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Last Gig on My Daily Tour ('88-'91)

This is the last piece I will
ever write for The Michigan
Daily, nearly three years after I
first stepped through t.e door of
the Student Publications
Building. Much has happened
~within this regal brick structure
on Maynard St. which shaped
Smy "collegiate experience" -
some of it good, some of it awful.
But one thing is certain: the
Daily will be foremost in my
mind when I look back on my
years at the University of
Michigan. I feel that I possess a kind of wisdom about the
Daily after serving my sentence here and believe that the
paper has been important enough to me that it's worth
writing about once - right now.
The Daily has meant different things to me as a
journalist, as a student and as a person. But it is important
to realize that the Daily is not for everyone. One needs a
good amount of intelligence, tolerance, and insanity to
survive here. I've seen many who tried but didn't last a
Tony Silber is Weekend Arts Editor.

week in this environment - an environment dominated
by very strong-willed people.
For the journalist, the Daily can either be a great joke
or a great opportunity. Student journalists are not like
professional journalists because the rules that govern each
newspaper are very different. One of the harshest debates
over the last few years at the House of Daily was whether
student journalists should aspire to be like professional
journalists or whether they should have the freedom to be
activist student journalists. The debate now is just another
relic of our 100 year colorful history.
The Daily has a very important place in the
community. Since the University does not have a
comprehensive journalism program, the Daily has become
one of the few training grounds for aspiring reporters.
But my feeling has always been that the Daily exists for
the students of the University of Michigan,-not just the
students of the Michigan Daily.
As a student, the Michigan Daily represents something
different to me. I see the paper as a beacon of
individualism and independence for students around
campus to turn to for informed news and sports coverage
and insightful opinions on important issues. Controversies
came and went, but all of us just tried to put out a quality
newspaper.

I've seen four editors in chief at the helm of this ship
and all of them had their strengths and weaknesses in
dealing with a very diffcult job. I believe the worst
moment I can remember, in my opinion, was when three
opinion staffers were arrested at Duderstadt's inauguration
in 1988. The next day, they ran pictures of themselves on
the Opinion page; I was personally embarrassed. But there
were great moments, too, like our incredible coverage of
the growth of the University administration and Penn
State's invitation to join the Big Ten.
On a personal level, the Daily will always be very
important to me. I'll remember it as my own special
asylum- a place where I could escape from the monotony
of academic life, act a little crazy, do some good writing,
and meet a lot of people who had a lot to contribute. The
Daily is not merely a group of students; it is a group of
people dedicated to an indescribable mission of sorts.
Everyone has a different motivation for working at the
Daily, and that is what makes the paper so diverse. I met
many people I liked, many I detested (you know who you
are), and some whom I came to genuinely respect.
Today, I look around the Daily offices and virtually no
one remains from the summer of 1988, when I first arrived
here. This is the next generation of reporters and editors.
Whatever their ideology on journalism, ethics, or the role
of a newspaper in a community, one thing is sure - they
will come to care about this newspaper, and that feeling of
caring will enrich their years at Michigan and accompany
them as they journey into the "real" world.

at least as long as his left arm. Note
the phallo-centric masturbatory pose
and the cleverly covered bald spot."
By far, Roth proved much fodder
for many people's fires.
Best Show at the
Nectarine
1. Bob Mould (But how many books
of poetry has this Alan Hale Jr. jr.
lookalike put out? And for how
many people did he change the way
they listen to music? Hint the two
numbers are equal. PostScript: Jesus
died for somebody's sins, but not
mine)
2. Soul Asylum
3. Patti Smith (How many more
tedious sets from the Cult Heroes
could the audience take, not to
mention Fred "Sonic" Smith and
friends taking over lead vocals? The
audience just wanted to hear Patti,

not any of the lame men.)
4. Special Beat (who, according to
staffer Peter Shapiro, should be
"number 1, well ahead of the sterile
white false prophets above.")
Music Event of the Year
In the opinion of some, the only
worthwhile concert of the entire
year was Mahlathini and the
Mahotella Queens, at the Ark.
Being a diverse and divided staff,
however, others point out that
Mould's Nec. show was out of this
world and that if Patti Smith had
read and sang more (and the Cult
Heroes had sung much less), she
would have easily nabbed it.
Best Headline
1. "Three Men with
Penises"

2. "Michael Jackson Beat It
- The Wiz Has Come"
Gratuitous? We're never
gratuitous. Every headline and
cutline we run is perfectly justified
and fits in with the content of the
story. We feel that it is important to
note, however, that the writer of the
story does not necessarily have
anything to do with the heads or
cuts. So if you are offended by the
profanity, sarcasm or phallic
references in headlines or cutlines,
your humble Arts Editors are
probably responsible.
Worst Promotions Line
"He's Black, he's gay, he's HIV
positive, he's got a lot on his mind"
- the Michigan Theater, for Bill T.
Jones and Company.
Best Male Dancer

Mathew Rose: As Icarus, Rose can
melt the wings off anybody!
Best Choreographers/
Dancers
1. Whitley Setrakian of People
Dancing (she makes eating graham
crackers a poetic experience)
2. Peter Sparling/Linda Spriggs
(Ann Arbor Danceworks)
Best Conductor
Carl St. Clair
If you're wonderingwhat music
looks like, watch St. Clair conduct
the Ann Arbor Symphony
Orchestra.
Best Art Gallery
The Ann Arbor Art
Association
Some days you just need a little

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April 19, 1991

WeEKEND

Page 10

WEEKEND

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