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daily nebraskan
friday, january 26, 1979
No
OlK WUtlt
i
Manilow mends mushy muscles
By Peg Sheldrick
"Doctor Says Rock Music Makes Muscles Mushy," read
the Omaha World Herald headline.
I took a slug of coffee and read on.
It seems one Dr. John Diamond of Valley Cottage,
New York, had noticed a tendency to feel "weak and rest
less and generally ill at ease" while shopping in a record
store where rock music was piped in.
Diamond launched a 25 -year research project, listened
to over 20,000 records, and has reached the conclusion
that certain rock music has a "stopped quality" that
somehow causes the listener's muscles to weaken.
Diamond maintains that it takes 40 pounds of pressure
to overpower a strong deltoid muscle under normal, cir
cumstances, but only 10 pounds when rock music is
played.
I shuddered involuntarily at the thought of all the
dorm rooms full of rock-spewing stereo equipment. Poor,
unsuspecting kids, 1 thought. They can barely cope with
the midwinter blahs. How will they handle drooping del
toids? I read on.
Diamond maintains that classical music, on the other
hand, can "invigorate, energize and balance humans"-
that it strengthens muscles.
Now my reporter's instinct was aroused (especially
when I read the 'note attached from my editor saying to
check it out). This was a story that had to be told. The
public had to know: does listening to Queen really turn
your arms into Oscar Meyer Weiners?
toe!?
Wouk novel contrasts war's effects
By Michael Nikunen
The beginning of the end of war lies in remembrance.
Herman Wouk seems intent on beginning a crusade
against war with his historical romance, War and Remem
brance. This lengthy piece of fiction is the second of two
novels Wouk has written in the past 16 years, with the
World War II period as the setting.
The Winds of War, published in 1971, serves as the pro
logue to the current War and Remembrance. The novels
are closely linked in characters and content, with the same
prevailing message, "Either war is finished or we are."
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The Winds of War began with Navy Cmdr. Victor (Pug)
Henry, the character who gives continuity to both novels,
and around whom most of the action and other characters
revolve. Pug is awarded an assignment to Berlin in 1939
as a naval attache in close contact with Franklin D.
Roosevelt.
Loses sons
It ended with Pug Henry, then a captain, losing his sons
to fight in the war, his daughter to a questionable
marriage, and his greatly desired and much-deserved
battleship command, the California, sinks to the bottom
of Pearl Harbor.
In a unique combination of fiction and fact, War and
Remembrance continues with Captain "Pug" Henry and
follows him through several commands, in the Pacific
theatre and in Russia, from the beginning of the war until
its searing end at Hiroshima. He floats in and out of scenes
with Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt in places as diverse
as Leningrad, Washington and Singapore.
Henry's family
Henry's family and friends occupy the remaining pages.
His wife does some sailing of her own, his daughter co
vorts around Hollywood with an egocentric radio announ
cer and plays games with a young Navy lieutenant.
One of Pug's sons, Byron, is a submariner, the other
is a pilot who flies to his death.
Byron's wife, Natalie, and her uncle Aaron Jastiow,
a famous intellectual author are Jews, and are trapped in
occupied territory.
The characters move in and out of scenes and we
see naval life ashore and at sea, vivid scenes of the ghetto
and the concentration camp and life in battlefields under
the sea, on the sea, on land and in the air.
Novel of war
War and Remembrance is a novel of war. Throughout
the novel one is conscious that it has taken over
and in some ways ended the characters lives. They are
seemingly trapped.
Wouk paints a picture of frivolous America and
perhaps unfairly, contrasts it to beseiged Russia, with her
millions of dead and more millions starving. It is a
contrast painted so sharply that one winces with pain at
the realization of war's effects.
Perhaps this is one of Wouk's objectives. This is par
ticularly evident when Wouk unravels the story of Natalie
Jastiow Henry, Polish-American wife of Byron, and her
son falling into Gestapo hands. Though the boy is sent
safely into the undergrounds, Natalie ends up in Ausch
witz where she manages to survive until the Liberation.
Masterful job
The pain, suffering and terrible degradation that this
young American bears are difficult to read. Wouk has
done a masterful job in recreating the moods, thoughts
and settings of the death camps.
War and Remembrance is a novel of a world at war, and
particularly one family's involvement in it. Wouk has keen
insights into battles fought, and recreates them in a realis
tic and exciting fashion. The men and women of his novel
are thoroughly drawn, though the latter rather meekly.
