July 12, 1985 - Now a days, you 

can’t get very far without running 
into computers. Video games and 
video game arcades taturate malls 
and inner-city skid rows around 
the country. Computer printouts 
now tell you what classes to attend, 
where to go, and when to get there. 
And if you don’t follow its orders, 
printouts will notify you that 
you’ve failed. 

Even rushing for sororities 

has become computerized. 1944 
is past, but at the University of 
Michigan, 1985 is the dawning age 
of computering. 

Starting this fall and continuing 

until the end of 1987, the University 
will try to maintain its tradition 
of staying ahead of the times and 
install computers with easy access 
for all students.

“I’d like to see computers 

available 
within 
five 
minutes 

of every student on campus,” 
said Douglas Van Houweling, 
the University’s vice provost for 
information technology. 

Although the Board of Regents 

has not yet formally approved the 
plan, they unanimously supported 
the idea when Van Houweling 
introduced it at the Regent’s June 
meeting. Under the plan, the 
University would set up “clusters of 
25-50 computers around campus,” 
Van Houweling said.

Where these clusters would be 

located, he said, hasn’t been decided 
yet, but he envisions them scattered 
in dormitories and libraries around 
campus as well as in academic 
buildings such as Angell Hall.

Currently, the University has 

250 stations available to students 
for general use — for example in 
the Michigan Union’s computing 
center. 

But Van Houweling says that 

by the end of 1987, the University 
would 
have 
increased 
the 

number of its computers seven 
fold. These new station will be 
modele after computing centers 
currently available to business and 
engineering school students. For 
a mandatory $100 fee, students in 
the two schools have access to 45 
computers set aside for general use. 

“I’ve not nothing but positive 

reactions (about the two computing 
programs),” said Regent Thomas 
Roach (D-Saline), “For a slight fee, 

students can do anything on them, 
from writing papers, to writing 
letters home. It’s a bargain.” 

But as with business and 

engineering students, access to 
computers may be a “bargain” but 
it is not free. 

Students, except those in the 

two schools, will begin paying 
computing fees; going from $50 
for winter term to $100 per term 
starting next spring.

Business 
and 
engineering 

students will also have to pay more 
for their computing, paying $50 

more in fees per term, up to $150 a 
term

But Van Houweling said that 

his plan is the most inexpensive 
way for students to have access to 
computers.

According to Van Houweling, 

only 
private 
universities 
are 

planning projects on the same scale 
as University, and they require 
students to buy computers. 

These 
cost 
about 
$3,000 

to $4,000 each, with some as 
expensive as $10,000, he said. “Our 
society is changing rapidly,”

 Van Houweling said, “so 

rapidly that you can’t go through 
any concourse in any airport in 
the country without seeing adults 
playing 
computers 
to 
amuse 

themselves.”

He said that computer literacy is 

becoming important in other areas 
besides business and engineering. 
For example, he said history 
students can now use computers 
to base their own theories, rather 
than reading other Historian’s 
theories in books.

He added that for the University, 

it’s important to preserve its 
image as a leader in technology. 
“More and more people are basing 
their decisions of what schools 
to attend according to their view 
of 
a 
university’s 
information 

technology.

He cited figures saying that most 

students who decided to come to 
the University thought that it was 
strong in computing, while most 
were accepted— but decided to go 
elsewhere— thought the University 
was weak in computering.

Some 
regents, 
however, 

including Deane Baker (R- Ann 
Arbor), said they were concerned 
that they would authorize the 
computing centers and find that 
there aren’t enough people on 
campus trained to use them.

But 
Van 
Houweling 
said 

that more and more people are 
learning how to use computers 
before coming to the University. 
In addition, he said the School of 
Literature, Science, and the Arts 
would be expanding its computer 
classes. 

Billy Frye, the University’s vice 

president for academic affairs, 
however, said that he doesn’t 
envision any mandatory computer 
classes for University students.

“Computer literacy is a short-

range problem,” Van Houweling 
said. “The number of people with 
the knowledge before coming to 
the University is increasing.”

“What 
I’m 
really 
excited 

about,” he said, “are the excellent 
computer programs in elementary 
schools.”

“Young children are already 

very 
comfortable 
with 
these 

machines,” he said, “As they grow 
up, they’re viewing computers, 
not as luxury, but as part of their 
everyday environment.”

In 
addition 
to 
expanding 

computers available to computing 
centers, 
Greg 
Marks, 
the 

University’s 
vice 
provost 
for 

information technology, said that 
students would be able to buy 
any of the line of IBM personal 
computers from the University. 

Students can now buy personal 

computers made by Apple or Zenith 
at low cost from the University’s 
microcomputer education center 
in 
the 
School 
of 
Education 

Building. Marks said that the costs 
of the computers have not been 
determined.

