The Diag - Don't Step on the M

A stop on University of Michigan Campus Walk, a free self-guided tour.

You're standing at the heart of the University of Michigan, where diagonal sidewalks cross a lawn shaded by old trees. It began as the Diagonal Green, and it is the oldest part of the Ann Arbor campus. On a sunny afternoon you'll see students sprawled on the grass, clubs handing out flyers, and someone making a speech to whoever will listen.

Look down at the center, where the walks meet. That bronze block M, set in granite, was a gift from the Class of 1953. A superstition took hold soon after, supposedly by the very next fall: step on the M before your first blue book exam and you'll flunk it. Plenty of students still walk the long way around it, even the ones who swear they don't believe a word.

The Diag has been the campus stage for rallies, protests and celebrations for generations, and in 2008 spring commencement was held right here while the stadium was being renovated. Find the M, step carefully around it, and start your walk.

Getting here: Start at the center of the Diag, where the diagonal walks meet between State Street and East University Avenue.

Did you know?: The legend comes with a cure. In one popular version, a student who steps on the M can undo the curse by running to the bronze pumas outside the natural history museum and back before Burton Tower finishes chiming midnight. Versions differ on the route.

Photo op: Stand at the edge of the granite circle and shoot down so the bronze M sits in the middle of the frame, with the diagonal walks radiating out behind it.

More on Wikipedia: The Diag · University of Michigan

The Diag - Don't Step on the M

Stops on this tour