SECTION TWO
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SECTION TWO
Friday, September 6, 1974
Page One-B
Fleming
By STEPHEN SELBST
President Robben Fleming announced Wed-
nesday that the University will begin an
examination of ethics, social values, and their
role in higher education during this academic
year.
Fleming told a small audience of freshmen
at the annual President's Welcome speech at
Hill Auditorium that George Wald, 1967 Nobel
prize winner in physiology and medicine, will
inaugurate a series of programs on ethics with
an Oct. 1 lecture on "Truth and Goodness."
FLEMING SAID the series was born of his
concern "for what's been happening to our
ethics and value structures." Through the
planned seminars, he said, "we hope to freely
examine our (values) and others," and he
wondered aloud if the universities should be
making a conscious effort to inject ethics in
teaching.
Fleming announced no further details for
the program Wednesday night.
In a speech apparently designed to assuage
the fears of the incoming class, Fleming pa-
tiently discussed areas of traditional concern-
the benefits of getting involved in campus
activities, loneliness, the difficulty of getting
into medical school, and the ultimate value.
of a liberal arts education.
LESS THAN 500 people turned out for the
speech and few students even bothered to
applaud at the end.
At the outset, Fleming announced his inten-
tions to make his remarks brief: "You've
probably been oriented and reoriented and
you're fed up at this point, so I'll just add a
few things."
He then extended an official "Welcome to
the University," saying, "I'm sure you come
in with high hopes . . . I'm sure your parents
have high hopes for you."
FLEMING ALSO warned the new students,
"Sometimes you'll feel lonely, as all of us
who have gone to school have from time to
time." He went on to warn that "until Thanks-
tells
frosh
of ethics'
plan
giving is the most difficult time for freshmen,"
predicting, "after you return from your vaca-
tion you'll feel more like this i where you
belong."
Fleming also told the audience he would be
available to meet with small groups of stu-
dents at their dorms if they cared to invite
him." I don't like making speeches, I prefer
to meet people in person. Just call my secre-
tary; she usually handles my schedule better
than I do."
Fleming then spoke to a common frosh fear,
a di rhetorically, "Can I make it?" He then
asked, "Is it a place where you will find you
can compete?"
HE OFFERED a reassuring answer: "Yes,
in the most part . . . The dropout rate is
very low,"
He warned that the University would not be
as easy as high school, because there are
"more good students, and a more compressed
group of the best students." But he empha-
sized that academic survival was "not an im-
He also gave familiar advice that students
would encounter "more independence," and
that now they alone would be responsible for
"organizing your affairs to let you work and
play."
FLEMING THEN made a smooth transition
to one of his oft-used themes in addressing
1- - f-'ences: the imnortance of develop-
ing outside interests exclusive of schoolwork.
"I, for one, believe all work and no play is
not a good thing. You can do fine academic
work without being a grind."
"Academic success is not all in life," he
said. "You'll do very well to involve yourself
outside the academic arena. Much of your
enthusiasm and learning will come from your
peer'groups," he commented.
He advised them to discover the new and
pursue the old, "You may find things you
never knew existed."
FLEMING also sounded a grave note of
caution to the class of '78, saying, "From what
you tell us, large numbers of you are planning
to go on to medical school. That's an unreal-
istic dream. There aren't openings for all of
you. Not everybody can go."
Fleming also spoke to the value of a general
preparatory education: "Many of you have
been asking of what use is this education to
me . . : students since the year one have been
asking that question."
But, he reassured them, "The job world
doesn't require specific education," adding,
"much of the training will come on the job."
He also hinted that the best they could do
would be to acquire a general education and
"broaden intellectual horizons, and obtain ex-
perience in the process of analysis."
HE SAID life at the University would afford
an opportunity "to mature here in an intelli-
gent community."
Fleming closed his speech with an appeal
for support of the Student Government Coun-
cil, (SGC), explaining "Student governments
in college suffer one great deficiency - you
simply don't participate."
Citing past SGC elections he said, "At a
campu$ of 34,000, its lucky if 5,000 or 6,000
vote, and we've had student leaders elected
with less than one thousand." This, he said,
"is not responsible government any way you
look at it."
HE CONCLUDED, "If you want an active
and alert student government, you've got to
participate."
Following Fleming's speech the Men's Glee
Club performed for about 45 minutes. The Glee
Club began with several traditional numbers,
and the audience, sparse at the outset, began
trickling to the exits.
