Ball State University - Orient Yearbook (Muncie, IN)

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7 | a if Ht i Hi CULTURE AND DANCES were often exchanged bet- ween the Banevolks and members of other troupes. Diane Yelich, Muncie senior, talks with members of the Russian (Ukrainian) folk dancing troupe shortly after an afternoon performance. Audiences were able to see members of the two groups performing together later in the day. Photo by Mike Yoder LUGGAGE WATCHING was also a chance for Rebec- ca Reneau, Muncie senior, to sleep. When the Banevolks weren't traveling they were performing twice a day. The Banevolks stayed overnight in dormitory schools and the homes of villagers. Photd by Mike Yoder Banevolks 13

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es | Chance to dance board of directors of the festival. He was always there -- even if you had to cry. As far as we were concerned his name was Gaffer. We didn’t need to know another name.”’ In London’s Picadilly Circus, members of the group saw people outfitted in another way and called by another name. ‘‘There were punkers all over the place,’’ said Sakel. ‘‘American punkers are conservative. Those people shave their heads. They dye their scalps and pierce their ears all the way around. I saw one lady that dyed her eyelashes red and had blond hair. They wouldn’t even talk to us, though.”’ Because of an incident that had oc- curred on a tour a few years before, the Banevolks almost had a problem with getting anyone in England to talk to them. ‘‘They were afraid of having an American troupe because one six years ago had caused a lot of trouble. But after a few days they loved us,”’ said Oberleas. ‘‘England was like home to us. They spoke English there, so when we said good- bye, we said good-bye not only to the Gaffer, but to a second home, too.”’ Throughout the festivals the troupe entertained and enthralled their audiences with ‘‘Running Sets,’’ ‘“Swing Numbers,”’ ‘‘The Charleston”’ and ‘‘Appalachian Clogs.’’ Offstage they autographed notepads and programs and were lauded with scarves and flowers for their performances. ‘‘I can’t remember a time when the au- diences didn’t love us,’’ said Julie Patrick, Seymour senior. ‘‘If they EXTRA TIME in the Brussles, Belgium train station gives Leslie Pinkerton, Hobart senior, and Mike Coffin, Richmond senior, the chance to work on a few dance steps. The Banevolks spent six weeks in Belgium and five European countries including Luxembourg and Germany. Photo by Mike Yoder Banevolks couldn’t talk to you and tell you what they thought, a smile would do.”’ Communications sometimes led to a problem for the group, but there was one moment of cultural exchange that needed no words. “All of a sudden this guy taps me on the shoulder and opens up his arms, motioning me to dance,”’ said Patrick. ‘‘So, we started to square dance. Then he started to do Russian preshikas, that’s when I quit, but Greg (Lund) knew how to do them so he started doing Russian pre- shikas with the guy. For the next week the Russian, named Vladimir, his troupe, Lund and the Banevolks performed back- to-back, toured England, talked through interpreters and traded folk dances. The week culminated when Vladimir stepped out on stage to join the Americans in their final dance of the week. ‘The audience just gasped, then they went wild,’’ said Yoder.‘‘Here it was, two super-countries trying as people, not as governments, to work together.” When the Banevolks ended their tour and returned to the United States on August 23, their dresses, clogs, fiddles and violins were stuff- ed into oversized trunks or snuggly packed into carrying cases. Despite the cramped vacation of seeing six countries in six weeks, the tour didn’t seem long enough as a more pressing matter awaited the student dancers. ‘‘We were only back for two weeks and then it was time to crack the books,”’ said Sakel. =by Gregory C. Jones AUDIENCES cheered the Banevolks with shouts and standing ovations at many of their performances. The group was popular enough to be called upon to do a special afternoon children’s performance in Sidmouth, England. The Banevolks wave good-bye to their au- dience of more than 13,000 as they exit. Photo by Mike Yoder

