"17,1959
THE MICMGA N DAILY
PAGE
17. ioi~e THE MICHIGAN DAILY PAGE
Anxiously Await Michigras, Spring Weekend
By RASE PERLBERG and NANCY LEIGHTON
Michigras and Spring Weekend, two of the most aniously awaited
I long-planned-for all-campus events of the school year, occur in
springs of alternate years.
Last April, the word on almost every person's lips was "Michi--
s," and next spring, will be the time for Spring Weekend to take
campus spotlight. Both occasions provide a whole weekend of fun
University students and facul-
as. well as neighboring towns- ber. Each entry had to be ap-
ple. Every year some traditions proved by the co-chairmen before
these weekends are renewed, as actual construction could begin.
ers are dropped, forgotten or Booths in the fieldhouse were
laced by new student innova- also long-term projefs. Coeds
ns. and men worked frantically until
Presented under the auspices of the last minute hammering boards
Women's Athletic Association Into place and rehearsing skits for
d the Union, the biennial Michi- show booths.
a was held last April. But when the big nights came
and the crowds surged through the
ICh ig ras . . . fieldhouse, the carnival was in full
'he weekend consisted of a giant swing. Straw-hatted barkers stood
ade in which more than 40 on tottering ladders and shaky
using units participated and two chairs shouting and waving canes,
is of Big Top atmosphere in each trying to draw the most
st Fi Touse. Trophies were people to his booth. Prizes were
arded best floats in the parade awarded for the most tickets sold
I top-rating refreshment, en- as well as the quality of enter-
tainment and skill booths in tainment.
Fieldhouse. Carnival-Goers Jammed Booths
Panhellenic Association Sponsors
Rushing, Co-ordinates Sororities
By ROSE PERLBERG
For coeds affiliated with the
one local and 20 national sororities
on campus. Panhellenic Associa-
tion is the one over-all co-ordin-
ating body.
Under its. jurisdiction are the
fraternal groups of Alpha Chi
Omega, Alpha Gamma Delta, Al-
pha Delta Pi, Alpha Epsilon Phi,
Alpha Omicron Pi and Alpha Phi.
Others in the Greek-letter clan
include Alpha Xi Delta, Chi Ome-
ga, Collegiate Sorosis, Delta Gam-
ma, Delta Delta Delta and Delta
Phi Epsilon.
.Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha
Theta, Kappa Delta, Pi Beta Phi
and Phi Mu continue the sorority
list.
21 Members
Bringing the total Panhel mem-
bership to 21 houses are Sigma
Kappa, Sigma Delta Tau and Zeta
Tau Alpha.
Both Phi Mu, which claims the
distinction of being the oldest sec-
ret women's organization in the
U. S., and Zeta Tau Alpha were es-
tablished on campus during the
1955-6 school year.
In order to become a member of
any sorority, a coed must partic-
ipate in rushing. Prospective pled-
ges are divided into small groups
under the leadership of a rushing
counselor.
Each sorority provides one coun-
selor, who has temporarily disaf-
filiated herself from her group so
that she may impartially advise
rushees.
Signup For Rush
To be eligible to rush, a woman
must register her name with Pan-
hel.
Upperclassmen who wish to rush
are required to have at least a 2.0
or "C" average.
During the rushing period, rush-
ees and actives will be asked to
observe contact rules. The rules
stipulate that there be no contact
between the two groups outside of
planned events, unless members of
two houses are present. When. af-
filiated women meet rushees on
campus their conversation should
be limited to a friendly "hello."
First . . . the "Mixers"
Coeds who rush this fall will
have an opportunity to visit every
sorority on, campus during "mix-
ers," which begin Friday, Sept. 21
this year. Following a scheduleset
up by the rushing counselor, they
will spend about 20 minutes at
each house, meeting and chatting
with affiliates. Dress will be in-
formal-bobby socks and, school
clothes.
