New Student Edition 2006 - The Michigan Daily - 7C

AMY DRUMM/Daily
Students board one of the blue University buses that shuttle between North and Central Campus.
TRANSPORTATION
Getting around in A2

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: A modern-day Dionysus enjoys his fill of keg beer; LSA senior Mike
Davis is initiated into the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity; a cowboy and cowgirl hit the dance floor at
Necto during the Greek Week Dance Contest.

By Andrew Grossman
Daily Staff Reporter
There are a million and a half reasons why
Ann Arbor is consistently ranked as one of the
top college towns in the nation, and one of those
is the fact that pretty much everything you need is
within walking distance. But if you're not in the
mood to walk - which is understandable when
the temperature is three below or the Lake effect
is offering up a torrential downpour - the city
and the University public transportation systens
provide some decent alternative options.
UNIVERSITY BUSES
Free University buses are the cheapest way to
get around Ann Arbor, and will become a fix-
ture of your life if you live on North Campus
or take classes there. Busses run frequently on
weekdays, and they often come 15 or 20 min-
utes apart on nights and weekends. Bus sched-
ules and routes can be found online at www.
transportation.umich.edu.
The engineering department is currently test-
ing an online bus tracking system, available at ace.
engin.umich.edy/gmaps/cclittle_arrivals.html.
ANN ARBOR BUS SYSTEM
The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority runs
free (for students with an M-Card) bus service
around the area. AATA buses run to Ypsilanti,
Kerrytown and a variety of shopping centers,
including the Briarwood Mall. AATA route maps
and schedules are available in most residence halls
and online at theride.org.

TAXI
Not interested in learning why the 2 a.m. bus
back to North Campus on weekends is called the
"vomit comet?" Don't want to brave the sub-zero
windchill on a Friday night in January? Consid-
er taxis. There is a minimum fare of $2.50, fol-
lowed by a 30-cent charge for each eighth of a
mile. Make friends with the cabbies, or else you
may face 30- to 45-minute waits at peak times.
AIRPORT TRANSPORTATION
Most students fly in and out of Detroit Met-
ropolitan Airport, located about 25 miles east
of Ann Arbor. The Michigan Student Assembly
sponsors a bus shuttle to and from the airport
before and after fall, Thanksgiving, winter and
spring breaks. The bus costs $7 if tickets are
purchased in advance, or $10 on the bus. More
information is online at msa.umich.edu/airbus.
There are also a variety of taxi and shuttle
services to and from the airport. A cab will usu-
ally cost $45 each way, not including tip. This
is often the most convenient option, especially
if you know someone on your flight with whom
you can share the fare.
Many flights into Detroit at the end of vaca-
tions are full of returning University students.
Meet that cute guy or girl in the Michigan
sweatshirt across the aisle and share a cab home
with him or her. There are also a variety of
shared-ride shuttle services that charge betweep
$10-$25 per trip. A quick Google.com search
for "Detroit airport transportation" will yield a
number of different taxi and shuttle companies
to compare.

By Carissa Miller
Daily Staff Reporter
When it moved from Detroit
to Ann Arbor in 1837, the Univer-
sity boasted only two professors and
sevenstudents. A lot of things have
changed since then - the Universi-
ty is now home to an undergraduate
student population of nearly 25,000
and more than 900 student organi-
zations, ranging from social service
to political activism.
Nearly 15 percent of the under-
graduate population participates in
the Greek community each year.
Greek life offers students leadership
training and community service
opportunities as well as academic
support and a group of close friends.
"Animal House" stereotypes
not withstanding, members of the
Greek system typically achieve aca-
demic marks at or near the Univer-
STAMPFL
Continued from Page 1C
you're living with your parents
in Utah and you're lying on your
too-short bed looking at the
same poster of Karl Malone on
the wall that's been there since
the 1997 NBA finals and and
and ...
Just wait.
You'll discover it at your
first job interview at the New
York law firm or the San Diego
aquarium when you find out that
the interviewer is one of 435,000
living Michigan alumni.
You'll discover it when you're
at a Board of Regents meeting
and the outgoing student-body
president is crying during his last
address to the board, telling the

sity average. In winter2006, Greeks
had an average GPA of 3.169, in
comparison to the University aver-
age of 3.244.
Every spring, members of the
Greek community participate in
Greek Week, one of the University's
largest student-run philanthropic
efforts. Members take part in events
ranging from silent auctions to hot-
dog-eating contests to raise money
for local and national charities.
Since the formation of the first
men's fraternity in 1845, the Greek
community on campus has grown
to encompass 62 chapters within
four councils.
Students interested in joining
the Multicultural Greek Council or
the National Pan-Hellenic Council
- the parent organization for all
historically black fraternities and
sororities on campus - are encour-
aged to attend individual recruit-
story of how much his parents
sacrificed to afford the Univer-
sity's out-of-state tuition. How
one day he's going to donate so
much money to the University
that they'll name a dining hall
after him.
You'll discover it when you're
a junior and you've just switched
majors seven times and you real-
ize that Michigan also has the
eighth field you're interested in
- as well as the ninth.
You'll discover it when you're
talking with the University
president and she's explaining
why the school has to spend
all the money it does on things
like one-on-one violin classes,
because "that's the only way to
learn violin."
You'll discover it at the last
home football game of senior

ment events held throughout the
year, such as the NPHC Icebreaker
in early September.
The bulk of the recruitment for
Interfraternity Council fraternities
and Panhellenic Association sorori-
ties, which comprise the majority of
the community, takes place at the
start of the fall semester. This pro-
cess, commonly known as "rush,'
lets students interact with current
members and learn about the differ-
ent chapters.
But if riding a mechanical bull in
the middle of a lawn on State Street
to fight cancer doesn't sound like
your cup of tea, don't worry. Greek
life has much more to offer, and
with more than 60 houses to choose
from, chances are you can find a
home away from home that doesn't
require public humiliation. But hey,
who doesn't like a bull ride every
once in a while?
year when all 111,217 people are
pumping their fists in unison to
"The Victors" as the band plays
"hail to the conquerin' heroes"
because the Heisman-award win-
ning quarterback just threw a spi-
ral to a wide-out in the end zone,
sending the team to Pasadena
with roses between their teeth.
And even when you die
- your hospital room complete
with a block 'M' flag, the wife
you kissed under the Engin Arch
(it means you'll get married)
beside you - you'll be content
to know that, no matter what the
cost, at least you had the oppor-
tunities.
Even if you do still have
$2,787 left on your student loans.

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