ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Friday, September 12, 2014
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CAMPUS LIFE
Students return to renovated Trotter Upgraded facilities come after strong student input By AMABEL KAROUB Daily Staff Repoter KATHERINE PEKALA/Daily
ROTC students stand guard at the Diag flag pole as part of a campus-wide effort to remember 9/11.
Campus community pays tribute on 9/11 anniversary
Students cover Diag in 2,977 American flags for those who lost their lives By EMILIE PLESSET Daily Staff Reporter
The American flag near the Ingalls Mall flew at half-mast Thursday above 2,977 miniature
flags spread across the Diag to commemorate the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The recently founded student group Young Americans for Freedom organized the memorial as part of the “9/11: Never Forget Project.” Each flag honored one person who lost their life in the attacks. Eighteen Wolverines lost their life on 9/11. The memorial aims to help incoming students — most of
whom were in lower elementary school or younger in 2001 — visualize the scope of the attacks. “Many college freshmen were only four years old when the attacks happened and they don’t have a real memory of the attack,” said LSA freshman Grant Strobl, chairman of the University chapter of Young Americans for Freedom. “Once they realize that each flag represents a victim of the attacks it becomes real.” Many University students and
faculty walking through the Diag stopped to reflect on the anniversary and take pictures of the memorial. “It’s an event meant to bring the community together and unite us and not to ever separate us,” said Law School student Rachel Jankowski, a YAF adviser. Members of the University’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps also commemorated the anniversary of the attacks with a changSee TRIBUTE, Page 3A
Fresh paint and and upgraded facilities welcomed almost 100 students Thursday to the University’s Trotter Multicultural Center. In January, the University allocated $300,000 for renovations at Trotter Center after the University’s Black Student Union lobbied the administration for upgrades, among other demands. The building hosted its first open house Monday after construction projects were completed over the summer. “Although it emerged out of the Black action student movements of the 70s, it has evolved in its vision to cater to all students, without losing sight of the importance of signaling students of color,” said Rackham student David Green. The Trotter walls were newly painted in vibrant gold and
brown tones, the wood floor was covered with a patterned rug and colorful, abstract paintings lined every side of the room. The beauty of the building did not come cheap. Rackham student Portia Hemphill said someone who had not been to Trotter before the renovation would not understand the drastic difference in the décor. “If you looked at it before you would know there’s a huge difference,” Hemphill said. “This room is much more warm and inviting, there are new pictures to make the room feel like a safe haven, a safe space, a warm, inviting climate.” Green said the renovation is not purely aesthetic, but also of people involved in the center and minds leading it. “Not only do we have a new director, not only do we have a new programming board, but we have a new philosophy and a new mission,” Green said. “To always think about what the students need and how we can best meet those needs as a way to fulfill the promise of the See TROTTER, Page 3A
DETROIT
Urban farming’s growing popularity draws students Programs focus on access to fresh food and revitalization By NEALA BERKOWSKI Daily Staff Reporter
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
University President Mark Schlissel discusses North Campus issues, the Munger Graduate Residences project and college athletics at Michigan among other issues at his first fireside chat at the Michigan Union Thursday.
Schlissel hosts first fireside chat in Union
University President discusses diversity, athletics on campus By SHOHAM GEVA Daily Staff Repoter
Though the room didn’t have a fireplace, University President Mark Schlissel held his first fireside chat Thursday afternoon with about 30 students in the
Willis Ward Lounge of the Michigan Union. Fireside chats are discussions with the University president for a group of randomly selected students, a tradition begun by University President Emerita Mary Sue Coleman. During the hour-long event, Schlissel fielded questions from students on a variety of topics, including the Munger Graduate Residences project and North Campus culture, and asked them
questions of his own on topics like athletics. “I’m trying to find ways to reach out and learn about what the student experience is like here, and what I can do to protect the things that are really good, and to fix the things that aren’t quite working right,” he told students at the start of the chat. LSA senior Joseph Jozlin asked Schlissel about the balance between student input and See FIRESIDE, Page 3A
While homegrown food is nothing new to the city of Detroit, a new wave of enthusiasm for urban farming is entic-
ing longtime residents and University students alike to start growing. Detroit, which continues to grapple decades-old issues of blight and vacant lots, has plenty of land prime for farming. Urban farming has become increasingly popular in the last 10 to 20 years, allowing Detroiters to grow the city new roots through agriculture. The farms and gardens are being used to
help the city not only as a food source but also by connecting community members. The trend has garnered both regional and national media attention as the conversation on how to repurpose unoccupied urban properties continues. Although the movement towards agriculture in Detroit is called “urban farming,” many of its participants are technically garSee FARMING, Page 3A
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
CSG unable to fund LEAD Due to legal reasons, scholarships must be funded by alumni By WILL GREENBERG Daily News Editor
The devil is in the details. Originally part of Central Student Government President Bobby Dishell’s campaign platform last spring, the additional funding destined for the LEAD
Scholars program from CSG has been canceled due to legal constraints. LEAD is a scholarship program from the University’s Alumni Association, which provides merit-based scholarships to minorities. Under the 2006 Michigan Civil Rights Initiative — better known as Proposal 2 — the University itself is not allowed to give scholarships as an affirmative action initiative. However, because the Alumni Association is a 501(c)
(3) separate from the University, they have been providing these scholarships themselves to help improve diversity on campus. Dishell, a Public Policy junior, said he originally believed that because CSG is also its own 501(c)(3) that its funds could be given to the LEAD as part of Dishell’s efforts to reach out to underrepresented demographics. However, Dishell learned from the University’s Office of See LEAD, Page 3A
BUTT IS BACK Tight End recovers ahead of schedule, makes timely return for Wolverines
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 61 LO: 42
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2A — Friday, September 12, 2014
MONDAY: This Week in History
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CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Freshman Friday
Chinese art installation
Internships in India
Open House: UM3D Lab
WHAT: Freshmen can meet members of the Career Center in a relaxed setting and score some free food. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: The Career Center
WHAT: Melt by Pan Gongkai is a video installation that looks at the relationship between Western and American culture. WHO: Confucius Institute at University of Michigan WHEN: Today at 12 p.m. WHERE: Work Gallery 306 South State Street
WHAT: Attend this career event to learn about internship options in India. WHO: Program in International and Comparative studies WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work, ECC Room
WHAT: The library has 3D printing; go check it out, and learn about all the technology available. WHO: University Library WHEN: Today from 12 to 6 p.m. WHERE: Duderstadt Center
John Greer music recital
Martin Sexton show
FunKtion Fall tryouts
WHAT: Faculty member Carmen Pelton will be singing, and pianist John Greer will be playing WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Tomorrow at 8 p.m. WHERE: Moore Buiding
WHAT: This famous performer will be playing in Ann Arbor - tickets for General Admission are $40. WHO: Michigan Union Ticket Office WHEN: Tonight at 8 p.m. WHERE: The Ark
WHAT: Like hip-hop? Try out for funKtion, an all male hip-hop dance group on campus. No experience necesssary. WHO: FunKtion WHEN: Today from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union Pond Room
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
The Ray Rice domestic violence incident was not completely investigated by NFL Commissioner Goodell after he concluded that Janay Rice went unconscious after falling during the disturbance, the Wall Street Journal reported.
