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

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our members of Circle K take a breather during construction this fall. The University ' s chapter of the organization was active in Ann Arbor and the metropolitan Detroit area. photo courtesy of Circle K t their fall performance of There ' s Some- thing About the Virgin Mary , UAC ' s Com- edy Company hams it up. They wore make- shift costumes and improvised with minimal props. photo by Kristen Stoner Keeping the three tenets of service, leadership, and friendship in mind, Circle K strove to make the world a better place by serving the community, according to member Katie Foley, a sociology and secondary education junior. This year, the University ' s chapter of Circle K had 167 members who regularly participated in service events throughout the campus and local communities. In the spring, the organi- zation also planned The Detroit Project, a day of service in the city. After Circle K ' s membership increased sharply two years ago, the organization became involved in numerous events to publicize the group, such as Welcome Week ' s Maize Craze and Community Plunge, as well as events sponsored by other student organizations. Circle K gave members the opportunity to develop greatly as an indi- vidual, leader, friend, and citi en in the i immiiv. - Front Row: T. Whirl, M. Menta, S.RoweRow 2: N. Matti, D. Vilensky, J. Devaney, G. Klein, L. Hedlund, R. Knopf, S. Hartshorn, W. Jagunich Row 3: D. Gustkey, A. Aurora, A. Shehigian, N. Kanodia, B. Huang, G. Claeys, C. Gajewski, N. Osei, R. Klastorin, L. Weiss, K. Mokienko, A. Askwith Row 4: R. Moudgil, K Foley, S. Wilson,]. Vergari, K. Watchowski, J. Ho, A. Anderson, S. Swisher, M. Kish, E. Peterson, M. Pearson, S. Politziner, M. Costello, E. Edmonds,]. Nowak, E. Weston, R. Srivastava, S. DancyRow 5:S. Jani, C Sloan, J. Staples, M. Randall, B.West, J. i, h, A. Boyle, E. Krueger, K. Winner,]. MartheiJ. ( .. ] icohs, E. Morrison, A. Lang, R. Ahn C D E o U Front Row: Rosalind Washington Row Monica Smylor, Kristy Hobson Row 3: Nil Gary, ]ason Belton, Laurence Beanum photo by David Wolfe

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A T, libra Levine, an LSA sophomore, supports beam during the Collegiate Challenge. The mpetition was held in the spring of 1999 in aldosta, Georgia. oto courtesy of Habitat for Humanity . Enffice Since its founding in 1 996, Habitat for Humanity made great strides to- wards eliminating substandard hous- ing in local communities. Though Habitat was an international organi- zation, the University ' s chapter had three goals it worked to achieve: to organize student volunteers for build- ing projects, to raise money to spon- sor construction efforts, and to edu- cate the community about homelessness. This year, over 400 volunteers built and rehabilitated simple homes in the area with the help of the homeowners who ben- efited from their efforts. Since 1996, over 2,200 University students be- came involved with Habitat. Co- founder Michael Carr, a graduate student in electrical engineering, ex- plained why so many students wanted to join the organization ' s efforts: With Habitat, you can immediately see the physical results of your labors, and students really appreciate this feedback from new homeowners. With its high visibility on campus, Habitat for Humanity looked for- ward to even more growth in coming years. C- rica Keller, an LSA junior, converses with a fellow member during a review session. The group met once weekly to critique potential additions to the Michigan Journal of Political Science. photo by Mira Dontchcva Front Row: Sara Skinner, Sarah Marsh, Christina Welter, Jenny Ho, Shailushi Baxi Row 2: Mamie Boardman, Jeanne Christensen, Michelle Bolek, Michele Huitric, Margaret Hudson, Jill Ness photo by Mira Dontcheva Front Row: Michael Farina, Darla Meints, Katharine Polasek, Amy Denault, Elizabeth Oatley Row 2: Shawn Burney, Ryan Bergeron, Nicholas Post, Brianna Thomson, Jonathan Kadish, Kinshuk Chakraborty, Charles Bartus, Matthew Bassin, Anita Arora, Cynthia Phillips Row 3: Kevin Gembel, Sandhya Clarke, Kay Shen, Tiffany Viant, Christopher Brand, Ryan Kennel, Paul Stachura, Jennifer Gruits, David Kupferer, Christopher Grimmer, Adam Weber Row 4: Kristin Miller, Sandeep Khattar, Gregory Barr, Gregory Sabo, Brian Dobkowski, Robert Prucka, William Grenawitzke, Kunal Bhalla, Brian Peterson, Jonathon Keener photo by Kristen Stoner Front Row: Ronny Luhur, Katherine Norris, Christopher Lyddy, Sarah Slosberg, Kelly Hach, Ramona Quesada Row 2: Matthew Mish, Michael Carr, Louis Krane, Lisa Hopkins, Lauren Harper, Graham Dersley Row 3: Aubra Levine, Thea Hamman, Sara Wojdacki photo by Heather Caddell Organizations + 351

