The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Tuesday, September 8, 2009 - 7F
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, September 8, 2009 - 7F
It's 75 degrees outside. A group
of friends are playing Frisbee in
the Diag. You want to join them
and soak in the warm sun, but
you have a huge exam to study for.
The idea of locking yourself in the
UGLI all afternoon seems worse
than failing your first blue-book
exam.
Well, you don't have to shut
yourself in the stuffy library when
you can study in the Nichols Arbo-
retum, more commonly known as
the Arb.
Many students fail to take
advantage of the hidden paradise
during their time at the Univer-
sity. Just a few yards past Mary
Markley Residence Hall, the Arb
provides a close escape to students
When you're looking to get out
ofthe monotony ofSouth Universi-
ty and State Street for a day, Gallup
Park is the destination. Less than
a ten-minute drive from central
campus, Gallup Park serves as the
perfect escape when you just need
to get away from it all.
The 69-acre park is situated
along the Huron River and Ged-
des Pond. It contains both a canoe
livery and a three-and-a-quarter-
mile trail among many other rec-
reational attractions.
In the summer and early fall,
looking to break away from Ann
Arbor's busy urban life, and it'sthe
perfect place to experience Michi-
gan's four seasons.
In the spring, wildlife such as
squirrels and rabbitsromp through
the grounds, closely approaching
visitors.
When the sun reappears after
hibernating all winter, students
spread blankets on the grassy hills
to either tan, crack open biology
books or nap.
Others students avoid the hot,
stale air in the CCRB and opt to
exercise in the Arb, which offers
several nature trails for walking or
jogging.
In the summer, the Arb is an
ideal setting for a picnic with
friends. Many townees also visit
the Arb with their family, which
makes ita wonderful place to peo-
ple-watch.
Autumn's arrival is marked by
the forest leaves changing from
emerald to burnt orange, and
visitors to the Arb layer on sweat-
shirts and thick sweaters to evade
the crisp chill.
After the first snowfall, daring
students steal dining hall trays
to use as makeshift sleds and test
out the Arb's slopes. Others gather
groups of friends tobattle in snow-
ball fights. Don't miss out on the
opportunity to visit the Arb during
the next four years. Mother nature
won't disappointyou.
-STEPHANIE STEINBERG
the diag central campus
At the center of campus, and in
many ways at the center of the Michi-
gan experience, the Diag will take
countless forms during your time here.
The long, grassy expanse with criss-
crossing sidewalks is surrounded by
campus buildings, punctuated on one
end by the Hatcher Graduate Library
and at the otherby the Rackham Grad-
uate School.
The cemented paths originated
while the Diag was still a pasture
(outhouses and all) that students and
faculty would use as a shortcut to go
between class buildings.
When the weather is temperate, the
Diag is consistently populated with
members of the University community.
You'll see people studying in the grass,
throwing a Frisbee around, playing
music and openly sharing opinions.
The brass block "M" in the center of
the patio section of the Diag is full of
myth and tradition. Superstitious stu-
dents avoid stepping on it because leg-
end has it that doing so will cause one
to fail his or her first blue book exam
- a claim perpetuated (and probably
invented) by tour guides for prospec-
tive students. Also, students proudly
take shifts guarding the "M" from
Spartan vandalism during the week
preceding the annual football game
against Michigan State.
There is always something happen-
ing on the Diag: things spontaneous
and small, like a few musicians strum-
ming acoustic guitars, as well as social
gatherings like "Hash Bash," acelebra-
tion of marijuana and Ann Arbor's lax
pot laws held on the first Saturday of
every April.
Chances are you'll have a reason to
walk through the diag at least once a
day. Don't pass it up, especially when
the weather's nice.
-MATT AARONSON
Students may see families with chil-
dren running about during the spring
and summer,but duringthe fallthe park
tends tobe quieter and can definitelybe
auniquestudyretreat, especiallybefore
winter closes in. Gallup Park is one of
Ann Arbor's hidden treasures and cer-
tainly a place you don't want to miss
during your time at Michigan.
-NICOLE ABER
Orchid Lane, a groovy local
purveyor of fair-trade goods, is
relatively unknown despite its
many charms. Tucked between
Encore Records and the Orchid
Lane wholesale store on East Lib-
erty, the store, wafts incense and
is vaguely reminiscent of 1970s
Woodstock. It carries anachro-
nistic paisley dresses made of
gauzy fabrics, among more mod-
ern offerings by upscale brands
including Kensie and Betsey
Johnson.
The store is also stocked with
t-shirts featuring Bob Marley, as
well as shirts urging "More Love,
Less Waste." "Earthiness" per-
meates the store, in the store's
layout and offerings as well as
the store's message.
Scads of jewelry hang from
displays, and many of the stores
trinkets are imported from
India. Colorful cloth totes fea-
turing Bollywood images, silver
anklets, and even jeweled bindis
can be found at the store.
