N.C. ESSAY - PAGE 3
Features, etc
The Draft and Your Alternatives
by mjf
Sooner or later nearly every
male in this school is going to
have to deal with his draft board.
I realize that this isn’t a pleasant
prospect, but for right now it’s a
necessary one. Since this whole
hassle of military obligation is
currently a part of my daily life
(I’ve filed a C-0), I felt it might
be good to relay some in
formation which will no doubt
eventually be useful.
When you turn eighteen you are
expected to register with your
local board for the purpose of
giving them vital statistics
about yourself and your
availability for the draft. You are
bound to do this by law. Some
people don’t. That’s cool, if you
get away with it. But if you’re
caught, you may face severe
penalties. There are better ways
to play this game.
When you turn nineteen you
will receive a lottery number
(drawn at random). If your
number is past, say “250” or
thereabouts, chances are good
that you won’t be called. If it’s
lower, you should be aware of
some things.
Physical
Most of you will eventually take
a pre-induction (you remember,
like in “Alice’s Restaurant”). If
you have a physical disability you
will probably be rejected.
Likewise if you are considered
(by the board) to be mentally
unfit for military service. Some
people see a psychiatrist and
receive letters attesting to their
inability to cope with military
life. This will work, although:
(a.) it can be expensive, (b.)
doctors will not always write
convincing letters, and (c.)
boards often do not believe the
most convincing of words.
If you have committed a felony
or are awaiting trial your draft
case may be delayed con
siderably, pending results.
If you are temporarily injured,
you will receive a 1-Y
classification for a limited period
of time.
And, if you are in school with a
11-S deferment, you’re ok for the
time being; however, it would be
wise to know all about this
anyway.
The other feasible alternative
is applying as a C-0. This is a
difficult thing to do and a decision
that should not be made in
discriminately. It entails a great
deal of self-analysis and
questioning of ideals and prin
ciples. It is not an easy choice to
make. But if you are sincere and
honestly cannot serve in the
armed forces because of your
convictions (or if you are willing
to serve as a non-combatant),
then you should file as a C-0.
C-0
The C-0 classification is no
longer based entirely on religion;
it does allow for personal beliefs.
But, you must convince your
board of your sincerity by sub
mitting a written statement,
gathering letters of support, and,
in all probability, a personal
appearance before the board. If
these fail, you still maintain the
right of appeal. If you fail to
receive the C-0, there is a
possibility that you will be im-
prisioned (assuming that you
stick to your convictions). Think
it over. Even with the C-O you are
expected to serve two years
civilian alternative service (i.e.,
hospital work).
If you reach your twenty-sixth
birthday and haven’t been called,
you are relatively safe; boards
will not ordinarily pursure you.
Advice
The entire workings of the
Selective Service System are far
too complex for me to understand
or to explain. Also, regulations
have a nasty habit of changing
monthly, so it’s really difficult to
know what’s going on all the
time. But I can give you some
advice.
If you have any questions or
problems, see a draft counselor.
He has the facts and he is willing
to help. He’ll know what you can
and should do and he’ll also be
aware if your board is doing
anything wrong (not at all
unusual these days; many people
have avoided the draft simply
because of board’s errors).
Find out as much as you can
about the operations of your own
board. Know their in-
terpertations of regulations, their
assumptions, their prejudices
(i.e., against long hairs).
Discover early that boards are
not uniform and do not function in
accordance with other local
boards.
Read as much as you can.
There are several fine books out
on the subject. Guide To The
Draft is an excellent general
survey, while Hanbook For
Conscientious Objectors and
Face To Face With Your Draft
Board are important specific
references to the C-0 possibility.
If you can’t handle any of this,
emmigration is another
possibility. Again, know all you
can and make sure that you are
doing what you want to do.
There’s no way back once you
leave.
This is nothing to play around
with. Get the facts now, even if
you are not presently concerned.
My own mistakes and fears so far
have been caused by a dreadful
lack of knowledge. If you do not
believe you can serve in the
military know what you can do
about it. If you are willing to
serve, find out how it can most
benefit you. Above all, know what
you think and why. And once your
decision is made, live by it.
