Ihursday, February 13, 1975

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Page Seven

THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Seven


Strike: Con rontation,
crisIs, and concession

ALKING THE line isn't much fun. Most of the time
the pace is deathly slow-quickening only to battle
e numbing cold that nabs marchers in this glacial
eather.
The scenery is pretty monotonous, too. Not much
see around University buildings that most picketers
ven't seen countless times before.
Carrying a sign. Chanting a slogan. Intimidating
ose people who would consider trying to enter.
It's all part of the trade. And for a couple of days
might even be a relief after teaching and grading
pers.
Most teaching fellows claim they catch it from both
ds. They're both educators and students but somehow
em to get the worst of each world and few of the
nef its.-
Many of them vow to trudge around carrying their
gns for weeks if that's what it takes to improve the
tuation-though there's certainly no guarantee tha
will.
TALL, brown-haired guy carrying an armload of
books braved a circle of teachingfellows exhorting
mto turn 'back and "support the strike!?"
It was all peaceful, of course. Just a little friendly
rsuasion to raise his consciousness and political
areness.
Only in this case, the methods failed. He barged
rough into the Fish Bowl.
"I paid my tuition, and I'm going to classes," he
id rather grimly. "They may have their rights ... but
e got mine too."
He sounded like most of the other undergrads who
cided to cross the pick6t lines.
And many claimed to support the GEO demands
t pleaded that an exam that couldn't be missed or a
per that had to be turned in forced the decision.
For some the choice was difficult, for others it
semed easy. Yet each of them eventually faced that

moment---with eyes staring straight ahead and expres-
sionless faces-when they cut through the placcard-
waving strikers.
JT ISN'T unusual for Michigan students to choose
sleep in lieu of 10 a.m. class attendance. But a one-
to-one class ratio-one instructor, one student-hardly
characterizes routine University operations.
The first day of the walkout found one weary pro-
fessor standing in the front of her lecture hall in the
Frieze Building staring blindly at her entire student
audience-one.
The professor-obviously confused about the proper
course of action to take in this situation-began lectur-
ing to the less than hearty group, only to quickly fore-
go the entire operation in comical disgust.
The lone student didn't seem to mind. She would
gladly go back home to sleep.
THE WHIRRING spectrum of the total strike move-
ment implodes to its churning center at the GEO
headquarters in East Quad.
The highest echelone of the GEO leadership mingle
with rank-and-file union picketers as members of the
melee squeeze past each other In Tyler House's narrow
corridor.
Dave Gordon paces back and forth. He has gotten
four hotrs sleep a night for the past week as a result
of his dual role as union negotiator and director of
media relations.
Aleda Krausse, GEO's acting president and one of
the only leaders who remains ever-energetic and cheer-
ful, hurries to a meeting of the Executive Committee
with an armload of sot cups of coffee.
Chief rabble-rouser Mark Kaplan-who attained a
stardom of sorts in video-taped performances at mass
meetings which were later replayed in the Fish Bowl-
breezed through with an eruption of profanity.

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Photography by The Daily Staff

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