KU-Y sees life in Chicago
By PATRICIA PRUITT
KU's 15 attendants at Chicago's National Student Congress of YMCA-YWCA had never tried to mirror each other before.
If that fellow has a long nose, try to make yours longer. If he has high cheekbones, make yours higher, if you can. Shut your eyes and feel your partner's face with your hands.
"FOR SOME PEOPLE, it wasn't clear that anything religious was going on," said Tom Moore, Overland Park junior and KU-Y sponsor.
But in fact, the elements of worship were there. "It was an effort to give another person an honest reflection of what you see," said Moore. "They were compelled to look at each other. It reveals to us how little we make an effort to put ourselves in another person's place, although we constantly get upon that person."
KU's 15 were among 1.200 college students from across the nation who gathered in Chicago from Dec. 26 to Jan. 2, to investigate religion and human relationships, and to learn about the city of Chicago.
Some might say that the venture was just seeking after novelty. Moore said, but it was actually creativity.
"While they experimented with religion, the students also learned about the city, finding out what kinds of things are going on in a city." Moore explained.
"A CITY is a place where civilization is made. We must learn what is good about a city and how to maximize it."
Civil rights was strongly emphasized throughout the convention. The assembly heard businessmen relate their role in social change, their effect in an area through hiring policies, store location, scholarship funds, and participation in city organizations.
Divided into divisions of 200 and from there into much smaller groups, students heard about Chicago's political machinery, and listened to architects and city planners tell of urban space use.
New coach busy preparing team
Only 263 more days till KU opens its 1967 football season.
Just step into the football office at Allen Field House.
Newly selected football coach "Pepper" Rodgers, however, has been busier than ever since agreeing to a four-year contract Dec. 16.
HIS SECRETARY has been answering that telephone so many times these past few days that she resembles a telephone operator. Time and again, she takes messages on neat orange slips while Rodgers is "in conference."
But once inside Rodgers' carpeted office, one sees papers stacked high in several piles on his desk. Already eight real estate agents have contacted the 35-year-old coach with lots of information—or, information of lots—take your pick.
Rodgers sleeps but doesn't eat in McColllum Hall, the largest residence hall on campus.
Perhaps even more important is the highest paper pile. This stack contains letters from coaches seeking positions on the KU staff.
SO FAR, RODGERS has hired five assistant coaches, and expects to complete his eight-man staff within the next 12 days.
One coach will be named this week and two more at the annual American Football Coaches Association meeting in Houston, Texas. Jan. 9-13.
Newcomers include Larry Travis, Florida, John Cooper, UCLA, and Dick Tomey, Davidson. Rehired from former coach Jack Mitchell's staff are Don Fambrough and Floyd Temple.
As soon as the meetings are over Rodgers is planning a conference with his assistants to discuss the football program.
He works about 16 hours each day.
"TVE JUST BEEN bombed with work," Rodgers explained, "there are so many things to do."
One of the biggest things is recruiting. Three nights this week Rodgers will be on the road
Later, small groups wandered into any district of the city they liked, getting the feel of what it would be like to live there. Choices of districts ranged from slum and urban renewal to plush neighborhoods.
speaking to prospective KU athletes.
"Recruiting boys in Kansas is the No. one thing at this particular time," Rodgers said.
Docs Rodgers get much sleep?
Art museums, night clubs featuring social satirist-comedians, and symphony orchestras filled the days, too.
Author Robert Theobald, a socio-economist, was among the more inspiring lecturers, most thought.
Rodgers is out trying to build a winner.
Does Rogers get more sleep?
Not too much. He has no roommate. But even if he did, his roommate would not see him too often.
Each day at 9 a.m. the agenda read "Worship." It was during the theatrical games one day that students played mirrors to each other. They also participated in jazz masses, a happening by Chicago City Players, and watched a rock-'n'-roll interpretation of the Easter story.
OF THIS EXPERIMENTAL and contemporary approach, Swaebou Conateh, Gambia, Africa, senior, said, "The sacredness loses meaning in ordinary ritual, so maybe some of these things need to be reformed."
Another foreign student, Eeva-Liisa Ninioja, Helsinki, Finland, freshman, said, "In Finland, we don't have Negroes. When I saw in Chicago that there were certain lines telling people where to live, it was facing a reality. I learned how the city works. Now I know quite a bit, I should say."
Concerning the religious aspect, she added, "I learned quite a lot about my own religion—I am still quite a bit a good Lutheran. The worship sessions were religion in the purest sense. Of course, it depends on what you think of religion."
The convention's only fault, she felt, was its dogmatism. "They had pledges at the end, by which we committed ourselves to the ideas of the convention. I tore up the oath."
RICHARD HENDERSON, Mt. Prospect, Ill., freshman, and a native of the Chicago area, was highly critical of the convention's orientation toward the city.
"It was too highly organized and at the same time not organized enough," he said. "There was too much emphasis on the civil rights emphasis and a restriction of it to Negroes, without considering Puerto Ricans, for instance, and other groups with similar problems.
"They didn't talk about air and water pollution and the technicalities of the city's working. They concentrated on the negative side of the city. There were constant referrals to suburbs as enemies of the inner-city.
"The choice of leaders was bad," he continued. "They should have chosen native Chicagoans who have more thorough knowledge of transportation and in helping out when we went out in small groups through the city. On the whole, it was a bad and wrong view of the city."
Joy Chatlain, Shawnee Mission senior, agreed that the analysis of Chicago should have been greater in detail. "By trying to make the city's characteristics applicable to any city," she said, "they overlooked a great many technicalities. I didn't learn that much." she said. "The religious program was creative, original, and thought-provoking," however.
Speed ace sees death in cards
CONISTON, England—(UPI)—British racer Don Campbell who set world records both on land and water was killed today when his jet-powered boat Bluebird crashed in an attempt to set another speed mark.
Campbell was running the Bluebird at an estimated 300 miles per hour when it exploded and sank at Lake Coniston.
A mechanic for the 45-year-old racer said Campbell had a premonition of his death when in playing card games recently he turned up the ace of spaces and later the queen of spades.
"Mary Queen of Scots turned up the same combination of cards," Campbell told chief mechanic Leo Villa. "And from it she knew she was going to be beheaded."
Bohnenstiehl to miss game
The Jayhawks will be without Rodger Bohnenstiehl, the leading scorer on the Jayhawk basketball team, for at least another week.
Bohnenstiehl ruptured a vein below his right knee in last week's Big Eight Basketball Tournament. Doctors have informed Coach Ted Owens that the 6-6 junior forward has been advised to stay off his injured leg until at least next Tuesday. He will miss Kansas' conference opener next Saturday night with Oklahoma.
Owens said he would start either senior Bob Wilson or sophomore Bruce Sloan in Bohnenstich's spot.
Daily Kansan 9
Wednesday, January 4, 1967
As Fred would say:
"Just like the Old Prohibition Days!" Another Fabulous SHANTY Innovation
WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY NIGHTS ARE MUG NIGHTS
Come Down Early Tonight Mug Prices (Full Sized SHANTY Mug)
7:00-8:00 . . . . . . . . . 10c 9:00-10:00 . . . . . . . 20c
8:00-9:00 . . . . . . . . . 15c 10:00 . . . . our regular 25c price
THE SHANTY TAP ROOM
Downstairs next door to the RED DOG through the Sandwich Shoppe or use the handy 7th St. Tap Room entrance 644 Mass. VI2-9500