The Michigan Daily - michigandaity.com Tuesday, September 8, 2009 9C THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DORMS Are you nervous about sharing a room with another person who you've never met? Do you know nothing about your assigned dorm? We've solicited help from Daily writers who have lived in some of the residence halls on campus to provide you with background information that the Orientation leaders and tour guides don't tell you. CENTRAL CAMPUS: EAST QUAD Entering East Quad through the courtyard, you immediately sense something out of the ordinary. You can't place it at first, but you know it has something to do with that girl wearing the kimono in the corner, sketching mushrooms. And yes, the chanting coming from that open window is part of it, too. Ignore the table of hipsters staring you down, enter the building and smile. You have arrived at the Bohemian cradle of the University: the Residential College. To your left is one of two dining halls in which you will be served more organic, vegetarian, international and locally grown food than anywhere else on campus. Remember this acclaim when you grow tired of barbeque tofu after your first month. Upstairs, your room is bigger than any of your friends' in Markley, but they still tell you East Quad sucks. And you either respond that you love it or you say, "but the location is great..." There's no escaping the community showers, but you don't mind. College is all about experimentation anyway, right? Have fun with it! Smell that smoky, herbal smell? That's the not-technically- addictive-but-still-pretty-intense scent of nonconformity - your gateway to the liberal arts. Breathe it in and you feel at home. Oh, and if you're not a weirdo, there are plenty of normal people in the South half of the building. MATT GREEN "CENTRAL CAMPUS: MARTHA COOK Built in 1915 as a safe haven to house the women who would eventually become the wives of the lawyers next door on South University, Martha Cook currently houses approximately 140 female students who may or may not follow the archaic path of past "Cookies." While the students may catch a bad rep on campus for being snooty and reserved, freshmen can be assured that their room will be larger and nicer than in any other residence hall on campus. Many will be pleasantly surprised by the number of walk-in closets. The environment is conducive to studying at almost any time, and when weather permits, the porch that sits off the east side of the building overlooking the fenced-in courtyard is perfect for evening strolls and picnics. The weekly Friday Tea is something that most, if not all residents come to love. And at the end of the day, even though non-residents will need to be escorted off the premises, the Cookies get to sleep soundly at one of the best residence halls on campus. CHANTEL JENNINGS At first, Couzens might not seem like the perfect dorm for freshman year. Not only does it lack a dining hall, but-it's also a slight walk from most classes on central campus. However, these perceived shortcomings are easily overcome by Couzens' countless positives. It is great to have the beautiful Hill Dining Center within close proximity, allowing students to grab a quick bite to eat with ease. Both Palmer Field and the Central Campus Recreational Building are only a short walk away, making it relatively easy to find a place to enjoy some activity between classes. It provides the ideal balance between social and studious residence halls. The multiple lounges in Couzens facilitate interaction between students, serving as comfy places to hang out and relax with friends. Additionally, the dorm is never too rowdy and presents a calm working environment. When studying in a residence hall is just not enough, the quick stroll to the Taubman Medical Library will surely be appreciated, especially during the cold winter months. Couzens offers the best of all worlds - a central location that is neither too close nor too far from anything, a social environment and a comfortable place for quiet relaxation and study. SHRUTI UMESH GANDHI So the rooms aren't so big, you're relegated to use community bathrooms and the walk to class is a tad on the longer side, but don't worry - two weeks into your first semester, all of your friends not living in Markley are going to wish they did. Markley is the end all, be all of residence halls at the University. It has all of the essentials to offer you the best freshmen experience possible. So you have a paper and a final for tomorrow? There's a 24-hour computingsite in the basement as well as a study lounge at the front of the building to help in your academic endeavors. Do you get hungry at 10 p.m. but don't want to run outside in the 20-degree weather to grab a late-night snack? Don't fret - the Hideway, a dining convenience store, has everything you need to get you through your hunger pains. Want to go out on a Saturday night? With over a thousand freshmen and sophomores