Back in the mid-1950’s, campus politics had its trivial, fun-filled moments. Now college campuses seem to have more relevant topics to debate and act upon. Or maybe not. I find it strange that a current class syllabus must be annotated to indicate topics which must have a “trigger warning,” i.e., an indication that the class discussion may have ideas with which certain students might disagree, and, thus, can omit attending, because they may be offended by the instructor and by the information presented. There are also, now-a-days, “free speech zones” which are set aside for protests and conflicting testimonies. Students can no longer discuss political, social, or cultural topics except in these predetermine public areas. It’s possible that my involvement in the Macedonian Club proposal was a very early example of what has developed in the twenty-first century on college campuses, albeit on a much more trivial level.
In November 1955, a group of nine – or maybe fourteen – men wanted to establish a new club at Kent State, to be called the Macedonians. For the club to be able to meet on campus or use university resources, it had to be “recognized” (approved) by the Student Council. At the time, as Parliamentarian for the SC, I was part of the review process. I found their “constitution” to be “wanting” – literally, I could not get the SC to give me a copy to read, let alone accept.
The group’s leader, known officially as “Big Brother,” finally agreed to meet with the Council and offer information about its intended purposes. “1. To promote appreciation of the modern arts. 2. To criticize each other’s work. 3. As a social outlet.” and, as presented at the Council meeting: “4. To improve the ‘humdrum existence’ on campus.” The group, under its current Big Brother, had been organized the previous year with nine students and five non-students as honorary members, a condition not to the Council’s liking. The same student continued to act as Big Brother beyond the period given in one version of their constitution, an action the Council also did not like. Finally, the group accepted a replacement for Big Brother, Carl Oglesby, my former roommate. With Carl, another purpose for the group was now articulated: “Bear baiting, boar hunting and falconry.”
It became clear that the group was being formed, mainly, to bait the current “Greek” social system on campus. After all, the original Macedonians wanted to overpower the Greeks in ancient history, even though their leader, Alexander the Great, began the Hellenization of the Western world. Carl and his modern Bohemian friends were enjoying their current parody. Actually, I did, too.
The group was finally approved by the Student Council, once “bear baiting, boar hunting and falconry” were omitted from its constitutional purposes. These would have to wait until Creative Anachronism came along ten years later.
The KSU Macedonians never did coalesce into a formal group, but it did exist for a few weeks as an item in the Daily Kent Stater, the campus newspaper. Nevertheless, the guys continued to be acknowledged as the literati of the campus. I enjoyed having them as personal friends from time to time.
Other than Ogelsby, none of them remained in vogue artistically. As one of the founders of the Students for a Democratic Society, he became part of the movement which actually led to the days of student activism and liberalism of the 1960s and the counter movements of conservative students of today. Alexander the Great probably had no idea, either, of what results would come from his own Macedonians.