After this first set of parties,
rushees will pick up invitations
for the next round from their
counselors.
Dress for the second set will be
equally informal, but coeds will,
have to limit their visits to a to-
tal of six houses.
Those who have received more
than four invitations to the third
or "dressy" set of parties will have
to narrow their election to that
number.
Hose and, heels with. suits or
woolen dresses will be appropriate
attire for rushees as they come
back for this third visit with the.
affiliates they are getting to know
better. Activities will take rushees
on tours through the houses,
Bermudas and Picnics
Picnics will be the order of the
day for the fourth set of parties.
Clad in bermuda shorts, rushees
will go to only three houses where
they will be treated to informal.
meals.
"Final desserts" provide the last
opportunity for affiliates and
rushees to become acquainted b'e-
fore the houses bid and rushees
make their choice. Dressed in
"dressy" dresses, heels and hose,
rushees may attend two houses,
where the main refreshment will
be a fancy dessert.
A day after "final desserts,"
rushees will know whether the
house of their choice has bid them,
Wearing suits, or "'dressy" dresses
and. heels, rushees come to the
League to pick up the last and
most important bid.
Not All Will Pledge
Some, of course will go home
unhappy, for no sorority can take
all of pledges it would like, but the
approximately one-third who are
bid will go immediately to the sor
ority houses where they will be
welcomed by their new "sisters."
Pledges automatically become
members of Junior Panhellenic As-
sociation. Each pledge class elects
a delegate to attend meetings. The
junior group takes charge' of sucl
projects as the traditional Hell
Week at the University Fresh Air
Camp for underpriveleged chil-
dren.
Panhel's executive board, con-
sisting of nine officers directs the
energy of the sororities into con-
structive channels.
Worthwhile causes such as host,
essing and entertaining at hospi-
tals, aiding with campaign elec-
tions and helping to raise funds
for scholarships and grants also
fall annually within Panhel's
agenda.
PERSONALITY
HAIRSTYLING U
* 12 BARBERS
" NO WAITING
9 AIR-CONDITIONED
The Dascola Barbers
Near Michigan Theater
Money for Charity
Proceeds netted from the carni-
val went to three, charities: the
University Fresh Air Camp, which
provides summer recreation for
underprivileged youngsters, the
Fund for Retarded Children and
the World University Service,
which contributes to the aid of
students all over the world, work-
ing in conjunction with the United
Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization.
The festivities began on a sunny
Friday afternoon when thousands
r- of students and townspeople lined
the streets to watch the colorful
parade wind slowly through Ann
Arbor.
It was led off by the high-step-
ping University Marching Band.
Huge floats, high school bands,
Michigras clowns and a variety of
added attractions followed.
A group not included in the orig-
inal plans, but one which seemed
to be having the best time were
members of the town's younger set
who gleefully hitched rides on the
back of floats or tried to fall in
step with the bands.
Teamwork for Floats
Many of the floats were con-
structed of chicken wire on wooden
frames, painstakingly stuffed with
thousands of paper napkins. Men
and women joined forces for most
floats, although some groups work-
ed alone.
The finished float as it appeared
in the parade was the result of
many months of planning and
hard work. Committees of coeds.
and men, working under the direc-
tion of Michigras Central Com-
mittee parade co-chairmen began
rough outlines as early as Novem-
The thousands who jammed the
fieldhouse needed little encour-
agement to play the various games,
of skill or enter the show and
refreshment booths.
While costumed men and women
presented singing and dancing rou-
tines hour after hour to packed
booths, new lines quickly formed
to see the next show.
Eating huge spools of pink,; cot-
ton candy and munching hot dogs
or ice cream, gay groups of people
first tried their hand at shaving
the soap off a inflated balloon,
winning Michibucks at a pin-ball
machine game' then visited a dark
gambling casino, watched a bur-
lesque show, a ballet. The Michi-
bucks could later be exchanged
for prizes.
