_1 HE Ml( HlQiAN UA1LY Page Ivp 7 1 lIE MIU-1l(,AN L)AILY' Page ~ivp W .,:ee A year in review Transportation workers strike 19 76 Daily Photos by ALAN BILINSKY Cagers top Big Ten Police put a damper on Hash Bash 1977 By JAY LEVIN For many in the University and in -Ann Arbor, the past year offered both a string of frustrations aid a time to rejoice. Even with some of the more mundane aspects of everyday life, it would be inappropriate to call those 12 months anything but exciting. Hardly had students broken in their backpacks when, in Sep- tember, the community was polishing itself for then-President Ger- ald Ford's first of three trips to campus-this time to initiate his Republican campaign for the presidency. It was a thrilling time for local residents-many of whom were still recovering'from their summer hangovers and weren't enveloped in their classes, anyway. Ford's campaign kick-off had all the ingredients of the stuff extra- vaganzas are made of-noisy demonstrations, the news media, a loud firecracker, banners telling Jerry to go home to Grand Rapids, and even Bob Ufer, the somewhat partisan voice of the Wolverines, FOR THE FIRST TIME in recent memory, Ann Arbor was at the top of the newspages and Ann Arbor ate it up. When Ford left, the campus quickly settled back to what it thought would be the business at hand-academics and Big Ten sports. But not for long. As the days became shorter and nighttime hung earlier, it became apparent that campus women were being terrorized by an alarming series of attacks and rapes which, pad- locked the normally free-wheeling campus. Seldom did women tra- verse darkened streets unescorted. The University even arranged for a special "Nite Owl" bus service to shuttle students under the starlight. Worst of all, the fear of attacks became an unsettling constant of student life. But never mind that for a minute. On November 20, time stood still. On that day, the Michigan Wolverines, who under Bo Schem- bechler were knocking off opponents (except Purdue) each week, blanked the bad Buckeyes from Ohio State, 22-0. It was a night of celebration in Ann Arbor after the game-you had to wait in mam- moth lines to enter the bars. Toilet paper and confetti lined the Diag. Rather messy, but no one seemed to care. Michigan was, once and for all, number one. That is, until January 1, when the Wolverines travelled to Pasadena and returned with thorns rather than roses-USC 14, Michigan 6, Ann Arbor 0. It was a frustrating thing to face upon returning from Christmas break. ANOTHER FRUSTRATING thing students came back to face was the weather. Wind chill factors which often dipped well below zero beleaguered the entire state of Michigan, Ann Arbor notwith- standing. One winter's Friday was outrageous-the winds were whipping at a frightening clip and snow swirled over the tundra- like campus. At least the University closed early that day. But we'd been warmed in December by the inspiring perform- ance of the nimble little gymnast from Russia-Olga Korbut-~who twisted and turned and vaulted during a night of acrobatics at Crisler Arena with a team from her native land. - In February, after much deliberation and speculation, 2,300 campus service and maintenance employes walked off their jobs in a strike which, among other things, disrupted food service in the dormitories (which proves that every cloud has a silver lining.) Seriously, though, the campus routine was upset for 26 days-gar- bage sat uncollected, bathroonis and hallways collected dirt and bus service was fractured. Worse, though, the walkout was marred by some rather unattractive confrontations between Ann Arbor po- lice-who some people charged were being used by the University as strike-breakers-and strikers and student sympathizers. DURING THE WALKOUT, though, students were able to divert their attention to the newest group of campus heroes-Johnny Orr's hoopsters. Number one for a good part of the season, the cagers mowed down opponents much the same way as their football friends next door. But Ann Arbor wasn't destined to shoulder a champion- ship squad this year, for the mighty cagers were rudely eliminated in the NCAA playoffs by a little-known team from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. The annual Hash Bash kicked off the month of April with the fragrant perfume of pot hovering over the Diag and a beefed-up police force braced to quell any unnecessary acts of misdeed by the light-headed participants. Nothing happened, luckily, but the predominantly high-school/drifter crowd left in its wake an out- landish, rubble-strewn Diag. It was disgusting. Later that week, Ahn Arbor Mayor Albert Wheeler won re- election over Republican Louis Belcher by a lone vote. In a city of 100,000,-that's pretty odd. The president, or former president, this time, dropped by for a third visit as adjunct professor of political science. (Ford's second visit was a brief appearance at December commencement exercises, where wife Betty received an honorary degree). Jerry drew from his vast reservoir of political experiences to address a number of enthusiastic graduate and undergrad classrooms. No fanfare accompanied the distinguished- visitor this time around, but the Secret Service sure did. Strolling through Angell Hall that week was like walking along a Pentagon corridor. Then came summer and down. came Barbour-Waterman gym- nasium, a graceful old structure which had smelled of sweatsocks for almost four generations. The blockbuster Ann Arbor VA Hos- pital trial ended with two Filipino nurses being convicted of poison- ing patients at the facility in 1975. City buses went on strike. And what would the year be without a tuition hike? Well, the Regents took care of that and topped the lazy summer off by approving an 8.75 per cent rise in rates. Have a nice year! Ford kicks of f campaign at Crisler :: ;:" ':: :: w: r .; , s: v ยข:Y _ Y};v s .. s: i'3J' r '.S.f.: 'S' ... ~+. :., .. l.?<<. '.. ae'Ke.'s .:: > .. : 's s 3:%:t_4r:.:-''.X% :yo ":.r,.;; -.:r ': -r:: :r,.swo- ;.yt' ! ; .bci "' a'=: ...r .._ . ..-'.'.' .fiv.. : ::?'s_:rs: :.' rr .4. . ci: a .,.:9:vu,'. r3>:"t " LM i *R,*- 1-1' '1' 01", q