The Redbird (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 16, No. 24, Ed. 1 Friday, May 6, 1966 Page: 2 of 8
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THE REDBIRD
May 6, 1966
Tri-Kaps Seem Klanny
In Local Rush Party
It was the perfect Knight for a rush party, the stars burning brightly
over the rustic cow pasture as the Tri-Kaps, Kappa Kappa Kappa
Fraternity,entertained-rushes Monday night.
Guests plodded across the few narrow patches of dry land(surpassed
in their narrowness only by most of the minds present) to the rhythm
of the foot-stomping music blaring across the field through Brand-X
amplifiers which distorted the poetic lyrics, allowing only an
occasional salute to racial inequality or Martin Luther King to ring
true.
The decorations committee had improvised an ingenious speaker's
platform--adiscardedU-Haultrailer painted white, of course, and
draped artistically with a couple of Confederate flags.
Except for the mud and water under every foot, it was a dry party.
The guests donned casual clothes for the event, Vidor High football
jackets being a favorite.
It was feared by rushes and rushers alike that a rival group, Foo
Beta Iota (FBI for short), would crash the festivities, but instead
they loitered onthe edges of the crowd, obviously in admiration of
the Kappa Kappa Kappa rushing techniques for they had their tape
recorders and cameras rolling the entire time.
As a prec aut ion against any such rival elements spoiling the
picturesque affair, the Tri-Kaps had on hand a few members attired
in what appeared to be outgrown boy scout uniforms and helmets,
white, of course, with "S. G. " boldly emblazened on the front.
Rushes weren't sure if "S.G." stood for Sigma Gamma, Security
Guard or Super Goose. Anyway, they had some super-neat walkie-
talkies (complete w ith secret compartments) which looked’
familiar--like the ones Santa brought every kid on the block for
Christmas.
The entertainment unfortunately was a disappointment. Judging
from the fairy-tale costumes, which looked like something the
Witch of the West would wear, in hues of red, green and white, of
course, we expected a skit entitled maybe something like the
"Imperial Wizard of Oz." However, all we got was a dramatic
wash day detergent test to see whose sheet was the whitest.
The guest list included their faculty sponsor, a commercial art
prof whose specialty is color, their currentSweetheart whose presence
was impossible to overlook throughout the affair, Miss Pronunciation;
last year's Sweetheart, Snow White; and various esteemed alums.
For the more serious aspect of the program, frat members greeted
the guests in "right folksy" speeches and the rush chairman who
might be related to the owner of Shelton's Drive-In, although we
never got around to asking him) outlined the basic principles of the
frat which sanction everything, American except maybe blue berry
pie and oppose everything "un-American" except pizza.
An institution vigorously opposed by the fraternity creed was one
LBJ, the meaning of which rushes puzzled over. Could it be Little
Brown Jug(they're a pro - prohibition group maybe?) or Little Biown
Jig (a new dance, of course, similar to the " Blackbottom" with
shades of tne "Watusi.'”) The speaker finally explained it was
"Lyndon, Baker and Jenkins," whatever that is.
The colorless speaker'.'whitewashed"the frat's aims and "blackened"
the name of various other persons and groups, and his speech, like
a lecture quoting (or rather misquoting) historical facts, seemed to
dragon and on and on.
The evening was climaxed by a spectacular display with a
"blackout" presentation which left a "burning" impression in every
rushee's mind. The fraternity symbol, a plus-sign (+) (in keeping
withthemathematicalflavorofinequalityas set forth by the group)
was set ablaze against a black sky, instilling such a fraternal fervor
in everyone's heart that no prospective brother could ever think of
"crossing" another. The impressive sight was marred, however, by
a miscaL
Four of every five traffic
accidents in 1965 could have
been avoided, according to
insurance companies. The
major cause of death and des-
truction on U. S. highways is
driver error and lack of judg-
ment.
Forty - e ight thousand, five
hundred persons were killed in
1965 on the nation's highways;
according to a report by insur-
ance companies. In addition,
4,100, 000 others were injured
in traffic accidents last year.
