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OPINION

Page 6
Vol. xcIV, No. 1-S
94 Years of Editorial Freedom
Managed and Edited by Students at
The University of Michigan
Editorials represent o majority opinion of the
Doily Editorial Board
'U' suit fruitless
T HE UNIVERSITY'S decision to challenge
a state law requiring complete divest-
ment from American corporations in South
Africa may very well prove the point the state
wants to make.
Last year, the University chose to divest it-
self of 90 percent of its financial holdings,
keeping the remaining 10 percent in com-
panies that are predominantly based in
Michigan. The University's suit argues that
the state does not have the right to dictate
where it can invest its money. So, at first glan-
ce, legal action seemed sensible to the regen-
ts: University financial affairs should not be
controlled in any way by the state.
It seems, however, that the regents have
overlooked the distinct possibility of losing the
case. If the courts uphold the law, the Univer-
sity will have no one but themselves to blame
for curtailing their authority.
The autonomy of the Universi ;y is a serious
matter, but forcing a court df cision on this
particular issue may serve orly to validate
legislative authority over the Uuiversity.
Spring fever

Friday, May 4, 1984

The Michigan Daily

Four short years later .. .

By Susan Makuch
and Lou Fintor
T HE CEREMONY - like our
college careers - seemed to
be over before it began and just
like many of our peers in the Class
of 1984, we left a little dazed and
apprehensive about being thrust
into the "real" world.
But we laid to rest our fears
that were coupled with a sense of
impending doom as good old
Walter "that's the way it is"
Cronkite advised us: "It's
horrible out there. Stay here.
Keep on studying. Play dead. Do
anything but don't leave."
Somehow, it is those words of
wisdom which have managed to
become imbedded in our minds
despite being numbed by overin-
dulging in cheap champagne (we
soon discovered that 1984 isn't a
very good year for champagne,
either).
Later however, as we were
herded out of Michigan Stadium
in a manner that was somewhat
reminiscent of cattle on a stam-
pede, we pondered the possible
hidden significance of our 50-yard
line seats - which we previously
thought were solely the sacred
domain of rich alums and ad-
ministration-types.
It may be a long time before we
can afford these seats, we
thought, a good deal longer than
the four years (longer still, for
those on the "extended" plan) it
took us to get here in the first
place.
It was the many memories
those years hold which came
flooding back as Hal, our fearless
president-for-life, instilled in us
the solomn sentamentality of this
pious occasion.
Freshman year, which now
seems like only yesterday, of-
fered the first important lesson of
University academic life: don't

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Why are these people smiling? Graduating seniors celebrate during last
Saturday's ceremonies.
step foot on the big bronze Diag to keep turning in papers on time
"M" or you'll fail all your first - it gets boring.
exams amazingly, we found that In order to deal with this
we could still accomplish this stagnation it becomes necessary
despite religiously avoiding that to invent extension excuses.
"M". You know, "I finished it but my
It was also during that first roommate smoked it," or "I
year that we realized the term finished the rough draft but I just
CRISP does not necessarily apply haven't had time to type the final
to overdone bacon, and, that with copy," or the ever popular "I
the kind indulgence of under- work at the Daily." Junior year is
standing upperclassmen, we too also a time when the blues hit -
could find Angell Hall with and everybody gets 'em.
relative ease. The one consolation about
During sophomore year, we being a junior is that soon you'll
became acquainted with that be a senior. But it's a consolation
now-familiar phrase; "Sorry, it only until you realize there's no
says here you have a hold place like home (or school).
credit," only to be answered with Those cloistered walls offer a
that now-standard reply; "But I sense of security that, come
paid it yesterday." April, we realize can't be mat-
But more important, we ched by the "real" world. Even
discovered - much to our delight Walter told us to stay put - so
- that with creativity and per- why shouldn't we? Well, probably
severence we could indulge in because although life's a bitch, it
forbidden liquid refreshments has to be faced eventually. The
normally reserved for those longer we put it off, the harder it
slightly older at several local gets to jump in. So, in the immor-
watering holes. tal words of Van Halen, you
These pleasures were not to might as well jump.
prepare us for junior year,
however. The junior year is often Daily staffers Susan
looked upon as college "hell" - Makuch and Lou Fintor are
it's right smack in the middle and recent graduates of the
things get a bit too tedious to University.
bother with. After all, who wants

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SPRING HAS SPRUNG (alnost) and with Wasserman
it, the spring-summer version of the Daily.
INTRoDUQM& rDETCRot'S \S 81&THE RoMi'S BI& BUT T'S NoT Attl- BACk-E-S
The Daily will be here three days a week CAIR OF Te 'AEAD - A ND CE 'TA6 IS YOUR SMcAL PROTECT11wSA
(Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays) to cover TAE QuOIA! \ \ER YET lLARL
the campus community like the summer sun.
We will be here for the famous Ann Arbor Art
Fair. We will be here for sports - how 'bout r-_r
them Tigers! And we will continue to cover / -i
the activities of the regents, the City Council,
and the local art scene as no one else can.
As part of that coverage, the Daily's Opinion
Page is a forum for our readers to speak out.
In every issue of the paper, the right side of \T DEUV_ ExEcuTve TE QUO A- NO IM ORT CCGE WE DONT
the page is open for letters, guest columns, £ONUSES UVe YOUVE CAN COMFETE \iT IT.., LET 'EMA
and even guest cartoons. Topics are left up to NEVE RSEW/\A
the writer, but letters and columns should be
typed and triple-spaced. Names on sub- o
missions will be withheld only in extreme cir-
cumstances. We enhhe exeme cr Pk
advantage of this opportunity. The more
diverse and vigorous your participation in the N
Daily is the more interesting the Daily as a
whole becomes. -