Festifall Guide

SEPTEMBER 10, 2015

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CONTENTS 8 12 15 16 17 20 24 28 31

From the Daily: an overview (M) Running in the Diag The oldest club on campus Stamp: All about music The tune of Ann Arbor How to start a student organization AA art museum guide What the ‘U’ does for you Political life on campus

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FROM THE DAILY

An overview

The Daily’s editorial board explains why you should join its magnificent staff

T

he University of Michigan is an extraordinary campus with a combined area of over 781 acres nestled throughout the city of Ann Arbor. Home to 1,000+ clubs and organizations scattered throughout campus, it’s difficult to find a place to suit your talent and interests best. But fret not! If you’re a grammar nerd, an oxford comma rebel, a photographer, videographer or computer coder, a dedicated maize and blue wearer, an advertising guru, someone whose always been told to start a blog or stuffed bear lover, The Michigan Daily is the place for you. Since 1890, the Daily has been breaking news, covering sports, being artsy and swaying opinions on campus in a style all its own. The student-run newspaper is host to a versatile staff of over 200 people from across the nation and world, involved in 10+ sections at varying levels. Now, the fall semester is upon us, and we need you. If you’re standing in the Diag, surrounded by Festifall booths, unsure if you belong anywhere, sprint over to 420 Maynard Street, and join the Daily today.

The Daily, financially and editorially independent of the University, shares a building with several other student publications. The Daily’s editorial and business staffs — separated ethically by the journalistic firewall and physically by a rather large set of stairs — work to create a paper every day that classes are in session. As the only daily print newspaper in Ann Arbor since 2009, the Daily has expanded its coverage to include the broader Ann Arbor area, while simultaneously increasing its Detroit coverage.

Daily staffers continuously break journalistic boundaries.

In 1955, it was the first newspaper to report the success of Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine. In 1957,

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a staffer was sent to Little Rock, Arkansas to cover the first day of integration in public schools. In 1967, the editorial page called for the legalization of marijuana, garnering national media attention for its precocious stance. On Jan. 28, 2014, a combination of sports and news staffers were the first to report on the University’s separation with former football player Brendan Gibbons for violation of the sexual misconduct policy. In April 2014, the Daily was one of the subjects of a New York Times article about its expansive local coverage. In August 2014, the Daily Show with Jon Stewart sent native Michigan correspondent Jordan Klepper to “teach” the Daily staffers how to become “better journalists”

(Spoiler: A baby lion and drones were involved). And the list goes on.

However, the breathtaking experience that is the Daily doesn’t end there. Reporters meet with notable administrators weekly, photographers are granted field access to football games, controversial opinions go viral, and caravans of staffers are sent across the country to cover political campaigns. The best thing about all of this? It could be you!

So what are you waiting for?

The Festifall crowds to empty out so you can actually breathe in the Diag? Fair enough. But once your lungs get oxygenated again, come on by!

Did we mention Cokes are 50 cents?

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(M)Running in the Diag

by Hailey Middlebrook If you have a habit of running everywhere — and no, in between classes doesn’t count — you’ve come to the right place. With its hills and arbs and leafstrewn sidewalks, Ann Arbor is hallowed ground for running.

It’s the birthplace of Alan Webb, national record holder for the mile (a scorching three minutes, 46 seconds), who joined the U-M cross country and track teams in 2001. It’s the former training site of track star Lisa Weidenbach, University class of ‘84, who won the 1985 Boston Marathon and was the last American woman to do so. And it’s been treaded on by Greg Meyer, class of ‘78, winner of the 1980 Detroit Free Press Marathon (in which he set the course record), as well as the Chicago and Boston marathons.

But you certainly don’t have to be an elite athlete to love the sport, or AA — all you really need is a pair of shoes to find a place among the running community, both on and off campus.

Chances are, you’ve already ran into them. MRun, U-M’s running club, is the largest and fastest-growing student club on campus, with a roster of about 200 undergraduate and graduate members. It’s also the largest club running team in the nation — and one of the most successful.

