Welcome Back………............................1

Don’t Be Left Behind……………............2

Personal Safety Workshops on Campus...............................................3

NHL Hockey Season is Back!.…………… 3

Outback Bowl 2013..…………………..……4

Street Parking Guidelines…….............. 5

New Year, New Resolutions…..……......5

Valentine’s Day…………………..…….….….6

Colds, Flu, and You – How to Stay Well………………………………..........………..6

Welcome Back! Hello off-campus students!

Whether you were traveling, working, or just hanging out at home, Beyond the Diag hopes you had a safe and relaxing holiday break.

Hopefully you were able to take advantage of Restaurant Week last week. If not, there are still lots of great events happening around Ann Arbor. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to learn more!

As you start off the new semester, and attempt to brace the cold weather, keep the following tips in mind to increase energy efficiency and lower housing energy costs: • Keep thermostats set at 68°F during the winter. • Keep doors and windows shut when utilizing your

unit’s heating system • Cover windows with plastic in the winter to keep out

cold drafts.

For more information and tips, check out A2Energy. Go Blue! Stephanie Karaa and Matt Lonnerstater Beyond the Diag Program Assistants

What’s Inside:

Don’t Be Left Behind! Ask almost anyone who has worked or studied abroad if it was worth it. They will say yes. Now ask an employer how it looks on a resume or sounds in an interview. It can always help. You will make lifelong memories and learn from an experience abroad, as well as gain the preparation that distinguishes you in the job market. However, starting the process can seem to be a daunting task. First, you will need to decide whether you would rather study or work abroad: • The International Center is a good place to start perusing possible options of both, and your

professors and counselors can also help point you towards specific programs of interest. • Additionally, be aware that studying abroad can help knock credits off degree requirements over

the summer while learning from a different perspective, whereas by working abroad you are able to gain international and concrete work experience. While it is important to first think about the difference between working and studying abroad, the factor that will define how you benefit from the experience will be your personal interest in the venture.

Then, you need to go about selecting a program: • Go to informational meetings for several different types of programs and be open to locations

and objectives that you may have never considered. • You will need to start your search early in order to make application deadlines, attend mandatory

informational meetings and take advantage of the grants and scholarships the university and departments set aside specifically for students who want to go abroad.

For example, the College of Engineering’s Bridges to Prosperity program picks different project sites around the world to travel to and teach communities how to build structurally sound bridges. At first this may not interest someone studying languages, but the team always needs interpreters, which would be great language experience. Another example is the Ottawa and European Union programs through UM Dearborn, which transfers easily for Ann Arbor students. You will learn just as much about history as you will politics in these programs. Contributed by Sabrina Palombo

Personal Safety Workshops on Campus

If you ever feel unsafe on campus or anywhere else, consider attending a FREE Personal Safety and Self-defense workshop.

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.

As someone who has personally participated in a workshop, I highly recommend this opportunity. I found it to be fun, interesting, and informative. The workshops helped me feel safer on campus, and I learned a lot in the process. All students are welcome, and workshops are great for both men and women.

U-Move and the Dean of Students office are co-sponsoring free Personal Safety Education workshops at the CCRB this Winter Term. Check out the available dates! To register, search for course # 310239.

Students are welcome to attend one of the sessions that has already been scheduled, or gather a group of at least ten people (friends, roommates, members of a student organization) and schedule their own, private, session for free. Sessions are coordinated and run by Katy Mattingly, author of Self-Defense: Steps to Survival. She can be contacted at selfdefense@umich.edu.

Contributed by Alexander Blaty (shown on right) Photo from Katy Mattingly, Student Safety Program Manager

NHL Hockey Season is Back! Millions of hockey fans, but more precisely the U-M students rely on it to cool their brains before class or exams, were CRUSHED by the NHL lockout that delayed the start of the professional hockey season. However, do not fret my fellow hockey-loving Wolverines, the season has started and will run until April 27th. Expectations are high on and off-campus, which was captured in a short statement made by LSA senior Brandon Beaupre on his thoughts for the season: “There is a lot of excitement from the fans as well as zest and camaraderie from the teams who are back together, especially considering that players have been playing in other leagues abroad.” Watch the NHL games on Fox Sports Detroit, NHLN, NBC, and if you have Canadian channels by any chance TSN & CBC. Check out the Hockey Schedule for this season! Contributed by Francesco Balducci

