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

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Counting cash, a street vendor displays hemp items. Hemp products were a trend amongst smokers and non- smokers alike. photo by Abby Johnson Against a backdrop of bongs, a student purchases paraphernalia. Various goods were sold on the street, photo by Abby Johnson Announcing his presence, a runner sprints through campus. Some students disregarded warnings against running the Naked Mile, photo by David Wolfe Covered in garbage bags, a Naked Mile runner conceals himself. Many runners wore costumes for the event, photo by David Wolfe Michigan Life 15

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STORY CON IINTT.D FROM PAGE 13 event has grown from a Uni- versity-wide event into an at- traction annually gathering over 10,000 spectators, in- cluding those eager to capi- talize off of college students disrobing in public. Recently, runners have had their pic- tures show up in tabloid maga- zines and, more commonly, on the Internet. Thisyear, however, a seem- ingly carefree campus tradi- tion somehow turned sour. In the past, students were sim- ply informed by University of- ficialsthat the Naked Mile was not sponsored by the Univer- B ' 1 sity, and that students should CAELAN JORDAN be aware of the consequences of the run, such as unsolicited appearances on Internet por- nography sites. And then offi- cials looked the other way. Not so anymore. Students d o TRADITIONS were warned both by Ann Arbor police and the Univer- sity that participation in the run would result in arrest and prosecution. Because of the high publicity the warnings received, many students thought twice about running; as a result, fewer students ran the Naked Mile than in recent years. Some students who did participate, however, saw the warnings in a different light. The illicitness is just going to make me run harder, said an anonymous senior. Many students who did run in the event carried cloth- ing with them as a precau- tion. Ann Arbor police issued statements saying that arrests would be made only if the offender refused to put on clothing at the time of the citation. Theycan ' tjustsingle out a few people, said junior political science major Karl Hungus. They can ' t arrest everyone. Other students decided to take a more active role in the Naked Mile by volunteering to staff the event, protecting students and the audience alike by offering security. We ' re here to keep people from getting groped. If secu- rity does a good job, the Uni- versity will allow the tradition to continue, said junior psy- chology major Chessa Rosario. The tradition of the Naked Mile did stand in jeopardy at theend of winterterm, simply because so few students did participate in the event. De- creased participation could lead to the conclusion of the tradition on campus. Likewise, questions sur- rounding the propriety of the Naked Mile on campus also enveloped the activities of Hash Bash, held thefirst week- end in April every year. As always, the legalization dem- onstration generated a lot of debate from all sides of the protest. The University cannot hold this event on campus anymore. It is too controver- sial, said a freshman student who wished to remain anony- mous. Hash Bash, however, was less threatened because it is less of a student activity than the Naked Mile is. Hash Bash attracts more people from out- side the University, while the Naked Mile ' s runners gener- ally come from the University student body. Regardless of their place on campus, however, Hash Bash and the Naked Mile both made their mark on campus life in April, just as they have for many years. As campus traditions, they have attracted a wide range of attention to the University, putting the school in a national spotlight twice in the same month. 14 Hash Bash and Naked Mile

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Projected onto the jumbotron. University President Lee Bellinger is captured as he addresses the graduates. As President, Bollinger spoke at commence- ment, photo by Kristen Stone NATIONAL CHAMPIONS Shading her eyes as she watches the Sitting on the stage, the University Regents and graduate Jamie Katz observe the ceremony. Katz delivered a speech she wrote for the occasion, photo by Kristen Stoner ceremony, a graduate displays a wreath on her mortarboard. Many students personalized their caps. photo by Kristen Stoner Clad in black caps and gowns, graduates sit in the stands of Michigan Stadium. The sunny day proved the traditional dress to be hot. photo by Kristen Stoner 16 Graduation