The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 14, 1987-- Page 3 'Swing Out' personalizes senior graduation By PAUL HENRY CHO Some University seniors compare graduation exercises at the University to a livestock show where students are herded into an arena, displayed, and herded out. But one campus group is trying to personalize the event. The Student Alumni Council and the Michigan Union Board of Representatives are sponsoring "Senior Swing Out" in honor of seniors graduating in May. Loosely based on an old University tradition, Senior Swing Out began in 1983 and consists of several social events before graduation. T H E tradition began in' the 1920s, when fistfights between seniors and underclassmen broke out at the Engineering Arch and were followed by various festivities lasting until the commencement ceremony. The name "Swing Out" came from those brawls at the arch. During the last weeks before graduation, SAC will sponsor various activities for graduating seniors. The events include a student leader brunch, U-Club happy hour on the last day of classes, a President's reception, jazz on the terrace at the U-Club, and a pre-graduation brunch before the ceremony. The University will fund all events. The purpose of these activities, according to Mimi Keidan, co-chair of SAC, is to honor the seniors and give them something to remember as they leave the University. M A N Y students agree that personalizing graduation is necessary. "There's not much appreciation of the seniors graduating in that we're almost treated like cattle. There's so many people there the ceremony has no meaning," said Harry Berberian, an LSA junior. Engineering senior John Palmer feels relief at the prospect of graduation, and thinks of it as a transition rather than a ceremony. "I'm looking forward to graduation, but I don't really care about the commencement exercises. I'm just ready to get out," said Palmer. S OM E students think senior apathy makes commencement an anticlimactic end to an important Berberian said. "It's all show and no substance." LSA senior Steve Graham called commencement merely "diploma-awarding." "There's not much appreciation of the seniors graduating in that we're almost like cattle. There's so many people there the ceremony has no meaning." -Harry Berberian LSA Junior just a diploma-granting ceremony and giving a greater sense of unity to members of the graduating class. In addition to the social activities, SAC is sponsoring a T- shirt design contest commemorating "Swing Out." Profits from the T-shirts will be used to present a senior gift to the University. Any senior may submit a design to the Alumni Center by Jan. 23. The winner will receive free tickets to selected Swing Out events. Although the Swing Out will be held at the May commencement, all seniors graduating in 1987 are invited. For information about the events or to volunteer, contact Christine Oldenberg at 763-9754. A defense against cancer can be cooked up in your kitchen. Call us. AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY State reps give prgam4 (Continued from Page 1) HOLBROOK speculated that plan would allow an insignificant number of students to come to the University, and he added that concerns about lowering the federal budget deficit will probably force the IRS to turn it down anyway. State Sen. Lana Pollack (D-Ann Arbor) said the payments should 1not be tax deductible because tax ;revenues raised from the payments could go toward educational financial support for the needy. Pollack praised the program as a whole, saying it will put higher education back in the reach of the middle class. "It has merit for the middle class," she said. "But it has no merit for the poor." Pollack feels that poorer residents will not have the money to make the initial investment, so they will not participate. But, she said, "I don't see how it can hurt the poor." TO PAY for the education of those unable to join MET, Pollack proposed more financial support and grants. She hopes that if enough residents participate, funding that would have gone to them could go to those unable to pay. Harvey Grotrian, director of the University's -Office of Financial Aid, said, "I feel very positive about any type of program that is helpful to our work." Grotrian said, however, that; although the program may abate some of the demand for financial aid, "It probably wouldn't be that azpproval great." BRETT McRae, a spokesman for State Rep. Perry Bullard (D-Ann Arbor), said that although Bullard supports the program, he fears that people will look at it as a cure-all for the state's education problem and lose sight of those who can't afford it. Many critics of the program have predicted it could befall the same fate the Social Security system met in 1984 when cost overruns nearly caused its collapse. But Bowman disagrees, saying, "The Social Security system is a good example of how not to run this program." He attributes the Social Security sytem's brush with ruin to