By Ava Janosz
On a University of Michigan bus, you see many faces. A sea of faces in fact, not one the same. They come in waves. Some you probably won’t ever come across again. Others you may see again, and forget them in an instant. On a bus, people are brought together only to be separated moments later. The University of Michigan bus is no different, it passes through the vibrant streets of Ann Arbor on a route, the same as it has for years, with faces constantly changing along the way. It is a maize and blue bus, showing signs of wear from ferrying hundreds of students to and from classes, but maintained well enough to remain in decent shape. There are large windows, and plastic seats are arranged side-by-side in multiple rows, with a long aisle down the middle for the unlucky ones to stand. The bus’s route is an endless cycle of moving people from one place to another on Michigan’s pot-hole-ridden roads.
With this repetitive journey, one would think a typical day is quite mundane on a university bus. Yet the bus is always amidst the wonders of the changing seasons and the bustling Ann Arbor campus. The fall is usually the most lively of times. The air feels electric as the last warmth of summer comes to an end; you can feel the anticipation of the start of yet another school year at the Best University in the World. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors alike ride the bus, their collective presence a testament to the countless students who have traveled its routes before. While the exact number remains a mystery, the students who ride the bus are proud to be Michigan students. There is something about the culture here, the home of the leaders and best. This bus is not just a mode of transportation, it is a vessel that moves the future change-makers of the world and a reflection of the university experience itself.
At the start of the year, school is not always at the top of student’s minds. The small conversations on the bus are almost always not related to school in any way, and the bus hears every one of them. They are restricted but not limited to weekend plans to reunite with friends, everyday gossip, and most commonly, football. Mobs of students crowd the buses on gameday in anticipation of seeing the latest quarterback score a touchdown at the Big House; memories that will last a lifetime. Students are always rowdy and enthusiastic, dressed in the University of Michigan colors, their faces elaborately decorated in school spirit. Most of these students wake up at 7 am to prepare for a game at noon, eagerly waiting at the bus stop to head to tailgates and meet up with their friends before kickoff. On game days, the buses fill up rapidly, you would be lucky to get a ride among the sea of maize and blue that crowds the bus’ interior. Being early fall, everyone on the bus is burdened by a hot and heavy air that intensifies the musty odors mingling with strange scents from outside. Students stand shoulder-to-shoulder, their faces practically touching. Yet, no one seems to care, they all have only one thing on their mind: the game (and winning). And they are all buzzing with intense excitement.
Striking up conversations on a crowded University of Michigan bus is not unusual for strangers. It is where the most unlikely of friendships begin, especially on game days. Students bond over recent star players like Orji, Johnson, Loveland, and Edwards. Oftentimes students leave the bus in much larger groups than they arrived with, taking along new friends they’ve just met. The once ordinary journey now feels like a communal adventure, uniting students in their love of Michigan football.
The excitement of the fall and University of Michigan football season does not last forever. The crucial difference between the bus in the fall and the bus in the winter is the silence. There is no sound besides the shakes, squeaks, and rattles of the bus as it moves along its endless path. The hot and heavy air on the bus is replaced with a much harsher, bitter one. Every student’s breath is visible in the chilly air as students crowd the bus bundled up in their fluffy puffer jackets and cozy little hats. The bus floor is streaked with salt residue and scattered with footprints left by snowy shoes. As the bus trundles along, their warmth slowly creeps into every cold crevice, creating a cozy atmosphere that causes the windows to fog up. It’s like being wrapped in a comforting hug, which makes students exceedingly more appreciative of the bus. Nothing is better than being met with a rush of warmth after standing in below-freezing temperatures. The once loud chatter that echoed across the whole bus is now only heard in soft whispers. The mornings in the winter are especially quiet. The tired faces aboard the bus battle for consciousness, adding to the somber mood. But one thing that seems to always keep students occupied is music. Students also love to listen to music on the bus. Despite the silence, each person listens to a distinct melody of their own and becomes lost in the wanderings of their own mind. Not all listen to music though, some just let their thoughts drift as they look out the window, the bus passing the same series of buildings, sidewalks, and trees as it usually does. Even in the quiet of winter, some initiate small talk. It is mostly fleeting and surface-level, revolving around topics like the weather, classes, or how tired everyone is—just people being people, forgetting the conversation the moment it ends. Despite the short-lived nature of these conversations, they play a crucial role in the bond created by the students, and the bus seems to be a prime example of where this community is fostered.