2
After being shutout last week, the Michigan football team comes home to face Miami (OH), which has not won since 2012. Check out our beat writers’ coverage of the game. >> FOR MORE, SEE SPORTS, PG. 1B
Writing Center opening WHAT: The remodeled Sweetland Peer Writing Center has its grand opening today. Come meet Sweetland staff, see the renovations and get some refreshments. WHO: Sweetland Center for Writing WHEN: Today from 3 to 5 p.m. WHERE: Angell Hall: G219
3
South African Olympian Oscar Pistorius was found not guilty of murder in the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, The Guardian reported. Pistorius claimed he shot Steenkamp last year in their home after mistaking her for an intruder.
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Colorado woman implicated Obama calls on Congress for support of terrorist group to support Syria’s rebels Teenager pleads guilty to aiding extremist conspiracy DENVER (AP) — A 19-year-old Colorado woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to trying to help the militant Islamic State group under a plea deal in the terrorism case that requires her to give authorities information about other Americans with the same intentions. Shannon Conley, wearing a black and brown headscarf over her striped jail jumpsuit, entered the plea in federal court to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. She could face up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine when she is sentenced in January. Conley, a nurse’s aide from
Arvada, said nothing in court, aside from acknowledging that she understood the terms of the plea that says she must divulge information about possible co-conspirators. Prosecutors said they will seek a lighter sentence if she cooperates. After the hearing, Conley’s public defender, Robert Pepin, said she has been horrified by the atrocities committed by the Islamic State group since her arrest and offered her condolences to those who have been caught up in its “slaughter and oppression.” “The fact that she was arrested may very well have saved her,” Pepin said of his client, whom he referred to as Halima, the name she adopted after her conversion to Islam. The FBI first became aware of her growing interest in extremism last November after Conley alarmed employees of an Arvada
church by wandering around and taking notes on the layout of the campus, court documents say. The church, Faith Bible Chapel, was the scene of a 2007 shooting in which a man killed two missionary workers. Agents with the Joint Terrorism Task Force then met several times with Conley over eight months to discourage her and suggest she explore humanitarian work instead. Agents also encouraged her parents to talk to her about finding more moderate beliefs. But Conley said she wanted to use her American military training with the U.S. Army Explorers in a holy war overseas, even though she knew it was illegal, authorities said. She added that she would use her medical training to aid the group if she could not fight with them.
Republicans and Democrats reach consensus about ISIS engagement
On the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he expected legislation ratifying Obama’s request to clear Congress by the end of next week when lawmakers hope to wrap up their work and go home to campaign for re-election. Congress’ two other top officials, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, also said Obama would likely get the support he seeks. Congress is in the midst of a two-week session that had been expected to focus on domestic issues, principally legislation to extend routine government funding beyond the end of the Sept. 30 budget year. That agenda changed abruptly on Wednesday night, when Obama delivered a prime-time speech from the White House seeking “additional authorities and resources to train and equip” rebels. The forces are simul-
taneously trying to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad and defeat militants seeking to create an Islamist caliphate in the heart of the Middle East. Obama says he already has the authority to order airstrikes against militants in Syria, WASHINGTON (AP) — although so far, those attacks Bending for once to the will have come only in neighboring of the White House, RepubliIraq. cans and Democrats coalesced The White House and many Thursday behind President lawmakers say deployment of Barack Obama’s call to train U.S. troops to train and equip and arm Syrian rebels fightSyrian rebels — activity planned ing Islamic State militants and to take place in Saudi Arabia — pointed toward votes in the heat would require additional conof a midterm election campaign. gressional approval. “We ought to give the presiOn the morning after Obama’s dent what he’s asking for,” speech, the administration House Speaker John Boehner, deployed a battalion of officials R-Ohio, said, although he swiftto brief lawmakers, including ly added that many Republicans Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairbelieve the Democratic comman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. mander in chief’s strategy is Defense Secretary Chuck too tepid to crush militants who Hagel and Secretary of State Sudoku Syndication http://sudoku have overrun parts of Iraq and John Kerry are expected to tesSyria and beheaded two Ameritify in next week at public hearcan journalists. ings in advance of any votes in Congress. There was a strong political subtext to the developments, eight weeks before voters pick a HARD new House and settle a struggle for Senate control. Asked whether the topic would be part of the campaign now unfolding, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who is on the November ballot, said, “Everything is going to be an issue.” “We do not want to go home without voting on some measure that goes toward destroying and defeating ISIS wherever it exists,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, using an alternate acronym for the militants. Reid accused Republicans of taking cheap political shots at the president, and said, “This is a time for the rhetoric of campaign commercials to go away.” At the same time, candidates seeking re-election will be required to vote on the presi© sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com DON’T GIVE UP dent’s request, and challengers will be on the spot to state positions. Generate and solve Sudoku, Super Sudoku andtheir Godoku puzzles at sudokusyndication.com!
