The Michigan Daily-Thursday, June 1 1978-Page 7
Seniors show power at rally, motorcade
By ELIZABETH SLOWIK
"Senior Power" was heralded
yesterday by almost 200 long-time pic-
nickers who gathered by hot dogs and
speeches in Island Park.
Senior citizens from around
Washtenaw County banded together to
form a motorcade to focus attention on
the needs of the elderly, ending the
procession with a rally and box-lunch
attended by local politicians.
THE MOTORCADE began under a
cloudless sky at 9:30 a.m. at the Great
Qn t cim vn r a - - - - - --- - nt at
Packard and Carpenter roads and
snaked through the downtown area to
Island Park, behind the University
Hospital. The seniors decorated their
cars with crepe paper streamers and
signs declaring "Senior Power," and
boasting the names of various suppor-
tive organizations.
Several local dignitaries joined the
festivities. Ann Arbor Council member
Ronald Trowbridge (R-Fourth Ward)
wandered around the picnic as Ann Ar-
bor Mayor Louis Belcher, Ypsilanti
Mayor George Goodman, and former
Ann Arbor Mayor Albert Wheeler spoke
to an enthusiastic crowd.
"The things we've enjoyed have been
paid for by so many people over the
years. I'm here because of people like
you. You built this country and I ap-
preciate it," declared Belcher. "You
have the biggest power, political lobby
in the U.S. and it will grow over the
years."
BELCHER PROCLAIMED May 31
"Senior Citizen Day" for the city so that
"all citizens recognize what you've con-
tributed."
Ypsilanti Mayor Goodman repeated
Belcher's sentiments. "Senior citizens
as a group must use their political
clout. When a group - not one, but a lot
of people - come into a chamber where
elected officials are deliberating,
they'll notice you."
Goodman drew cheers from the
crowd when he called for reform of
property taxes, increased quality
housing, and better transportation.
"THESE ARE the things that people
like myself, in public office, want to
hear your input on," he said.
Goodman handed a framed
statement establishing "Senior
Citizens' Day" in Ypsilanti to Ellen
Parminter, director of the Senior
Nutrition Program for the Washtenaw
County Community Service Agency,
the group which sponsored the rally.
The rally highlighted a month of
special activities for county senior
citizens. A May dance drew a crowd of
150. The seniors also had a field and
sports day on the University campus.
And on May 10, a statewide group jour-
neyed to Lansing to bring their
problems and ideas directly to the
legislators.
WHEELER ALSO received a
cheering response during his address to
his "fellow senior citizens."
"You are living on social security and
small pensions and all around you
everything is going up, up, up, and
you're losing ground," Wheeler
declared, followed by shouts of
agreement. "The federal government
and state government waste money in
lots of ways that don't benefit people,"
he continued, and was again met with
cheers.
Although the day's events focused on
issues, some seniors were not aware of
the planned rally.
"I DON'T THINK they all understood
what it was," said Virginia Weidel of
Willow Run. Her husband, Arnold, said
he thought that advertisement of the
event was not extensive enough.
But those who did participate
seemed to enjoy- themselves. "I just
love to do something like this," said a
smiling Mary Stalker, an 86-year-old
woman with cotton-white hair. "I used
to like to go to picnics, school things."
The seniors dressed for the occasion,
the women mostly in spring dresses and
necklaces, the men in brightly-colored
pants and shirts.
Amid the speeches on seniors' issues,
the youngest speaker, Gwen Rogers, in
her twenties, delivered a salute to the
elderly. "We, the youth, salute the
senior citizens . . . the backbone of our
social structure . .. reins on a wild and
heartless age ... They are lovely.
They are indeed lovely," she said.
FA TIER ALEXANDER MILLER of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church leads a group
of senior citizens in song at an Island Park rally yesterday.
'U' receives grant to aid
new composition program
(Continued from Page 3)
struction outside the English Depar- significant materials."
Iment and into upper level courses "I believe this represents one of the
beginning in the fall of 1979. The LSA most important educational develop-
faculty overwhelmingly approved the ments in the College in recent years,"
program during a January meeting. said LSA Dean Billy Frye. He called the
Nocurrent students will be affected program "not only bold and
by the plan, but first year students and 1imaginative but entirely practicable."
transfers in 1979 and all following English Prof. Danie Fader, who
classes will be required to write on, a heads the Board, said, "In my 17 years
egve sub e"ran";our.Teess"ys ,Brhere I can remember no other substan-
will -be judged by at least two faculty tive proposal which has received from
members. the faulty such a cordial welcome and
THOSE STUDENTS WHO are not so large an approval."
exempt from introductory composition
on the basis of their essays will either Spring June4 9-3
be placed in a course comparable to the
current beginning course, or begin a
one to four credit tutorial class.
Tutorial students would take the
regular introductory course in their
second semester.
After the sophomore year, students
must fulfill an upper level writing
requirement- t. sstrm- that -they-. can.
master "the persuasive organization of
What d'yo say there,
Watson of boy?
Think you could sell a few Daily subscrip-
tions during freshman orientation?
The pay is good ... $3.65 /hour.
You can work full or part time.
And with your . . . um . . . winning per-
sonality, it should be a breeze.
What d'ya say, Watson?
Give 'em a ring at the Daily, 764-0560
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