The Michigan Daily - Friday, May 4, 1984 - Page 3
SECOND FRONT PAGE
Cronkite lays nation
on grads' shoulders
By SUE BARTO
and ANDREW ERIKSEN
As the champagne corks flew into the
air in Michigan Stadium last Saturday
afternoon, Walter Cronkite put the
future of the world on the shoulders of
the University's graduating class.
"It's up'to you," said the CBS special
correspondent and former news an-
chor, ". . . to help and to lead the
inevitable social, political, and
economic revolution which our
magnificent technological revolution
forces upon us.
"But don't despair," Cronkite told the
4,500 black-robed graduates assembled
for the first commencement exercises to
be held outdoors since 1964. "You, of all
people, are up to it."
Cronkite had been hospitalized for
exhaustion earlier in the month and had
cancelled his other engagements. Of-
ficials were unsure whether he would
make it to the ceremonies, but Cronkite
appeared enthusiastic Saturday as he
was welcomed to the 50-yard-line
podium with chants of "Wal-ter! Wal-
ter!"
The cheering graduates made the
most of their final minutes at the
University, carrying balloons, cham-
pagne bottles, and, in one case, a ban-
ner proclaiming, "We Did It!" Their
mortarboards were adorned with
everything from aluminum foil to pin-
wheels, and as the hot sun took its toll
several graudates revealed that they
had forgone the traditional suit or dress
to wear shorts or a bathing suit under
the black gown.
Cronkite opened his somewhat
disheartening speech by quoting
satirist Art Buchwald's words from a
graduation several years ago. "Don't!
Don't leave these cloistered halls.
Don't go out there. It's horrible out
there," Cronkite warned in jest.
He then outlined a litany of problems
facing America, including the
"decrepit" industrial plant, and "ap-
palling" transportation network, a
wasteful defense budget, an overbur-
dened welfare system, and "a political
system that fails to excite the public
with the candidates it produces."
. But "those are just some of our little
problems," he said, calling the
population explosion, the depletion of
food and resources, and atomic
weapons the three major problems. For
solutions, the veteran newsman told the
graduates to follow the principles of
America's founding fathers.
After his address, Cronkite received
Walter Cronkite speaks at the University graduation exercises held in
Michigan Stadium April 28.
an honorary doctor of laws degree.
An honorary doctor of humanities
degree was presented to Bernard Knox,
a classical scholar known for his books
on Greek tragic drama and the director
of the Center for Hellenic Studies in
Washington.
While thousands of parents and
friends watched their graduates from
the bleachers, one parent - University
President Harold Shapiro - sat
proudly in the middle of the stage as his
daughter Janet graduated.
The last commencement held in the
Stadium was in 1964 when President
Lyndon Johnson delivered his "Great
Society" speech. Since then, the spring
ceremonies have been held in Crisler
Arena. It was switched back to the
stadium this year to accomodate more
friends and family members of
graduates as well as to include students
not graduating until August. In the
past; those students attended a
separate ceremony at the end of the
summer.
Supreme Court reviews Solomon Amendment
By SUE BARTO
The U.S. Supreme Court heard
arguments last week from the Justice
Department and the Minnesota Civil
Liberties Union (MCLU) on the
constitutionality of the Solomon
Amendment, a controversial law
barring students from receiving
financial aid if they do not register for
the draft.
The Justice Department wants the
court to overturn a Minnesota judge's
ruling which declared the law
unconstitutional last June.
THE LAW requires students to sign a
statement saying they are registered
with Selective Service before they can
receive financial aid.
The MCLU and officials at several
universities, including Michigan, argue
that the regulation discriminates
against students whose families must
seek financial aid. It also discriminates
' There is always a terrific effort to prove
that an act of Congress is constitutional, to
-find an interpretation that is (legal).'
- James Dorey
MCLU attorney
University officials here endorsed a
University of Minnesota brief filed with
the Supreme Court opposing the law,
but, officials here opposed it only
because the schools must bear the
costly burden of enforcement and
avoided the issue of constitutionality.
The University has heard "nothing at
all" about the outcome of the Supreme
Court case and does not expect a
decision until July, Financial Aid
Director harvey Grotrian said yester-
day.
on the basis of sex and religious beliefs,
they say.
The required statement of
registration also violates the Fifth
Amendment, critics say, because it
forces students to incriminate
themselves by revealing that they have
not registered.
Norton, a reporter for the Minnesota
Daily, predicted the justices would
agree that the law is unconstitutional
because they were so interested in the
MCLU arguments. But MCLU attorney
James Dorcy was more cautious.
"There is always a terrific effort to
prove that an act of Congress is con-
stitutional, to find an interpretation
that is (legal)."
Arson runs rampant
in South Quad dorm
Art dean resigns post
cellent dean at the University of
By ANDREW ERIKSEN Michigan," said Temple President
George Bayliss, dean of the Univer- Liacouras. "He is worldly in the way of
sity's School of Art, resigned that deans. He is also a good teacher and
position last month to become the dean painter," he added.
of Temple University's Tyler School of Bayliss admits to being a strong ad-
Art in Philadelphia, Pa. vocate of the need for an art education
Bayliss will assume his new post on within a university setting.
June 1, according to Temple President "If an artist in the 20th Century wants
Peter Liacouras. Bayliss has been dean to be educated, he goes to a university,"
of the University's art school since it said Bayliss. "It's the place to expand
was founded in 1974. his or her capacities. The private art
NO ACTING dean for the art school academies simply don't offer the range
has been named yet, according to art of possibilities for the total growth."
Prof. William Lewis. An acting dean Bayliss earned his bachelor's degree
will be named in the near future, said from the University of Maryland,
Lewis, and a national search for a per- received a Master of Fine Arts degree
manent dean will probably start in the from the Cranbook Academy of Art in
fall. 1956, and joined the art school faculty in
"George Bayliss has been an ex- 1972.
I By RACHEL GOTTLIEB
"It seems like every year there is a
different crime that everybody seems
to be fascinated with and before you
know it there will be a whole series of
crimes of the same nature occurring all
over the place," said Fran Foster of
University security. "And this year it's
fires."
Between March 19 and April 27 South
Quad had 12 fires in the dorm, eight of
which were trash can fires set in the
same garbage can in the basement of
Kelsey House. The remaining four were
scattered throughout the building.
HOUSING security supervisor Joel
Allan said that all the fires were acts of
arson but it has not been determined
whether the fires are related.
"There is strong reason to believe
that some of the fires were connected,"
said Foster.
On April 17 at 8 p.m., Kelsey basement
resident Tony Chang pulled the fire
alarm when he found a fire in the trash
can in a hall closet.
ON APRIL 20 at 2 a.m. a South Quad
resident set a wig on fire and could not
extinguish it. Although the student was
not arrested, his lease was cancelled
and he will not be permitted to return to
the Quad.
The last two fires occurred on the 25th
at 2 a.m. on the ground floor and the
27th at midnight on the third floor and
are believed by investigators to be
isolated incidents.
South Quad Director Mary Antieau
was fearful that one of the fires would
get out of hand and end up being as
damaging as the 1980 fire that
destroyed several East Quad rooms.
"There are no sprinkler or fire detec-
tion devices in South Quad because the
building is so old" said Antieau. The
safety of the residents depends on
someone detecting the fire early
enough to evacuate the building safely,
she said.
Inspectors are investigating several
suspects believed to be connected to the
South Quad fires but no arrests have yet
been made.