Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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Attic belfry echoes heritage by Rita Shelley A student of the early part of the cen- tury would surely be lost on today ' s K- State campus. Who would have thought cornfields could sprout all those build- ings? What possible logic could have contributed to converting the Domestic Sciences Building into a home for the geology and geography departments? Many campus buildings house differ- ent facilities today than they were origi- nally built for. Anderson Hall, formerly the Main College Building , contained a chapel back in days gone by. It also had the early 1900 ' s answer to today ' s stu- dent union: a canteen. And may the male students of those days never forget an important concession offered by Ander- son the haircut. There is one feature of Anderson Hall that still exists in its near-original form the legendary old bell. Pigeon droppings notwithstanding, it is now used only to announce commencement exercises. Any visitor expecting a bell tower just like in the movies won ' t be disappointed by rickety stairs reaching to eerie heights and a view of too much distance between up here and down there . Flashes of headlines reading, Student Falls From Umpteenth Floor Window D oesn ' t Live To Tell Story come to mind. Several students of earlier days found their ways to the upper reaches of Ander- son from time to time. Their business, not necessarily official, was probably con- ducted at odd hours of the night. One prank, attributed to a group of sopho- mores, involved stealing the bell clapper. Perhaps they were sentenced to herding the sheep brought to Anderson lawn to control dandelions? What has been described as a chilling experience for the bell happened when wintertime pranksters turned the bell upside-down and filled it with water dur- ing the 1 870s. Rumor has it that custodi- ans had to light a fire under it to melt the ice. Another time, the bell failed to ring when rags were tied around the clapper, producing only silence during the early morning hours when it usually sounded. Not only a victim of intentional pranks, the bell suffered accidental damage in a 1968 fire attributed to faulty wiring. More trauma was experienced by the squirrels, though, than the tower itself, Vince Cool, of the planning department, said. During the late 50s and early 60s, it was a custodian ' s job to ring the bell, sig- naling the approach of 8 am and 1 pm classes. One such custodian, Mark Riat, described this aspect of his job to the Collegian several years ago. ' Every morning there are pigeons in the tower, ' he said. They aren ' t any hap- pier about being awakened at 7:45 am than a lot of students. They fly out when the bell begins clanging, but are always back when I go to work again at 12:55 pm ' . The bell hasn ' t always been in Ander- son ' s attic. Donated by eastern philan- thropist Joseph Ingalls in 1861, it was first housed in the Bluemont Central Col- lege building. It was moved in 1875 to Farm Machinery Hall, which was located near Burt Hall. When the central part of Anderson was completed in 1882, the bell was installed in the belfry where it remains today. A K-State historian, Charles M. Correll, told the Collegian in 1960 that the bell once rang every hour to signal the begin- ning and end of classes since time pieces were not common in those days. What had been a tradition at K-State became history in 1965 when the old bell was replaced by an electronic carillon. Presented by Mr. and Mrs. Ralf Hockens in appreciation for Kansas State ' s serv- ice to us, and to the people and the state of Kansas, it put Ingalls ' s gift into retire- ment. Contrary to popular belief, no hunch- backed centenarians are responsible for the music coming from the carillon. Instead, it consists of an electronic sys- tem with 98 bells that are struck by tiny hammers to produce sound. Rolls of music, similar to those used on a player piano, are used. Ken Heywood, director of the Endow- ment Association, decides what music to play, Marge Van Buren, EA secretary, said. He chooses from about 80 selec- tions that have been donated by campus groups. Besides playing every hour and half- hour, the carillon has been used for longer recitals. John Klein, a world- renowned carillonneur, played a dedica- tory recital on it in 1966. Occasionally, the bells announce a wedding in Dan- forth Chapel. Time marches on. And changes come with its passing. The Avi-Tron pigeon controller installed in Anderson has sent former feathered inhabitants to new roosts. The Anderson barbershop no longer exists. Barbers of those days would be hard put to fulfill requests for fros and other styled haircuts of today. Telling time has been of paramount importance to people since the sundial. Perhaps all would be better off not worry- ing about being there before the bell rings. But time is here to stay. Somewhere the green freshie will metamorphosize into a seasoned senior. Can ' t stay in school forever , kid. Whether appreciated or not, Anderson cupola melodies are there as a reminder of time ' s passing. anderson bell lower 21

