University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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Disco NIGHT Uff WJ hoever said that f f disco was out had never been to Disco N ight at the Nectar- ine Ballroom. Since May 1992, students all over campus put on their boogie shoes and took a journe y back to the days when Disco was king. Every Wednes- day night, the Nectarine featured Disco Night, a wildly popular disco fest. Stu- dents 19 and over danced to the hot hits of the 1970 ' s, including all-time favor- ites such as Staying Alive , Grease , YMCA , Funkytown and Copacabana. By midnight, the dance floor was so jam-packed that a person could hardly move, let alone dance. If it wasn ' t al- ready full, the dance floor was always at its capacity during the hustle. In fact, when the hustle began, students had to take care to avoid being trampled! The Nectarine is the only place I can go to dance to my favorite groups from the 70 ' s, like the Bee Gee ' s, Blondie, and the Village People, claimed LSA senior Lisa K. Mullins, and, I love to dance the hustle. Many other factors besides the music and dancing contributed to the overall enjoyment of Disco Night. On the TV monitors, people could view movies from the 70 ' s like Saturday Night Fever, Grease, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Students found it amazing that they remembered the movies and could still recite the lines verbatim! There were some pretty interesting music vid- FEVED eos to be seen at Disco night as well. These included videos by Blondie and the Village People. Yet, surely the highlight was the hilariously funny video It ' s Raining Men, where men fall from the sky. The outrageous costumes also merited mention. Bell-bottoms, leisure suits, tight mini-skirts and platform shoes were the norm, and John Travolta look-alikes ran rampant. Since there was no cover charge for those who dressed in 70 ' s outfits, people spared no expense in getting decked out for the occasion. Students got their clothes from many different sources. Some got theirs from resale shops, while others, like School of Education senior Missy Carson, got theirs from raiding mom ' s basement for old clothes. Disco Night was a raging success on campus. Students loved getting decked out in 70 ' s attire and dancing to the tunes they grew up with. LSA junior Monica Moon commented, I can part my hair down the middle, wear blue eye shadow, platforms, and get down to my favorite 70 ' s beat. But beyond that, Disco Night served as a stress reliever. One U-M student mentioned, It is somewhere to go to see old friends with- out having to worry about the added responsibilities of drinking. And, because most everyone is dressed up and just out to have fun, it ' s an easy atmosphere to meet others. In 1993, where else could you act silly for a couple of hours with a huge crowd of people ? Disco N ight was certainly unique, and quickly became something for students to look forward to each week. 48 Michigan Life

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HAIL To THE MMZE-N-DLUE! ow could one r define the great Michigan Spirit? How could one give a label to an atmosphere that surrounds an entire campus, town, and state? Maybe it was the tension, the excitement, the charisma that shook the stadium every Saturday in the Fall when 100,000 Michigan faithful anxiously waited to see if this Wolver- ine team would continue the great tradition that started with Fielding H. Yost. Could it have been the chills that one felt when over 200 Michigan band members flowed out of the eastern sideline, as they formed the block letter ' M, ' and they played the greatest fight song in the United States of America: The Michigan Victors? Is it the feeling of pride one sensed while studying at the Law Library when he or she realized that he or she was attending one of the greatest universities in the world. Or was it the feeling of tradition one felt walking through the Diag knowing that students had been doing the same all the way back to 1817? The truth was that all of those things com- prised the Michigan spirit: cheering for the sports teams, feeding the squirrels on the Diag, listening to the bells in the Burton Tower, smiling ' hi ' to good-old Shakey Jake.. ..Each one, and millions of other similar sensations, were only a part of the college experience that U-M students were so fortunate to have been a part of. This college experience was exemplified by all the University of Michigan had to offer. The University was known for its strong academic tradition, but students also enjoyed a rich vari- ety of extracurricular activities and the op- portunity to explore new cultures and ideas. First-year student Kevin McCalla, who en- tered the University ' s engineering school, spent many hours in the classroom but also developed his interests by joining the Solar Car team, and established new relationships by rushing the Greek system. McCalla commented, I found the extracurricular options overwhelming at first-I didn ' t know which I wanted to get involved with first. I just started with what grabbed my interest the most, and what would look good on a resume-rmlookingintoI-Mwrestlingnext. In 1973 in a game versus Ohio State, the late, great Bob Ufer, the personification of Michigan spirit, made the remark, ' M ' Club supports you Michigan, and so does everyone from coast to coast, from the coast of Lake Erie to the coast of Lake Michigan. Ufer said the University was beloved throughout the state, country, and the world. U-M ' s campus went far beyond Ann Arbor. In fact, its boundary reached all the way to the moon, where the flag was planted by an all-Michigan alumni Apollo crew. But the Michigan spirit was much bigger than even that. It was also the one force that bonded students and professors togetherfrom all over the world. Michigan students all generally had the same love for the Univer- sity, and most knew that the tradition encouraged them to continue their spirit to keep the school the leader and best. Looking back now on your great Alma Mater, sing to the colors that float in the light! Hurrah for the yellow and blue! Michigan Life 47

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Boogying to the tunes, one regular sports his 70 ' s ensemble and shows off his disco flare. -- Jimmy Basse Reminicent of the 70 ' s yesteryears, the Nectarine ' s disco ball hung directly above the dance floor. -- Jimmy Basse Michigan Life 49