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TRIBUTE From Page 1A
DETROIT, Mich.
ing of the guard by the flagpole. After folding in the 1970s, the University’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom was restarted this semester. Strobl said the organization is a nonprofit, non-partisan group that advocates the ideas of free market, limited government and a strong national defense. The “9/11: Never Forget Project” arrived at the University four years ago. While this year Young Americans for Freedom
Boy confesses to murder of French street artist A Detroit judge on Thursday ordered a 14-year-old boy to stand trial on first-degree murder and armed robbery charges in the fatal shooting of a French street artist whose body was discovered a year ago near an abandoned public housing project. The boy was 13 at the time of the killing of 23-year-old Bilal Berreni of Paris. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has said that the boy and three other then-teenagers carried out the attack.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Yahoo loses court fight on federal surveillance Yahoo said Thursday the government threatened to fine the company $250,000 a day if it did not comply with demands to go along with an expansion of U.S. surveillance by surrendering online information, a step the company regarded as unconstitutional. The outlines of Yahoo’s secret and ultimately unsuccessful court fight against government surveillance emerged when a federal judge ordered the unsealing of some material about Yahoo’s court challenge. In a statement, Yahoo said the government amended a law to demand user information from online services, prompting a challenge in 2007. Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden disclosed the program last year.
TUCSON
Millions wasted in housing project for border patrol The federal government wasted millions of dollars in building a housing project for Border Patrol agents in Arizona near the Mexican border, spending nearly $700,000 per house in a small town where the average home costs less than $90,000, a watchdog report found. The analysis by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general found that U.S. Customs and Border Protection overspent by about $4.6 million on new houses and mobile homes in the small town of Ajo southwest of Phoenix. The agency has spent about $17 million for land, 21 twoand three-bedroom houses and 20 mobile homes. Construction was completed in December 2012. Customs and Border Protection paid about $680,000 per house and about $118,000 per mobile home, according to the report. The average home cost in Ajo is $86,500.
ATHENS, Greece
Archaeologists discover 2,300 year-old tomb in northern Greece Archaeologists inching through a large 2,300-year-old tomb in northern Greece on Thursday uncovered two marble female statues flanking the entrance to one of three underground chambers, in another sign of the unusual attention and expense lavished on the unknown person buried there. The dig has gripped the public imagination amid non-stop media coverage, which Greek archaeologists say is placing an unfair burden on the excavation team. A Culture Ministry statement said the statues show “exceptional artistic quality.” Their upper sections were discovered last week, but their bodies — clad in semitransparent robes — emerged after part of a blocking wall was removed.
—Compiled from Daily wire reports
LEAD From Page 1A General Council that because the student government’s budget comes from student fees, it is part of the University’s funds, meaning a transfer of CSG budget money specifically for this scholarship would be in violation of Proposal 2. Dishell said he started working on this effort at the end of the Winter 2014 term when he started communicating with the Alumni Association, but was informed of the legal issue early in the summer. The original plan was to contribute $10,000 to LEAD, roughly the equivalent of two scholarships, and there was discussion of a matched donation from an alumnus to create a total of four new scholarships, Dishell said. He said it was intended to be part of a larger effort to improve diversity this year. “The goal was not so much the amount as it was the act, the demonstration that CSG cares about this issue and this was a way that we knew was incredibly effective at getting underrepresented students to campus,” he said. Dan Lijana, director of communications for the Alumni Association, said despite being unable to help fund LEAD scholarships, CSG can be a great ally to the association as they work on diversity. Lijana said there are still many other opportunities for the two organizations to join forces. “We’re very open to continuing the kind of conversations that would be independent of needing an office of general council to get involved,” he
TROTTER From Page 1A Michigan experience.” Hemphill and Green are members of an inaugural committee, the Trotter Programming Board, a team in charge of executing events for diversity. Green said the board came about as a result of a number of crises faced by students of color last year. “The BBUM campaign was a part of that, the tuition hikes, immigration reform,” Green said. “All of those things coalesced to provide the impetus to create this board.” Although the Trotter building has now been renovated, Simpson said she is doing everything in her power to pursue the long time goal of Trotter having a building closer to the heart of Central Campus. She said the current Trotter is meant to be
sponsored the project, the College Republicans and the ROTC have organized the memorial in recent years. The project was created by the Young America’s Foundation in 2003. This year over 200 high school and college campuses from across the nation participated in the project. “We want this to be here for a number of years going forward,” said Business junior Brad Fingeroot. “… People that don’t remember it at all can still remember the tremendous human sacrifice that we had to go through and the loss of life.”
said. “I think the best potential example of that is if there were a student initiative sponsored by CSG or sponsored by another student entity on campus that had an interest in raising money for LEAD that didn’t have some relation to University funding.” Dishell said CSG alone will also continue to pursue their options for improved diversity. He said the efforts already underway have been effective and that CSG will research ways to improve and expand upon current diversity initiatives. Diversity has been at the forefront of the University administration’s goals this semester, with University President Mark Schlissel identifying it as one of his top priorities. On-campus diversity issues became a major discussion point last year following events like the Black Student Union’s #BBUM campaign, which shed light on the experiences of Black University students, and the Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action decision, which upheld Michigan’s ban on affirmative action in public higher education institutions. Because of these constraints, University administrators have noted the difficulty of trying to enroll more minorities, though some options have been explored. Additionally, partially spurred by the BSU’s seven demands for administrative action last year and partly through efforts by CSG and LSA Student Government, policies such as the Race and Ethnicity curriculum requirement are being evaluated for their effectiveness in better educating students on and exposing them to other cultures and narratives.
a safe setting for students in the interim. “I’ve been at the University for 17 years,” Simpson said. “I’ve been firmly committed for 17 years to there being a multicultural center on Central Campus.” Simpson said while her light skin color caused concern when she was appointed as director of Trotter, she dispelled these doubts by emphasizing the diversity of her life experiences. “I’m also Spanish. I’m also a lesbian. I also grew up working class,” she said. “What I know is that, while I am perceived in that way, there’s a lot more that makes me who I am than the color of my skin.” University President Mark Schlissel and E. Royster Harper, vice president of student life, were both present at the event. Green said he expects Schlissel to work extremely well with Trotter. “I believe in him 100 percent,” he said.
