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

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THE GDEAT s their days at Michigan quickly came to a close, seniors had more on their minds than studying and Saturday foothall games. They were thinking about graduation and life after college. They were searching for opportunities for their future. Although a large percentage of students chose to pursue a graduate degree, others decided to enter the work force. It ' s crucial that I work right away, said Business School senior Chris Campana. I need job experience before I enter an MBA program, otherwise the higher educa- tion won ' t be relevant. Campana conducted her job search primarily through the Business School and devoted essentially all her spare time to the search. Conducting a job search while in school was an incredible task for seniors who already had multiple responsibilities. Ajobsearchisequiva- lent to a four-credit course, said LSA senior Michelle Toger, I wish I had more time to devote to it. Toger juggled a five-class course load with her job search. To assist seniors with their job search, the Career Planning and Placement office offered valuable resources, programs, and presentations. Hundreds of students were registered in the On- Campus Recruitment Program, which linked recruiters from several companies with qualified graduates. Through this program, seniors had an opportunity to request interviews with specific companies and then interview at CP P. CP P Presentations such as From Back- pack to Briefcase: Finding a Job AfterGraduation and Marketing Your Abilities: The Successful Job Seeker ' s Perspective gave students an edge with their job search. The ' Opportuni- ties in the Not-for- Profit Sector ' presentation gave me several leads and ideas about these types of positions, said Toger. In addition, CP P had a vast collection of resources in its library, walk-in advising and career counseling, resume assistance, and up- dated job bulletins. Seniors also had an option to participate in a mock interview. CP P representatives conducted the interviews, video-taping and rating the participants ' per- formance. This gave students a better idea of what to expect at a real interview. Though CP P accommodated most of students ' career exploration needs, the stu- dents still had to be in-tune with their own strengths and weaknesses and market them- selves accordingly. Greg Antilla, an LSA Accounting concentrator, found his liberal arts status was both an advantage and disad- vantage in his job search. Some companies favor Business School students, but others appreciate that my liberal arts education has made me more well-rounded, said Antilla. Antilla, who was the Michigan Daily Business Manager, a Math tutor, and a volunteer for the Income Tax Assistance Program, empha- sized the importance of his work experience to potential employers. The senior job search required time, re- sources, and aknowledge of one ' s own abilities and objectives. More importantly, it required a strong perservering spirit and self-confi- dence. For those who were determined, the job search led to exciting opportunities and career options. by Lisa Muffins M ichigan L ife 35

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; Each week seniors consulted CP P ' s Briefing Books, which detailed information about specific companies who were coming to campus. Bevin Jacobson researches the company she will interview with. Caroline Ko Seeking suggestions to improve her resume, Marie Michalski listens to Stacey Colman ' s advice. -- Caroline Ko Christie Hickcox fills out an Interview Request Form, which seniors were required to complete one week prior to interviewing with a specific company. -- Caroline Ko 34 Michigan Life

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WHAT Do You BELIEVE? o, of course I ' m not su- perstitious. That ' s all crazy stuff just made up to scare you. Nobody actually ever really believes that stuff, boasted Deondre Sims, a LSA senior referring to the myriad of superstitions and beliefs held on campus. But maybe some really did believe? From avoid- ing the block ' M ' on the Diag to wearing the same pair of lucky socks for an exam, students at Michigan held to many of these strange campus convictions. The most popular fear was that by stepping on the block ' M ' on the Diag, one would be doomed to fail his or her first blue book exam. The only way to redeem oneself was to run from the Diag at the stroke of midnight to the puma statues in front of the Natural Science Museum and back before the Bell Tower stopped chiming. Even at the height of traffic across the Diag one could easily discern the conscious stream of traffic around the monumental ' M ' as well as those who deliberately stomped upon it in defiance. Emotions about the validity of this claim ranged from faith to true skeptism. Odessa Flores, an LSA sophomore, openly admitted, I stepped on the ' M ' the very first day of classes. I had psyched myself into believing I was going to fail my Classic Civ. Bluebook, but I ended up with a B-. It ' s not really failing, I guess, but I wonder if I would have done better if I had been more careful around that ' M ' . Now, I ' m very careful to avoid it. Both these views were in sharp contrast to the confidence of Toby Bochan, a second-year English major, who vehemently claimed the belief was a hoax passed on to incoming freshmen to make them look stupid walking around on some square on the ground. There were still other lesser-known campus superstitions. For example, the puma statues supposedly roared when a female virgin passed by. It ' s like I feel guilty for not being one every time I walk by those statue animals ' cause they never make a sound, exclaimed one anonymous Kinesiology junior. Many other similar, but equally strange, superstitions were also known around campus. Many individuals also postulated their own theories for luck. Whether involving trinkets to carry, special jewelry to wear, or sitting in the same seat on exam days, superstitious ideas ranged from the norm to slightly strange. Josef Woodson, a Dance School sophomore, had two crystal luck charms and carried a special worry stone. These assurances weren ' t always helpful ac- cording to Garrison Whittaker, an Engineering School sophomore, who had a small beaded necklace that he wore when he took a test: When I do well on a test, it ' s a good luck charm. When I don ' t, I blame it on the beads. I throw them into the back of a drawer and forget about them for a month or so, and then I ' ll find them and try them out again. Junior Chris Middleton didn ' t have any su- perstitious beliefs: All that stuff is garbage. If you ' re going to do well on a test, it ' s because you studied hard and were prepared, not because you ' re wearing the right anything. It ' s just to make people feel better. If they don ' t do so well, they have something to blame it on. Whatever the reasoning, whatever the ap- proach, it was highly apparent that superstitions were rampant at Michigan in many shapes and forms, and to a variety of degrees. by ( Punita ( Dani 36 Michigan Life