M Volume 72, Number 40 Texas Christian University . Fort Worth, Texas 76129 Tuesday, November 13, 1973 Claudia Colley was named homecoming honoree at the Pep Rally Friday night. Personalities named were Judy Brown and Gayle Stephenson. Miss Colley is a Tri Delt, Miss Brown is a PI Phi and Miss Stephenson is a Chi Omega. Candidate Steve Miller, a GDI, withdrew before winners were named. Photo by Melissa Lane Miller draws out TCU colors By STEVE BUTTRY into account that almost no one here has a sense of humor. had been pressuring him to withdraw. "I gained a lot of News Editor Miller's post-mortem reactions were mixed. They respect for him after talking with him. He presented his "It all started out as a joke," said Steve Miller, the man ranged Trom disillusionment to levity to contemplation. side and he presented it well. He presented it calmly and who caused a furious stir on campus when even Richard "I can't believe they call this place a Christian school," rationally." Nixon and Spiro Agnew couldn't. he said in one of his disillusioned moments. "What a joke. Ironically, the Bill of Rights was respected more by the In a year of overwhelming national and international Christian school—'What a joke.' administration than it was by many students. crises, TCU, the bastion of conservatism and stronghold Many students viciously attacked him, and would not They ought to change the name to Texas University." recognize his right to run. Many were probably coeds who Commentary He said he expected the verbal abuse, but the physical will some day scream about discrimination when they threats, which included threats on his life, upset him. He don't get the same pay or treatment as men. Maybe then of rednecks, had remained its usual unperturbed, said the threats were what made it tough to withdraw. He they'll see that Miller was trying to break the unfair apathetic self until Miller dared threaten tradition. decided to pull out, though, stating firmly that the stereotypes that cause women to be viewed as faces and After word had started to spread that Miller had with- pressure had nothing to do with his decision. bodies, rather than people. drawn from his bid for homecoming honoree (queen when "The embarrassment I was causing wasn't worth my Miller the clown originally wanted the name or the title he entered the race), he reflected on his two-week cam- continuing," he said. "Regardless of whether or not the to remain homecoming queen. Serious Miller said he later paign-ordeal. "It bothers me a whole lot," he said of the embarrassment was well-founded." realized the embarrassment that would cause, and helped reaction he had received. Miller denied rumors that Chancellor James M. Moudy change it. When the controversy began, Miller had two purposes in He still had his sense of humor after the ordeal, but the mind. He wanted to have a little fun and test the strength hatred he had been the object of seemed to have left a few of the infant Bill of Student Rights. scars. "I have hardly any respect for the student body," The two-fold purpose illustrated the personality of Steve he said. But he said it was all worth it. Miller. He is a clown, and he is a sensitive, serious ac- "Sometimes it was really beautiful," he related with a tivist. Both sides had already become well known in many Hi campus circles. 'Sometimes it was beautiful.' Two weeks ago, Steve Miller the clown decided it would tmji satisfaction in his voice that his persecutors never un- be fun to run for homecoming queen and shake things up a ^1 derstood. "People I don't even know would stop me and tell me they had voted for me and that they agreed with . started out as a joke what I was doing." Miller had high praise for some of the people who little. At the same time,-serious Steve Miller decided the ^F originally opposed him, but later came to his aid. House best way to test Section VII of the Bill of Rights (for- treasurer Steve Oatman vigorously opposed Miller's bidding discrimination based on sex) was to integrate the - candidacy from the beginning. race for homecoming queen. ■ f ■■■■■.' - ■ When he had lost the fight in legitimate channels, His action was met with libel, slander, obscene phone rv. ~— calls, endless verbal abuse, physical threats and rampant though, he came out against those who cruelly and un- .;■;■., 1 I ■■ ■ ■■:': ■ ■ fairly harrassed Miller. Friday afternoon as Miller was misunderstanding. 1 H Another result was a landslide victory in the election for reflecting on the past week, Oatman was working to get the position which quickly got changed to homecoming some insulting and libelous signs removed from some honoree. Miller said he felt he had accomplished his H "*^i^ifl " fraternity houses. serious goal and decided to withdraw from the race to "I'Ve considered,Steve as my friend all along," said save the University from any further embarassment. wL Fij Miller of Oatman. His humorous goal was never realized. He didn't take STEVE MILLER (Continued on page 3) THE DAILY SKIFF Tuesday, November 13,1973 _ Students lose more than game Frida^ night there was a pep rally. It was held in the this was something strange for this locale. Friday night as the embers died, many students here best tradition of TCU pep rallies complete with float What was especially ludricrous was a Channel 4 news. felt they'd won some great victory. A female was once awards, leaping cheerleaders and 10 people crammed in broadcast one night which was totally unbalanced in its again Homecoming head—this time the "honoree." And one car. coverage. Seemingly the interviewer could not find one everyone was back in their positions of safety where It was also the scene of Steve Miller's withdrawal. And person in all of TCU who supported Miller's candidacy. everyone knows what their type of being does and does not believe it or not—all you defenders of the faith who That was poor journalism. do. protested Miller's candidacy after it looked like he just In trying to establish for students that the Student Bill of might win—there were people there who cheered after his Some of the comments gathered up were precious. Included were statements like "well the homecoming Rights was more that just paper, Miller made one queen should represent the football team and I don't think mistake. He tried to secure rights for people who ap- Steve Miller does that." Okay, you want to tell us how a parently didn't want or feel comfortable with those rights. girl represents^the team? He was asking the students to respond in a rational adult Commentary manner, to stop looking at categorized sexual entities and The comment was made that because of Miller's can- start looking at individuals. didacy everyone was laughing at us. Bull. Since when has What he found out was that many people here don't want: announcement of withdrawal out of sincere respect for the TCU become such a citadel of wisdom, image and valor man, and not out of ridicule as so many did. that it can't do anything that might make people laugh at to be individuals. And why? Because' being an individual The saddest thing about the whole Homecoming Queen us? Why don't we just safely stagnate? means being willing to stand for some things, to be willing controversy was not that Miller withdrew, but that the to stick your neck out. And you can't do that if you're student body was called upon and found lacking. The man The Friday night pep rally was heartwarming to some. conforming to some preconceived notion of "right said over and over again what he was trying to do, but his As the festivities ended with attenders singing the school thought." Some people Friday night felt when Miller withdrew, words were disregarded by people who "just couldn't alma mater with tears misting their eyes, content in the they won some kind of moral victory. understand why he was trying to ruin everything." knowledge that God's in his heaven and all's right with the When Miller was just one candidate among 19, no one world, there were still a few who turned away. But they didn't really win at all. Miller was the victor. got upset. When he became one in six, there was some Is this all TCU stands for? A never changing slug, He chose a path that no one but himself could really un- unrest and a drive began to see that he was defeated. peopled by ignorant bigoted students who can't grow, derstand, refusing to be filed away one way or the other. When it became pretty clear that even if he didn't win, can't see beyond the things they have been brought up by And the people who allowed themselves to be filled with he'd finish among the top three, there was some mommy and daddy or small town prejudice to believe? hate, to fight against this threat to a tradition of backquarter scurrying done by administrators and some One can only feel very sorry for the girl who stood up in questionable worth, really lost big. And the worst thing of students. her religion class and made a libelous assault on Miller's all is that they don't even know it.