Texas Tech University - La Ventana Yearbook (Lubbock, TX)

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with lighting and sound. However, a lack of characterization by the actors and actresses seemed to plague the play and kept the message from being ade- quately conveyed. The rock group KISS made another appearance at the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum Oct. 3, Halloween night. The appearance of the group was contro- versial because of a Lubbock resident ' s protests that the performance involved Satan worship. Lawrence Goff, a for- mer missionary, spearheaded the efforts against the KISS concert to expose the evil influences that KISS seems to produce. KISS played to a disappointing turnout after a Lubbock appearance in 1979 to a sellout crowd. The Messiah heralded the begin- ning of the Christmas season when the Tech Choir and Orchestra coopera- tively performed Handel ' s work. The crowd was large for the Dec. 2 concert and the performance wa s rated as one of the best in recent years. John Priddy was a featured tenor soloist. The per- formers ended the performance with the Hallelujah Chorus, bringing the crowd to their feet, in a traditional ges- ture. Tech students and area residents enjoyed the performances during the fall semester, but looked forward to the coming spring season in anticipation of bigger and better entertainment oppor- tunities. T i Eddie Rabbit J • Li i ' rruuna — '

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ON STAGE Original art During the fall semester, entertain- ment was sparse, and students flocked to the University Center and the South Plains Fair as a breai from the binding ritual of classes and studying. The South Plains Fair brought many different forms of entertainment to the Lubbock area, among the most note- worthy being the performers who appeared in conjunction with the fair. Charley Pride and Eddie Rabbit were just two of the country and western singers to perform before sell-out crowds. Rabbit, a favorite of Tech stu- dents, performed with groupies scream- ing, Eddie Rabbit. 1 love you! Rab- bit moved from hit-to-hit, including favorites such as Suspicions, So Fine, and oldies such as Two Dollars in the Junkbox and 1 Can ' t Help Myself. Rabbit adequately introduced each song and toyed and teased the audi- ence that had been warmed up by Janie Fricke. His presentation of Crossing the Mississippi proved his excellence as a live performer in front of a stand- ing room only crowd. Mummenshanz, a Swiss mime troupe, delighted audiences Oct. 9 in the University Center Theatre with their distinctive style of mime, creative acting and unique insights to everyday life. Performers Mark Olsen, Mark Thompson and Claudia Weiss utilized a minimum of ordinary materials to enhance their act. Materials included yarn, paper sacks, toilet paper and cardboard boxes. They did not use words or music in their presentation. But through acting skills and gymnastic abilities the group created human emo- tions and experiences that critic Ernest Schier has labeled as original, clever and somehow naggingly familiar. On campus, Little Murders was presented by the UC Backstage Dinner Theatre Nov. 2. A Claudia Beach pro- duction, the play related the crimes and violence of city life. Although normalK set m the 60 s when Jules Pfeiffer wrote it, the play under Beach was set in cur- rent times. The title of the drama refers to the some 44 unsolved homicides in New York City. Although the play deals with serious subject matter, it is a comedy featuring many special effects

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CAROL OF LIGHTS Traditional event brings Christmas Keeping with an age-old Tech tradi- tion, the Carol of Lights once again heralded the holiday season and brought Christmas cheer to students and residents of Lubbock. It was time for those worried about finals and grades and the pressures that a holiday season can bring to set aside their cares and revel in the joy that the Carol of Lights provides. At 7 p.m., Dec. 7, the festivity began, and people from all walks of life gath- ered around the Science Quadrangle and Memorial Circle, which were lined with luminarioes donated by Alpha Phi Omega. Some waited in quiet anticipa- tion while others laughed and talked as they prepared for the ceremony. Children were hoisted to the shoul- ders of parents and many Tech stu- dents poured onto the roofs of the Chemistry and Math buildings, each craning his neck to get a better view of the festivities. A quiet gasp went through the crowd as the Saddle Tramps approached the Science building carrying lighted torches. The crowd parted, allowing the Tramps to ascend the steps where the Brass Ensemble, the Tech Choir and members of the Residence Hall Associ- ation already had gathered. An Eternity of Light was the theme of the event and after a short speech by Karla Neely, RHA president and solos by Fred Wilmer of the Tech Choir, the crowd ' s anticipation had built to riotous proportions. Then . . . someone flipped the switch and 28,000 red, yellow and white bulbs brightened the skies, bringing cheers and gasps of joy from those gathered. The crowd joined the choir and Brass Ensemble in carols of the Christmas season and smiles graced the faces of everyone around the quadrangle. After the carols had ended, the crowd dis- persed. Each person seemed refreshed and renewed as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. This was the 20th year Tech had sponsored the seasonal event. Con- ceived by Gene Hemmle and Dorothy Garner, the first Carol of Lights took place in Memorial Circle in 1959 with 5,000 lights donated by former Tech Regent Harold Hinn. Except for a blackout due to the energy crisis in 1973, the Carol of Lights has been a continuous tradition at Tech. In 1974, Tech administrators took over the funding of the festivities that had previously been partially funded by donations from area mer- chants. According to Frederic Wehmeyer, associate vice president of administra- tive services, this year ' s program cost $12,000 for 48,065 new lights to supple- ment last ye r ' s leftovers. Preparations for the Carol of Lights began in October, when work crews I4—Uy,iuama