Then the-Glee Club presented the popular
Friars octet, who performed several Fifties
rock numbers, such as "The Chapel of Love"
and Angel Eyes," with polished choreography,
corny faked punches, and a kazoo.
THEN THE crowd came alive, and the ap-
plause following the Friars was enthusiastic.
The Glee Club closed with a number of
school songs including 'tThe Victors"'- which
stirred the crowd to clap rhythmically, and
without prompting, students rose as one for
the singing of "The Yellow and The Blue."
Reddix Allen, Student Government Council
(SGC) vice president, spoke following the Glee
Club, telling the waning crowd, that he and
SGC President Carl Sandberg were working
to open SGC up, and seeking wider interaction
with the students. He mentioned the possi-
bility of resurrecting the Michigan Student
News, a free SGC paper that formerly car-
ried news of SGC activities.
Daily Photo by PAULINE LUBENS
PRESIDENT ROBBEN FLEMING welcomes freshmen to the
University in a speech at Hill Auditorium Wednesday night.
He announced a series of lectures and seminars on ethics
and values within the University.
POPCORN, BLUE RIBBON STEERS
Kids,
anmals,
music,
rides
It's
all
part
By LAURIE GROSS
Rides whirling, children
screaming, cows mooing, music
blaring . .. no doubt about it,
the Saline Community Fair is in
business again.
The fair began 38 years ago
in a tiny schoolhouse, but now
the exhibition barns, newfan-
gled f arm machinery, display
booths, ponies, and sheep sprawl
across several acres of the loyal
Farm Council's grounds on Ann
Arbor-Saline Road.
ABOUT 5,000 people have
poured through the fair every
night since it opened Tuesday,
and organizers are expecting
bigger crowds tonight and to-
morrow, which is the last day
of the fair.
ofthe
the livestock stalls, Washtenaw
County Commissioner candidate,
Hubert Beach was explaining
the marvels of a funny-looking
contraption.
"This was the first small por-
table engine for farmers," said
Beach of the noisy, kerosene-
fueled internal combustion en-
gine. "The one that replaced it
is like those modern lawn
nowers."
ACROSS the fairgrounds from
f
i
Saline Fair
where the kerosene engine sat "HAVE YOU boys washed
and pumped-but didn't go any- your hands in the last hour?"
where-two groups of national he said, glaring down at some
baton-twirling champions were dirty young fingers. "Watch
twirling away. your sticky fingers when you
Amid
cheese
:ream
stands,
the mingled odors of
critters, tacos, and ice
f r o m the concession
anid fresh manure from
"It takes practice," said a
mother of one of the Slinging
Sweethearts, an act that has
won numerous awards in Mich-
igan and elsewhere. "The girls
practice once a week during the
isyear and twice a week in the
summer."
Some of the other acts in the
annual talent show must not
have taken as much practice:
one local comedian tried very
hard to draw laughs out of his
"apparel act"--a string of cloth-
ing jokes he credited to "my
fishermanf r i e s d, the Cod-
father."
THE LIVESTOCK competi-
tions are the result of a year's
work. Local farmers pick their
1
'We think it's pretty
informative,' intoned
a deputy at the county
sheriff's d i sp lay of
marijuana and hashish
pipes. Now moms will
know what they find in
their kids' pants.'
touch those things."
At, the Washtenaw County
sheriff's booth, the deputies
were showing off a collection of
guns, knives, marijuana plants,
and hashish pipes-all clearly IiM.+w.vpy' Y}{
labeled as illegal merchandise. I
f"We think it's pretty infor-t4>
mative," intoned one deputy.
"Now moms know what theytX
find in their kids' pants when;
they come in late at night.":.
BUT THE kids at the fair had Daily Photo by PAULINE LUBENS
better ways to spend the eve-DayPhtbyAUNEL EN
ning-enjoying the. Inferno, the A FEW UNEXCITED FRESHMEN listen to President Robben Fleming welcome them to the
Whirl, the Salt-and-Pepper shak- University in a speech at Hill Auditorium Wed nesday night. The president urged students to
ers, and other rides. have "high hopes" for their college experienc e, but a round of oldies by the popular "Friars"
The fair ends tomorrow night. octet drew more applause than Fleming from the crowd of less than 500.
best steers, lambs, hens, and
hogs and fatten them for 10
months before the fair. Then
the families hope for blue rib-
bons and a good price on their
animals before they choose new
candidates again in October.
In "the exhibition barns, dis-
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