College
students
hike to
San Fran.
for Fritz
By NEIL CHASE
Special to the Daily
SAN FRANCISCO - Most of the
30,000 people here this week for the
Democratic National Convention
arrived by plane, bus, or car, but four
college students tried a different mode
of transportation - a cross-country
bicycleride.
"We peddled 2,800 miles for Fritz,"
said Betsy Cohen, a 21-year-old student
at MacAlliater College in Minneaota
who worked in Waahington for Walter
Mondale's presidential campaign.
THE 54-DAY trek was supposed to
"show youth enthusiasm for the
Democratic Party and show there are
college atudenta who really care about
the future," according to Pete Autin, a
19-year-old Univeraity of Maryland
student who joined the cyclists on the
second day of the trip.
Cohen said she and MacAllister
student Stephen Barnes, who also
worked for Mondale in Washington,
came up with the idea of the trek and
they spent three weeks on the phone
seeking support until they talked to
Rep. William Ford (D-Mich.) who
helped them organize the trip. They
met University of Illinois student Hal
Sreden, another biker, through a friend.
The quartet often rode for ten hours a
day, spending the night in private
homes and appearing on local radio and
television stations. Friends in
Washington sent press releases to the
towns they would be visiting, and an
advance car went ahead of them to
arrange housing and public appearan-
ces.
AUSTIN SAID the group averaged as
many as three flat tires a day as they
peddled across flat highways and over
numerous mountains. "There were
times when it seemed impossible" to
finish, he said. "We had a support car
which blew up in Craig, Colorado," for-
cing the four to carry some of their gear
on the bicylces and travel 130 miles in
13 hours through the mountains in one
day.
"I wasn't stopping. I didn't care if I
had to beg, borrow, and steal to get
across the country," Cohen said. The
expedition took the four through
Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, and
Nevada en route to California.
In Athens, Ohio, a girl read about the
group in the newspaper and called the
family which was hosting them so she
could meet them. The family was ac-
tive in local Democratic politics, and
the girl was so moved by the students
she signed up to work for the party -
even though she was a Republican.
STANDING IN the lobby of the
Moscone Center during the convention,
Cohen and Austin said they were sur-
prised by the lack of political
awareness outside of Washington.
"What's so frustrating is to see how lit-
tle people are involved in the political
process," Cohen said.
"I've been through places where
people don't even know who their
senators or congressman are," Austin
added. "People need to be more aware
of things that affect them," he said.

Associated Press
Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale and producer Gordon Wynne check over the podium yesterday
morning in the Moscone Center in San Francisco as the pool of travelling photographers records the event. Mondale
was preparing for his acceptance speech for the presidential nomination to the 1984 Democratic National Convention.
Twain mimic gibes politicians
Abandoning his own voile, McLinn echoed Twain's words
By NEIL CHASE on feminism: "I think women have emancipated themselves
Special to the Daily nearly from all the unfair laws on the statute books of this
SAN FRANCISCO - Author Mark Twain died in 1910, but country, achieved a revolution emancipating half a million
Twain's words about President Teddy Roosevelt could easily without losing a drop of blood. Now men could not have done
apply to President Ronald Reagan, said Bill McLinn. the same thing. Atleast, history shows they don't know how."
Well, I am a convalescent too," wrote Twain, "but i am not RETURNING to his own voice, McLinn said Twain was
willing to lie in my bed all day long and let God and the also an active opponent of racism. Twain paid for the college
Republican Party run the universe." tuition of black students at several schools and he said tnat
THE VOICE belongs to McLinn, but all the words are from "every white person in this country owes reparations to the
the tongue and pen of Mark Twain, perhaps the oldest black people."
"presidential candidate" in the running this year.- McLinn pointed out that there was much more to Twain
For 10 years McLinn has been impersonating the Missouri than just Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. "Twain did a
author in an effort to make a living while entertaining people whole variety of different things - speeches, campaigning
and educating them about contemporary issues through for candidates, fundraising speeches, press conferences. He
Twain's words, and this year he is doing it through the Anti- was the most interviewed person of his time, more so than
Doughnut Mugwump Party's Mark Twain for President the president of the U.S."
Campaign. McLinn said he became interested in Twain in 1975 while he
"I don't make anything up, even in questions and an- was studying in a nearby seminary. "It just sort of struck me
swers," McLinn said in his own voice. "Even the press con- that this would be an interesting thing to do." He decided to
ferences are all Twain. He either wrote it or spoke it and it's perform a one-man show and picked Twain as his character.
in context with his original intentionality." AFTER TWO months of studying Twain's works, voice,
SPEAKING in a hotel not far from the Democratic and mannerisms under Frederick Anderson - editor of
National Convention, McLinn shifts effortlessly from his own Twain's personal papers - McLinn began doing his imper-
voice to Twain's. His black tailcoat, bushy eyebrows, sandy sonation as a full-time job. Many of the more than 1,000
white hair, and 30-minute makeup job can easily convince an presentations he has made are about the peace movement.
audience that the setting is Hannibal, Missouri, at the turn of McLinn, who used to work on Capitol Hill, said he went to
the century. both.party conventions in 1980 and will do so again this year
Because Twain never knew of such people as Democratic because he enjoys attending the sessions and lecturing about
presidential candidate Walter Mondale and his running mate issues through Twain's words.
Geraldine Ferraro, they are never mentioned while McLinn He travels at his own expense, staying in private homesto
is doing his Twain voice. Twain would have been happy with save money, and performs at theaters and on college cam-
Mondale's selection of Ferraro because he was a great sup- puses to make a living. McLinn plans to spend the fall on a
porter of women's rights, McLinn said. national tour and to perform next year in the Soviet Union.
Heart tint
listed inMA GE
fair conditinPOION
(Continued from Page 2)
"yes," Woodford said.
She is offically listed in fair condition available at the MUG EATERIES and COMMONS
but kept in isolation - the few visitors i h ihgnUin
she is allowed to receive must scrub-up ln the Michigan Union.
and wear a hospital gown before en- Part-time work for career oriented, energetic,
tering the room - Woodford said she is reliable students. Experience preferred.
walking in her crib.
According to Woodford, she wasn't
able to walk before her operation. He
said she last walked in May. Apply in person at the Michigan Union Business
"She's got a lot of grit and you just Office regular business hours.
can't keep her from doing things," during
Woodford said.