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

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Pedestrians thumb through books on display outside Borders Books and Music on East Liberty Street. Local merchants transported items outside their stores to bring their product closer to consumers passing by. photo by Ashley Rice University alum Chris Lauckner sells pictures and postcards on the corner of North University and State Street. Lauckner graduated with a B.S. in design, and opened his stand nine years ago. photo by Ashley Rice J K:: ' On an unseasonably warm October afternoon, Steven Jacobs operates his stand called Jacobs ' Corner. Located on State Street by the Union, it offered hot dogs, chips, ice cream, and pop. photo by Ashley Rice r Hurnor Jj i 24 Sidewalk Sale li v.;

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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

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N. It is a Dog Day Afternoon in front of C.C. Little. Selling hot dogs and other side items, students could take a dog for a walk on their way to class. Richard Eisele has been operating this stand for five years. photo by Ashley Rice ew students were quick to notice a distinguishing feature of Ann Arbor: the sidewalk vendor. Vendors were especially conspicuous during the first few sunny weeks of school, as they offered all sorts of goods and services. While most students enjoyed the convenience of having such products and services at their fingertips, some mentioned that the ever-present and persis- tent salesmen were often bothersome. During the first few weeks of school, representatives from telephone and cable companies occupied booths along campus streets. Many students mentioned that the easy accessibility of such companies made the move-in process smoother, as they were able to open phone and cable accounts for their off-campus residences. It was great to be able to walk down North U. and talk to a MediaOne representative. They are impossible to get in touch with on the phone, and we were able to set up our cable account at their booth, commented SNRE sophomore Brooke Flynn. Another sidewalk service available to passing students were the Dog Days hot dog stands on State Street, South University, and North University. Vendors sold the dogs with condiments for a few hours each day, regardless of the weather, which drove most other vendors from the streets. The enticing aromas around the hot dog carts caused many students to sample the vendors ' fare. LSA senior Matt Hoffman said, Every once in a while I will crave a hot dog because of the smells coming from the carts. I like being able to grab a bite to eat on the way to class. Amidst the friendly offerings were pushy credit card repre- sentatives and annoying distributors of free coupon books. Sta- tioned not only on sidewalks but also around the Diag and in classroom buildings, students were bribed to apply for Visas, MasterCards, and Discover cards by the promise of a free T-shirt or the chance to win a vacation. Equally annoying and persistent in gaining students ' attention were the random old men who tried to give each student a free coupon book. While the coupons themselves were not a bad acquisition, students found the distributors to be invasive. Ugh, I hate that guy! He is always trying to listen to my conversations, and then he makes weird comments about them when I pass him, described Amy Cornbleet, an LSA sophomore. And it ' s not like I need four of the same coupon books anyway. While opinions were mixed about the benefits of sidewalk vendors, there was no question that their ever-present booths and sales pitches would be seen and heard throughout the streets of Ann Arbor during the year. by Krysia Eustice Michigan Life 25