The Michigan Daily-Saturday, Apri 6, 1985 - page 7
Students design their days around architecture
fter class, most students retreat to a favorite
library carrel or their dorm room to tackle
homework. But at least one group of un-
dergraduates never leaves their classroom.
A majority of the undergraduates enrolled in the School
of Architecture turn their daytime design studio into their
nighttime study hall. They log as many as six or seven
hours nearly every night of the week in the school's foot-
ball field-sized studio on North Campus, taking advantage
of the facilities and the friendly advice they can share
with each other.
INDEED, TO MANY of its 187 undergraduate students,
the School of Architecture is a "home away from home."
"We live here, this is home," says second-year student
Dan Whisler.
"My own little space has become my identity; I identify
more with this place than I do with my apartment," he
adds. "I spend so much time here, I wish I had a phone!"
THE STUDENTS can't install their own phones, but
most have made their space more homelike by bringing in
momentos-plants, kites, family photos, even pillow and
blankets for all-nighters.
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Second-year student Pat Baechle puts his architec-
ture lessons into practice when he designed and
constructed a lattice arch, closing his nook off from
the school's football-field design studio.
Prof. Gerald Olving and second-year student Mark
Petkovich look on as Lisa Reihler, a first-year stud-
ent, works out plans for a design project. Petkovich
says: "In this school, more than any other school,
you learn from the students."
Pulling all-nighters is an expected part of the life of an
architecture student. Though students say they aren't cer-
tai how much time they put into each design project, some
guess it can be as much as 100 hours. And most can tell
you they didn't sleep for three or four days in a row at
least once in order to fnish their work on time.
"No matter how much you prepare, you're still going to
have an all-nighter before it's due," says first-year
student Shannon Riley.
"SINCE YOU'RE always getting input from others and
improving your design, it's never done until it's due.
That's why all-nighters are inevitable."
First-year student Nancy Kalter reports pulling three
all-nighters in a row last term-the record for her 20-
student lecture section. Last term Dave Rush, another fir-
st-year student, pulled 25. And Robert Klann, pointing to a
tally he keeps on his desk, says he has already managed to
keep his eyes open through seven nights this term.
"They are pretty fun, though with everybody up here,"
he adds, brushing aside the fact that he has worked
through several nights while other students slept rest-
fully.
"TOWARD THE END of the night, you're so punchy,
you'll laugh at anything.
"I know the people I work with here better than the
eight girls I live with," Kalter says. Her drawing board is
flanked by a bunch of helium heart-shaped balloons and
she breaks the silence of quiet evenings with a tape recor-
der she keeps along with small figurines on her desk.
"I really like the atmosphere here because it's not com-
petitive," she adds. "It's really a special feeling because
we're all under the same pressure and we really learn a
lot by just being in the architecture building.
Prof. Norman Barnett discusses a community design project with graduate student Heather Kirk. Like many architec-
ture students, Kirk added a bit of "home" to her carrel by hanging curtains fashioned out of Italian bedspreads and
"Super Pickle," her "fearless" mascot.
KALTER and other students who spend their days and
nights bent over their drawing boards in the school say
that the small group of students who choose to work at
home miss out on mutual support-both instructional and
emotional-which can cut through the intense deadline
pressure.
The undergraduate architecture students begin their
program after completing two years in a liberal arts
curriculum stressing math, physics, and social sciences.
Their first two years in the architecture school can be the
most rigorous as they must hammer down the fundamen-
tals of architectural design.
But much of the pressure the students experience,
eases off as they move into the final two years of
training-the graduate program. Part of the release is
due to the nature of the curriculum which allows students
to work at their own pace. But certainly another part is
that the students take some of the pressure off of them-
selves. While pulling all-nighters and staying late in the
cavernous architecture building can be fun, they realize it
can also be physically and emotionally draining.
"After undergrad, I realized there was so much more in
life," says Bob Kline, a third-year student. "I just have to
pull away sometimes."
Photographs by Dan Habib
Story by Kelly Coleman
Graduate students, such as Scott McElrath learn to
relax after their intense undergraduate years.
