Page 2
University Daily Kansan Wednesday, Feb. 13, 1957
.
This Younger Generation-
Are Rock'n' Rollers Really Pagans?
A local theater is showing the rock and roll movie "Rock, Pretty Baby." Scores of University students are flocking to see it, the same way more than 100 teenagers did at the Fairway Theater 10 days ago near Kansas City.
Sheriff's deputies threw out the teenagers at the Fairway.
A deputy sheriff at the scene said the teenagers kept time with the rock and roll music by clapping their hands, shouting, throwing clothing, running through the aisles, and swearing.
The girls were the noisier, the deputy said, but the boys were the more rowdy. The girls screamed, while the boys threw things and pushed the girls.
The movie is described as the "whole wonderful story of today's rock'n roll generation." Rock and roll music is a combination of jazz and hill billy music.
Today-Elvis Presley, with his side-burns and side hip-motion, causes teenagers to scream and cry.
Eleven years ago during World War II, Frank Sinatra caused teenagers across the nation to scream and faint in their seats.
But now a married "cat" hoves into sight: Pat Boone. His stage antics cause girls to pull at his shoelaces, mob him, and ask for an autograph or a kiss.
Talk to one of these teenagers about this music and he replies with these words: "All us cats are hep to it!"
A new form of pagan music is appearing: calypso. In larger American cities, night club orchestras play nothing but calypso.
Teenagers were hep to jazz more than 30 years ago. The New York Times, on Feb. 12, 1922 reported: "Jazz music has much the same effect on young people as liquor ..." said I. I. Cammack, Kansas City, Mo., school superintendent.
In February, 1926, Paul Whiteman, the "jazz king," played at KU. Whiteman said he "enjoyed playing to a college audience because he knew that his music would be appreciated.
"In some places people are still a little adverse to the word 'jazz' but the young folks in a college town, even the older people, all appreciate and enjoy it."
During the same month, Dr. A. P. Fitch, professor of religious history at Carlton College, Northfield, Minn., spoke at KU. He said:
"The young pagans are our most serious problem. They are noted for their muscular brawn and their intellectual innocence. Their language is painful, profane and frequent. Intellectually vacuous, sentimental, vulgar and Babbittish, is the typical young pagan, common to all universities and colleges."
A University Daily Kansan editorial published Jan. 31, 1926, said: "... Some critics claim that the prevalent 'wildness' of youth is due to the modern 'immoral dances,' and that the foxtrot and Charleson are not conducive to refinement and culture.
"Society is living a more furious pace. Many social conventions have been thrown to the four winds. There is freer intercourse between men and women. All these things have contributed to the development of the modern dance."
Adolescents need emotional expression just as adults do. "Cat-action" to rock 'n roll music is destructive, useless, and wasteful of energy and talent.
The very persons who danced in digy roadhouses 25 years ago are today parents of the modern adolescents—the college "cats."
This "wildness" of today's adolescent college students is equal to the restless confusion of skidrow bums.
Where will it lead? Through such expression, college adolescents betray themselves into thinking they're gaining freedom from their elders.
Today's "cat-actors" could study, work at a hobby, join any one of the numerous organizations on the campus or marry, and contribute something worthwhile to civilization.
Stated simply, either KU students become more responsible adolescents or they become more addicted to hound-dog records and the whining voice of a "circle-punching" hill billy from Tennessee.
If you reject constructive expression because study is hard, or because living and working with people is trying, you'll never grow up.
History Is Pretty Sexy
"The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody," by Will Cuppy (Henry Holt and Company, 230 pp.).
(Editor's note: This is an appreciation review in honor of Will Coppy, who passed away in 1952. This book is considered by many to be Mr. Coppy's best work and will live on as a monument to his memory.)
So you think you know everything there is to know about people like Nero and Cleopatra, or Lady Godiva and Lucrezia Borgia? You say Louis XIV, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great had everything there is to know written about them?
If you believe this, you are wrong for it has been said that the late Will Cuppy (1894-1952), author and historian of sorts, has wandered footloose in the footnotes of history in the writing of "The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody." It took him 16 years to write, as only he could write, about these fabulous characters of history.
With a friendly, but wry attitude toward everything and everybody, Will Cuppy sheds a new light on the famous and infamous of everyday history, all the way from Cheops to Miles Standish.
Throughout the book are humorous footnotes. Mr. Cuppy takes a crack at historians by making the irrelevance of some of his footnotes so laughingly apparent.
In a chapter entitled "A Few Greats," Mr. Cuppy goes into the private lives of Catherine the Great, Peter the Great, Madame du Barry, Frederick the Great and Louis XIV
An example of the subtle, but vivid, descriptions which make up this interesting chapter and book comes from Mr. Cuppy's discussion of the private life of Catherine the Great of Russia:
"In 1754 Catherine had a baby boy who looked a lot like Sergel Saltykov, a young man with whom Catherine often discussed
current events. Some historians think Peter (her husband) may have been the father because the child grew up to resemble him in character and general uselessness. They were both fools, but what does that prove?
("Footnote) This child was afterward known as the Mad Tsar Paul, He was murdered by some other mad people and was succeeded by the Mad Tsar Alexander.
