University of Texas Austin - Cactus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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TOP LEFT: Hippie Hollow was one of Austin ' s beautiful natural spots for sun worshippers and skinny dippers. TOP RIGHT: An inner tube and a daring spirit were all a student needed to shoot the rapids at New Braunfels. BOTTOM LEFT: Summer school students found pleasant spots to study outside. BOTTOM RIGHT: Running down- wind with spinnakers flying, sailing enthusiasts raced the wind. 5 ! ' IK. SCI

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The Student ' s Summer World M Smith 24 Summer Recreation

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I all symbolized a new beginning for every student. ' The exodus to Austin began in late summer. Al- most overnight campus population swelled from 10,000 to 42,000 students as the University pre- pared for a new semester. The once silent dormitory halls suddenly resounded with excitement as new residents moved in. The city seemed to come alive. For approximately 13,000 students, registration was the first step to start the new semester. Endless lines and a marathon wait signaled that the lengthy process had just begun. Once inside Bellmont, the task was complicated by a myriad of signs. A limited selection of classes frustrated the most eager students. Before the ordeal ended, the student had stood in more lines, filled in countless computer cards and invested a small fortune in books. With a check to the Bursar, however, the student was finished with registration until the next semester. The student then had time for other fall activities. Inevi- tably fall meant football, and University of Texas football attracted some of football ' s most faithful fans. This orange- blooded group included Texas Exes, students and college football fanatics. Even those students who didn ' t know a wishbone from a T-bone were quickly caught up in the ritual surrounding a Longhorn foot- ball game. The football game was only the final result of a long and complicated procedure which started two weeks before the game. Dates had to be ar- ranged; students ' ID ' s were collected. For a regular game, tickets were drawn without much effort. For the special games, however, tickets were a scarce commodity available only to students with the en- durance and determination to camp out in the ticket lines. Students who were normally considered sane left their books, their beds and perhaps their heads to spend the night in Memorial Stadium for a ticket to the Texas-OU game. Armed with radios, ice chests, sleeping bags and beer, students patiently prepared to face the all-night trial. Those few whose vigil was rewarded with a ticket cheered a little louder than the others at the pep rally. By the end of the OU game, however, only OU fans were cheering. Even Bevo was upset when an intoxicated Oklahoma spectator attempted to throw red syrup at the Texas mascot. Despite the disappointment of the OU game, Texas fans revived their spirits for the traditional rivalry with Texas A M. Once again Memorial Stadium was cluttered with sleeping bags the night before ticket sales began. Through- out Austin, wooden objects began to disappear mysteriously as fraternities prepared for the annual bonfire competition. Confidence faltered, however, as quarterback Marty Akin ' s knee injury threatened the team ' s chances. To the severe humiliation and disappointment of faithful fans, A M was triumphant for the first time in eight years. Football season ended on an anti-climatic note as Texas was named SWC Tri-Champs with Arkansas and A M and defeated the Colorado Buffaloes in the Houston Astro-Blue- bonnet Bowl. The high point of the season occurred when Marty Akins declared his intention to eventually become governor of Texas. The life of a fan has never been easy, but his season seemed particularly demanding for the devoted Texas fans. Austin offered one consolation to the disgruntled fan: In October area clubs displayed signs proclaiming Now Open Until 2 a.m., as citizens passed a controversial referendum extending drinking hours. The late drinking hours issue had been an emotional and hotly contested one for the last four years and went through nine separate City Council votes. The Council finally passed the ordinance last May, but by late July a petition drive by an anti-late drinking hours group had collected enough sig- natures to suspend the ordinance and call for a referendum on the issue. Opposing sides formed quickly, and the battle began. Pro- ponents of the late drinking option immediately organized voter registration drives, concentrating on getting students registered in Austin. Newspa- per ads, bumper stickers and posters soon cited the advan- tages of the later hours. At the same time, from the pulpit and the press, the extension was denounced as harmful and dis- solute. Even after the election, the conflict did not cease. The drinking hours extention was passed by a slim margin of 101 votes. Both sides agreed that the student vote had decided the issue; the student vote re- flected a 75 percent margin in favor of the later curfew. Oppo- nents of the later hours at- tempted to obtain a temporary restraining order to keep the ordinance from going into effect while they contested the election. By November their allegations had been overruled, and when the smoke had cleared, the 2 a.m. drinking hours had survived the fray. People looking for entertainment in Austin after dark now had two more hours to enjoy it. They also had a wider range of choices in the kinds of entertainment available. Although live entertainment suffered some setbacks, Austin clubs of- fered anything from live country bands to top 40 disco music in a variety of atmospheres. Known as the Progressive Country Music Capital, Austin was considered a great launching point for young musicians. As they became well-known, however, these musicians left their home town for more profitable plateaus. Club owners, unable to afford top quality bands on a regular basis, turned to disco music and sound systems. The response to this new trend in entertainment was mixed. Many still preferred live music when the clubs were able to book top quality acts. Others, however, found disco music just as enjoyable and much less expensive since it eliminated the need for a cover charge. 26 Fail