the system's lack of frequent reviews examining the its economic solvency. The MET program will be reviewed annually by an official review charged with probing the program's accounts, Bowman said. IF the review discovers MET is running at higher costs than investment revenues can cover, the next group of applicants would have to pay more to compensate. "It would run just like an insurance company," Bowman said. Bowman added that the program could also benefit investors by cutting the amount of the initial payment if the board discovers the fund contains more money than it needs. Bowman cited the state's pension fund as a system that was saved by similar annual reviews proposed for MET. accomplishment. "Graduation doesn't compare to' the experiences of college life. (The undergraduate years) are like a fascinating movie and graduation is a commmercial break, having nothing to do with college," "All I'm thinking about is getting out, and right now I'm not really looking forward to it," he said. S A C hopes "Senior Swing Out" will continue to be an annual event, making graduation more than HEALTH &LFITNESS Open ~ie! pr ( What's Happening Recreational Sports BUILDING HOURS: January 7, 1987 -May 5, 1987 FREE ATHLETIC MOUTHGUARD CCRB NCRB M-F 7:00 a.m.- 10:00 p.m. M-F 7:00 a.m.- 10:00 p.m. Sa 9:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Sa 9:00 a.m.- 10:00 p.m. Su Noon - 10:00 p.m. Su Noon - 10:00p.m. IMSB M-F 11:00 a.m.- 10:00p.m. Sa 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Su 1:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Saturday, January 17 9 am to 3 pm The students and faculty of The University of Michigan School of Dentistry will custom make athletic mouthguards at no charge Athletic mouthguards are recommended to be worn while participating in all contact and most noncontact sports to help prevent damage to oral structures All ages are welcome There will be parking available in the Fletcher St. structure No reservations are needed This event will be held on the 2nd floor of the Dental school. The Dental School is located at the corner of Fletcher and N. University The University of Michigan School of Dentistry North University Ann Arbor, Mi 48104 ii I T Campus cinema, The Wrong Man (Alfred Hitchcock, 1957), CG, DBL,7 p.m., Nat. Sci. Typical Hitchcock yarn of mistaken identity. Henry Fonda is the man who gets totally screwed over by our judicial system when he's accused of a series of hold-ups. Sherlock, Jr. (Buster Keaton, 1924), CG, DBL, 9 p.m., Nat. Sci. The Great Stoneface plays a Walter Mitty type who dreams of chasing down villians. Barefoot In The Park (G. Saks, 1967), Med, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m., MLB 4. Cutesy tale of a young couple (Jane Fonda and Robert Redford) making a go at it in a run-down Greenwich Village apartment. Fun - ny and romantic, despite the fact that Neil Simon was behind it. Stop Making Sense (Johnathan Demme, 1984), MTF, 7:30 & 10 p.m., Mich. David Byrne and Talking Heads burn down the house in one of the best concert films ever. If you're not a fan by the time this one's over, you're hopeless. Shear Madness (M. Von Trotta, 1985), AAFC, 9 p.m., Aud A. Two women share an innocent relationship that gets misinterpret - ed, resulting in much violence. Speakers Susan J. Linz - "The Impact of World War II on the Soviet Union," Cntr. for Russian and East European Studies, noon, Commons Room, Lane Hall. Roger Tembreull - "The Applicability of Resonany Two Photon Ionization and Pulsed Laser Desorption in Supersonic Beam Mass Spectrometry," Dept. of Chemistry, 4 p.m., 1200 Chem. Bldg. Professor Julius Rebek - "Bioorganic Chemistry," Dept. of Meetings On-Campus Recruitment - Career Planning & Placement, 4:10 p.m., MLB Auditorium 4. U-M Commission for Women - noon, Michigan League, Conference Room 4. United Farm Workers SUpport Group - 5:30 p.m., Wolverine Room, Michigan Union. Furthermore Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Commemorative Symposium- 9:30 - 4 p.m., Michigan Union 2 - 4 p.m. Rackham Bldg. All Things Reconsidered - WCBN, 6:30 p.m. (761-1312). Resume Writing Lecture - 4:10 - 5:30 p.m., Whitney Aud., School of Education. Transcendental Meditation Technique - Free introductory lecture, 8 p.m., 528 West Liberty (996-8686). New Class in Metaphysics - 6:30 p.m., 719 West Michigan, Ypsilanti. Cigna Corporation - C,P, & P Employer Presentations. 5 - 7 p.m., Pond Room, Michigan Union. Women in Science - Career videotapes. noon to 1:30 p.m., corner of North University and Thayer. U-M AFS Chapter - Information Fair, 8 p.m., Michigan Union (996- 5954). Symposium on Substance Abuse - "Cracking the Cocaine Crisis," 8:45 a.m. - 3:50 p.m., Towsley Center for Continuing Medical Education (764-2220). Send announcements of up- coming events to "The List," c/o The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mich., 48109. Include all per- tinent information and a con- tract phone number. We must receive announcements for '1 I