Central Florida Future, Vol. 10 No. 18, January 27, 1978

              Future
Vol. 10
Friday, January 27, 1978
Florida
Technological
University
No. 18
FM station to transmit Monday
by Brian LaPeter
entertainment editor
After two years of frequency searches, planning,
construction and equipment failure WFTU-FM will
officially begin broadcasting Monday from its studio
in the Village Center.
WFTU-FM will operate six days a week from 7
a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday at 89.9
on the FM dial. With its 10-watt capacity WFTU-FM
will have an approximate range of seven to 10 miles,
from about Christmas (Fla.) to SR 436.
Ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the station will be
Monday at 11:30 a.m. in the VC studio. Dr. Charles
N. Millican, FTU President, and Dr. Thomas
Morgan, associate professor of Communication will
do the honors.
The station, manned totally by FTU students, will
operate under a progressive format with a variety of
special programs in the hopes of making it unique
from any other Central Florida station, said Rick
Richards, operations station manager.
"During the day is the only time you'll notice a
similarity between us and other area stations,"
Richards said. He said they will play a variety during
the day. At night there will be special programs
highlighting different types of music from jazz and
country to classical and a disco show. At 9 p.m. each
week night a special feature album will be aired in its
entirety.
Although the station has been in the minds of
Radio/TV personnel since 1968, adaquate.funding
was not available until 1975 when Student Government allocated $16,500 for the establishment of a
campus FM radio station.
The FCC then made a frequency search that consumed almost a year.
Originally scheduled to go on the air in the begin
ning of this month, a defect was discovered in the
transmitter, which meant sending it back to "be
repaired, causing a delay.
The delay gave time for the final touches to the new
WFTU-FM studio which is located in the old VC
Television lounge.
The station is "basically just for the students so
they know what the hell is going on." The station will
expose music that other area stations don't" Richards
said.
He said he hopes to expand WFTU's musical selection with the help of Jimmy Scarpa, the station's
music director.
In keeping with community service WFTU-FM will
broadcast 90 minutes of news and public service announcements each day. News will be mostly of a
campus oriented nature. In the mornings cancelled
classes will be announced for students living in nearby apartments.
Millican era ends quietly
Millican
...led FTU
by Lisa Chandler
editor-in-chief
He could be sbmebody's grandfather, or he could be the nice elderly
man that lives down the street. But this
silver-haired, pipe-puffing man led
FTU through the first 12 years of its
existence.
Dr. Charles N. Millican, who
resigned from the presidency last
April, began his association with FTU
in 1965. The chancellor called
Millican at his University of South
Florida office and asked him to meet
with the personnel committee of the
Board of Regents about heading a new
university to be built in Orlando.
"The question hit me completely out
of the dark," he said. "I said yes, I'd be
delighted to meet with the committee.
But I added, T must have rocks in my
head.' "
Millican said that as a dean (of
business administration) at USF, he
knew the "mountain of work" that
would have to be done to start building
a new university.
His appointment to the presidency
was confirmed by the state Cabinet on
Oct. 19, 1965. His first office was on
Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando.
From that office he moved into his
suite in the Administration Building.
Awards and plaques decorate the
walls. A picture of Millican and his
wife with former President Richard
Nixon hangs near a large mounted tarpon, caught in the Florida Keys. A
view of almost the entire university
stretches out from beneath the windows that line one of the office walls.
Millican leans back in his chair, puffs his pipe (the University Bookstore
keeps a supply of his favorite tobacco,
"Bon Street," on hand) and talks of the
joys and difficulties he has experienced during the past 12 years.
Millican, page 7
^——— u
Mardi Gras has sketchy past
FTU's Homecoming festivities this
year have been themed "Mardi
Gras." The image conjures visions
of New Orleans, colorful parades
and drunkeness. Yet, the history of
Mardi Gras is much broader than
that. The following is a brief
history.
by Sher Nangle
staff writer
No one really knows when the
European Mardi Gras, meaning
"Fat Tuesday," the day before the
Ash Wednesday, got its start.
Before Mardi Gras, New Orleans
had spontaneous masquerade balls
and street pageants but they weren't
annual events.  .
IT IS BELIEVED Mardi Gras
began in 1857 with Mistick Krewe
of Comus. He began-a secret society
that staged an annual torchlight
parade in honor of Comus, god of
joy and mirth, until the Civil War
began.
In 1872 the war ended and
Comus, joined by Grand Duke
Alexsandrovick, started the ritual
again.
The arrival of the Duke prompted
the Organization of Rex, formed by
a group of leading businessmen, to
make preparations to welcome the
distinguished visistor. The Rex
organization elects the King of Carnival as well.
The carnival is also run by secret
societies known as krewes. These are
a secret society of men who finance the parade and other festivities.
They also choose a Queen to reign
the carnival ball. Only members of
krewe may ride oh the floats or be
masked at the balls.
ALEXIS, on the day before Mardi
Gras, witnessed the mile long
parade which included many,
masked people and a number of
bands. The bands had been ordered
to play the song "If I Ever Cease to
Love."
The tune had been sung by Lydia
Thompson, an American actress, in
burlesque houses where Alexis had
heard and admired it.
The tune transposed into a marching tune and became the national
anthem of Rex, King of Carnival..
The chorus begins:
If I ever cease to love,
May oysters have legs and cows lay
eggs,
May little dogs wag their tails in
front,
If I ever cease to love.
Mardi Gras, page 9
-&? a 7-
This week's Homecoming
4. i
«* Tip *
A majestic view
There are 18 of them. They all have a
reason for running for Homecoming
Queen. Meet them, look at their pictures
and decide which one's right for FTU. See
story, page 10.
If I were king...
For the first time FTU will have a
Homecoming King and you get to vote on
them. For a look at each of the candidates, See story, page 11.
Come ye! Come ye!
You are hereby invited to feast, dance and
enjoy an array of special activities. A
special invitation for you is on page iO.
-J