The First Debate
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The Excitement Is In The Stands by Tom Naier usually smiling, almost always amused. game. They are also the ones most sensitive to the There's all the trappings of a regular football final score(It must happen as you get old). As people still filed into their seats, Fordham's game —people selling raffle tickets, programs or hot Another group is the Fordham University Band, placekicker, Brian Curd, carefully placed the ball dogs and coffee within a concession. The rapidly who, when not marching in step on the field at upon the tee. With his team waiting anxiously on the approaching cold is more apparent as one's breath halftime, sit together and always have a good time. sideline, and five teammates flanking him on both become a chilly mist. The Widener band plays the On the sideline, the Ramskeller crew, unexplicably sides, Curd ran up to the ball and, with one swift kick, Budweiser theme, striking a chord within th-3 majority donned in cheerleader outfits, leads a chorus of sent the ball hurtling into the darkness. Lost in the of the crowd not interested in drinking coffee. cheers from the croud. Halftime brings on the night air, if only for a few moments, there was the Friday night the Fordham side of the Scoreboard, as atmosphere of a church social, with people looking all sudden realization at last Friday night's game that this was so often repeated by the field announcer, was not around for familiar faces and friendly conversations. was not like those game seen on lazy Saturday working. For a good part of the game it didn't have afternoons, those where you can see the ball at all to--Fordham didn't score. But notable was how the It was more than times. This was night football with more crowds, more sides in the stands lined up, each group with their own noise, more excitement, but considerably less light, it interests, ready to yell it out at a moment's notice. just a game, it was was more than just a game, it was an event-with the First is the Friday-night-beer-drinkers-crowd, that an event... activity in the stands as often as interesting as that on group of amiable enough fellows who just like to chug the field. down the brews as if the game they saw lit before them Last year at another night game for which freshmen At both end zones the light begins to fade, but in the was taking place on their twelve inch diagonal T.V. were given free tickets, someone inadvertently tripped middle, faces in the stands serve as reflectors to the screen. This crowd is the one to really look out over the plug, turning off all the lights on the field. headlight-like lamps shining at them from across the for—once the juices start flowing their antics can range People at Fordham—students, former students, field. A green generator truck chugging along beneath from harmonized chants against the football coach to faculty or administration—seem to accept such the far goalpost feeds the necessary electricity, Some uninhibited displays of their anatomy. accidents with easygoing, if not somewhat fatalistic irate alumni looking at an early, and seemingly Second is the alumni who usually flock around the chagrin. This attitude extends to the field as well. For hopeless deficit of 35-0 screams, 'Hey Rice, turn off pressbox atop the stands. Though generally reserved most students, the loss to an opponent on their own the lights!' And in the stands, students finish off a in the stands, they usually vent their.fury at the turf does not alter the primary purpose of attending a six-pack of beer with friends, or hold closely a date, proceedings while at Ram Club functions following the football game in the cold—to have a good time. VOL.58 NO. 16 TUESDAY, SEPT. 28,1976 FORDHAM UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK The debate was staged • It put me to sleep • Do you mean who was the most bothersome? • Carter killed him, but people are too stupid to know he'd done that • I THE FIRST DEBATE was at the theatre on Thursday night • Ford blew it . Boring, boring, boring, boring, that's all it was. Page 2 "Tuesday, September 28,1976 The l\am Politicking for Student Hacksters in 76 the campus was politically dormant: "There's by Russ Smith dents just don't care. Chicago is apolitical; anyone who gets voter registration going on all right, but the (CPS)— "I don't think it's dignified to give Campus activism hasn't exactly flourished involved in extra-curricular activities is in the race isn't too hot. There's little activity for the finger to the Vice-President of the United in 1976. Most of the politicking is left to minority here," he continued. States," snapped Nelson Rockefeller after he student hacks, the future ward leaders and Despite the gloomy prospects of making Carter, less for Ford. People just don't care flipped the bird to 25 student hecklers in state senators, who are laying roots for their inroads on the student vote, both Carter and anymore." Binghamton, New York, last week. "I just own careers. The camaraderie and idealism Ford youth directors are at least making an "There's some political organization, but responded in kind—it's the American way." of 1968 and 1972 is gone; there's not the effort to woo the reluctant voters. it's not like four years ago," remarked a While this incident could have triggered a unity that brought 40,000 youths together to "Across the board, people are for graduate student at the University of barb-filled series of encounters between work for George McGovern in the '72 New Carter—our enemy is apathy, not Gerald Maryland, reiterating a common theme on students and candidates in past elections, York primary. Jimmy Carter enlisted just Ford," asserted Janet Oliver, of the Carter campuses today. "Some are participating on this year it looks like there won't be fights for 400 students for the same effort in 76. National Headquarters In Atlanta. "Young a local level, the hardcore politcal addicts, Rocky, Grits and Fritz or Jerry Ford—stu- The few youths that are involved in the people want integrity and leadership, and but I haven't seen much movement around national election this year keep lonely hours they haven't seen it in their lifetime. They this place." at student union campaign booths, occasion- don't remember FDR and JFK." Even the workhorse Young Americans for ally hawking a bumpersticker or bending Freedom are bypassing the presidential some patient passerby's ear. Oliver, who is directing a campus voter election this year. Disheartened that Ronald According to pollster Peter Hart, it's an registration blitz and canvassing operation, Reagan was nosed out in Kansas City, YAF election year that will find less than half the feels that young people are fed up with members are concentrating on key Congres- country's registered voters traipsing to the politics and will be hard to reach, despite the sional races, where conservative candidates polls, with an even lower percentage pegged fact that "Governor Carter has had a terrific are facing stiff opposition. for those under thirty. response at colleges and everywhere else." What does it all add up to? A handful of "Students are campaigning for pragmatic Carolyn Booth, National Youth Director hecklers, a score of placards and an reasons," explained Doug Miller, a senior at for the Ford campaign, is more encouraged occasional cherry bomb scare. And although the University of Chicago. "They realize it's about getting the student vote to the polls. some students turn out for campaign the only presidential election in their four "There is tremendous support for Ford in the appearances, the most prevailing attitude college years, and they want to get the southern schools, and Wake Forest, Baylor towards the election is pretty well summed experience. On the whole, the University of and Notre Dame are particularly strong," up by a University of Oklahoma student who she said. "The Republican college student said, "Yeah, 1 saw Carter. He says what who is registered is more likely to vote than everyone wants to hear—just like any other students." Dolitician would." OPEN But if there's support for either Ford or Carter at the college campuses, it's certainly Newspaper not out in the open. When students do AUDITIONS speak about the election, it's more likely to Academics be a diatribe slashed with cynicism rather (CPS) —First there were college night FOR than admiration. school classes and extension courses by mail. Then colleges began offering televised The Michigan Daily editorialized that Ford classes on local T.V. stations. Earning The Madwoman kicking off his campaign at a college campus credits was as easy as sitting back in your (University of Michigan at Ann Arbor) "is favorite armchair. Of Chaillot something akin to Hitler making the first Now, the University of California is Wed. and Thurs. donation to the United Jewish Appeal." The offering a program called "Courses by editorial marked Ford as "an enemy of Newspaper." 7:30-11:00 p.m. education" because of his anti-educational City newspapers in conjunction with local record in Congress, and urged students to colleges print thy course material in their Collins Auditorium demonstrate at the President's arrival. regular editions. Academic credit is available At the University of Texas at Austin, a to people who enroll in the course through school that Booth counted among those participating colleges and buy the required active for Ford, one student countered that text books.