As an elderly woman/college senior, I’ve been feeling pretty nostalgic lately. I think often about the kid I was when I moved into West Quad as a freshman three years ago and the grown-ass woman I am now, and how radically different we are. I think about all the people I’ve met on this campus, especially about the ones who have entered my life in a big way and altered my path with their friendship and counsel. I’ve also been thinking a lot about all the ways I’ve seen Ann Arbor transform over the past three years — in ways that this year’s freshmen might not even believe. Here are some of the things I’ve seen:
There used to be general seating at the Big House instead of assigned seating sections. That meant that if you got separated from your friends at any point during the day, you were most definitely flying solo.
Skeeps used to be, like, comically easy to get into. I remember once seeing an ad for Skeeps in a campus newspaper that was literally a picture of a fake ID where the information was written in crayon. At least there’s always Cantina, who may or may not care how old you are.
Acai bowls were not a thing — at least not in the Midwest. Not even sure if they were invented yet, except maybe in LA.
There was no Uber. This is huge — we literally would have to call a cab on the phone, then wait twenty minutes for it to come pick us up and take us to a frat party. Also, we paid in cash, as this was the pre-Venmo age. I feel like a dinosaur writing this.
West Quad was an ancient dorm with no elevator. I know this because I lived on the fifth floor and had to climb all those steps multiple times a day. It had basically none of the glamour and prestige that it has today. BUT SO MUCH HISTORY!!!
Ski trip was a thing, but I don’t want to get into this. Freshmen, if you don’t know what I’m talking about, ask an older girl in a sorority (wait until rush is over tho #strictsilence).
Tailgates never used to get shut down. Ah, the good old days.
Also, speaking of tailgates, LOW POWER MODE DID NOT EXIST FOR GAMEDAYS. We literally had to stop and charge in Amer’s or something.
Our football team was meh and our basketball team was stacked. These were the days of Brady Hoke, the Chris Christie döppelganger who used to be our football coach B.H. (before Harbaugh). Also, Harbaugh left the NFL for us!
Weiser used to be called Dennison Hall. This particular name change does not matter to me, but if you know any math majors, it probably matters to them.
The Night Owl was briefly a thing nobody used. It was a Blue Bus that ran into the wee hours of the morning, graciously created by CSG to help drunk people get home safely, which is a noble pursuit. The problem was that nobody really knew what the route was, so nobody got on… and nobody ever got off. Spooky!
Charley’s didn’t have a covered patio, making it exponentially easier to people-watch. Sigh.
Mary Sue Coleman. Freshmen: look her up. Enough said.
Beyonce recorded a halftime video for the Notre Dame night game in 2013. It was exactly as exciting as you’d imagine.
Bar 2 Bar, a small bus that would light up in different colors and whose sole purpose was to transport drunk people from Skeeps to Ricks, existed — and might very well still exist. (Does any know if it still exists? If so, please contact HC staff.)
Game day outfits used to consist of a t-shirt and shorts/leggings and that’s it. There were no eye jewels, tutus, or overalls — like, MAYBE if you were super festive you were wearing a jersey and high socks. Now, we go nuts, but it’s awesome. I would mark this as an improvement.
Obama went to Zingerman’s and got a reuben and everyone died. Also, people camped out all night to see him. It was an ordeal.
Mojo and East Quad were the best dining halls pre-South Quad, which was under construction. Speaking of dining halls: they used to not open on football Saturdays until 10 AM. It was a disaster — we were left to fend for ourselves and many of us, as you know, tailgated on empty stomachs. ~ Different times ~
And so, freshmen, be grateful for the strides this great city of Ann Arbor has made over the past three years. But also don’t forget to look around and notice the way things are right now — I’m not trying to freak you out or anything, but you will literally be a senior tomorrow and everything will suddenly be different. Time goes by crazy fast, and soon you’ll all feel elderly as you welcome the class of 2023. I’m not crying — you’re crying.
Photos courtesy of giphy.com, bonappetit.com, gothinkbig.com, imgur.com, data.whicdn.com, reactiongifs.com, farm4staticflickr.com, annarbor.com, elevenwarriors.com, newsrook.com, and washingtonpost.com.