October 23, 1975
The Pendulum
Page Three
Concert featured “absolute musicians”
by Diane Costa
I was a veritable pile of nerves
by the time I got inside Goose
Creek Symphony's dressing
room. Between the expectation
of whether or not I could get
backstage and anticipation of
some kind of magnificent aura
encircling the performers, I was
unsure if I could even speak.
It flipped me out. I walked
through the door, and they were
getting well along with partying,
an activity I was later to find the
band exists by but not for.
On stage the eight members
are eight parts in a musical
arrangement. Off stage they're
eights guys who get down all in
their own way.
After I had time to take a big
breath and get my head together.
I started around the room asking
my seemingly mundane
questions. The first person I
talked to was Pat, the bass
player, maybe because he was
sitting next to me but probably
because he seemed like an
average type of guy.
The rhythmic movement,
drive, beat or whatever you want
to call it astounded me. The way
it seemed to flow was so tight
and together. Pat said it was
mostly from playing the music a
lot and being together as a group
for so long. Willard Hackmaster,
the only original member
spanning the seven-year run, said
"I've been with the band so long,
it just happens.”
Ellis Schwied the ■'fiddlin'"
player, has been pockin' n'
Goose Creek Symphony rolling off a tune. (Photo by Dave
Shuford)
Elon grads are having
hard time job hunting
by Greg Lanier &
Paige Garriques
For many people who have
graduated from Elon within the
past couple of years, the job of
finding a job has been difficult.
Many of them have stayed in the
Burlington area and have ended
up taking jobs which are not what
they had hoped for.
Mylan Buff and Gary Austin,
both '75 graduates, were unable
to move on to the things they
were looking forward to. They
have not had to remain
unemployed, but both have taken
jobs at Memorial Hospital as
psychiatric therapists. Although
they commented that the money
isn't good, Myland said, "We
make ends meet." However he
added, ''The personal
satisfaction of helping people is
great,''
Myland had hoped to enter
medical school this fall but
couldn't gain admission. He
mentioned that competition was
stiff and government regulations
on racial equality kept him from
getting in.
Gary Austin had graduated
with a P.E. teaching degree, but
after several applications still
had no luck in landing a job. The
schools said there was no need
for teachers. He got the job at the
hospital through Mr. Buff.
Both Gary and Mylan said.
"We were disappointed that our
degree didn't fulfill our
expectations." They haven't
given up though, and are still
making applications tor other
jobs.
Debbie CiK'hran, another '75
Elon grad, is still floundering
around to find a job suitable to
her flambuoyant style. After
taking it easy this summer as a
transient bum at her home in
Newport News, she decided to
come on back to her old alma
mater and give the ti>wn a gn>d
going-over. She waitressed out at
Pass Brothers Fish House foi' a
month before she landed a job
w'ith Burlington city schools.
Debbie said, "I think the process
of finding a job is probably
tougher than the job itself, once
you have gotten one. It tixik
almost a month, but I have
finally found a job working with
kids having problems in reading
and math. The only way you'll
find a job is following up on
every suggestion, name, or lead
you get wind of."
According to Larry Barnes,
director of placement at Elon,
the problem is ttx> many people
looking for too few jobs. He
stated that many companies have
sent him letters saying that at the
present time there is no need for
recruitment. He went on to say,
"The people who are getting the
jobs are the ones who are
tenacious enough to keep on
looking and applying for the jobs
they want." In reference to
teaching jobs, Mr. Barnes
commented that there is a
shortage of math and science
teachers. He added that in most
other teaching jobs there is an
overflow of teachers.
These students, along with
many others, have found that the
few job openings available tire
very hard to get.
According to the College
Placement Council, jobs for last
June's bachelor degree holders
are down by 24 per cent, from
1973-74.
Manufacturing and industrial
firms have made the sharpest
cutbacks in recruiting Bachelor
degree holders.
At the master's degree level,
job offers are down by 18 per
cent and for Ph.D.'s by .'?7 per
cent.
Regardless of the newfound
emphasis on hiring more women,
they received 1.3 per cent fewer
job offers than last year, though
the decrease for men was 26 per
cent.
pickin' since he started private
lessons in Chicago at the age of
six, some 17 years ago. In '72 he
received his Bachelor of Music
degree from Indiana University
in Bloomington. A little over two
years ago he became involved
with a producer who introduced
him to the symphony. He
explained the way their music
just jived together so well as a
"magical and universal type
thing."
