The Michigan Review

Go North, Young Freshmen!

by Lee Bockhorn

You're running hard, hoping you won't hit a patch of ice that would send you down for the count. You've spotted the big blue vision of a U-M campus bus fifty yards away, and you're dashing like mad to catch it so you can make your Chem exam on time. You're almost there when the bus pulls away with a screeching roar and a thick belch of diesel smoke, oblivious to your plea to let you board, and leaving you to wait another ten minutes in the bitter wind and regret having stopped to buy that candy bar...

Does this sound like fun? If so, you are ideally suited to live on North Campus. North Campus is what you might call the ugly stepsister of Central and South campuses at U-M. Central embraces most of your academic buildings and entertainment; South is home to all things athletic at Michigan. North Campus is home to... trees. And grass, and lakes, and oh yes, a few buildings too.

Before you start to get the wrong idea, future students, let me say that I have lived on North Campus for four years now, and it has evolved quite a bit from the sleepy place it seemed to be when I first arrived at Michigan. Let's take a tour of the well-kept secret known as North Campus. Since there still isn't that much entertainment going on up North, the main reason you will be there is classes. North Campus is home to the schools of Music, Art and Architecture, and Engineering, which means that there is always an interesting mix of aesthetes and number-crunchers around. In contrast to most Central Campus buildings, the buildings of North Campus are all fairly new, and somewhat more austere in their architecture. The latest and most spectacular additions to the North Campus landscape are the Media Union, a large, glass-enclosed multimedia and technology center, and the Lurie Bell Tower, completed in 1996, which is intended to serve as a "focal point" for North Campus just as Burton Tower does for Central.

So what does one do to unwind between those music theory, art history, or FORTRAN classes? Your best bet is the Pierpont Commons, which is North Campus's rather pale imitation of the Michigan Union on Central. The Commons is home to the inevitable college hangout -- a coffeehouse -- as well as an expensive but good cafeteria, a Little Caesar's, study areas, the North Campus Information Center, branch offices of the Financial Aid and Cashier's offices, and a bookstore where music, engineering, and art students can buy most of their supplies.

North Campus students have complained for some time about the lack of culinary options at the Commons, especially when compared to the Union, which boasts a Wendy's, Subway, YES Sandwich Cafe, Amer's Deli, and the U Club, as well as it's own Little Caesar's -- not to mention the dozens of other restaurants within blocks of Central Campus. It doesn't appear that the situation will improve anytime soon, so if you must be on North Campus often and aren't eating at Bursley Hall, plan on bringing a lunch every once in a while -- eating at "Sleazer's" every day is not a good idea if you want to maintain a healthy digestive system.

Perhaps you are one of the lucky freshmen who have been chosen to live at Bursley Hall. You are probably saying, "I know it's bad to live at Bursley, but just how bad will it be?" Take heart -- I lived there for two years and can honestly say it's not bad!

As far as dorms go, Bursley is actually one of the best on campus, aside from its location. The rooms in Bursley are a good deal larger than those in most Central Campus dorms, and the top-floor rooms have such high ceilings that you can build a large loft to create two separate stories. The Bursley cafeteria is generally thought to have the best dorm food on campus, and is also home to a character nicknamed "Sexy Grandpa," a Harley-riding food server (and really nice guy) who has become something of a campus legend. Finally, a strong community atmosphere exists at Bursley, as a "we're all stuck here together" attitude seems to prevail among its residents.

The obvious drawback to living on North Campus is the inconvenience of getting to classes and entertainment on Central. (If I had a dollar for every time I've had to ride the bus, I'd already have my student loans paid off.) If you are a music or art student, living at Bursley is great; you can oversleep until 8:30 and still have time to dash down to the Art or Music school in time for your 8:40 class. (I speak from extensive experience.) If, however, you are an LS&A student with lots of early morning classes on Central, as most freshmen are, living at Bursley can be aggravating. You will invariably have to wake up half an hour earlier than your friends on Central Campus to get to the same class. Waking up at 7AM might not sound tough to you now after high school, but you should know that once you arrive at college an amazing biological change occurs in your body that makes it damn near impossible to wake up before 8 AM without the help of explosives. I admit, constantly depending on buses for transportation to classes, parties, movies, and shopping can grow tiresome, but for the most part the bus system is efficient and dependable. As long as you plan ahead and aren't dumb enough to put yourself in a situation where your whole life depends on a bus arriving in the next five minutes, you will be okay.

Lest you begin thinking that North Campus is hell on earth, let me point out another benefit of wandering up north. Although North Campus is growing rapidly, it is still peaceful and serene compared to Central. If you like things a little more relaxed, but still want to be just ten minutes away from the excitement downtown, North Campus is terrific. You can have a picnic or a nap with the ducks by the music school pond, have a coffee while soaking up some sun at an outdoor table at the Commons, or simply wander around among the trees spotting animals. In my time here I have seen ducks, geese, squirrels, beavers, rabbits, raccoons, skunks (watch out for those!), and even deer on North Campus. Also, the drawback of having fewer attractions becomes an advantage when it comes to safety; there is far less crime on North Campus than on Central (the Bursley parking lot is a notable exception), and you generally feel safe wandering around at any hour of the night.

So, future Wolverines, do not despair if your experiences at Michigan take you up to North Campus. It's not a half-bad place -- if nothing else, it's a nice refuge from the latest noisy construction project on Central. Just remember, if you are ever faced with the choice of buying a candy bar or making sure you catch the bus on time, choose the bus.

This article was published in the Summer 1998 edition of The Michigan Review.
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