Last year, the women’s team won the club cross country national championships, while the men’s team placed second.

Though the spirited club is composed of competitive and dedicated runners,

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MRun stresses that students of all abilities are welcome to join, as there are no tryouts to make the team. Getting started is simple: Just show up and run. The club meets weekday afternoons at 4:15 outside of the Central Campus Recreation Building (CCRB), then leaves for runs of three, five and seven miles. They also meet on Sundays at 10 a.m. for long runs of eight to 12 miles (or farther, if runners are training for half or full marathons — more on that later). However, no practices are mandatory; the decision to run and race in meets is completely up to its members.

“There are those who are still training to compete seriously and those who show up to stay in shape, but ultimately we go to practice to be around each other,” said School of Kinesiology junior Colleen Conroy, head of MRun’s distance training. “Many of us are still setting [personal records] and running more than we ever have, so continuing to get better is even more incentive to train harder and run faster.”

For competitive runners wanting to better their times, MRun travels to five college meets in both cross country and spring track seasons, including the national championships. In track, members can dabble in different events, like javelin and hurdles.

While MRun’s favorite activity is obvious, club bonding isn’t restricted to running. “Every year right before Welcome Week, MRun goes on a three-day wil-

derness retreat near Traverse City,” said LSA sophomore Ross Pendergast, the club’s Social Chair. “Some running does take place, but for the most part, you get to hang out by the Great Lakes, relax and bond with people that you might not have known well beforehand.”

The best thing about the running community — in MRun and greater Ann Arbor — is that it’s overwhelmingly inclusive. For a different scene off campus, check out the Ann Arbor Track Club, a volunteer-run club of elite runners and first timers of all ages. Membership for students is just twenty dollars, which includes four weekly workouts and a monthly “Crazy Run” on local trails, along with perks at stores like Bivouak and Running Fit and discounted race entries.

Fall races in Michigan can’t be beat.

With crisp air and hard cider at the finish line, runners can enjoy themselves whether they’re running with a club or going alone. For a huge race with all the bells and whistles, the Detroit Free Press Marathon on October 17th offers distances of 5k to full marathon through the sprawling streets of D-town. And for a small event with serious people, the Run Michigan Cheap Series meets on November 8th to host inexpensive races of 5k to 15k.

For all runners, this is the year to take the Diag in stride. Just remember not let your stride land you on the ‘M.’

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by Tanya Madhani

The oldest club on campus At 157 years old, the University’s Men’s Glee Club is the oldest active student organization on campus. Founded in 1859, the club boasts a wide repertoire of musical styles and over 2,500 living alumni.

Engineering senior Ryan Carrell, president of Men’s Glee Club, attributes the organization’s success to its three pillars: tradition, camaraderie and musical excellence.

“Over the years, we have become a fixture of the great offerings on campus, much like the football team or marching band … we are so much more than a musical ensemble,” Carrell said. “We offer a really unique, enriching experience for guys on campus who are looking for both an opportunity to be a part of a musical legacy, as well as find a supportive brotherhood of sorts.”

Music Theatre & Dance junior Patrick Kiessling, publicity manager of the club, said the strong bond between members is essential to the group’s functionality. He added that the organization welcomes diversity.

“Without camaraderie, we cannot hope to perform the incredible music that our group is known for creating,” Kiessling said.

Two years ago, the Men’s Glee Club made an amendment to its constitution, allowing any student of the University who identifies as male, whether or not they were biologically assigned male at birth, to be eligible to audition each semester. “(This) reveals how important acceptance and connection is within our group,” Kiessling said. “The culture of inclusivity and friendship demonstrates how essential the notion of camaraderie is to our group.”

Carrell said the group’s camaraderie pillar allows the club to work productively, comparing Glee Club to a sophisticated mini-corporation that relies on the full commitment of each member.

“Without our students’ full commitment to the group, we

would struggle as a musical ensemble, as well as an organization, ” Carrell, said.

