Contemporary music influences, involves
By CHARLES PETTY and JOEL BJORLING
Ever heard of the Jefferson Airplane or the Strawberry Alarm Clock?
The driving beats and pulsating rhythms of these "hot" groups "turn on" many of the youth of today. With their amplifiers turned up full blast, the psychadelic musicians send their listeners on musical trips in rock palaces such as Fillmore East.
Just what is this "new music?" Where did it come from? What does it mean to today's youth?
Actually, there is no absolute answer to these questions, but most fans of today's music will agree diverse influences go into it and it really lets you get "involved."
One of the pioneering steps in rock was taken about 16 years ago when Bill Haley and his Comets came up with a song called "Rock Around the Clock." The group often drove audiences to the verge of utter hysterics.
Then along came Elvis Presley with his wavy haircut, side-burns, flashy white coat, and suede shoes. Nicknamed "Elvis the Pelivis" by horrified parents, he made recording sale history with his "You Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog" and "Love Me Tender." Branching out into movies, Elvis is still around today.
The Beach Boys appeared in the early 1960's with such hotrod songs as "Little Deuce Coupe" and "Fun, Fun, Fun." The American music scene was becoming dull by this time, but in 1963, America was invaded by a long-haired, howling group from England—the Beatles.
The Beatles added a new vitality to pop music. Their records
sold by the millions, and their three movies, "A Hard Day's Night," "Help," and most recently, "Yellow Submarine," were great successes.
In the fast-paced society a fast-paced music is appropriate. Today's music is moving music. Today's "turned-on" generation "digs" the psychadelic light shows and modern sounds. There's always that search for something new and different.
What is the message of this new music?
It "tells it like it is." More and more songs are concerned with life, society and problems of the individual. The youth of today wants to be aware of what is going on and music is the medium which informs them.
In recent years music has been influenced by various cultures as well as by individual experiments. The pioneering Beatles once again led the way when they brought traces of Eastern music to their tunes. Other groups delved into the music from the Baroque period in Europe. Still others went back to the roots of rock—the blues. Blues bands became bigger in both England and America. Today, everyone has been exposed to the blues through such groups as Cream.
Many Campers, involved with music, have definite opinions on its future. Some said it is headed towards traditionalism, while others argue that rock music will remain forever. Still others said music is headed in two directions: back to the blues and more psychadelic.
"To go on from here, I can't use words. They don't say enough."—Jefferson Airplane in "Today."
THE KAMPER KANSAN
Kamper News Office - 112 Flint Hall
UN #4-3646
Camp Office - 214 Murphy Hall
UN #4-3758
The Kamper Kansan, camp newspaper at the Midwestern Music and Art Center on Fridays. It is written by the members of the Journalism Division of the Camp.
The opinions expressed in the editorial columns are those of the editorial staff. The opinions of the editorial staff. Any opinions expressed in the Kamper Kansan are not necessarily those of the Midwestern Music and Art Camp or the University of Kansas. All accommodations for artists who attend the Kamper Kansan are offered without regard to race, creed, or national origin.
Executive Staff
Co-Editors-in-Chief Les Bryan, Saye Sutton
News Editor Peggy Robinson
Co-Editorial Editors June Kantz, Gary Manko
Co-Feature Editors Lea Anne Brown, Debbie Wunn
Co-Feature Editor Harriet Ward
Reporters: Emiko Yano, Mary Aguiar, Mike Brahm, Brad Reynolds, Dave Danielson, Dave Appleton, Dave Willingham, Judie Black, Don Lewis, Charles Petty, David McMillan, Blair Yeager, Hollyle Capppleman, Joel Blarling, Steve Yelvington
Karanan News Advisor James W. Murray
Assistant Advisers Jackie Raymond, Robert Stevens
Photo Advisers Gary Mason, William Sevmour
That is how one Camper described his student government in a recent survey.
Student power can be influential, positive force
By GARY MANKO and STEVE YELVINGTON
"It's a snow job!"
"It's an institution devised to make the students thing they have a voice in the decision-making process," he continued. "But actually the final decisions are made without student opinion being considered."
It also revealed many Campers do not remember what their student government's biggest project was last year. Those who did remember reported such uncontroversial things as a homecoming dance, a suggestion box that was emptied twice a year and raising money.
A majority of the Campers think their high school student governments are not effective in representing them to their school administrations.
Student governments are really elite clubs reserved for status seekers. Nearly 53 percent of the students surveyed said government elections were popularity contests while only 25.5 percent said they were serious political contests.
Small schools often have a problem because of strong, self-centered school administration. Schools over 2000 often have a problem where students do not know their representatives and do not realize the potential of a good student government.
A school of over 2000 is too big for effective communication and discussion of small matters, and when something big enough for the attention of all the students does come, there may be serious confrontations between students and administrators. This can be avoided by constructive action taken ahead of time by a strong and involved student government.
Utopia High is a school of 1600 students. It is a progressive institution, having abolished its antiquated study halls a year ago. Students no longer are forced to go to a programmed study room every day, but go anywhere they want in their free time.
Utopia High School, in San Perfecto, Calif. provides a good example of a strong and involved government.
A school of 1000 students is the ideal size for building a strong student government. If the government does not become effective at this point, there will be trouble as the school grows.
However, the students found the only rooms open to them were the library and the "quiet
There were others who felt that a lounge would create a temptation for those students who find it hard to "sit down and study."
study" rooms. Many students wanted a place to go where they could talk, have a snack, smoke and just relax.
