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University Daily Kansan
Friday, Nov. 9, 1962
Politicians' Image Changes With Parties
By Jackie Stern
The image of politicians on a national level is one that has changed considerably and favorably since the turn of the century. Not only has this happened nationally, but the KU politician has also made a favorable metamorphosis.
Around the turn of the century the politician was stereotyped as a man whose plastered smile and baby kissing was a cover-up for ward-heeling politics based on patronage. At KU the political emphasis was formerly centered around ballot snatching and generally using campus elections to further certain small groups.
TODAY THE Boss Tweed approach to politics is in the background and the creation of the image is the theme for success. On campus the ballot stuffers are now thinking of ways they can improve the student status and conditions.
To get a picture of the KU politician in evolution it is best to start with the formation of the first political party — the Men's Student Council.
In that year, 1909, the campus was sparked with a political fervor that resulted in fights between fraternity and non-fraternity factions.
The conflict became so prevalent that in 1920 the University Senate withdrew much of MSC's power.
WHILE TONED down, these factional fights have not disappeared. The Greeks and the independents have been opposed for most of the 52 years of University politics.
The impact of national politics on campus government was seen early in 1912 when pro-Wilson, proRoosevelt and pro-Taft clubs appeared on campus.
The pro-Taft group formed the Society of the Pachacamae which adopted the rising sun as its emblem. It was to remain the dominant party for 43 years.
PACH WAS never known to observe clean politics in its years of existence. In 1935 campus debate it was compared to the Tammany Tiger of New York fame. Other political parties accused Pach of poll blocking, double and triple voting, ballot stuffing and booth peaking,
The first party to oppose Pachacamac was Black Mask, a Greek-independent coalition which lasted from 1915-26. Chet Shore organized the "Dollar and Cents" party in 1922. He used a three-piece jazz band, salted peanuts and Eskimo pies in his price-slashing campaign. His plank rested on raising the price of Bull Durham, lowering the price of Camels and establishing a rest and smoking room for men. Pach won the election anyway.
IN 1935 the Progressive Student Government League (PSGL) was formed and won the spring elections. It lost the next three to Pach, tied one and lost three after that.
Pach won five elections in a row after the war before the First Actually Construct Ticket Society (FACTS) won in 1951. Pach never really recovered from this defeat although they won by a slim majority in 1952.
Three parties competed with the Pachacamac in the 30's. The Oread party was composed of anti-Greeks while the Kayhawk Club consisted of anti-Pach independents. The KU progressives "were pledged to the interests of the non-fraternity man."
The Allied Greek-Independent Party (AGI) and the Party of Greek Organizations (POGO) split Pach which went out of existence in 1852.
TODAY PACH exists as a secret society which exerts influence over the Greeks.
POGO disbanded in 1957 after some ballot box stuffing was discovered. In 1958 Vox Populi was organized by Jim Austin, Bob Linn and Dave Wilson. It swept the spring elections by winning the student body presidency and 17 seats on the Council.
Early in 1959, AGI disbanded and for a time KU was a one-party campus.
Fred Morrison, Charles Menghini and Mike Thomas organized
Walking Around KU Takes Many Forms
By Helen Coburn
Walking is one of the simplest and more available forms of exercise. If you attend Kansas University and live at the bottom of the hill on 14th street, walking is more than available. It is forced upon you.
Have you ever noticed some of the ways your classmates take this walk? Here are some examples:
The elephant walk, going slow and easy. One foot is slowly picked up and slowly set down in front of the other with a deliberate following of the body.
The cowboy stride with legs bowed and feet set far apart. The feet are swung alternately in an arc, with the arms swinging in unison.
BOBBING SAM uses less exertion as he places all of his weight on flat feet, then with a bobbing bounce, he raises his body to a quick shift of weight to the ball of his foot. At the same time he puts the other foot forward, ready for the one-two action of the forward uplift.
"THE LEANING TOWER of Pisa" keeps her body parallel with the hill as she faces the walk. Her feet are at an angle, sliding steadily upward without disturbing the forward thrust of the body.
"ZOOMBIE ZOE walks with his body still and erect. He swings his legs straight from his hips and plants his feet firmly on the walk, giving a jerky robot action up the hill.
TWISTY TESS uses a modified version of the twist. This girl swings first the right hip, leg and foot forward a step, followed by a repeat of the left hip, leg and foot. Ah one — ah two — ah one
PUMPER JOE holds his body erect also. But Joe uses a rapid pumping action, jacks his knees up and down as he quickly ascends or descends the hill. His arms echo the same pumping up and down motion, leaving his trunk the one quiet connecting part of his body.
— ah two — On up the hill she goes.
MOUNTAN CLIMBER LIZA turns her feet at a slightly inward angle. Leaning forward, she digs her toes into the ground or against the walk. Then with face set in grim lines, she steadily gains footage on her upward climb. For added balance, she holds her arms ahead of her in a slightly bent position, hands outspread ready to break any slin or fall.
