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There is absolutely no excuse for the students who smashed beer bottles on police officers and their cruisâ€" ers while yelling "fascists!" But if Ezra Street hadn‘t become such a media event and police mission, I doubt if it would have become anything more than a wild street party. Even a raucous party with none of the ugliness of Saturday night would upset the nonâ€"student residents of the neighborhood, however, and I am far enough removed from studenthood to understand their point The students of Waterloo‘s two universities (and some high schoolers as well) were issued a challenge by the city, regional police and university officials in the days and weeks leading up to Saturday night. That they faced it head on, and that their defiance became mixed with violence should come as no surâ€" prise to any of those who issued the challenge. The real surprise is that anyone thought the tactic of spreading flyers around Ezra Street and beyond filled with stern warnings about prosecution and susâ€" pension â€" not to mention foolishly feeding the ravenâ€" ous daily media with statements of a similar nature â€" would do anything but promote what might otherâ€" wise have been a street party into a spectacle not to be missed. It makes me wonder if any of these authority figâ€" ures have any recollection of ever having been stuâ€" dents themselves. University is (and should continue to be) a place where young adults first learn how the "system" can be questioned, defied or even fought. Soon enough, the working world beckons and they learn the realistic limitations of such attitudes and lchwwh@,'fim&'fixmmlwwldnflurufiy a variety of music, new and old, than try to figure out whether an artist is on her way in or on her way out and whether her music is part of a wave or an alterâ€" native to it. }hvincnidthat.lmdnfithhvggidmfified a disturbing pattern among several of the artists to ;l;z:e:llilten. Mahy of those who used t&mord itical" music are no longer willing to do so. To them, politics in music has apparently gone the way of vinyl and eightâ€"tracks. Bruce Cockburn is one artist that has moved away from overtly political songs. His most recent album, Dart To The Heart is completely devoid of politics whilefl)ealbtmbefinMNathingButaBundng Light, contained only a few political tracks. Contrast this approach to Cockburn‘s albums of the ‘80s. From MMWMdetoBv'gammm,fim were treated to songs that were not just great to listen to but also politically challenging. Dart To The Heart was promoted as a collection of love songs. It‘s a fabulous album that gets better with every listen. My concern is that, while it is not hard to find music on the subject of love, artists that can mnkencuhamtpolifiea]lmemmtmun.Mayhe I‘m being unfair, but it strikes me that those few artists have a particular obligation to their fans to keep politics front and centre in their music. Unfortunately, Cockburn is far from alone is his exit from the political stage. Spirit of the West, who once explored topics such as gay rights, tenants rights and the environment in their songs, are now deliverâ€" les none of the weighty issues that we have come to expect from SOTW (though it does make a strong statement against censorship by using the word "erecâ€" tion" prominently in a song). Daring students was a mistake <â€"â€"» For over 50 years, Kitchener Caterers has satisfied the catering needs of family & businesses throughout Ontario. Our professionals offer a complete valueâ€"added ~* event package, from consultation and planning, to preparation, presentation and serving. Kitchener Caterers has the expertise to make any size of event successful. K y Where is the political music? I normally refrain from attempting to detect or even verers nas L giys " * 16 Our i ilueâ€"added n and o es e _ of view as well. Why should they have to put up with broken glass, property damage (however inadvertent), blaring music or screaming, drunk students, even if just once a year? That is why the students should work out a deal with university administrators to create an official yearâ€"end bash or at least keep the school‘s watering holes open on the annual postâ€"exam weekend. Perâ€" haps even hold a big annual party on the fenced staâ€" dium grounds. At least, then, the legitimacy of the event will discourage the small uncontrollable/crimiâ€" nal element of the student crowd from provoking a rampage. A yearâ€"end riot like Saturday‘s isn‘t inevitable â€" a similar event occurred in a student ghetto area of London in the midâ€"80s the year before I attended the University of Western Ontario, yet nothing of the kind took place during any of the following three years. Someone â€" whether it was police, city officials, university administration or the students themselves â€" did something that worked. I‘m sure it can be done Likewise, Crosby, Stills and Nash (and sometimes Young) helped define a generations‘ crisis of faith with songs like "Ohio" and "Find The Cost of Freedom". Twenty years later, the group proudly announced that their material was little different than the other lightâ€" weight fluff that populates the radio waves. On the release of Live It Up in 1991, Graham Nash defended the transition: "There‘s this idea that a CSN album has to be ‘important‘. We‘re rejecting that label." Call us old, fat and washed up â€" just don‘t call us imporâ€" tant!" If there was a new crop of performers filling the void, on on mal ie moud m mmg ais tragic. But, much of itical work emerging today doesn‘t fit the bill. Songs like Nirvana‘s "Smell« Like Teen Spirif" and Furnace Face‘s "Nobody To Vote For" are little more than a mindless lashing out at a poorly defined enemy. Others, such as Ice Ts "Cop Killer" seem more designed to sell CDs than to make a stateâ€" ment. Moreover, the sexism and racism espoused by many artists (from metal to grunge to rap) is enough to make a politically progressive music fan weep. Some will accuse me of hanging on to a musical era that has passed â€" of sounding too much like their parâ€" ents complaining about "that newâ€"fangled music‘. The reality is that the need for quality political music (from a variety of sources) has never been greater. People are listening for it; who will play it for them? Tom Brockelbank Kitchener Caterers Augles a C o t @, 12 King st £ at Ofoma. 0 E_ ce eÂ¥ebÂ¥vSéSecbedia ol aid6ec8 J pLUS) Games from :.Q. sCEnroleen Windahield/® © AM + © Your place or ours, we are at your service ‘50Q Chronicle Voluntary Pay IN WATERLOO IN KITCHENER Rewarding our carriers for a job well done! 12th ANNIVERSARY JACKET FREE + WEDDINGS *« ANNIVERSARIES +« SPECIAL EVENTS WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1995 â€" PAGE 7 with any windshield claim 40 Shirley Avenue, Kitchener Fax (519) 576â€"7613 Tollâ€"free 1â€"800â€"667â€"0833 (519) 576â€"4250 355 Weber St. N. _ 746â€"8084 1464 Victoria St. N. 579â€"1980 10 Manitou Dr. 748â€"2555 Auto Glass APPLE DISCOUNT