(Note: Sam Stone and David
Wilson, both within the im
mediate area, are both excellent
draft counselors. If you have any
questions, contact either. Also,
I’m willing to talk to anyone who
wants general experience-related
information.)
k
ASTROLOGY “I’m A What. • Kaplan
Even a nonbeliever knows his
astrological sign. If his birthday
falls, for example, between May
22 and June 21, the charts have
always told him that he is a
Gemini. He is reassured that
deep down he is restless, ver
satile, clever, exuberent and
expressive, even if his friends
and neighbors find him stolid,
sullen and introverted. Sudden
notification that this same fellow
is in reality a Taurus - stubborn,
systematic, kind hearted and
musical - is sure to prove un
settling, particularly when he
appears decidely sloppy, mean
and congenitaly tone-deaf.
Worse still would be the news
that he has been reclassified a
Cetus, a sun sign that points to
no personality traits whatever
and cannot be found embassed on
a single watch job, dish towel, or
shower curtain. Nontheless, such
a possibility now exists. So says
Stephen Schmidt, whose book
Astrology 14 (Bobbs-Merrill;
$4.95) not only shifts the old sign
to different dates but adds two
more constellations to the Zodiac.
Schmidt’s theory turns upon the
fact that in the 2,000 years since
the old astrological rules were set
up, there has been a slight change
in the tilt of the earth’s axis. This
has caused an apparent shift in
the positions of the constellations.
In addition, he notes that
astrologers have refused to
recognize that there are actually
fourteen constellations in the
Zodiac belt, not twelve.
An even dozen, of course, is
covenient for reckoning points of
the compass or months of the
year. Fourteen is a bother. Hence
the two additional constellations,
Cetus (the whale) and Ophiuchus
(the serpent) have been ignored.
Not by Schmidt, who assigns
each constellation twenty-six
days instead of thirty, making
room for Cetus between Aires
and Tarus, and for Ophiuchus
between Scorpio and Sagittarius.
I^t the horoscopes fall where
they may; his way, Schmidt
argues, gives a better guide to
analyzing character.
Astrology 14 has not moved
heaven or earth within the occult
trade. Established astrologers
like Carroll Righter, who built
reputations and fortunes on a
twelve-sign system, dismisses
Schmidt’s theories as
“meaningless.: University of
AARON COPLAND DmECTS THE NCSA ORCHESTRA at a
rehearsal during his recent visit here for the Copland Festival.
Related stories below and on Page 1. p^^to by Nicholson
Copland and Creamcheese
Southern California’s Astronomy
Professor, Gibson Reaves, points
out that “astrology is essentially
irrational, and to try to give it
such a rational, scientific ex
planation would spoil for most
people, anyway:”
Revised Chart:
Aaron Copland is a rather
remarkable seventy-year-old
man who responds to life as if he
were twenty. Answering
questions at a press conference
during his recent visit here for
the Copland Festival, the
renowned conductor and com
poser spoke with a verve and
enthusiasm that is uncommon
anywhere these days. The man is
obviously still enjoying what has
already been a full and rich life.
Mr. Copland, in talking about
audience reaction to new, in
novative music, said that most
people seem to expect a “per
manent condition” to exist even
in the music they hear. “Most
atidiences have difficulty with
‘new music,’ ” he said, “they
want to hear the familiar things,
not the music of their own time.”
This brought up the question of
the works of avantgarde com
posers, such as Karlheinz
Stockhausen, Terry Reilly, and
Pierre Boulez (whom Copland
admires greatly). “Some of their
work is quite good, but again,
they are forced to write and play
for extremely tiny audiences.”
As for electronic music as a
genre, Mr. Copland feels that
“it’s in the cards,” but also thinks
that much of it “has a
sameness.”
Of his own work, Mr. Copland
admitted that “some of it can be
appreciated and understood by
only a very small crowd.” Asked
what was his favorite of his own
compositions, he said that he
didn’t like to answer such
1st House
2nd House
l?rd House
4th House
5th House
6th House
7th House
8th House
9th House
10th House
nth House
12th House
i;?th House
14th House
Pisces
Aires
Cetus
Tarus
Gemini
Caincer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Ophiuchus
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
questions, but added that very
often his selections differed from
popular opinion.
