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

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U-M gained fame from its tradition of academic and athletic excellence. It ' s local notoriety, however, came from quirky traditions such as the Naked Mile. In 1983 the men ' s crew team ran naked through central campus in celebration of the last day of classes; the run quickly became a campus-wide craze. On April 19, about 500 to 1,000 men and women gathered at the corner of South University Avenue and Walnut Street to run the mile; over 5,000 spectators stood by to cheer them on. Crew team member and LSA senior Casey Jenkins said, Everyone feels self- conscious at first, but you ignore the crowd and loosen up. After a while, the crowd boosts your running. Some students were surprised by their own partici- pation in the event. LSA junior and crew team member Stephanie Norwell said, My freshman year, I didn ' t think I ' d ever be able to run the mile, but I was surprised by how many women did run. It was cool. From South University Avenue, runners raced through the West Engineering Arch and the Diag to the Art Museum steps for a chorus of Hail to the Victors and photo opportunities. The mile concluded at the Cube, near the Union, although the fun did not end there. Police had blocked off the area to ensure order to the event; however, some participants got carried away in their enthusiasm. Some runners streaked through the study rooms in the Law Quad and the Shapiro Library as well as through the Union. Few schools can boast several hundred naked people racing towards a single goal as part of their college experience. It was certainly a unique feeling, Norwell said of the event. What bigger high is there than running naked through the streets of Ann Arbor? layout DIJ Drandi llopton sforq oq Lmilie Mcpman If photo hy (. ' hip IV-. Diag Days 29

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A BlilllND: Runners dash past the crowd en route to the Law Quad. Police cars lined the streets, watching for trouble- makers. Uk.lir Students run naked through the Law Quad in celebration of the lart day of winter term. 28 DiagDays

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collecting , x ' for organizations Students occasionally stopped in the Diag to talk to friends between classes. They also stopped to speak to complete strangers, but for a good cause. These strangers were members of organizations collecting money to support various charities. Members in organizations like Project Serve held buckets in the Diag to collect money for Adoptive Family Programming, which provided meals and holi- day gifts for underprivileged children. They also raised funds for Alternative Spring Break, which sent college students around the country to do community service. Not all organizations used the traditional bucket drive to raise money for charity. Fraternities and sororities organized events to raise money for their philanthropies. Sigma Kappa held Step for Alzheimer ' s, a 24- hour aerobics marathon to earn money for the National Alzheimer ' s Association. Chi Psi and Delta Delta Delta teamed up to earn money for Mott Children ' s Hospital in a teeter-totter- ing campaign. You ' ll see us out in the Diag. It ' s an annual thing, said Chi Psi member Ron DeMarco. Delta Sigma Phi also raised money for Mott by holding a scaffolding sit. Fraternity members sat on a couch that was perched several feet above the ground and encouraged people passing by to give spare change. On any given day, the Diag was crowded by groups holding fundraisers and collecting spare change. Many worthy causes were aided by students ' hard work and donations. laijoul bij LJpandi llorlon storij hi) V7innij Ililtz photo by Chip Peterson 30 Diag Days