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

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Love: we isa.. . need By Jennifer Lee and Caelan Jordan In a culture of messages that contradicted each other - All you need is love against Work hard, play hard - students had to decide for themselves how much time and effort they were willing to invest in the dating scene. Dating attitudes seemed to run the gamut: Some students prefered not to date at all, while others returned to Ann Arbor thinking more about where their next hook- up was coming from rather than where their next aced exam was coming from. For those students looking to meet that special someone, options abounded. In the fall, first-year students often dated peers in their dorms or traveled to frat parties. Once those possibilities were exhausted, having a network of established friends seemed to be one of the most popular ways for students to meet new people and potential significant others. The first few weeks of the fall semester, with nicer weather and lighter homework, created an atmosphere where love, if one was willing to look for it, was in the air. When you first get back to school there is less work and more partying. Pretty much it is the time to meet people and find somebody comfortable for the busy season, said sophomore biology major Rebecca Bartkowski. In a school with 35,000 intelligent, attractive and diverse students it was hard not to meet new people and be interested in them. Although there were some unusual methods of meeting significant others, for many the venues were the same: classes, housing, bars, and parties. These appeared to be the most common avenues for the lovelorn to take in the quest for a companion. For those students already attached, Ann Arbor offered a variety of options for dates, including great restaurants, movie theaters and a multitude of outdoor places to be alone. Of course, everyone was different, and therefore dating and meeting new people at the University was a complex and unique experience. Sophomore ISA student Joanna Beck and junior mechanical engineering major Douglas Constantine had been dating on and off since her freshman year. The nice thing about coming back sophomore year and dating Doug was that I am already so comfortable with him. All that frat party pressure to meet someone was nonexistent, said Beck. The couple went out to parties, dinner or studied together. They met in 2000 in South Quad with the mutual interest in rowing, and had stayed closeever since. They both did not think that dating each other had hindered their social life in any way; in fact, they thought that it had enhanced it. It is nice to have somebody that you love a lot to just hang out with all of the time, Constantine said. While some students felt the need for a relationship in order to have someone to hang out with all of the time, others just felt that being social with friends provided all the fun and companionship they needed - without the pressures of the dating scene, first dates and awkward silences. 26 I Fall Romance

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. i. , Mos agreed that autumn was one of the most exciting times to live in Ann Ar- bor. Not only were the cooler tem- peratures a welcome break from the extremes of Michigan summers and winters, but the coming of autumn marked the beginning of the school year and all the activities that went along with it. Autumn in Ann Arbor is fun be- cause there ' s beginning of the year parties and football games, said Becky DeLancey, a senior communication studies major. And it ' s a good atmo- sphere because everybody ' s back to school and you ' re seeing all thefnends you haven ' t seen all summer. The milder fall weather d rew stu- dents outside to study, nap and visit with friends, while the Arb proved to be the ideal place for jogging, picnics and other outdoor activities. As more and more people returned to Ann Arbor for the impending school year, the Diag became increasingly crowded with students playing instru- ments, people-watching and engag- ing in impromptu frisbee and foot- ball games. It ' s good rollerblading weather because it ' s not too hot, but it ' s not snowy, said DeLancey. And you can have picnics too. As the heat dwindled, some in- structors even moved their sessions outdoors to escape the stuffy Univer- sity classrooms. My favorite part is when your GSI lets you have discussion outdoors and you can sit and tan and watch people, said Adrienne Van Poperin, a junior in the Nursing School. It ' s like they let you go home or something that ' s how excited I get. Perhaps the most anticipated facet of autumn was the beginning of the football season. Students, alumni and fans from near and far crowded Ann Arbor to watch the Wolverines take on their opponents in Michigan Sta- dium, turning the city into a bustling hub of Wolverine pride. As students flooded back to Ann Arborfor the beginning of the school year, became reacquainted and got settled back into college life, there seemed to be very few drawbacks. There ' s less parking, laughed DeLancey. ' That ' s the only downfall. and Cortney Dueweke Taking a break from book shopping, two students relax outside Cava Java on South University Avenue. The warm weather and sunshine during Welcome Week allowed students to enjoy the outdoors before the fall se- mester began, photo by Abby Johnson - Iff A Michigan Life | 25

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Espresso Royale lattes in hand, LSA seniors Hillary Peltier and Brad Lienimv converse near the corner of North University Avenue and State Street. Good conversation was an essential ingredient in build- ing strong relationships, photo b - Ben Haws Snuggling close, a couple relaxes in the sun between class. The beauty of campus provided a romantic back- drop for those searching for love, photo by Ben Hayes Enjoying a night with friends, Christine Essary and Dustin Calkins, LSA sophomores, share a laugh. House and apartment parties were a good time to meet people and look for new prospects. photo by Ben Hayes Out on the town, students talk over dinner at Mon- golian Barbeque. The outdoor patio seating provided guests with a prime people-watching location, a dis- traction that came in handy on awkward first dates. photo by Ben Hayes Michigan Life | 27