University Daily Kansan, November 21, 1980
Page 7
Singing telegrams surprise, embarrass their recipients
By DIANE SWANSON Staff Reporter
The noon rush hour was just about over. Waitresses refilled coffee cups and cleared tables in the quiet, softly lit restaurant.
A stranger walked in boldly, wearing a t-shirt tuxedo and black top hat, and asked to see one of the waitresses. With no more warning than an opening tool, she took the boot and launched an anniversary melody, courtesy of the waitress's husband.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so embarrassed," Jeannie Cochell, the waitress, said.
"He horrified." Cocchell said with a laugh. "He did. I didn't because I'm a lawyer."
Bill and Jearnie Cochell celebrated their second wedding anniversary Nov. 10.
The anniversary message was delivered by ASTA, a LAwrence singing telegram service. It is the brain child of a team, a 19-year-old Overland Park park员.
KANAREK DECIDED to start ASTA when she saw a billboard in Kansas City, Mo., advertising a singing messae service.
"I thought about it and thought about it, and finally decided to try it," she said.
According to Kanarek, the initials in ASTA do not represent anything. It was the name of a dog in a movie she recalled.
According to Kanarek, business had increased dramatically since she started it a year ago September. She now averaged two or three telegrams a day.
Why send a singing telegram?
"It embarrasses people." Kanarek said. "It's a mini-surprise. That's its biggest asset."
Kristi Lewis, a third-year law student from Lealy who recently sent a singing
birthday-gram to her boyfriend at his
camp, I thought I sent it
because it was a unique idea.
"It's the kind of thing everyone has done in their lives," she said. "I hope I get one."
Kanarek said birthdays were the reason for the greatest number of telegram requests. Valentine's Day is one of them, and she messages, and Kanarek said she expected it to be a busy day again this year.
SIX STUDENTS deliver messages for ASTA—three men and three women. Kanarek said she usually tried to schedule men to deliver telegrams to women and vice versa, but scheduling conflicts sometimes prevented it.
Linda Kappenberger, Salina freshman and an ASTA singer, listed three motives for singing to strangers in unusual places.
"I'm a ham at heart, I like to do
same things and I like to sing" she
said.
But even an actress can get embarrassed.
"The very first one I did was in a huge lecture hall with about 200 people," she said. "I was so embarrassed. I tried to pretend I wasn't, but I was. I was supposed to kiss this guy, but I just couldn't, so left."
KNAPPENBERGER SAID she had gotten over that now, and found the recipients were usually the most embarrassed.
"Everybody loves it," she said,
"although they'll often look down and pretend I'm not there."
Kanarek said she had never delivered any telegrams herself.
"I'm outgoing, but not that outgoing" she said.
Kanarek said she had watched a lot of telegrams being delivered, however. Messages have been delivered on a regular basis, but the stands during a KU football game, in a
gentleman's bedroom, in a sauna, in classrooms and restaurants and at fraternity and sorority parties.
Kanarek said one of the more unusual telegrams ASTA had delivered was ordered by a woman who had recently been in jail. The couple wanted to return his apartment key.
"The girl gave me some ideas about what to write in the telegram, and gave me the key, and then I gave it to one of my girls who delivered it," she said.
THE FAREWELL song was sung to the tune of "Happy Days Are Here Again."
Again,
"The girl said she wanted to go out in style, and I would say she did," Kanarek said.
Kanarek said she also had received calls from people in California and Colorado requesting messages be sung to friends.
"They call up the Chamber of Commerce or KU Information Center and ask if there is such a service, and then call me," she said.
The only advertising she did, Kanarek said, was running display advertisements and classified advertisements in the personal columns of newspapers. In this year's People Book also attracted a lot of calls, she said.
According to Kanarek, the business is now operating on its own and bringing in new ideas.
Each singing telegram costs $14, and is delivered by a man or woman dressed in a black T-shirt with a white bow and ruffles printed on it, black pants held up with white suspenders, white gloves and a black top hat.
After singing the telegram, the singer bestows a kiss upon the honored and presents a long stemmed rose to the cake, a five-ounce chocolate kiss to the men.
"Why do I like sending telegrams?" Kanarek asked. "It's so neat to see people get so excited."
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of high travel expenses. The games were scheduled for Sept. 19, 1981 in Knoxville, Oct. 1, 1983 in Lawrence and Sept. 21, 1985 in Knoxville.
THE BEST SYSTEM PRICES IN THE MIDWEST!
Travel costs sack KU, Wildcats
DOWNTOWN
travel costs have forced KU to cancel its football game with Tennessee next year and Florida state yesterday by paying Kansas State for the same reason.
because he said the Wildcats would just break even with its share. Florida will pay $20,000 to break the contract.
"It was a financial reason for us," Marcum said. "It's getting expensive to travel. We're developing a little more of a regional concept."
Florida was to play K-State Sept. 12 next season. The Gators offered to pay K-State $17,000 to move the game to Ole Miss. The Gators lost DeLoss Losses turned down the offer
Dodds said he was considering canceling a Sept. 19, 1981 game against Washington in Seattle because of travel expenses.
To replace Tennessee, KU will play Tulsa at Tulsa.
This summer, KU Athletic Director Bob Marcum canceled three future football games with Tennessee because
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