Ninety-four Years
of
Editorial Freedom
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Moisty
Cloudy and warmer with rain
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high of 50 degrees.
M Vol. XCIV-No. 111
Copyright 1984, The Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor, Michigan - Sunday, February 12, 1984
Fifteen Cents
Eight Pages
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BEAVER AND WALLY STILL LEADING THE PACK
1960s reruns still
shining on
the tube
BY NAOMI SAFERSTEIN
Although we live in an era which produces
television programs faster than the next
ratings sweep rolls around, the "oldies but
goodies" sitcoms of the early 1960s have
demonstrated amazing staying power.
Or so asserts Mary Ann Watson, a University
communications professor teaching television
history and production.
SUCH GOLDEN OLDIES as "The Dick Van
Dyke Show," "I Love Lucy," and the "Honey-
mooners," have made a rather amazing
resurgence, even as television has grown into a
slick and sexy medium of the '80s, says Watson.
"At a time of many modern television
programming options - such as UHF, cable,
and movie channels - nostalgia for old-time
programs is a surprisingly fast growing
phenomenon around the nation," she says.
And out of this medley of black and white '60s
humor, one program - "Leave it to Beaver" -
seems to both typify and stand above other sit-
coms in the hearts of the '80s television
generation. Somehow this anachronism still
thrives today. Part of the reason is nostalgia,
Watson says.
IF THE UBIQUITOUS saying, "Time will
tell," still holds any merit, it would seem ap-
parent that "Leave it to Beaver" has made its
mark on American society and much of our
lives. In fact, it appears to have reached near-
cult status, with entire lines of Beaver T-shirts,
sweatshirts, and other assorted paraphernalia.
"Unlike most current T.V. sitcoms, the
producers of 'Leave it to Beaver' made no at-
tempt to make the show seem timeless," says
Watsop. "There are outright references to
gasoline which sells for 19 cents a gallon and
such other genuine touches as mentions of
specific years in the '60s, plus references to sex
stars like Sandra Dee and heroes as Tony Cur-
tis or Fabian. This creates a real flavor of that
period in our history.'"
But it's more than that, she says. "Leave it to
Beaver," doesn't just remind us of an era
looked on as simpler than our own, it pulls us
back into a time when America meant Chevy
Wagons, two-car garages, married parents,
and a family that truly needed each other.
"BEAVER" watchers view the Cleavers and
"wish that they too had had that type of
family," Watson says. It's a family based on
caring and understanding. A family that was
more than a theoretical institution. A family
where the parents, too, could admit they were
wrong.
Watson points to a cut-out Corn Flakes box
tacked on her wall bearing the faces of a
grown-up Beaver and a greying Wally.
"That," she says, "is the underscoring of 'the
Beaver' identity. How more middle town
American can you get?"
TONY ESPOSITO, a Spanish and Italian
teaching assistant raised in a strong ethnic
background, agrees with Watson.
He says he watched "Beaver" because it "is
everything that my family is not."
"There is no sign of immigration," he says.
"The Cleavers are as American as Wonder
See BEAVER, Page 5
Politburo
members
mourn
debate over
new leader
MOSCOW - Soviet leaders gathered
at the bier of the late President Yuri
Andropov yesterday to begin the
elaborate public ritual of a state
funeral. The solemn-faced Kremlin
rulers kept secret which one of them
would be named to replace Andropov as
Kremlin leader.
But it was expected that a new
general secretary of the Communist
Party would be named by tomorrow so
that he could greet arriving dignitaries,
who will attend Andropov's funeral
Tuesday.
KONSTANTIN CHERNENKO, the
72-year-old party ideologist, was picked
to arrange Andropov's Red Square
burial at noon on Tuesday, a task
traditionally given to the succesor.
Chernenko led Politburo members
into Moscow's House of Unions to pay
respects to Andropov, whose body lay
in state on an elevated bier banked with
flowers.
Andropov's wife, dressed in black
and leaning on the arms of her son and
See SOVIET, Page 5
Turner
leads
Wolverines
over State
By LARRY FREED
After dropping five of their last six
games, the Wolverines just wanted to
settle down and play good technical
basketball. Fortunately for Michiga,
the Spartans also decided to get
technical - fouls that is.
Two costly technical fouls by
Michigan State, combined with
Michigan's fundamentally sound play
helped recharge the slumping
Wolverines to a much-needed emotion-
filled 71-61 victory over their cross-
state rivals.
The tension of the game was reflected
in both lockerrooms.
"MICHIGAN STATE, no matter what
their record is, is a very good basket-
ball team," said Bill Frieder. "They're
going to beat some tea ms the rest of the
way, but tonight we played well. We
needed the week off to get ready for this
game."
"Michigan played awfully well
especially in the second half," said
Spartan coach Jud Heathcote. "We had
to play catch-up the rest of the way. We
went down fighting.
"Michigan did a good job on (Scott)
Skiles, being in foul trouble bothered
him some.
The technicals, one on Skiles and one
on the Spartan bench, helped fire up the
already intense wolverines and the
boisterous sell-out crowd of 13,609.
AND WHILE THE Spartans were
getting hot-headed over the officiating,
it was Michigan's All-America prospect
Eric Turner who caught fire on the
court. The 6-3 Flint native poured in 20
points,
It was two defensive gems by Turner,
however, that insured the victory.
