THE MICHIGAN DALILY

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P uL K 1i rJL

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'56

ilich igras

Pa rude

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Carnval

-Courtesy of University News Service
CARMEN-Winning float in '54 Michigras sponsored by
Alpha Chi Omega and Sigma Phi Epsilon.
'54 Carnival Drew 20,000
For Lie is a Book' Parade

Message
The Michigras Central Com-
mittee has really enjoyed work-
ing on the 1956 Michigras.
One of the main reasons for
this enjoyment has been the
wonderful cooperation from all
the organizations who are par-
ticipating this year. The en-
tries for the parade and field
house have all been of top
quality.
We are confident that Michi-
gras will be a success because
of the spirit shown by every-
one.
Best of luck Friday and Sat-
urday-most of all-have a tre-
mendous weekend.
-The-1956 Central Committee
Radio, TV
Coveragye
By AL STILLWAGON
The Michigras parade is going
on the air!
Both'radio and television sta-
tions are describing and publiciz-
ing Friday's big event.
University Television is moving
outdoors for the occasion and will
provide unique parade coverage
from 3:45 to 5:30 p.m. over WPAG-
Tffl? The fresh air studio will be
located at the corner of Maynard
and Liberty streets, including both
stationary and mobile units.
Camera No. 1 will eye the pass-
ing show from thebed of a heavy
duty truck stationed on the route.
Camera No. 2 rides a "hi-lo" fork-
lift truck which will enable it to
scurry wherever there is something
to see.
Microphones hanging in the air
over the street and rushed ahead
by special couriers on the end of
cables hundreds of feet in length
are to pick up the music of the
several marching bands,.
Messengers equipped with port-
able 2-way radios will search the
crowd for interviews, radioing their
finds to the narrating staff's spec-
ial platform.
Cables are being laid along May-
nard St. to the site of the pick-
up, while technicians wait at the
studio to control transmission and
other special material.
During possible lulls in the pa-
rade the story of the previous
night's frantic preparations will
be told by means of pictures and
copy gathered by special photogra-
phy and news teams sent out the
night before.

House Plans
'Spectacle'
By VERNON NAHRGANG
"It's going to be the greatest
spectacular since 'Quo Vadis',"
Samuel Corl, '59A&D, said.
Corl, co-chairman of the Taylor
House committee for the construc-
tion of the house's Michigras float,
was describing the appearance of
the float, which will have "Blow,
Gabriel, Blow" as its theme.
"We're going to have real an-
gels," he exclaimed, swinging his
arms wildly about. "It's going to
be pulled by 200 mighty, coal-black
horses."
At this point, the float chairman
refused to reveal any more of the
details concerning the theme of
the structuree. However, he did
.explain how the building of the
float was taking place.
Plans for the float started sev-
eral months ago when Taylor
House chose a women's house to
work with it on Michigras, and
selected Angell House. (This will
help to make the theme of the
float clearer.)
Next major step in the con-
struction processwas to decide on
a theme for the float and have it
approved by the Michigras Central
Committee.
So the men metfor long weeks
until they came up with the "Blow,
Gabriel, Blow" theme, which was
accepted.
Then began the meetings of
the Michigras committee of Tay-
lor and Angell Houses, where con-
struction plans were worked out
and drawn up.
A scale model of the basic con-
struction of the framework of the
float was made, and then specific
measurements were made. These
measurements were sent to thej
lumber company, where the wood
was cut to size and delivered.
In-addition to the lumber, paper
napkins, paint, chicken wire and
angel hair (a type of spun glass)
had to be ordered.
First, of course, the framework,
already cut to size, had to be fitted
together according to diagrams.
Second stage of construction is
the chicken wire stage, where work
is now in progression. With five
days to go, Taylor and Angell
House students will be working
steadily on their float, just as will
other housing groups across cam-
pus.


