Page 73 - ThePhoenix1992-93

News Walt Michael Returns To Western " y, ~l':~ ( '" Maryland After Twenty-five Years ',-"'::-:: J ,;;.;;"'" /' BY C.M. KEINER rated." ter); he then began preparing for fin for making that kind of a de- fiif:_: ¥'" -. . S'affW/"i,,, He credits Professors Del an extended jail sentence. cision as a student. [I thought,] and Nancy Palmer. Ray Though he was never impris- 'Ir's over-c-tt's over now.' Here Irs approaching late after- Phillips, Keith Richwine, Bill oned, Walt says that the per- I am at my alma mater sitting noon in the Levine hall of mu- Tribby, Esther Smith, and Earl sonal consequences of that deci- with the administration and I'm sic. A copy of the October-De- Griswold for opening his eyes. sion "established for me a very being praised! ...Driving home Ever Get Somebody cember 1992 issue of Dulcimer One teacher was especially in- skeptical stance. [found that I [to upstate New York) Iactually Players News, whose cover he spiring. "When I came on cam- didn't want to make conces- wept for feeling free of that. It adorns, is somewhere nearby, pus J remember hearing how Ira sions; I wanted to pursue my makes sense because there are TotIII~Wdsted! but Walt Michael '68isn·tpon· Zepp had just got back from muse-and that was making still Vietnam veterans dying dering his musical career. He's Selma-he marched in Selma!" music." Walt learned to play emotionally from the things that not musing on his performances he says of his mentor, who not at a conservatory, but with happened to them. That war got at the 1981 Olympic Closing along with Dr. Griswold ran (be banjo picker Christian Bailey in everyone ...." Ceremonies, "A Prairie Home WMC West His face lights up. "That's Companion," the 1992 Shetland contin- Vir- why I'm so excited about [the Folk Festival, nor tbe 1995 In- gent of ginia. election of] Bill Clinton, be- ternational Dulcimer Festival, t h e Later, cause it proves that the country for which his band, Walt SO S. as a has come full-circle. We're go- Michael and Company, is al- Further- stu - ing to move beyond it now, but ready booked. Rather, he is re- more, dent it took a long, long lime-a fRIENDS DON'] lET fRIENDS flecting on the interwoven lega- " I r a t whole generation. My genera- cies of Western Maryland Col- brought Drew tion is now assuming power and DRIVE DRUNK. lege and Vietnam. t h e Theo- we'll see how we do, but I have Today,asa visiting Jan Term world to logi- the sense that we have some an- instructor of North American t h , c a I swers.; Because we've been music, he says that WMC pre- cam- Semi- through Vietnam, we've had to pared him "for the struggle that pus" by nary, come up with some responses life is about." Indeed, the year cngag- Walt that work." he graduated was one of the ingsuch honed At the end of the interview, most explosive of the twentieth speak- his Walt Michael asks to speak to century; far from being a stag- ers as skills today's students. While recog- nant enclave, the college was William at the nizing their financial struggles, split by the same forces severing Sloane local be urges them to reject material- Mr, SUTTON, CANADA the country. As described by Coffin co f- ism: "Be open to the chances of lJIIi_ .. '.....kfNo) He means - Walt, who along witb 60 other and fe, a liberal arts education-follow WMC students worked three Malcolm bo"", the path with the heart. We ONLY $209 summers for the Student Oppor- Ballou, Walt Michael '68 playing the mandolin. where need people with soul, with a ,,"*,"'II,es.IO.1 tunity Service (SOS) in Appala- promi- "a lot quest for doing things well and life to the _.,._-- chia, "There was a great di- nent peace activists. Martin of traditional [bluegrass, folk for taking chances." S Dcl7Il1T1cf<., the -_ chotomy going on-at the same Luther King was also to speak at and Old-Time] music was com- it. In Dr. Ira Zepp's words, time we were doing Peace WMC, but he cancelled the ing through." His mastery of "Walt was always on the cutting SNIfIIIIlHgIog Corps kind of work and voter week before to mediate at an the hammered dulcimer, man- edge. He desperately wanted to {IIOIIIWIIIldeCondo} registration in the South ..., the African conference; two weeks donn and guitar has enabled relate his academic 5 DaJS"'Ia'toItgIaIeAcllriUeo campus had mandatory ROTC later he was assassinated. him to make music full-time. social issues of the sixties, and was sending kids off to During the sixties, WMC Indeed, he cites himself as one civil rights and anti-war move- ~j~fr ....-- .... war." Says Walt, "We felt in- committed every male student of the many baby boomers who ments. The marvel is, he still credibly oppressed and at the to the Anny Reserve Officer has never grown up, stating, "1 feels that way." Or as his J.... 3-8, "'. 'M5 & 5prlngbm/t '93 same time we feJt-exhila- Training Corps for his first two don't have a job!" He actually former classmate-now CAll SIll IllAVil UNIIMIIID years. Walt served, but follow- books over 100 gigs a year, and Dean-Barbara Disharoon puts ing graduation he refused his records for Aying Fish Records it, "He left a melody in my Social Work ROTC commission=the only and Homespun Vietnam did not heart." Tapes. member of his class to do so. For Walt, From Page 1 Says he, it was Co~!in who "re- end until he returned to WMC to Respond to ally turned my head as to the perform for the twentieth anni- mailed/faxed to the Office of the war ...I remember asking him a versary of Earth Day. Because our Commentary President. As Dan Rees put it, question about my situation and of the fallout from his anti-war "It was you, the students that he just kicked the question rigbt action, "I left Western Mary- made all of the difference. They back at me, which is what Viet- land [in 1968] still loving the [the faculty] probably would nam for all of us was about: Write a letter to the Editor have voted the program out if professorsbmhatingtheinstitu- Send it to The Phoenix Via Campus Mail 'What are you as an individual non." April 22, 1990 was ca- you hadn't lobbied them like going to do about it?'" Walt thartic: "I listened to [keynoter) you did. You did a good job." applied for conscientious objec- William Sloane Coffin, silting When the faculty finally tor status, which he was granted voted on tbe recommendation it because of his upbringing (bis next to the Palmcrs-c-Nancy FANS Palmer and the Dean of tho Fac- had been amended twice to father was a Methodist minis- ulty-and was praised by Cof- read: After due consideration the APC recommends a 2 year @ term hire in the Sociology de- Rape Myth #31 partment to fulfill the college's TH: Jokes about rape don't hurt anyone ordo any berm. obligation to juniors and sopho- CT: /1 is callous and harmful 10make jokes aboul crimes that CHINESE RESTAURANT mores already enrolled in the Social Work Major. The vote u.miliate and hurt other people. The relelling of, and shared laughter Szechuan· Cantonese= American t such jokes reinforces that rape does no harm and that rapists are was unanimous to keep the ma- 01responsible for their behavior. 59 West Main sr., Westminster, MD 21157 jor. Telephone: From the Social work Pro- For help or more information, call the Rape Crisis Intervention gram to the Western Maryland Service. Our services are free and all inquiries are confidential. (301) 848-0919 • (301) 876-3166 College community, Thank you Hotline 857·7322 Office:857-0900 for your support.