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

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s students joined alumni and other fans to shout Hail to the Victors, they became part of the largest crowd watching College foot- ball in the largest stadium in the nation. The construction completed on Michigan Stadium before the opening home game against Syracuse made the Wolverines ' playing field, yet again, the biggest and the best. The Big House, taking the title of the largest college-owned foot ball facility in the coun- try, added 5,500 seats to bring capacity to 107, 501 maize and blue colored fans. Michigan Ath- letic Director Tom Goss stated that the additional seats were added, not for bragging rights, but to better accommodate all University of Michigan students who want to attend a game. Despite the additional 7,522 more ticket requests that were received from students for this year ' s fall football season, the added seats alleviated the problem of split season tickets which first-year students were forced to deal with in the 1997 football season. The addition of stadium seats was not the only part of the stadium ' s construction, which began in late winter and lasted throughout the summer. The 14 million dollar project, fi- nanced entirely by Athletic Department funds, included the addition of 500 seats to better ac- commodate disabled fans, as well as the addition of the new digital scoreboards and other renova- tions. Six rows of seats were added around the stadium ' s top with the exception of the historic areas on the east side and those areas blocked by the press box. The construction crews also opened up the walkways in the stadium from forty feet wide to sixty feet wide, giving patrons more room to walk on their way to their seats. Seventy more bathrooms were added to the stadium with the hopes again of making the football Saturday trumpet player is dis- played on one of the new scoreboards. The Univer- sity spent $7,900,000 on these new electronic in- novations. f J ew seats are built around the top of the sta- dium. These six rows of new seats guaranteed ev- ery student full season tickets. experience more comfortable. The Athletic Department spent $7,900,000 on electronic innovations including the new video scoreboards which were installed at both ends of the field. While watching replays and other action on the new scoreboards, fans were treated to better sound because of the re- vamped Bose sound system which eliminated dead spots in the stadium. Several television monitors were added along the stadium concourse so fans could con- tinue to watch the game while waiting at the bathroom or concession areas. All concession stands were also moved under the bowl of the stadium so as to expand the concourse area for patrons. More work was being completed on the stadium brick program, which offered the oppor- tunity for students and fans to purchase bricks with their name or dedication on them. The bricks were to be placed in one of the five brick entrance plazas to the stadium. Wolverine Plaza was added this year, the third phase of the brick program, at the northwest entrance of the sta- dium, in tribute to many students and fans, as well as historical individuals and groups, such as the Michigan Marching Band and Bob Ufer. Michigan stadium is distinctive and unquestionably one of the most esteemed venues in all of sports, Goss reported to the University Athletic Media Relations Department, We feel these improvements will greatly enhance the overall experience at the stadium for the fans. by Virginia Hiltz MiCHHi TO GO BALL ON QTR. -| RUSHING fl PASSING D TOTAL D D I - W H ... M 22 Stadium Construction Shelley Skopit Shelley Skopit

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I don ' t think squirrels here are necessarily friend- lier. It ' s just that they are less afraid. Kind of like ' hey, whatever ' when you walk up to them. They ' re just used to all the people. Junior micro-biology major, Jennie Barnard Frisks Kristy Parker (j-raduate Tim Brundage feeds his furry friend a peanut outside the Diag. Squirrels mingled with students as they rested in between classes or during a lunch break. Business B y a tree on the Diag, a chubby squirrel finds his afternoon acorn. These furry critters resorted to nature when students did not have an extra bagel at their disposal. ome joked that half of the Ann Arbor population consisted of those affiliated with the University and that the other half made chirping noises and had long, bushy tails. It seemed that tens of thousands of squirrels called the green, well-treed University campus their home. Stu- dents learned that sharing the terrain with these frisky critters was not always easy. A myriad of furry faces greeted students as they walked to class. Some squirrels seemed happy to see the young students happily going about their day while others appeared to harbor a deep resent- ment for the human inhabitants of the city. Each squirrel brought his or her own story to the campus ' landscape and it was fitting that the campus squirrel population itself reflected the diversity for which the University so fervently aimed. Students were divided on the issue of feeding the squirrels. While many newcomers paid little attention to this buck-toothed element of society, students who had been around awhile paid attention and respect to the Ann Arbor squirrels. First-year LSA student Adil Daudi re- marked, It never occurred to me to feed the squirrels. I guess I am not an animal person. I just moved here so maybe I just need time to get used to them. Older students seemed wiser to the squirrel culture. Squirrels come up to my win- dow when I am sleeping, explained Joe Rom, second-year graduate student in architecture. They scratch until I come and feed them, bread or nuts, usually. These squirrels arejust amazing. You can walk right up to them. The result of so much feeding by hu- mans created a friendlier, notably plump squir- rel. Squirrels are a lot fatter here than anywhere else; they ' re obviously fed well. Sometimes they come closer than you expect but I haven ' t heard of anyone getting attacked yet, commented Beth Johnson, second-year graduate student in geol- ogy. Some students saw the squirrels as merely accustomed to the humans. Junior micro-biology major Jennie Barnard said, I don ' t think squir- rels here are necessarily friendlier. It ' s just that they are less afraid. Kind of like ' hey, whatever ' when you walk up to them. They ' re just used to all the people. Surprisingly, all the attention and feed- ing by students did not guarantee peaceful rela- tions between squirrels and students. Jasmine Zarzecki, office coordinator of West Quad claimed, Squirrels are mean! One day a squirrel attacked my office window while I was interviewing some- one. It was very distracting. Overall, squirrels were a force to be reckoned with, sometimes smiling, sometimes not. When sitting in the grass of the Diag, students knew to be on the lookout for playful scurrying about or danger from a branch overhead. by Jamie Weitzel Michigan Life 21

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The House he words ' Hail To The Conquering Heroes Univer- sity of Michigan- are some T h e Bi p House, taking back the title of the college-owned of the newly added words O O that circle the top of the sta- f oot ball facility in the , added 5,500 seats to bring capacity to dium. Workers spent the J O J summer creating a brighter 1 f)7 SOI PnH Hlllf rrlrrp rl -L , f J J. ClJ-lv 1 X14.V V wJ.v LV d stadium for fans to enjoy. Michigan Life 23