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

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Yes, back to the promised land Take me to the porch! (continued from page 29) town surrounded by students sometimes made a person forget that outside of campus people were not drunk at all hours of the day, and did not stay up until three in the morning on a weeknight. Although college life always seemed to possess a looming deadline or late night cram sessions, it also held a sense of experimentation and a carefree attitude that never made it past the borders of campus. Junior Jean Tomaro reminisced, This one day over the summer two of my friends and I were trying really hard to get drunk at three in the afternoon at Cafe Felix on Main. We were sitting at one of the outside tables laughing and talking and I finish a story and my friend Eric remarked with a very loud swear word right as a mom and her three year old kid are walking by. The kid just looks at Eric and bursts into tears. The lady looks in horror at the three of us and our table littered with empty martini glasses, shining in the afternoon sun, and shouts, ' Don ' t corrupt my son with your foul language! And drinking is irresponsible! ' I turn to Eric and say, ' See, I told you we shouldn ' t have ventured into real people territory. You know mid-afternoon drinking is highly frowned upon anywhere this side of State Street. Why ' d we even get off our porch? Let ' s go back, so we can drink without judgement and fear of corrupting small innocent children. ' Eric nods slowly and says, ' Yes, back to the promised land. Take me to the porch! ' The campus of the University was just a part of Ann Arbor, but undoubtedly an important one. The immense student population helped shape the city into something diverse, and despite difficulties getting around, a place that both permanent residents and students could call home. Catering to students ' every need, Metier superstore stays open 24 nours One could find almost any necessity at the Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. location T. Altinimusuru photo Worth the onve, 7-11 on Ellsworth Rd. provides students with eight Slurpee flavors to choose from. Dedi- cated 7-11 fans had to make the trek to Ypsilanti because the City of Ann Arbor did not invite the company ' s commerce M. Christiansen photo MICHIGAN LIFE 2 7

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REAL ANN ARBOR As they decide on their order, first year Musical theater students, Nick Blaemire, Jason McClees and Brian Mazzaferri show the cashier their student ID ' S. Quality 16 Theater on Jackson Rd. gave discounts to students, successfully drawing in a larger college crowd than area com- petitors. T. Aluromusuru photo

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Having to take a final exam alongside a demolition crew reinforces my belief that the administration is only concerned with their own futures and not ours. By Lauren Rutledge Once upon a time, Central Campus was a welcoming environment for the thousands of students it served each day. Students walked eas- ily from one building to another, the Diag beck- oned studiers and Frisbee-throwers alike, and sounds of musicians, birds, and the occasional activists contributed to the dynamic atmosphere many associated with the University. But this year, several simultaneous con- struction projects turned the Diag and its neigh- boring areas into what seemed like a war zone. Fencing was assembled around the Modern Languages Building, Mason and Haven Halls, and Hill Auditorium. These projects not only inconvenienced students ' routes to class, but also drastically diminished the aesthetics of the ivy-covered buildings in question. The sounds of drilling and pounding (not to mention the yell- ing necessary to be heard over the drilling and pounding) became customary to those passing by. It was most difficult for students taking class- es in the Diag area. Patrick Crowley, a junior classical archaeology major, said, I was taking a class in Angell Hall, and right in the middle of lecture in Auditorium A, a piece of the ceiling fell down right on my head. My professor just laughed, but I might have been killed. While Crowley ' s experience may have been a little extreme, junior Bridget Briley, juniorsports management and film major, had a similarly exasperated opinion. She said, Although I think it ' s noble that the University is trying to improve problems for future students, I think it is horrible that they are disregarding the needs of the students they already have. Having to take a final exam alongside a demolition crew reinforces my belief that the administration is only concerned with their own futures and not ours. Fortunately, the construction hassles did plan to make students ' lives easier in the near future. An eight-story addition to Haven Hall, along with new electrical and computer sys- tems, was intended to house the departments of history, political science, American culture, and the center for African and Afro- American studies by November 2002. The renovation of Mason Hall promised to leave students with new lighting and floors, in addition to air- conditioned rooms. Hill Auditorium, nearly 90 years old, received new support structures, plumbing, ventilation, electrical systems, sprinklers, restroom facilities, and lobbies. Rackham Graduate School also welcomed a makeover, receiving improvements for office space, classrooms, galleries, an auditorium, and study lounges. All the construction projects the Univer- sity underwent this year certainly reinforced the saying, Good things take time. Maybe renovating the buildings on campus took too much time the students who might have waited eagerly for them ended up graduating before they were finished. 28 MI IENS1AN