Page 6-Friday, June 8, 1979-The Michigan Daily TOiROBIA
T...R.,BI
Singer fights fc
By MIKE TAYLOR sees only on rare occasions-stand in
Special to the Daily the lobby of Swingo's Hotel, hoping the
CLEVELAND-It's fifteen minutes pallid disco music of the Snap Shots in
past midnight and still there's no sign of the Keg and Quarter Lounge will just go
Tom Robinson. We begin to wonder if away, and inviting our new hero out for
the tip we got after the concert was a a night on the town.
well-intentioned mistake or an act of I THINK WE first understood Tom
pure malevolence. But as we're getting Robinson's sincerity when the bouncers
up, Danny Kustow, the Tom Robinson tried to make us stop dancing during his
Band's angry guitarist, walks through opening number at the Agora, "All
the front door with Robinson not far Right All Night," and Robinson objec-
behind, ted, "they can stand up, you know."
We-eight fans turned into fanatics Robinson's concert was a triumph
y th¢ kind of erck and roll show one because the power of his politics-he is
[SON SPEAKS
>r gay liberation
upfront about both his homosexuality
and radical beliefs-combines with the
energy of his tight four-piece rock band
to form the sort of cathartic release no
one else (short of the Clash, of course)
can provide. Dancing to rock and roll is
enjoyable enough, but when the song is
called "Ain't Gonna Take It" or "Don't
Take No For An Answer" it's a special
thrill.
Robinson accepts our invitation and
we head out-in three separate
cars-for a gay disco called Exedra.
We ignore the "Members Only" sign
and plunge inside, only to find it
strangely empty. The swirling disco
lights have no one to illuminate. We
decide we'd rather talk than dance
anyway, so we head back to our cars.
WE CRUISE PAST a Muzak fac-
tory, and by the time we hit the open
road we're racing. Tom Robinson's car
takes the lead. By the time we catch up
we've reached Trax, another gay dance
spot.
But the doorman won't let Robinson
in because he doesn't have an I.D. with
him. "But he has two records out," we
protest.
"I don't care who he is," the doorman
retorts. Robinson pulls a piece of paper
from his pocket-the ad for his con-
cert-and points to his smiling face.
"That's me, and I'm 28," says an
exasperated Robinson. "I'm sorry,"
Mackey takes
after lengthy
(Continued from Page 3)
MSU to become chancellor of the State
University of New York in January
1978.
It was speculated that the board's
hand was forced because Harden had
said he would leave MSU June 30 even if
a new president had not been selected.
But board members disputed those
claims, saying they had chosen the best
possible person for the job.
AS THEY lauded Mackey, trustees
expressed relief that the long search
process was finally over.
"I have nothing but good feelings
about where we're going," said Joh
Bruff (D-Fraser), chairman of the
Board of Trustees.
Several trustees said the choice of
Mackey would vindicate all the
criticism surrounding the selection
process.
THE STORMY 18-month search
process was plagued by leaks of can-
didates' names to the press, which was
a betrayal of the confidentiality MSU's
search and selection committee had
promised presidential contenders. The
process broke down so much that in
mid-April the 17-member committee
suspended its role, and the trustees ap-
pointed a six-member select committee
to choose the new president.
The game that
doesn't need
any help
The BILLIARDS
atthe UNION
Reduced rates 'til 6 PM
the man replies. "We must have an
ID."
WE DECIDE TO return to.Swingo's,
wondering all the while how strange it
is that Robinson, who is as close to
beinga media hero as thegay community
has (he has been written up in
Christopher Street and the Advocate)
should be turned away by one of the
city's most prominent gay discos.
Back at Swingo's, we sit down in the
back of the Keg and Quarter
Lounge-as far from the band as we
can get-and Robinson buys us a round,
ordering a double orange juice for him-
self.
We tell Robinson that most of us are
from Detroit and he tells us we just
missed him at Bookies. "After the
show, Wayne Kramer of the MC-5
showed me around the town," he says.
"We visited the Motown studios."
THIS TOUCHES OFF a brief
laudatory discussion of Martha and the
Vandella's promise of revolution,
See MUSIC, Page 7
MSU post
search
Mackey himself withdrew from the
competition after his name had been
leaked in April, but said yesterday he
agreed to re-submit his name because
university representatives urged him to
talk further with the search committee,
promising that his status would not
again be revealed.
"They made a strong case about the
nature of the University," Mackey said.
"It was sufficiently appealing."
WHEN QUESTIONED about his af-
firmative action policies, which ap-
parently were criticized heavily at
Texas Tech and during his tenure at the
University of South Florida (USF), he
said, "I have a personal and moral
obligation to go in spirit well beyond
what the letter of the law requires."
Mackey apparently had difficulty
with faculty and students at USF.
Various USF sources described
Mackey as a "cold and ruthless" ad-
ministrator, but criticism at Texas
Tech has not been as strong.
Some have described Mackey as
being inaccessible, but he said, "I have
always tried to be accessible to the
people who want to see me."
AFTER THE press conference,
Mackey met with administrators, and
student and faculty groups.
He avoided questions about MSU's
recent decision to divest itself of stock
in U.S. companies which do business in
South Africa.
Mackey said he was attracted to MSU
by the "potential that the school has for
leadership both nationally and in the
world."
He will assume the post no later than
Sept. 1. Harden said he would be willing
to serve until Mackey moves to East
JLasing, and will offer his assistance
d-trin gthe transition pe-od. -