The Michigan Daily - Orientation Edition 2002 - 7
Living with roommates
requires an open-mind
By Donielle Cunningham
Daily Staff Reporter
Having to live with a stranger is one of many
adjustments incoming freshmen make when they
come to the University.
Whether a new student gets a roommate who
they can live with is a toss up. It depends on
many factors, such as common interests, back-
grounds and personality types.
When they reflected on their experiences with
roommates, many students either considered
themselves lucky or not so lucky.
LSA junior Adam Lowenstein, one of the lucky
ones, said he still lives with his freshman year
roommate.
"We had no problems," Lowenstein said,
adding that most of the common roommate prob-
lems were avoided because their schedules were
basically the same.
"We are both easy going," he added.
He said their biggest difference was their dis-
similar backgrounds- his roommate was from
Iowa and he is from California, but they "gained
more in common through the year," he said
adding that their many shared experiences helped
them live with one another.
LSA junior Melina Dendrinos also said she
thought her roommate experience was good
overall.
Dendrinos lived in a triple and found the biggest
difficulty to be dealing with problems between her
other two roommates. "The other two disagreed a
lot and I tried to stay out of it," she said.
She added she had to get used to being aware
of her roommates needs and making compromis-
es with things like the lights and television, she
said.
"Living with someone else is about give-and-
take. I expected there to be problems, but I
expected it to be fun too," Dendrionos said.
But not all students find friendship in their resi-
dence hall rooms. In fact, many students said they
wish to have nothing to do with their previous
roommates.
Art and Design alum David V. Wilson
described his experience simply as "pretty bad."
"We weren't compatible at all. We didn't click,"
Wilson said. He said the root of their problems
stemmed from his introverted roommate.
"He didn't relate well to people. My friends
felt awkward around him when they came
over," he said.
LSA senior Antoinette McLean also did not
have the ideal relationship with her freshman year
roommate. She said two of the problems were
the difference in hometowns between her and her
roommate and the common roommate disagree-
ments.
"When I was typing at ten o'clock (at night),
she would get mad," McLean said.
She said that because she was a freshman and
her roommate was a junior, age difference also
played a factor in their relationship.
"I don't think they should put juniors and
freshmen together," she added.
McLean said the best way she could get along
with her roommate was to go and hang out in
other people's rooms and enjoy her room when
her roommate left during the week.
EMMA FOSDICK AND JONATHON TRIEST/Daily
Above: People-watching on the Diag is a past
time at the University on warm, sunny days.
Right: In and Out is a favorite convenience
store for students on East University Avenue
at 2 a.m. KO
College full
of unique
memories
for students
By Shabina S. Khatri
Daily Staff Reporter
Late night trips to the In and Out Food
Store, "studying" in the Shapiro Undergradu-
ate Library (UGLi) until 3 a.m., relaxing on
the grass with friends on the Diag, skipping
class and weekend road trips: These are the
things that, for some, make life at the Universi-
ty seem like the true college experience. They
are memories that make students look back
fondly at their time spent in Ann Arbor.
While such memories are universally
remembered by all college students, it's the
University that makes each event unique.
To LSA senior Ben Blott, the "college experi-
ence" is not a homogenous series of events that
happens to every University student, he said.
Blott added college is about growing and
preparing for the real world - and he said there's
no place like the University to test those efforts.
"It's a great place to build your own path.
You can figure out what you're all about and
start gearing up for your adult life. It's about
balancing the inside you with the outside
world," he said.
Though his quest may sound familiar, Blott
cited the University's large size and competi-
tive environment as factors that uniquely
affected his four-year journey.
"If you want to be successful, at times it's
either sink or swim here. Even from the begin-
ning, it's like, here's your key, see you in four
years (at graduation)," he said.
But independence was one of Art and
Design alum Omari Orr's favorite things
about going to school here. Orr, who gradu-
ated in April, said the University gave him
the opportunity to take the initiative to
Clothes and gear for every latitude,
longitude, altitude and attitude.
grow on his own.
"You're not given a lot of direction, which
may make the place seem cold at times, but it
really is a chance to develop your own beliefs,
ideas and identities," he said.
This development is facilitated by the
University's motley array of student activi-
ties, which Engineering junior Danielle
Abrams said is one of the best features the
University boasts.
"I like all the extracurricular activities. Let's
say you like something and there's no club for
it- you can start your own club," she said.
Abrams, who grew up in Detroit, said the
friendly atmosphere is another one of her
favorite things about attending the University.
"I like the people here because when you
walk down the street, people are smiling, they
hold doors open for you and they say hello to
you, even if they don't know you. They don't
do that where I'm from," she said.
LSA junior Leslie Goo, an international stu-
dent from Indonesia, also found her fellow stu-
dents to be the University's most distinctive asset.
"I like the diversity here. It's good to meet
and learn from people who have different cul-
tures than you and that are from different
countries," she said.
Orr said the University should continue its
efforts to encourage diversity and understand-
ing, especially among incoming freshman.
"I think the independent types will have
the best time here. The others will have to
deal with peer pressure, but as long as they
know they don't have to be stuck in one
environment, like just the party scene,
they'll be OK," he said. "I say, different
strokes for different folks. It's cliche, but
hey, it works"
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