McElrath says he pasted photographs and other
momentos on his wall to give him "a sense of home,
family. It reminds me that there's other things
besides work."
/
MUM seeks emphasis on campus issues
(Continued from Page 1)
Michaels and Salvi say their party
will work to change the image of MSA
by establishing a public relations com-
mittee and steering the assembly away
from international and political issues
which do not directly affect students.
"It's not proper for a student to see his
or- her money going to blatantly
political issues," said Michaels.
MUM'S NUMBER ONE priority is cam-
pus security and safety. "There have been a
number of rapes on campus," said Salvi.
"We want more lighting, increased security,
and an escort service. It the ad-
ministration won't implement (the
escort service) we will do it on our own
two feet."
"The (MSA) Women's Issues Com-
mittee has done a great job this year,"
added Michaels, "but we want a base
radio in the MSA office, hand-held
radios, and increased Night-Owl ser-
vice." Michaels said MUM would con-
tinue to push the administration for a
campus emergency phone system.
"If there is only one thing that we
hope to accomplish next year, this will
be it," said Salvi, an LSA junior who is
a liturgical minister.
OF THE THREE presidential can-
didates, Michaels comes into the race
with the longest list of previous accom-
plishments. After graduating as
valedictorian of his high school class,
he attended the United States Air Force
Academy for two years before spending
a semester at Oakland University and
entering school in Ann Arbor in
January 1984.
At the University Michaels has been
on the track and cross-country teams;
served as an officer of the College
Republicans and the engineering
college student government, and
worked with the national and state
student government organizations.
Those efforts have won him the endor-
sements of student government
presidents at several other schools.
Michaels stresses the importance of
uniting with other student governments
to lobby for education funding and pro-
student legislation. He also points out
the value of learning from other
schools' experiences. Earlier this year
he went to Michigan State University to
study their escort service, and
Michaels said what he learned in East
Lansing will be applied to the service
his party promises to establish here.
MUM'S SECOND priority is to
change the perception that they feel
students have of M$A. Michaels plans
to create a public relations committee
because "you have to sell yourself."
"I heard that students were apathetic,
here," said Salvi, "but MSA receives
$4.75 a term from students, and the
problem lies within MSA. It is terrible
that a huge majority (of the student
body) isn't represented by MSA."
The first step MUM would take is to
concentrate on issues which are not
controversial. "Everyone agrees on
academic issues that are outside the
realm of politics, but when you start to
get political it will split the student
body," said Michaels.
MUM would consider sponsoring an
all-campus dance as a step toward
unity. "People will say that we're
taking money away from political
issues for a dance and beer, but its
unity. It publicizes MSA," Michaels
said.
The party's third priority is to con-
tinue the fight for increase minority
student recruitment and retention.
Michaels would like to see the percen-
tage of minority students at the Univer-
sity be proportionate to those in the
state. MUM promises to arrange
speaking tours of Detroit Public High
Schools to sell the University to
"We're not here to educate the students.
-Kevin Michaels
MUM presidential candidate
minority students, he said.
One idea that MUM may put into ef-
fect if elected is a "one time type deal
scholarship to a talented minority
student," according to Michaels.
MICHAELS claims he may have
solved the "whole code problem" by
eliciting a promise from State Rep.
Pery Bullard (D-Ann Arbor) that a
bill will be reintroduced in the State
Capitol which would make it difficult
for the University to implement a code
of non-academic conduct.
But Michaels and Salvi said some
form of a code would be acceptable,
although they are not happy with any of
the proposals to date.
MUM would like to see a code
addresses arson, vandalism,
sexual harassment on campus.
that
and
Under Michaels MSA would move
away from funding political activities.
"Everyone can do what they want to do,
but the students shouldn't have to pay
for it," he said.
Salvi agreed that MSA would have to
decide "what has educational value."
"We're not here to educate the
students," said Michaels. "If they want
to be informed of international issues,
they can pick up TIME, or watch TV, or
even go to class."
VOICE resolves againsi
(Continued from Page 1) The party is seen as the most liberal
the assembly will be able to get off to a of the three on the next week's ballot,
faster start next year. "Last year the and it is the only party not calling for a
assembly did not kick in until Novem- more conservative assembly.
ber (because) the people did not really Josephson said the party is "not
know each other," he said. moderate but open to all suggestions."