The Men’s Glee Club also relies on its extensive alumni network to mentor its club members and fund its worldwide performance tours, such as recent trips to Southeast Asia, the British Isles, South America and Eastern and Central Europe. Carrell and Kiessling named the alumni network in the club as a strong presence that continuously supports the Men’s Glee Club’s endeavors.

“Tradition is a big focus of our group, and we take this to heart,” Carrell said. “This is rooted in (the club members and alumni) sharing a common interest: music. It transcends the generational gap, and it gives us a talking point no matter age or academic background.”

While the alumni network is integral to the maintenance of the Men’s Glee Club, Dr. Eugene Rogers, director of the organization and professor of conducting at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, believes the faculty to student ties are the biggest support system for the club.

The Men’s Glee Club is one of the few student organizations on campus that receives faculty support in the form of an advisor and a director. The School of Music provides oversight to the club’s endowments and sponsorships.

“The strength of the organization really comes from the work with the faculty and the students,” Rogers said. “I think, in tandem, those two components working together really provide what’s strong legacy in terms of keeping the vision moving forward, keeping it relevant on campus. Those areas, to me, make it one of the strongest components of that.”

Carrell, Kiessling and Rogers said they believe the Men’s Glee Club will continue to be a part of the campus community for many years to come.

“It’s older than the football team,” Rogers said. “It is the oldest thing on campus next to going to class, and it’s working.”

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Why you should write

by Carly Snider

So, you want to join the Daily? In my completely unbiased, editorial opinion, I think that is an outstanding idea. I’m not just saying that because I met some of my favorite and most interesting people through this paper, or because writing for the Arts section helped me answer the ever-ambiguous question of what I want to do with my life. Contributing to the Daily is challenging, exciting and entirely what you make of it.

The initially overwhelming process of writing for the Daily will quickly become routine; the student publications building is an extremely welcoming place. Once accustomed, your fellow staff members and various editors will encourage you to expand your journalistic horizons — whether that be conducting interviews, taking photographs or video of a special event or writing for the online com-

ponents of the paper. Entirely run by students, the Daily is the perfect place to gain professional-esque experience without the intimidation factor that often comes with an adult presence.

The people you will work with are likely to be some of the hardest working and most driven people you will encounter in your time at Michigan.

Like any large organization, contributing to this school-wide paper also presents you with awesome personal, career and social opportunities.

Besides fulfilling all of the quintessential college organization benchmarks, working for the Daily is simply fun. You are surrounded by a group of peers that are so talented and cool and inspiring that you can’t help but become obsessed with the publication. The Daily is full of quirks — the mess of a newsroom on the top floor 420 Maynard, marathon elections

spanning many hours and many beers, rousing games of “Jeopardy” and the distinct dynamics of each section make it a weirdly charming place of work.

Whether you are dead-set on going into journalism as a career, want to explore potential interests or just want to test the editorial waters, the Daily has what you are looking for.

Like I said before, your experience can be entirely what you want it to be — writing one piece a week, becoming a columnist, running for EIC, etc. You can make it a big or a little of a part your life, depending on what works best for you. No matter what the size of your commitment, your future occupational plans or your area of interest, the Daily is an excellent introduction the crazy world of journalism — and to some great experiences and friends, too.

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Whether you’re new to Ann Arbor or a lifelong resident, there’s always more music to discover. Treetown has been the birthplace of or has played host to artists like The Stooges, Patti Smith, the MC5, Bob Seger, Andrew W.K. and Madonna, but we’re not just a city caught up in our old heritage.

Music in Ann Arbor from a variety of genres still thrives, and even just a little bit of exploring can lead to your new favorite artists.

