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Wednesday, February 2, 1977
University Daily Kansan
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Evel fails to show
Tuesday night the Chicago Amphitheatre was host to its biggest fire since the 1968 Democratic Convention. "Evel Kriegel's Death Defiers," broadcaster might have been disturbing or frightening if it had not been so completely and laughably aborted.
The keystone of the show, in case you haven't heard, was to be when motorcycle stuntman Evel Knievel jumped his bike across an artificial pond filled with "maneating" sharks.
BUT KNIEVEL, who is notoriously for failing in do-or-die attempts but escaping with his life and several million dollars anyway, injured himself during a practice jump ("worried about the fish's welfare," host Telly Savalas said) and missed the show. CBS was left with a video tape and live cameras in Knievel's hospital room.
The crowd of thrill-seekers was obviously disappointed, considering they shelled out some rather big bills to be there. Although the video tape did draw a few gasps and screams, Savalas and co-host JSt. John were forced to give their rather inane color-talk over a background of occasional hoots and whistles. (St. John: "These men do it just because they have to." Savalas: "You said it, love.")
The other daredevils doing what they had to do included a middle-aged man in a tuxedo
who sat in a special chair while four sticks of dynamite were exploded beneath it, a man who hung by his teeth from a helicopter above Miami Beach, a man who tried to jump a snowmobile 145 feet through the air and made about 38, the specialists who caught and transported the sharks for the show, a man who plummeted 84 feet into a sponge and a 72-year-old tightrope walker 170 feet above Miami Beach.
The whole show was in such bad taste that it took half an hour before one could tell that it wasn't sad. The viewer could only thank Mr. McC with Howard Cassell doing the telecast.
The viewer could also pray that the thing wasn't being seen overseas, lest the world's image of the American psyche drop another couple of notches.
Some psychologists theorize that Evel Knievel, the Hero, is merely a substitute for the dead and buried American frontier.
Americans are afraid they are going soft and civilized and need some ways to express their individualistic, aggressive and macho traits, they say. The burgern register of day-to-day life must be offset by some sort of a fantasy. That's where Evel comes in.
The theory makes sense. But it is hoped that all the people leading grey little lives will eventually find some other way to escape than watching such men tempt death.
Josh is '70s style Christianity
They're not exactly words that go together like bread and butter although for the past three nights they're words that have had a special meaning for about 5 per cent of the KU student population.
Maximum Sex.
Christianity.
Yes folks, just in case you missed the glossy posters that have sprung up all over campus since semester break, Josh has been in town with a series of 60-minute problems aimed at improving problemers and reaffirming faith among Christians.
Josh is Josh McDowell, a professional traveling speaker for Campus Crusade for Christ. According to Pam Bush, a KU organizer for Campus Crusade, the movement isn't a church, nor is it denominational, but acts merely as an arm of the church to encourage Christian activity and participation. McDowell is the founder of Organize Yourself organized and efficient body that markets Jesus Christ in much the same way that a business markets soap powder.
McDOWELL's visit to KU was booked two years in advance because of his busy schedule. Planning for his lectures began in late September 1976. McDowell spoke at campus organizations and receives $125 a day expenses as well as
Campus Crusade for Christ is obviously no fly-by-night movement. Founded in 1981 by William Bright, it has grown throughout the world, including five at KU, who coordinate activities and show new members how to effectively share
royalties from his two books and tape recordings of his speeches.
Paul Addison
Editorial Writer
their faith in Christ. Each staff member is supported by a number of businesses, clubs and individuals who pledge a sum of money each year.
BEESIDES CAMPUS and high school speakers and conventions, the movement also organized the catchy national aid buttons and bumper stickers proclaiming, "I found it." The cost of the movement's blanket campaign of 252 metropolitan areas and about 5,000 kickstarter members an estimated $25 million to $35 million.
Using sick advertising techniques, letters to newspapers, word of mouth and both paid and voluntary personnel, McDowell manages to pack 'em in
wherever he goes and then wows his audience with well-heeled casual lectures that include jokes pointed against nonbelievers, the story of his conversion to Christianity and a presentation of his Biblical theories in support of resurrection, biblical prophecy and "maximum sex."
THEY'RE LECTURES that follow tried and tested public speaking formulas, building in emotional intensity and vigor, encouraging audience participation, using conscious body language gesticulation in an effort to relate to the audience.
For Josh and the Campus Crusaders this is '78 style religion, carefully formulated, packaged, anecdoted, animated, and told. But insult the intelligence of the listener but yet preaching the value of a relationship between both subtle and overt diacritic nuance.
Sunday's talk bark the title "The Great Resurrection Hoax," and included a discussion of his own evidence in support of resurrection. The thrust of the lecture, however, was the more sensitive matter addressed by this discussion of the insecurity of nonbelievers.
