Page 2-D-Thursday, September 4, 1980-The Michigan Daily
I
'U,
dormsready
and waiting
Dorm-life won't
(exactly) live up
to stereotypes
.,
By NICK KATSARELAS
If you watch television, you know
what dormitory life is like: Food fights
in the cafeteria. Panty raids every
evening. Fire extinguisher battles.
Toga parties when there aren't panty
raids. Laughs and fun for all.
Well, the dorms are often fun, but
let's say the TV image is a bit. inac-
curate.
With 95 per cent of freshpersons
living in them, they can often be in-
stitutional, from the barren rooms to
the food. They also can be very noisy
and difficult to get used to. But in the
end, they may indeed hold the fondest
memories of college life.
BEFORE I CAME to the University, I
had certain concerns which haunted
me. Having shared a room at home
with a little brother who was as
religious about getting dirty as I was
about keeping clean, I was ready for
any type of roommate I could get. As
far as the food, my appetite was always
voracious enough to inhale anything
that was put before me. Even the com-
munity bathrooms were of little con-
cern.
My biggest worry was not being
assigned the dormitory of my choice. I
was convinved the world would fall
apart if my first pick was not granted.
Well, I got lucky, but some of my frien-
ds got, instead of their first preference,
their second or third. I watched them
receive the news with sad, wet eyes.
"Why go to college if I can't live in
Markley?" complained one. "I guess
you have to pay off someone in the
Housing Office to live where you want,"
grunted another.
YET IT WAS only a matter of time
before they not only enjoyed living
where they were placed, but would
swear they wouldn't have lived any-
where else: Day One: "I'm gonna get
out of here as soon as I can." Day Two:
You know, my roommate isn't half bad,
and neither is the food." Day Three:
"The people here are really friendly. I
think I'll stay."
Despite the architectural beauty, rich
tradition, and room size of the residen-
ce halls, the degree to which you enjoy
your stay depends largely on your ef-
forts to extend yourself to those around
you.
One of the most complained-about
facets of dormitory living is the food.
No one ever said it was like Mom's. It's
not. Cooking for 500 or 1200 people is not
an easy' task, and the food is
deliberately "spiceless" in order to
please most of the people. The food in
the smaller dorms is often a bit tastier
than that of larger dorms, since in-
creased quantity often equals
decreased quality.
ONE OF THE benefits of the
cafeteria service is the choice of dishes
you are given. There are often several
choices of desserts, a variety of soft
drinks, skim and regular milk, plus a
salad bar with several condiments. So if
Veal Oscar isn't to your liking, then you
can fix yourself a small salad with
French dressing.
Since all work and no play makes
Jack a dull boy, dormitories have
established house councils, which can
be likened to your high school student
council. Through mandatory house
council fees, elected representatives
from each hall or house plan social and
educational activities. They also decide
on policies affecting the dorm.
Although the activities will differ from
dorm to dorm, they might include dan-
ces, hay rides, talent shows, trivia
tournaments, millionaire nights, and
picnics. On the educational side, the ac-
tivities might include such things as
speakers, movies, and workshops.
The University Residence Hall Coun-
cil (URHC) is made up of represen-
tatives from each of the dorms, and
work to make dorm living more rewar-
ding to those who live there. The URHC
works with the housing office to resolve
problems in the dorms, and also makes
appointments to committees of dif-
ferent campus-wide governments.
The Student Rate Study Committee is
also made up of dormitory residents,
who work with administrators in the
THE STOCKWELL residence hall
(pictured in front) is among the Uni-
versity's most popular. The all-women
dorm is noted for its exceptional food
service. To the right of Stockwell are
the Mosher-Jordan and Alice Lloyd
residence halls.
The final word on 'U'
dorms
I
4
YOU CAN SEA WIZARD,
By NICK KATSARELAS
The University's 14 residence halls
offer housing to nearly 10,000 students,
mostly freshpersons and sophomores.
Each dormitory has its own character,
peculiarities, and unique history.
Thorough discussions with former
residents of the halls, short descriptions
of each dorm have been compiled:
BARBOUR AND NEWBERRY-
Across the street from Angell
Hall sit these two cozy, female
dormitories. Betsy Barbour, built in
1920, and Helen Newberry, constructed
in 1914, are among the most attractive
and conveniently located dorms on
campus. Since Newberry has no dining
hall, the residents walk over to Barbour
for their food.
BURSLEY-Couched in the
sprawling, rolling greenery of North
Campus, Bursley is the newest of the
University residence halls. Although
the long bus rides to and from central
campus often result in early September
depression, nearly everyone gets used
to it, and by the end of the year, all
would probably make that sacrifice for
the quiet, beautiful setting of North
Campus. Bursley houses over 1,200
students.
