University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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{,t their worship service, members of Adventist Students For Christ follow a small core of song leaders. Services were regularly held in the Michigan Union on Sunday mornings. photo by Jennifer Johnson ,, . ( - ] tnt Row: Ann Buckman, Kristen Dreffs, phanie Reppenhagen Row 2:BrindaSubbiah. Fany Bedward, Genera Sheridan, Sherese Black, ! :herine Fleming Row 3: Lola Ladeinde , Jen- i :r Gates, Kelly Johnson, Catherine Stephens, 1 :herine Kehrl, Adelola Adewunmi I o courtesy of McGrath Studios 3 c n o u n Front Row: Kristin Farrance, Lauren Emrich, Kimberly Henlotter Row 2: Jamie Hiner, Lisa Janos, Jill Cook, Amy Anderson Row 3: Katrina Blank, Kelly Vaughn, Jill Rogers, Megan Petty, Heidi Malsack photo by Jennifer Johnson CO n CD Q c cr of the 1 999-2000 women ' s cheer club practice their stunting techniques in the Central Campus Recrational Building. Be- cause the group was unaffiliated with the Uni- versity, they had to locate practice areas on their own. photo by David Wolfe The Women ' s Cheer Club, founded in 1997, was very active on campus last year. Unlike the varsity cheerleaders, they focused mainly on the traditional aspects of the sport, such as cheering and stunting. They performed at events such as men ' s lacrosse games, men ' s soccer games, and Kids Fair. Third year team member and Kinesiology junior Kelly Vaughn stated, We are basically a group of people who love to cheer and miss that experience from high school. The cheer club gives us the opportunity to continue this even though we may not be five feet tall and 100 pounds. Several members of the 12-person squad also joined the Michigan women ' s national competition squad that was compiled of varsity as well as club team members. The cheer club, con- stantly evolving with an increasingly dedicated core of girls, had our best year yet, Vaughn said. Organizations 365

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A n : U bv Krvs Members of the Adventist Stu- dents for Christ organization came together to further their interest and knowledge of the Christian faith. The University ' s chapter, just one of many throughout the country, was com- prised of dedicated members who shared a common interest in height- ening their spirituality and serving the community. The organization was affiliated with the Seventh-Day Adventist denomination, but new- comers are always welcome, encour- aged LeticiaAddai, a sociology junior. Because ASCwasonly in its second year of existence at the University, its members focused on making itself known on campus and inviting new students to take part in activities ASC was affiliated with. Lakisha Hull, an architecture and urban planning stu- dent and ASC ' s external vice presi- de nt, explained the goals of the orga- nization: Our activities are produc- inga group of diverse students who are willing to work together despite the struggles new organizations have to deal with. Not only did members of Adventist Students for Christ bond in spiritual ways, they also participated in various social events and retreats throughout the year. The organization sponsored social get-togethers each Friday in or- der to kick off the weekend, and Addai mentioned that ASC organized two camping retreats, one during the fall and the other during winter term. In addition to member retreats and so- cials, ASC recruited prospective mem- bers in various ways. Pastor Danny Hall added, Several students offer free massages and vegetarian lunches at their apartments, and there has been a great response to that. Hall be- lieved that these types of events in- creased ASC ' s name recognition and helped in attracting students to cam- pus worship hours and sessions led by ASC-sponsored speakers, like Pastor Nixon from Andrews University. ASC members became involved through weekly Bible studies, which were held every Tuesday evening. Small groups of students were able to learn about and reflect upon the teach- ings of Christ through these sessions. To help members meet each other while learning about the Seventh-Day Adventist faith, ASC held church ser- vices in the Union each Sunday morn- ing. Such events, Hull noted, were aimed at connecting real-life situa- tions that students faced with their spirituality. While the Adventist Students for Christ had a personal focus that ap- pealed to many members, Addai also explained that group was just a chance for some fun Christian fellowship among University students and also with other surrounding colleges. A special characteristic