ready. And we've got to make sure that everybody knows about self-protection—if they try to club us it s the fetal posi tion with only the back exposed. And if they carry us out, the word is limp—nonviolent resistance, that's what it’s all about." The man still looked confused. "HolcFit a minute,” he said. "Are you saying you want to join me?" "Right on and solid!" I asserted. "But there's just one thing: what are we protesting about7" The man sighed and sat down heavily on the steps. "That s what I was afraid of. You mean you can t quess?" "Uh, well, I mean I'm not ex actly..." Didn't you read about the administration s restructuring the minority student unions in such a way that they can only get mciden Complete Ice Cream Party Items for All Occasions 1365 ViUard St. 496 Coburg Rd. 484-1031 342-3462 J«77 VALLEY RIVER DRIVE 686-8633 EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT NOW SHOWING Showtime - weekday - 7-9:50 Sat. Sun. 2:00-4:25-7:00-9:30 Based on the novel by Ken Kesey of Eugene OWCK HICHOtfOH ONE Fl£W OVER IHECUCKCttNEET Am _/ i WfyZfi/ Released thru A Fantasy 'rilm fm Jj| United Artists Sorry no pass/No bargain price West 11 tti MtS Seneca 342-4142 NOW SHOWING Show Time 'the 7:30-9:30 BEST OF THE N EW YORK EROTIC "IEM FESTIW tal fee money if they agree to do light domestic work for the Daisy Ducks?" "Uh, well, maybe I did see..." "And haven t you heard about the plan to abolish the English de partment and divert the funds to paying 500 armed guards to pro tect the centennial banners?" "Well, yes, I think I did hear. ” "And aren t you aware of the fact that tuition is going to be tri pled next term so that a 1,000-man team can be hired to comb the hills until they find a Sasquatch who can play tight end?" I was embarrassed. You know, it's a funny thing,' I said. "I did know all of that stuff, b* it somehow until you pointed it out to me it didn't seem to matter. Now that I think about it, there have been a lot of injustices lately. It's odd that I didn't get upset about them before—somehow it almost seems like there's an atmosphere of anti-indignation around here.' "You're telling me, the man said dejectedly. "Watch this." He strolled across the courtyard, grabbed a passing student, and dragged his captive back to the steps. "Hey, what's the big idea? complained the student. He had unkempt medium length hair, glasses like coke-bottle bottoms, a five o clock shadow, a dingy white shirt, a skinny brown belt cutting into a bulging waistline, a briefcase, double knit slacks and desert boots. “I've gotta go, Ive gotta study for my midterms! He strained against the protester s grasp toward the library like an in fant reaching for his mother s breast, but the grp was firm. "When are your midterms?" asked the protester. At the end of next month," conceded the student. But com petition is fierce! And I was only able to study for 21 hours yester day because I spent three hours spitting into everyone else's cul ture plates in the bio lab But if I can just keep from wasting any time by eating or sleeping I should be able to catch up.' Pre-med,” the protester told me, jerking a thumb at the student. "No, don t say that!" the student cried. "It's a jinx! Just say that, uh, that I am considering a number of options at the moment, including some which are related to the general field of health science.' Suddenly he sank to his knees, sobbing. "Oh God, I'm not going to get in, I just know it!" “Easy, pal," said the protester. He looked up at me and spread his hands. See what I mean? How are we supposed to fight that?” We aren’t,” I said defiantly. ‘ We don t have to. We ll take on the administration ourselves, just the two of us! Come on!" We turned away from the blubbering figure and swaggered to the top step of the stairway, shaking our fists and shouting at the unseen enemy within. Surprisingly, the reaction was almost immediate. Just a few sec onds after our united shouts began ringing through the stately pillars, the huge glass doors swung open and a dignified figure strode out, his head ringed with Grecian curls and his black satin robe rippling gently in the breeze. He smiled, cleared his throat, and drew himself up to his full height. We must be tolerant, he said, because the University is an open society, and as an open so ciety it is vulnerable to protests such as these Take 'em away, boys.” With that a dozen uniformed policemen leaped from the bushes and surrounded us, arms linked. The black-robed figure grp ped the sides of a podium that had materialized in front of him as if by magic I have a dream! he cried As I look out across this great campus I see vast potential. I see fresh men that need initiating, I see phone booths that cry for stuffing. I see panties that beg to be raided And I see—yes, yes, it's getting clearer now—I see the students rising up to fulfill that potential I see all-nighters during dead week, I see the canoe fete, I see thousands of bright, eager faces turned skyward in a communal prayer to the basketball scoreboard. We are still infected with the scourge of protesting, and there are still those who stub bornly insist on pointing out injus tice. But the ripples of unconcern and non-involvement are swel ling, swelling into a towering tidal wave of apathy that will crush these malcontents and leave a glorious, stagnant ocean of insen sibility in its wake. And in the end—We shall overcome! He may be rght, sighed the protester as we were hustled into the squad car. Tm really getting tired of all this one-man protesting business. I'm about ready to give..." Hey, wait a minute,” I cried as the door slammed shut. I pointed through the wire-mesh window and the protester and I broke into beaming smiles. There was another protester on the steps of Johnson Hall. Starts today for one week only Shorts 7, Morgan 7:40, Bedazzled 9:10 Two insane British comedies with Peter Cook & Raquel Welch MORGAN and ★ BEDAZZLED ★ ... PLUS ... 2 Wild and Wacky Laurel & Hardy Shorts “Brats” and “The Household”
