Life outside 'U': A2 caters to wide variety of interests

By Maria Sprow

Daily Staff Reporter

There are places past the Rock, the Stadium and Pier Pont Commons for students looking to get involved in Ann Arbor.

Clubs and organizations representing any interest imaginable - from birds, photography, public speaking and dream interpretation to religion, performing arts, singing, dancing are scattered across the city.

"I haven't counted them, but there's an awful lot," said John Hilton, a Webmaster for arborweb.com, which gives a list of activities and clubs on any given night. The clubs "just reflect the tremendous diversity of interests Ann Arborites have- - everything from Bonsai to environmental activism."

Although the majority of members of these clubs are Ann Arbor residents, most clubs are willing to accept any interested students. Most groups have meetings with anywhere from five to 45 members.

"Most of our members are 20 to 30 years old, but we have members of all ages and stripes. We're a very congenial group," said Ann Arbor Camera Club member Margaret Bond, a 69-year-old retired Ann Arbor resident.

Bond said one reason for the great variety and number of activities and groups in the city is tied to the diversity of people living in Ann Arbor.

There are many other reasons for the amount of the unique groups in Ann Arbor. "Birds of a feather flock together," said the Ann Arbor Cage Bird Club secretary, Debbie Goodacker.

Rebecca Mullen, leader of the Ann Arbor Dream Club, said the city's sophistication helps contribute to the number of activities.

In the Dream Group, which has six members, one person describes a dream, and the other members participate by interpreting the dream as if they had experienced it, Mullen said. Interpretations are based on spiritual perspectives, such as Buddhism. The group's meetings are held at Mullen's home.

"I work with the whole person," said Mullen, a social worker who runs the group. "Dreams come from within, like a mirror."

Many of the clubs keep members active with weekly or monthly meetings, projects and special events.

The Cage Bird Club hosted their 3rd annual Birdie Olympics last month. More than 30 competitors, including parakeets and cockatoos, participated in events such as aerial acrobatics, a fireman's ladder climb, and finest feathers. The group also holds monthly programs about bird care topics, and hosts pet exhibitions.

Cockatoos outnumber other birds as pets found in the club. "They are a real cuddly bird, but very demanding. It's like having a two-year-old around forever," said Goodacker, a Dearborn resident. She estimates the number of birds she owns to be at 120.

For those that would like to hone their speech writing skills, the Toastmaster's Club has five branches in the Ann Arbor-area. The club consists mainly of Ann Arbor residents who want to build confidence in public speaking.

"We are a growing organization in the U.S. and in Ann Arbor. Mainly because Ann Arbor is a concentrated population and a lot of people want to be professionals. People understand that public speaking is important," said Arthur Clarke, governor of Ann Arbor Toastmasters Club.

Members write speeches specifically to present for the group. Other group members offer advice and praise for the completed work.

University alum Bruce Field said he gave new life to the Ann Arbor juggling club when he met professional juggler Josh Casey, who was juggling in the Diag. The group's mailing list now has more than 50 members and a core group of six or seven members. On Sundays, the group gathers on the Diag or in East Hall to showcase their skills, juggling the standard of three to 10 balls to juggler's knives to specially designed torches.