Five years ago…
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Visibility Week kicked
off at the University. The week hosted an array of events including
a Kiss-In rally, a Glow in the Dark March on the Diag and a poetry
reading.
“I think it’s important for gay people to be
involved because there is not a real sense of community on this
campus,” LSA senior Shannon Saksewski said.
Ten years ago…
Three Michigan basketball players pleaded no contest to charges
of stealing beer from the Ann Arbor Dairy Mart. The players —
Ray Jackson, Jimmy King and Chris Fields — were later put on
probation for six months and ordered to complete 72 hours of
community service.
Student had mixed reactions to the players’ punishments.
LSA freshman Amy Klein said even though she though their sentence
was a little lenient, she was happy to see them playing again. But
Law School student Adam Perry’s attitude was a little more
stringent.
“I think they should be treated like anyone less —
just because they’re well known, they shouldn’t be
treated differently,” he said.
Feb. 8, 1988
Water flooded the Michigan Union Computing Center, damaging 21
computer terminals. The flood began when a copper line in a window
unit heater ruptured in the floor above the computing site. Damage
was estimated at around $50,000 to $60,000.
“The water just kept pouring down,” said Rackham
student Louis Markus, who was in the lab at the time. “It was
pretty wild to watch.”
Feb. 13, 1985
Ann Arbor bar patrons reacted to a new statewide ban on
two-for-one drink specials during happy hours. The state originally
passed the ban to cut down on the number of drunken drivers.
“If they’re going to drink and drive, they’re
going to drink and drive no matter how the drinks are,” said
Diane Warmington, a bartender at Rick’s American
Café.
But some students said the law would prevent patrons from buying
more alcohol.
“If you stick it in front of someone, they’ll drink
it,” said Steve Gasser, a customer at Good Time
Charley’s restaurant.
Feb. 10, 1976
University President Robben Fleming dined at South Quad
Residence Hall with several students. He apparently enjoyed his
meal of minute steak with boiled potatoes and salad. Students were
pleased to see the president inside the residence hall.
“I invited him about two weeks ago,” said South Quad
resident Rick David, an LSA junior. “I wanted to give him a
chance to meet the students — humanize him a little bit,
especially with this food.”
Feb. 8, 1978
The Michigan Daily reported that the University had the second
highest residence hall fees of all the Big Ten Schools. The
University charged $1,638 for a double room, a little less than
Northwestern University’s charge of $1,176 for the same
space.
Acting Associate Housing Director Norm Snustad said that the
University pays higher labor costs than other schools. He added
that the University’s unlimited food service and large
windows are items not many other schools offer in their residence
halls.
“I’d like to think we have classy rather than
efficient design in our dorms, such as Mo-Jo and Stockwell,”
Sustad said. “Our students expect maybe a bit of higher
standards than at other schools.”
Feb. 12, 1956
The University lowered the driving age on campus from 26 years
to 21. Several of the University Regents said they believed they
should give students more responsibility on campus. The last time
the University had changed driving rules for students was in
1927.
Feb. 14, 1962
The University chapter of the Young Republicans proposed a
public forum on capping out-of-state enrollment at the University.
Even though they opposed such a bill, they invited state
legislators who had supported the idea to the University for a
discussion. Since 1860, out-of-state enrollment had fallen from 50
percent of the student body to 32 percent. Today, out-of-state
enrollment remains at around a third of the student body.
— Compiled by Daily News Editor Jeremy
Berkowitz