Page 35 - 1986 VES Meteor

DECEMBER 5, 1986
THE METEOR
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A new, and semi-
controversiaf era seems to have been rekindled on campus over the past couple years. VES, like many other private schools, is experiencing a return to the 1960's in full force - music, c'lothes, POP, graffitti, etc. Why? Is this a sign of the growing social consciousness of the typical VES student or just to- day's latest fad?
As one walks around campus, the physical influence of the 60's is prevalent. It can be seen in clothing - the tie-dye tee shirts, bandannas, ripped jeans and rope braided friendship
bracelets around most every wrist and ankle. Peace symbols
by Ross Human and Turner Moore
The 1960s began an era of in- terest in politi~l affairs, ending the complacenL and isolationist - 1950s. This period witnessed radical social change including everything from the forging of new musical styles to popularity of drugs and a break from the submissive lifestyles of the older generations. The basic values of the 1960s are still prevalent to- day - promotion of peace and nuclear disarmament, self ex- pression and eqilality for all- and make the era extremely valuable, even to those of us who were not even born when it was
all taking place. Many VES students draw peace signs on notebooks and hold up the familitr two-finger sign in greeting, and many believe that th only difference between the 196(), and 1980s generations is
are everywhere - one can not escape from them - they are drawn on clothes, books, desks,
blackboard and core lecture sign-
in sheets- Peace signs are also worn as jewelry; it is not uncom- mon to see little peace sign earr-
ings and medallions. 1960's music, as indicated by the poll
taken in the last Meteor, seems to be the most popular among the
students. People also wave their
hand in the familiar two-finger
salue to their friends.
What does this all mean? As of
yet, we're not sure. Following are two editorials expressing two differing campus view-
points.
(Iq ihtkal tal .menl. A aturlent might b uked to gAt a hairrut, wh1ch oblig d h1m to prearh &bQut ev rything from nv1ronmental deatrurtion to the immQrality I)( th VIetnam War to the errou of the
atabluhm nt. The anti eltabllahment wutl made evert attempt to for ita opi n oa 011 feaee 11ttara or pro M&blilll..at faeUou1.
themselves, but eaw them as representative of a government that was wrong. That's all they aaw. They didn't stop to think that the baby killing, drug ad- dicted bastard th y hated was a
draft who chose four years a r· vic to hla rountry to fiv yeara in prison and a $25,000 fin . It Is Ironic that a gToup whlrh b llev ed In J)f'ar and nonviolen<' ua d Irrational and vJol nt m ana to mak th ir polnt.
One prohi m, a holdov r from th JIHIO'a, plagu a on 10('1 ty in an ev r in<'reaalng way today: drug abuu. Beca so mueh of
th antiwar movement waa Nl· ed on anythlnr and evarJtlll., that wu aralallt u••
mont, drut aiMIM aad •I•11lt7 b eaae a
have joined anti-drug abuse ca~­ paigns today, like Crosby, Stills @ Nash, glorified drug abuse in songs written in the 1960's. As long aa America baa a drug pro-
helm, the l 960's will be a hallow d timt" in history because that's wh n drug abu .- start d
on a natlonwid aralll.
Social awar nua i an impor
tant part of any aod ty. Th govt'rnm nt d~a n d to have r aaonabl <'h rk. plared on It to
naure that It doea the rirht
thln1. Howev r, om laiU a
hould tall It'• haM to bell v paopl
tutlnr the daatla1 ef .. ..
thinp to pt betw
put tb t.uee ctl .._ ....._
ahead ctl tbelr OWD! Ia ..
l11ues faelDI A merle&'• lporad.
tlon lt.ll
were martyred by their fans.
because they more iJI the popular. How do people
stability and future of any democracy, and should be seen as a healthy thing.
Finally, there was real unity in the 1960s. Events like the 'Sum- mer of Love' in San Franciso's Haight-Ashbury section in 1967
and the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival are vivid examples of this point. 500,000 people gathered at Woodstock to hear great music and just be part of a
shared experience. As one veteran from the era put it, 'You could walk down the street and know that strangers were your
friends.'
The 1960s ideology is alive to-
day, and so it should be. Promo- tion of self-expression, unity, social change, racial equality and
disarmament are positive, not negative, ideals and we should apply this idealism to today'a world as well.
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