COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS
AMAZIN’ BLUE
Amazin’ Blue, the University of Michigan’s oldest coed a cappella singing group,
performs pop music from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s in three big concerts a year. The group
also tours college campuses each spring break, competes in the national collegiate a
cappella competition, and produces a CD every two years.
COMEDY COMPANY
Ann Arbor’s answer to Saturday Night Live. The students who make up this comedy
troupe do all their own writing, directing, and performing. Shows are usually held twice a
year, featuring sketch comedy, improv, and stand-up. Past show have included Com-Air,
Komedy Sutra, Farcity Blues, November 6th Sense of Humor, and There’s Something
about the Virgin Mary.
CONSIDER MAGAZINE
Consider is the University of Michigan’s weekly non-partisan issues forum. Since 1983,
Consider has been providing over 15,000 people on campus each week with at least two
perspectives on an important campus or national issue, and is the only publication
distributed throughout the University’s Residence Halls. Consider is a partnership
between the University of Michigan Hillel, the University Activities Center, and the
Residence Hall Association.
EVERY THREE WEEKLY (E3W)
Half biting satire, half ridiculous absurdity, the Every Three Weekly is all that. And a can
of Planter’s low-salt peanuts. The E3W staff delivers a fresh batch of funny things for the
campus to read….well, every three weeks. This is not that hard, people
IMPACT DANCE THEATER
Impact Dance Theater is a dance company made up of non-dance majors. The group
performs all sorts of dance forms including jazz, lyrical, tap, ballet, and modern, in their
own student-choreographed pieces. The group performs one large show at Lydia
Mendelssohn Theatre during winter term and also performs periodically throughout the
year in smaller venues around campus. Auditions are typically held in September for
company members. Their jobs include budgeting, advertising, arranging choreography,
and specific arrangements for the production. The dates for their shows are scheduled two
years in advance
LAUGHTRACK
Laughtrack presents stand-up comedy, in venues ranging from the U-Club to Hill
Auditorium. This committee showcases student and local comedians, as well as big name
artists. Past headliners include Dennis Miller, Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Wright, Adam Sandler,
Ellen DeGeneres, and Jon Stewart.
M-FLICKS
M-Flicks coordinates a broad range of movie screenings on campus. Concentrating on
35mm film, M-Flicks is dedicated to the idea that the Big Screen is superior. Showings
are held approximately every other week, including the screenings of free sneak previews
of upcoming Hollywood films. Past showings have included Bladerunner, Malcolm X,
Delicatessen, and The Princess Brides. Past sneak preview have included American
Beauty, Bone Collector, and Being Jon Malcovich.
MICHIGAN ACADEMIC COMPETITIONS (MAC)
MAC is a student-run group that sends teams to compete in academic quiz trivia
competitions at universities throughout the United States. MAC also holds competitions
for high schools and U-M students. Past accomplishments include winning the national
championship in 1996, followed by a world championship over the British Champions.
MICHIGAN POPS ORCHESTRA (MPO)
The Michigan Pops Orchestra, Ann Arbor’s only student-run, student-directed orchestra,
was founded in 1995 to serve as a showcase for popular orchestral music. Open to music
majors and non-music majors alike, the orchestra aims to add to the diversity within the
University musical community and to attract a wider audience to the concert hall. Past
performances include the works of John Williams, Rogers and Hammerstein, Danny
Elfman, Aaron Copland, and George Gershwin.
MINI-COURSES
Mini-Courses are non-credit classes offered each fall and winter term to students, faculty,
and the Ann Arbor community. Popular offerings include ballroom dance, bartending,
massage, sign language, CPR, and many others. All classes are held in the Michigan
Union, Mondays through Thursdays.
MUSKET
MUSKET is a student-produced musical theater group which stages two large-scale
productions at the Power Center each year. Every show presents opportunities for
involvement in cast, crew, orchestra, production management, as well as the chance to
see a spectacular musical. MUSKET welcomes ALL students. Prior performance or
production experience is not necessary.
THE RUDE MECHANICALS
The Rude Mechanicals is a theater group devoted to maintaining a forum for creative
theatrical expression for the U-M and Ann Arbor community. The Rude Mechanicals
presents a Shakespeare piece in the fall and a contemporary play in the spring. Previous
productions have included Macbeth, King Lear, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing,
A Few Good Men, Zoo Story, and All My Sons.
SOUNDSTAGE
Soundstage presents local and student bands, with styles ranging from funk jazz to rock.
The group seeks to exhibit the Ann Arbor music scene and expose the student body to
diverse styles for both local and national bands.
SPEAKER INITIATIVE
The purpose of Speaker Initiative is to provide the University of Michigan and
surrounding community with a series of programs designed to foster discourse on a
variety of subjects including politics, the arts, the humanities, religion, and science. By
coordinating the efforts of dozens of individual campus groups, the Speaker Initiative
accomplishes two major things: it brings informed programs to campus, and it presents
those programs to a wide variety of individuals in and around the University community
(at no charge to the student). Past featured lecturers have been Gloria Steinem,
Mohammed Bilal and Jennifer Jako.