Twice he pickpocketed Skiles, the
second time converting it into -a three-
point play and thwarting any hopes of a
Michigan State comeback
"We felt this was the key to our
season," said an excited Turner. "We
See CAGERS, p.8
Daily Photo by DAN HABIB,
Michigan center Tim McCormick works his way under the basket in the first half of last night's game with Michigan
State at Crisler Arena. He ended up with seven points in the 71-61 Wolverine victory.
Shuttle landing ends difficult trip
FROM AP and UPI
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With "a
dream of a touchdown," Challenger
wound up an eight-day flight of high
drama and deep disappointments
yesterday, landing for the first time at
its Florida home port so it can return to
space more quickly.
"We've been wanting for a long time
to be the first to land at America's
spaceport," said commander Vance
Brand, who guided the 101-ton shuttle to
a textbook landing on the Kennedy
Space Center runway..
IT WAS A perfect end to an imperfect
flight. Two satellites launched from the
shuttle failed to rise to a usable orbit
and a tracking balloon burst before it
could be used. But Flight 10 also saw
the spectacular first unrestrained
sojourn in space by a human.
Challenger burst into view as a hazy
yellow glow in the pale blue early mor-
ning sky. Two window-rattling sonic
booms announced its arrival.
It made a spectacular looping turn to
runway 15, gliding down on the center
line of the 15,000 foot strip, stopping
with 3,300 feet to spare at exactly the
predicted time: 7:16 a.m. EST. It had
been aloft for seven days, 23 hours and
16 minutes and traveled 3.3 million
miles.
WITH A landing here, the shuttle
needed only to be towed five miles to
the building where it undergoes repair
and refurbishment. Agency officials
confidently predicted an April 4 laun-
ching for the next mission, the shortest
turnaround yet.
There were a few scorch marks on
the fuselage and a few tiles missing
near, the tail section, but Challenger
was pronounced "in great shape," after
its fourth flight. "That was a dream of a
touchdown," said Lt. Gen. James
Abrahamson, the shuttle boss.
Things started badly for the crew of
flight 10. First one $75 million com-
munications satellite, then a second,
was launched with great precision from
the shuttle cargo bay. Both failed to
achieve a 22,300 mile geosynchronous
orbit, apparently because of common
malfunctions in their attached rocket
stages.
THEN A $450,000 balloon got hung up
in its canister and burst as it was being
inflated, canceling an important ren-
dezvous exercise. The astronauts had to
check their tracking gear with the or-
biting remnants of the balloon.
But when things worked, they worked
magnificently.
On Tuesday, McCandless and
Stewart put on gas-filled backpacks and
floated around in open space, with no
safety line to keep them from drifting
off. They moved a football field's
distance above and behind the shuttle
and performed somersaults framed
against the Earth.
THE SIX-HOUR exercise was a
rehearsal for the April flight when
George Nelson and James van Hoften
will use the backpacks to jet out of the
challenger cargo bay and pluck the $100
million Solar Maximum satellite from
orbit. They'll bring it in, replace an
electronic box and put it back in space
to work.
McCandless and Stewart went out
again on Thursday - this time the
Flight 10 gremlins caught up with them.
The shuttle's robot arm, a dependable
piece of equipment every time it's been
used, would not move at the wrist.
That scrubbed another satellite
rescue rehearsal in which the
astronauts were to latch themselves on-
to a fixture turning at the same rate as
Solar Max - one degree per second. In-
stead, the. spacewalkers practiced
docking with a fixture attached to a
box.
THEY GOT IN an unexpected bonus,
however. A foot restraint worked loose
and began drifting off. As Brand
maneuvered the ship closer, McCan-
dless reached up and pulled back the
piece of equipment.
Robert Crippen will head the April 4
mission, and he says he and his four
crewmen are ready. They will use the
two jet backpacks that Bruce McCan-
dless and Robert Stewart flew outside
so effortlessly on Tuesday and Thur-
sday.
Soul on ice AP Photo
The bowed head of Gary Sampson, an American hockey player from Inter-
national Falls, Minn., expresses the end of the U.S. hockey team's hopes for
a Lake Placid rerun. The team's tie of 3-3 against Norway last night in
Sarajevo eliminates their chance for a gold medal. See story, Page 8.
Brand
lands shuttle perfectly
TODAY-
Lobster tail.
I T'S A LOBSTER tale with a happy ending. Sandy
Claws II, a 28-pound, 105-year-old lobster who became
a celebrity when it appeared she might end kup as
somebody's dinner, has won a reprieve. Mike
the lobster a few weeks ago, and the story took a new twist
when Green revealed that the original Sandy Claws died the
day after his initial column appeared and a replacement
had been quietly dropped into Charley Crab's lobster tank.
"Let's Make a Deal" host Monty Hall, who presided over
the drawing said. "I've done a lot in my life," he said, "but
this is the first time I've ever shilled for a lobster."
Cauliflower treatment
The society plans to push the new diet crusade as
virgorously as they pushed the anti-cigarette drive, with 2.3
million volunteers in 58 states and 2,500 local chapters.
The Daily almanac
* 1970 - University President Robben Fleming said the
demands of the Black Action Movement had merit, but ad-
ded that finding funds to increase financial aid to black
students would be "very difficult."
0 1970 - A sharp increase in the number of cases of Reyes
Syndrome was reported at University Hospital. Hospital
spokespersons said in the past 10 days, five children had
been diagnosed as carrying the disease, which has a 50 per-
cent fatality rate.
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