Outside the fieldhouse, giant'
rides lit up the sky in a panorama
of swirling colors. Excited screams,
shouts and laughter cut through
the nippy night air.
The entire Michigras was a great
success. Ticket sales topped the
estimates and even hopes of thel
planners.
CentiI Committee
The guiding force for the bigj
weekend was a Central Committee'
of some two dozen coeds and men
under two general co-chairmen.
Central Committee members head-
ed 18 committees most of which'
had large subcommittees.
A place on the Central Com-
mittee was secured through peti-
tioning and interview during Oc-
tober. At a mass meeting held a
few weeks later students were able
to sign up to work on sub-com-
mittees.
Although the people who watch-
ed the parade and 'crowded into
WINNING FLOAT IN THE 1956 MICHIGRAS WAS THE
GAMMA PHI BETA-THETA XI S(HERAZADE
the fieldhouse Friday and Satur-
day nights enjoyed a carnival,
those who had a. hand in creating
it say they enjoyed it even more.
Less than a few days after it was
over, they were enthusiastically
discussing Michigras-1958.
Spring Weekend . .
Car racing is forbidden on
streets and highways, but Spring
Weekend will give all those with
racing in their blood a chance to
let off some steam.
The "Wolverine Derby", an all-
campUs Soap Box Derby is tra-
ditionally held on Geddes Road
on the Saturday afternoon of
Spring Weekend. Men's and wo-
men's residences cooperate to
build the soap box racers but a
women's house may enter a racer
only if it has a male driver.
Prizes and trophies are awarded
to the cars reaching the finish
line in the fastest time, or for
reaching the finish line at all.
Judged on the basis of workman-
ship, originality and make of the
car, awards are given to the best
looking racer.
The best dressed driver compet-
ing in the race is also awarded a
prize.
Entry Fee
A $2 entry fee is charged for'
each car, and any group may en-
ter as many cars as it wishes.
Racers must clear the road by at
least three inches and not be over
45 inches in height.
The cars can weigh up to 200
pounds and cannot exceed 375
pounds when loaded.
Skit night will also be a high-
light of Spring Weekend. Men's
and women's residences combine to
submit skits, and the skits are then
judged for appropriateness.
Skits will be presented Friday
night of the weekend in Hill Au-
ditorium.
Past Skits'
In 1955 the skits portrayed a va-
riety of subjects. Alpha Delta Pi
and Sigma Alpha Epsilon, with an
original one-act play, were the
winners.
Other skits in the past have in-
cluded head-hunting Amazons in
an "African Safari", a "typical"
freshman's life in "Little Lord
Flunkeroy", a take-off on television
programs in the "Happy Medium",
an interpretation of the opera "Die
Valkyrie" and a new version of
"HMS Pinafore," - "MSC Pina-
fore".
Faculty members have joined in
the fun by presenting a short skit
and a juggling act.
Artistically talented students are
not neglected at Spring Weekend.
A campus-wide poster contest is
also part of the gaiety.
The posters are displayed around
the diagonal, and a trophy is pre-
sented to the winner at Skit Night.
The trophy, which is over 20
inches high, was donated by a
local merchant. Each successive
Spring Weekend it will pass to
the house that enters the winning
poster.
Quality of artwork and appropri-
ateness of the slogan to support
Spring Weekend are the criteria
for judging the posters.
Held bi-annually, Spring Week-
end alternates with Michigras,
which features a carnival in. Yost
Field House andl a float parade
down State Street.
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Make COLLINS your first stop when you arrive in Ann
Arbor this fall. For 28 years we have presented leading
fashions to the Ann Arbor and University community.
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IN
THE WORLD'S FINEST SPORTSWEAR
AT THE
MRNRILYN SHOPPE
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ON THE MAIN FLOOR you may find Dresses, Suits, Coats, Lingerie
and accessories, In our lower level shop you will
find sweaters,
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blouses, skirts, jackets and many other sportswear items. Come pre-
.11
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