Your path across campus runs along the diagonal walkways of the Diag, pronounced DY‑ag, in Ann Arbor. Once called the Diagonal Green, the Diag earns its name from the multitude of sidewalks that traverse and border it in diagonal directions, slicing this broad green into angled paths. Numerous historic buildings of the university are positioned in proximity, so this is both a crossroads and a kind of front porch for the campus.
Its story ties back to the Central Forty and The Diag (1837), and generations have used these diagonal walks to move across campus. In April 2008, spring commencement ceremonies were held here when Michigan Stadium was undergoing construction; more recently, in April 2024, the Diag was one of the sites for the nationwide pro‑Palestinian encampment. Stand here and you can picture grand arrivals, ceremonies moved from the stadium, and public gatherings on this very lawn.
In April 2008 this very lawn stood in for Michigan Stadium, hosting spring commencement while the stadium was under construction.