WE MADE THIS AD AT 2 A.M. YOU CAN, TOO! MASS MEETINGS @ 7:30 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 OPEN HOUSES @ 6:00 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
FIRESIDE From Page 1A development, citing the Munger Residences project, which displaced popular Ann Arbor restaurant Blimpy Burger and has been criticized for elements of its design and projected room rates some have deemed too hefty. “I know Blimpy Burger is a Michigan thing, and I thought it should be protected,” Jozlin said. Schlissel said it came down to the bigger question of how much influence donors should have at the University, and added that he wasn’t opposed to saying no to a donor if there wasn’t consensus on the project between them and the University. “In this instance, it was a tough call, because I actually think it is important to have graduate housing,” he said of the Munger project. “And I think it’s important in particular for many of our graduate students that come from other parts of the world that have a challenging time in the first year or so in the United States.” Discussing North Campus issues, students highlighted both positive aspects, such as the resources available and the community of engineers and other students, but also concerns of physical and social
FARMING From Page 1A deners because of the small scale of their projects, Hantz Farms President Michael Score said. “People grabbed onto urban farming as a name, and there is not an absolute definition of a farm, so when someone is gardening and they say they’re a farmer, why would you argue with them?” Score said. “There’s nothing wrong with being a gardener but for some people, they want what they consider the prestige or the status of being a farmer.” LSA senior Nick Breslin, who farmed with Detroit-based group Keep Growing Detroit over the summer through Semester in Detroit, a University program where students do internships and take classes in the city, said the organization’s goal is to improve the access to fresh food and foster a culture of sustainability. Detroit residents have seen decades of limited resources in neighborhoods, including food deserts and inadequate police forces, among other things. “In Detroit, there really isn’t that much money so people have to learn to do things themselves,” Breslin said. “Three years ago, the police response time was 45 minutes on a 911 call. Since the services aren’t available, people find ways of doing it themselves. Urban gardening is the biggest one of all since Detroit has almost no grocery stores.” KGD helps Detroiters with urban farming by giving them the tools to have their own farms, and also by showing them how to use these tools. They also allow their Grown in Detroit members — a program run by KGD — to sell their produce with them at the city’s popular Eastern Market, and split the profits evenly. Though urban farming in Detroit is made possible by the 40 square miles of vacant land, portions are unfit for safely growing food. Detroit has a problem with severe lead and heavy metal ground pollution in some areas thanks to its industrial past and present. KGD provides testing services to see if a given locality can sustain produce. “If there is lead in the ground, we recommend that you don’t even dig because there’s lead in the dust and it can really harm children and the elderly,” Breslin said. For neighborhoods where urban farming has blossomed, Score said Hantz Farms in particular has helped to reduce crime through their landscaping. “It’s harder to commit crime in a full neighborhood,” Score said. “If half of the houses are lost to foreclosure and abandoned, now
Friday, September 12, 2014 — 3A isolation, especially for freshmen, 60 percent of whom live on North Campus. In response, Schlissel agreed more could be done to improve the quality of life for students on North Campus and efforts in that are ongoing. “The best idea that I’ve heard so far is to build up community on the North Campus so that it’s as vibrant socially, and in terms of the activities that are on the main part of campus,” he said. Schlissel also asked several questions of his own, with a focus on collegiate athletics and the role they play in University life. Students touched on several issues in their responses, including a weaker home schedule for football this year, University Athletic Department funding and student experience on game day. In a sentiment echoed by several students, Public Policy junior Jennifer Arnold said it seemed like the focus had shifted more towards the brand of athletics, not the people involved. “It doesn’t seem as studentrun, or as marching bandinvolved, as it used to be,” she said. LSA senior Clarence Stone agreed. “It seems like the Athletic Department is just expanding with all the money that they’re receiving, with donations from
Stephen M. Ross when other programs might need those donations just as much,” he said. “I feel like right now it’s becoming more focused on the brand of Michigan athletics instead of being something for the athletes and the school.” Schlissel told students that the prominence of athletics was something he wanted to find a balance on for the University. “I think the whole thing is balance,” he said. “We don’t want to go crazy overboard because I think Michigan should be known for the breadth of the things it does.” He added that he thought the center of the game day experience should be the people. “I really think it has to be focused on all the people who are a part of our permanent community, coming together to enjoy a football game on a Saturday,” he said. In an interview after the event, Schlissel said the hope is for the chats to be a regular occurrence as long as students continue to be interested. He said he appreciated the way students approached talking about issues on campus. “Everyone has positive things to say, they have critical things to say,” he said. “But the criticism is offered without negativism. They were offering suggestions on how to make the place better, and that’s great.”
those structures provide hiding places for illegal activity. If I’m dealing contraband and I use a warehouse and the police find it, they can’t track me down because I don’t own the property.” By tearing down vacant structures, mowing grass and planting trees on empty land, Hantz Farms takes away the environment that criminals use to their advantage. “If we rip out all the brush and tear down abandoned houses and keep the grass mowed, now when somebody commits a crime it’s out in the open,” Score said. “Even if there aren’t any houses on that street or on that block, you can see two, three, four streets over. Somebody can see you. Today, everybody has a cellphone with a camera on it, so if someone is committing a crime they have the sense that they are visible and vulnerable.” Starting an urban garden in Detroit on less than an acre does not require permission from the city, but farming with multiple acres requires permits and, not infrequently, time spent in court. Some Detroiters simply use vacant land in Detroit once maintained by the city or the school system for farming without paying the city or acquiring permits. “I know of one guy who is mowing and baling hay and he probably has 10 to 20 acres but he doesn’t own the land, but he is harvesting stuff that’s growing on public property,” Score said. Some Detroiters also illegally keep livestock within the city limits, mainly because it goes unreported by neighbors who receive fresh eggs or milk. Along with its fundamental uses, urban farms and gardens are also established to create a
sense of community in Detroit by bringing people together to work towards a common goal. LSA junior Meredith Burke planned a future vegetable garden over the summer for Neighbors Building Brightmoor, a nonprofit that provides support systems including housing for vulnerable Detroiters. Her work included meeting with landscape architects, finding out what kinds of produce the residents of Brightmoor wanted to grow and making sure the garden would be functional for residents with disabilities. “A lot of the people (in Brightmoor) are low income or no income so most of the food they eat is processed and comes out of plastic bags,” Burke said. “An urban garden would give them fresh non-chemical, nonsynthetic food, and it’s also building that community of working together for a common goal. There are so many resonating and kind of rippling effects that are associated with an urban garden.” University alum Tyson Gersh, president and cofounder of Michigan Urban Farming Initiative, said Michigan students have a lot to offer to Detroit. He became interested in urban farming from his landscaping experience that helped him pay for college and founded MUFI on the principles of education, sustainability and the community of urban farming. “You can’t expect people overnight to become enlightened and inspired to commit their lives to a good cause, but a lot of students have unique skill sets or are developing skill sets that there’s not a lot of access to in Detroit,” Gersh said.