A heated debate arose. Pressure was put on the president to do something. He went to the principal and explained the situation to him.
The student government president informed the principal about the situation and discussed with him the possibility of creating a student lounge before the debate on the subject had reached political proportions.
Little time was wasted on silly campaign slogans and funny speeches. There was little mention of the nominees' appearance or personality. Instead, the campaign was centered around the lounge issue.
The principal agreed that a student lounge could be created if the students voted for it and the student government could raise money to furnish it.
On election day, over 80 percent of the student body turned out at the polls. The proloungers were victorious winning all but three of the positions. The lounge was constructed and the students were happy.
This is student government at its best. A group of students had a legitimate idea and worked through their student government to accomplish their goals.
The pro- and anti-lounge factions united into two opposing parties, each nominating a candidate who campaigned on his party's platform concerning the lounge.
A student government's main purpose is to represent the student body by making its desires known to the administration and working toward fulfilling those desires.
Student government obligated to aid its administration in improving the school for the benefit of its students. By having an election that revolved around a political topic and not on the popularity of the candidates, the student government can live up to its final ideal.
Utopia High, of course, is fictional. No high school can have that effective a student government. Or can they? Student government is the political organization of the student body. The student body, by working through it, makes it effective and by working around it, a waste of time.
Sex bounces from streets into educational systems
By JUDIE BLACK and DEBBIE WUNN
"Take sex out of the schools and put it back on the streets where it belongs!"
Although this tongue-in-cheek comment was spoken on NBC's "Laugh-In," deep thought found it not so laugable.
People who feel there is no need for sex education are out of touch with the times. With rising numbers of forced marriages, illegitimate births, widespread promiscuity and venereal disease, some sort of sex education is necessary.
Moon step stops Earth
At 9:56 on a Sunday evening, July 20, 1969, as Neil Armstrong placed his left foot upon the surface of the moon. Earth came to an end.
The Egyptians and their Pyramids blew away in the desert wind. Moses again flung the Commandments at the children of Israel. The Grecians no longer turned to Zeus for guidance. Buddha melted. Allah fled.
Napoleon went to Waterloo once more. Hitler's tyranic speeches choked in his throat.
Victoria, the virgin queen, closed her eyes, shivered and stopped breathing. Washington took a seat in the boat crossing the Delaware and sunk from view. Churchill folded his hands and made "V" with fingers no more.
The train of millions and millions of years abruptly halted, withered and died.
Van Gogh's paints blurred upon the canvas. Picasso's cubed figures fell to the ground like a pile of child's blocks overturned. God's and Man's fingers touched; the Sistine Chapel collapsed. The black dots and lines of Mozart, Bach and Beethoven turned to fire and burned.
Don Quixote lost his insane vision and the windmills were no longer giants. Tom Sawyer's raft flipped over in the current and the boy was gone. Scrooge and the ghosts faded away together.
In the USSR, the premier was lost. Mao Tse-Tung left his China forever. Both Golda Meir and Nassar passed away. Harold Wilson and Georges Pompidou were flooded into the channel. Richard Nixon could not be found.
Prehistoric bones crashed to the floor in countless museums, broken. Pictures of ancestors in thousands of attics turned to powder. Antique cars stopped their coughing.
At 9:56 on a Sunday evening, July 20, 1969, as Neil Armstrong placed his left foot upon the surface of the moon, Earth came to an end.
All of it came to an end—the whole world. And left in its place was a planet that belonged to the universe, no longer isolated, no longer alone. Thousands of other worlds waited.
Because of parental concern, 60 percent of the nation's public, private and parochial schools have begun within the last five years some type of training in family living and the reproductive process.
Dave Danielson
According to Alan F. Guttmacher, president of the Planned Parenthood of World Population, "Young people's behavior (sexually) is likely to be responsible behavior if it is based on sound knowledge and healthy attitudes."
But when does this knowledge need to be acquired?
Many parents feel, as was reported in a recent Newsweek, teaching sex education at the grade school level only incites and arouses youngsters rather than having any educational merit.
However, Guttmacher believes sex education should include "an appreciation of human relations and human values." He feels this appreciation can be attained by following a three step program.
The initial exposure to the sexual aspect of life would come in the fifth grade. At this level, the essentials of human reproduction would be discussed. In eight grade when many youths begin thinking about boy-girl relationships, subjects such as dating would be covered. In the third step the program would attempt to convey an understanding of adult sexual activity.
Many parents feel the home is the only place a subject so personal as sex and related topics should be discussed. Agreed, these adults, however, have too often shirked this important parental duty.
Too often parents know as little or less about sex as their offspring. This almost unbelievable situation stems from their parents' inability to deal effectively with the problem of sex. Others have no established lines of communication which would enable them to speak frankly with their children.
If youngsters cannot rely on their parents as a source of the knowledge they desire, they will turn to other means of information. Famphlets, books, movies and other forms of literature which could only confuse them are easily obtainable. Charles W. Socarides, a Freudian analyst who specializes in treating serious sexual disorders, said, "In doing away with sex education we may be throwing away untold benefits that will probably come from the programs, including a decrease in crime, violence and lives blighted by sexual maladjustments."
It is when adults shirk their parental responsibility concerning sex education for their children the educational complex must assume responsibility to teach that which is the essence of living.
Either that or put sex back on the streets.