2 The Michigan Daily - Friday, November 12, 1999 FRIDAYFOCUS From iconoclastic disco queens to reconciling American involvement in Vietnam to the sexual revolution, the 1970s was a TFr da n The sixth in a seven-part series chronichug the University of Michigan in the 20th Century. \ oi 0! Female athletes had to push 'U' system By Stephanie Offen Daily Sports Writer Micki King, an Olympic diving champion in the 1960s, was one of the few females to participate in athletics at Michigan before federal legislation forced schools to provide the same opportunities for women as they did for men. It wasn't until the passage of Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1973 that women began to make widely visible strides toward equality in sports. But it was long before that plea for equality that women made a name for themselves in athletics at the University. King and diving coach Dick Kimball, who has coached at Michigan for 41 years, became pioneers of their time, circumventing the system to find a way for King to train and compete before women's sports were at the varsity level. "One of coach Kimball's greatest lines was that he didn't coach men or women he coached people," King said. "He taught me dives that no woman had ever done before. I pioneered those dives. Coach Kimball knew that I could do it. Coach Kimball knew that we were a team of people." King, who is now the assistant athlet- ic director in charge of Olympic sports at Kentucky, used to duck through back doors and slip into public bathrooms of the men's pool for the opportunity to train when it would otherwise not be allowed. "We used the women's pool at the CCRB," King said. "What was ironic was that the men were allowed to come into and use the women's pool but the women couldn't even come into the men's. "What Kimball would do was sneak us through the back doors because the front door was right in front of the administrators. We used the spectator bathroom and used washcloths and the public sink as a shower. We thought we were lucky." Kimball realized their appreciation for his unordinary kindness. He was before his time in realizing the necessi- ty for an act such as Title IX. "I've coached girls since I've been here and have not always been paid for it," Kimball said. "I coached girls for 17 years before I was paid at all. And sud- denly they gave me $1,000 for coach- ing. And the next year they doubled the responsibilities of my job because of Title IX.". After the act took effect, the University Athletic Department added seven women's varsity sports - basket- ball, field hockey, gymnastics, synchro- images, personalities and reminders of the '70s: (clockwise from top) former Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown, actress Jane Fonda and her then husband social activist Tom Hayden (cour- tesy of The Associated Press), John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever," (courtesy of New Une Cinema), actor Paul Newman (courtesy of AP) and former President Jimmy Carter (courtesy of The Carter Library). College lif e went throVuMgh transition Courtesy of Dick Kimal" Former Michigan diver Micki King, an Olympic champion, had to sneak into the all-male pool on campus before Title IX was passed, mandating gender equality in varsity sports. nized swimming, tennis, volleyball and swimming and diving.. The opposition And with these sports came the expected opposition. Title IX was chal- lenged at Michigan in 1976, when two male athletes wanted to compete on the varsity level in volleyball. Eric Stannard and Rick Chad challenged the bill under section 86.41(b) of the act, which stated that all students - male and female - must have the opportunity to try out for a varsity team, even if that particular sport is not offered for that sex. The organization that oversaw Michigan women's athletics refused the com- plaint. But that refusal did not end the oppo- sition to women's athletics. How to fund women's athletics and questions surrounding the necessity of the seven women's teams continued to hinder the program's development. People wondered where the $80,000 to support the women's sports budget would come. Football revenue provided most of the Athletic Department's bud- get, covering all male non-revenue sports. The second complaint was directed toward those advocating for the female athletics. King and other Olympic champions favored women's sports, but people often ignored their views, claim- ing they were not reflective of most women. Behind the times Even though Michigan had one of the top athletic programs in the nation, it lagged behind in women's athletics. Kimball said that during the '70s, the administration's 'good-old boys' view continued. "That network is hard to break down," Kimball said. "Most of the ath- letic directors back then were former football coaches and the non-revenue sports were not put on the same level as football or basketball. And women were even a notch down from that." But Phyllis Ocker, a member of the Burns Committee, which lobbied the Athletic Department to comply with Title IX, said many reasons factored into Michigan's sluggish efforts to start the women's