"I LIKE to meet people who hate Christians. They're usually insecure," Josh said, and went on to imply that the students were not to blame when students was due to insecurity and that
students are insecure because they hadn't yet found Jesus Christ.
To the uninitiated, McDowell plays on the conscience and seeks to redirect people's thoughts and actions in a manner that he knows better. He merely reinforces their beliefs and tells people what they want to bear. By casual reciting quotations and established facts from the Bible, he comes across as a quasi-evangelical fundamentalist trying desperately to refute any theories that don't match his views.
FOR MCDOWELL and the Campus Crusaders the heavy promotion approach used to spread "the word" seems to have brought results in terms of numbers of inquiries about the program throughout the country.
But at what cost? Can the movement reconcile within itself and explain to others the need to use big business sales techniques and large scale advertising campaigns to promote the growth of Christianity?
Therein lies the rub. For some, the excesses of the movement merely cheapens the name of Christianity and brings the name of Jesus Christ into disrepute. While there are no clear answers to such emotional issues, it makes one wonder—would Jesus Christ himself have approved?
Odds stacked against February
February has never gotten an even break.
People just don't seem to like the month. They talk with
syrup fondness of April
showers and May flowers,
of hot August nights and October
afternoon of December eves
February. It was already the subject of scorn and ridicule; what difference did a little more make?
WHAT'S MORE, February has been stuck with the only holiday of the year dedicated to a varmint: Groundhog Day.
Carter's promise met by Amy
by the fireplace. But never a word about February.
Our source thought Amy was at her best during the Inauguration period.
cats, whose names surpass even Grits and Jet Black in originality. Those cats are, of course, the Misty Malarkey Yingyan.
For several months now we've heard Jimmy Carter tell us how he's going to bring together the American people. Just how he plans to do it has left many of us wondering.
won the presidency (the big one came during the height of Amy's charismatic appeal, the source said.)
A highly placed Washington source told us last week just exactly what these plants were. What we've found out is really hard to tell, but the weapon has been in the national news almost as long as Jimmy.
"THE KID is typical Americana. You've heard the slogan, 'baseball, hot dogs and apple pie.' Well, Jimmy's told that Amy's his softball, grits and pice ban, which the
SHE SEEMED to like most of the pre-Inaugural gala given in
Jimmy's plan for togetherness and understanding lies within a rather petite package that weighs about 65 or 70 pounds, has long, blonde hair, and is just as handsome for more than nine years now.
"Amy's charisma is even double that of Jimmy's," the source said. "Why, you shouldn't overprick a lenoir that overpricked a lenoir. Plains last summer? Well, that was about the same time that Jimmy's campaign picked up momentum. The press hasn't idled alone since, and Jimmy's digging the consequences."
The Carter sons should have realized Amy's coming attraction by reviewing past presidencies, as Jimmy did, according to our Washington source.
"IMMY noticed that the past three presidencies were less than overwhelmingly popular because all of their children were going off to college or getting married in the Rose
The source said Amy was Jimmy's favorite child and the local mayor. "We look at what's happened to Jimmy since Amy was born: his peanut business prospered, his wife became governor of Georgia, and he
Inauguration Day it's been all Amy, and she walked only two blocks to their mile."
The month is, of course, at a disadvantage from the start. It has only 28 days, and even that isn't for sure. February has the dubious distinction of being the only month that isn't
JIMMY'S PLAN is to delight Americans with his daughter Amy, through the press. And his plan has been working well.
"Now look at the Kennedy administration. The ideas of Caroline and John-Playing have been made a list of people's envy."
When asked whether constant press coverage of Amy might bore Americans and Amy soon, the source said:
Garden, which did gain a little air time. But those activities didn't really seem too typical for the common American.
"I can't sing as well as Ray Bolger. But once you're in love with Amy, you’re always in love with Amy."
"Jeff and Chip are just a tad mad," the source (a Southerner) said. "Sure, they had some publicity during the campaign. But ever since that promote down pennsylvania Avenue on
There are two pets who haven't had the opportunity to get their pictures taken, however. They're Amy's two
The source further characterized Amy as a typical American by noting that she used in the naming of her pets.
Then came the benediction shortly after her father's swearing-in the next day. Amy, being the churchgoer she is, seemed interested in the minister's words at first. But the benediction was a little too long and she flash a long yawn to the millions of Americans watching on television.
To begin, there's Grits the dog. His mug shot appeared in her room and she was back week after he was given to Amy by her fourth-grade teacher at her school.
source noted, is a Georgian delicacy.
DESPITE ITS good effects for Americans, Amy's publicity is causing some family unrest, the source said.
Jimmy's honor the night before he became President, the source said. But as the hours went on, Amy fell asleep.
