Anarchy has reared its ugly head at Yale University. Threatening to sever the hallowed tradition of faceless keg parties and liquor bashes are a small number of insurgents covertly planning to undermine the established hierarchy, all in the name of punk rock.

Actually, there's probably no need to worry. The New Wave and punk rock trends which have afflicted other societies have barely touched this stately institution, though a few radical devotees do exist.

At Timothy Dwight college, for instance, a so-called punk party attracted a large number of Yalies, many of whom decided to dress up (or down, as the case may be) for the event. Music consisted of only a smattering of New Wave, though, and a healthy dose of mainstream rock was included, according to one insider, in an effort to satisfy the "general public." This was the saddest characteristic of the party and of most such events; the purpose is never to enrage or even engage, merely to pacify pleasantly.

Yale punk rock bands, as such, do not exist; or if they do they have successfully eluded all efforts of uncovering them. Certain past groups, such as The Snotz, have graduated (they now perform in the Boston area), while others, such as The Germanies and The Ice Cream Clones, are defunct.

One former group, Betzyna Runt, has changed both its name and personnel and become The Aquanettes. Composed of four women, three of them Yale undergraduates, the band assumes a largely apolitical, yet overtly New Wave stance, and plays music described by guitarist Cathy Cormack as "a bit paranoid." Betsy Ressler. founder of the band, sings and plays lead guitar. while the other band members play bass, drums and help out on vocals. The Aquanettes sing about feminism, boys and girls, and murder - subjects fit for any creative work, especially rock-n-roll. And though none of the women claim any affinity for nosepins or dyed hair, their style of dress is clearly in the manner of the New Wave. If they disdain Yale it is certainly not evident in their overall musical approach - the Aquanettes are not out to convert you - only to awaken you. You will probably have the chance to hear this band soon on campus: my suggestion is to come with open ears.

As in most cities, New Haven's clubs are subject to the constraint of being able to offer scant pay to all but the most established acts. As a result, new talent, especially New Wave talent, must struggle to gain exposure. Among New Haven New Wave bands, the most universally respected are the Disturbance, who offer up a novel fusion of New Wave, soul and rhythm 'n' blues music. Anyone interested in checking out New Wave should initiate himself with a performance by this band; best bet is to catch them at Ron's Place.

The unrivaled hotbed for unadulterated New Wave music in the New Haven vicinity, Ron's Place, located on the corner of Chapel and Park Street, is a grimy, sweaty, pink-and-black linoleum ceilinged hole which provides an ideal setting for local bands like Hot Bodies, the Disturbance, and the Furors. A recent and typical Saturday night performance featured Foreign Objects, a band that had performed earlier this fall at Stiles College.

The Stiles party, on October 26, had one strike against it before the Foreign Objects even took the stage. Any "New Wave" affair that stoops to advertising itself on the same bill as a "Morse Disco" is not attempting to be anything more than another variant on the mundane weekend party theme. If the Stiles planners had really thought of themselves as representing a new wave, they might have had the style to pursue a more self-respecting advertisement campaign.

Nonetheless, the Stiles New Wave party was a surprising success, the crowd jubilant, the band loud and raucous. I spoke with bassist Howard W. Campbell and drummer Steve the K between sets, and both were enthused about the crowd's response. The purpose of Foreign Objects, they said, is "to have fun," and to play rock'n'roll with which both the band members and their audience can identify. Given the proper amount of attention and inebriation on the part of the audience, the Objects show is effectively entrancing. By the frenzied response, the Stiles crowd made it clear Yale has at least some audience for New Wave bands.

Foreign Objects, whose members wear Hawaiian shirts a la Jimmy Buffett, sing songs like "Can You Defy Logic?" and "Blitzkrieg Bop," a Ramones tune crafted in the heavily repetitive vein of English pub-rocker Tom Robinson's 1978 hit, "2.4.6-8 Motorway". The significance of this rather confounding pose was clarified for me by Object's bassist Campbell. The band's shirts, he noted, are the same as those worn by late night T.V. wrestling star Lou Albano. When I questioned band leader Bill Perks,about the band's current influences during one of their infrequent breaks at Ron's Place, he replied, "We don't listen to any records anymore -we got a new color T.V."

Ron's Place is a haven for the more than a few Yalies disenchanted with the on-campus social scene. Among the most prominent are the Ezra Stiles crowd, several of whom helped promote the Foreign Objects party. A large portion of the New Wave devotees at Yale are, according to one Ron's Place Regular, "art students" and others who've come under the "New York, Andy Warhol influence."

Where does all this leave the rest of the Yale College community? The answer, unfortunately, is nowhere. The musical tastes of most students run the gamut of mainstream popular rock. Of those who do listen to New Wave, many dissociate themselves with any cultural traits the movement might imply. It is fairly uncommon to find students who own and play records by the B-52'5, The Clash, or Television. And even among those who do, not many would admit to any interest in hearing the frenetic Aquanettes, or in attending a place as sincerely primal as Ron's.

The future for a genuine punk or New Wave movement actually arising at Yale probably equals the chances of a Party of the Right member leading it; it would be a healthy change, but it just won't happen. New Wave is beginning to dominate rock'n'roll and popular music; the charts are rife with LP's by bands like The Knack, The Records, The Cars, Joe Jackson, and Blondie. But for the time being at Yale, the trend is definitely no wave.

by Gordon Henry

For those willing to seek the New Wave outside of the Yale community, a good starting point nIght be the New Haven counter-culture's entertainment publication, Oasis d'Neon. This rather bizarre, lurid bi-monthly is available at Rhymes Records, 59 Broadway, and at Bookhaven, 290 York Street, and sells for a paltry fifty cents.