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Fraternities rush- ed 453 men, 200 more than last year. Of the men who rushed, 363 pledged a frater- nity. Sororities rushed 554 women, nine more than last year. Of the women, 294 pledged a sorori- ty. 14 Rush Round Robin t was a whirlwind of hand- shakes and hellos, intro- ductions and information. There was excitement in making new friends, tension in heping to be accepted. It was Rush and Round Robin time. Each fall, several hundred men and women participated in the programs designed to in- troduce them to the University’s Greek system. For active mem- bers, the time was used for the careful selection of new pledges, while underclassmen hoped to be among the chosen few. But for some students, Rush and Round Robin wasn’t enough time. One student, Mike Downey, Lafayette freshman, pledged a fraternity in the fall rush and then depledged two weeks later; he found that the pledgeship con- sumed more time than he could afford. ‘“‘Rush should’ be longer,”’ he said. ‘‘The way it is set up now, you have to choose which fraternity you like best quickly, and then go to their events only.”’ Another student, Tim Karmel, Indianapolis freshman, noted that pledges were not the only ones who may have been pressured. ‘‘Some fraternities may have lost out simply because the system demanded such a quick decision,” he said. Both rushees and actives had also discussed the possibility of deferring Rush until Winter Quarter. Fraternity adviser Rich Harris said, ‘‘Freshmen need time to adjust to college life and a new environment. They need to get a quarter under their belts before they worry about joining a fraterni- Dyan However, Scott Sirk, Angola senior and president of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, said that move may have been even more damaging; ‘‘Incoming students will be exposed to a lot of negative attitudes from in- dependents,”’ he said. “It may deter some students from even coming to take a look.”’ Women going through the sorority rush faced many of the same problems as their male counterparts. Susan Spilly, Carmel senior, pledged a soro- rity as a sophomore, after she transferred from Indiana Uni- versity. She recalled that rush had been ‘‘a very long day. My facial muscles were sore from having to smile so much.”’ Spilly eventually deactivated from her sorority due to the cost and time commitments; she said that the Rush program had many flaws, but also that it was still effective. “It’s as genuine as it can be,”’ she said. ‘‘They make a sincere effort to inform you, and they’re very good about letting you take notes.” And Kim Gross, Indianapolis freshman, also found the system fast-paced. Although she also pledged a sorority, she said that she felt the Rush could be im- proved. “IT think it was too quick -- you don’t really get enough time to make a decision.’”’ she said. Gross added that she knew nothing about sororities when she arrived, and said the suites should provide more informa- tional handouts, or possibly have Rush delayed until Winter Quarter. ; But Terry Belush, Columbus junior and a member of the Panhellenic Council, said that the long Christmas break in Winter Quarter would draw rush out too much. Although Belush also favored extending the pro- gram, she said that any change in rush was unlikely. ‘Most of the Panhellic Coun- cil is opposed to it,’”’ she said. “They’re pretty set in the way they’ve been running it, and I doubt if there will be much change.”’ Deanna Donnell, Indianapolis junior and social chairman of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, agreed that rush was a tense time for everyone, but said that there were positive sides to it. “T still get nervous, but I real- ly enjoy Rush,”’ she said. “‘It’s a great way to find out about the campus and to meet people. The important thing is to have an open mind.”’ The alternative formats used at other universities had also been looked at. Fraternity Rush at Purdue University, for exam- ple, was about the same length as Ball State’s; however, the Purdue program when on within the first weeks of schools, and there were 47 houses to choose from. Spilly, who went through rush at I.U., said she preferred the Ball State program. She noted that rush at Indiana University was drawn out considerably longer, and that rush is ‘“‘much more stressful and com- petitive’ in Bloomington. Another possibility is the for- mat used by the University of Miami of Ohio. The rush there is conducted for two weeks prior to the start of school. Both Belush and Donnell opposed this system however, feeling that it would simply be too much too soon. It was also possible that, despite some complaints and concerns, the rush system here was quite suitable. Membership in both the fraternities and sororities remained about the same this year; and Belush pointed out that her sorority had not had anyone depledged since she became active. “As stressful as it is, it’s fun to be with your sisters, and you do get to meet a lot of new people,”’ she said. ‘‘I know I had a lot of fun going through.”’ And Greek adviser Shelly Southerland noted that going through Rush was also an in- dividual process, one that would appeal to some, and discourage others. “It’s just like any other deci- sion a person makes,”’ she said. “Whether it’s joining the band, or a sports team, or a fraternity, it will be right for some, and wrong for others. The point is to try things.’’ =by Scott Uptgraft and Jeff Rodriguez