Opinion
Page 4A — Friday, September 12, 2014
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com PETER SHAHIN EDITOR IN CHIEF
MEGAN MCDONALD and DANIEL WANG EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
KATIE BURKE MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FROM THE DAILY
Never too safe Additional emergency precautions can save lives in future crises.
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ednesday at 8:55 a.m., an emergency alert — in the form of text messages, emails, phone calls and social media — notified students and faculty of a reported man with a gun entering the Chemistry Building. It was later discovered that the weapon was not real, and instead was a “rubberized” replica used for ROTC training. While this event has shed light on the potentially serious concerns with emergency safety communication and procedure, the incident that created this situation was the result of an oversight. In response, ROTC has said it will implement new procedures, which will hopefully prevent another occurrence. The event illuminated shortcomings in the University’s system in responding to a potential real, active shooter or other situations of imminent danger. The original alert was delayed in reaching many intended recipients, and many students were uninformed about the event for a period of time that could have proven dangerous had the situation been a genuine threat. Further, both students and faculty demonstrated limited understanding of emergency protocol. Though this situation was fortunately a false alarm, it revealed the dire need to improve campus response to similar situations in the future. While the University Police sent out its alert within minutes of learning that there was a possible armed suspect on campus, cellular service providers, weather conditions and other technological problems created a lag in when students and faculty received the information. Many did not receive the message at all. These initial alerts are incredibly important as they allow students to take the necessary precautions to avoid exposing themselves to danger in the crucial minutes before law enforcement arrives to contain the situation. While text messages and e-mails are logical forms of communication to widely disseminate information, both are subject to the unreliability of cellular service and internet connections. University Police Chief Robert Neumann has said that DPSS is constantly working to improve their emergency alert system. Obviously, it’s impossible to create a 100 percent fail-proof alert system, but the discovery and implementation of more reliable forms of communication for future crises — such as a P.A. system or lockdown alarm system similar to fire alarms — may save lives. In the meantime, campus safety can be significantly improved if more students and staff sign up for the University emergency alerts. According to a DPSS spokesperson, less than 35 percent of students are subscribed to receive DPSS text messages. The more students that sign up for this service, the more widely urgent information will be spread
across campus, decreasing the chance that anyone will be late in receiving potentially life-saving information. Changing the status quo from an opt-in system to an opt-out one could make a tremendous difference. Concerns also arose in regard to the scarcity of information in the DPSS alerts. Even after the “all clear” message, students were unsure of what had happened and felt uneasy resuming normal activities without a full explanation. In crisis events, the priority is to notify all necessary personnel as quickly as possible; brevity is expected and often necessary. Even the “all clear” resolution message is time-sensitive for reducing undue stress. But, afterward, when all urgent alerts have been sent out, DPSS should consider delivering a follow-up alert summarizing the situation. The DPSS spokesperson says that these emergency alerts are limited to a 100 character limit. If this restriction becomes limiting, DPSS should alert students that more information can be found online on its website. It is better to err on the side of excess information rather than too little, especially in emergency situations. In addition to the communication concerns, this incident raises questions about the emergency preparedness of University staff and faculty. Some graduate student instructors, if not all, are not required to undergo emergency protocol information or training sessions. Even if the University continues to forgo critical training for all employees, it should mandate a safety training session for faculty who are routinely overseeing large groups of students — professors, lecturers, GSIs, etc. This will not only improve the safety of both staff and students, but can prevent panic and chaos if students know that faculty members are properly trained. Mandatory emergency training is widely required in K-12 education and with large classes at the university level, such courses become even more critical. Emergencies are unpredictable and maybe even inevitable, but with continual improvements to DPSS communication systems and proper training for University faculty, tragedies can be prevented.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Barry Belmont, David Harris, Rachel John, Nivedita Karki, Jacob Karafa, Jordyn Kay, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Paul Sherman, Allison Raeck, Linh Vu, Meher Walia, Mary Kate Winn, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
“
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
This is a core principle of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.” — President Barack Obama said in a televised speech on Wednesday outlining his plan of action against the islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Rethinking the melting pot
ong before I first thought about what love was, I imagined my wedding in a Catholic church in California. California, because that was where the air smelled like oranges and the ocean, and a Catholic JULIA church because ZARINA at some critical crossroad in my childhood logic, I deemed this the appropriate setting for an American wedding. I felt no particular affinity with the Catholic Church, nor did I feel any real longing to eventually be married, but imagining it seemed an important ritual to undertake. Something that people do on the long and narrow road that culminates in a shimmering mirage of adulthood. My paternal grandparents were fairly devout Catholics and in the intermittent summers when we would live with them I would be expected to adopt their faith, a nod of respect to my father’s family. On these humid summer Sundays, I would sit in the front bench seat of the old Buick and watch for blue herons in the tall bay grass of the Chesapeake as we drove into a town of slanted wooden houses and tuna sandwiches; a town so polar opposite from my dusty and sweet desert home of minarets and bougainvillea that it seemed like a dream. It made me vaguely sick to my stomach, the feeling that I was alive in some other person’s memory — an incarnation of a period of time where some sensations had been amplified and others forgotten entirely. We attended mass in a small stone church made large and imposing by a stained glass depiction of St. Patrick banishing all of Ireland’s snakes into a dark and unforgiving sea. I remember being young and kneeling on a kelly green carpet, crying in petition to a larger-than-life statue of a whiteskinned, blue-eyed, thorn-crowned Jesus, nailed to a cross, painted blood running down his hands and forehead. “Please get him down,” I begged the nun who taught catechism on Sundays, “he is hurt.” “He died for your sins,” she responded in a tone that addressed none of my anxieties but suggested resolution. Later we ate animal crackers and drank lemonade out of paper cups
