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

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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

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Enjoying a warm autumn afternoon, students toss around a football in the Law Quad. Students took advantage of several days of unseasonably warm weather during the fall to study outside on the Diag or take a stroll through the Arb. photo by Nathan Busch