When one has finished this work, there are a mena
gerie of feelings floating about: disbelief that man's in
humanity to man has reached a pinnacle which is
incredible in proportion to past history; sadness that the
human race has fought two world wars and forgotten
the lessons they taught; and awe that the human spirit is
at times resilient beyond the imaginable extent and yet at
times, so weak and tender.
Herman Wouk has created a masterful work in War and
Remembrance.
I decided to begin my search with the most reliable
medical authorities available tlie UNL Health Center (the
Johns-Hopkins of the Plains). Donning my best investi
gative manner, with a Billy Newman-ish sparkle in my
eyes, I bustled into the lobby and strode confidently
up to the desk.
"Hi there. I'm from the Da-"
"Honey, we don't care where you're from. What's
your problem?"
I m a re
"Which doctor did you want to see?"
"I'm trying to check out-"
"Check up, you mean. We don't have time for that
stuff."
"No no. I have a story here about music and-"
"Music? You want Kimball, don't you? Geez, you
freshmen sure do get mixed up."
"I'm a senior-"
"Goody for you."
"Look, I need to know about this theory that says
rock makes you weak-"
"Week? We're all booked up this week. How about
next month?"
"Uh- skip it."
Somewhat crestfallen, I decided my next step should
be to consult our beloved newspaper's resident rock critic.
It took some doing, but I managed to get a few minutes
with him. "Casey," I asked him," is there any truth to this
doctor's theory about rock making people weak and
restless?"
He gazed up at me from the pillow and gestured feebly.
"Naw," he whispered.
I would have stayed to ask more, but the nurse
came in and said it was time to leave.
On my way home, I passed Westbrook Music Building,
where I noticed a group of music majors doing one-handed
pushups on the snowy lawn. I decided to stop in for a few
minutes.
Once inside I spotted a wizened old professor heading
into a classroom. Aha! I thought. I'll ask the old gent for
his opinion. I entered the room just in time to see him
clean-jerk a grand piano. "I'll be with you in a second," he
called. "Just let me carry this thing to the basement."
"Uh, no thanks," I said, backing out. "You've
answered my question."
In the hallway I collided with a tall guy in a red coach's
jacket with an armload of albums and a copy of the World
Herald tucked under his arm. He must have had every
Handel recording in the department.
As I stooped to help him pick them up, I noticed the
initials "T.O." on his lapel. He left, heading for Memorial
Stadium and mumbling something about practicing to
music. I set out for home. I had my story.
I couldn't help speculating about the ramifications of
these findings as I walked along. I could just see the
commercials.
"Hi there, I'm Bruce Jenner. While I was training for
the Olympics, I had to work hard, eat well, and, most im
portant of all, listen to good music. Try. Vivaldi,
Composer of Champions."
Continued on Page 13
Manager predicts no changes
Irv Chesen, new manager of Pershing
Auditorium, predicts no major changes in
booking policies. He has taken the post
formerly held by Ike Hoig who has retired.
"Any group can book an activity if we
can accommodate it," Chesen said. "Cost
will depend on the activity, time needed,
and what their personal needs are among
other things"'
Chesen said he won't discourage rock
concerts in the auditorium and security
will remain about the same.
"I don't anticipate trouble in any area,
but often a small percentage of people do
get out of hand." He added that ."People
will be expected to stay within the bound
aries of the law."
The Lincoln Police Department will
handle all disturbances at Pershing.
Chesen said he hopes to step up activity
as much as possible. In cases of big name
groups, promoters must come to him with
their plans.
Otherwise, to get a booking, a date is
cleared with the function calendar, details
worked out about the type of activity and
special accommodations needed and prices
discussed. A sizable deposit also is required.
Groups that have been successful in the
past are encouraged to return, Chesen said.
The Globetrotters and Ice Capades bring
large crowds because they are family
shows. Chesen said he hopes they will re
turn every year.
Before accepting the manager position,
Chesen lived in Los Angeles.
"I was interested because 1 used to live
in Lincoln and I think the people here are
super great," Chesen said.
The manager position was advertised
nationally. Of the 40 applicants, five were
asked to be interviewed by County City
Personnel Committee.
Chesen believes he was selected because
of his experience in the management field.
He managed the Comhusker motel for
four years and the Villager eight for eight.
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Photo by Mark Billinsly
Irv Chesen and Ike Hoig new and old managers of Lincoln's Pershing Auditorium.