First of all, even in a tough economic climate for almost anyone who sells music, Ann Arbor still has several record stores that can serve your LP and CD needs. There’s Wazoo Records on S. State, where the tight space mostly showcases hip music and anything that Pitchfork gives rave reviews to. Closer to South Campus is PJ’s, a longtime store run by an old hippie dude who’s nice and talkative and knowledgeable about his records. Then on Liberty is Underground Sounds and Encore Records. Underground has a relatively small selection, but they’re your best bet for any brand new releases. Encore, on the other hand, is the place you go when you want to buy something but don’t actually have anything in mind. With their floor-to-ceiling shelves completely filled with used CDs, if you go with a specific album in mind, you’ll never be able to find it, but you’re guaranteed to come home with an impulse buy that you’ll love.

To see all that the local scene has to offer, though, you have to go the actual venues. Ann Arbor is probably most famous for The Blind Pig — the hallowed spot for rock and rap on 1st Street you can’t name without also mentioning how Kurt Cobain shouted it out on MTV as his favorite place to play. Of course, there’s also The Ark, a non-profit home for folk music that’s been around in one form or another since the ’60s. With over 300 shows a year, The Ark is always a great bet if you want to hang out with an intelligent, music-loving crowd and hear some cool music. Some other slightly more unconventional music venues include the bookstore Crazy Wisdom, Hill Auditorium, where the University puts on top artists from around the world; Kerrytown Concert House; Cavern Club and the teen-oriented Neutral Zone.

But if you want to really get involved, you have to join up with some of the clubs here at Michigan that perform and showcases artists both local and nationally known. The University has an A Capella club for pretty much every interest disposition, from the G-Men to The Sirens to Angels On Call. There are dance, percussion and other performance groups like Groove, the Gospel Chorale, The Movement, Dance Mix and the RhythM Tap Ensemble, to name just a small, small few. There’s MUSIC Matters, which has done a great job in putting on charity concerts at Hill featuring artists like 2 Chainz and Common, and Empty Mug Records, who records and releases student musicians. There’s WCBN, the student radio station where you can DJ. And there are clubs that just focus on certain genres of music that its members are passionate about, like Hip-Hop Congress and Beat Producers of Michigan.

I’ve also heard that if you’re really passionate about music (or film, or TV, or any sort of Arts thing), you can apply and write about all of it for The Michigan Daily. I hear it’s a fun gig, too.

VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily

The tune of Ann Arbor

by Adam Theisen

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How to start a student organization

by Amrutha Sivakumar It all just sort of happened.

I didn’t know I was starting a student organization at the beginning of sophomore year until it all came together. But it became the best decision I ever made.

Coming from a high school in Mumbai that provided few opportunities in what I was interested in, I came to Michigan prepared to pounce on whatever organization threw itself in my path. Before I could even pick up my first textbook, I had stumbled up the steps of The Michigan Daily and became a student government reporter, applied for a Marketing Director position with the Economic and Global Affairs Alliance (now called MEconomics), signed up to be a student ambassador with Undergraduate Admissions and accepted a research position in the field of education policy via the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program.

I was running on adrenaline and the 4 hours of sleep I could capture between finishing work at the South Quad ResComp. Frequent trips to U-Go’s for Doubleshot Espressos helped, but barely.

By the end of the year, I had a stronger understanding on how to use campus resources to push positive change at Michigan, and how to gain the support of University administrators. Working with CSG executives put me in the front line to see student activism in action, and it opened my eyes to a phenomenal source of networking with some of the most accomplished student leaders on campus. As far as I saw it, I was living it all.

Still, there was something missing. During my senior year of high school, I had gone back and forth between applying to music programs and liberal arts schools. At Michigan, I had declared a short-lived minor in music, hoping that despite being an economics major, it would push me toward a career in the music industry. After class, when all I wanted to do was find a group to make music with, the closest alternative I could find was Campus Band. But that was more about structure and form than enjoying a jam session.

There it was: I had found a need. After breaking my

head over MaizePages’ primitive search functions, there didn’t seem to be any active organization that had what I wanted. Campus needed a bigger music scene, and I wanted to make that happen.