President Outlines Aims
I take this opportunity to out-
line some of the basic object-
ives I i ntend to fulfill while
serving your as President.
I submitted seven issues in the
course of my campaign:
1. The shuttle bus service is
already being looked into. It
will take a great deal of study
and fact-f inding to put this
idea into action. It is being
approached from a number of
directions.
2. Signal lights at hazardous
intersections: fat least one)
has already been promised.
This is a matter of making the
immediacy of our need known
to city engineers and city couun-
cil.
3. Cleaner campus will be-
come a reality next fall sem-
ester with the consciencious
help of students. Lambda Tau
is working on this now.
4. Weekly reports to the stud-
ents informingthem of pertinent
student government action or
inaction.
5. Improved cafeteria service.
I am aware of a number of
problems there. One thing
students must do is inform me
of their problems and cooperate
with the answers. I am presen-
tly working with two problems
in this area, (a) melting ice
cream (already.solved)(b) shor-
tage of silverware.
6. Regular meetings of the
House and Senate is a stark
necessity if student government
is to function at all.
7. A snack bar for the educa-
tion building could make money
for s tudent enterprizes and at
the same time serve the stud-
ents.
I pledge my honest support for
any program that will enhance
the qua lity of education one
can receive at Lamar.
I would also like to thank you
for giving me the opportunity
to serve in this capactiy. 1
only hope that I can fill the job
before us.
More on “Zazen’, Prom Turnout
Written in Letters to Editor
Dear Editor:
We, the editors of Zazen,
would like to make public the
fact that we had not seen the
letter which was published in
last week's Redbird with the
signature "Zazen" and Mr.
Crabapple before its publica-
tion. Parts of the letter in
question did represent our views,
but as a whole both it and the
letter Mr. Waddill were groun-
ded in trivialities and generally
irrelevant.
We would also like to say that
any material submitted for
printing in Zazen’s second issue
will be duely considered. If
anyone liked Zazen enough
(and is able) to support it with a
monetary contribution, we will
certainly be appreciative.
James Cole
John Coyle
Ray Crabtree
Dear Editor:
In answering "We the contri-
butors: May I say your brief
letter in the Redbird last week
was wetl taken and quite scho-
larly stated. This only proves
my earlier contention that when
"you" have a real idea to ex-
press you rapidly dismiss the use
of your famed four-letter words.
Not that I live in a "never-
never land, " seeing only that
which pleases me but rather in
an atmosphere which is neither
r ar ified by lack of "pragmatic
understatements" nor dulled by
"privatecultness" but is instead
enriched by the subtle implica-
tions and discrete prominance
of such malodorous repetition.
As for my practice of "Putting
words into peoples? mouths,"
may I say that this in its entire-
ty sounds like a very rewarding
and useful occupation.
Perhaps you should familiarize
yourself with another such per-
son whose books now appear in
revised editions as "Webster's
Unabridged."
It seems that my methods of
interpreting fall farshort of your
superior and seemingly over-
whelming appraisal of Zazen.
For if I may quote your previous
letter, "An obscene pile of
trash, " does seem quite severe
but is amazingly descriptive.
Perhaps you are entirely too
critical of your own work!
Your letter did raise some a-
mount of curiosity. Namely
centering around your fixation
for dates, or am I again misin-
terpreting your thoughts? Per-
haps it was your implication of
projecting those who " d e s c end"
from your (popular) opinion
which clouds my objectiveness?
Iwonder, who is dreaming now?
James Allen Waddill
May 5, 1910
Dear Editor:
Here are some thoughts con-
cerning the "war-nics" or the
"anti-warists."
anti the anti-American anti-
warists
as people sit around sipping their
martinis
and talking about war and
politics
they bad-mouth their country
as if they wanted to beat it with
sticks
but it is not they who carry arms
and in horror await the alarms
it is not they who sweat and
ache
and fall with pain on a sharpened
stake
yes those who undergo the tor-
ments of war
know more than the war-nicks
back home by far
they are gouged relentlessly in
the eyeballs
while the war-nics at home
are drinking their highballs
they fight in defense of their
country here
while some at home are too
deaf to hear
the reasons why we are over
there
but those who fight in the cold
dark jungle
don't put up with all this bungle
they know it's for their country's
freedom they fight
and to this idea the war-nic
can't bite
they're willingto work and fight
and die
while the anti-warists just stand
by
they know they are fighting for
their freedom back home
and those who won't fight should
just leave them alone.