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By KEITH DeVRIES
The '54 Michigras was a typical
one.
That is, it.was a big, colorful
spectacle in the best Michigras
tradition, attended by huge throngs
looking for and finding a good
time:
Twenty-thousand people lining
Ann Arbor streets and an un-
counted TV audience watched the
., float parade that officially,
opened the festive weekend.
The theme, of "Life is a Book"
was interpreted quite loosely, with
floats ranging from "The Wizard
of Oz" to "The Kinsey Report."
The crowds cheered loudest as
the top of "Mr. Blanding's Dream
House" just barely slipped under
the traffic light in front of the
Union after a few anxious mo-
ments"
A close second in crowd enjoy-
ent was provided when "Moby
ck" squirted photographers who
had dashed out onto State Street
to get a picture of the realistic
whale,
Carmen and Noah
"Carmen," the entry of Sigma!
Phi Epsilon and Alpha Chi Omega
was'picked by the lfdging board as
the best float. Seoond prize was
given to Phi Gamnia Delta's "Noah
amid the ArkW and Kleihstueck was
awarded third prize for "South
Pacific."
Festivities actually began some
time before the parade. The pop-
uIar Michiworm, a'five foot worm
who looked- suspiciously human
under his tube clothing, had been
breaking into classes and dismiss-
ing them .with a bit of rhymed
doggerel for several days preceding
the actual weekend.
At the booths at Yost Field
House a widely-used idea was to
put on parodies of Broadway
shows.

involved hitting native heads with
coconuts.
In the refreshment booth divi-
sion, first prize was given to
Gamma Phi Beta and Chi Phi for
"Crow's Nest." The booth was set
up-to look like a somewhat disrep-
utable sailors' hangout, complete
with fish netting.
The carnival had an unfortunate
sequel that first developed a few
days after closing night.
An officer of NAACP,, Ifaking
offense at the "Uncle Tom's Cabin"
float, sent in a letter of protest to
The Daily.
From then on a debate raged in
The Daily's .letter column over
whether or not the float was de-
rogatory to Negroes.
Letters and Apologies
Perhaps the height of the debate
was reached when the president of
the Labor Union League accused
Dean Rea of favoring prejudice
because the Dean had a letter pub-
lished in which he congratulated
everyone who had worked on
Michigras.
The end of the whole issue came
when NAACP accepted an apology
for the float and The Daily simul-
taneously refused to print any
more letters on the subject.
COMPLIMENTS
Of
HOLLYWOOD
RESTAURANT
120 E. Huron
We feature cream waffles

DACRON puts marvelous
new
r

-Daily-Veal Soclen
FLOAT MODEL-Part of the job of building a Michigras float
calls for construction of a scale model or detailed diagrams. This
model is a replica of the Taylor-Angell float, "Blow, Gabriel,
Blow."
~---~- -------------~--
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OPEN 8 A.M.-9 P.M.
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4-MICHI

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"T A

Have your guests
for Miehigras
stay at
BOYD'S MOTEL
2805 E. Michigan
Phone 3YP 4985

1'


Faces acnd Tales -
"AShowboat," "Wierd Faces,"
"The Son is Green" (a distant
cousin to "The Moon is Blue"),
and perhaps the worst pun of- all,
"Tales of a Spouse Specific," were
among the more popular booths of
this type.
The show booth getting first
prize was Delta Tau Delta and
Alpha Phi Omega's "Swan Legs."
The show, faintly-reminiscent of
"Swan Lake," featured a whole
chorus line -of male ballerinas.
Tau Delta Phi was awarded first
paze in the game booth division
with "U-Bang-E," a game that
Let's get into the spirit
Gras Plans-
of thee MICHIGRAS
Gargoyle "humor magazine" is
not planning a Michigras Edition,
according to Managing Editor
Dave Kessel, Grad. BLUE BEVERAGES AT
"Originally we were thinking
about one," he explained tiredly, THE BELL ALL WEEK
"but Michigras. turned out to-be a
week sooner than we had expected
Kessel describes himself as be- SEE THE MICHIGRAS PARADE
ing "highly annoyed," but then he
complained about an early Spring THROUGH OUR WINDOWS
too.,
Next year's plans should be even
bigger, Kessel predicted. "I mean
really big."

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the HILLSIDE INN welcomes you
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PARTY DRESS
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MEN'S SUIT'

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