SWAYING JANE tries to lessen the steep upgrade. She does this by weaving from one side of the walk to the other as she goes up hill. This tends to relieve the strain of the straight upward grade.
Many of the same movements are used going down the hill, with the exception that they are in reverse. For example:
MULEY JONES, clinching one fist and taking a firm grip on his brief case with the other, leans backward parallel with the hill. He throws a leg forward, digging in his heels in a balky breaking action. Then he throws the other leg forward in the same action. Balk, step, balk, step. On down the hill he goes.
BUMPER JACK lets the downward pull of the hill have control. He leans backward while the feet and legs jaggle loosely ahead, propelling the body jerkily downhill. One by one the parade goes on. And who is to say which is the most successful way to conquer that hill?
the University Party in 1960 and once again two-party politics were back on campus. In the '60 fall elections, the University Party emerged from its first election with 10 seats on the Council while VOX added six with Vox still retaining its majority.
THE UNIVERSITY PARTY has stood up well over its three-year
predecessor — Vox Populi. Last spring the vote narrowed to a 10-8 Vox margin on the Council.
Once again debates, strategy meetings, car pools and election propaganda have infiltrated the campus.
Despite the usual conflicts, the two political parties have contributed greatly to the University. Besides rallying interest in political
activities, Vox Populi and the University Party have been the primary force behind many reforms for the benefit of the student. Among these are the development of the Student Health program, extension of closing hours at the library, stop day, increase of street lights in women's residence areas, and reserved seating at football games.
'33 Homecoming Highlighted By Torchlight Parade, Rally
(This is a reprint from the Nov.
26, 1933, Daily Kansan.)
Color, brilliant pageant, and spectacular setting, will mark the second annual Homecoming Torchlight Parade which will wind through the main streets of Lawrence Wednesday night at 7:15 and terminate at the intersection of Eighth and Vermont, where the big Homecoming rally will be held. This parade will be set against a background of enthusiastic students and alumni and compounded of such unusual features as a circling airplane with a neon sign screaming, "Beat M. U." and fireworks of sound bombs and sky rockets.
The "flying billboard," as the advertising airplane has often been called, is to start circling Lawrence with its neon sign of "Beat M. U." about 6:30 Wednesday evening and will continue its maneuvers until after the rally. The plane, which is a Curtiss Fledgling, will be piloted by Charles Toth from the Fairfax airport, Kansas City, Kan. From 5 until about 6 p.m., the
airplane will fly over Kansas City, Kan., and Missouri with a neon sign reading, "K.U.-M.U." game.
Fireworks to Begin Early
The sound bombs and starshell fireworks will be fired at South Park before 7 o'clock, and again as the parade begins to move down Massachusetts, these fireworks will be shot from the north end of the street by the bridge.
The parade will start to form at 7 p.m. Wednesday night in South Park on the west side of Massachusetts street, and will move out into Massachusetts promptly at 7:15, under the direction of General W. S. Metcalf. '97.
The procession will march down Massachusetts street to Eighth street and will turn left, there, and go to Vermont street where they will stop at the intersection by the Jenny Wren building and hold the rally which will begin at 7:35 and be broadcast over station WREN.
The parade will be headed by General Metcalf, Captain Harry Frazee, '26, and Captain Sam Moyer, former student in 1916, who will be mounted. After them, riding in a car, will be Major W. C. Koenig, head of the R. T. T. C, and the honorary colonel, Rowena Longshore, s534, followed by the R.O.T.C. color guard, then then the R.O.T.C. unit, and then the University of Kansas band.
Enrollment at Lawrence Sets Record
University officials report this year's enrollment of 10,500 students at Lawrence a record. The freshman class, the largest, totaling 2,576, is 45 less than last year.
No more than 244 separate the largest from the smallest. The senior class with 1.746 is smallest.
have not been included in this graduate class.
The Rally at 7:30 at the intersection of Eighth and Vermont will be broadcast over WREN and will consist of cheers, yells, speeches and songs. The University of Kansas band will play for the broadcast, also.
The 1,990 graduate class is second in class size, an increase of 151 despite freshman medical students who have moved to the KU Medical Center in Kansas City.
Second in size is the graduate class with 1,990. This is the first year that first year medical students, who now do their preliminary work at the KU Medical Center;
The junior class, also record size, jumped 357 over last year's enrollment. 1,981.
The smallest gain was in the sophomore class which increased 81 to 1.884.
The annual torchlight parades were first started last year. The campus political parties have long used torchlight parades in campaigning. Last year being a political one, various such political parades having been conducted throughout the country, the Home-coming committee devised the scheme of having a torchlight parade for Homecoming.
HIXON STUDIO
Portraits of Distinction
Bob Blank
721 Mass. VI 3-0330
WELCOME HOME ALUMS!
Help Our Team Crop the Huskers
Beat
Nebraska
Cornhuskers
... enjoy a wonderful weekend both students and all the alumni.