University of Oklahoma - Sooner Yearbook (Norman, OK)

Page 29 text:

-f JJFBWVU . in. Ag rf I Ll 1, IQ I- A w3H7?L,, Q if 9 , .,., 7. H 'r '59 M ay, ,. 4. 4 Nw 9- 'fs ,swf -,FN Nw Q15 xt N .un- 1 W1 . I .-,Q ,BP .+- .34- I ' v vvifyj , ,, ..y1 '-X. rg-v. 1 3 A, F, , .. fe .4 A 'P+ Riff ,' ' .Z 1 . -ww - , :A - X I . 1 ,AF ,w-bv. .uf-.fl A Tri-f. .134 Q- .X 9-1. -u 3 1 yf . 1' :A I X ff? -.1 . - IK

Page 28 text:

22 Backpacking by Jackie Austin I just want to be a cosmic cowboy, the words of country rock singer Michael Murphy, reflected the trends of American life-style. Whether or not every citizen was spit-shining Justin boots and slipping feathers into felt hat bands. the nation displayed a taste for a simpler, backato-nature means of existence. The transition toward this new emphasis on purity and basics was witnessed in diverse aspects of American living standards. The Age of Euell Gibbons had people stalking the wild turkey and munching on hickory nuts, as diets took on a more nutrition-oriented character. With the aid of The Whole Earth Catalog and the 'iFoxfire books. gourmets chucked filet mignon for dried dandelion weed coffee and sassafrass tea. Vegetarians increased in number, and there was the birth of the health food restaurant. Granola replaced Cracker Jacks as the all-American snack. Fashion mirrored the natural trend, and clothes adopted very basic, almost drab, lines. The emphasis was on loose garments-- let your body move . . . stretch . . . breathe -M and halter tops, caftans, blue jeans, jean shirts and flannel shirts were donned. I Women were obsessed with the natural look in make up, and cosmetics became transparent, translucent, earth hued, and herb-based to produce that country fresh glow. Popular perfumes switched from femininely elusive fragrances to the nature-based scents of musk, civet, ambergris, grass, hay, roses, lemon, hyacinth, chamomile. clover, amberwood, tuberose and thyme. Hair styles were simplified: teasing, straightening, or drowning strands in hair spray became taboo. The dogma became Don't fight what's on your head! Afro your hair, braid it wet, cornrow it, blow dry it, let those curls kink when you've got the 'frizzy day bluesl' 'ilust don't stifle those locks! As its values took to the trails, so did the nation Back packing became not just a specialty sport for the ad- venturous outdoorsman, but an invigorating new means of exercise and emotional relaxation that the entire family could practice over the weekend. Backpacks. canteens, high energy candy bars and space food sticks abounded under the Christmas tree, and the mountain paths swarmed with nature-loving hikers. Weekend highway traffic was overtaken by campers, vans and buses toting escapists to the leisure of park camp- grounding and even spontaneous roadside pup-tenting. Further. millions of cyclists hit the roads and bike trails. The bicycle industry ballooned overnight as the United States. in response to high gas prices and pollution problems, readopted the bike, not only as a pleasure vehicle, but as an economical and physically beneficial transportation means. When considering music as an emotional outlet, music styles can be said to parallel a nation's or a people's emotional frame of mind And so, in America's return to the essentials of natural living. country music became popular The influence of the Grand 'Ole Opry country and western artists like Porter Wagoner and Johnny Cash became evident in the country rock and the country blues songs of artists like the Allman Brothers Band, Jerry Jeff Walker, Willis Alan Ramsey, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt band. Some musicians recycled the classics of past country and western. country blues, and country spiritual greats and came out with results such as Leon Russell's album, Hank Wilson's Back, and Greg Allman's single, i'Will the Circle be Unbroken7 John Denver took us home to country roads, Linda Ronstadt would have rather been in Colorado, and all the easy rhythms and down home lyrics made music lover's toes tap and hearts feel lighter. The ecological crisis forced some of the increased reliance on natural modes of living. ln the post-Vietnam, Watergate-pressured, inflated, hard rock. glamour rock, switched on, hyped up Seventies, the back to nature trend in America may be interpreted as the voice of the rat-raced citizen singing, i'All I want to do is, act naturally. Q 41

Page 30 text:

sits ' :il it .sr :Mgmt favs Et The Stadium goes BIG by Lynne Persing Ordinarily, expanding a university football stadium might appear a relatively uncomplicated matter. Many other schools across the country have undertaken similar projects as football audiences continue to break attendance records and the expansion of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is not the most expensive project OU has seen. So the project would seem an uncomplicated and uncontroversial matter. Except for the fact that it involves OU football, and more specifically, OU football seats. The passion and sometimes hysteria of OU football fans has become as normal an aspect of OU football as the Big Eight Championship. Most Oklahomans have their own anecdotes about those all-night football ticket lines or their progression from 20 yard-line seats to 24 yard-line seats in only 28 years. And there are those divorce proceedings which battled for months, not over the kids or the house, but the 50-yard-line tickets. With this type of football enthusiasm, the idea of adding 9,000 seats and some added conveniences to the Sooners' stadium at first seemed an expected result of the un- stoppable force which drives both the team and the fans. However, when the plan was announced in October of 1973, the initial cheers were followed by some disturbed grumblings. Out of this grumbling emerged the fact that many OU fans would lose their long prized-football seats. Naturally some fans were not too happy with this idea. University receptionists in various offices were kept busy ENDLESS SOONER CROWDS which pack Oklahoma Memorial Stadium for every Big Red gridiron battle were the impetus for plans for a trying to explain the situation to confused and sometimes irate callers. According to OU officials, the expansion plan involved two phases. Phase One of the Stadium Expansion Program QSTEPD included construction of an upper deck which would hold 9,000 seats, and the refurbishing of the seating area under the deck. The 1,300 seats in this prestige area under the deck would be equipped with chair like seats. Contributors were offered seating priorities for ten years and would be rotated within the section each year in order to share the most favorable seating. According to STEP, those people who must be relocated out of the area under the deck would be given the best possible seats in the non-priority section of the upper deck. Phase One also included the construction of a new press box, and improved and expanded student and faculty seating areas. Possible additions to the project included a V.l.P. lounge, fiberglass seat covers and a special camera level in the press box. Phase Two of STEP would be the development of an annual donors program. Those who donate 3250, 35150 or 55100 to the Athletic Department would have ranking priority for a season ticket. This priority is in a choice area of the stadium, not a particular seat. Money derived from the donation program is to be earmarked for athletic scholarships as part of an effort to keep the Athletic Department self sufficient. stadium expansion. The excitement of Stave Davis f5J, Grant Burget 1253, and Joe Washington C245 keeps the fans coming. . D V aj' ? I, 51 C9 fr, 'PY K Y - 'Q Lf J ., . 'fuk' ' 5 YT 1 -f if J w 3 -4- A .J Jakub, '3 ar: N