Monday, May 1, 2000 - The Michigan Daily - 5 LETTERS TO THE EDTOR,' Students shouldn't fear Naked Mile TO THE DAILY: I wanted to express my dis- may that the Michigan Daily Cwis a forerunner in the nega- Wtmse me dia hype surrounding the Naked Mile this vear. The Daily chose to run a full head- line. "This is a dangerous esent citing such dangers as getting your picture taken, getting arrested and getting raped. Indeed, running the Naked Mile is not for everyone. I understand people don't like the idea of having their naked 0pictures posted on the inter- net. However, this is not dan- gerous. I checked out some of those internet sites, and they're huge collections of naked pictures. Once again - anonymity in numbers. In a day when the public barely winces at the knowledge that the President has smoked pot, Ono one's reputation is going to be ruined by a Naked Mile picture. As I expected. average Naked Mile runners were not arrested. Only four people were arrested and they were unique instances involving more than just running the Naked Mile. It's a shame peo- ple didn't run for fear of being arrested. Hopefully people swill be assured that they can run next year without this fear. Finally. it is absurd that warnings were given that the police would not be able to stop a possible rape. Women risk the chance of being raped daily. But give me a break - the streets of Ann Arbor have -ever been safer than the Wight of the naked mile with people and police everywhere. After this successful Naked Mile. I hope students can get oer their fears and run next year. Long live thc Naked Mile! CASSANDRA HOYE LSA SENIOR just increase secur ityto Pro- tect runners as they journey across campus in the buff. Let's keep this tradition alise. Istis one of the few great things that many Of LIs will lose to tell our children ihen we are older. STEVE FRIGo LSA F S-Y E A R ST UDENT Not enough A- students are AAPD wrongly running naked scared away TO THE DAILY.: Well, its now Saturday and I am fully clothed. But recent- ly I ran in my first Naked Mile. I know that it is intend- ed for seniors, but I couldn't pass up on this opportunity because I didn't know if it would be cancelled in years to come. Though I am only a freshman here and I have never seen the Naked Mile run before, I thought it was great. So there were a few fat old pervs out there with their video cameras but there were no major problems from what I saw. What I did notice was an entire student body gather- ing together for a traditional University event, just like a football game. It was awesome to see everyone out in the streets having a good, safe time. We weren't burning couches and throwing them at runners which may happen in Green and White country. Instead, everyone watched friends, team members. broth- ers and sisters, and the occa- sional fat guy run around Ann Arbor naked. I only have one problem with the Naked Mile and that is the fact that so few people actually run in it. I think University officials should quit threatening us and students TO THE DAILY: As an Alumni of the University of Michigan, and a four time participant in the Naked Mile, I find it unfortu- nate that the AAPD decided that it was necessary to arrest people who were associated with what was a traditional and harmless campus event. The jubilation and freedom, com- bined with the end of the semester (and campus exis- tence for many seniors) was an event unique to Ann Arbor and the culture that is the campus. The "excuse" given by the AAPD relating to the crowds behavior is laughable. If people are getting groped or bull- whipped, as the AAPD claimed, set up a barricaded course or provide police protection to the runners. Don't destroy an event that for myself, and many of my col- legian counterparts, was a jubi- lant and unique event for Michigan students. Shame on the AAPD. BRIAN CLUNE ALUMNUS Spending the summer stuck in Ann Arbor W ell if you're reading this. that means that I am, Athletic Departient Scand yet again, stuck in Ann Arbor. Well, maybe some sort of fun and illegala "stuck" isn't the best word to use. I cant think of too Athletic Department isn't far many other places during this time of year, that I'd temperatures start to rise in rather be stuck. But for those of youi siho are spend- sports programs begin to get ing your first summer in A2, I'll let you in on a little collar. secret This is the best time to be in Ann Arbor In the past our Athletic D Out of state and out of town students football coach, said flays rip on Michigan's temperamieni- more frequently and tal tintrum oather paterms. \\ here else ed K-mart dollar day cin Iou sear short and T-shii mids ay -all during the sUI throi'h Deceter bit still be i layered Tigers BasebaIl: A cloth ng dn the ast s eek of 0?oolthe team with the m Michigan has iii weather consistency of best ballpark in basel the rock's color the crownjewel of bu But that all changes during spring and throw-back stadium summer term. Everything becomes con- capitalized on an op sistent and dare I say, almost normal. In have botched in the' these four months, Ann Arbor has leaves JON People Mover? Well, that are actually green and on the trees, a ZEMKE use, transporting peo sky that's blue and cold beer coming not 1 , C E Top of the Park: I from some sort of Greek function. IEIG. ..date. This well kept s The summerinAnn Arbor is an invita- on in the summer tion to play IM softball, drink until the sun rises garage by Rackham. They without worrying about consequences, and sit on movies at dusk, and there's ev your porch, ogling the sun bathers on Elbel field. Parking: For Top of the Par And this is just a taste of what