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.