ann arbor is overrated.

Ann Arbor is again criminally overrated as a cultural center and overall great place to live in MSN’s list of “Ten Schools in Great College Towns.” Coming in at number ten, A2 is described as

A classic, just-big-enough “college town,”…known for its “great downtown restaurants and bars, and very diverse culture.” U of M is also a “sports heaven,” so athletics can play a big part in undergraduate life if students are so inclined.

From this, we can isolate a few useful bits of information:

1) Ann Arbor is small - oh, sorry, “just big enough.” A good size.
2) There are places in Ann Arbor where one can drink.
3) One can probably find people with pink hair and piercings in Ann Arbor.
4) One can also find fans of spectator sports in Ann Arbor.

All true. So perhaps on a list where Boston is referred to as “Beantown” and cited for its “Phantom of the Opera”-watching opportunities, this inclusion makes sense.

Ann Arbor Sucks is not one to rail against the dangers of “political correctness.” But is it too much to ask that what should be a straight news story - and a pretty explosive one - in the Daily doesn’t get riddled with vague psycho-speak? The headline, “Students speak out on power of words,” suggests a feature about fledgling writers taking tentative steps toward finding an authentic voice. Instead, it’s a story about the suspension of Sally Sharp, the university’s Women In Science and Engineering and UROP In-Residence Director for allegedly making offensive racial comments.

And then there’s the story’s lead - “Like many students on campus, LSA junior Terrence Griffin knows what it is like to hear a shocking comment come from another person’s mouth that whether said intentionally or not has long-standing effects.” Not only does this sentence drop all pretense of objectivity, it’s virtually un-parsable.

The article doesn’t mention any attempt on the Daily’s part to contact Sharp.

U of M president Mary Sue Coleman’s grad student husband’s in-state status provides a fascinating look at how the university makes tuition decisions. Even though he’s only been here two months, since the family moved here for “purposes of permanent employment,” he is considered a Michigan resident and pays in-state tuition. Well, since students with permanently employed spouses clearly need the help with tuition more, you think, sarcastically. But think about it: five years in A2 loom ahead of Ken Coleman, and that doesn’t even count the years after his wife steps down, at which time she will have automatic tenure.

That’s a lot of shows at the Blind Pig.

Soho has the boots
Noho’s got the crack
New England has the foliage
But I’m not goin’ back.

Ever feel like Dean Wareham when he dumped his wimpy-sad Galaxie 500 persona and started making stripped-down, uncompromising records with cutting lyrics like above? Neither does Ann Arbor Sucks, usually.