Beyond

the Diag

FEBRUARY 2012

What’s Inside:

The Legend of the Arch ………….... 1

Spring Break Safety Tips ……..….... 2

Health Update: Eating Disorder Awareness Month .………………...... 3

Super Bowl Ad Highlights ..……..… 3

Lower Your Winter Energy Bill ….. 4

Self-Defense Skills for Everyday Life ……...……………………………………….… 4

Spring Break in A2……………………… 5

The Legend of the Arch

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we wanted to take a moment to recount one of the University of Michigan’s most romantic myths...

Before the School of Engineering moved to North Campus, it was housed in West Hall. The archway leading to the Diag is still known today as the Engineering Arch, and the building is undoubtedly an icon on the U-M campus. Fun fact, the ivy covering the arch is actually from Wrigley Field – a former Michigan president was a big Cubs fan.

Before the residence halls were co-ed, female students primarily lived on the Hill while male students lived on central campus. Also at this time, the University mandated a strict curfew of midnight. The Engineering Arch became a meeting place for couples to kiss each other goodnight before returning to their residence halls.

Over the years, a myth surrounding the arch developed: if you kiss your significant other under the Engineering Arch, you will end up marrying that person in the future. As a tour guide on campus, I have heard multiple alumni share how they kissed their current husband/wife under the arch when they were undergrads here at Michigan. Maybe it’s not a myth at all?

Moral of the story: choose carefully, everyone.

From all of us here at Beyond the Diag, we hope you have a safe and happy Valentine’s Day!

Written by Josh Buoy

Spring Break Safety

Check out the following tips about enjoying spring break safely from Erin Weed’s book Girls Fight Back – applicable to any and all genders! Before You Leave: • Secure your apartment or house • When packing, leave behind any valuables or anything you’d miss if it were stolen • Always leave a copy of your travel itinerary and contact information with a family member • Make copies of important documents (driver’s license, passport, credit cards) and keep a copy in a

hidden part of your luggage separate from the originals

On The Way: • If you are driving to your vacation destination, don’t party on the road – it’s really not safe and

open container laws apply in most states • Take turns driving to avoid the risk of one driver falling asleep behind the wheel • If you are travelling by plane, don’t forget your I.D. or passport! • Arrive at the airport about 2 hours before flight time – around spring break, lines can be crazy long • Know what items should be left behind before arriving at the airport – for a full list of what can be

packed in luggage and brought in carry-ons, visit www.tsa.gov

During Your Vacation • Make sure your hotel room has working peepholes, locks and chain locks – if the room lacks these

features, go back to the front desk and ask for a new room • Don’t open the door for anyone you don’t know • Keep any valuables locked in the hotel room safe • Always keep your hotel room key with you, even while at the beach, pool or out at bars • Try not to carry too much cash on you – instead, make several ATM trips • If you get pulled over by the police when you don’t think you were doing anything wrong and the

police car is unmarked, get to safety before pulling over – call the local police department or 911 if necessary and inform the operator that you are aware a police officer wants to pull you over, however, you want to make sure the officer is legitimate

• Never hitchhike • If taking a taxi from your hotel for a night out, always take a business card with the hotel name and

address, be direct and clear with the address and name of your destination to the driver • Refrain from mentioning that you’re a tourist

Safety Tips for Parties and Clubs • Set limits ahead of time (before the party gets started) • Trust your intuition – if you get a bad feeling about someone, honor it and stick with your friends • When you get to a club or party, set a meeting place and try to check in with each other every half

hour or so • If someone is too intoxicated to be there, get them home safely • If you think someone might have tampered with your drink, throw it away immediately

© Girls Fight Back: The College Girl’s Guide to Protecting Herself, by Erin Weed, 2006

Eating Disorder Awareness Month

February is Eating Disorder Awareness Month at U-M. Eating disorders are treatable conditions that affect a person’s physical, psychological, spiritual health and body image. Eating disorders include:

• Binge Eating Disorder (BED) – characterized by recurrent and, at times, compulsive binge eating without the regular use of compensatory behaviors designed to counter over-eating

• Compulsive Eating – the use of food for reasons other than hunger • Bulimia Nervosa – characterized by a cycle of binge eating followed by some means of purging,

which changes one’s body chemistry and can be potentially life threatening • Anorexia Nervosa – another potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-

starvation and excessive weight loss, which can lead to major medical complications

It is important, particularly if you are struggling with an eating problem, to think about what normal eating means to you. Many individuals struggling with eating problems find that, although their behaviors are not entirely healthy, they also do not fit neatly into the definition of any one eating disorder. Clinicians at UM Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and University Health Service (UHS) can help you assess your eating patterns and access support and treatment if needed. Body-Peace Corps is hosting events throughout the month to raise awareness about the issue of eating disorders – click here for a list of upcoming events!

