Page Six
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Record
By SUE WARNER
Rising prices have continu-
ally struck out at the meager
student budget, but tragically,
the most recent price hike has
affected one of the essential
commodities to sustain student
sanity - record albums.
Since the beginning of the
year, most major record com-
panies have raised their list
prices for albums from $6.98 to
$7.98. Consequently, local record
stores have been forced to raise
their prices from approximate-
ly $3.99 to $4.99.
"We're discounting as much
as we can," said David DiMar-
tino of Schoolkids Records. "It's
just a question of the public
getting used to it - they're not
going to find records cheaper."
Area record store employes
estimate that one - third of all
record labels have gone up to
the new price including RCA,
Warner, Angel, ECM and some
Capitol albums. Columbia re-
cords has announced they too
will hike their list prices as of
July 5.
According to Jim Oakley,
University Cellar employe, the
price increase all began when
Columbia released, "A Star is
Born" at the then unheard of
prices on
price of $8.99.
"They sold two and a half
million copies of that," exclaims
Oakley, "It was a test, and it
proved that it could be done."
The recording companies
have claimed higher production
costs and new copyright regula-
tions providing artists a bigger
portion of an album's profits are
responsible for the hike.
The companies are also de-
fending their action arguing re-
cord prices have not gone up
proportionally to those of other
items. They also point out that
the cost of petroleum, which
is used to manufacture re-
cords, has skyrocketed recent-
ly.
"The companies are starting
off raising the list price on some
of the new titles and eventual-
ly will raise all the titles," ex-
plains Oakley.
However, in spite of the
higher prices, record store
managers and employes say
that business has not suffered
noticeably, although some re-
cord enthusiasts may be a lit-
tle hesitant about spending the
extra dollar.
"Not everybody rushes out to"
buy an album anymore like
they used to," says Julie Mom-
fils, assistant manager of Aura
the rise
Sound. "They want to hear it
on the radio first, but, if it
turns out to be a good album
they'll buy it as much as they
used to."
Oakley said the price hike
may hurt sales of older albums
by artists without as strong a
following as new groups. He
cited The Band and The Beach
Boy's albums sales will per-
haps decrease. However, he
added, "The big titles, Fleet-
wood Mac, Steve Miller, George
Benson, haven't been bothered.
"People are beginning to get
more used to it," said Oakley
of the new costs. "They're ask-
ing less and less questions be-
cause they've been seeing high-
er prices all over."
As for the future, DiMartino
predicts, "By the time school
starts in the fall, almost all al-
bums will have gone from $6.98
to $7.98 (list price). The end
result," he concludes," is that
record companies are making
more money."
University students come from
every state in the Union and 101
foreign countries. During fall
term 1976, 7,341 out-of-state stu-
dents-and 1,358 foreign students
were enrolled-about 23 per cent
of the student body.
Thursday, June 16, 1977
'U' cancels NOBS
for summer months
By LISA FISHER
The Night Owl Bus Service
is no more . . . at least for the
spring / summer terms. What
started Nov. 20, 1976 as a safe
means home, after an alarm-
ing series of rapes and assaults
around the campus areahas
been discontinued due to in-
sufficient use.
"A lot of the summer stu-
dents come with vehicles, and
really, the night owl service fell
down flat .at the beginning of
this term," said Fred Davids,
director of the Department of
Safety.
THE SERVICE once averaged
98 riders a night, seven days a
week. The hours were from 7
p.m. to 1 a.m., and it ran ev-
ery half hour on the half hour,
from the undergraduate library.
Other bus stops included fre-
quented yet isolated sites on
campus such as the Michigan
League, Oxford Housing, Uni-
versity Hospital and Stockwell
Hall. Originally it was intend-
ed for students who found them-
selves out late at night as a
result of classes or study hab-
its. Male ridership was as pro-
minent as female, with usage
being heaviest on the coldest
nights.
Why then, was the service
cancelled for the summer
terms? For two reasons, fewer
students and daylight savings
time, the latter which provides
sunlight until past 9:30 p.m.
Even in the face of recent
assaults, the service has not
been reinstituted. Commented
ummer Hour:
mon-ot,8pm-2omI
6Cj c A2995-5955
Davids, "We only ran it dur-
ing the hours the library was
open," making reference to the
fact that the recent crimes oc-
cjrred in the early morning
hours.
A L T E R N A T I V E trans-
portation includes Dial-A-Ride
and the 'U' commuter ssystem,
for rides soch as from central
campus to north campus.
Although the Night Owl bus
service has been cancelled, the
Department of Safety has not
discontinued its escort vehicle
service, a form of emergency
transportation run by its offic-
ers. But, warned Davids, "This
is only to get someone to a
place that's safe, meaning
home." The escort service has
in the past been plagued by
callers asking to be taken to
restaurants and other diverse
places not part of its function.
To enlarge its capacity the
Department of Safety is cur-
rently hiring two new officers
holding criminal justice degrees
to compliment its staff.
Whether or not the Night Owl
service will be in operation in
the fall remains an open ques-
tion.
"I'm quite confident it will
resume in fall, only however as
long as it has use, will it be in
service," answered Davids.
Sports trivia
Eight players who began the
1976, baseball season with the
Oakland A's -are with other ma-
jor league teams. All went
through the free agent draft.
Willie Mays hit .307 in 24 All-
Star games. Three of his 23 hits
were home runs.
Jim Kubacki of Harvard av-
eraged 212.6 yards per game in
1975.
IHAD CANCER
AND I LIVED.
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