Stephen Stills: One Innovator Who Hit It Big

VOL. 58 NO. 28 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16,1976 FORDHAM UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK Stephen Stills: One Innovator Who Hit It Big by Thomas R. Offer His parents by now had again uprooted Here is a trivia question for you. Who is a young Stephen. The Stills family moved to notable folk-rock singer who auditioned for Panama for one year, and then settled down the NBC television show The Monkees, but in Costa Rica from 1961 to 1963. was rejected for lack of talent? While in South America, Stephen Stills Hmmm, you say. Well then here is picked up Latin music and its style. Evidence another clue. Who. in 1970. bought Beatle of this shows when he began to write Ringo Starr's 350 acre English estate? and sing songs professionally. Well, the answer (which you probably Today, the 31-year-old singer is still an have guessed) is Stephen Stills, the rock star advocate of the Latin rhythm, and he terms who will perform this Wednesday night in the beat "tremendous," During his 1974 the old gym on the Rose Hill Campus. New York City concert tour he strongly Considered by pop music experts one of defended Latin music, and criticized musi- the most influential persons on the rock cians who abuse it and "bastardize Latin music scene since 1966. Stephen Stills is music to sell it." constantly experimenting and innovating As a political science major at the music with new ideas. To understand Stills' University of Florida, Stills found little time talent, a look should be taken at his past. to study between singing and playing in local Born in January 1945 in Dallas Texas, he clubs. He dropped out. spent his childhood and teenage years Moving to New York City, he met guitarist traveling on the road with his family. His Fred Neil, who was instrumental in intro- father worked in various cities as a jazz ducing Stills to folk-rock music. Even today, musician, and was the first person to Stills considers Neil to have had the greatest introduce young Stephen to the world of influence on him in terms of his own music. folk-rock style. By age 10 he had become expert at piano While in New York, Stills met another and drums, and sang second tenor in chorus aspiring musician by the name of Neil at St. Leo's Catholic Grammar School in Young. Young taught and reinforced Stills' Gainesville, Florida. idea of playing folk music with electric guitars. After a brief period of writing and singing with the Vocal group Au Go Go Singers, Stills headed to Los Angeles. There he combined tafents with Richard Furay and Neil Young, to form a group called Buffalo Springfield. Buffalo Springfield, or "the herd" as it was sometimes called, was originally a back-up What's Wrong With Tenure? group touring with the English rock group The Byrds. The new rock group was praised by critics, but its success only lasted until 1967, two years after the recording of their first album. Schroth's Solution Buffalo Springfield produced five albums, televised. But it should not be possible at any including two greatest-hits albums. None of by Raymond A. Schroth, S. J. stage for a committee member to make the albums, with the exception of Retro- Now that my own tenure case is over, 1 vague arguments for or against the applicant spective, sold over 200 thousand copies, but would like the Fordham community to turn that he cannot support with objective nonetheless Stills had become an established its attention to what was, to a major degree, evidence, or for loose terms like "compati- musician on the rock scene. the main reason I felt obliged to pursue this bility" lo be tossed around without the Stephen Stills is best known for his cause in the first place: the protection of record defining exactly what that means. participation with David Crosby and Graham others who—because of personal differ- Therefore, the meeting should be record- Nash. These three musicians earned a Gold ences, human error, misunderstandings or ed and. if there is an appeal, the applicant as Record Award for their album Crosby, Stills, flaws in the procedures—may face the same well as the review committee should see the and Nash, which included the song "Suite: crisis. Indeed, this is the theme that has transcript to determine how accurately the Judy Blue Eyes." returned again and again in both conversa- record has been presented. With the addition of Neil Young in 1969, tions during the year and in the calls and Someone may object that if we had to the group became as Crosby, Stills, Nash letters that have poured in during the week. assume personal responsibility for our evalu- and Young, and they staged live perfor With all due respect for the present ations of our peers we cold never deal with mances in Los Angeles, as well as appearing University Statutes which, in the long run, one another. On the other hand, this might atWoodstock. They put together prob- thanks to a good many conscientious men work a new honesty and maturity into our ably their most famous album titled Deja Vu, and women, served me well, this is to briefly professional relationships. Think, for ex- which was the number one selling album of suggest some additions and changes in ample of Ihe teachers who have gone for 1970. procedures which might have prevented my years without anyone confronting them The success of CSN & Y brought them to case from becoming a controversy in the first place. about their lack of committee work, faults in New York City where they played at the their teaching, the inadequacy of their (1) As a general rule, the more open and now defunct Fillmore East. The group, publications etc. only to have this hit them at public the process is the better chance however, disbanded in 1970 and Stills promotion or tenure time. that fairness will prevail. Scholarship, moved to England to work on two solo (3) Spell out the rules guiding the teaching and university service are all public albums. Stephen Stills, and Stephen Stills internal operations of departments. activites. The teacher writes—publishes the Two. Require regular meetings of the whole results of his research, his values, his Out of the album Stephen Stills carne his department to discuss academic policy, philosophy of life and education —and en- biggest single hit "Love the One You're teaching budget, future plans etc. at least six ters the broader life of the civic and With." The record sold a million copies. times ;i year. In addition there should be academic community as a way of taking In 1972. Stills joined his last rock group, some" joint meetings of the faculty and public responsibility for what he does in the with the exception of a concert tour reunion student committees. Each members of the classroom. He subjects himself to the public of CSN & Y in 1974. The group, called department should have a real sense of criticism of his peers, and they too must take Jylanassas, was well received by critics, but belonging and participation in its academic public responsibility (for example, in book the pressure of some people to reform CSN and social life and a realistic picture of how reviews and symposia) for their critical "Well ovir half the tickets are sold," & Y caused its break up. he/she fits, or may not fit, into the judgments. Stephen Stills concert chairman Lou During the group's short existence, they department's future plans. Granting tenure, therefore, is a public act; Lubell said yesterday. Of the 2,700 toured Europe and the U.S. They also (4.) An interdepartmental university-wide the university says that a teacher's scholar- tickets needed to be sold in order to produced two albums, called Stephen Stills tenure committee should review all ship etc. represents the kind of work and "break even", Lubell said, "almost Mcinassas, and Down the Road. cases, not just those over the quota, before values this university fosters in its students. At pwnt. Stills has formed his own six the department sends the case to the 2,000 are sold." USG vice-president of {?.) Ther'jfoi-" !»•*» as the teacher's work piece'(wild, and is winding up his Iv76 uJiniiiiaSiui-uii. Thi rr.air. f;;r.rt:r;v. of this operations Eric Duke later confirmed is public, those who evaluate the concert tour In New York City where his committee should be to make sure that this figure. tenure applicant's work should have to formal start of music began. professional standards are upheld, that "We'll go over the break-even mark take some kind of public responsiblity purely personal considerations are excluded with the door sales," Lubell said. The To date Stills has seven gold records, and for their judgments on his work. No, I concert Is tommorrow, Wednesday has just recently released two solo albums am not suggesting that tenure meetings be continued on page 2 November 17, at 8:00 p.m. tilled Stills »ml Hln'jal Stills. Tuesday, November 16,1976 TherRam Student Government: More USG Inertia byTomMaler meeting started with an irate presentation by "It's gotten down to a matter of person- Fordham College representative Laura ality clashes." Russo. That's how senate floor leader Lou "I'm very disgusted at this point," Russo Lubell described the present quagmire the said, opening the meeting. Russo said she United Student Government finds itself in. could not understand why Eric Duke could not act as her proxy at meetings she could Last week, the senate met in a closed not attend.

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