Step 1: Find a partner University alum Omar Hashwi, former CSG vice president, had just announced that he wouldn’t run for presidency in the upcoming student government elections so he could focus his efforts on developing his up-and-coming small business, Stamp.fm — an online music tournament aimed at finding the best artists across every genre in cities where music fans were consistently anticipating new talent.

I spent the following summer working with Hashwi to grow the Stamp.fm business. How cool would it be if we created some way for Michigan students to meet other students to make music together?, I pressed him. He was more than eager to kick start another that could not only help grow the talent-base for Stamp. fm, but also grow Michigan’s music scene. With that, Stamp Nation: United by Music — a professional development avenue for student musicians — was born.

Though I knew nothing about starting a student organization, partnering with someone who had several years of experience in the arena helped me confidently put one foot forward toward achieving that vision. Like any small business, organizations are rarely successful — and are even less enjoyable — without collaboration.

Whether it be a friend, a professor, or someone you briefly met a Hackathon, finding someone with a different skill set from you who shares your vision helps drive your student organization’s success.

Step 2: Do your research MaizePages, which debuted a new look this summer, is an excellent place to start. While the daunting list of organization can be difficult to navigate, use categories and search functions to determine whether what you’re looking for in a new organization already exists on campus.

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AA Art Museum Guide

by Caroline Filips

Whether you find yourself with an awkward half-hour window in between classes, you’re looking for something to do after Saturday brunch, or you’re even meandering around campus struggling to find your way, there’s likely an art museum somewhere near you at any given position on University grounds. Luckily for UMich students, admission to all campus art museums is free, but the enrichment is priceless. From UMMA’s utterly Instagrammable contemporary displays, to the storied past a simple fossil can tell at the Kelsey Museum, there’s something for everyone and all artistic levels of interests.

University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) Open Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. , Sunday 12 p.m.- 5 p.m.; Closed Mondays When it comes to art. the UMMA truly has it all. The museum features a collection of 150 years worth of art curating and everything from Picasso to slightly terrifying wire sculptures. With its vast collection, it’s easy to spend a whole day

exploring UMMA. UMMA’s location directly across from the Union makes it inexcusable not to visit.

Museum of Natural History Open Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m.- 5 p.m.

This museum boasts the largest display of dinosaurs in Michigan, along with wildlife, anthropology and geology exhibits. By floor, the second is devoted to the Hall of Evolution and traces the Earth’s history through fossils; the third includes the largest mastodon trackway on display in the world; and the fourth feature anthropology galleries along with geology displays.

Kelsey Museum of Archaeology Open Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. , Saturdays and Sundays 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

Including over 100,000 ancient and medieval objects from Mediterranean and Near East civilizations, the Kelsey allows visitors to tap into the past. The museum’s permanent exhibition features a mummy coffin,

magical amulets of the Near East, pottery, sculptures and watercolor war representations.

Stamps Work Gallery Open Tuesday-Saturday 12 p.m.-7 p.m., Closed Sundays This tiny gallery, situated downtown, displays student work from the undergraduate art program.

TaubmanCollegeArchitectureLiberty Research Annex Open Tuesday-Sunday, 3 p.m.-7 p.m., Closed Monday-Wednesday The research annex allows visitors to explore the various interdisciplinary projects of the Architecture school. Various events and gallery presentations are often hosted here as well.

Institute for the Humanities Gallery Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, closed Often when a notable professional in the arts community is set to speak to students, their work is displayed in this gallery.

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The University attracts students with a commitment to academic excellence, but students ultimately choose to come to the University for all of the other perks that come with being a wolverine.

The University sponsors many programs to ensure student life is vibrant and all-encompassing in Ann Arbor.

Diversity Diversity and inclusion on campus has been a priority for the University in recent years. Expect Respect is the University’s system of enforcing an inclusive environment on campus. Students can report hate crimes they’ve experienced on campus online. Last year the program launched the Inclusive Language Campaign, which promotes positive dialogue on campus in an attempt to eliminate possible hate speech.

If you’re interested in promoting inclusion, consider joining Global Allies.

