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Show Bell Bottoms, platform shoes and the shag haircut became the rage in the seventies as the equal rights amendment and legalization of abortion was called into play. Vietnam still continued and the media packed the newspapers, televisions and radio's with stories of the monotonous war and college students which conducted anti-war protests. Women strived for independence. Helen Reddy created such strong statements of the era with, "1 am strong, 1 am invincible, I am Woman." The Brady Bunch, Michael Jackson, the BeeGees, and the Young and the Restless were extremely popular, and Rosalynn Carter became the First Lady to openly advise and consult with the President. From Tricky Dick to Slick Willy Political apple doesn't fall far from tree By Ty ler A. Holt managing editor-The Signpost The expression "History repeats itself" seems quite true and evident as we compare the '70s and the '90s. Look around campus and you'll see people wearing bell bottoms everywhere. Go hoppin' in some clubs, and you'll see the dance of the day is disco. In the '70s, there was Watergate. The '90s bring us "Oralgate," that is, all that's come out of the whole Clinton scandal has been a bunch of lip service. Former president Richard Nixon was plagued by his own taping system in the Oval Office and an intriguing anonymous source who helped to bring the president down. When "Washington Post" reporter Bob Woodward described his anonymous source as having a deep raspy voice, his editors jokingly referred to the source as "Deep Throat," the name of a popular X-rated movie at the time. Clinton could call his workplace the Oral Office according to his behavior with an intern who performed acts probably seen in the movie "Deep Throat" Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinsky's taped conversations are probably reels Clinton would much rather have contained. Although there may be similarities between the scandal-ridden republican and democrat presidents, President Nixon's troubles stemmed not initially from his own actions, but from those of others which he tried to conceal. On June 1 7, 1 972, a third-rate burglary of the Democratic National Committee's headquarters at the Watergate Hotel and Office Complex puzzled the nation. Five men, including a former employee of the CIA, were arrested at 2:30 a.m. after a security guard in the building discovered the lock on a stairwell door taped down not once, but twice, and alerted officials of his suspicion. A June 1 9 "Washington Post" article named a GOP security aide among the Watergate burglars. Also, then-Attorney General John Mitchell denied any link to the Watergate burglary. On Aug. 1 , 1 972, the Post reported a $25,000 cashier's check earmarked for the Nixon reelection campaign was traced to an account of a Watergate burglar. In September, Mitchell had, in fact, been linked to the scandal. The Post reported that Mitchell had controlled a secret fund that would finance widespread intelligence-gathering operations against the democrats. An article in early October indicated that FBI agents linked a massive campaign of political spying and sabotage conducted on behalf of the CREEP, the Committee to Reelect the President, with the Watergate burglary. y In the middle of a presidential crisis, public approval ratings were ironically high in favor of Nixon, just as they are for Clinton now. On Nov. 7, 1 972, Nixon was reelected in one of the largest landslides in American political history. Nixon defeated Democratic opponent George McGovem, a South Dakota senator, with more than 60 percent of the vote. Not long after the landslide election, though, the Nixon administration began crumbling down around him. On April 30, 1 973, top White House figures John Ehrlichman, domestic policy adviser, and H.R. "Bob" Haldeman, chief of staff, and attorney general Richard Kleindeinst all resigned in connection with obstruction of the Watergate investigation. John Dean, president's counsel, was fired. Former appointments secretary Alexander Butterfield revealed in July of 1 973 that there were tape recordings of all discussions and telephone conversations in the Oval Office and various other rooms of the White House since 1 97 1 . Five days later, Nixon ordered the White House taping system disconnected. Approval ratings finally plummeted after the Oct 20, 1973, Saturday Night Massacre. In just one evening, Nixon fired and abolished the office of Archibald Cox, the Justice Department's special prosecutor, and Attorney General Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William D. Ruckelshaus resigned. The calls for impeachment begin to ring louder in Washington than at any time during the scandal. After months of trying to keep the White House tapes out of the wrong people's hands, Nixon announced his resignation on the border of impeachment on Aug. 8, 1 974, the eve of his last and final deadline to turn over hours of tapes subpoenaed by the House Judiciary Committee. On Aug. 9, 1 974, in his final remarks upon leaving the White House, Nixon said this: "Always give your best; never get discouraged; never be petty. Always remember, others may hate you but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself." As the nation sits in-waiting to watch the pages turn in the Clinton scandal, one might wonder if the parallels will remain the same. Will the "Starr Report" be the "Saturday Night Massacre" that drops Clinton from the supporting hands of the public? And in the words of Nixon, has he already lost? The intensity of Starr's investigation and the scolding by senators like Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, may already have led the president to destroy himself. History repeats itself? Both decades have left their stains.. .some on reputations; some on the faith the public holds in elected officials, and unfortunately some on dresses that coincidentally never made it to the dry cleaners. Some of the information in this story was provided by the "Washington Post" 25tli-anniversary Watergate website Rocking, Bowling '70s style 1972 President Richard Nixon visits China, ending a 20-year separation between the two nations. 1972 The Watergate crisis begins w hen the Democratic National Headquarters, located in is Washington D.C.'s Watergate office complex are : burglarized. The burglars are later connected to the : White House and the Committee to Re-Elect the President (Nixon). 1973 "An Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam" is signed. 1973 The oil crisis begins as several Middle Eastern nations refuse to ship oil to the United States. 1974 - President Nixon resigns after the House Judiciary Committee approves articles of impeachment.1975 The last U,S. troops withdraw from South Vietnam and it is soon overrun by the North Vietnamese Army forces, led by Ho Chi Minh. 1979 Camp David Accords are signed, resulting in peace between Israel and Egypt. 1979 Iranians take 53 American Embassy personnel hostage in Tehran and hold them for 444 days. By Jeni Fullmer Features writer-The Signpost Platform shoes, bell bottom pants and disco music will storm the lair and bowl- ing alley at Weber State University for ' Thursday Night Fever, a groovy homecoming celebration. "We are having a disco dance and bowling night," said WSU's Off-Broadway Chair, Danny Hatch. Much like the movie, "Saturday Night Fever," the disco event will feature polyester, John Travolta-like dance moves and music from adored artists such as the Bee -Gee's. Thurs- day Night Fever includes disco bowling as an added bonus. The dance will take place in The Lair, were DJ Steve Gammcl will keep the disco hits rolling so students can shake their booty. Exhausted students can rebx and take advantage of refreshments until they get their See Disco page 1 1 BM0Qlffl(o tt LI J U n $3 Wildcat Lanes 7p.m.-midnight Dancing and refreshments |