May 4, 1994 - A stream of cars 

on State Street tongues said it all.

Donning bright bumper stickers 

that screamed “Free Tibet” and 
license plates reading “HOWL,” 
informed observers knew the cars 
were welcome mats for the visit of 
the Dalai Lama to Ann Arbor. 

In a three-day extravaganza, 

events ranging from a general 
speech calling for demilitarization 
and world peace to discussions 
about 
what 
spiritual 
oneness 

means, the spiritual and temporal 
leader of Tibet spent April 21-23 
meeting Ann Arbor residents. 

But for students, the coming 

of the Dalai Lama happened 
to coincide with an unusual 
weekend of beautiful weather and 
finals looming on the horizon. 
Nevertheless, LSA sophomores 
Katy Fensch and Angie Palmer 
attended the Saturday discussion. 

Fensch said they went to the 

event because they are both 
interested in other cultures. 

Palmer said the Dalai Lama’s 

message of universal compassion 
and human rights is an important 
one for people of all religions and 
cultures.

The Dalai Lama, whose visit 

was sponsored by the Ann Arbor-
based Jewel Heart, emphasized a 
similar theme during the talks.

Speaking to a packed Hill 

Auditorium, the Tibetan Buddhist 
— appearing eloquently peaceful 
and at ease in both English and 
his native language — outlined his 
philosophy.

“We are from all directions and 

speak different tongues,” he noted, 
but all humans have “tremendous 
constructive potential.”

He went on to say that “from 

birth to death, we are heavily 
reliant on others’ care,” there thus 
follows the need to strive for “non-
violence and tolerance in daily life.”

The Dalai Lama sat on a panel 

consisting of impressive persons 
ranging from Ann Arbor Mayor 
Ingrid Sheldon to the poet Allen 
Ginsberg.

The life of the Dalai Lama has 

been one riven with paradox. On 
one hand, he is the 14th Dalai 
Lama, a bodhisattva who is 
supposedly exempt from the 
banes of humanity, and is on his 
earth merely to help others.

But the Dalai Lama has also 

been forced to deal with political 
realities. In 1950, as China 
invaded East Tibet and began 
systematically 
tearing 
apart 

its cultures and traditions, the 
Dalai Lama fled to India and has 
ruled in exile from there ever 
since.

Tibetan 
Buddhism 
was 

popularized on Western college 
campuses in the 1960s, as the 
counterculture and the student 
movement embraced many of the 
teachings of the Dalai Lama. But 
if the small sampling of student 
at the festivities surrounding the 
Dalai Lama’s visit to Ann Arbor 
was any indication, student 
interest has waned since then. 

Bicentennial
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, September 15, 2017 — 7

I’d like to see 
computers 

available within 
five minutes of 
every student on 

campus

March 31, 1970 - Pe a c e f u l, non-

disruptive picketing of classroom 
buildings yesterday morning and 
afternoon marked the seventh 
day of the Black Action Movement 
(BAM) strike.

Later, BAM leaders, addressing 

about 1,200 people in the Union 
Ballroom, announced that they 
would resume talks with University 
officials on BAM’s demands for 
increased 
minority 
enrollment 

along with necessary recruiting, 
financial aid and tutoring services.

Negotiations between the two 

sides began at 8:40 p.m. last night. 
Meanwhile, about 200 state police 
troopers were reported to be on 
standby alert at the National Guard 
Armory.

Early yesterday morning city 

officials, BAM leaders and Vice 
President and Chief Financial 
Officer 
Wilbur 
K. 
Pierpont 

discussed “ground rules” to keep 
strike actions within the law.

In response, BAM passed out 

a mimeographed sheet in the 
morning instructing picketers not 
to block building entrances, verbally 
threaten people, disrupt classes 
or have any objects that could be 
defined as weapons.

At a noon Diag rally BAM leader 

Roger Short accused President 
Robben Fleming of trying to bluff 
strike supporters with threats of 
calling state police and the National 
Guard on campus.

“We’re dealing with a man 

That’s making a bluff,” Short told 
the crowd of about 800 people. “I’m 
not advocating anything, but when 
you’re in that picket-line think 
about that. Think about what it 
means to call police on campus.”

Yesterday’s 
activities 
began 

before dawn as strikers picketed 
dorms 
and 
Plant 
Department 

parking lots, trying to persuade 
employees not to go to work. 
Breakfast was not served at Mosher-
Jordan or Couzens, but otherwise 

dorm food service was normal.

At the Plant Department, 

workers 
listened 
to 
picketers’ 

explanations of the strike and took 
leaflets but drove through the picket 
lines to work. Picketers claimed that 
a number of plainclothes policemen 
were in the area before the strikers 
left at about 7:30 a.m. Classroom 
picketing began soon after as 
students marched or sat around 
entrances of classroom buildings in 
the Central Campus area. 

