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Riggs vs. King
Thursday night, September 20, ABC Television along
with various sponsors, presented possibly the biggest
sports hoax the American public has viewed thus far.
Fifty-five-year old Bobby Riggs challenged twenty-nine
year old liberist Billy Jean King in a supposedly “Battle
of the Sexes” tennis match for the sum of $200,000.
Thousands of television viewers everywhere witnessed
a sport’s publicity stunt and a money making gimmick
that if anything detrimented the promotion of tennis by
it’s mere falsehood. Also viewers were fortunate enough
to witness the utterly poor comentation by Howard
Cosell, and the bigoted Miss Rosemary Casals, along
with tennis pro Gene Scott. As an added attraction
Hollywood naturally decked out for the affair and ABC
cameras never missed one celebrity.
The atmosphere of the whole thing was entirely ab
surd. It seemed the match was a joke from the begin
ning. Billy Jean King paraded into the Astrodome like
Cleopatra of the Nile on a platform surrounded by
plumages and hefted upon the shoulders of four huge
males. Bobby Riggs made his grand entrance reclined
in a motorized cart surrounded by an array of female
beauties. For Bobby Riggs this type of outlandishness is
typical, but for Billy Jean King it is definitely not her
style. As the entertainment progressed, stunt after stunt
continued, I was beginning to anticipate the appearance
of Don Ameche and his Russian circus. The point is that
we became involved in personalities and not tennis,
which can be enlightening but not to the point of being
hideous.
After the prelimenaries, “Sugar Daddy” (Bobby
Riggs) and Billy Jean finally got their match underway.
It was sadly disappointing to learn that Mrs. King had
requested that Jack Kramer not assist in commitating,
for this one factor may have saved the broadcast. It
would almost be boastful to say that the tennis
knowledge of Howard Cosell would fill a matchbox. He
could not comment on the players or the game at any
depth whatsoever. And with a female egotist on his left
and a shy male on his right, well if you didn’t see the
broadcast one can imagine the results.
ABC cameras refused to take full coverage of the
match. I preferably would retitle the match “Your
Favorite Star.” Three times during important volleys
the cameras left the match to catch Mr. or Miss
Celebrity chatting with various other VIP’s.
As far as the actual tennis play, the serves, ball
placement, and backhand of Bill Jean King was superb.
Her stamina and consistancy from the beginning proved
a bit too much for the slightly aged Bobby Riggs. It
seemed an exact reversal of the Margarat Court-Bobby
Riggs match at the end of last spring. In that match,
Bobby played the lines, controlled the volleys and
generally conserved his energy by running Miss Court
over every square inch of the court. The shoe was on the
other foot this time and there was nothing Bobby’s one-
a-day tablets could do for him at this point. Mr. Riggs
plays a thinking man’s game but he came out of this one
a little boggle minded...
Battle of the sexes? Not hardly, what did we see? A
twenty-nine year old female defeated a fifty-five year
old man, nothing substantial for the advancement of
women’s tennis. One may argue that the egotistical
male chauvinist Bobby Riggs was finally put in his
place. That would be the case if Mr. Riggs was this kind
of person, but in my opinion, he’s not. He is just one
person out to hussle as much of life, no matter by what
means or terms. I seriously doubt any of his public
accusations against the inferiority of women are deeply
rooted in his personality at all. I think he is too smart a
man. This is just the means by which he hussled his way
through another phase of his life. Now that this is gone I
could almost guarantee that he will latch on to
something else of this nature, to hussle his way to
another goal in life.
It is sad to think how interisting and worthwhile this
match could have been. If it had been a normally
televised sports attraction we could have escaped the
falsehood that prevailed. If it had simply been a man’s
game versus a women’s game of tennis, not strictly
competition but enjoying the psychological aspects, the
contrast in the style of play, and women’s strategy
versus man’s strategy it would have been possibly, a
much better promotion. However it would be more just
in this case if the male opponent was a bit finer
specimen than Mr. Riggs, nevertheless something of
this nature.
Bob Allen
Mj Neighbors 1htOld1m£A
■3
*^Are you a thoughtful
doubler, or a doubtful
thinker?'*
Of CNOW4K rCMllfJ
Editor Bob Allen
Associate Editor Rebecca Workman
Artist
Exhibit
4
Musinqs
By PROF. ROBERT G. MULDER
WELCOME TO THE GARDEN SPOT
OF THE ROANOKE CHOWAN
By the time this issue of Smoke
Signals reaches the press, collegiate life
will be old hat for even our freshest
freshman. Orientation will be over,
receptions wll have been endured, and
hopefully class schedules will have
ceased their state of fluxuation.
When I came to Chowan as a student
in 1954, my parents brought me over to
this sacred spot on Sunday afternoon. I
have the distinction of being the first
resident of what is now Mixon Hall.
After I had moved into my room on
second floor, ./e strolled over to the
Columns Building for the beginning of
matriculation.
As we ascended the steps of this lovely
structure (at the time I thought that
surely this must be the largest building
south of New York City), a seasoned
sophomore, grinning like a Cheshire
;at, opened the big door for us and sang
out as rehearsed: “Welcome to Chowan
College.”
