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

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A student studies for his classes at Cava Java, located inside the Michigan Union. The addition of minors to the LSA curriculum allowed students to focus their elec- tives on a common subject. photo by Bobby Green Students gather before class to socialize. One topic students had to talk about was the school of LSA allowing students to elect a minor, a choice not previously offered by the University. photo by Sharonda Ayers r - A Spanish major par- ticipates in a class activity during the fall semester. Foreign languages were popular concentra- tions for both majors and minors. photo by Sharonda Aycrs 22 + Academic Ni ' p.o:

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is one many favorite Ann Arbor eateries. Located on Washington Street, it special- ized in grilled food, and was also a beer brewery. photo by Ashley Rice srne t almost any time of the day, you could have gone to Da Vinci ' s for some balsamic eggplant pizza. And if that did not suit your fancy, you could have munched on a pie whose toppings included banana peppers, chicken and artichokes. If Da Vinci ' s was not quite your speed, you could have had a seafood pizza from Pizza House, or maybe even a mysterious gift basket of pita bread known as a Chipati. Or you could have gone across the street for Korean food. Or bagels. Or maybe one of the hundreds of different kinds of coffee available in the city. Wherever you went in Ann Arbor, it was easy to see that there was no shortage of different and exotic places to eat. In fact, few other cities covered the range from McDonald ' s to Ethiopian cuisine. Junior electrical engineering major Ja ' Nelle Jefferson reminisced about a certain eatery known as the Mongolian Barbecue. Very enjoyable, she said. You make your own stir-fry.. .you take it up to the cook and t hey have this big, round grill and they cook everyone ' s food with big wooden sticks. It ' s good, if you know what you are doing. Do-it-yourself entrees were only the tip of the iceberg, however. At the Daika Lok Cafe, you could have opened wide for some fried squid, and an interesting atmosphere. There ' s an anime display with different types of toys, said sophomore cellular and molecu- lar biology major Charlyn Primous. They have the Manga [comic books] from Japan and other places, and inside you can get green tea ice cream and fried squid. ..it was just a variety of different foods that I had never had before. As University students strode through the streets of Ann Arbor, their senses were set ablaze by the veritable encyclopedia of tastes, smells and sights that made this city a very interesting place to be in if you are hungry. However, seeing all these places was a far different matter from sampling them. The students were more than willing to try all the culinary delights their town had to offer, but one fact still remained: they were in college. I think there are a lot of restaurants, but they are not really accessible, Primous wisely commented. They are kind of expensive, and you have to realize that we are students on a budget. by Nathaniel Williams Michigan Life + 21

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A Dionne Thrower reads over her application for a special joint degree pro- gram. Double majors were not as easy to pursue at the University compared to other institutions. photo by Sharonda Ayers t the end of the 1998-99 school year, the College of Literature, Science and the Arts (LSA) finally decided to give its students what the college had been lacking: the opportunity to receive a minor. Most universities had offered minor programs for years, but the board of LSA thought the issue required more exploration. After faculty debate and student input, LSA officially approved minors. LSA sophomore Katie Schmitt said, I think it ' s great. It allows students to widen their possibilities and explore several areas of study. To most, the decision was long overdue. Many students found it frustrating to have to limit their focus. Casandra Cushman, a junior political science and English major, said, I think minor programs are necessary. People come in here with many different interests, and minors allow them to concentrate on more than one subject without the pressure of a double major. It makes us well-rounded. Why should anyone have to limit themselves to one thing? The process of getting departments to offer minors was slow. The University website regarding minors only listed a few depart- ments as active participants. Junior psychology major Jessica Quinlan said, A great idea isn ' t so great when hardly anyone participates. The available minors are in really odd subjects, and the more popular departments need to open up to the program. Many departments had already decided that they were not going to offer minors, but student pressure left things in a state of uncertainty. LSA sophomore Erica Peterson thought, You should get recognition for broad studies, no matter what the department is. If a student focused on English as well as their declared concentration, then they should be able to get a minor in English, no questions asked. The minor program was slow in its implementation and many younger students would not know if they had qualified for a minor until closer to their graduation. This made it difficult for students to plan their courses since they often did not know what the requirements for minors were. Departments were in the process of outlining the minor course plans, and many students did not know they had qualified until after the fact. Departments, however, argued that outlining any new degree program at a major university was a complex task and required more time to determine which courses would make a student eligible. Katy Wood, a junior political science major, said, I wish they had started this sooner, because it would have changed a lot of things. I understand that this will take time, it ' s just too bad for the older students. But better late than never! by Jessica Coen Michigan Life 23