When I asked Ellis about the
image of the band, he sat back
and reeled off, "It's a
combination of country rock and
'40's music, a big sound with a
lot of great instrumentation.
We're not a band with just a lead
guitar, drummer, and singer. 1
think people need this kind of
sound; it gets people off, not a
loud blaring riK'k and roll. Our
image is like Linda says — get a
house and live in the country.'
Billy Ray Reynolds, and the
piano player Michael McFadden
have been doing most of the new
writing, and we've been adapting
it to our style. A kind of laid back
country guitar and piano,
eventually it comes out Goose
Greek."
By this time the fellows were
getting right so we all adjourned
to their bus to party awhile. The
bus was a ptish pad on wheels so
the atmosphere left me more at
ease to sit back and just rap. It
was really "heart-warming. " for
lack of more meaningful words,
to meet people that I held in high
esteem who thought of
themselves and me as just
people. No hassles with any kind
of cheap egotism,
competitiveness or
commercialism were evident
even in an implied vague sense.
Lastly. I'd like to thank Rick
Coradi and Jay Tutwiler for
giving me the unique opportunity
to have a few words with
absolute musicians, something
all of us in Elon's Music
Department need to do a lot more
of.
Vocalist and guitarist Andrew Gold accompanied Linda
Ronstadt. (Photos by Dave Shuford)
“Big” weekend proves a bad mix
by Doug Durante
The old cliche that driving and
drinking don't mix has no
exceptions, as Elon students are
ruefully finding out. The rising
number of arrests for operating a
motor vehicle while under the
influence of intoxicating liquor is
becoming a nemesis to Elon's
partying people and with good
reason. Last year 49,000 people
died on America's highways and
.‘>0'^ of these deaths were alcohol
related.
Homecoming weekend alone
at least 10 Elon students were
arrested and this number is only
slightly higher than the number
arrested every two weeks. Police
clearly state that no abnormal
procedure is being taken to find
drunk drivers they are simply
everywhere.
In a recent lecture to the
Alcohol Information Class at
TIA. officer J.E. Walker
reminded the class that most
arrests for D.U.I. are prompted
by a violation of a different
nature which results in
policemen suspecting alcohol to
be involved. At this point several
tests are administered to
determine the amount of alcohol
in the suspect.
Late-night attempts to raise
bond or bail money in the
dormitories and fraternity houses
are not so lare as one might
imagine. Conviction of this
charge can be damaging, both
financially and personally, and
many students do not realize the
consequences. A D.U.I.
conviction almost always raises
insurance payments and can be
an obstruction in seeking a job,
further education and security
clearings.
It is reasonable to understand
that students need to party, but
when automobiles and alcohol
are mixed there must be an
alternative. Police in our area are
aware of "big" weekends at
Elon and even though more
people are getting caught even
more are getting away with it.
If a student has been caught,
he may have learned his lesson,
and if he has not, he will be better
not to learn the hard way.
Pops concert may become annual event
by Joe Guyer
On Oct. 28 at 8:00 p.m. a
unique event will take place in
the Elon College Alumni Gym.
The event is a musical concert
which will bring together mostly
area talent to present many
different forms of musical
expression.
The program will include the
Emanons. the College
Community Orchestra, the Elon
College Choir, a rock group
called Sugar Grove, and soloists
Terry Cofield, voice teacher, and
Paul Smith, student. William
Lonu. dean of students, will
serve as master of ceremonies.
Music will range from orchestral
renditions of the great masters,
to Broadway show tunes, to jazz,
to hard rock. In addition,
individuals in the reserved seat
section may dine while enjoying
the concert.
There has never been a concert
like this attempted at Elon
before, but it is hof>ed by those
producing it that lesponse will
warrant making it an annual
affair. Dr. Malvin Artley.
ctxirdinator of the event, said in a
telephone interview. "We've
never had a concert like this
before. If we get enough interest
we will have one every year. We
would like to do it up real big."
Dr. Artley also stated that this is
a project of the Elon Chapter of
the Music Educators National
Conference in cooperation with
the Fine Arts Department. All
proceeds from this event will go
toward scholarships for
deserving music students.
Admission to the concert is ‘^3.(K)
for reserved seats and ''2.00 for
general admission. Elon College
students will receive a si.00
discount off either ticket upon
presentation of student I.D.
cards. Tickets are on sale now at
the Student Center.