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the entertainers MARCEL MARCEAU Besides several heralding thumps before the curtains opened, the performer remained silent. That wasn ' t unusual the performer was Marcel Marceau, world-renowned French pantomimist, who entertained an overflow McCain Auditorium audience March 19. The mime of Marceau described in a gesture what volumes of words have failed to express. Marceau exemplified this when he acted out the biblical story of Genesis in his moving ballet, Creation of the world . Equally expressive and beautiful was his interpretation of the life cycle of mankind from birth to death in Youth, Old Age, and Death . In a lighter vein, Marceau donned the scruffy, flower-trimmed hat and striped shirt of Bip, his alter-ego creation to whom every kind of misfortune, big and small, seemed to happen. Some such adventures were a tipsy jaunt at a society party, failure to tame a stubborn lion, and a shaky experience on the high-wire as a trapeze artist with second thoughts. There were split-second character changes as he played both parts in a re- enactment of the biblical story of David and Goliath. Topping off the evening, Marceau per- formed his classic, The Maskmaker . While trying on his collection of masks, the maskmaker gets a mask stuck on his face a smiling one. With his face trap- ped in an obnoxious grin, he tries desper- ately to pull the stubborn mask off his face. SEALS AND CROFTS A crowd waited impatiently April 4 as the last ech- oes of the jazz back-up band died in the corners of Ahearn Field House. People twisted in their seats, straining for the first glimpse of the pair which was to perform. A few people sitting on the floor stood up to stretch their legs after the first 20-min- ute set. And then they appeared Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts. I ' ll Play For You broke the applause which greeted them and introduced their 90 minutes of music. Approximately 4,000 fans were treated to a varied musical format, including jazz, pop, and bluegrass. Well-known hits such as Summer Breeze , Diamond Girl , and We May Never Pass This Way Again mingled throughout the concert. A jazz number, Wisdom , allowed the pair to improvise with saxophone and drums. Hog callin ' music in the second half of the concert brought the crowd to its feet, with enthusiasm staying high until the performance ' s end. After the concert, Seals and Crofts reappeared on the stage to explain their religious faith, Baha ' i, a belief that all reli- gions come from God and all people are of one family. JEFFERSON STARSHIP April 17, 1975 will never hold a prominent place in K-State ' s history. It was the day of a dou- ble-bill concert at Ahearn Field House Jefferson Starship was the main attrac- tion, with Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen starting the show. Only 2,000 people attended, many of whom were not K-State students. The anxious crowd, sporting long hair and beads, smoked pot while they waited to be entertained. Commander Cody played an hour-long set. All were on their feet clapping and snapping fingers to Hot Rod Lincoln , Lost in the Ozone Again , Riot in Cell Block Number 9 , and Down to Seeds and Stems Again Blues . Commander Cody, with his excellent country-swing style on the keyboards, helped the crowd along. When the spotlights illuminated Grace Slick, Paul Kanter, and Papa John Creech, spines began to tingle. There they were, the veterans. Ten years together as a sign of the times: from their beginnings in 1965, their music has not only expounded upon, but helped shape and mold the youth culture during one of the most controversial and importan t decades of this century. Marti Balin, who had taken a back seat to Paul Kantner during the Jefferson Air- plane days, has all but stepped into the lead male vocal part with Starship. He harmonized beautifully with Grace Slick on songs like Caroline and Dragonfly . Miracles , a soothing love song, was introduced to the crowd by Balin ' s rich tenor voice. Septuagenarian Papa John Creech, though slow in body, showed just how young in spirit he was by rocking with the best of them. His unique violin sound added depth and perspective to Starship ' s music. Times have changed, though, and so have the crowds and the music. It was only eight years ago that the Airplane played to half-a-million people on a farm in upstate New York. That was Wood- stock. Now only a small percentage of that Woodstock crowd remains. LILY TOMLIN With superb mimicry and daft characterizations, comedienne Lily Tomlin entertained two full-capacity audiences in her April 31 Forum Hall per- formance. Tomlin told the audience she had so many thoughts running through her mind she didn ' t know what to do with them. As a result, one-liners spiced her perform- ance. Lily brought along her best-known characters, such as Susy Sorority and the maiden from Ma Bell, Ernestine. And Edith Ann, the five-and-a-half-year-old pixie, who knows about and comments upon everything, was there. Lily also portrayed a 77-year-old female evangelist who preached boo- geying . The former member of the now defunct Laugh-In television series ram- bled on to satirize funerals, commercials, politics, sex, and even tasteful people. the entertainers 23