0 S. 9 The Michigan Daily - Weekend, etc. Magazine - 68 - The Michigan Daily - Weekend, etc. Magazine - Thursday, January 17, 2002 [77~NOT WANTING TO BE MRS. SOMEBODY ELSE Farmer's market provides a plethora of tastes in the cold sit here as the new columnist, the journalistic novice to the Daily, and I try to reflect on my life and the myriad of ques- tions that plague my young mind each day. Once in a while I will gaze out my window at the first blizzard of the season, and wonder: Exactly who was it that discovered that Severy single snowflake is different v from the rest? Someone actually sat down to study each individual drop of x .EC frozen rain, only to make that sim- ple statement? Sounds absurd to 1 43me! And then I glance around my MA ~messy room, wishing that some- body else can come in and clean it, xAS and ask myself, "Why do we always clean up for the cleaning person to come?" Did you ever notice that people do that? n.t.;.; I'm telling you, I find this so A ° profound. Anyway, out of all my random ASTHMA'. Physicians in your area are seeking subjects to participate in a clinical research study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an investigational medication for symptoms of asthma. Participants must be: " Generally healthy men or women between 18 and 70 years old " Symptoms of asthma reasonably controlled with use of an albuterol or similar inhaler (Proventil, Ventolin) " Able to complete 7-8 visits over 4 months Study-related physical exams, breathing tests, ECG's, study medication at no charge. Compensation will be provided for time and travel. Interested? Call Clin-Site at 1-888-254-6748 toll-free, or visit www.clinsite.com Brighton, Ann Arbor, Plymouth questions, I have decided to focus on one that pertains much more to my life than those previously men- tioned, and allows me to question society and the values that we have all grown up with. I recently engaged in an interesting conversation with a good friend over an issue I always found trivial in life, yet one which he Rena t h o u g h t shocking to Greifinger even bring up.g He was a pp all e d, you gy utterly stupe- fied at my W () mention of keeping my last name when married. He demanded to know my prob- lem, my outlandish reasoning for such an absurd personal choice. To think! In a world like today, in our unconventional society, where you can only enter certain bars in New York City if you are stark naked, one would still think this phenomenon ridiculous! I suppose it begins with the atypical family I was raised in. Mom commuted to an urban office each morning while Dad stayed home in front of a comput- er, contemplating the afternoon's grocery purchases for dinner. My friends never comprehended my skewed perception of the family and constantly questioned the peculiarities of my life. What I had innocently accepted as normal, they thought complete- ly weird. Hence, my outrageous reasoning for the concept of the last name was born. My mother must not have read the "traditional rules of marriage" pamphlet before tying the knot, and here she is today; married for twenty years, with the same last name as the one deemed her own from birth, perfectly happy and successful. She did it! She held onto that significant piece of her identity, and nothing bad has happened! For, what is name exactly? Simply a mere, meaningless com- bination of letters? I beg to differ. My name belongs to me,,.and only me. ' Where would Rena Greifinger go if I became Mrs. Somebody else? I would feel slightly stripped of my characteristics, my femininity; robbed of my eccentricity as if I'm nothing more than a nameless adjunct to another. My name is special to me, as form fitting as my skin, and just as painful to remove. And what a hassle to give it up! Changing documents, correcting those who have known me for so long and have addressed me as the old friend they thought they always knew. Explaining to my father that I no longer want associ- ation with his family nomencla- ture - that I would rather put a younger and less known male before him! And you all call me a lunatic? Why is this a tradition? With the feminist movement and the attempt to end female subordi- nation to men, why on earth am I regarded as strange for refusing to be sheltered by another's identity? A man will never take my name, never cash in that one thing that sets him apart from everyone else, to take on a false and already-used piece of self-recognition. I would- n't even want that. Now, I know I sound like a rav- ing feminist, and in fact I am not. I am not angry, not scowling at men and their egotistic domination of American culture. I don't want to introduce myself to you all as some opinionated psycho who will constantly preach all of society's wrongs to the stu- dent body. I have just come to the conclu- sion that society can indeed be so unpredictable. I have no problem with women who submit to this age-old ritual when getting mar- ried. I do not see them as weak or dependant. I just want to be able to make that choice for myself, keep my name, and be accepted by my friends and the people I interact with - those I will have to correct each time they address me with the standard societal rules of mar- riage in their minds. In this crazy world where the only thing that is constant is change, I do not believe this issue will sit atop my prioritized list of concerns for my future. I guess I jltst needed to vent. - Rena Greifinger can be reached via e-mail at rgreifln@umich.edu. By Rebecca Ramsey Daily Arts Writer On Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. most college students are sleeping after staying out late on Friday nights and are unaware that other people are already out doing things in Ann Arbor. While fluffy pillows and feath- erbeds may seem like a godsend at this time, students who are sleeping are missing out on the action that takes place early on at the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market in Kerrytown. Vendors from near and far (far as in over an hour away) arrive in Ann Arbor early enough to set up