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and prayed for our absolution and salvation. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us. Trespassing seemed an apt thing to ask deliverance from. The perpetual outsiders, sometimes my brother and I would talk to the other kids, primarily about things like slip ‘n slides and Go-Gurt (two things I remember being singularly present, important and American those particular summers), the conversation would invariably turn to questions about where we came from. “Are you terrorists?” “Do you ride a camel to school?” “Why are you wearing a dress?” (In response to a picture of my brother in a galabeyya.) “Your God isn’t even real.” “Go to hell,” I wanted to tell them, because this was the newest and most potent in my armory of insults, “you don’t know anything.” “Haha,” I said instead, pushing the animal crackers around on my desk into little awkward herds out of embarrassment, “I’m not really like that.” I felt a smoldering shame, both for breaking the trust of the things I loved most, and also for wanting desperately to belong with these new and powerful antagonizers. It was a delicate balance, having two identities in America. People were vigilant about pointing out apparent deficiencies in “Americanness.” Accents, smells, skin color, clothing and beliefs all were potential conditions in need of remedy. I pictured a new, more accurate sign to hang in the Customs and Immigration line I’d recently slouched along at Dulles International Airport: Welcome to the American Dream! Melt right into this pot, Lady Liberty would beckon, with some listed reservations. Handpick a few aspects of your culture that we might enjoy, your cool music, your “colorful clothes,” perhaps your accent if it sounds sexy and European, but leave the rest of yourself behind. It’s weird, lowbrow, and/or a burden to us. But every lie was a requiem for some part of yourself that you instinctively knew to be necessary. Every omission signified something
betrayed and irretrievably lost in the betrayal. It was a delicate balance for everyone who claimed home in more than one culture, because wandering too far into either identity meant the threat of losing the other and belonging to no one. Or belonging to everyone. Instead of constantly asking for forgiveness for trespassing, I began to imagine our own rosary, our own devotions in the words of Joan Didion, the patron saint of anxious observers and uncertain wanderers, those who read meaning and metaphor into the loss of a bracelet, the time on the clock, a perfectly peeled orange: “A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest, remembers it most obsessively, wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, loves it so radically that he remakes it in his own image.” The balance doesn’t have to be found in what we choose to leave behind in the immigration line, at the door to school or on the first day of college, but in remaking the places we’ve found in our own image. Places that don’t need gentle explaining to those who do not understand your songs and your words and your struggles — a place that isn’t always for them. If I could make my own sign to hang in Immigration and Customs now it would say “You don’t have to melt into the pot. You don’t have to dissolve into anything else.” Bring it all and demand that they accept it uniquely and unconditionally, the way it was meant to be accepted. Every “strange” smell and every accented syllable made new in your voice. The tall and yellowing bay grass, the banyan trees in a Maadi garden. Every word in a language handed down through your mother, lost to time and an imperfect, unwilling memory. Every faded picture, smuggled from a shoebox and examined by flashlight under covers. Every fear of the future, every comfort of the past and every fault, made whole in your eyes by an unequivocal, radical love. All of it.
Melt right into this pot, Lady Liberty would beckon, with some listed reservations.
Julia Zarina can be reached at jumilton@umich.edu.
True leadership ith my body coated in a fine layer of dust and sweat, my mind
wandered among fantasies of fall at the University of Michigan. My feet, however, were following the rhythmic sashay of a MELISSA droning vacuum. SCHOLKE This absentminded dance across the carpet was soon interrupted. For months, I swabbed, vacuumed and hauled as a temporary addition to the custodial crew. Yet, I still hadn’t met the company’s owner. Accompanied by my father, the owner stood in the doorway asking the same cliché questions about my major, my year and whether or not I was enjoying college. The owner — after apathetically nodding to each of my answers — saw my exhaustion and attempted to reassure me by insinuating days of manual labor and completing menial tasks would end once I graduated. He suggested I could bypass the drudgery of bluecollar work. I was dumbfounded he said this in front of my father — the head custodian. This supervisor was supposedly the leader of the company. Yet, he seemed to believe that a higher salary and a certificate allowed him to belittle the work of his employees and to openly insult an employee who has worked there for decades. While the statement may be an isolated incident of arrogance in the workplace, I’ve encountered this elitist viewpoint before. College is an institution designed to foster independent thinking and to cultivate skills necessary for particular careers. Far too often, however, a college education is confused with a pathway to a pedestal. Individuals with a mindset similar to the company owner enter college, regurgitate answers, absorb enough information
to get class credit, obtain a professional title and degrade those who may not have followed the same path. In a recent essay by William Deresiewicz for The New Republic, he attributes these attitudes of “grandiosity” and superiority to the damaging effects posed by today’s prestigious educational institutions. According to Deresiewicz, “our system of elite education manufactures young people who are smart and talented and driven, yes, but also anxious, timid, and lost, with little intellectual curiosity and a stunted sense of purpose.” Considering the vast amount of financial and social capital invested in catapulting students into institutions of learning, it’s no shock money and prestige can take precedence in students’ minds. Deresiewicz argues a fear of failure and the goal of “climbing the greasy pole of whatever hierarchy” they choose can strip young minds of their creativity, their passion and their concern for the less fortunate world around them. While Deresiewicz’s critique focused on students attending Ivy League institutions, Wolverines aren’t immune to following this disconnected, formulaic approach to success. Michigan students pride ourselves upon being “the leaders and best,” and we attend a university known internationally for its tremendous commitment to service and various forms of research. In fact, Washington Monthly recently awarded the University the 13th spot in their current rankings of 100 colleges. The publication ranked universities by measuring each school’s research, civic engagement and social mobility. Despite recognition for the University’s social mobility — its ability to admit and graduate students from
lower socioeconomic backgrounds — only 16 percent of University students receive Pell grants. This percentage is lower than some of the colleges ranked beneath University of Michigan in the Washington Monthly report. The University takes pride in its diverse student body, but socioeconomic diversity is still lacking on campus. For students without the financial means to attend such an acclaimed university, the shortage of funds limits their educational options, puts them at a disadvantage when compared to their more privileged peers and can deter them from attending college entirely. By increasing aid and creating more opportunities for lowincome students, the University can level the playing field among its student body. The University has taken strides, through numerous donors, initiatives and a selection of scholarships, to show concern for students and communities in need, but there’s still room for improvement. We need to ensure we don’t loosen our grasp upon the true definition of leadership. The goal of leaders is not to seek accolades or to establish themselves at the top of their fields. While knowledge is considered a hallmark of a leader, the application of one’s knowledge and its combination with compassion forges true leaders. Strong leaders are humble and empathize with others. They disregard social hierarchies by realizing no individual role or career is more important than another. Leaders recognize individuals capable of improving our world are found within various social classes, colleges and career fields, and they work tirelessly to include them.
