Page 4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, May 8, 1987
GRADUATION 19874i
By WENDY LEWIS
4"W Despitethe threat of rain, and protest over
,i"the keynote speaker and CBS anchor Mike
Wallace - who infuriated students with a racist
joke six years ago - this year's commence-
ment ceremonies ran without interruption. as
more than 5,700 University students celebrated
the end of their college experience.
Amid enthusiastic applause from the crowd,
jailed South African leader Nelson Mandela
received an honorary degree in absentia.
During the ceremony, the last one
University President Harold Shapirowill
preside over, the graduates sang goodbye to
Shapiro. Shapiro is leaving to assume the
presidency of Princeton University next
January.,
Although a UCAR demonstration rally
scheduled for 11 a.m. to protest Wallace at
Elbel Field did not take place due to lack of
student participation, coalition members distri-
buted flyers and stickers denouncing Wallace
and apartheid at the entrance to Michigan
Stadium.
During his speech, Wallace apologized to the
audience for the remark he made six years ago
while interviewing officers of a California
savings and loan association.
Wallace made the joke during a break of the
interview, when he commented about how
phony housing contracts were hard to read.
Unaware that the bank was taping the interview
he said, "You bet your ass they're hard to read if
you're reading from over watermelons and
tacos." The joke was interpreted to be highly
racist because Blacks and Hispanics comprised
the majority of the people who signed the
contracts.
Wallace addressed the incident and racism in
general during it speech. Wallace told
graduates that racial inequalities are part of the
"unfinished revolution in civil rights in
America."
"(Bigotry is) an easy out. It can be
downright comforting to feel bigger, better,
than the next fellow. Your sense of injustice
will flag," he said.
Wendy Credle, a new University graduate, embraces a friend after her commencement ceremony
f4 ,
Mike Wallace, a University alumnus and CBS anchor addresses the 1987 %
graduating class.
Photos by Karen Handelman
As the graduates sit by class division, they express many mixed emotions.