Holding signs and occasionally 

singing strike songs, the picketers 
tried to discourage other students 
and 
faculty 
members 
from 

entering classes. The picketing 
was noticeably non-militant, with 
a minor incident at Angell Hall the 
only reported disturbance during 
the day.

The demonstrators continued 

picketing throughout the day at 
the law, business and education 
schools as well as the Angell-
Mason complex, the Economics, 
Chemistry, Natural Resources, E. 
and W. Engineering, Physics and 
Astronomy, Natural Science and 
LSA Bldgs.

In the morning, strikers did not 

have success in persuading many 
people not to attend classes, but in 
the afternoon the number of pickets 
increased and class attendance 
visibly dropped.

At the noon Diag rally BAM 

leader Ed Fabre said the strike 
would continue, despite what he 
described as Fleming’s attempt to 
turn black against white students 
and students against faculty. Fabre 
said that the main issue facing 
negotiators would be handling any 
charges brought against students 
participating in strike actions.

BAM leader Madison Foster 

claimed 
the 
strike 
had 
been 

relatively non-violent and accused 
Fleming of trying to undercut 
support from BAM.

“Some 
of 
you 
have 
been 

photographed 
and 
identified—

Fleming himself admitted he had an 

informant at Rackham,” Foster told 
the crowd. “We have to demand 
that we get a mechanism to prevent 
reprisals.

In the afternoon over two dozen 

strikers picketed the University’s 
incinerator on North Campus. 
Several University garbage trucks 
were 
reportedly 
temporarily 

blocked as some drivers were 
reluctant to cross picket-lines.

Aud. A was locked by University 

personnel later in the afternoon 
after a liquid chemical, probably 
hydrochloric acid, was poured on 
several auditorium chairs.

At 5 p.m. an overflow crowd 

jammed the Union Ballroom to 
hear BAM representatives discuss 
the progress of the strike.

A mock trial was held, accusing 

“Robben Flim Flam” of “libel, 
incitement to riot, breach of contract, 
conspiracy to deprive people of their 
civil rights, usurpation of the power 
of the people and misfeasance, 
malfeasance and nonfeasance of 
public office.”

The crowd found “Flim Flam” 

guilty and the “judge” ordered 
“Flim Flam to be humanized.” 
Darryl Gorman announced that 
if agreement is reached with 
the University about the black 
demands, BAM members would 
vote among themselves whether 
to approve the agreement. A mass 
meeting of strike supporters would 
then be called to ratify any pact.

“Until we get a settlement the 

strike has got to go on,” BAM leader 
Ron Harris told the gathering. He 
called for peaceful picketing of 
classrooms today beginning at 7:30 
a.m.

“Your failure to keep this thing 

going will only result in hanging 
yourself,” Harris told the crowd, 
referring to allegations of planned 
reprisals against strikers. BAM also 
announced plans for a noon rally 
today at Rackham Amphitheater 
and another rally at 7 p.m. tonight in 
the Union Ballroom.

DAVE CHUDWIN

KERY MURAKAMI

BAM, ‘U’ resume negotiations 
as class boycott continues

‘U’ charges into computer age

Picketing, Quiet Mark BAM Strike

FLINT J. WAINESS

 Daily Staff Reporter

Dalai Lama encourages world peace

HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily

“The University of Michigan 
has its roots in the City of 
Detroit, where it was founded 
in 1917, and I am very pleased 
that 200 years later, President 
Schlissel and U-M have 
recommitted to Detroit in a 
whole range of academic and 
research initiatives.”
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, 
University alum

FE ATURE D PEOPLE

“There’s almost nothing that 
you can’t at least approach in 
some way here as a student, 
and that’s just so amazing 
to me, and that’s clearly 
something that’s a result 
of just building up layers of 
excellence year after year after 
year after year...The University 
is the city and the city is the 
University and they’ve grown 
up together for two hundred 
years...Everybody is together, 
everybody is go blue.” 
Eric Fretz, Student Veterans 
Association advisor

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

1955 — Jonas Salk Polio vaccine trials 

conclude and are deemed safe by Salk’s 

professor 

1960 — The first Ann Arbor 

Street Art Fair takes place 

1962 — Martin Luther King Jr. 

speaks at the University of Michigan

Oct 14 1960 — John F. Kennedy announces 

formation of the Peace Corps on the steps of 

the Union during his whistle stop campaign 

appearance

1960 — A sharp increase in campus 

activism begins a legacy for the University 

of Michigan

1964 — Lyndon 

B Johnson details 

“Great Society” during 

commencement

1957 — Ford Nuclear 

Reactor constructed Tower is 

built

1956 — U-M establishes one of first 

academic programs in computing 

FILE PHOTO/Daily

The Dalai Lama visits the University in April 1994.