Classwork is more rigorous by now, and you will find the occasional student reviewing a stack of biology notecards on the bus ride to their 8 a.m. exam or a student deeply immersed in a required Shakespeare reading for their English class. The weight of the stressors that come with being a student seems to burden the entire bus. This is around the time when every single day starts to feel the same for students, as they fall into the infinite cycle of their routine. But the bus ride through the University of Michigan campus can be entrancing. Though the bus always takes the same route, the scenery almost always changes. The journey can be quite peaceful, especially when the first few flakes of winter snowfall from the fluffy white clouds above. The dilapidated Ann Arbor student houses once passed by the bus in the fall are now beautifully covered in a majestic blanket of bright white snow. And as the bus glides through the snow-covered streets, the trees sparkle and glisten in the sunlight. Sometimes, students forget that they are on the bus to get to class and instead find themselves captivated by the tranquility of the journey; mesmerized by the winter wonderland the campus has become.
In the spring, the scenery of the bus route drastically changes, and so does the atmosphere inside. By then, students' morale is typically high, as the end of the year is just within reach. With the arrival of April showers, you begin to notice a transition from heavy winter jackets and hats to sleek rain jackets, t-shirts, and tanks. There is a freshness in the air, a sweet smell of summer on the horizon. By now, the bus leads students on a new adventure, Ann Arbor during springtime. Looking out the window, the trees begin to show signs of life again, the little green buds barely visible, but in high contrast to the gray that winter has left behind. Passing by, you’ll find parents taking their children on pleasant walks, students enjoying lunch on wooden benches after class, overly friendly squirrels scampering about, and birds soaring through the vibrant blue sky. Sometimes, the occasional bus driver plays their own music, so the bus ride is not so silent. It makes the ride even more enjoyable. Some will greet you with a “Good morning” or “How are you”, and some may crack a joke to lighten the mood. However, the bus driver is always changing – they never stay. Despite the ever-changing roster, students almost always manage to mutter a “thank you” on their way out of the bus, regardless of who the bus driver is. It is fair to say that some drivers are definitely better than others – some prefer a brisk pace, others take curbs in stride, and some navigate turns with a little extra flair, giving the bus a gentle sway as it glides along. At times, a student will fall right out of their seat or the standing ones will crash into a neighbor. Sometimes it is as bad as a whole domino effect. But all they can do is laugh. Even during the early morning commute when most people are groggy and irritable, there is a shared sense of humor and connection. These people do not know each other, but they are all giggling in unison – a temporary bond. And when they arrive at the central stop, each one goes their separate ways, each continuing their journey at the University of Michigan on their own.
With each passing day when the bus goes about its daily rounds, it is never the physical bus that changes. The bus is always the same. The same old maize and blue university bus with the same old plastic seats and large windows, and it will always stay that way. But there is not a single day where the same few faces enter the bus at once. And there is not a day where the view outside the window is the same as it was before. Not a day where the smells of the bus are the same, or the latest topic of conversation among the students is the same. There is not a day where the student's attire is the same or the music they’re listening to is the same. It is the people who change. The world that changes. They never stay the same.
But the bus is a reminder of life at the University of Michigan, a reflection of the ever-changing world outside its windows. Each day, it carries its passengers through a journey of new faces, evolving scenery, and shifting conversations, embodying the dynamic nature of the human experience. Change is inevitable. The world is chaotic. But on this maize and blue bus, for once, time stands still.
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