We need to ensure that we don’t loosen our grasp upon the true definition of leadership.
Melissa Scholke can be reached at melikaye@umich.edu.
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
EVENT PREVIEW
Friday, September 12, 2014 — 5A
MUSIC NOTEBOOK
COURTESY OF MIKE BIRBIGLIA
‘I just came back for the Pizza House.’
Birbiglia brings ‘The Jokes’ to AA The Thirteenth Doctor:
BBC AMERICA
‘I wish I could swear in this show’
Comedian to display classic, personable style By ALEX BERNARD Daily Arts Writer
In 2008, Mike Birbiglia’s oneman show, ”Sleepwalk With Me”, opened off-Broadway Mike Birbito stellar reviews, The glia: Thank New York God For Times calling it “simply The Jokes perfect” and Sunday, Sept. 14 Time Out New The Michigan York naming Theater it the “show of the year.” 8p.m. Four years later, Birbiglia directed the film version, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival — winning an Audience Award and becoming one of the year’s top three most critically-acclaimed comedies on Rotten Tomatoes. In 2011, his second one-man show, “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend,” opened off-Broadway, ran for four months and won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show. Following the run, Birbiglia has performed the show in more than 70 cities worldwide, including performances at the Sydney Opera House, London’s Soho Theatre and Carnegie Hall. Most notably though, when filming in Ann Arbor several years ago, Birbiglia ate at Pizza
House for the first time and now says, “It was one of my greatest food memories of my life.” On Sunday, Mike Birbiglia will come to The Michigan Theater for his brand new show, “Thank God For Jokes,” and he believes this could be his best stand-up yet. “My goal was to set out to write the funniest show I could possibly write,” Birbiglia says. “So it’s extremely dense with stories and jokes and lines about how sometimes jokes can get you in trouble, but ultimately, they make you feel closer to people and, in my opinion, are worth it.” Past shows of his have been driven by a single story or event that encapsulates the entire act, but Birbiglia says “Thank God For Jokes” diverges from this method. “After “Sleepwalk With Me” and “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend,” which are both very story-driven things, I wanted to make a show that was just the funniest show I could create … In the process of doing that, what emerged was this through-line about jokes and basically how much jokes mean to me.” “In some ways, jokes are like a language.” Birbiglia continued. “They’re like a way that people communicate with other people who have a good sense of humor. In some ways, my shows are kind of like a series of inside jokes between me and the audience.” It’s this intimate, personable style that distinguishes Birbiglia from other comedians. “TIME
Magazine” calls him a “master of the personal, embarrassing tale,” and “The New York Times” describes him as a “supremely enjoyable monologist.” Birbiglia insists it’s all about honesty. “(The style)’s not something that comes to my mind as much … I’m just trying to be true to myself when I write. I’m trying to get to the bottom of what’s under every story … I follow the muse of ‘Why.’” Obviously, Birbiglia’s style has turned some heads and captured audiences’ attention. In the past few years, he’s made more than 40 network television appearances, including interviews on Letterman, Conan, Kimmel, Seth Meyers and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” He’s featured on the New York Times Bestseller List and, just this past year, played Patrick in the much-beloved “The Fault in Our Stars.” In August, Birbiglia even secured a role on season three of the hit Netflix show, “Orange Is the New Black.” Yet he insists that the added attention hasn’t changed his day-to-day life, especially his interactions with strangers. “A lot of times, I’ll meet someone and they’ll say ‘You’re a comedian?’ And I’ll say, ‘Yeah.’ And they’ll say, ‘You think you’re gonna make it?’ And then I’m like, ‘Well, I think I already have.’” Tickets are still available, so reach into your wallets, grab your parents’ credit card and come on down to see a rising talent and one of the most unique voices in comedy today.
Bey’s HBO takeover By GRACE HAMILTON Daily Arts Writer
What is it about Queen B that commands the world’s attention? She’s got the package no doubt; beauty, poise, talent and charisma. But there’s something beyond the average celebrity checklist that has taken her to superhuman status on a global scale, blowing away audiences both up close and at a distance. This summer, Beyoncé expanded her reach even further into daily life. On June 29th, “Beyoncé: X10” premiered on HBO, a ten-episode series of four-minute concert videos. The videos are all from her most recent Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. For those of us who don’t get the pleasure of being there in person, the videos can feel like a backstage pass. It’s striking to observe how even at the most minute level, no detail goes unplanned. Several of the videos show the faces of crying fans. I wouldn’t pin myself as a diehard fan; however, I was surprised to find myself blown away by her VMA performance. The X10 videos are a little taste of the same magic, the rising action to her VMA climactic finish, which caused Twitter to explode with praise. Beyoncé’s concerts are a spectacle. The dancers alone warrant a stage of their own. Her confidence is a tight wrapping paper to the little gift of each performance. And we are equally wrapped up in her. She makes sure we can’t forget her when she leaves the stage, and how could we anyway? Beyoncé has become more than an artist at this point. She is
HBO
Who wearing a bike helmet? Beyoncé
a cultural icon, dominating social media, fashion, news, lunch-break discussions, and even politics. She has grown into a symbol of anything and everything pop culture. Minus the important questions regarding the feminist nature of her work and general discourse around female artists, Beyoncé has left essentially zero room for controversy or criticism in her work. And should you have criticisms and choose to make them known, you would be faced with a violent army of fans committed to showing you the error of your ways. I made the mistake of sharing with my coworkers that “I didn’t love ‘Drunk in Love.’ ” After being scolded, they directed me to “The Beygency” SNL skit, in which people expressing the same
ambivalence about the song are punished by a 1984- like, all knowing police. Whoops. Point being, and jokes aside, to slander Beyoncé is an offense to most, such is her standing in the world today. The woman is a model of hard work. In her last short episode, her ethic comes through beyond the glamour and the glitz: “Realize the things that make you passionate, that you stay up for, that you work for.” I don’t know about you, but I’m still working on that one. Watching someone get it right might be where the tears come from. The X10 HBO series helps us see why she’s more than just the package. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I’m not sure if I can put it into words.
