Things to do in winter - by Moshen Jafari

Things To Do In Winter

by Moshen Jafari

If you arrive in Ann Arbor in the wintertime, you might find that it is too cold to even open the trunk of your car to put in your suitcase! However, there are many fun things to do in Ann Arbor during the winter to beat the cold and keep those winter blues at bay. Let’s start with Ice-skating which is even being offered for free in some parks like: Burns, Allmendinger and Northside. Many people also enjoy sledding and cross country skiing around campus and in various Ann Arbor parks. If you are willing to venture outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan has many places to learn and practice alpine or “down hill” skiing. Luckily, the local ski areas offer equipment rental and lessons for a small fee. Even though, there are not many mountains here, you can ski resorts such as Alpine Valley Ski Area, Mt. Brighton and Mt. Holly.

Another, less expensive, winter activity that can be done in the Ann Arbor area is fishing. You only need a Michigan season pass license and a pole and you are all ready to go catch some if you are lucky. It might be a little tricky at first but, the odds are high that you will finally catch some Bass or Catfish.

If you are more inclined to spend the winter months indoors to escape the cold, many students spend their time browsing the University of Michigan’s many museums including the Museum of Natural History, the Planetarium, and the Museum of Art.  The UM museums contain exemplary collections and offer public programs, tours, workshops and other regular events.  Time flies by while taking a dinosaur tour at the Museum of Natural History or learning all about the different inhabitants of the ancient world at the Museum of Anthropology or the Museum of Archeology.  It is easy to get lost in the stars during the Planetarium’s frequent presentations. The Museum of Art is home to one of the largest university art museums in the United States with nearly 19,000 works of art collected over the last 150 years.

Of course Ann Arbor also offers all of the amenities of a regular city such as a shopping mall at Briarwood, movie theaters including the Michigan Theater located on E. Liberty, the State Theater located on State Street, and Goodrich Theater located on Jackson Avenue. There are also several bowling alleys where you can perfect your game, as well as a wide variety of restaurants and cafes in which to spend the winter months safely indoors reading a good book or catching up with friends.

There are plenty of great activities offered in and around Ann Arbor for both the outdoorsperson and the person who wants to stay in the warm indoors, but no matter what you choose to do, the most fun will be had sharing these experiences with friends.  

Living with Roommates - by Gizem Yagci

Living with Roommates

by Gizem Yagci

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Basics of roommate interactions are built on respect, understanding and empathy. After the friendly dynamic is set, the relationship can evolve from people-who-live-together into actual friends.

It is crucial to keep in mind that we all have good and bad days and most times we do not have control over our lives. Lets say person A leaves the dishes in the sink for a day longer than usual due to what is going on in his/her life. Remaining roommates will have two routes to choose: they can be understanding or not. Then again it always comes back to the intentions of the person and most importantly CONTEXT!!!!!

Living with other people is a challenge on its own. Your roommates could be from a very different background with opposite views or they may be from the same town, but still different in their own way. I believe that there is no ‘perfect roommate’. In any match, some sort of conflict will resolve on its own. My advice is to be less concerned about choosing or having the ‘right’ roommate, and be more concerned about the approach that you take when you are interacting with your roommate or trying to resolve a conflict.

I’ve always preferred confrontation rather than ignoring the other person or situation. That being said, confrontation will not work miracles if you use an accusing language and a condescending tone. Just take a moment and try to step back: see the bigger picture. Maybe this moment will prevent you from doing something that you will regret later on. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. How would you feel? How is the ideal way to approach the problem? Maybe there are external factors in your roommate’s life that you do not know about. Maybe it is a misunderstanding. Maybe it is miscommunication due to all the passive aggressive nature of the communication. My point is you never know until you ask. Ignoring the issue only leads to bigger problems. Even if you think you are entirely right, try to remember there are two sides to every story and that no conflict arises from one side particularly.

Always keep in mind that everyone struggles to have healthy roommate relationships. Maybe some do more than the others. But it is all a part of the college experience. If you pay attention to actively listen and talk to each other, you will realize that things will start to go in a much better direction. Having someone there when you want or need to talk or socialize is just refreshing and calming. It all comes down to setting the dynamics of the relationship right as early as possible, or try to salvage the relationship no matter at what point it is at, because it is never too late. For all you know, your roommate will become your best friend who you will live with until the day you graduate!