Both Josephson and his running VOICE lists three main issues which
mate, Mickey Feusse, said the present it plans to address in the coming year:
MSA should be improved upon rather minority student recruitment and
than overhauled. "We don't want to retention, the fight against a code of
reinvent the wheel," Josephson said, non-academic conduct, and issues per-
"but the biggest problem within this taining to safety on campus.
assembly is the lack of communication WITH REGARD to minority studen-
between the members." ts, Josephson said the University must
THE VOICE ticket, with its close ties continue its efforts at recruitment and
to the present MSA, enjoys the support concentrate more on keeping minority
of many MSA members, inlcuding students at the University once they
Roderick Linzie, the assembly's have enrolled. "You can give out
researcher for minority issues. VOICE scholarships until the money is gone,"
has also been endorsed by the LSA he said, "but we have to make
Student Government. (minority students) stay."
t any code
While he does not have specific plans
to prove retention, Josephson said he
would continue the assembly's current
efforts toward finding solutions.
In working on minority recruitment
and other issues, Josephson said it is
important to work with the ad-
ministration without becoming "a tool
of the administration."
"WE CANNOT be afraid to make
noise," he said.
Josephson said his party would not
support any code of non-academic con-
duct. "We don't need a code. There are
laws in the community under which
criminals may be prosecuted, he said.
Feusse, a student advisor at Alice
Lloyd dormitory and the only woman
running for one of MSA's top positions,
said that "if the University is a real
world, crimes must be prosecuted in a
real world way."
ONE CRIME which VOICE, like the
other parties, will specifically address
is rape. VOICE calls for a rape crisis
center, improved Night Owl bussser-
vice, and an escort service. Using
proposals developed this term by
MSA's Women's Issues Committe,
VOICE hopes to have the ad-
ministration and professionals at the
University implement these problems.
VOICE is also committed to
requesting emergency phones on cam-
pus, increased education about rape
prevention, increased lighting on cam-'
pus, and increased training for campus
security officers.
Josephson said one advantage he has
in lobbying for increased safety
programs is his involvement with the
campaigns of newly-elected Mayor Ed
"We, as MSA, will try to present students
with as many views as possible."
-Mickey Feusse
VOICE vice-presidential candidate
Pierce and City Councilmember Lowell
Peterson. He said those officials would
work with him to ncrease lighting and
have the.city police help organize cam-
pus programs.
BECAUSE OF his liberal views,
Josephson has been accused of suppor-
ting only the funding of liberal ac-
tivities by MSA. While other candidates
are calling for lesspolitical funding,
Josephson saidhVOICE would support
any group which comes to MSA for
money.
"We can't say... which group's events
have educational value, which are
cultural, and which are political,"
Josephson said.
"Students are involved. You can't put
blinders on," added Feusse. "We, as
MSA, will try to present students with
as many views as possible."
"We want to represent the student
body. It's no fluke we're called
VOICE," said Feusse. "I think we can
do something."
MOVE brings newcomers to MSA campaign
(Continued from Page 1)
While conceding recently that he
"knew absolutely nothing about MSA
before the campaign started," Diana
said he has learned a great deal in the
past two weeks and believes it is much
students in South Quad.
In response to the major issues in the
campaign, MOVE stresses the need to
work with the administration toward
solutions. The debate over the proposed
fringe upon other students' educations.
WHITEHEAD, who is currently
president of South Quad's Kelsey
House, suggested that a code could in-
clude a section similar to an honor code
which would address cheating and
meet with University and city officials
as evidence of his lack of familiarity
with the issues. Similar actions, say
members of the MSA Women's Issues
Committee, have already been taken
this vanr.
calling for improved efforts in the
recruitment and retention of minority
students. He said the University should
modify its standards for admission
when considering students "from bad
high enhnk nr frm had ensial Pn-
MSA to avoid spending money or taking
stances on issues which do not directly
affect students on Campus, such as
national and international affairs.
Diana charged that MSA's previous
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