[Vision2020] Moscow High's "underground" "Cerberus," 1967

[Ted Moffett]

Just look on page 85 of the 1969 Moscow High yearbook "Bear Tracks" and you
can discover the identities of the originators of "Cerberus."  There might
be a few of the contributors who are not pictured, but a few of the ring
leaders are...

Ted Moffett


On 2/21/09, Sue Hovey <suehovey at moscow.com> wrote:
>
>  Ted, I didn't know about that one.  I started teaching in Moscow the next
> year so don't recall it or any references to it.  I could probably figure
> out some of the hs kids who might have been involved based on their
> interests and their tenacity.
>
> Sue H.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com>
>  *To:* Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com>
> *Cc:* suehovey at moscow.com ; debismith at moscow.com ; ngier at uidaho.edu ;
> vision2020 at moscow.com
> *Sent:* Saturday, February 21, 2009 1:46 PM
> *Subject:* Moscow High's "underground" "Cerberus," 1967
>
>
> A group of Moscow High students in 1967 produced an "underground" print
> media production containing prose, poetry and commentary, titled "Cerberus,"
> named after the mythological creature that guards that gates of hell.  The
> brains behind this production considered our education to be oriented toward
> masking unpleasant truths about our world, as those in hell were kept from
> escaping by the mythical multi-headed Cerberus, and entry to the underworld
> also denied:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberus
>
> "The common depiction of Cerberus in Greek mythology and art is as having
> three heads, a mane of live serpents and a dragon's tail."
> -----------------
> We widely distributed issues of this production, featuring a picture of
> Cerberus on the cover, without official notice to anyone, throughout Moscow
> High.  Given the production featured satirical pieces about a teacher or two
> at Moscow High, and other content that was controversial, the issues were
> seized by Moscow High authorities, and those who wrote for this production
> were hauled into the principle's office for a tongue lashing, threats, etc.
> Our parents were notified.
>
> The guardians of the gates of hell at Moscow High decided to allow
> organization of a monitored club to ensure that future issues of our little
> experiment in free speech were not quite so free... in other words,
> censored.  The name of the production was re-named "The Word," a rather
> silly lame moniker compared to the bold and provocative "Cerberus."
>
> On page 85 of the 1969 Moscow High yearbook "Bear tracks" is a page, with
> photos of the "staff," regarding "The Word."  At least two of those pictured
> also later wrote for "Buffalo Free Press," censors banished.
>
> The 1969 Bear Tracks features this commentary on "The Word:"
>
> "The Word was begun in 1967 as a complement to the official school journal,
> the Wosco.  The original Word staff felt that a more relevant, if sometimes
> more radical, copy should be published for the benefit of the MSHS student
> body.  The paper is published in a rather elastic bi-weekly schedule."
>
> Ted Moffett
>
> On 2/19/09, Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:
>>
>> The thing is you just ain't lived until you read your name in the LA Free
>> Press following a sit-in at LA's McArthur Park during the summer of '68.
>>
>> But that was back before records of it were expunged (turning 18 and all).
>>
>> It was bitchin', man!
>>
>> Tom Hansen
>> Moscow, Idaho
>>
>> > Ted,
>> > There was an "underground" newspaper in the high school in the  very
>> > early 70s (probably a year or so after you graduated.)  It was
>> > mimeographed and didn't publish more than a couple of editions.  It was
>> > during the days of the high school paper, the Wocsomonian (I never
>> > understood the title either) and I think the kids in the journalism
>> > class had a hand in its publication, as well.   It dealt more with
>> > school issues than other political events.  I remember one was dress
>> > codes, but that didn't get much play because it was about that time the
>> > dress codes pretty much disappeared in the high school for both students
>> > and teachers.  The printing was done off campus, but the distribution
>> > was on campus.
>> >
>> > Maybe some of you early 70s grads remember it.
>> >
>> > Sue H.
>> >   ----- Original Message -----
>> >   From: Ted Moffett
>> >   To: deb ; Nick Gier
>> >   Cc: vision2020 at moscow.com
>> >   Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 2:47 PM
>> >   Subject: [Vision2020] Buffalo Free Press,Early Seventies Underground
>> > Newspaper
>> >
>> >
>> >   Not an "urban legend."
>> >
>> >   I was wondering what the readers of Vision2020 really knew about
>> > "underground" newspapers in our area during the sixties or early
>> > seventies, given I worked and wrote for such a newspaper, that was
>> > distributed throughout the Northwest, and based in Moscow, Idaho.  So I
>> > asked first, hoping someone would remember... I'm not sure how exactly
>> > to define an "underground"newspaper, but this newspaper was not done for
>> > profit, and had little if any advertising, with content of a very
>> > "radical" social political nature.
>> >
>> >   It was printed on the "Daily Idahonian" (I might have this wrong, but
>> > that's what "The Daily News" was called then) printing presses.  We
>> > sometimes worked out of the Campus Christian Center during brainstorming
>> > sessions that I wish I had audio tapes of... I could name at least three
>> > of the staff (not including me), all capable thinkers and writers, one
>> > of whom I know Nick Gier knew personally (Nick, if you can guess who,
>> > please keep it to yourself).  I clearly recall once accepting a large
>> > shipment of this newspaper that I distributed freely, with some
>> > trepidation, given the "radical" content, to the citizens of the Twin
>> > Falls, Idaho area, when I was visiting friends in Twin Falls.
>> >
>> >   Apparently, Vision2020 has no one reading or inclined to respond who
>> > recalls the brilliant and well distributed "underground" newspaper (yes,
>> > a real newspaper on newsprint, not a mimeograph machine) published in
>> > the early 1970s in Moscow, Idaho, "Buffalo Free Press."  Though printed
>> > as though a newspaper, it was more of a sophisticated social political
>> > activist journal.
>> >
>> >   If anyone reading this by some miracle has a copy of one or more of
>> > the editions of this newspaper I would love to at least copy it...
>> >
>> >   Ted Moffett
>> >
>> >
>> >
>
>
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