BUT THERE'S also Jet Black, who's been with the team for years now. J. B. (Jet Black) the nackname) was found wandering near Billy's gas station near Billy, and was adopted by the Carters.
Jay Bemis Editorial Writer
Letters to the editor are welcomed but should be typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than 400 words. All letters are edited and may be condensed according to space limitations and the editor's judgment. Letters must be signed; KU students must provide their academic standing and hometown; faculty must provide their position; others must provide their address.
Letters Policy
Jerry Seib
Editorial Writer
Admittedly, February is no May or September, and it never really made any claims to be so. February asks only for a little respect, understanding and anoration.
LOOK AT a list of some people who were born in February: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, me. That list should stand without further comment.
AS IF it wasn't enough that Augustus suilted February's credibility from the start our society has taken it one step further. February has become which those first payment Christmas shopping charge accounts are due.
February has never done anything to deserve all this abuse. In fact, February has done some pretty good things.
Why did Caesar Augustus finger February as the month to be singled out in this dremene-mentum its fair share of days, months its fair share of days, and let it keep them all. Besides, if everybody likes April so much, why not give it a extra day during leap years
And your old fifth grade teacher probably doesn't realize the humiliation Valen-Tina and I imagined. Imagine the embarrassment of having to sit next to a girl during the annual class party while some smart elk passes out cookies and knowing looks.
guaranteed the number of days it will have. One year it's 28, the next its 29.
The class holidays, like Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas were parcelled in December months by whoever it is that parcels out holidays. Even January, which certainly ranks as a more dismal month than January, gets New Year's Day.
which is celebrated, or whatever, today. Someone once decided that groundhogs have some mysterious power of long-term weather forecasting, and be somehow hoodwinked calender makers into dedicating a whole day in recognition of his ability.
The only true February holiday, Valentine's Day, is kind of a silly one anyway. It seems to have been designed by Michael Cards and perpetuated by your old fifth grade teacher.
THE GENERAL public saw through this ridiculous story a tear in his heart. But he yet another reason to laugh at February, the only month in which a rodent and his shadow were caught by the National Weather Service.
Why not make them due in the middle of January? People don't have much to do except pay bills in January anyway. They haven't even started to worry about income taxes then.
February just isn't that bad.
After all, February isn't
January, and this year we
should be glad of that.
But no; it was too easy for the retailers and creditors of America to kick around
It's all a farce, of course.
Groundhogs have no more idea of how much longer it's going to be cold than do you or I. And if it doesn't be cold, you would make it? If it's going to be cold, it's going to be cold.
LIKE CHARLIE a lot, of people could get along just fine without Valentine's Day. If you never get any mail anyway, there no point in scheduling a holiday to emmaarize the point.
I personally wouldn't want to be a member of a white sorority, but it would be nice to know that the doors were open. Lincoln once said, "United we stand, divided we fall."
KU needs more administrators like President Carter who helped open the doors of his hometown church to blacks after hundreds of years as a civil rights leader. Carter, like Lincoln, had no other choice, because of the pressures of the time, yet they were gigantic steps in closing the separation. Martin Luther King once said, "I have a dream that one day sons of slaves and of slave owners will sit down on the table of brotherhood."
Whites indulge in black music, dialect, and entertainments. Whites imitate blacks in songs and dances. Whites wear black hairstyles and clothes designed by blacks for blacks. At a recent dinner party, whites ate foods
I, too, was discouraged and saddened as I read Nancy Tollefson's letter in reference to this recent discriminatory distinction yet present at KU because of its status as or similar types of discrimination here. It has been more than 100 years since blacks were set free from bondage, yet we are not free. We are enslaved from playing the guitar in businesses, white churches, white clubs, white soreties and white fraternities.
Letters
To the editor:
Blacks find doors shut
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prepared by blacks that they once discarded as garbage. These are whites of all ages, from all walks of life, yet a black can be equal to or on the same level as a white. A black has to be twice as prepared to receive the same recognition.
My greatest aversion to being at KU has been the superficial relationship with whites. Instructors smile in your face all the time, but they also accept F₁, whereas he might deserve average or better. A white would receive what he deserves or better. White students borrow notes, books, laughed and joked. Students who accepted in their affiliations. Many foreign-born students and other American minorities are
treated as whites by whites Why not blacks?
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Ms. Tolleison, amidst peer pressures and society partitions I certainly admire your courage to speak out against your sorority sisters and other forms of prejudice. The one form of prejudice is one that has been channelled through from slavery. Their thinking is along the same line as their counterpart William Shockley who tends to believe that blacks are genetically inferior to whites. I hope this has made some sense. But I wonder about eradication of other closed forms of prejudice here at KU.
Rita G. Selkirk
Rita G. senator
Kansas City, Kan. senior
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
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