Outback Bowl 2013 Under the warm Florida sun, two nationally renowned college football programs, South Carolina - ranked number ten and Michigan - ranked number eighteen, met in the Outback Bowl in Tampa Bay. Both teams used a two quarterback system on offense and possessed dangerous playmakers on their respective rosters. All-American lineman Taylor Lewan from Michigan was tasked with the duty of blocking defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, whom experts had deemed the best player all around in college football. To add to the excitement, Clowney chased Denard Robinson the entire game. The Gamecocks started off fast with a 56 yard touchdown pass on their first possession of the game. Shortly after, Ace Sanders scored on an electrifying 63 yard punt return to put the Gamecocks up 14-3. Michigan fought back, as rising quarterback Devin Gardner found Drew Dileo for a touchdown strike, and both teams went into halftime with the score at 21-13 in favor of the Gamecocks. The Wolverines came out of the locker room rejuvenated and scored nine points in the third quarter, including an excellent ten yard touchdown catch by receiver Jeremy Gallon to put Michigan up 22-21 going into the fourth quarter. After a questionable spot that gave Michigan a first down, Jadeveon Clowney made the top play of the week by engulfing Michigan running back Vincent Smith in the backfield, sending his helmet flying and causing a fumble which Clowney recovered. Both teams exchanged leads with Michigan taking the lead on Gardner’s third touchdown toss with 3:29 remaining. With just eleven seconds left on the clock, South Carolina scored on a 32 yard touchdown pass to stun the Wolverines and win. In his last game as a Michigan Wolverine, Denard Robinson set a new NCAA record for rushing yards as a quarterback with 4,495 total yards, adding to his already impressive tenure at Michigan. Michigan kicker Matt Wile also set an Outback Bowl record with his 52 yard field goal in the third quarter. “Even though we lost, the weather was amazing and I am happy I was able to see Denard’s last game as a Wolverine.” –Derrick Fu, Michigan Senior Contributed by Wen Ning Information from espn.com Photo from http://photos.mlive.com/ann-arbor_photos/2013/01/michigan_vs_south_carolina_ou t_56.html.

Street Parking/Sidewalk Guidelines for the Snowy

Months Winter is unfortunately going to be hanging around for a few more months, and snowfall is likely going to be a part of upcoming weather forecasts. As many Michiganders and northerners know, there is almost nothing worse than finding out first-hand that your car has been buried in snow by plow trucks. If you have a car in Ann Arbor and do not wish to be a victim of the plow-trucks’ rampage, be sure to look at the following tips regarding snow removal:

• Street plowing begins when accumulated snowfall reaches four inches or more. Citizens are encouraged to remove cars from curbside parking to allow for effective street plowing.

• During a snow emergency (severe winter storms), designated “snow emergency streets” must be kept clear of parked cars. If a vehicle is parked on a snow emergency street during a snow emergency, it may be ticketed or towed. To find out which streets are designated as snow emergency streets, call the Ann Arbor Snow Desk at 734-794-6367.

• Additionally, look over general information on snow removal (www.a2gov.org/snow).

Also, clarify with your landlord if you are responsible for removing snow from the sidewalks adjacent to your residence and adhere to the following code: • Ann Arbor requires property owners to remove accumulated snow and ice from adjacent public

sidewalks. Residential properties must clear adjacent sidewalks of all accumulations of 1” or more within 24 hours of the end of accumulation.

Contributed by Matt Lonnerstater Information from www.a2gov.org/snow

New Year, New Resolutions

It’s that time of year again, everyone is out at the gym motivated to stick to their new year resolutions. We all know this means the CCRB and IM building will be packed. Here are a few tips to help you stick to your resolutions and not get caught in the crowds:

• If your resolution is to work out more often, go to the gym with a friend. This way, it’s harder to change your mind about going. It can keep you motivated to stay on track.

• If you hate fighting over the exercise equipment, try going to the gym in the early morning or afternoon to avoid the after 4 crowd.

• Another common resolution is to eat healthier. However, as all of us on a student budget know, fresh fruits and vegetables can get pretty expensive. This can make it difficult to stick to your resolution. To find local sources of food while on a budget, try the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market!

Contributed by Jackie Misco Photo from http://static.someecards.com/someecards/usercards/4e666ab3c95715aab9f8d7b25fe78a 4f_50d1f0fcdb2d5.png

Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day: was this holiday crafted to put us all under unnecessary pressure? As February 14th approaches, we know to expect overpriced menus, cliché couples, and many of us ignoring the holiday completely.

What can you do this year to avoid falling in the trap of low self-esteem, or playing into the commercialized nature of this day? Most single people treat February 14th as a normal day, while people with significant others feel pressure to spend lots of money on a romantic date. Yet, others ignore the holiday altogether. But this year, I think we can do better.

Valentine’s Day is technically a holiday, and holidays give us a reason to celebrate! As college students, we almost never pass up a reason to celebrate. Barbeques are commonplace when it’s 45 degrees in December.

Celebrate friendship with a group of your single friends. Celebrate love with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Celebrate family if your loved ones are close by. Celebrate in downtown Detroit by ice skating at Campus Martius. Celebrate yourself by buying yourself that latte instead of just your normal coffee.

The point is that this one day should not allow us to question our validity as an individual, We should respect ourselves by focusing on the positives of celebration. Happy Valentine’s Day, friends, I will see you out there celebrating.

Contributed by Margaret Murphy Photo from http://www.glutenfreebaking.com/public/Valentines_Day_Cupcake_Ideas.cfm

Colds, Flu and You – How to Stay Well

With the winter cold and flu season upon us, it’s a good time to remember how you can reduce illness:

• First, it’s not too late to get a flu shot, and University Health Service (UHS) still has vaccines available. • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, or sneeze or cough into your sleeve. (Covering with

your hands can spread germs). • Clean your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, and don’t share personal items, such as eating utensils,

drinking glasses, or towels. • Stay home when you are sick, and avoid close contact with people who are sick, if possible. • Help your immune system stay strong and fight off illness by getting plenty of sleep, eating well, and

staying physically active.

For more, including how to know when to see a health care provider, see Colds and Flu on the UHS website.

Contributed by Carol Tucker, UHS

For more safety tips and information about Beyond the Diag, visit http://offcampus.umich.edu

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