Sponsored by the University, Global Allies brings student social justice advocates together to build an inclusive community at the University. The group hosts community events and member retreats.

Other University-sponsored campus groups include the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs, the Program on Intergroup Relations and the Spectrum Center, a support resource for LGBTQ identifying individuals.

Promoting Positive Relationships The Educational Theater Company is a student-run organization that performs skits which promote educational dialogue and help students adjust to life at the University. They perform at orientation and at Change it Up! — a mandatory freshmen session teaching healthy bystander intervention. Any student interested can join the Educational Theater Company, a paying job to put on shows for University students.

Within their first few weeks on campus, freshmen are also required to attend the Relationship Remix program which, like Change it Up!, promotes healthy relationships. Relationship Remix is also student-run and the course is taught by Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center volunteers.

SAPAC helps students who have been sexually assaulted, stalked and/or harassed by their partner. Students can come for support, and/or volunteer to be an ally.

What the ‘U’ does for you

by Emma Kinery

Class and Career Planning Struggling with your classes? Check out the University’s Academic Support Services, the portal to education assistance. The website lists resources from foreign language tutors, to help offered only for specific colleges, to the Sweetland Center for Writing for essay help.

The Career Center provides many resources to students to promote their chances of getting hired by employers with resume help, hosting career fairs and help applying to graduate schools. Students can even borrow a suit from the Career Center to go to an interview.

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The Center for Campus Involvement’s website has plenty of comprehensive information on how to complete the formalities for starting a student organization.

Throughout the year, they host conferences and talks on topics such as effective leadership, fundraising, recruiting, and retaining members and event planning.

Moreover, for any questions, I’ve always found CCI to be receptive when I call their office or walk in to their location at the second floor of the Michigan Union with a laundry-list of inquiries.

Step 3: Student Orgs are a business, so make a plan An unwavering mission has been, what I think, a driver for Stamp Nation’s success. Before even registering our organization, Haswi and I spent hours developing a gameplan for the year. We wrote and rewrote mission and vision statements, and we went back and forth trying to decide what actions we would take to make our goals succeed. We spoke to professors and administrators to figure out what financial resources would be at our disposal and carefully budgeted out our time and money to see if our projects would work.

Stamp Nation has changed tremendously over the years, and our plan has changed with it. But building a plan has helped us stay on focus at times when we’ve felt demotivated by the challenges we’ve faced.

Step 4: Make impactful decisions As Stamp Nation has changed, I feel as if I have too.

Nowadays, rather than walking into Stamp Nation meeting with a long-term goal of what I want to accomplish at the end of three months, I walk in wanting to achieve something specific from every meeting. Sometimes, it’s about hashing out the details of an upcoming event.

Sometimes, it’s about building team camaraderie and celebrating our achievements.

I’ve learned (the hard way) that, as a student organization founder and leader, everything that I do should have a clear purpose to keep my members engaged and my mission alive. Why does your meeting or event matter? Why should your members care?

Decisions are hardly black-and-white, but being able to justify the decisions you’ve made for your organization will go a long way toward building credibility and longevity.

Step 5: Pay it forward It has been two years, and at this point, two intelligent, inspiring underclassman are gearing up to lead Stamp Nation to its next phase.

College may only be for a few short years, but stick around. Don’t create an organization for the sake of just creating one; create an organization because you want to leave a legacy that grows with the number of leaders who follow in your footsteps. Remember: Something was missing from campus which inspired you to start that organization.

When you have the means, donate to your organization, and encourage alumni to do the same. Share what you’ve learned with those within and outside your organization to help campus become a better place for entrepreneurs who follow. Let institutional memory thrive, because, after creating a new campus organization from scratch, you will have learned too much to have it be worth letting it all go.

Amrutha is always here to lend an ear to a budding campus entrepreneur. Feel free to e-mail her at amrutha@umich.edu to bounce ideas, get her two cents, or just grab coffee and chat. Also, feel free to visit her at #7J. The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

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