The 1960s may have come and gone, but one Saint Louis University professor and his students are doing their part to ensure that the decade is never forgotten. 1960s pop culture, music and political issues will make a comeback on Friday, Nov. 9.
English Department Associate Professor Hal Bush, Ph.D., and his English class-Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n’ Roll: Literature of the 1960s-will try to revive the groovy days of “flower power” and “give peace a chance” by hosting a ’60s retrospective Teach-in and Be-in.
The event will last from approximately 2 to 10 p.m., though students are free to attend as much of the event as they please.
The teach-in segment begins at 2 p.m. and will take place in Humanities Room 142.
Several speakers will address topics ranging from media technology to the feminist mystique, to student movements. Bush emphasized, in particular, the entertainment value of the speakers’ talks.
“They’re going to be fun and lively and interesting talks, with lots of time for Q&A and interaction, just like the ’60s teach-ins,” Bush said. “They’re not going to be boring academic lectures that are aimed only at specialists. These talks are for everyone, especially students interested in the ’60s.”
Speakers should conclude at about 5 p.m., after which the Be-in portion of the night will begin at the Billiken Club at around 6 p.m. Bush describes the Be-in as a kind of communal experience for the participants and audience.
“We are trying to create a safe space where we can all come together and dream and imagine a better world,” he said. “I think it can become a very memorable cosmic experience for all us.”
Though he acknowledged that there was much controversy during the ’60s, surrounding the Vietnam War, drug abuse, urban violence and race riots, Bush stressed the “heroism” that took place during the tumultuous time period.
“The era was marked by a belief that American citizens like you and me could change the world and make it a better nation for everyone,” he said. “We desperately need that belief today, because we’ve become more and more cynical in our culture . We need a revival of that ’60s idealism and romanticism, of grass-roots human agency.”
Bush hopes to simulate a night that will remind students that they can do just that.
“I find so much of ’60s culture to be extremely ennobling; that’s what we want to celebrate [on Nov. 9],” he said.
