California State University Long Beach - Prospector Yearbook (Long Beach, CA)

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LB registration poses same old frustrations There is a time for everything and everything comes in its season; there is a time for crying, a time for dying, and a time for getting registered at CSLB. It builds character, tests endurance and often activates those body pigments that turn hair gray. We learn to give thanks to those men who put erasers on pencils; we utter silent oaths about bureaucrats, and the fantastic genius of IBM; we coin a new word: “Technocracy.” Students around us set their respective jaws for the ordeal ahead. It can take anywhere from five hours to a week. In the press of business to come it is possible to be folded, bent, spindled and mutilated yourself, but above all, one must not violate a class card. For here the computer is God and the first commandment is: “The class card is my card, keep it whole(y).” The bottlenecks, the mad scrambles, the heat of a thousand bodies in a room designed to hold no more than fifty at a time, they all happen. It is always the same. When it is over, the universal sigh goes up. The bad jokes and puns become echoes vaguely remembered, the bruised toes are bandaged, the cigarette-burned sweaters are discarded. The student walks through the last door with all of his papers in order and the sacred knowledge that if he can get through this, he can get through anything. Once again he has proven himself mightier than the method. He is registered and happy. And he doesn’t even stop to think that it will all happen again in just four short months. 24

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Fall Festival marks birth of new tradition This year, CSLB students witnessed the birth of one tradition and the death of another. Joyce Schneider was crowned Miss Cal State Long Beach during the college’s first Fall Festival. Students actively supported the celebration’s debut, as a tradition was replaced. The Fall Festival idea evolved soon after the October 8 deadline for entering the Homecoming float competition. Only one organization had met the deadline. In 1968, some 26 fraternities, sororities, and other organizations entered the competition and built floats, while only 3 per cent of the student body joined in Homecoming activities. Homecoming Chairman Herb Roberts cited three reasons for the sudden decline of interest and participation on the part of the organizations. “Fraternities feel that float building is a waste of time and effort, and needlessly expensive,” explained Roberts. “The fraternities feel that this is doing no good for either the College or the community. Interfraternity Council President Larry Wilhelms added that the College is seeing a change in the old idea of a “group of young men throwing parties with no relevance to the campus,” commenting that the fraternities wanted to do something meaningful to involve more people in activities on campus. Several suggestions were discussed by the Associated Student government before the Fall Festival notion became a reality. It was decided that one of the functions of the festival would be to donate 20 per cent of the money earned from the booths to the Mayor’s Youth Council and the United Crusade. A major decision to crown a Miss Cal State Long Beach developed when representatives decided to continue the queen tradition, but “with relevancy.” For the first time in the school’s 20-year history, her job was functional. During her reign she acted as a figurehead for the College and attended all ceremonies on campus. Senior Joyce Schneider defeated four other coeds, for the queenship, not to mention Spiro Agnew, who was also a candidate in the (CONTINUED) PAGE 27 PHOTOS-TOP: Unable to stop the charging 49cr line, Fresno State watches as Long Beach scores 6 of their 37 victorious Homecoming points. CENTER LEFT: Homecoming parades in past years generated excitement among observers, as in the 1961 Homecoming celebration shown here. This year, due to declining interest, the Fall Festival replaced the 20-year tradition. CENTER RIGHT: Float building is considered a waste of time and money now, though in 1904 organization members worked hard constructing novel floats. BOTTOM: As masses of Fall Festival goers listen under psychedelic lights, sounds of The Helium Camel rode the cafeteria. Joyce Schneider Miss CSLB. 1970 26