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

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SEPTEMBER This was September 2, the first day of classes and I was standing in the hour-long book-buying line at the University Co-op, clutching an armful of books that I would probably never read and never be able to sell back. Mark McKinnon just got thrown in jail, declared a campus crier somewhere in the front of the store where they keep the Longhorn T-shirts, bookends, caps, stationery and walking sticks. Apparently The Daily Texan editor had elected not to surren- der negatives sought by prosecu- tors in the trial of 16 Middle East- ern students charged with disrupt- ing a speech by Iranian ex-UN Ambassador Fereydoun Hoveyda earlier in the year. My sidekick, Mark, attempted to break the ice with a bearded man garbed in army fatigues slouching behind us. I noticed that you ' re into European studies, Mark said, pointing an accusing finger at the text clutched by the commando. Uh, yes, came a fatigued response. Mark continued, They ' ll prob- ably have to re-write the books after this Polish thing is over. Uh, yes, came another weary response. The Polish thing Mark refer- red to was the ship workers strike in Poland. Led by Lech Walesa, rebellious shipyard workers in Gdansk laid down their tools and ignited a chain of walkouts threat- ening the collapse of Poland ' s ail- ing industrial establishment. In an unprecedented move, the Com- munist party conceded to work ers ' demands, legalizing inde-l pendent trade unions and the right to strike in Poland. On Sep- tember 24, while many were stil wondering if the Soviet Union would send troops into Poland, Iraqi troops were thrusting into Iran blowing away Iranian oil sta- tions. In retaliatory air strikes, Iran returned the favor. I returned to the dorm where students were experiencing those last delicious moments before the summer heat expired into the sedation of fall. Down on Jester Beach, the grassy knoll that adjoins the graduate wing of Jes-l ter Center, dozens of half-dressed! guys and girls were sunbathing. The tranquility on the beach was deceptive, for it would soon give way to a month of campus confusion, national campaigning, and world unrest. Undoubtedly, some of the sun-| bathers participated in the Greek community ' s fall rush, a hecticl week of parties and activities cul- minating with 710 women and approximately 900 men pledging; in sororities and fraternities. Fric- tion between the Greek and anti- Greek forces became a daily sta- ple of The Daily Texan Firingj Line editorials. Word smiths on: both sides of the line argued their respective stands ... Greeki life is the reinforcement of rigid ' class barriers . . . , The Greek: system offers the members the ' opportunity to work with and ' socialize with people who have) common interests, and so on. Meanwhile, in New York City, Abbie Hoffman came out of hid- ing. A radical Yippie leader of th 1960s, Hoffman had been a mem A prophetic sign surfaces at the Seorge Bush Gerald Ford political rally that was held on the Main Mall. 28 September

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an ' free for the taking. On this par- ticular day, the front-page head- ine read, Carter Signs Draft Bill. Having been born in I960, I saw that I would be expected to fsign up on the first day of regis- rration. Seated under the shady West Mall oak, the apparent back ard of two domesticated squir- -els, I scanned my copy of The Daily Texan. The American teams ere boycotting the Moscow Olympic Games, Mount St. Hel- ens was still rumbling in Washing- t-on, The Who concern at the Spe- cial Events Center had been a oeaceful hit and comedian Rich- ard Pryor was slowly recovering ffrom first, second and third degree burns. In Florida, an unprecedented vvave of immigrants from Haiti and Cuba had come ashore. The refugees make darned good citi- zens, said President Carter. Of course there are some loafers, but there are loafers in my family, too. In a related story, the Presi- dent ' s brother, Billy, filed with the Department of U.S. Justice as a Libyan agent revealing that he had received more than $220,000 from that African country. Billy- gate coupled with the Iranian hostage issue pulled President The nation was two-stepping itself into an era of Texas chic. Carter to an all time low in public opinion polls. I arose from my rest in front of the Texas Union and proceeded to tramp down the Drag. The month-long heat wave had bag- ged its limit. Gone were the gui- tar players; gone were the ven- dors; gone were the street peo- pie; gone was the wind it was hot out there. Only the large cricket conventions were out that afternoon. Unlike the Republicans and Democrats who had convened in Detroit and New York, the crickets were rallying in what little shade they could find beneath the business awnings. Three children were collecting the delegates in brown paper bags. I assumed they were not being gathered as eggroll ingredients. For supper, Kevin and I feasted on the Stallion ' s legendary chicken-fried steaks and yellow cream gravy, a real rib-stickin ' $2.50 meal. Later that evening, like millions of other television viewers, we tuned in to Dallas, the series that got America ask- ing, Who shot J.R.? I slept well that night. The bed was soft, the room was cool, and the confusion and excitement of September was still a world away. I Graving the record heat wave, a runner at Town Lake is treated to a few seconds of cool. Tom Mathews spores the Urban Cowboy ' look. Summer 27

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- ;: --. e. fori 4 ' L .; sfecti |j[ 710 C-6 ' 31 ,900 men. .-.-;- frit- -. : : ,) : , Isian Fifiij A.Wa: res . . .-.- : : -igi ' e ' bers H ; it!i anf people .-- ' -- ' - Wait begets knowledge is a philosophical way of stating that checkout time for these students at the University Co-op is still another 30 minutes away. oer of the notorious Chicago , Seven, a group charged with mas- terminding violent demonstrations .at the 1968 Democratic Conven- tion. In contrast, Jerry Rubin, who :iad also been a member of the Chicago Seven, emerged as a lember of a Wall Street broker- ige firm. Back on the beach Mark loticed a reposed girl with a Con- lally campaign button pinned to ler halter top. He confronted her, ' I thought he wasn ' t running any- lore. No, I guess he isn ' t came her littersweet response. Politicking was all the rage in leptember. In between the first ationally televised Longhorn Football victory and the first Texas nion all-nighter, representa- ' ives of the three primary presi- dential candidates touched cam- Jus in their political version of the Texas Swing. Mark McKinnon, Daily Texan editor, is booked at County Jail for refusing to cede controversial negatives. September 29