lies ahead. So to would have to be available pi give you a better idea of what's in store for you, I've available parking. The streets' taken the time to outline some of the highlights of a that much of the campus ha long hot summser. SUV's back east for their D.C. The Three S': Or better known as the Spring (or nice weather will encourage Summer) Social Scene. Sure a lot of your friends come out more, but for eve got that dope internship in D.C. and left you here to town there will be at least two rot., but don't feel abandoned. your vehicle from those bluet Thousands of students are taking cake courses And there is a lot more thatr masquerading as classes, and now have a lot of time best time to live in Ann Arbor on their hands and fake I.D.s in their wallets. Unless motorcycles, lifeguards or roa you're dumb enough to be taking orgo for three hours and more mean one thing. Th, everyday, your class is a joke. And if you don't have rather be stuck than right her classes and have a night job, campus and downtown -Jon Zetmke can be bars will soon become a regular favorite refuge. il: And where there's activity, the Michigan away. Every time the Ann Arbor, the big a little hot under the epartment has lost a the words Ed Martin last year even decid- ys were too expensive amer. n hour east is home to [ost character and the ball. Comerica Park is aseball's new string of s. For once Detroit portunity they would past. Remember the it now has a practical ple to Comerica Park, t's the ultimate cheap ecret takes place later on top of a parking show free popular en a beer garden. k to be possible there arking - much more will seem barren, now s taken their parent's intemships. Yeah, the the meter maids to ry SUV that has left 'parking spots to hide uniformed devils. makes the summer the . I didn't even get into id trips. But all of this ere's nowhere else I'd e, right now. reached via e-mail at jzemke@umich.edu. 1DNEBR'E DiTRE LE I =-Y "~'VE ~E~D~c'~ &Obl&o$tA..T GA1~N:Wi- '/ L1-EA-IVRE A5EM 0 Inauguration of the slurm A nn Arbor citizens, visitors, unfortunately 0 from a mail-order plastic brain mold. The blood trapped spring term students, inter-dimension- red, cherry-flavored additives should leave sanguine al hangers on and the like: you have, right here, fingerprints between every line of this column. right now, in your hands, the inaugural "This So write me email, mug me in the streets and cor- Postmodern World" millennial soap box diatribe! ner me to shove your finger in my face. Do any- Yes, I'm afraid you're stuck with me this summer. thing it takes, because I want to know what's going But I want this kind of one-to-many mass media on. If you don't, I'll never sample all the artificial diversion to be over as soon as the next fruit flavors your gray matter has to offer. monkey, so bear with me. Just wait. This I'm not going to pretend like I've got a Postmodern World has some pun in store. firm grip on any situations here. The only This Postmodern World trims thin sane answer is that no one has more than slices of opinion in succulent veal and a faint clue as to what is going on at any swallows the choicest young cuts, only to moment. We all know the leader-shaping comment on the bologna by the stale machine atthe center of this college town crackers on the tray of national concern. dodges categories like Stumpy the tailless TPW acts like a simile, but is a Angell Hall squirrel avoiding pedestrians metaphor, standing on tiptoe for a peak on a rabid acorn run. And I try to be no of the irony board. And after we shovel exception. the bullshit, we'll scrub with trope on a JOSH So, if you make like a hair and split, rope. So hopefully the only aftertaste WICKERHAM please come back long enough to sample you'll be left with is your own making. T.is P1 m my bottles of greasy conditioning agents This Postmodem World wants to break Ii DERN that bind the hair, lifting, fluffing, and through the chrysanthemum and charge 1 5 restoring its natural sheen. And if you into the shadows where your eyes don't make like a tree and leave, I'll grab go. We're going to sense earthquakes before they enough leaves to light the bonfire right in the cen- shake up the pedagogical pyramids, and be ready to ter of my brain. And just remember: defined opin- run up for the high view. ion is a running gage and everyone is in the scopes. So what does this all mean? It means, don't listen I will love each and every one of you silent read- to anyone who is gauging opinion. Don't listen to ers. I will love the loud ones too. I'm going to give me, obviously! And don't call me naive, but we're it my best, and beat on my chest and bite the hands going to try to get along for a while. You and me - that read me. I'm going to write from my left ven- wannabe hierophant to questioning reader. I'm not tricle, with my toes on the keyboard, and feel the telling you how it will be in any certain terms, so love-loathing brainwaves of the consuming masses, don't expect it. sensing the coffee-eyed glare of a few thousand As social interaction continues its voyage down scrutinizing eyes. the river of strangeness, I'll just fish out the treats And who's to say I might not nail down a few and pass on the trifling discrepancies. issues before my stint is over? Only you. Because But don't think this is going to be a one-way dia- there is always room for Jell-O. So, come along. logue. I'm only as informed as I presume to be. To You belong. Feel the fizz of Cuckoo Cola. get this right, I've gotta be able to stick my hands -Josh Wickerham can be berated via e-mail at inside your head and swirl your cerebrum like Jell- jwt'ickerh@tnichedu.