A step next door will take
you into the Orchid Lane Ware-
house, where all offerings are
$15 or under - perfect for stu-
dent budgets. Bajas, the apparel
manifestation of pot culture, can
be found in all sizes for both men
and women and are ideal for the
next Hash Bash demonstration
on the Diag.
The warehouse also carries
a wide array of cold-weather
accessories for those brisk Mich-
igan winters. The ever-popular
pashmina scarf comes in vibrant
hues ranging from bright laven-
der to dark crimson.
For your nextshopping expen-
diture, consider Orchid, Lane.
-JASMINE ZHU
nar 1 00 fllr d 13499.28
students enjoy boating on the pic-
turesque Geddes Pond. At just $18
for two hours of boating, students
can rent canoes, kayaks or row-
boats.
The park's trail is open to walk-
ers and runners as well as to bik-
ers and roller bladers. The asphalt
trail proves to be one of the most
scenic routes in Ann Arbor as it
curves along the Huron River and
under canopied trees that provide
shade in the summer, colorful foli-
age in the fall andbeautiful flowers
in the spring. The Gallup Park trail
Several University clubs and orga-
nizations host runs at the park,
including the University of Michi-
gan Dance Marathon's annual five
kilometer run in the fall.
There are even grills and a pic-
nic area for students to come and
have a late summer barbeque with
friends while watching the sunset
along the still water. There is also
an open field perfect for tossing
around a ball or playing a game of
Frisbee. Just be sure to watch out
for the geese poop, which tends to
be aplenty.
get yoret
The laidback mein of Sam's needs of anyone from a hipster
draws a wide range of custom- searching for their statement-
ers all in search of basics-from wear to a retiree looking for
the perfect white tee to worn-in hunting clothes. The pants are
denim jeans. The store is easy stacked on wooden tables, and
to navigate since the clothing is if a shopper has trouble finding
organized by brand and style. the right cut or size, the sales
The shirts are arranged by color staff is happy to help. The Con-
and the pants are sorted by cut. verses-low and high-tops-are
The easygoingsalespeople do an found in the back of the store.
excellent job of representingthe The selection is usually limited
merchandise they sell, which is to solid colors, but has at least 15
comfortable and practical. Most different shades.
people will walk away with a Sam's also has the usual col-
purchase that, if not extraor- lection of outdoor clothing:
dinarily unique, can be worn comfortable hiking sandals,
often and with confidence. warm fleeces, windbreakers
The biggest attractions of and a wide variety of cargo and
Sam's are the three well-known bermuda shorts. On a shelf fac-
Americanbrands that constitute ing the dressing stalls, opposite
a good portion of their prod- the row of converse, is a collec-
ucts; American Apparel, Levi's tion of moccasins-the style is
and Converse. Immeadiately frequently worn around cam-
upon entering the store, Ameri- pus.
can Apparel tanks, V-necks and Sam's is a place where anyone
basic T's can be seen left and can go to pick up the staples of a
right. They are in the range of complete wardrobe. Its fair pric-
$10 to $14 but are frequently on es and friendly staff guarantee
sale for around $5. The middle that it will continue to attract a
of the store is devoted to Levi wide variety of customers.
products in both men's and -CLARA HILDEBRANDT
women's styles. They satisfy the
btb burrito 810 s. state st. 1734.222.4822
mr. spot's 1 808 s. state st. 734.747.7768
Mr. Spots doesn't do gimmicks.
It isn't open until 4 a.m, your food
doesn't arrive in less than 30 seconds
and the menu issomewhatlimited. It
doesn't do ambiance, either. Bever-
ages come in large Styrofoam cups,
salads are served with prepackaged
Ken's dressing and the walls are bare
except for a few newspaper clippings
and Michigan sports posters. The
place barely even does customer ser-
vice. So how has the "Philadelphia
style steak and hoagie shop" devel-
oped such a cult following?
Because what Spots does do, it
does better than anyone else. The
steak and chicken come off the grill
soft and flavorfulserved onabuttery
roll and slathered with cheese and
onions. The waffle-fries are delight-
fully greasy, tinged a light orange
with special seasoning. Even the cold
deli sandwiches, an afterthought at
some other eateries, overflow with
fresh meat and cheese.
But while Mr. Spot's may pride
itself on hoagies and sandwiches,
any true regular knows that its
wings truly set the place apart from
anywhere else. Allegedly "award
winning," they come in only three
flavors: BBQ, original hot and sui-
cide. Like everything else at Spots,
it'll take a while for the employees
to make the wings. To be specific,
it'll take exactly the amount of time
it takes you to start wondering why
you bother walking allthe way down
South State, only to forgo the cheap-
er and faster Big Ten Burrito and
Quickie Burgertime aftertime.