MARTHA COOK-This exclusive
(tea is at 4; pinkies up) dorm houses
upperclasswomen only. It's got a
private 135-foot sun deck overlooking a
private one-half acre landscaped gar-
den. It also has some neat statues and a
private (or is that exclusive) shaded
tennis court. It's across the street from
President Shapiro's house, next to the
Law school, and under the watchful
nose of the House Director.
COUZENS-Conveniently located
near the Medical Center, Palmer Field,
Food Mart and Omega Pizza, this
residence hall provides homes for ap-
proximately 600 'U' students, many of
whom are in the nursing program. It
may be one of the least-heard about
large dorms on campus. Couzens also
has a library, dark room, study
lounges, and a very friendly at-
mosphere.
MARKLEY-If not the, then one of
the most, popular dorms on campus.
The dorm is broken up into several
houses to make the atmosphere more
personal. Though the rooms are nothing
more than small special units divided
by concrete blocks, its institutional in-
terior is compensated by the beauty of
what it lies adjacent to: the Arb and the
cemetery, which, for all its gloominess,
makes for peaceful strolls and provides
interesting frisbee targets. Markley is
infamous for its great week-end par-
ties, South Pit, and the cafeteria
scramble system.
MOSHER-JORDAN-Often called
the cream of the dorm crop, its small"
size and preserved 1930ish look makes
many of its residents want to come
back for another year. It has, among
other things, pinball machines, study
and dark rooms, four fireplaces and
four pianos. The House Council is very
active. The dorm rooms vary in size
and character.
EAST QUAD-This small (capacity:
425) dorm houses both the Inteflex
students and the Residential College.
Its open-mindedness, in-house plays,
and diverse residents make it the most
academically and culturally
stimulating residence hall on campus.
It has its own snack bar, dark room and
theater.
FLETCHER-Built in the 20s, Flet-
cher provides housing-but no food-to
80 University men. It is often' referred
to as a "jock" dorm, since it's closest
to the stadium and campus athletic
buildings.
HENDERSON-If you've rarely
heard of Fletcher, then you've never
heard of Henderson. It's a small (30
women) cooperative-type house located
near Hill and Washtenaw.
ALICE LLOYD-Home of the Pilot
Program, the oddly-shaped dormitory
often houses a large number of out-of-
staters. Infamous for its yelling fights
with Couzens and MoJo, Alice Lloyd
features a well-stocked library and
vegetarian meals. Lloyd runs neck-and-
neck with East Quad as the most
radical dorm.
SOUTH QUAD-If you're into a
small, quiet place to live, South Quad's
not for you. It takes an inimitable breed
to put up with all the false fire alarms,
yelling fights across the street with
West Quad, and 48-hour parties on the
weekends. Yet its residents savor its
distinct quality of what they say is the
funnest dorm to live in. It's close to the
athletic facilities.
. STOCKWELL-The southern-most of
the Hill dorms offers charming stained-
glass windows, and sun deck, and an
electric organ. Stockwell is known
around campus as the dorm with the
best tasting food.
WEST QUAD-Like its character
twin, South Quad, it's very noisy. It's
notorious for its lackluster food of-
ferings and tendency of its residents to
party when a book isn't in their hand.
Its maze-like layout makes it an
onerous task to get from one end of the
building to the other. Yet the criticisms
end when one begins talking of its con-
veniences; it's a brisk two-minute walk"
to Angell Hall and also conveniently;
connected to the International Center'
and the Michigan Union.
BAITS I AND Il-located on one of
the highest peaks in Ann Arbor about
three miles from Central Campus;
these two sets of dormitories provide
the most beautiful views of downtown
Ann Arbor.
Dorm life here is very mellow,
because most students are concerned
with books rather than play. Many4
foreign and graduate students live in
Baits and what undergraduates there
are consist of first year transfer studen-
ts or upperclassman seeking a serene
environment in which to study. The
North Campus bus 'service is very
good; in fact, it runs as late as 2:15 a.m.
Another nice attraction is the North
Campus Recreational Building, which
was recently completed.
Learn the magic of
pinball and video
games at, the finest
arcades in Ann Arbor:
,,
Tommy's Hoi$day CImp 632 Packard
he Crosseyed Moose 613 E. Liberty
FApper McGee $ 1217 S. University
(See our 50t coupons in the Sports Section)
1
LISTENING TO MUSIC is probably the most popular leisure time activity in University dormitories.
E
See the complete
selection of Men's
and Women's
hand-sewn shoes
and Winter boots
by Timberland.
NOT SO
FAST
You'll get about 20
more miles from every tank
of gas if you slow down
from 70 to 55 mph on the
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