"Then Saltykov moved away and Catherine got interested in Poland, or rather in Count Stanislaus Poniatowski. Her next baby was named Anna.
("Footnote) 'God knows where she gets them' Peter exclaimed at a state banquet."
Through the unique eyes of Will Cuppy we are able to view the famous characters of history. Mr. Cuppy's remarkable turn of mind transforms them into human beings, not like we read of in history books, but foolish, fallible and certainly our very common ancestors.
And as to the death of Peter, Mr. Cuppy writes: "It was pretty sad about Peter. A few days after his arrest he suddenly died at Ropha while Alexis Orlov and some other friends of the Empress were with him. Catherine announced that he died of hemorrhoidal colic, and people who went to the funeral wondered why, in that case, the large bandage was tied around his neck. And that, gentle reader comes of playing with dolls at the wrong time. (Peter played with dolls after he went to bed at night.) At first glance the pastime may seem as safe as the next one. It just doesn't work out in actual practice."
Constitution Hall, 429 Kansa. Ave., Topeka, with the principal facade remodeled, is the original 2-story stone building erected in 1855 in which the "Topeka Constitution" for the state of Kanssa was written.
Jim Tice
1-Armed Bandit?
Correspondence between a thirsty, empty-pocketed patron in Flint Hall and a campus coke man: Cokeman:*
A Salute To Advertising
Will you PLEASE fix this 20th century mechanical monster so that it will consistently make change and thereby add silver to our pockets and ulcers to our stomachs?
Advertising today is a vital and powerful force in our economy. Each of us is made aware of it every day in newspapers, on television and radio, in our magazines, in buses and on highway billboards.
A Thirsty Patron
Thirsty Patron:
Your sad story touches my heart. Therefore I will attend to this matter immediately, if not sooner.
Yet, advertising is something most of us take for granted. How did it become so important—and what does advertising mean to you and me in 1957?
- A coined word and we might add, the only coin to be found. It takes all kinds to make up a world!
From one nut to another. The Cokeman
Daily Hansan
Let's go back and see how it began. A hundred years ago mass production was non-existent; mass distribution unheard of.
University of Kansas student newspaper
1904, daily press
truestyle 1908, daily press, 16, 18, 12
Emerson, 376, business office
Member of Press Association
Associated Collegiate Press Association
by National Advertising Service, 420
Madison Ave., New York, N. Y.
service: United Press. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $4.50 a year. Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University year except Sundays and holiday days, and examination periods. Entered as second-class matter Sept. 17, 1910, at Lawrence, Kan., post office under act of March 3, 1879.
Telephone Viking 3-2700 Extension 251, news room Extension 276, business office
But as America grew and prospered, businesses became larger. Manufacturers had to find ways of spreading the word about their products. Small advertisements began to appear in newspapers and orders for goods even came from far away.
Kent Thomas ... Managing Editor
John Battin, Fetelia Ann Fenberg, Bab
Blyle, Betty Jean Stanford, Assistant
Managing Editors; Jim Banman, City
Editor; Nancy Harmon, Lelley Zim-
mann, Susan Sillman, Shi Leonzaki, Telegraph Editor;
Mary Bey Noyen, Delbert Haley, Asso-
istant Telegraph Editors; Dick Brown,
Sports Editor; George Anthan, Assis-
tist Sports Editor; Marilyn Mermals,
Society Editor; John Eaton, Picture
ant Society Editor; John Eaton, Picture
Editor.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
As people were separated by great distances in America, methods of communication developed rapidly. At first, manufacturers wrote advertisements themselves. Eventually they called upon others to do this work, and the advertising industry began.
But how does advertising benefit us in 1957?
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Jerry Dawson Editorial Editor
First of all, it brings us information. Advertising tells us where we can purchase the things we want
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
Dale Bowers. Business Manager
Danrey. Advertising Manager
John Hedley, National Advertising Manager
Harold Metz, Classified Advertising Manager; Conboy Brown, Circulation Manager.
and how much our purchases will cost.
Advertising is a chain reaction that stimulates demand and creates progress. By spreading the story of a new or better product, a market is created for which manufacturers compete. Cheaper, more efficient production methods are developed, and prices go down.
Jim Pontius
In the long run, the consumer is the one who profits most.
Every time advertising helps to make a sale, it puts money in action. The consumer, salesman, manufacturer, employees all share in part from a sale advertising has stimulated. Consciously—as a reader of ads and a consumer—and unconsciously—working at our daily jobs—we are a part of advertising. During this week, Advertising Week, let us salute the positive force of advertising which benefits us all.
Platinum was used for personal adornment by South American Indians long before Columbus discovered America.
The egret is a species of white heron having white flowing plumes much in demand in the millinery world.
In 1 'B In
"A type
Bow was profe in th
Mist
teach
versit
and
sas in
Bachelor Laundry & Dry Cleaners
1109 Mass.
"Aa Austi ticular said. animat the k and strut wers
At Twer larly ducte ticing versi two social facul
An ery a cesco
State Pa.
nual day
Stude unde
ucati
The Frida
Unio
day
discué
the I
will s
dinner
sessie
atiye
the Iounp
Th been
AP
Ba Leav en, and more seni ce sas Conv
Te Ande Mary soph Kam tality senic peka Beth Moii Pat ] dent
VI 3-5155