Mr. Copland has an ear for rock
music too. “I think that the rock
music of today is in an extremely
healthy period ... at least it was
last week.” While Mr. Copland
said he wasn’t as aware of rock
as he would like to be, he men
tioned Frank Zappa and The
Mothers of Invention as his
favorites, and “of course. The
Beatles . . . it’s a shame they
won’t be playing again.” His
main objection to rock and roll as
a form is its “drug-like repititious
quality.”
Mr. Copland began studying
music seriously at age 1.1. “But it
should be younger ... six is a
good age,” he said. He also stated
(with perhaps a tinge of regret)
that opportunities for young
musicians today are far superior
to when he began.
What does a man who has
composed and played music all
his life listen to when he is just
listening’ “A good question, but
I’mafraid I’ll give a poor answer.
I don’t listen to any one thing in
particular, there’s no one thing I
go to. To me, all music is in
teresting. And I listen!”
Aaron Copland has been
listening for a long time. And yet,
he still hnds it a new, vital, ex
citing experience everytime.
There aren’t many like him
around.
Can you dig Aaron Copland
getting behind Suzie Cream
cheese?
"The Public Messiah"
21iii - 15 iv
Ifiiv - lliv
12v - fivi
7vi - 2vii
3vii - 28vii
29vii - 23viii
24vii - 18ix
19ix - 14x
15x - 9xi
lOxi - 5xii
()xii - 31xii
li - 2f)i
27i - 21 ii
22ii - 20iii
NOTICES
Notice: Aparently a lot of
freaky things happened
while we were away. We’re
referring to the situation in
the Design and Production
Dept. ( and also the fact
that members of the Dance
and Music departments
met and discussed what
they felt were prbblems
within their schools). We
were present when the D &
P dept, presented their
multi-facted document to
the SCA, but since then
they’ve had to revi.se it, and
that’s where we left off.
Because we had a depleted
staff when all this occurred
and were going mad with
various and sundry other
things and because this
issue was sort of rushed,
we haven’t been able to
talk to all sides and get an
accurate account of what
went/is going down.
However, we’ll have a
report in the next issue of
the N.C. Essay.
by Robin Kaplan
Continued From Page 2
I was arrested uptown near the
Interstate 40 West exit. The
police found me kneeling on my
hands and knees eating grass...it
was last May. They gave me
twenty-eight days in this place.
You see, with all their in
telligence they couldn’t say to
themselves “Now why was that
man eating grass?” If I saw a
man eating grass, I’d say that
man was hungry...
The only problem the hospital
seemed to have was the recovery
of Dardin’s clothes. They wanted
him out of the place as soon as
possible, but Dardin was quite
prepared to take off the street
clothes provided by the hospital
and walk out of it as he had been
brought in originally by the meat
wagon from Washington Park.
Klein said that exhibitionism
was suppressed more for shame
at the reaction it prompts than
for anything else.
You know, son, Dardin said, I
found a little jungle in the middle
of the park, and I could have
charged around in it with my
spear, stark naked, and nobody
would have noticed. I buried all
my writings there. But I decided
to go out and face the widening
dawn. So they nicked me.
The next day the police found
his clothes, and his writings,
“The Terrible Confessions of a
Gypsy Vamp,” and Dardin was
told that he would be released the
next day. Jenny Drake came to
see him. She is much older than
Dardin; and when she could get
about more, she used to keep a
fruit barrow outside the park
gates. Before that she drove a
bus, and before that whe was a
stripper. She still has her hair
bleached a flash blonde. The head
nurse showed her in and she sat
beside Klein.
Did you bring me my favorite
tonic wine? said Dardin, taking a
bottle from his pocket. The stvoks
are running low.
I did not, said Jenny. F^t thiit
away. I came down to see if you
were being treated okay...I’m
going to have a rest...I’m going
away. It’s not the house that’s
falling in on me, it’s the people...I
didn’t come down to moan; but
I’m going to have a rest-twenty-
one days voluntary patient as a
mental drug addict. Not your
kind of drugs.
You have a rest, said Dardin. I
mean you might as well avail
yourseU of all the amenities of
the welfare state.
To Be Continued