0 0 p ~ 8CWednesday, October 19 2011 // The Statement PERSONALSTATEMENT THE MOST EXCITING WEEKEND H-W "TIT "" J EN D NI in the process of being hit by a car - a white sedan, if you were won- dering. Sometimes I think that sedan had been waiting for me my whole life. People often ask me what it felt like - to which is difficult to reply anything but "it felt like a car." I played lacrosse in high school, and the closest comparison I can mus- BY ELLIOT ALPERN can't imagine most people would be able to answer imme- diately when asked: "What was. the most exciting weekend of your life?" In fact, I'm not sure many people have such a weekend, the one you'll never forget. But seri- ously, shut up about that one time at whatever camp you went to in high school. Nobody cares that you drank beer from insert-piece- of-equipment-here. I'm talking about pure adrenaline-pumping, stomach-heaving, roller coaster- like madness. And for me, the weekend of Sept. 10 and 11 of last month was one that will live in both fame and infamy. That Sat- urday, the Michigan Wolverines pulled off one of the most nerve- wracking comebacks in the his- tory of college football and that Sunday, I was hit by a car. Let me explain first and fore- most that it was the burrito's fault. It's very important for me to get that straight. I could tell you the culpability of each person involved, as there's some degree of blame that could be levied on me, the driver and my housemate (who shall remain unnamed in dis- grace). However, to remain non- accusing, it's safest to condemn the burrito because burritos typi- cally can't yell back. You see, that Sunday I had very modest plans. I would watch the Steelers play the Ravens until 4 p.m., when I had an important meeting to attend. Other than that, I had cleared my schedule, so when the unnamed housemate inquired if I would go with him to grab a burrito, I fate- fully obliged. I'm a sucker for bur- ritos. I must also disclose that from where I live, I have to cross State Street at the five-way intersec- tion with Packard Street. As I only had about an hour until my meeting, I was in a bit of a hurry. As we approached the crosswalk running from east to west on State Street, I noticed there was five seconds left during which we could safely cross. Or so I thought, ter is getti as I yelled, "C'mon, we can make sided by an it!" and bounded into the street. instead of a The moment I got a few yards stop (and n into the street, a number of things after he's la occurred simultaneously, so I'll ton and a h "in truth, I only remember fragments. I felt some inherent stupidity as I rolled across the hood. But I was mostly focusing on not dying, something that requires a surprisingly large amount of concentration." try to adhere to any semblance to lock thef of chronology. For a fraction of a only remem second, I heard my housemate yell some inhere the beginning of a warning, and I across the h began to turn back (though it's not focusing on like I really had a chance at that that require point). Then, just as quickly, I was amount of c' ng completely blind- opposing player. But guy in pads who will naybe get a bro-five) id you out, this was a alf of metal and glass. If you played lacrosse against a team of robots, it probably wouldn't have been that strange. Another ques- tion I get is, "What were you thinking when you got hit?" as if I was wonder- ing whether I left the oven on or if I happened front door. In truth, I ber fragments. I felt nt stupidity as I rolled ood. But I was mostly not dying, something s a surprisingly large oncentration. Not that I'd admit it in person, but maybe I was wondering if my burrito was in jeopardy too. Don't judge. It was all over in a matter of seconds, but the aftermath last- ed much longer. I immediately picked myself - and my flip-flops which had mysteriously flown off - up and limped to the side- walk. Though I was miraculously unhurt, I was pretty pissed. I hadn't broken a bone in my entire life, and my foot was swelling large enough to put that streak in danger. I was told to sit down and was examined by a passing doc- tor. Someone eventually called the police and an ambulance, and even a fire truck, but only because the law requires them to respond. I got off lucky enough for the doctor to prescribe a sprained ankle that would only require crutches for a few days. Add to that my unbroken bone streak, and everything turned out alright. Actually, scratch that. The driver, who also shall remain nameless, never uttered a word of apology. Though considering I broke his windshield and his side-mirror while his car broke nothing of mine, I'm not too hung up about it. - Elliot Alpern is an LSA sophomore and an arts writer at The Michigan Daily. I STUDY ABROAD From Page 5C ens, stray dogs roamed the streets and houses were packed on top of each other. Her location was also five minutes away from the Gree-. cian protests this summer, giving her insight into the struggle. "We got to walk through that a lot and we got to see tear gas, riot police, fire bombs, things like that and just to see the Greek peo- ple come together," she said. The fellowship of the Greek people, coming together to orga- nize black outs and taxi strikes, also contributed to Cooper's desire to travel abroad again and learn more about the world. "It definitely just made me realize how many different types of cultures that are out there that I've never experienced and that I want to," she said. Tn the School of Art & Design, students are required to com- plete a three-week international experience in the form of a for- credit or not-for-credit program, an internship or a volunteering program. The requirement is in place because the faculty has seen that study abroad truly helps students in terms of their personal growth, according to Joe Trumpey, an associate professor of art in the School of Art & Design. "We expect students to come out of the experience a better person with these new ideas of self-confidence, independence, resourcefulness, flexibility, prob- lem-solving," Trumpey said. Studying abroad also helps stu- dents' art, Trumpey said, whether they gain inspiration from gothic cathedrals, cutting-edge art in China or traditional African art. "It's the idea of creative insights, being able to understand globalization in a new way and go out and find something that you're inspired by," Trumpey said. "Finding your voice is a big part of your development as an artist and as a leader." Art & Design senior Ellen Rutt studied abroad in the small col- lege town of Loughborough, Eng- land, filling three sketchbooks with inspiration for her special- ization in graphic art and illus- tration. As she traveled around the country and the continent from February to June last year, Rutt said she drew inspiration from ancient English ruins as well as the modern architecture of Lon- don. "Some of the styles in design and art are a little bit different and it certainly influenced my art," Rutt said. While Rutt found inspiration outside the classroom, inthe insti- tution itself, class occurred only a few times a week and professors only helped to guide assignments when directly approached. "(In Ann Arbor) I'm in painting class six hours a week, and there, I would be assigned a painting and I could work on it whenever I choose," she said. Trumpey said the degree of independence and less commu- nication with faculty is common at many of the art schools abroad. But he added that all the pro- grams are approved by University faculty and thus the programs are, "comparable not identical." "It's not going to be exactly as we have here, which is part of the value of the contrast," Trumpey said. Though assignments could be completed as desired and meet- ings with professors arranged only if needed, Rutt said the experience helped her grow as a person and as an artist. "I think it was really good to be tested on my own level of moti- vation and self-discipline," Rutt said. Because of this personal growth, Rutt said she appreciates the Art & Design requirement as a way to broaden her education at the University. "To step outside of Ann Arbor and get another perspective for even just a moment, that's really, really important in a well-round- ed undergraduate education," FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AT @MICHIGANDAILY AND LIKE US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE NEWS.