Movies at Michigan

It's a Thursday night, at the end of exam week, and I can tell you I am now exhausted. After a week of sleepless nights, caffeine dependence and knowledge overload all I want to do is to relax with a good movie. Lucky for me I have several options. Here are some of my favorite ways to watch movies on campus.

RHA Movie Channel. For those of you lucky enough to still live in the ResHalls this is a fantastic resource. Channel 56 is kind of like a campus HBO. Just this month there are multiple 2012 Oscar nominated movies and some great guilty pleasure movies. You can find the schedule here.

Askwith Media Library. This is probably my favorite resource on all of campus. I call it the campus Blockbuster. It is located on the second floor of the UGLi and it is completely free to students. You can check out movies for three days Sunday-Wednesday, for the entire weekend starting Thursday, and over the major breaks. They also have everything from new releases to old TV shows at Askwith for you to check out. You can find their site here.

Mflicks. Run through the University Unions, Mflicks offers several free screenings of movies a month. Sometimes they are more mainstream, sometimes a little more out there, but it is a great option if you are looking for something to do on a Friday night, you can check out the schedule on the website here.


Michigan Theater. A movie theater located in downtown Ann Arbor specializing in the "finest film and live entertainment available today." This includes mostly independent, art house movies, but there are still some more mainstream movies. It is also plays host to some great events like Sundance USA in Ann Arbor and live performances. The Michigan Theater is also a great destination for Ann Arbor locals. The website for the Michigan Theater can be found here.

The moral of the story is that there are a lot of options for movie options in Ann Arbor, if movies are your preferred of entertainment, you will never be bored here!

Friday Night - UMix

Imagine, its 12:30 AM on a Friday night (or I suppose Saturday morning), you are strapped for cash and you don't want to travel far to find food. Then you remember, you are in luck, UMix is tonight! No joke, this actually happened to me last week. 

What is UMix you ask? UMix is a series of late night activities, usually on Friday night from 10 pm - 2 am, put on by the University Center for Campus Involvement and the University Unions. UMix is held in Unions all over campus (mostly the Union on central or Pierpont on North). Many freshman will mock it as a lame alternative to partying on a Friday night, as a senior I will say I have made fun of it my fair share. That is, however, before I actually checked it out. I clearly did not know what I was missing. Developed as an alternative to drinking, UMix offeres activities such as arts and crafts, billiards, video games, movies, dances etc. I have even seen things such as karaoke and bumper cars. Oh, and did I mention the FOOD?! 

UMix is also differently themed every night. Last weekend was "UMix: Share the Love" where you could do things such as make Valentines Day cards for children at Mott's Children's Hospital as well as play the "roommate game" to test your knowledge of your friends. I had a lot of fun at this one! 

Center for Campus Involvement

Last weekend was "UMix on Ice" where they constructed an ice rink on North Campus! They had free skate rentals, a hot chocolate station, make-your-own snow globes, a screening of "Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy" and more! Oh, and Food. 

Center for Campus Involvement

A lot of students will make jokes that the thing to do is to beat the system, to drink and then go to UMix. While I do not encourage this, I do encourage everyone to check out the night. If for no other reason than you are bored, hungry, or wanting to play free billiards, it certainly is a great activity for a Friday night!

For more information on UMix and a schedule of events check out the Center for Campus Involvement here. 

Campus Computing

Can you imagine going a week without a computer? Do you think it is even possible?

Unfortunately, last week I had to find out the hard way that it was. I found this out after accidentally destroying my hard drive (whoops) on my 4 year old MacBook. Through this week without a computer I learned a few important things about computing on the University of Michigan campus.

Firstly, I learned that it is possible to not have a computer. I live in a campus Residence Hall, which is lucky for me because all Residence Halls contain what is called a Community Learning Center (CLC). These sites are open 24/7 to residents of the building and are stocked with computers, printers, and during the day support offices. The CLC was where I spent most of my time doing work this past week.

