A Night Down on Central Campus

It might very well be one of the last warmer nights here in Ann Arbor, so I decided to embark on my long postponed project. I have always wanted to take images around campus during times when people don’t usually have their cameras out; when the sun goes down. Most students spend their Thursday nights studying or finishing up their assignments thus miss out on what’s going on. I do believe that the common misconception is that nothing really goes on after hours in this small university town. On contrary the campus is still alive. I must add however that this statement definitely does not apply to North Campus. Only on Central.
	I parked my car in the parking structure right across East Hall. Then I came across this lamppost that was completely plastered with advertisements. There were posters for concerts, classifieds for work and even ads for GRE prep. Such makeshift billboards are actually a good representative of what campus life is like. It’s safe to say that here at the U of M, academic pursuit is as highly regarded as the passion for the arts.
As I continued my walk, I stumbled upon the king of sub sandwiches, Jimmy Johns. Yes, many will argue that Subway is the way to go, but JJ’s got my vote. I was introduced to them while I was in Indiana, and since then whenever I want to get a quick snack which isn’t greasy like regular fast food, it’s got to be JJ’s. I like them so much that I even stuck their menu on my binder. My favorite sub is the Vito, btw.
	I headed back towards the heart of Central Campus and had to make a stop to the famous Backroom Pizzeria. I’ve never had a pizza there myself, but I’ve heard that it’s really good. They make their own pizzas right near the main entrance and sell them by the slice. Maybe some day when I’m really desperate for something to eat, then I’ll give them a try.
I decided to make my way right to the heart of Central Campus, which is the Diag. The Diag houses one of the university’s most treasured emblems. While other universities have statues and symbolic structures, we have the “M”, which is basically a plaque with the a large Michigan “M”. On the way to the Diag, I had to cross The Arch.
	At the Diag, I saw a small gathering of people holding candles. I found out that there was a small candlelight vigil held for the victims of the earthquake in India and Pakistan. A group of about forty to fifty people from different races gathered to show their support. There was a short speech given by a student as informational pamphlets were handed out. A collection of donations for the victims was also conducted at the end.
After that solemn and sobering moment, I made my way to S. State Street. There was the Art Museum and Angell Hall. My only memory of being in the Art Museum was during my freshman year during Fall Bash when I heard that they were giving out free T-shirts. Yes I admit that I’m not much of a museum and art gallery kind of person. Angell Hall houses several of the Literature Science and Arts departments. It also houses classrooms and the largest computing site on campus called the Fishbowl. Why fishbowl? Because the lab is surrounded with glass windows that make it look like an aquarium.
	I then walked back towards the Diag where I stumbled upon an interesting looking structure. It was what seemed to be a glowing pyramid. It’s actually a greenhouse which is connected to the E.H. Kraus Building. I’ve yet to discover the function of that building, but I believe that it has got something to do with Biology. Yes, the greenhouse told me so.
	Walking past the greenhouse, I noticed some activity at the Hill Auditorium. A concert had just ended and there were people streaming out of the many exits of the building. The Hill Auditorium was under renovation since before I came in as a freshman until my junior year. The long wait was worthwhile as I attended an orchestra performance last year only to be awed by the gorgeous interior and the acoustics of the hall. Normally, one would require a concert ticket to enter the building, but I took the chance to get inside as people were leaving. I managed to squeeze in about three shots before a cranky old granny sneered and asked me to leave. :)
I walked back to S. State and reached the State Theater. It’s been around for a really long time, and so has its competitor, the Michigan Theater, located just another block away. The State Theater tends to show more of the contemporary pop-culture type movies while the Michigan Theater provides for those with a more acquired taste with their offering of international films and documentaries. While I was there, I had the rare treat of seeing employees of both theaters change their sign boards. How often does one get to see that?
	I walked back to my car, passing through the C.C. Little bus stop. It is probably the busiest and most important bus stop for the University of Michigan. The time I was there, most of the traffic has dissipated. The bus services become less frequent after dark. However there were still a number of students waiting at the time I was there. Just across the street is the Museum bus stop which was totally empty. Looking at the images I managed to produce, I must say that I had a very productive night. The pictures aren’t the sharpest you’ll see simply because I was too lazy to shoot with a tripod. Maybe one day when I have the energy. Hoped you enjoyed my 2 hour walk as much as I did.

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Guest		20-Aug-2006 15:59
these are beautiful.

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