I personally love living with roommates. I just finished my junior year University of Michigan and every single year I had brand new experiences, friends and crazy memories. I recommend it to anyone! I hope your experience will be as pleasant as mine.

LGBTQ Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor is a small college town, but it has a relatively large LGBT population. According to some sources, Ann Arbor ranks as the second most gay-friendly and LGBT family friendly city in Michigan, behind East Lansing and ahead of Ferndale. Here are a few LGBT venues to explore in Ann Arbor.

Spectrum Center might be a good place to start. Located on the third floor of the Michigan Union on S. State Street, at the heart of Central Campus, Spectrum Center will provide you with a bunch of useful LGBT resources on campus. Here you will learn about various LGBT-specific student organizations, workshops, grants and scholarships, and opportunities to volunteer.

Apart from Spectrum Center, the University of Michigan has more than 20 LGBT-specific student groups, ranging from TransForm, devoted to providing resources and activism for the trans community, to Asexual Support and Visibility Group. Ask for the list of LGBT student groups at the Spectrum Center.    

Department of Women's Studies, Lane Hall, 204 S. State

For those of you interested in LGBT and queer theory as an academic field of study or just want to explore how the questions of gender and sexuality are addressed in humanities and social sciences, the Department of Women's Studies (located at the Lane Hall at 204 S. State St on Central Campus) will be a real asset. The Department is home for some of the best contemporary scholars in the field of gender and sexuality studies and it runs numerous workshops and events through the academic year. The events are normally open to the public. For more information, stop by the Lane Hall or subscribe to newsletter online.  

Slightly away from campus, at the heart of downtown Ann Arbor (also known as Kerrytown), you will find Common Language, a local self-identified LGBT bookstore, one of a few in the nation.  

For those of you eager to explore nightlife in Ann Arbor, Aut Bar (centrally located in Kerrytown just next to Common Language bookstore) is an attractive space that functions both as a nightspot and a bistro-type restaurant. The Necto Dance Club hosts a Pride Night on Fridays and Live is a place for the LGBT community on Thursday nights. Have fun!  

K. Mishuris

PhD Student at the University of Michigan

Instagram Worthy Spots on Central Campus

I don’t know about you, but I am kind of an instagram freak which means that I am that type of person who would stop by a building or a tree even, just to take a picture of it! Personally, I think that Ann Arbor is a very beautiful city and of course, there are so many spots on and around campus that I think are must-visits and also, worthy to be uploaded on instagram! The pictures in this blogpost were taken by me, but I am not a professional photographer! (Which means, they all look very much more magnificent in real life)

The Nichols Arboretum is the perfect spot for you alone, with friends or significant other to have an either relaxing or active time. This picture was taken in spring when the peonies were blooming and it was just breathtaking at that time of the year! Worry not, the arb is still as stunning during other seasons.

Next up is the University of Michigan Law School and Quad. The Law building is definitely one of the most beautiful spots on campus as it features such beautiful design, in and outside of the building which makes this building a famous structure on campus! (Couldn’t count the number of times I brought my friends here!)

The Michigan Union is the go to place for students and staff as there are some food places and spaces to study in the building. If you happen to go by the building, (you most definitely will), don’t forget to take a few minutes taking a picture of this stunning building!

If you go to Michigan, you will surely go by the diag at least once a day (if you have classes on central campus that is). It would take a little bit of time to take a picture of the Diag with not many people on it but it will be worth it! That building in the picture is actually the Hatcher Graduate Library and it is also very beautiful!

I could go on for days talking about the many beautiful spots on campus but since I could only write so much, the list ends here. Ann Arbor is definitely the place to travel around and take the whole day to take pictures around campus. Bear in mind, there is also the south and north campus with more gorgeous buildings and sceneries. Don’t forget to go around Ann Arbor and take pictures (and of course, instagram it and share the beauty of our city with the internet).

Ili Anuar

Undergradaute Student from Malaysia