Secondly, I learned a little more about the campus Computer Showcase (yes, this is the same place you got your i>clicker). There are two Computer Showcases on campus; one is located in the basement of the Michigan Union and one is in Pierpont Commons on North Campus. The showcase is an authorized Apple and Dell service provider (including repair services and sales). The showcase offeres not-for-profit academic pricing on both hardware and software, which means it would cost the same as (and in the case of software often less than) the educational discount at most stores. The difference is that the computer showcase is much closer than the local Apple store. The one thing to note about the computer showcase is that they offer three year warranties that are bundled into the price of the computers (these are the exact same warrantees you would purchase from the manufacturer and will work in all the same places). You must buy it with this warrantee, however, which might make it a tad more expensive than you want. I found, that after having to visit the showcase several times over the past years for various broken parts, I was happy to pay for the warrantee (Apple's Apple Care).

The Computer Showcase was able to both diagnose the problem with my computer (for free) and they offered to repair it for a fee. After a week of hemming and hawing over whether to replace an old hard drive or purchase a new machine, I was able to walk right in and purchase the computer and all the necessary accessories on the spot.

The take away from this experience, besides being careful about where you perch your MacBook (even 2 feet may be too high up), the University of Michigan is certainly friendly to those of all computer needs. Whether you need a question answered or a brand new machine the Computer Showcase can get you what you need and while you are waiting there are more than enough computer resources around campus to get you going.

The resources mentioned in this post are the Community Learning Center and the Computer Showcase.

Airport Transportation

As the leaves change, apples & cider pop up everywhere, and the midterm panic sets in, we know it is time for fall break! Fall break is typically two days, typically a Monday and Tuesday where students take time to venture home, visit friends or spend a few days enjoying peaceful Ann Arbor. One of the most important things for students to think about, is if they are going to the airport, how to get there! After spending over an hour lamenting my 6 am flight with a friend in the same boat and realizing the relatively few options available for transport, I decided to put together a Transportation suggestion list for Michigan Students.

Over the past three years years I have taken a lot of airport trips. There are certainly a lot of options, but it pays to do your research. After extensive field research and opinion gathering from trusted friends, this is a list of my favorite options so far:

1. AirBus. An MSA sponsored option that provides $7 rides to, and $11 from the airport during break times for members of the Umich Community. It is quick, simple, and reliable. It picks up in three locations: State Street (Central Campus), the Hill & Bursley (North Campus) and drops off at each terminal. The important thing with the AirBus is to check the schedule and buy your ticket in advance! Especially around the busy times, bus tickets sell fast. Go to the AirBus Website to check the schedule, and the Michigan Union Ticket Office (MUTO) to buy the ticket. One downside with the AirBus, depending on when you travel, their schedule might be slightly limiting- they have options October 13th, 14th & 18th, so if you are traveling before or after that that AirBus might not be for you.

2. Michigan Flyer. Another bus service to Ann Arbor, this one picks up from the Sheraton Ann Arbor Hotel on Boardwalk. Since anyone (not just students) may take this bus, it has a more flexible schedule. It runs every day to DTW, Jackson & East Lansing. The first ride is about 5:00 am and the last is about 5:30 pm. It is also slightly more difficult to get to, requiring additional transportation to the Sheraton from Campus. Its about $15 one way to the airport, so its still a pretty cheap option. Advance reservation required, you can make those on the website.

3. Ann Arbor Airport Shuttle. A substantial price step, but still a great option, the Ann Arbor Airport Shuttle is a private company that runs from about 6 am to 8 pm (some days they will pick up between 4 am and 6 am for an extra fee). It is a $32 ride one way, in a shuttle van. Often there are a few people on the shuttle, but you only need to book for one person. They will call you to let you know they are five minutes away, and to call you outside if you need. Only real downside, you actually have to wait on other people instead of taking a bus that moves with or without latecomers. This, however, has proved to be a very reliable service. Reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance, more information can be found here.

4. Ann Arbor Cab. One of the many cab options in Ann Arbor, this one seems to have the most convenient airport rides. Rides are available 24 hours a day, airport rides with a reservation 24 hours in advance. They have a special that is $39 to the airport for students, they claim an extra $10 fee for the way home. If you need a specific or unusual time, this is a good option. Information on making reservations can be found on their website.

If none of these options meet your needs, there are a host of other options. They may all be found on the visiting Ann Arbor website.