tables to sell apples, jewelry, various flavors of jams, sheeps' wool stuffed animals and other items they have made or grown, often from their own farms. Due to cold winters, the market is only open on Saturdays between January and April. The vendors are willing to brave the cold weather from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. in order to make a buck and to cater to those cus- tomers who prefer the taste of old fashioned goods over supermarket products. I arrived at the Farmer's Market around noon, expect- ing to see crowds of people fighting for the best looking fruit and bartering with the vendors. To my surprise, the market was practically empty and the only fruit for sale was apples, which makes sense due to the limitations from cold weather. I soon learned that the majority of the market commotion takes place very early, even before the selling begins. "My best apples are gone by 7 (a.m.). Some people even get here at 6 (a.m.) to buy apples to take with them to work," explained Alex Nemeth, a vendor whose fam- ily has been coming to Ann Arbor from its orchard to participate in the selling for over 70 years. While many of his apples had already been purchased, he still had an abundance of Red Delicious and Jonathan apples (a tart apple cleverly named after apple pioneer Johnny Appleseed). One would think that Nemeth is the most successful due to his prices being the lowest at the market, but he still insisted that "There really isn't any competition between the apple vendors." Like Nemeth, many of the vendors come from fami- lies which have been connected to the market or farming for many years. Chelsea resident Nancy Armstrong, who sells an array of jams, butters and syrups, grew up on a raspberry farm. As a young girl, she left her farm life behind and graduated in 1965 from the University with a degree in math. However, the Sixties did not provide many opportunities for women. "Women ould either be atteacher or anurse back then," recalls Armstrong. "I taught, but I was through with it when I had kids. I went back to the farm, but I swore that I wasn't going to make any damn jam." Now, she runs a successful business at her farm called Window Vinegar, which specializes in many "damn jams." She also puts her math skills to good use, meas- uring the exact amount of ingredients to make deli- ciously eclectic preserves, like crabapple jam, which is surprisingly sweet. Her products are popular among people of all ages. Her tomato jam is often bought by grandchildren for their grandparents because it brings back nostalgic memories. I walked down to a nearby table, where a man who prides himself in being called "Amber Al" was selling amber and turquoise jewelry. There were many bracelets and necklaces, some he made and some imported from Lithuania. There were also amber pendants with insects that had been stuck in the amber for 17-40 million years. I asked Al if these innovative and highly creative pieces of jewelry were inspired by "Jurassic Park." "I've been selling insect-in-amber jewelry for some time now. But, "Jurassic Park" really did boost my busi- ness," said Amber Al. It was a very enjoyable experience since everyone was so friendly and helpful. Enjoyable, that is, until I approached a table where different flavors of honey were being sold. Thomas Arnott, a honey entrepreneur from Howell who reads the "Bee Hive Product Bible," initially seemed pleased that I was inquiring about his honey development and even let me taste all four of his flavors, including one made with bee pollen. "- Bee pollen has every nutrient that the body needs," he explained. "I've been stung many times just to make that honey." I was going to ask him about the Yellow Rocket honey, when he suddenly scowled at me and asked if he could "help the real customers." He was a honey snob, and I, just a journalist, could only walk away. I considered finding Alex Nemeth so that I could pur- chase the biggest apple and throw it at the honey guy, but I resisted. The Farmer's Market is not a place for brawling. It is a place where people can get together, sell and show off their products, bond throughout the cold and make fun of the weirdos who make the ugly stuffed cheetahs. Question of "Which celebrity dc Q "Robert Downey, Jr. I got at a student conference." - Rafel Mah Q "Ice Cube." - Beau Hunt, S Q "Man, if I had a beard, th from The Roots. And if I wor - Harshin Q ""Once I was told I look Ii Lopez ... OK, on the day I v I did resemble her a little. Bu think I really do everyday." -Sarah Regner; y CAFE. Continued from Page 7B up starting with her elbow on the arm- rest, her hand under her jaw, and her fin- gers curled around the back of her neck, and she's happy. She smiles prettily as he recounts something silly about his room- mate, but her eyes are separate from the banality as she looks at the way he speaks, the way he moves his hands, and the way he shifts in his seat when he thinks he's pleased her by something he's said. But he doesn't see how her eyes are working, and he just goes on by what he correctly thinks is a winning plan. Time passes, watches are looked at once and then twice more needlessly, and she real- ly does have to get going. She gets up first, and he responds with a "good night" and "I'll see you in class." No hugs or kisses, but he leaves shortly after her, victorious. These particular people won't always be at the cafe, but others portraying the same roles will. Walk into this cafe tomorrow and you'll find new faces, but the same people, maintaining the equi- librium. A Tribute to Gospel Mattie Moss Clark Featuring The Clark Sisters This gospel tribute is dedica most influential and import progression of Gospel music Orchestre de Paris Christoph Eschenbach condo Pierre-Laurent Aimard piano PROGRAM Messiaen Ravel Ravel Ravel Les offrandes Piano Concertc La Valse Daphnis and C DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily urns °'t Iol . 764.2531 A valid student ID isrequired. Limi offered if an event is sold out. Sea A cafe is a perfect place to people watch. 'I ,