0 9 0 9 During the war years, prominent magazines terrorized young girls by very gloomy estimates on their chances of getting married. If those estimates were correct, we may only deduce that Martha Cook girls are unusually - if not extraordinarily, popular. So, we have little to worry about. Let us be "foot loose and a fancy free" without apprehension. - 1926 Annual, in light of statistic that since 1915, 1,440 of the 2,377 women, or 60 percent, that gradu- ated from Martha Cook were married. or uniforms to dinner or that men are banned from the dorm entirely. According to the residents, some freshmen moving in still believe they must be back before curfew. " ...to gather togeth- er the choicest spir- its of the University" Both past and present Martha Cook residents are eager to describe the strong sense of community they associate with the building. Today's residents take part in frequent social events like international movie nights and formal dances that foster a close-knit environment. Halili said most of her closer friends either live in Martha Cook or started there but later moved off-campus. "Everybody knows each other," Halili said, "When you walk down the hall, you hear a 'good morning."'" "The building was built to gath- er together the choicest spirits of the University for their influence upon each other and upon the Uni- versity itself," Cook wrote. Each year, enough women are attracted to Martha Cook's beauty and its warm environment to ensure the building has no trouble finding women to fill its rooms. In the 1970s, residents were selected based on academics, activities and two interviews. Cath- erine Davis remembered that conse- quently, the hall was "very high on an academic scale." She compared the anticipation of waiting for the interview invitations to arrive in the mail with sorority bid day. Today's process is far more relaxed, consist- ing only of an application form and essay. But current residents agreed that it was intimidating at first. Halili was afraid that she wouldn't be accepted to Martha Cook, which would have relegated her to Mosher- Jordan Residence Hall for her fresh- man year. "I was just terrified," she said. In some ways, Martha Cook resembles a traditional version of a sorority more than a dormitory. "The only thing we don't have is rush," Halili said. "I just think it's a wonderful com- munity to belong to," said hall direc- tor Marion Scher. She agreed that sororities might share some of the same goals as Martha Cook - both are trying to "create a close commu- nity of women." Martha Cook has "a little dif- ferent style of living ... a little bit more traditional," former resident Jennifer Davis said. A visit to a sit-down dinner confirms Davis's observation. The sight of nearly 150 women standing over their places singing grace - in harmony - is one unique to Martha Cook, but one that, with slight fashion changes, could have taken place any time in the building's history. Today's Mar- tha Cook is not a radically different place from the residence hall that first opened its doors in 1915. The days of forbidden Victrola record players - one of the few conditions Cook himself stipulated - have long passed, but Martha Cook Building and its residents continue to share the same values and way of life as their predecessors. SHOP ATDRT NK With only a few months of operation remaining, store i ByS6 hact 71ounded in 1962, with the hoes of providing a source of atffordable, yet well-made clothing to men, women and chil- dreThe Tree has been a commu- nity haven for thrift-store shoppers. Dedicated to being a giving tree to the entire Ann Arbor community for the past 43 years, the store still upholds this simple mission. Unfortunately, unlike most fairy- tales, this one does not have a happy ending. After 43 years of service, rising rent costs and competition from other second-hand stores will force the store's owners to close it down this December. While the news of retirement is bittersweet for the stores employees, Tree is using the opportunity to sell its merchan- dise at even lower prices. Starting Oct. 7, everything in the store has been reduced by 50 to 70 percent, and for those who are still skeptical about second-hand clothing, a few buried treasures have been dug up, including Coach purses, occasional fur coats, and just last week, a Louis Vuitton handbag. In accordance with its mission as a store serving the community, The Tree plans to donate all leftover clothing to charity, and is currently working with Jewish Family Servic- es for Hurricane Relief as a source for the leftover items. This fairytale union of community service and business looks the part. Upon walking through the white picket fence and through the classic cottage door, The Tree exudes a worn-in feel. Every corner of the room is lit- tered with clothing, shoes, and accessories - each with its own tale to tell. Shoppers used to the fluo- rescent-lighting, matching-hanger detailing of many chain stores may have a harder time adjusting to The Tree, which recycles everything it can and promotes an atmosphere that has not changed in the 43 years of its life. "We really are one big happy fam- ily. The same people have come in for 15 years," said store manager Jose- phine Watne, who, at 82 years old, has seen generations of families count on the store for their clothing needs. First time sellers pay a one-time fee of ten dollars and receive a one-year contract guaranteeing them 50 percent of the profits made from the items. For almost 50 years, this system has pro- vided The Tree with an abundance of goods from hats and coats, to bracelets and bags. LouAnn Preston, the store's assistant manager, attributes the pas success of the store's business to tradi tion by which it has stuck. "Everything is done by hand, we don't have computers, and everything has stayed the same. People like the assurance of familiarity," she said. Reaching out to as many people a: it can before the last apple drops, The Tree wrote in a note to its shoppers SHUBRA OHRI/Daily The Tree, which will close this December, is selling clothes for 50 to 70 percent off the regular price. Gnever had gnocchi? Then you're in for a gnice surprise. Gnocchi is how Italy does the potato dumpling. And as you can probably guess, the g is silent. But the flavor is anything but. Add tender burgundy braised beef, a splash of cream, a little onion, mushroom and sweet red pepper, and you've got a taste of Italian heaven. Don't wait to try it, our Gnocchi dish is only available for a limited time. After that, it's arrivederci. 3601 WASHTENAW AVE & US 23 I 320 SOUTH STATE ST NEAR LIBERTY PETER SCHOTTENFELS/Daily Portia, the famed character in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," stands guard outside Martha Cook Building. 6B - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 13, 2005