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

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GAY RIGHTS supporters wore paper bags to protest the fact that their jobs depended on their ano- nymity. PRESIDENT HAROLD SHA- PIRO (bottom left) stood by Mike Wallace, who faced student pro- tests. THE PANTREE (below) was the target of a one-day rally last fall to protest its treatment of gay cus- tomers. ACTIVISM 29

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Activism is Back Who says students don ' t care? A or years, it has k been written qt yb that college stu- dents don ' t care about the world around them. The evidence at the University of Michi- gan over the past year doesn ' t necessarily support this premise. One of the most dramatic examples of recent activism on campus are the shanties on the Diag. Erected a year apart from each other, the shanties are meant to call attention to apartheid until that South African system of racial separ- atism ends. It was student pressure that made the regents wthdraw 90% of U-M ' s mon- ey invested in South Africa two years ago. Related to South Africa were the student protests about racism last spring (see pages 26-27). Students in the United Coalition Against Racism (UCAR) issued a list of 12 demands last spring for the University to meet to im- prove the racial climate. These demands included fi- nancial aid plans for minority students, a mandatory work- shop on racism and diversity for all students, and the grant- ing of an honorary degree to imprisoned South African Black leader Nelson Mandela. The BAM III boycott against the Union and the Fleming Building echoed the UCAR demands. Gay rights groups joined the act around this time, naming a Blue Jeans Day where supporters of gay rights at U-M were supposed to wear blue jeans. Mandela did receive his de- gree at commencement last spring, ending a two-year bat- tle between supporters of the degree and the regents. How- ever, the presence of CBS re- porter Mike Wallace at gradu- ation touched off another storm. Many students turned their backs on Wallace as he spoke because of some alleg- edly racist remarks Wallace had made in the past. Shortly before graduation, local residents protested rape and called for more equal rights for women during the annual Take Back the Night Rally. Hundreds of women marched around the campus shouting slogans. Student protests about campus safety led to the installation of emergency phones around campus and the formation of Safewalk, in which student volunteers offer escorted walks every night. By Michael A. Bennett THE SHANTIES on the Diag have become fixtures; the first one has been up for two years. JANK ESSELSTYN (far right) marches with the crowd during the Take Back the Night rally last spring. 28 ACTIVISM

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f Football Saturdays -; Fans aren ' t dismayed by opening loss aize-and-Blue fever is like a seasonal plant that flowers for a brief pe- riod each year, namely during a 10-12 week stretch starting in early September. The phenomenon bloomed as strongly as ever this past year, despite the week-late start of the fall term and a dev- astating season opening loss to Notre Dame at home, 26-7. The Wolverines showed the home crowd very little in the way of impressive football as the visiting Fighting Irish pushed them all over the field, forcing seven turnovers. Fans quieted down as Notre Dame built its lead to 17-0, but the crowd came alive noi- sier than ever in the third quarter when first-time quar- terback Demetrius Brown found Greg McMurtry for a touchdown pass right in front of the freshman section. After the game, fans were generally disappointed, but they still held hope for Michi- gan ' s upcoming home games against unimpressive teams such as Washington State, Long Beach State, Wisconsin, and Northwestern. (The game was) boring . . . depressing, noted Kathy Gil- bert and Karen Mincavage, who definitely missed last year ' s 11-2 team which went to the Rose Bowl. We want- ed to have the excitement of last year ' s games. Tom Yazbee pointed the finger for his team ' s problems at Brown, who won the start- ing job over close rival Mi- chael Taylor. Brown and Tay- lor are sophomores who com- peted to fill the shoes of Heisman candidate Jim Har- baugh, now with the Chicago Bears. The first game was a drag! the student stated. We had some major quarterback problems. The loss didn ' t take the spirit out of most of Michi- gan ' s fans, who were flying following Michigan ' s three straight wins that filled out U- M ' s four-game home stand to start the season. Michigan downed Washington State, 44-1 8, before blowing out vis- iting Long Beach State and Wisconsin by identical scores of 49-0. The victories got fans thinking about what they real- ly like about football Satur- days. I love throwing toilet pa- per, said Ben Ellenbogen, who professed to no other football-related rituals. The best part of football CONTINUED VENDORS SELL everything from programs to boxer shorts on Hoover. LET ' S GO BLUE . . . This fan and friends painted up for the Notre Dame name. 30 FOOTBALL SATURDAYS