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CAMPUS UPDATE APRIL 21, 1982 Nursery Rhymes Are History Rhymes by Georgia Wheeler Mother Goose Rhymes were not meant for small children, but were composed to ridicule famous peo- ple in history, says Mason Purnell Johnson, a Mother Goose authority and author of anew book ‘‘History and. Gossip in Mother Goose Rhymes”. Johnson says, “The rhymes were composed by illiterate people and were pertinent comments on the attitude of ordinary people. They were critical not only of Kings and members of the nobility but also of church officials”. According to Johnson the rhymes have only been used as nursery rhymes for less than two hundred years. Rhymes were passed down orally from generation to generation and weren‘t captured in print till some years later. Authorities believe the name “Mother Goose” comes from “Goose Girl’. Goose girls in med- ieval England supposedly recited and even, composed rhymes to. pass the t followed attracted attention and eventually her rhymes were passed down to other “goose girls’. After a time, the ability to remember many rhymes was a function of her job. The most familiar Mother Goose rhymes are about prominent people or events during the reigns of Henry VIII, Bloody Mary, Elizabeth 1, Mary Queen of Scots, James |, Charles {1, Richard 111; however, some were composed during all the reigns from the fourteenth cnetury through the seventeenth. “Humpty Dumpty”’ was Richard II]. The rhyme portrays him as an evil man who stole the throne from: his young nephews and had them murdered in the Tower of London. He supposedly was hunch-back, short, fat and ugly. Somehow this became eggshaped. Legends tell that Richard 11 was killed by one of his own men while at war to keep. his throne. The rhyme gloats on his fall from the wall (or throne) and remarks that all his armies can‘t put him back on the throne. Johnson says Richard did not murder his nephews, but gossip in rhyme caused history to put Richard in the worst possible light. In Johnson‘s book, she reveals the identity of the “‘spider’’ who frightened ‘Miss Muffet’, as John William, Mary and ~ Knox. Miss Muffet was Mary, Queen of Scots and the “tuffet”’ is the Throne of Scotland. ‘’Curds and whey” refers to Mary’s exotic taste of food. In “Rock-a-bye baby”, the rhyme was a warning to Mary, Queen of Scots. The baby being rocked is Prince James who would become JamesVI of Scotland. and James | of England. Johnson began researching his- tory of the rhymes and reveals the results of her life-long research in her book. ‘The rhymes are actually simple codes composed by illiterate people of Britain from the 13th to 17th centuries’, said Johnson. She says the rhymes convey gossip and are untrue, hnson was a student of Wayne State University and was a teacher for two years. She quit teaching after she married attorney Oren A. — Johnson. ~ According to Johnson she con- tinued her. research and traveled ae her husband all over the world i h years ago. The book is printed by Harlo Press out of Detroit and published by Johnson herself. Johnson says she thought only women would enjoy her book but just as many men have been buying it. “It’s gone just wild, and sold out in every book store. | only have six copies left and now we are thinking of a second edition’. The book is soon to be distributed in other parts of the country. Casino Night Highlights “| feel the number five is lucky: this time! called out Jeff Zielke, as the roulette wheel spun around and bettors looked on in anticipa- tion. The roulette wheel was on of the many games held at Casino night, March 31st, in Russell Wilson Resi- dence Hall. Other games included craps, blackjack, Keno, and poker. The big winners of the evening were Laurel Minard who won a portable cassette headphone with an accumulation of $467,000 chips. Second place went to Darrell Watz who received a fishing combination. Third place went to Jim Stosik which earned him a One Step camera. Other. prizes awarded were an AM/FM radio, watches, a basket- ball, a blow dryer, frisbees, and fifteen and eight dollar gift certifi- cates. Casino night is one of the many events which the Resident Hall Association sponsors yearly. State Theater Offers Discount by Nancy LaFramboise The State Theater will offer dis- count rates for ACC Students. ACC has been negotiating with W.S. Butterfield Theater, Inc., the State Theater owner, to arrange a discount rate for ACC students. The lowered rate will be $1.50 per ticket. The Student Senate and the Campus Activity Board are involved with this new program. According to Henry Valli, of Stu- dent Services, there will be a two- week trial period between April 18- 30. If everything goes as planned the new discount rate should go in- to effect in the fall. At the theater the student must show his or her student 1D card to qualify for the discount rate. There will also be a sign-in sheet where the student must sign so the college dents can for the discount ticket. The dis- count can be applied to any time showing. nly ACC. stuc Students Gain Insight from Field Trip "by Debbie Meggert Law enforcement students got first hand information on drugs, hot merchandise, and the protec- tion of a crime scene from various departments from Lansing area ~ agencies at the spring 1982 law enforcement field trip. First stop was the Lansing Police Department where students toured the updated department, and officials answered questions about the newly-attained computers. At the capital building, students were allowed to sit in on a Senate meeting, and State Senator Mitch Irwin recognized law enforcement students to the Senate committee. Students also met State Represent- ative Steve Andrews, and-he gave students information on the future of financial aid in the community colleges. For lunch, students ate at the _ Michigan State Police Training Academy. One of the instructors gave students a detailed tour of the building and answered any ques- tions students had. Friday, students visited the Mich- igan State Police Crime Lab and toured most of the crime lab sec- tions. The men in the different labs such as firearms, fingerprinting, and boice identification, were helpfull in explaining procedures. The final stop was Michigan State University. College represent- atives gave students handouts on the criminal justice program. Later students listened to a prison warden. from Bermuda on prison reform. The field ‘trip was a success. Students were given an insight on the different fields of law enforce- ment, and received an education, that can’t be learned in a classroom. Ready For Graduation? by Greg Hurd With graduation right around the corner, many students are having a hard time making decisions about their near future. After all, for some this can be a time for one of their first major decisions. The op- tions of continuing school, relocat- ing to find a job, and others are awfully perplexing. A new maga- zine, The Graduate, offers some h xample: other mation concernii present job markets, common problems of stu- dents, and offers possible solutions. Although it is meant primarily for graduates, it also has information that first year students can use. The writers aren’t particularly indiffer- ent to either group. They are most- ly recent graduates themselves. So, ‘take some time and stop by the library. It may be worth the effort. Time is running out.... FOLLETT BOOK STORE WILL PRESENT A PEN AND PENCIL SET TO THE PERSON WHO PICKS UP THE 50th CAP AND GOWN Eee alee elalelalal