living in Markley, you'll always find people to hang out with no matter what night of the week it is. This is the dorm for incoming freshmen. Consider yourself very lucky if you're assigned to live here. MARKBURNS HILL CAMPUS: ALICE LLOYD The lingering sounds of students playing Beethoven and Billy Joel on the piano float down the hallways. Students splatter paint on can- vases in the art room. Others read and recite poetry in the lounge. Welcome to the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program inAlice Lloyd. Around 200 studentswith an interest in writing and the artsbelong to the LHSP learning community. Students in the program take English classes taught specifically by LHSP professors and participate in arts and literary-oriented clubs such as Photography Club, Extemporaneous Writing and Film Club and produce A View from the Hill Literary Journal with writing and artwork from students. But Alice Lloyd isn't just a creativity oasis. About 200 residents belong to the Health Science Scholars Program - another learning community for students interested ina career in health. HSSP students take health-related courses and attend monthly seminars where healthcare professionals discuss the latest develop- ments in public health. If you happen to be one of the lucky freshmen placed in Alice Lloyd, but not in either learning communities, rejoice. You get to live in one of the dorms with the biggest rooms on campus, where Palmer Field is your backyard and the walk to the dining hall is less than one minute away. STEPHANIE STEINBERG NORTH CAMPUS: BURSLEY/BAITS You've heard the horror stories about North Campus and all its doom. You've been educated on how living there isolates you from the rest of the University. And yes, that is all kind of true. But Bursley and Baits aren't as bad as everyone might have told you. The commute to and from Central Campus does suck at 8 a.m., but you'll meet some really cool people on the Magic Bus. With your newfound friends, you'll be able to bitch and complain about how living on North is a pain but, in doing so, you'll develop a bond with your fellow students. While North is three miles from Central, the trek back to North at the end of the day will leave you with a sense of peace that you have to really search for on Central. But if you're one of the unfortunate few assigned to live among three miles from the heart of the University- I'm sorry. Find a good group of friends, make the best of it and find a way to stay at a friend's dorm on Friday night before home football games. If you don't, you'll be sure to wait a while for the bus down to Central. MARK BURNS With first director, Semester in Detroit gears up for inaugural program By BETH WITTENSTEIN Daily StaffReporter SEPTEMBER 3, 2009 - The Semester in Detroit project, a pro- gram which will intertwine a com- munity-based internship and an urban studies course, moved one step closer to sending students to the Motor City. Craig Regester, the recently appointed associate staff director for the program, began work Tues- day and is enthusiastic about the program's goals. "It will provide an opportunity for students that seriously want to immerse themselves in the city in a way that wasn't possible until now," said Regester. Regester already set up a listing of courses and additional infor- mation about the program online. Students will live in Wayne State University residence halls and have access to the school's facilities. University professors and administrators from several dif- ferent schools and departments have worked together over the past year to launch the program including Ginsberg Center Direc- tor Margaret Dewar, Residential College Director Charles Bright, LSA Asst. Dean Evans Young and Lester Monts, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. Regester said the group has contacted more than 300 Detroit- based organizations in hopes of placing University students in internship programs. The program will offer three elective courses for program par- ticipants - "Detroit Connections," taught by Nick Tobier, an assistant professor in the School of Art and Design; a creative writing course titled "Writing in Detroit" taught by RC Lecturer Lolita Hernandez and a Detroit history course taught by Residential College Prof. Ste- phen Ward. Ward and his students will collaborate with Detroit's Mosaic Youth Theater to produce an oral history production at the end of the term. Regester said he plans to add more elective choices for students in the program. He said he'd also like to see the Semester in Detroit program involve an extracurricular mentor- ship program in which University students can meet regularly with a University alum living or work- ing in the city and a Detroit high school student. "On a small scale," Regester said, "that sort of mentorship program will encourage more young people to consider college in general." 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