athletic program. "Michigan did move slowly but we were trying to do things right," Ocker said. "We were worried about the facil- ities and had to take thoughtful mea- sures." By July 1, 1978, schools across the country were forced to comply with the bill. At this time, three complaints, which focused on recruiting and schol- arships, had been filed against Michigan. Women were still only receiving half-tuition for scholarships. Present impressions Today, many schools still do not comply with Title IX. As Michigan goes ahead with plans to add men's soccer to its varsity roster next year, women's water polo will also get varsity status. As the University adds each new men's varsity sport, it must also add a women's sport. To comply with Title IX, schools must maintain a number of male and female athletes that reflects the school's overall enrollment figures. "The test of Title IX is to go into high schools and ask the girls about the his- tory of their teams," said King, whose high school-aged daughter is being recruited by colleges for tennis. "When today's 17-year-old assumes there has always been a volleyball team at their school, then it has become accepted as part of their culture." By Anna Clark Daily Staff Reporter Caught between the more reserved and complacent 1980s and the radical, free-spirit- ed 1960s, the 1970s served as a time of tran- sition in the life of college students. While many students clung to the social movements born out of the '60s, others began to think more about the comforts of their own lives. "People were wishing it was the '60s," said University alum Rich Wallach, who graduated in 1979. Another University alum, Brian Grant, noticed a similar trend. "Activism was winding down in the '70s, much to my chagrin," said Grant, who grad- uated in 1974. "But there was still a sort of anti-establishment atmosphere." He cited the rapid evolution from the elimination of residence hall curfews in 1970 to the coed r bathrooms he used "peo leW while living in East Quad Residence it was thle Hall as examples of what he called the "hippie mood." One prominent victim of students' anti-elitism attitudes was classic Greek life, which one 1981 graduate, who asked to remain anonymous, said was "an insipid world I never went near." With participation down to an all-time low of 4.7 percent of students in 1973, 15 fraternities and five sororities were forced to close, some of which never re-opened. The national women's liberation move- ment was active at the University, several alumni said. "Feminism was pretty strong then," Grant said. "Men were in a difficult situation, try- ing to adjust." The introduction of women's sports, follow- ing the passage of Title IX, provided an outlet for women on campus. The first complete sea- son for varsity women's sports was the 1975- 76 school year, with the first ever women's swimming, tennis, basketball, volleyball, field hockey and synchronized swimming teams. While 1.977 LSA graduate Alice Taylor said she recalls "the thrill of playing intra- mural football" and appreciated the newly formed:women's varsity teams, not every- one was optimistic about changes Title IX I was making to collegiate sports. "There isn't any way that you can have equality of financing with both men and women. Because women's sports, at least today and speculating about the future, probably will not be a revenue sport," said then football coach Glenn "Bo" Schembechler in a Sept. 5, 1975 interview with The Michigan Daily. For the majority of students, "women's sports weren't yet on the radar," Grant said. In addition to acting on behalf of the women's liberation movement, students began to pay closer attention to environ- mental issues. "Ecology was definitely a big issue," said the 1981 University graduate who wished to remain anonymous. The birth of a student group, ENACT - Environmental Action for Survival - high- lighted the environmental movement. The new organization re wIihn sponsored campus events tied to the GVsf' nation's first Earth Day conference in - Rich Wallach 1970. University alum But, political con- cerns on campus hadn't vanished. In 1972, 2,000 people gathered on the Diag to mourn 11 Israeli Olympians who had been slain. A rabbi from Hillel led the students. They "sang anti-violence songs such as Bob Dylan's 'Blowin' in the Wind,"' as reported in the Daily on Sept. 6, 1972. Another mark of the decade was the state of Michigan lowering the drinking age to 18. "With the fact that we could drink, plus legalized pot, this became an important part of college life," the anonymous 1981 grad- uate said. Grant said society in general viewed drug use much more loosely than it does today. "Drug and alcohol use were common," he said. "There wasn't so much negativism attached to it then as there is now. The stakes were lower." As the 1980s approached, the University appeared to be returning to traditionalism. Gradually, the "yuppie" began to replace the "hippie." Greek life had a resurgence in popularity, the demand for football tickets increased sharply and participation in stu- dent military corps rose. o Film 11i- 7PArlrino' Pmui of rivarnnintm~rnt nd 1-rmnil I