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mber of the Comedy Company per- forms at one of their fall acts with a contorted look on his face. The company used expressive I physical movements to portray scenes. I photo by Kristen Stoner y a . Exrttct The 1 999-2000 school year marked the 20th anniversary of the University Activities Center ' s (UAC) Comedy Company. Comedy Company, which consisted of eight cast members and 12 script writers, produced and per- formed numerous sketch, improvisa- tional, and stand-up comedy acts throughout the year. Comedy Company ' s director and co-chair Jef- frey Wank, a senior in religion and sports management, summed up the organization ' s goals: We strive to make people laugh and to show them how much we enjoy what we do. Comedy Company celebrated its 20th anniversary by performing a show called The November Sixth Sense of Humor at the University Club in the Union. Comedy Company founders and alumni attended the sold-out show. Other events Comedy Com- pany produced or sponsored included a show called There ' s Something About the Virgin Mary, and perfor- mances at Dance Marathon, at nu- merous sorority houses, and with UAC ' s Impact Dance troupe. During the winter semester, Comedy Com- pany performed nearly every Thurs- day evening at the Michigan League Underground. Many of their sketches spoofed well-known television shows or movies, like the Golden Girls and Pocahontas; in choosing such topics, Comedy Club actors were easily able to capture the audience ' s attention and to get them involved with the shows. To promote their shows, members of Comedy Company used Diag boards, flyering, and even short improv performances on the Diag throughout the year. Wank also mentioned that Comedy Company used the small shows on Thursdays to promote our- selves and publicize our bigger shows. Despite the improvisational flavor of Comedy Company ' s acts, members practiced hard to make their perfor- mances look easy and unrehearsed to their audiences. Wank said the re- hearsals, which took place for a few hours three times each week, were full of constant laughter. A popular and ridiculous rehearsal game, accord- ing to Wank, was called Sportscast- ers, where cast members do a play- by-play and perform the actions of an unusual sporting event such as chang- ing a baby ' s diaper, making Subway sandwiches, or tossing greased pigs. For many members, joining UAC ' s Comedy Company was the perfect opportunity to showcase their come- dic talents for an audience other than their friends. Every member of Com- edy Company had a deep love for and dedication to performing, and as Wank pointed out, We perform comedy and make each other and our audi- ences laugh despite having the pres- sure of a midterm the next day, or being sick. This year, it was evident that the group ' s efforts and dedication were rewarded by the large audiences that were attracted to Comedy Com- pany acts. MI Ess- js t Row: Kevin Jordan, Rochelle Brandon, gela Fletcher, Steven Thomas, William Johnson, mdra Adams Row 2: Reena Newton, April tvey, Monica Smylor, Darrell Joyce, Laura kes, Daina Searcy, Carlton Chandler Row 3: indon Shaw, Kimberly Bradford, Christopher berts, Michelle Meredith, Alessandra Ennett o by Mira Dontcheva Front Row: Maria Pia Piva, Matthew Germak, Courtney Stern Row 2: Daniel Chiaravalli, Li- ana Rinaldi, Carla Rinaldi photo by Bobby Green O Q 13 O cB Q ' Front Row: Nathan Shaker, Julie Shapira, Brian Goodman, Gerald Mangona, Jeffrey Wank Row 2: Sean Murphy, Michelle Slonim, Richard Nyman, Clayton Shaker, Cynthia Moon, Tara Ruotolo, Christopher Wilson, Michael Lee photo by Kristen Stoner Organizations + 353