Information from University Health System (UHS) -- http://www.uhs.umich.edu/eatingdisorders

Super Bowl Ads That Caught Our Eye

Even if you didn’t care for the teams playing, or Madonna performing at halftime, or football at all, at least you could enjoy the commercials during Super Bowl XLVI on February 5th. Here are a few that caught our attention: Volkswagen: The Dog Strikes Back – A cute canine trains harder than most of us ever have in order to chase his favorite 2012 Volkswagen Beatle.

Metlife: Everyone – Our favorite cartoon characters show us the gift of life insurance in a fun way.

Chrysler: Halftime in America – Chrysler scores big again this Super Bowl as it gets Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood to give an inspiring speech about the auto-industry and the city of Detroit. Doritos: Man’s Best Friend – Dogs’ hatred for cats as well as man’s bond with his dog is all brought together for some delicious Doritos chips.

Written by Wen Ning

Lower Your Energy Bill

If you pay for utilities in your house or apartment, turning the heat on this winter may have put a little extra strain on your wallet. To save money this semester, here are a few tips to conserve energy and lower your electricity bill.

o Unplug electrical appliances and turn off power strips when not in use o Take advantage of natural daylight when possible – open the blinds and

turn off your lights o Avoid the use of portable electric space heaters o Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs where

possible o Keep thermostats set at 68° during the cold months and 76° during

warm seasons o Turn off lights when leaving a room!

For more information, check out the Student Sustainability Guide or visit sustainability.umich.edu

Self-Defense Skills for Everyday Life

Free Workshops for UM Student Groups

What are my choices for protecting myself? What about muggings? Stranger assault? Panhandlers? Break-ins? Hate crime? This workshop includes risk assessment, common perpetrator tactics, and an introduction to simple and effective physical, verbal and emotional self-defense and risk reduction techniques. Come find out how self-defense skills and strategies can help in the most common dangerous situations for students on college campuses. This workshop is free, and open to people of all genders, identities and physical abilities. We will not be learning martial arts, and you do not have to bee physically fit to empower yourself by learning about personal safety. Survivors of violence are welcome; you’re invited to participate in whatever way works for you.

This term, the Dean of Students Office, Beyond the Diag, the Division of Student Affairs and U-Move, along with a broad coalition of UM and DSA groups are offering free self-defense and personal safety workshops for student groups of 10 or more registered participants.

Contact Katy Mattingly (ktlm@umich.edu) or the Dean of Students Office (764-7420) to schedule a workshop for your group. Individual students may also sign up or drop in at workshops at the CCRB via U-Move. Register at http://kines.umich.edu/umove, click on the U-Move Fitness Page, then link to the registration site. Workshops meet from 6:00-7:30 pm in 3275 CCRB on Wednesday February 8, Wednesday March 7, and Wednesday April 4.

Spring Break in A2

Spring Break is just around the corner! If you haven’t made plans yet, or you plan to stay in Ann Arbor, don’t worry – there are still plenty of fun things to do during your week off.

Plan a Movie Night The libraries on campus will still be open throughout Spring Break, which means you can rent movies and TV shows from the Askwith Media Library for free to watch with friends. The Ann Arbor Public Library on East Williams also has an extensive library of movies if you want more options!

Explore Kerrytown Go for a stroll in the historic market district, which has an array of unique local restaurants and stores. Throughout February, there are numerous special events and exhibits to check out, and the Kerrytown Concert House is an amazing place to see a show! Visit their website http://kerrytown.com/ for more information about upcoming events.

Host a Bowling Night Take AATA Route 6 to Colonial Lanes & CUBS’ A.C. They have College Nights on Sundays at 9 p.m. and Mondays at 10 p.m. with glow bowling and special prices for students with their UM-ID. Visit http://coloniallanescubsac.com/students.htm for more information!

Sing your Heart out Bring your friends and belt out your favorites at Friends Karaoke on South U. They have a huge library of Asian music as well as a great selection of American music! For more information and hours, visit http://friendkaraoke.com/

Go for a Themed Ice-Skating Event Buhr Park Outdoor Ice Arena hosts ‘Funky Frosty Fridays’ every month, and on Friday, March 2, there will be a Rock the 80’s Skate Night and costume contest! Admission is only $5 (plus an extra $3 for skate rentals inside). You can get to the ice arena on the AATA Route 7 bus towards the WCC Student Center Building.

Written by Sabrina Palombo and Emily Ho

For more safety tips and information about Beyond the Diag, visit studentsafety.umich.edu

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Still have questions? E-mail us at beyondthediag@umich.edu