Wesleyan University - Olla Podrida Yearbook (Middletown, CT)

Text from Pages 1 - 122 of the 1966 volume:

ZEI TGEIS T EDITORS: MICHAEL CARRITHERS, BRIAN KAZLOV SECRETARIES: BARBARA BBOGAN AND LOUISE KAZLOV BUSINESS MANAGER: BRUCE WYCOF F ADVERTISING: ANDREW STONE WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY 1966 i y E ARE pressed to insure some identification of this book with pre- vious editions of its genre. So, for the reader who might be upset by a lack of reading material, or for the verbal man Who might be confused by this prolif- eration of images, several guides have been appended to this material. I say iiguidesi, advisedly, because these short essays lead from the photographk am- biguous representation to the word,s discriminate interpretation-any surviv- ing double meaning is solely the editor,s responsibility. In fact, I Will of- fer this exemplary guide at the very outset: its book and L imes t m. w. w w to German khanging times, changing 1n ltgelst translates Olla Podrida Ze : people. ial being . a 1011 s essent titut ms ty, into that ' lVerSl translates a nominal subject, Wesleyan Un 14 .camv g.mkwwraasa:w 2 2 If you wish to be and to remain enthusiastic, then draw the silk curtains of irony, and so hide your enthusiasm. S. Kierkegaard, translated by Alexander Dru 24 J :- Quad... w w, 28 IE Antic Aha. This fanciful expression describes a common reaction to the single photographic portrait-the beholder whispers ttahaV because the portrait Gf it is well donet achieves significance solely by virtue of gesture, posture, or general visual properties of the photographk composition. The most important quality of this antic presence is its independence from the subjecfs identity. We can recognize a general human type without knowing the personts name. The Arendt-Warwick Connection occurs when pictures featuring the Antic Aha are juxtaposed: this connection lends not only visual coherence to a series of photographs, but also literary significance. In fact, this is the first level of abstraction at which we can describe the reason for our choice. Hannah Arendt follows Dionne Warwick because Miss Arendt seems to be lecturing Miss CW Warwick. A much more literary transition occurs when Norman Thomas follows the young conservatives and their iiFuck Communismii placard. Finally, the Transformation by the Logos Runcible refers to the addition of text to this totally plastic context. Strangely enough, a single paragraph has the power to transform the significance of the entire book. For example, if an introductory sentence asserted that the book was ten years in the making, the reader,s entire attitude would be altered profoundly. 29 34 36 Q: .ytgm E nwm aw mummy wirwdw 'V MM v ...- T k - ,- hitwtx- awrnw-r. .w... - a 'Md'lufww N' u '. ' .V'V I ' ,L ... ,.. Mm. ..... w...ww..,....- Mm , arm... a... ;o. ,, rV mm . J V . Ir . , ' WW. .,,...,... .w ., .,.,, ,Unx..,,.t.,1......u.. H P 2 w e aMww - Wm:- .. J 1...: A WW L X AMW WW ..m. + my. ; www.auhwu WM mm .. . . , , W a mafftbwi kJLEAJCLS I mmmh ,.....M w ..,w 4.....mw... 1 .. . , M v. mwwmu .- . WW -,w , Yaw . . smwwxxmimfm W W ,1 Wiwwkim. mvmg THE Hot Dog Eating Mind was once proposed as a magazine title, later as a benevolent organization, a yearbook title, a cartoon caption. Since then it has gained autonomy and an existence inde- pendent of its creators; in fact, it has begun to threaten them. Fortunately, The Hot Dog Eating Mind has not yet acquired enough substance or power to repress all its critics-but, on the other hand, it has retained enough ambiguity to make rec- ognition difficult. The following descrip- tions should help the diligent student gain a marginal insight into the being and form of this menacing entity; these incidents consist in actions initiated by The Hot Dog Eating Mind or fully approved by it. WESLEYAN LAWN AVENUE w: zwia' r y Pmuh nuyw iAWhWD 50g HLLUS PIAOUANO For example, the Student Judiciary Board,s canon of decisions seems to offer rich hunting-whereas the direct presence of agents of The Hot Dog Eating Mind cannot be proven, the very obscurity and growing power of that assemblage should be carefully watched. But The Hot Dog Eating Mind does not seek aggrandize- ment solely by initiating its own policies. Passive approval of such minor innova- tions as ID cards serves its purposes quite as well. Indeed, anywhere that computeri- zation has occurred is fertile ground for The Hot Dog Eating Mind. It thrives on mimeographed forms, and constantly Makes Policy. Berkeley may well be its spawning ground, and IBM its subsidiary. 61 63 Wwwwu -. mv-Wt' Lwihlgiaigg A final note: Where The Hot Dog Eating Mind controls the Media, it always triumphs. 72 76 anx , x x43, 3 pi $ 13w 80 82 THE Olla Podrida,s evolution apparently began about 1958, when Paul Levine broke the tradition to design a book with far more person- ality than information. Esthetic values prevailed over unexamined habit, and the obselescence of the genre was preparing; his precedent led to in- evitable decadence. The spirit of University domi- nated material form, and the editors experi- mented-there was the deceptive Daffodil book twhich had nothing to do with flowersL the ironic editorial about Wesleyants attitude towards Mid- dletown, and the funny red book. Nevertheless, it was not until the 1964 book that the trend be- came clear: artistic and spiritual values had re- placed tradition to such an extent that the iden- tity 0f the book was questioned. ttIfs nice, but itts not a yearbook? In 1965, the stylized visual or- ganization of John NefFS effort finally established the ascendancy of the Daffodil school. 88 Now, in 1966, we face choices: should we make a giant happening? An Hassanlike movie? It is possible to ignore irony and return to journalism? Should we pull a Norman Mailer, stand before the audience, and let them believe faithfully that, by the mystic power of the moon, our new book is serious? Forget the Whole thing and go to Mexico? Ignore our better training and produce a spiritual imita- tion of the 1923 Zeitgeist? Or, again, should we finalize our hypermodernization, create ab- surd, and become the last of a long line? Speculation aside, there are only two alternatives. The modern artist faces this demand: your tradition is to break tradition, you succeed only by failing, the medium is the message, you must break the bonds of the printed page and create electronic art! Then the hyp- notized artist turns the past into a picaresque Disney- land. But the other alterna- tive beats Mickey Mouse at his own game. If we return to the printed page and ac- cept its limitations, then we win by breaking the tradi- tion of revolt. This book, im- mune from madness, can transcend its heritage and revel in coherence. Only one problem: con- tact with corrupting elec- tronic essences always leaves an indelible trace on the artist and his work. 96 98 3 o 104 w , m 112