about ASC in- volvement was that it was not just limited to small group Bible studies or even interactions with only Michigan students, but that members were able to further their Christian interests by networking with college students around the state. Hull summed up the benefits of being a member of Adventist Students for Christ by commenting, I love being a member of ASC and I hope that the community receives a bless- ing from the projects we do. embers of Adventist Students for Chris participate in a group outing. The group held special events for members throughout the year to promote camaraderie and fellowship. photo courtesy of Adventist Students for Christ I D Front Row: George Wilk, Leticia Addai, Samuel Koran, TengPipar, Justin Baughergaw 2l Marie Prosper, MericarmenPeralta.GarveyCummings, ! .1111.1 Heilii;. Stephen W.uerbrook, Ken Lee, 1 Uou ?: Isrln-r Dawe.s, F.lis.i Moore, Peter Konk. Michael Front Row: Mike Samulak, Alan Arico, Joseph Ho Row 2: Rick Yeh, Craig Swinteck, Benjamin Wu, Leo Lian photo courtesy of McGrath Studios U CO (J g Front Row: Mark Zakaria, Joseph Zogaib, Chri tina Guirguis, John Lazar, Gregory Koory Ro 2: Delia Dumitrescu, Patrick Megally, Mai Mikhael, Sherry Guirguis, DaciaCocariu, Christ( Michalakis, Neveen Farag photo courtesy of McGrath Studios

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Although University students dominated, there were always sightings of rambunctious kids anxious to play on the Cube or enjoy an ice cream cone at Stucchi ' s. Up until the summer of 1 998, the University students did not repay these visits by playing on jungle gyms at local elementary schools. However, Rishi Moudgil began K-grams because he saw a need for establishing an ongoing relationship between University students and the rest of the Ann Arbor community, according to sophomore mechanical engi- neering student Elena Marin. As the operations director of K-grams, Marin maintained the internal structure of the program, and it continued to prosper beyond preliminary expectations. K-grams grew most visibly in size alone, in Marin ' s opinion. With 1,1 50 students involved, elementary schools we re impressed by the members ' dedication to reaching out to the community and answering children ' s questions. Marin explained, The kids ' responses are heartwarming. Every time University students visit the schools, they are inundated with smiles, cheers, and just overall excitement. to E o I 5 1 D O .y u 0) I Front Row: Ashley Scott, Neha Shah, Helene Yen, Sonia Liu, Amy Kirsch Row 2: Lacca Curtis, Catherine Docherty, Bethany Killian, Amy Christiansen, Jennifer Bess Row 3: Danielle Bean, Eugenia Edmonds, Vanessa DeSousa, Elena Marin, Catherine Ong, Heather Munsche Row4; Scott Ottolini, Rishi Moudgil, Catherine Keinath, Lee Ann Benkert photo courtesy of McGrath Studios The kids themselves have said how much their pen pa means to them, and that alone is the backbone of K- grams. Generating spirit that carried over personally into the community, as it was delivered through sensitive and lighthearted letters, this pen pal program bridged groups seemingly worlds apart, and helped them discove how close they could become. In turn, elementary students were invited to the Univer- sity for the first annual Kids Fair. Student groups wer asked to set up tables with crafts for excited elemental- students. From the Greek system to the Undergraduat English Association, there was an array of diverse group with equally distinct activities. A viable network of stu- dents promoted the program through a stunning web page that engaged those who chose to browse electronically for their lifetime experiences and may have missed the visu publicity around campus. Marin celebrated that K-gran hasn ' t looked back since the progress moved forward. Whether involved or merely interested, students eagerl 1 looked ahead and awaited K-gram ' s next step. Front Row: William Conner, Benson Propst, Kelly Slay, Meean Bonshansky, Sedika Franklin, Tracyjamssens, Nancy Cha.Javauehn Perkins, Olumiji Jones Row 2: James Chang, Larry Williams, Jeremy Singh, Yoshmobu Kamihara, Erin Gardner, Christine Kryscio Danny I ambourhs, Nirav Shah, Nikul Gavan, David Vanecek, Irian Callaghan, Cheuk Chau, Uko Udobot Row 3: Jared Jeffers :t Sheth. Rebecca Swain. I aurin Gracey, Destinv Faust, Mat- i a Wilson. Bernard Drew, Erin icia Williams, ' ki Hilmon, young pen pal gets her face painted by her older pen pal at the 1999 Kids Fair. Kids Fair was the highlight of the year for K-grams and served to bring together all of the different programs from the year. photo courtesy of K-grams