And welcomed we were: at meetings,
receptions, parties, the works. Orien
tation took only that Sunday afternoon
and evening, registration was on
Monday and classes began on Tuesday.
It too me only a short time to know all
my professors and fellow students.
Classes were small, a certain closeness
was felt among the student body, and I
recall with complete delight and sheer
pleasure my two years at this in
stitution. Surely this is the garden spot
of the world, I thought.
And then I discovered something that
perhaps every student subjected to an
institution realizes at one time or
another. This may well be a garden
spot, but there are definitely some
'“weeds” growing around.
In an attempt to identify some of the
unpleasant growths encountered in our
freshman-sophomore garden, I have, in
Watergate-Defendant fashion, at
tempted to reconstruct the events of my
two student years at this institution.
Would you believe how much the weeds
of yesterday resemble those of today.
In those days we complained about
the food in the cafeteria. “It’s not like
home-cooked food,” we bemoaned. And
what’s more — how unfair to make us
pay for food when we go home on
weekends. The hard truth was that we
probably got more for our money during
the week than we paid for.
And there was that weed called chapel
which sprang up every morning at 10:00
o’clock. Chapel was required five days
each week; the student bady was small
and attendance was checked by the
dean who sat in the balcony and
down upon us with his blessings an^Wd
pencil. With such strict supervision, it
was practically impossible to cut. In
retrospect, I must have heard four
preachers a week during my two years,
and really I don’t feel any the less today
for this exposure.
We also had compulsory class at
tendance, a weed to which many ob
jected and about which nothing was
done. Some of the teachers were dif
ficult, or so we thought; however, when
we transferred we had Chowan to thank
for some of the best undergraduate
instruction we received in our academic
lives.
Any number of unnecessary reles and
regulations became weeds for us to hack
arou d, to chew upon, but ultimately to
follow. They were all seemingly so
important at the time but so in
significant now I can’t recall a single
one. This fact reveals to me now how
really unimportant these weeds actually
were.
Every farmer knows that weeds in the
garden are to be expected. One of three
things may be done about t:em: weeds
may be endured, they may be
destroyed, or they may be ignored. To
ignore the weeds may not be advisable,
to destroy them may be totally im
possible; therefore, to endure them may
be the most sensible approach.
There’s no doubt about it: you have
come to the garden spot of the Roanoke
Chowan. Do not be surprised, however,
if you encounter some weeds along the
way. These weeds aren’t really im
portant; it is, moreover, your reaction
to them that will determine your hap
piness and success as you face this
experience in education.
Hopefully you will survive them and
fifteen years from now when you look
back upon this experience, your
memory will recall only the good times,
the life-long friends, the happy hours,
and the academic successes — all of
which may be strengthened by a few
weeds here and there.
Drama Department Has New Head
By JAMES MOORE
Great things are on the horizon
for Chowan’s drama department
and its new head Mrs. Nancy E.
Robinson, who plans to produce
six shows a year. Although new at
teaching, Mrs. Robinson has had
considerable experience in both
university and community
theatre.
Interestingly enough, she did
hot major in drama in college.
Instead, she graduated from
Wittenberg University in
Springfield, Ohio^with her B.A. in
English and was working in
Anchorage, Alaska when she had
her first experience with the
theatre. Her job there was
assistant director with a com
munity group. However, the
actual director never showed up
and Mrs. Robinson ended up
putting the show together herself.
It was a “fascinating ex
perience” she reports and the
beginning of her interest in
drama.
As a result, she entered
Eastern Michigan University in
Ypsilanti, where she began
studies for a masters degree in
speech and drama which she
received in August, 1971. In many
instances, she found that it was a
“from the ground up” job as
many of her cfSsses were with
freshmen. However, she “loved
it,” especially her two years in
graduate school. During this
period she did everything from
acting to building sets to lighting.
FoUowing her graduation, Mrs.
Robinson went to work for the
Veterans Administration in
Atlanta, where her mother lives,
until she accepted her present
position at Chowan.
Her plans for the drama
department include showing sue
plays during the year. Four of
these are scheduled to be acted in
Daniel Hall and the other two will
Mrs. Nancy E
which premiers October 2 at
Daniel Hall. Next on the agenda
is “You’re A Good Man, Charlie
Brown.” Written by Clark Gesner
and based on Charles Shultz’s
comic strip “Peanuts,” it is
described by Mrs. Robinson as a
“fun fun musical.” It will run
from November. 15 through IV on
McDowell-Columns stage.
Mrs. Robinson also commented
that she is “really enjoying” her
Robinson
to say so because they think our
program is open only to drama
majors,” Mrs. Robinson com
mented. “This just isn’t so” she
continued. “We need and
welcome anyone who wants to be
a part of our productions in any
way.” Mrs. Robinson feels that
her department and Chowan
have something very important
in common. They are both small
but growing. She says the thing
She likes most is that “here the
effort of just one person means a
lot.” Chowan students can rest
assured that Mrs. Robinson will
mean much to them for she is
dedicated to and loves her work.
new job. She says that Chowan’s
drama students are good, though
few in number. She is especially
be presented in McDowell- anxious to stress that anybody
Columns auditorium. The and everybody is welcome to help
department’s first production in drama productions. Many
will be “Waiting for Lefty,” students want to help but hesitate