Ohio University - Athena Yearbook (Athens, OH)

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v% m3M Assistant to the Vice President Ted Kohan waited for the 9 p.m. opening of the 175th Anniversary Party. While adjusting the chairs surrounding the floor he probably wondered whether the free subs and cake would satisfy the crowd. Perhaps no one will come anyway, and then what would happen to the food? Meanwhile, security took their positions at the exits of the floor area, ready to deal with any violence that might occur. It was, after all, the weekend before finals, which had been plagued with riots virtually every spring since 1969. However, it was hoped that the party would help stop these uptown disturbances, although prior attempts by the university to stop them, such as the Spring Festival, hadn ' t had much success. On the other side of campus, Michelle Stronz, Mark Henry and other members of the Committee On Peaceful Existance were waiting anxiously. COPE had been blitzing the campus for weeks, with adver- tising and personal talks, trying to raise student awareness of the distur bances. COPE hoped that if 24

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Left - Shake Down Cruise is one ol the hits the Jay Ferguson band rocked the crowd with. Right - Meeting people, sharing experiences, and having a good time were all part of the day ' s activities. Bottom - Not everyone enjoyed Spring Festival was in the crowd. Some listened on the bank of the Hocking. Far Right - The long enjoyable day wearied some while others could continue all night. 23

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Left - Earlier fears (hat a $3 cover charge would keep students away were realized. Less than 1000 attended what had been billed as the world ' s largest birthday party. Right - Police played a hard line against rioters. Bottom - COPE ' S slide shows and talks im- pressed students, but many still went uptown to watch . the students understood what the trouble was really like, they would not participate. Back in the Convocation Cen- ter, two sides of the floor were flanked with a row of tables which each boasted an abundance of Fritos and potato chips. The front was the stage with musical instru- ments and stacks of speakers demanding the basketball back- boards make way. On one side, a booth was selling beer and mixed drink tickets, the only things not covered in the three dollar admis- sion fee. The other side foamed with beer and mixed drinks. A small crowd entered at 9 p.m. The total attendence was about 500, much fewer than the 2000 hoped for. Two bands, The Seeds of Fulfillment and Brass Tracks provi- ded music for dancing most of the evening. Comedian Jimmie Walker of CBS ' Good Times finished the entertainment at 1 a.m., in time for an ample amount of submarine sandwiches and a huge anniversary cake. But uptown, it happened again. By 3:30 a.m., a crowd of people had taken over Court Street and the police came out in full riot gear. Firing knee-knockers and waving billie clubs, the police pushed the crowd off Court Street and down Jefferson Hill. There were some arrests, but the crowd and the disturbances were much smaller than in the previous years. Most people had, apparently, stayed away. Although any anxieties about poor attendance at the party were s fulfilled, the party and the efforts of | COPE helped control the annual f disturbance. I 25