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One hundred seven years offedtonelfreedom
Monday
January 12, 1998
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Final chapter
concludes fairy
tale season
By Peter Romer-Friedman
Daily Staff Reporter
in the beginning, it was just another football season.
But the final statistics of the fairy tale year are anything
but typical - 12 victories, a trip to the Rose Bowl, a
Heisman Trophy winner, coach of the year, and, in the minds
of the more than 100,000 fans who packed Ann Arbor yes-
terday for a parade and pep rally, an undisputed national
championship.
"We'll all remember this for the rest of our lives," leisman
Trophy winner Charles Woodson told the students at last
night's rally at Crisler Arena, which brought more than
13,000 fans to their feet. "You'll remember this for the rest of
your lives. I love you guys."
Players, coaches and University President Lee Bollinger
all spoke of an unforgettable season that even attracted fans
who never cared about football.
"It's like a dream," freshman tailback Anthony Thomas
said about Michigan's first national championship in 50
years. "This is what we worked so hard for all summer. The
fans always came out to support us on game day and now we
can see them. This does not compare to anything. I'm on top
of the world."
Students said yesterday's events were an appropriate way to
thank the team for increasing national pride for the University.
"I love going to a university like this," said LSA sopho-
more Catherine Hanzl. "It's amazing going to a school with
such a great football team. The whole scene is overwhelm-
ing"
Pep rally speakers shared jokes and stories from the cham-
pionship season. When Bollinger spoke last night, students
shouted "Party at Lee's house," referring to Michigan's win
over Penn State. after which Bollinger opened his home for
an impromptu party of more than 1,000 students.
"I have a new rule" Bollinger said. -The rule is that if our
team beats Penn State by over 30 points and establishes itself
as the No. I team in the nation, you're all welcome at the
president's house.
Most speakers proclaimed Michigan the only No. I team
in the nation, although the team technically had to split the
title with Nebraska, which took the USA Today/ESPN
coaches poll. Some players and coaches even said sports fans
should disregard Nebraska's share of the national champi-
onship, poking fun at the coaches' poll and Nebraska's lob-
bying effort for the title.
"All of these years, I could have sworn coaches were much
smarter than writers," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said, smil-
ing. "But I have to admit I was wrong."
As senior co-captain Eric Mayes stood next to three out of
a possible four national championship trophies, he asked the
crowd to answer a simple equation.
"There were four given out and three are here, so you do
the math" said Mayes, who suffered an injury early this sea-
son but still emerged as one of the team's inspirational lead-
ers.
"Here is a perfect season with a perfect celebration," said
Engineering junior Hamshirray Dnamrat. "I'll never forget
it."
Last night's victory pep rally capped off a day that began
with a 1.8-mile parade through campus and downtown Ann
Arbor. The Department of Public Safety estimated that more
than 100,000 fans crowded the streets to celebrate the
Wolverines' No. I ranking.
"It's a perfect end to a perfect season," said LSA senior
Bhavin Patel, as he watched the team roll past. Some players
See PARADE, Page 5A
MARG',RET MYERSDaly
Shigan quarterback Brian Griese and Charles Woodson, Heisman Trophy winner and Michigan All-America cornerback, wave to the crowd of fans and University students during yesterday
ifternoon's parade to celebrate the football team's undefeated season, Rose Bowl victory and national championship.
Woodson leaves
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By Alan Goldenbach
Eeaily Sports Editor
With the suave demeanor and cocky smile that he carried
his entire Michigan career, Heisman Trophy winner Charles
Woodson said that he had accomplished all that he could as a
Wolverine.
For the man who continuously takes down one obstacle
after another, the next challenge is duplicating his collegiate
success as a professional.
Friday morning, Woodson, accompanied by his mother,
Georgia, his three roommates and a group of his teammates.,
announced that he will forego his senior year at Michigan and
enter the NFL Draft. Most scouting pundits predict that the
first primarily defensive player to win college football's most
coveted individual honor will be one of the top five players
selected in the April draft. According to Woodson, this was a
decision made long before Friday's declaration deadline.
Woodson said he discussed the decision with his mother
over Thanksgiving break. Georgia Woodson felt comfortable
with her son's decision saying, "It's great for me to know he's
doing what he wants to do. I feel good about his decision"
See WOODSON, Page 5A
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WARREN ZINN/Daily
Michigan wide receiver Tai Streets is surrounded by teammates at last night's pep rally as he bats a balloon to celebrate the
Michigan football team's Rose Bowl victory and national championship.
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TASA conference
inspires unity
Second to none
8* Rachel Edelman
y Staff Reporter
-The second annual Midwestern
Indian American Students Conference
drew more than 300 participants to the
University over the weekend.
Keynote speaker Madhulika
Khandelwal, director of Asian
American Studies at Queens College,-
addressed how Indian culture is assim-
ilated into American culture.
"Indian culture may be brought and
Osmitted here, but the whole Indian
culture, with all of its divisions and
components, cannot be shipped here,"
Khandelwal said. "It's Indian culture,
yet it breathes the air and survives on
American culture"
first-year student and a seminar facil-
itator.
The weekend's events inspired a
sense of unity and cultural awareness
among students.
"I wanted to get a larger perspec-
tive of the Indian community and
bring this enthusiasm back to our
group at school, said Monisha Shah,
University of Iowa sophomore and
vice president of Iowa's Indian
Student Association.
Shashi Tharoor, another keynote
speaker and an executive assistant to
the secretary general of the United
Nations, received a standing ovation for
his speech about the history, culture
and significance of India.
One year later, 'U'
community still feels
pain of Comair crash
By Jennifer Yachnin
Daily Staff Reporter
Friday marked the one-year anniversary of the crash of
Comair flight 3272, in which all 29 people on board were
killed, including LSA senior Arati Sharangpani and Associate
Rackham Dean Betty Jean Jones.
"When you drive by there, you think about (the crash) all
the time," said Grape, Mich., resident Gary Helser. Helser
witnessed the plane crash from his kitchen window. "I saw a
ball of fire and smoke," he said.
Jones and Sharangpani remain in the memories of family Sharangpani
and friends. Silas Jones, the father of Betty Jean Jones said he
thinks about his daughter all the time.
"I forgot it for a long time," Silas Jones said. "Life goes on
and I have to live"
Jones, who lives in Albany, Ga., said his daughter's death was
,innecccnrv "I realk think it culd've heen avoided" he said.
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