On Spring Weekends and Beer

The social activists have taken over at Quincy House. Led by student radicals M. Kirby Wilcox '70 and Tom Schnorr '70, the House Committee has discarded the traditional one-weekend spring blast and has substituted three weekends of social action.

One-weekend sprees are as old and outdated as the University power structure, as well as being basically freshman, but original plans original plans had been for such an affair. A survey indicated that proposed trips to the beach, etcetera were not too appealing to people in the House, and that, in fact, a big weekend for the House was no real turn-on at all. Projected costs to students were also unpopular. There was, too, the problem of paying for a big-name band.

So the committee came up with the idea of several weekends. The intent is to make each one more exciting than the previous one. The costs for participants is nearly zero as the committee intends to dig quite deeply into its funds.

Last weekend featured some better than average, though not awe-inspiring meals, an outdoor concert, and some cartoons in the courtyard. The concert irked some people who felt the academic atmosphere was jeopardized, perhaps shattered. For the most part, however, reaction was encouraging and many people took advantage of the offerings.

This weekend will be bigger and better, starting with a showing of Guns of Navarone Friday evening. Saturday's activity has been designated a "carnival" by Wilcox's group. "There will be something for everybody," Wilcox pointed out.

The courtyard will be divided into five parts. In one section will be a barbecue setup, and next to that a beer dispensary. Another area will feature movies or cartoons, and opposite that, a place to play games, whatever that entails. "We're going to supply a croquet set," Wilcox said. The band will be placed in the fifth section, and in the middle of everything will be a tug-of-war.

There is even entertainment for the horny at heart, majority, in the dining hall. A belly dancer from, of all places, Brandeis will perform. To top everything, a good dinner is being planned for that evening.

But there's more. Sunday afternoon a jazz groups will play Dixieland stuff. One awed student, Tommy Harris '70, said yesterday, "Kirby's the best thing to hit Quincy House since the fire four years ago."

Wilcox, Schnorr, and the rest of the House committee really outdo themselves the next weekend. Things start with a bang Thursday night when there will be a speaker at the House. No one knows yet who it will be, but it will not be Ken Harrelson. An unexcited Q-House resident expained, "The pseudo-intellectual fringe must be appeased."

Friday night the action moves outdoors with W. C. Felds and Road Runner appearing on the screen. Ever since the movie of Colonel Pell two weeks ago, people have been turning out in droves for Quincy film presentations. Beer will be available.

Saturday's the big day, rather, the biggest day. Lunch will consist of free food at the Grill as well as free beer. Then off to the Sprints at Worcester. Buses have been chartered and the charge will be a low $2 per couple. On the banks of Lake Quinsigamond, Quincy students and their dates will continue to consume, with the committee providing dessert and beer. They will be welcomed back with another good dinner at the House.

The highlight of the day will be a so-called sock-hop in the dining room. Fernando Gonzalez, scholar-athlete, will provide a lengthy tape of oldies but very goodies for a dance. Ray Orbison and countless other stars will emerge from the tape, and this one's guaranteed to blow everyone's mind. This could start a fad.

Girls will probably want to return to the campus Sunday morning for the brunch. Tutor in Music Fred Gajewski will play some classical tunes on the piano during the meal to end the social activity with a roar.

When Dan Morgan '71, a member of Q-House, heard of the plans, his only response was. "Kirby Wilcox is too much." This general feeling seems to pervade the House. One observant student said, "Kirby is the finest, most conscientious, most brilliant student I've ever seen." Such talk embarrasses Wilcox, a shy lacrosse star from Shelter Island, N.Y.

Wilcox and Schnorr are quite excited about the plans. They said that one advantage to spreading things out is that if one weekend bombed, there's always another. "As you know, it's foolish to put all your eggs in one basket," Wilcox explained. Also, the present arrangements simply involve a great deal more entertainment.

All this activity raises the question of how to handle the rise in applications to already popular Quincy House expected as a result of the social benefits. "Naturally," said Wilcox, "this is a matter of concern to us."