0 0 the capricious lifelwith Adam Burns CHOOSE NOT TO WALK The Michigan ...maximize mallSpaci By Katie Marie Gates Daily Arts Writer This past fall, students across campus found themselves embroiled in passionate debate. Names were called, fights were picked, demonstrations were demonstrated and mud was slung as it had never been slung before. I unwittingly found myself at the epi- center of this debate with an uncom- fortable amount of muck on my face when I woke up one unseasonably warm fall morning and made a bold declaration: Today, I am riding my bike to school. With a smile on my face, I ped- aled to class and arrived 10 minutes early, thanks to my two-wheeler. I assumed that the glares thrown my way were because I had declared far too loudly and far too early that I was riding my bike to school and had woken weary students through- out the neighborhood. It did not dawn on me until I had rode to class a few times that by choosing to ride my bicycle, I was crossing far past both conservatives and New York- ers in the amount of baseless hate directed towards me. Since my decision, I have been a victim of verbal abuse, ranging from "You're one of those people?" to "You really ride your bike?" While the words certainly stung, I must emphasize that I did arrive at class sooner. My Schwinn Impact has borne the brunt of the physical abuse. The handlebar grips have been torn off and the spokes are dented. Even my electronic rear safety blinker was stolen - a not so subtle message to bike riders that our safety is of no concern and we should all die. While the ruling bodies of Michi- gan debate crucial campus issues like the Iraq War and which billion- aire alum to name the Residential College after, they are ignoring the true issue at stake: there are no bil- lionaire Residential College alums. They are also failing to realize that the bikers are in terrible need of support and defense from unjust violence. Other wronged and down- trodden sects have special groups set up to make everyone aware that they are wronged and downtrodden, such as the Squirrel Club, the University of Michigan football team and the Coalition of the Wronged and Down- trodden. Bikers, on the other hand, are left with no support, save for a shared look of sorrow as we chain up our rides to the same parking meter. A common misconception about bike riders is that we ride our bicy- cles to school so we can run pedes- trians off the sidewalk, intimidate children and make walking as hard as possible. This is simply not true. We only try to run pedestrians off the sidewalk if we are having a real- ly rotten day or can force them into a giant puddle. The reasons for riding vary. Some bikers ride because they want to save the environment from car pollution. Some ride because they want the exercise. I feel that most, like myself, ride because you can pretend you're Lance Armstrong in the mountain stages of the Tour de France, especially when traveling east on Hill Street. It's not as hard as it may seem to pretend you are in France, what, with all the angry and condescend- ing people roaming around. One day, I observed a girl, cell phone in one hand, mocha and cigarette in the other, jaywalk across South Univer- sity Avenue in the middle of traffic. Her conversation kept her oblivious from the screeching brakes of the car that nearly hit her as well as'the crowd of gawkers that was building. What she was not oblivious of, how- ever, was the biker who was cruis- ing down the sidewalk and had to veer into a parking meter to avoid her. She made it very clear, using a number of the French words that you have to excuse yourself for, that she was not happy with his bicycle com- ing so close to her. I'm not sure if he heard her since I am not sure if he was conscious. I did hear the gawk- ers stroll away grumbling at the biker, who they agreed was an idiot. I cannot defend everything my fellow bikers do. I have seen them steer into crowds of people at a high speed, assuming they would part like the Red Sea. I have seen them dis- obey traffic signals and nearly cause pile ups at intersections. I have seen them tear down mass meeting signs for rival groups. Bikers are not per- fect, but neither are pedestrians. We must find a common ground or at least a common sidewalk that we can all use to stretch our legs after exiting the cramped Natural Sci- ence Auditorium or for rapid travel after oversleeping for a one o'clock class. We need to realize that when it comes down to it, we're all Michi- gan students. At the end of the day, pedestrian or biker, we're just trying to get to and from class. It's