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

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It has been said that the students of the seventies are an apathetic variety. No longer are they able to muster rallies of several thousand students for such things as war protest or the Bam strike. A large gathering for the tuition strike numbered in the hundreds. Yet it looked like some of the old political interest of the sixties was still there, when upwards of 1800 students jammed Hill Auditorium October 1st to hear anti-war activist Jane Fonda and friends. The crowd was decidedly enthusiastic. Former Michigan Daily editor and now activist Tom Hayden received a resounding ovation, as contrasted with the smattering of applause he received at the John Sinclair- Jonn Lennqn concert two years ago. Perhaps some of this could be attributed to a local boy makes good attitude concerning Hay- den ' s marriage to Jane Fonda. But other members of the program received warm responses from the audience as well. Bob Chenowith, a former POW, now activist, garnered a standing ovation speak- ing on the American cultural invasion of a third world nation. Also appearing were Jean-Pierre Degris, a former political prison- er in South Viet Nam, and some musicians headed by Holly Near. The top attraction on the bill was, of course, academy award winning actress Jane Fonda. Fonda reminded the audience that the work of the peace movement was not over. The main purpose of her tour of 14 states and 23 cities was to stimulate concern over the 200,000 political prisoners still in the jails of South Viet Nam . The star of Klute exorted students to write their Congressional representatives to cut off Uni- ted States funding of the Saigon prison camps. At a press conference earlier, Fonda was asked what she hoped to accomplish in light of student apathy of the seventies. Because of the demonstrations and the activism of the sixties, 35 senators supported an anti-war amendment and we ' ve stopped the bombing of Cambodia. I think the press tends to over- look the fact that anti-war sentiment is still very massive. We have created the situation of a massive police force in Saigon, and we are responsible. She later lauded the fact that an Ann Arbor faction was being formed to carry on the work of her tour. Fonda felt that new interest in the Anti-war movement was a result of public shock over the Watergate affair and a resulting realization of the corruption of the Nixon administration. In all probabilities the demonstrations of the sixties are but a memory. But the turn- out for the Fonda lecture demonstrates that anti-war sentiment is still very much alive. Perhaps it will take new methods to mobilize the sentiment and achieve the motives of the anti-war movement. 87

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are :hoi :rot ;or I or idi FO! Top: Tom Hayden, Jane Fonda, Bob Cheno- with, and Jean-Pierre Degris being intro- duced to students at Hill Auditorium. Left: Jane Fonda the work of the peace move- ment is not over. Above: Former Michigan Daily editor, now activist, Tom Hayden. Right: Former political prisoner of South Viet Nam, Jean-Pierre Degris. Far right: Bob Chenowith former POW, now activist.

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