~4E itara Unt1 ws: 76-DAILY Ivertising: 764-0554 One hundred seven years offedtonelfreedom Monday January 12, 1998 g 0 1 \ v 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 : .4' - M' to go pro 1 i Y. y, Ya . ;v b_ 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 I 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. I 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. I I II U 1 -i I