impor- tant that we realize this. If not, the terrorists will win. Adam is contemplating getting a big shiny bell to put on the front ofhis Schwinn Impact to warn you that he will indeed run you off the road. Tell him what you think about this idea. He can be reached at burnsaj @umich.edu. WEEKEND MAGAZINE. MORE THAN JUST THE RANDOM STUDENT INTERVIEW. FOOD FOR THOUGHT The Vietnam Protestors Truong Nhu Tang, a founder of the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong), writes in A Viet ong Memoir, "The Western anti-war movements had contributed much to our victory." Did the protestors save or cost lives? Gary Lillie & Assoc., Realtors www.garylillie.com Living in the residence halls on campus is certainly a memorable college experi- ence, for better or for worse. There's the cafeteria food, the community bathrooms and of course, the closet-sized rooms to share with an old friend or a com- plete stranger. While there is nothing to be done about the dimensions of these spaces we call "home" during our college years, there are several steps one can take to liven up the room and make the most of the space that's there ... Keep clean "You don't have a family room or kitchen or anything, so when you're in your room, you should really make the best of it," said LSA Sophomore Ingrid Macon. In her single room in Bursley Hall, Macon says she always makes her bed to keep the place clean. A small room will seem even smaller if clothes are scattered everywhere and trash is piled up in the walkway. "For garbage, it's simple. We use the Simpson's topple rule-whoever knocks the garbage can over it gets to take the trash out," commented Engineering Senior Chris Baldwin. "We haven't had a problem with that yet," Baldwin added that he and his roommate make an effort to vacuum once every two weeks and keep their laundry organized. Developing a plan is the best place to start, make a chore list that is realistic. "It's not hard to keep it clean, it's just a matter of doing it when it needs to be done," Baldwin commented. Maximize the area Since residence hall rooms offer little floor space in the first place, this precious commodity must be conserved at all costs. Many students decide to loft their beds at the beginning of the year to make their rooms appear bigger. For those students without lofts, space can be conserved in a variety of ways. Slim storage bins can easily be slid underneath beds that are not lofted, while shelving units allow items to be stored up to the ceiling. Both can be purchased at major retail stores, such as Target or Bed Bath & Beyond, and their low cost is easy on the wallet. Accessorize No room is complete without some personal flair to make the depressing stonewalls and tile floors feel a little more like home. While University Housing prohibits painting the walls, residents can use wall coverings like those available at Urban Outfitters to add a little color and decoration. The unique offerings of Urban can spruce up any room with little effort. "We have a lot of furniture that can be broken and moved easily," said housewares man- ager Jon Szczepan. The store offers rugs, bedding, lamps, picture frames and living space novelties such as wall clocks. Though the year is winding down, it is not too late to make your small space more comfortable. During the cold and dreary winter months rearranging furni- ture or putting up a new lamp might liven up an otherwise dismal environment. SHUBRA OHRI/ Theater student Rachel Arnsdorf cleans her room in Alpha Phi. MULTIPLYTM TOHIqHT @ MEHDELSSOHN THEATRE * Tpm. ANN ARBOR WORDWORKS PRESENTS 40 This lecture commemorates the life and work of Josh Rosenthal, a U-M graduate who died at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Supported by the Josh Rosenthal Education Fund at the Ford School, the lecture seeks to encourage public discussion of the changes in the world since September 2001. January 27, 2005 3:30 pm-5:00 pm Featuring original work performed by Molly Raynor, Paco, Adam Falkner, Coert Ambrosino, Johnny Floyd, Lauren Whitehead, Evelyn Hollenshead, Deborah Wiggins, Jeff Kass, Gabriel Peoples, Matt Dagher-Margosian, Mariama Lockington, Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman, Jon Liberzon & Malika Middlebrooks $5 for students of any kind ($4/advance) , $10 for general population ($8/advance) To reserve tickets at the advanced price or for more information: Jeff Kass: 734-223-7443 or eyelev21 @aol.com Vandenberg Room at the Michigan League 911 N. University, Ann Arbor For more information, contact the Ford School at 734-764-3490 or fordevents@umich.edu.