AUGUST 25, 1984 THE MICHIGAN DAILY umni Association Keeps Former Students in Touch w za raduation by no means ends udent's ties to the University least not if the Alumni Asso- ion has anything to say about :aintaining these .ties-and a tionship beneficial to both the nnus and his alma mater-is' major function of the Asso- There are many ways in which' the Association serves University alumni. When a group of alumni comes back to the campus for a ! class reunion, it is the Associa- tion's job to find quarters for those who need them and also to prepare a program for the reun- ions, including such events as speakers and films. When an alumnus wants to contact an in- dividual or an office here on campus, the Association makes the arrangements for him. The Association also directs alumni interest toward the Uni- versity into constructive channels. Alumni play key roles in preserv- ing and perpetuating the well-be- ing of the University. There are many ways in which they do this, such as: -Helping to maintain a top- notch student body by directing outstanding students to the Uni- versity. -Advertising the University - to the Legislature and the news media in particular.' --Giving advice and counsel to the University. -Providing financial support through their own contributions and through soliciting contribu- tions from others. The Association sponsors many activities aside from class re- unions. One of these is the an- nual European Tour that was started last year under former General 'Secretary Jack Tirrell, and which was continued this year. Alumni going on the Euro- pean tour benefit not only from reduced group rates, but also from the fact that University alumni greet the travelers in vari- ous countries.. In 1963, the Association launch- ed its first fulltime program of Alumni Family Camping. Camp Michigania, on Walloon Lake, near Traverse City, Michigan, was op- ened this summer for Alumni Family Camping. The camp offers a blending of education with rec- reation, as outstanding members of the University faculty are resi- dent campers. The camp is run on a family basis, and all members of the As- sociation are welcome. Article I of the By-laws of the Association's constitution tell the requirements for membership: Basically, any person who has at- tended the University for at least one semester or a summer session, and who pays dues of $1 per year or subscribes to the Michigan Alumnus is a regular member. As- sociate members are those people who have a close relationship to the University, although they did not attend it, and pay dues or subscribe to the Michigan Alum- nus. The Michigan Alumnus is a magazine of commentary and Uni- versity news that is published 10 times yearly. Featured in recent issues of the Alumnus were ar-- ticles on such topics as why so' many students flunk out of col- lege, and whether' or not the col- lege professor deserves all the pow- er he has. The accomplishments of the University's athletes are given full coverage, and the paper keeps its subscribers up to date on what other Michigan alumni are doing, in a section called "The Alumni Family." The Alumni Association serves as a coordinating center for the more than 200 Michigan Alumni Clubs throughout the world. The purpose of these clubs is to ad- vance the University's interests. Representing over 50 of these clubs on campus are student governors. The Student Governor Program was started by Mrs. Allison Myers' in 1956 in order, to get an even closer relationship between the alumni clubs and the University. The student governors are an invaluable link between the clubs' they represent and the University. While.here, they learn about the Alumni Association first-hand and become better acquainted with the workings of the Association and the University. They are thus able to aid their home clubs with this knowledge. The governors go back to their own high schools and talk with guidance counselors and students there about the University. The governors are very helpful to their home clubs in that the facts they have learned about the University and the Alumni Association help "cut the maze of uncertainty" in the dealings between the alumni clubs and the Alumni Associa- tion's central office. herb 8tough- ton, '63E, is the on-campus chair- man of the program. There are over 204,000 Univer- sity alumni, and Field Secretary Philip J. Brunskill said "The' Alumni Association would be very happy if it could get half of its alumni involved in'Association ac- tivities." Of the 80,000 alumni that live in Michigan, 25,000 live in the Detroit-Ann Arbor area. ..._. :. iY . .. _. ___.___ __ . _ __ .. :.: <