5 Entertainments Available during COVID-19
Activities college students can do during the pandemic
—By Yanzi Chen
Before the pandemic, students would chat with their friends in the dining hall every evening. And now, because of COVID, many of them are facing a computer screen and watching meaningless videos while eating. We do the same tasks every day, and this is not the ideal college life. College life should be rich and colorful, and our right to enjoy it should not be deprived by the hateful COVID-19. In order to leave a good university memory, students should entertain themselves with attention to their safety. Here are five activities that U-M students can do while taking their personal health into account.
1.Enjoy a movie after a year of Netflix
2020 is meant to be a Netflix year. As individuals are getting sick of watching movies on a 13.3-inch computer screen, the State Theater and the Michigan Theater are now opening up to the public! They are two cinemas located in the heart of the central campus, which makes them very accessible to UM students.
To ensure the audiences’ safety, they implemented many new regulations to avoid the spread of the virus. Themselves have updated their HVAC air system to guarantee a 100% outside air circulation, decreased the number of screenings each week to enhance deep cleaning, decreased the number of seats to promote social distancing, and added Pandemic Response Officers and trained staff to make sure the implementation of safety measures. They have also added signs, closed sinks, and established a new exit and entry system, to maximize public safety during the pandemic.
A completely safe environment can not be established without the help of the visitors. For audiences, masks and social distancing are required throughout the screening. Therefore, if you are planning to enjoy a movie with a group of friends, remember to purchase your tickets at once. Else, there will be six chairs distance between you and your companion.
If you are still not comfortable in a closing space with other strangers and you are eager to watch a movie, there is still another option, which is to host a private rental at the State Theater. Visitors can choose between watching a movie, doing a rehearsal, gaming, and more with a group of fewer than 26 people. Go ahead if a minimum of $375 is within your budget.
2. Visit university museums for free
The University of Michigan has plenty of museums available for the UM community. They cover a wide range of subjects including natural history, archaeology, paleontology, zoology, dentistry, and art. All of them are actively responding to the current COVID situation, while still providing entertaining activities.
Take the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) as an example. UMMA is one of the largest university art museums in the U.S. It is a large cubic building, which can be easily recognized on South University Avenue. Its main mission is to bridge classical artworks with visual art and contemporary culture. Therefore, the museum contains all genres of work, from Renaissance portraits to impressionist paintings, from African art to Asian art, and from photography to decorative design. There are a lot of works by well-known artists. I was amazed last time that I even found some paintings by Picasso in the Museum. It also has artworks updated from time to time, making my experience different every time I visited it.
The museum access is currently restricted to people who hold a valid Mcard. Masks are required. UMMA Cafe which used to be a popular space for studying is now closed as well. However, don’t be discouraged by all these restrictions, UMMA still provides many fun events for students and staff members. Upcoming events include “Receiving a love poem” on Valentine’s Day and “Cold weather hot take” to cook during the pandemic. They are also doing live performances, gallery tours, mediation with art, different workshops, etc.
3. Visit museums from outside
To ensure the safety of our community, outside activities are strongly preferred over indoor ones. The different museums then promote some outdoor exhibitions as well as some virtual events.
UMMA has increased the number of exhibits outside the museums, mainly sculptures. They cover a wild range of subjects, each having an interesting name: Requiem by Erwin Binder, Angry Neptune, Salacia, and Stride by Michele Oka Doner, Behind the Walls by Jaume Plensa, etc. If they seem interesting to you, don’t hesitate to take a short walk next to those exhibits!
The Museum of Paleontology made all their repository of fossils available online. They also initiated a new program called Beyond the Collection. According to its website, the program has many learning modules, “Each of them has a 3D model to explore, information about the importance of each specimen to the study of paleontology, and more resources to continue learning.”
The Museum of Natual History developed a UMMNH website and app that allow the experience of the museum available in all kind of devices. If you want a real tour, you can also book a real-time virtual tour through Zoom. It is soo cool that we can also enjoy the planetarium from home! Each Thursday at 4.00 p.m, the virtual planetarium programs allow us to look at the stary sky for free.
Now individuals can take a museum tour without being in an indoor space and without having human interactions! Check out their websites for more details.
4. Explore nature
The safest way to meet friends during the pandemic is to hang out in an open space with air in circulation. In this way, outdoor activities become extremely essential. Places like the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum are all ideal places to pass a relaxing afternoon with other people. The Arboretum is a beautiful place to visit in the heart of the city. It is located between Geddes Road and the Huron River, can be easily accessed by students. It covers a land of 700 acres and brings an enormous amount of weekend pleasure to local residents. I have some of my most unforgettable memories here. All the stress caused by a week’s study disappears after this cozy afternoon, through having a picnic, playing frisbee, and simply chatting. The Arboretum brought students environmental enjoyment just as it promoted.
5. Take a trip to Detroit Observatory
The Detroit Observatory is located in Ann Arbor, owned by the U-M Bently Historical Library. It was closed for innovation for two years to “address accessibility issues, provide much-needed educational and event space, and outfit the complex with advanced capacity for physical and digital exhibits.” Excitingly, it is planning to reopen in fall 2021, which is the time for us to return to campus! The observatory will hold U-M History Tours (the Observatory, the campus, and beyond), public astronomy in a historic setting, and exhibits after reopening. Visitors will not only be able to take a closer look at the universe but also to know more about Michigan! Looking forward to exploring this newly renovated museum with friends and learning more about history and astronomy.
This is not an easy year for university students. Our activities and freedom are limited, but the amount of work that we need to do is not. College time is fleeting. Before we step into the true society, I hope we can all seize this time and leave the university with no regret because we have enjoyed it together with a group of worthy people. Therefore, I hope these five suggestions can help you to find better ways of spending your time than watching Youtube videos alone, and hope you will pass a joyful semester!
Feature Photo: Ann Arbor in 2020 Summer—the COVID era, by Yanzi Chen