I The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures presents A Lecture By Professor Alan Deyermond (Westfield College, University of London) "STAGES, BIRDS AND FOUNTAINS: SYMBOL AND ANECDOTE IN THE TRADITIONAL LYRIC" Monday, April 17 4:10 PM West Conference Room, Rackham Admission Complimentary Page 12--Friday, April 14, 1978-The Michigan Daily Non-revenue sports... THE SPORTING VIEWS 2 I By JEFF FRANK What comes out of a sportswriters' mind after three years at The Daily and as graduation looms just over the horizon? (That is, if my professors look kindly upon my last papers and finals). Instant trivia question: Which three Michigan athletes captured national championships this season? Forgive me if I feel a little empathy for all those athletes who labor in ob- scurity for one of Michigan's non-revenue sports. The thought that runs through the minds of these fine athletes must be: "Does anybody really care about what I'm doing out here?" The same thought runs through my mind, only it's changed in my personal con- text. "Is there anyone out there who reads stories about the less publicized non- revenue sports?" Several stories this year dealt with the hard work and dedication required to excel in any sport. How much harder can it be when nobody is watching the athlete perform or even recognizing the better performances when they occur? Trivia answer: John Corritore, gymnast, NCAA parallel bars champion, Mark Churella, wrestler, NCAA 158-pound champ, and Julie Bachman, AIAW .-meter diving champion. Anybody who considers himself a Michigan sports fan, who has never seen any of the above compete, has just had their designation as a "true fan" stripped away. The individual athletes and those competing in non-revenue sports are long over- due for attention. But attention doesn't only come from the fans. For too long the Michigan *1 I ARMY SURPLUS .pI~lI i TWO-MAN NYLON BACKPACKERS TENT Reg. $28.98 NOW ONLY $19.98 \ ' k. ... deserve a break' Athletic Department has rested on the laurels given to it, in response to the fine job they have done filling the football and basketball stadiums. But promotio shouldn't only be centered on these two sports. Throughout my years at The Daily, the only publicity that has been visible fo any sport besides the aforementioned two, is a mail order solicitation for the Bi Ten wrestling championships held at Crisler this year and the traditional sellout a the NCAA track meet in Detroit. Hockey is receiving increasing support, but no real campaign to attract new fans has ever been organized, except for a small ad- vertising campaign early in the school year. So, although the hockey team was coming off a second place finish in the NCAA, there were no sellouts this past season. Of course success is a key factor in developing fan interest and consequently drawing larger crowds and more attention. But nobody can argue with the succes of the women's swim team, or the men's tennis or track teams, all of which ar conference or regional champions. Yet these teams seldom see any kind of crowd, with the exception of the NCAA Indoor Track Championships. Not only are there outstanding competitors in nearly every sport at Michigan but the prestige of Michigan and the Big Ten conference brings top performer from other schools here to compete. People who have given the non-revenue sports a chance haven't been disappointed. The action is first class and the price for an evening of entertainment can't be beaten. What can the athletic department do to attract people to these sports? While traveling to different schools for my duties as a reporter, I was im pressed to see schools with less money available for promotion, plastering thei campuses with notices and fliers about upcoming athletic events. The cost of doin this is negligible, but something this simple really raises the awareness of students to the presence of lesser-known teams at their schools. After all, not everyone reads The Daily. Promotional schedules should be distributed to local merchants and paid ads should be taken out in local newspapers, in an effort to create new interest. The purpose of The Daily sports staff is to report the news, not act as a public relation arm of the athletic department. Writers shouldn't be expected to provide the publicity for any sport. Is this publicity worthwhile? Or is the apathy level too high for a sport besides football or basketball to make money? It's impossible to predict results, but wrestling at Iowa attracts more fans than basketball. Women's gymnastics at Clarion State and Penn State draws over 8,000 fans per meet. The large crowds present when the Russian gymnasts performed demonstrate local interest in the ty increasing scholarships to the maximum limits set by the NCAA and AIAW, the top athletes needed to spark the rise in interest in non-revenue sports will be attracted to Michigap. An active promotion campaign should take care of the rest. An informed student body is an interested student body, as this week's MSA election proved. 'It's up to you, Don Canham. Why not take the chance of losing some money to give all athletes an even break? Maybe ten years from now the total athletic program will be praised, instead of just the most visible portions of it. LEVI SALE Bells and Straight Legs I Reg. $14.98 NOW $12.98 PICTURE YOURSELF MAKING $3000.00 this Summer Must be a hard worker For interview call 994-4309 VIS4* 210 E. Washington at Fourth-994-3572 OPEN MONDAY-SATURDAY 9-6, FRIDAY EVENINGS TIL 8:30 ._ '.. Your Josten's College Specialist will be here: Every Friday Through April MICHIGAN UNION MAIN LOBBY-11:00-4:00 s --i ' i Undefeated netters travel By BOB WARREN Fresh off its fifth straight victor since the season's outset, Michigan' women's tennis team travels to Colum, bus for a three day invitational tour- nament beginning tonight that coach John Atwood says is "undoubtedly the best tournament Michigan has ever' played in." The women will be competing in flight tournament with North Carolina Kentucky, Wisconsin, Ohio State Michigan State, Northwestern an Tennessee-Chattanooga. "WE WON'T be able to tell muc about the caliber of teams we'r playing because it's an individual tour- nament and not a series of dual meets," commented Atwood. "However, it will give our women better competition than even the midwestern champion- ships." Michigan will be playing with the same singles lineup that humiliated Western Michigan 9-0 last Tuesday. The doubles lineup will have a new look as Kathy Krickstein and Lisa Wood assume the number two position and Sue Weber and Leticia Diaz-Perez drop down to the third spot. Wildcats next A team can look awfully impressive when they're playing on their home turf but the real test is when they take to the road and play in an opposing team' friendly confines. Coach Brian Eisnel and his undefeated forces (5-0) travel to Evanston to face the Wildcats of North- western. NORTHWESTERN, always an im- posing foe in tennis, is one team which stands in the way of Eisner's quest for an eleventh straight Big Ten title. The other obstacle for Eisner is the health 01 his team. Frosh sensation and secon singles player Matt Horwitch has been saddled with a leg injury all season and fourth singles player, Jud Shauflerj missed the Minnesota match last weekend. If all his forces are healthy, Eisner wil start with junior ace Jeff Etterbeek an Horwitch at the first two slots. At three and four will be senior co-captain Brad Holland and Shaufler. Rounding out the starters are freshman Ihor Debryn and sophomore Jack Neinken. -BILLY NEFF PREPAR FO: l"t MCAT - DAT -LSAT- GRE GMAT OCAT - VAT -SAT NMB I,L,1II, MG-FLEX*VQE NAT'L DENTAL BOARDS NURSING BOARDS Flexible Programs & Hours There IS a difference! *