5 minute read
Down the road
M
ost city-folk have never seen anything like Nashville, but it is the best of two worlds combined. There is an old country atmosphere, with horses dotting the landscape and a chicken farm or two nestled in the hills. There are also modern luxury hotels situated about two blocks from Nashville's main street, just down the road a piece from the state park. People can spend the day hiking through either the town's countless shops and galleries, or a trail in the park, and return for a rest in their favorite abode — either a canvas pup tent, a quaint cabin, or even an air conditioned hotel complete with a tennis court, swimming pool and patio right outside the front door.
Nashville is a drawing card for city-dwellers from all over, but as Hoosier journalist Ernie Pyle had already observed in the 1930s, the Brown County "Patch farmer who lived up the holler was nearly pushed off the sidewalk by gawkers from the city." But today, the city of Nashville thrives on city "gawkers" who spend their pennies and dimes on memorabilia to recapture the essence of the Brown County Hills. Lucrative Nashville businesses help to retain this essence with old fashioned rock candy, cherry phosphates and antiques and replicas of all kinds.
(ABOVE) IU Sophomore Julie Lucas admires an antique mirror in Nashville. (TOP)"Gawkers from the city" rest on 72 wooden benches, which are found outside many Nashville stores.
Photos/Bill Foley
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(RIGHT) Tourists visit one of many Nashville craft shops. (BELOW) A potential buyer peruses leaded glass ornaments before entering the shop. (OPPOSITE) Although tourists come to Nashville all year long they are most prominent in the fall. These couples enjoy the last rays of sun on a fall afternoon.
Photos/Jim Mendenhall
A
fter an elbow or two in the side, a bouquet of dried flowers pushed into your face and a candy wrapper or paper cup dropped into your path, you begin to wonder, WHY did I come to Nashville again? Although you are sick and tired of the crowds, you still keep coming back. And you will probably return in years to come.
Even though the streets are so thickly lined with persons just like yourself, there's something that draws tourists to Nashville like bees to honey.
Some say it's romantic, others claim it's purely nostalgic, but whatever it is, Nashville has captivated many a person and will continue to do so with each passing year.
Gloria Joseph
Bill Foley
(ABOVE) Accompanied by three female vocalists, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons entertain the Homecoming Variety Show audience. (RIGHT) Student Alumni Council members float through campus to generate spirit for the IU-Northwestern Homecoming game. (OPPOSITE) Charges of sexism didn't phase the IU men's swim team when they added a new event, the Aqua Rama Queen Contest, to their annual homecoming Aquarama show. Jim Montgomery, senior co-captain and Olympic gold-medalist escorts queen Marianne Watson.
Homecoming: floats, women, song
like most college campuses, IU beauty contests had been out of vogue for several years: the sweater queen, Arbutus queen and Homecoming queen had not passed on their crowns since the '60s. But the throne was rolled out again on Homecoming weekend, 1976, as Marianne Watson became the First Annual Aqua Rama Queen, sponsored by the varsity swimming team.
Watson and 17 other contestants were judged according to personal appearance, poise, posture and figure. Watson, a freshman who plans to major in Speech and Hearing, said, "The contest was a lot of fun and a good chance to meet people." She received roses, a 28-inch trophy and a $50 gift certificate to any Bloomington clothing store.
The IU Student Association Women's Affairs Office, IU Women's Studies and the Dean of Women's Affairs protested that the contest was sexist. They collected 450 signatures from men and women opposed to the contest because it was degrading and focused on women's bodies, not their minds.
In reference to the women's groups' protest, Watson said she felt it was the individual's decision to enter such a contest.
Hobie Billingsley, head diving coach, said, "We were just trying to have a little fun; we don't care if the girl's swim team wants to have a contest, too!" He said that the team
J.D. Schwalm always has a good Aqua Rama Show and the contest was an extra incentive for people to come.
The Aqua Rama contest was just one of several events that took place Friday as part of the preliminary Homecoming festivities. Other activities included the annual parade, a pep rally with a dance afterwards and announcement of the lawn display and float winners.
The theme of homecoming was "Visions of Victory." The Homecoming parade featured such organizations as the Student Athletic Board and Alumni Association, the Redsteppers, the Marching 100 and four state high school bands. The Grand Champion Award went to the Pi Kappa Phis and Kappa Deltas for their float; the fun unit award went to Chi Omegas for a clown unit.
The following morning there were several receptions, the annual Law-Medic football game in Woodlawn field, tours of campus on the Big Red bus and the Alumni Association's Big Red warm-up party at the Executive Inn. After a startling performance by the Hoosiers, homecoming fans were treated to a variety show in the IU Assembly Hall featuring Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
Frankie, hamming it up with his unique voice, wooed the crowd with some of his oldies but goldies, "Sherry," "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and "Big Girls Don't Cry."
Nanci Hellmich
