Nicholls State University - La Pirogue Yearbook (Thibodaux, LA)

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Zlmerttaizt 200th Efrtbhap- by Kevin Fambrough After the celebration, speeches and hoopla died down, the 200th anniversary of the United States went down as a spe- cial event. Americans seem to have the preoccu- pation of making an event bigger and bet- ter than anything previously held. Granted, the Bicentennial celebration was the biggest cork-popper for the nation, whether it was better than any- thing else ever held is debatable. The first rumblings of the Bicentennial began on July 4, 1975, with the introduc- tion of the Bicentennial Minute pro- gram by Shell Oil. Spliced in between the regular pro- gramming of CBS, it was the first of many tributes to the nation. And in all probability, it also contrib- uted to the coining of the term Buy-cen- tennialf' Not all the blame should be lev- eled at poor Shell Oil. After all, matching Euell Gibbons to a spot about food and having Gloria Steinem talk about women's rights took plenty of research. The thorniest question raised was who would do the minute on July 4, 1976. lt was decided Betty Ford would, since having the president might mean giving other presidential candidates an equal minute. About the same time many Americans, advertisers and local revolutionary com- mittees were planning salutes, critics were already crying about the commer- cialism and corruption of the event. Anything conceivable which could be built, painted or marked as a Bicentennial item was being produced. Plates, ashtrays, glasses, clothes, hats, shirts, rings, watches, jewelry, coffins and toilets. The president of your choice was avail- able on that item, folks. Americans got into the mood of the celebration. People with noble courage swam the Mississippi for their country, walked around the nation for their coun- try, joined one of several wagon trains heading to Bicentennial cities, or under- took other endurance-type adventures. 62 Americas 200th Birthday Enough Bicentennial accomplishments existed for the people with the Guiness Book to put out a special edition. No word about that project yet. The dollar daze of 1976 brought about several reactions for people. A People's Bicentennial Commission created itself, to let people know the Bicentennial wasn't all red, white and blue. A little of that traditional green stuff was present, according to Ted Howard. Howard, a representative of the Peo- ple's Commission, came to the Nicholls campus, to talk about the celebration, big business and government. One interesting highlight of this com- mission was their offer of 525,000 to the wives or secretaries of big business offi- cials if they would turn their hubbies or bosses in for illegal payoffs, bribes or shady corporate dealings. At this writing, no one has collected any bounty money, yet. Gore Vidal, while safely tucked away in Italy, wrote a novel in tribute to the nation's celebration, 1876. The novel describes America in 1876, at the Chicago Exposition. The government was in the middle of corruption under Grant's presidency. Big business monopolies were starting to control large segments of the econ- omy. New York City was in financial trouble, not from bonds, but from the Boss Tweed ring of Tammany l-lall. Some American institutions haven't changed at all. The systems of higher education in the nation also joined in, with the naming of certain colleges and universities as Bicentennial institutions. Soon, the race was on for Washington legislators to name all the universities in their respective states for the little red, white and blue star. And so it came to pass the Fourth approached. The reason so many people said . . and that's the way it was, on television, was finally before the American people. All the networks gave full coverage, no matter where they had to go to broad- cast. A group of historical sailing vessels called the Tall Ships sailed up the Atlantic coast to New York Harbor for the occasion. Entertainers, marching groups and parades rounded out the long-awaited day: America's Bicentennial. Even in the glut of advertising and crass commercialism, we had to file away one minor scene in the lt-Never-Hap- pened Dept. Charles On the Boad to '76 Kuralt didn't stop in Luckenbach, Texas, to hear the winner of the Bicentennial Bad Taste Award. The winner, a cattle breeder, offering seven vials of bull semen for the price of six, a real Bicentennial sale. So as you continue on the road in '76 Charlie, just remember, it was the best Bicentennial money could buy.

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EB present : Vanety through the yearg Vanelli 0111 profit-maker As a branch of student government, the Stu- dent Entertainment Board CSEB5 had to submit its semester budget for approval to the Student Sen- ate. The senate rejected the budget the first time, but passed it the next week, after clearing up questions about the payment of bills. But the delay and frustration ot the first week mirrored the fall semester, which ended in the resignation of SEB Chairman Lyndel Williams. For all the work Williams and his various chair- men put in to resolve the problems, the semester was characterized by losses on concerts, and mixed reactions to the charging of admission to dances and movies. Pennington Beginning the second half of his term as chair- man, Williams worked for Ha movie every Wed- nesday, a dance on Thursday, one big lecture and a concert each month. However, low student turnout, lack of incoming revenue and apparent disinterest caused some serious thinking about the usefulness of a student entertainment board. Williams, a graduate student in psychology, allotted the largest part of his budget 312,800 to Concert Series Chairman John Wilson, Other chairmen were Clarence James, dance series, Loel Hofmann, movie series, Ray Ftoy, lec- ture seriesg Raymond Williams, public relations. Louisiana Man Doug Kershaw was sched- uled as the first concert of the fall, with the Copas Bros. Band as the back-up performers. Playing to only 600 persons in Shaver Gym, the SEB brought in 51400, on a concert which cost 35,900 to put on. No explanation could be given for the low turn- out, but the same problem was felt at the second concert. With '50s music a strong attraction in the area, John Wilson brought in Flash Cadillac and His Continental Kids, the band which guest starred on ABC's Happy Days series. To take the crowd back a few years, Larry Jon Wilson, The Dutchman, was the warm-up per- former. A folk singer, it had been five years since a folk act had appeared at Nicholls. A Greaser Contest was also held, with prize money going to the three best greased cou- ples. Students turned out in T-shirts, sunglasses and greased back hair for the judging. Couples paraded onstage before the audience, to the ieers and insults of other participants, which brought about a reaction from some con- testants already seen in American Graffiti. When the comments and boos from the nearest segment of the audience became too loud, several greasers turned around and mooned them Can act which consists of turning the back to the audience and dropping the pantsj. None of them won any prizes. Still, a show costing 55,000 took in between S400-S500 admission from the 400 persons who attended. The apathy is unbelievable in this area, John Wilson said in a Nicholls Worth interview the week after Flash Cadillac appeared, Loel Hofmann tried to reason it as students no longer into big sound, but the board was left with only S3,500, not enough to bring in a big name concert. In other departments, several economy changes had been made, like the charging of 25 cents admission to movies. Loel l'Fox Hofmann, movies chairman, White Witch's lead singer portrays Pan in one of the many theatrical numbers done in the three- band concert at the end of the fall semester. Gayle Erickson, bass player for the all-woman band Vixen dazzled the lights with her costume and singing.