For many students, location is one primary concern in the
already painful process of registration. Aside from selecting
first-rate professors, finding times that work well and getting
classes that fulfill distribution, another aspect of a good class
is its location. Two very unpopular choices on campus are the
Frieze Building, located on South State Street, which The Michigan
Daily voted worst building on campus, and the Modern Languages
Building, on Thayer Street, whose basement was voted to have the
worst classrooms on campus.
- Weekend Magazine
- The Frieze Building, one of the least appealing structures on campus, once served as an Ann Arbor high school (Mike Hulsebus/Daily).
Not only is the Frieze Building the farthest building from the
Diag, it has tiny classrooms and with its locker-lined halls, it is
reminiscent of an old forgotten high school. In fact, before the
University purchased the building in 1956 it served as the Ann
Arbor High School.
“I really don’t like having class there because it’s
so far away no matter where you are, plus the building is
incredibly dark and dreary,” commented LSA sophomore Amanda
Benkoff. Many people greatly dislike the long walk to Frieze,
especially during the cold Michigan winters.
In addition, “the desks are really small and also
there’s only one very slow elevator,” which contributes
to the hassle of getting to class., added Benkoff.
For added creepiness, classrooms on the higher floors of Frieze
sometimes shake whenever a teacher paces the room. Of all the
buildings on campus, the Frieze Building is the one most in need of
an extreme makeover both inside and outside.
For similar reasons, the basement of the MLB was easily voted to
have the worst classrooms on campus. In addition to the small rooms
that are packed with anywhere from 30 to 50 students, there are
tiny desks which hardly have room for a notebook. The worst part
may be that there are no windows, causing claustrophobia the minute
students enter.
“The classes are so cramped that it almost feels like a
jail cell,” LSA freshman Becky Weinstein said. The
cinder-block walls and the inconsistent, disorganized seating
arrangements contribute to the jail-cell feeling.
Some classes are already unbearable, and to have them in a poor
location can add to the misery of having to attend.