Once the guy at the register walks
over and places that red basket in
front of you, muttering a bored
'here,' then you know you've come
to the right place. The first thing
you notice is the color. The wings
are bright orange, and the sauce
isn't lightly painted on like at Buf-
falo Wild Wings. These plump, juicy
wings and drumsticks are drenched
in sticky, spicy hot sauce. After a few
bites, your brow will sweat and your
mouth will burn. After a few more,
you won't care. A few minutes and a
few dozen paper napkins later, you'll
know why more than a few alumni
- Tom Brady and Steve Hutchinson
among them -make sure to stop in
at Spots on any return trip to Ann
Arbor. Hint: it's not the ambiance.
-IANKAY
bells0pzza170 pakar.st 174-9503
So it's 2 a.m. on Friday night,
and you just walked out of a fra-'
ternity party. Passing out in your
twin-size dorm bed sounds like
a good idea right about now, but
as you stumble out of the house,
you're quickly engulfed with
an instant craving for food. Let
me introduce you to the "drunk
munchies." This is something
many college students experience
on a weekly or, perhaps, daily
basis. When the munchies take
hold of you, various food choices
begin to swirl around in your
head.
However, at this time of night,
you don't want just any food. You
want a meal that will really hit the
spot and only a few places can sat-
isfy that hunger. One such place is
Big Ten Burrito - BTB for short -
located on South State Street.
MAX COLUN5/Daily
When you first walk into this
food establishment, you might
not think much of the Ann Arbor
landmark with its eight mid-20th
century chairs and its one table
that's on the verge of collapsing
every time some drunken fool
tries to plop his butt on it. From its
original chicken quesadilla to its
vegetarian chimichanga, you're in
for a real treat. If any one of the six
different burritos isn't your thing,
try BTB's mouth-watering steak
nachos or its classic chicken taco.
Whatever your heart's desire and
stomach's wish, BTB can give you
what you need. But don't expect to
be out of there quick. Lines usu-
ally stretch out the door and down
the sidewalk, so be prepared to
wait five or 10 minutes. Trust me,
it'll be worth it.
-MARK BURNS
After your first week of fresh-
man year, maybe you've already
developed an enormous obsession
with four-star quarterback and San
Diego, Calif. native Tate Forcier.
Since arriving in Ann Arbor, maybe
you've also wanted to slap hands
with high-flying Michigan basket-
ball stars Manny "Fresh" Harris
and Deshawn Sims. Chances are,
you might never get a chance to wit-
ness these players up close and per-
sonal unless you takea stroll over to
Bell'sPizzaonthe corner ofPackard
and South State.
The decrepit-looking building is
the home of some of the finest piz-
zas, hot oven grinders, and subs on
campus. Bell's is the local hangout
for many athletes on Fridayand Sat-
urday nights during the academic
year. Student-athletes as well as
students flock to the more-then-30
-year-old local pizza joint on week-
ends for a few slices of pepperoni or
cheese pizza at a fairly decent price.
Ifyou'relookingforalittlevariety
inyour life,tryoneoftheirspecialty
pizzas like the Hawaiian delight
or chicken barbecue. Additionally,
Bell's offers a wide array of calzones
like its mouth-wateringchicken cal-
zone. If that's not yourthing, try one
of their 11 sizzling subs that will be
sure to soften those hunger pains.
Bell's is to meet, greet and fulfill
yourtaste budseverytimeyouenter.
They're open till 4 a.m., so you can
grab that snack before hitting the
hay. And if you're lucky, your visitto
Bell's could include a conversation
with one of Michigan's superstar
athletes and perhaps a photo shoot.
But don't expect the picture to be
free. It might cost you a slice or two.
-MARKBURNS
While living in Ann Arbor
and attending the 'U', it is likely
that you'll come across costume
parties, themed get-togethers,
formals and other swank shin-
digs. You may think this city
offers little to outfit your needs,
but vintage collector Kelly
McLeoud's "The Getup" has
countless vintage items to rep
your style.
Additionally, The Getup
offers a rare and wide variety of
vintage items spanning from the
1920s to the 1980s that make the
city a hotspot within the state
for stylish secondhand clothing.
McLeoud's trained eye for vin-
tage pieces has led to The Getup
priding itself on the uniqueness
SAM WOLSON/Daily
of its items rather than on their
brand names (though there is a
reasonable collection of Pucci
and your occasional vintage
Rayban wayfarers, Dior sun-
glasses and vintage wool Izod
sweaters).
The Getup houses one of the
largest collections of authentic
vintage rock band T-shirts, while
also containing a wide selection
of western boots and leather
jackets for men and women.
McLeoud tells her custom-
ers to walk into her store with a
sense of humor to appreciate her
quirky and eccentric pieces, and
there's no doubt you'll leave The
Getup with a rad sense of style.
-LARA ZADE