D. A. Talbert
Lamar to higher standards of
effectiveness.
I believe the past is past and
the future brighter. Anyone who
doesn't help is a fink, Ignorance
notwithstanding.
Clement R. Valigura
Dear Editor:
If The Prom is a flop, don't
blame it on McDonald Gym,
apathy or DeGaulle's attitude
toward the common market.
If last year's prom got as much
a d v a n ce publicity as this one
did, it's a wonder that 100
people showed up.
The first hint of it that I
received came in last Monday's
mail (with 3/4 of a stamp and
my name misspelled)--Four
Whole Days before The Prom.
If I had really been on the ball,
I would have read the 2 7/8"
story in the Redbird Three Whole
Days before that!
Junior high school dances have
better publicity much farther in
advance. Not everybody can
get ready for The Prom on
seven day's notice.
Dear Editor:
We have just finished a
rewarding campaign. Rewarding
in that all who ran for office and
all who took an active part should
have benefited through experi-
ence, mental stimulation, and
new acquaintances. Above al
these, I hope we all have gained
for years to come, memories
without regret.
That you wanted to help Lam ar,
and yourselves, should be appre-
ciated by all and disdained by
none. That you or your candi-
date failed to win is secondary
at this point. Thoughts should
look back on a s u c cesful
cam paign and both thoughts and
hopes should look to the future
to correct that which has not
been accomplished or that you
feel is likely to remain unaccom-
plished.
The Student Government for
1967 has been chosen; but surely
our responsibility has not ceased
to exist; surely our efforts have
not been discarded as unworthy
or unwanted; surely we have not
lost the only opportunity to work,
and think, for a better Lamar.
We will, or should, be back
next year giving the Student
Government the benefit of our
ide as , our e fforts, and our
support;support which is necess-
ary if we believe, we can bring
Kathy Johnson
Dear Editor:
I'm really saddened to discover
that those illustrious seats of
learning which grace a part of
our campus are about to be
ruthlessly disposed of.
I speak of the wonderful old
peeled-yellow structures fondly
designated for some unknown
number of years as "temporary
buildings."
It really gets to a guy when he
thinks about that bare spot that
will be le ft soon. After two
straight semesters under the
many - hued ceiling of the old
s p e e ch-clinic classroom, lis-
tening to the air conditioner
wheezing and slowly falling out
of the wall, it is hard to ima-
gine an English class being any
fun under other circumstances.
Fie on you unfeeling concrete
hulks! (Just wait'll you're re-
placed by plastic.)
But remain staunch you peo-
ple having the privilege of
studying in any of the old build-
ings--y ou make up a unique
clique. After all, how many
people can look down on a new
generation and say, "You kids
don't know what you're missing.
I once went to college in a
World War II army barracks."
Unforgetting
As early as 1519, Alonzo
Alvarez de Pineda, a Spaniard,
mapped the entire Gulf Coast,
including Texas.
The Redbird Staff
Editor....................................Bonnie Oglethorpe
News Editor......................................Perry Riley
Sports Editor.................................Lanrfey -Ratcliff
Photographers.................................Charles ‘Goode
James Waddill
Advertising Manager............ Candy Ahshier
Circulation Manager...........................Kathy Johnson
Proofreader......................................Maria Rutt
Faculty Advisor.............................R. H. Wilkerson
The Redbird is published weekly except during holidays, dead week
and final exams during the regular school term. Opinions expressed
are those of the student editor arid do not necessarily reflect those
of .the faculty and administration. Editorial offices are lo« a ted in
'Office Building #1.
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Oglethorpe, Bonnie. The Redbird (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 16, No. 24, Ed. 1 Friday, May 6, 1966, newspaper, May 6, 1966; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth499339/m1/2/: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lamar University.