A more mature ‘Who’ By DREW MARON Daily Arts Writer
He emerges from the TARDIS, a little blue box we’re all more than familiar with ... but something’s changed. Who is this bitter old Scottish man with “attack eyebrows” and a haggard face? This isn’t the Doctor we know and love! Where’s the fez and the flirting with companions? Where’s the wacky sense of wonder? What happened to “Doctor Who?” The answer is simple, brilliant and found in a move that is really making me miss Steven Moffat already: “Doctor Who” got old. Fifty to be precise, making him the oldest science-fiction franchise of all time — beating out both “Star Trek” and “Star Wars.” For the first time in the series’ history, the actor and the show itself are the same age. Actually, Peter Capaldi, number thirteen of the Doctors (but Malcolm Tucker in the hearts of any fans of “The Thick of It”) is fifty-six but the specificity isn’t what’s important here. Most of the time, the Doctor’s “regeneration” protocol is an easy ploy (to those non-Whovians, the Doctor never dies, but rather is mortally injured and regenerates himself to have a new physical form; in other words, same guy, different face). Oftentimes, the executives of “Doctor Who” simply used it as a way for the show, and character, to outlast the actors. But now, it actually means something: the Doctor, after fifty years on screen, is finally showing his age. Not to say he’s not the same Doctor. The wit, wonder, genius and personality is still all there. But now, with Moffat almost done with “Doctor Who,” it seems he’s leaving his final dent in the
series’ long-running history. Yep, we don’t know how he did it with no one else noticing, but he made the good Doctor a wisecracking, good-natured and brilliant middle-aged Scotsman with a bit of moral outrage and a love of truth, no matter how much it hurts. Steven Moffat made the Doctor into himself. Okay, that’s not entirely accurate. But still, it’s hard to imagine whoever’s replacing the Moff not to feel a little anxious. The man has stirred controversy no doubt for truly maturing the Doctor from a British cult favorite into an international phenomenon, and of course there are some people out there
Peter Capaldi rejunivates classic role. who miss the days of shaky sets and bad graphics. But the Moff did something exceedingly important as well: He’s reaffirmed the literary potential of the series. Steven Moffat is easily one of the best television writers in the business and I’m anxiously awaiting what he’s going to do after he’s left the TARDIS for good. Some of his detractors have complained that Moffat’s storylines have been overly complex or that the general lack of week-by-week plots are lessening the quality of “Doctor Who.” These claims are rubbish. As with “Sherlock” (Moffat’s other television creation), Moffat has succeeded in taking the approach of a serial novel or prose work and applying it to storytelling on the screen. His characters
are richly drawn, doing much more than providing target practice for the Doctor’s witticisms. Moffat has often been reviled for some of his female characters, something I find just ridiculous. I can’t think of a better subversion of a classically subordinate character than the recent revelation of Mary Moorston’s past on “Sherlock.” Nor can I think of a more fitting “Doctor Who” spin-off than lizard humanoid Lady Vastra, her wife Jenny and their butler Strax solving crimes in Victorian London together as was seen in “Deep Breath” (and major props for the kiss scene between Vastra and Jenny; a scene which has unfortunately been censored in several countries). Clara as well, a character some might have thought a tad too conventional for the Doctor’s lovely assistant, is seen growing out of her shell and into someone almost tragic in her affection for a man who aged from twenty to fifty in the span of a day. “Doctor Who” is the best kind of science-fiction. Sure, it involves an alien dinosaur rampaging through Victorian London, but it does so in a way that’s about who we are. This season asks the question “If you were to continuously rearrange yourself for an eternity, would you even still remember who you were at the beginning?” The Doctor, Clara, friends and finally Moffat, himself, all bring their A-game in delving into such ideas and questions in a way that, quite frankly, has simply never been done to such an extent and on a program as big as “Doctor Who.” Doctors might change, writers go and time might be forever in flux; as of right now, though, I’m very much enjoying the present state of “Doctor Who.”
Arts
6A — Friday, September 12, 2014
EVENT PREVIEW
Beethoven classics come to ‘U’ festival Famed pianist André Watts to perform By JOE REINHARD Daily Arts Writer
After the night of June 6, 1962, the classical music press was abuzz with discus- Beethoven sion over the the remarks Festival that Leonard with André Bernstein, Watts the New York Philharmonic Hill Auditorium Orchestra’s Sept. 18, 8 p.m. then-principal conductor, had made before an unorthodox performance of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor. Bernstein famously distanced himself from the interpretation to be heard that night. He claimed that the vision, with the piece’s tempo nearly cut in half, was that of the soloist – Canadian pianist and enfant terrible Glenn Gould – and emphatically not his. The question over the relationship between soloist and conductor, and who should take final aesthetic precedent, is one that every orchestra must deal with. While to a commonsensical listener it might seem that the final product, the recording, is a straightforward trans-
fer from musical score to the record, the process is in fact defined by a meticulous negotiation of tempo, dynamics and other factors that conductor and soloist have given much thought to. Sometimes, their interpretations diverge. Next weekend, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra will open its 2014-2015 season with its Beethoven Festival, where concertgoers will hear some of German composer Ludwig van Beethoven’s most iconic, most driven and most bombastic compositions – the Fifth Symphony, the Leonore Overture No. 3 and the Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor Concerto”) For the latter piece, pianist and Jacobs School of Music professor André Watts will be joining the AASO as soloist. While Bernstein and Gould’s difference of opinion proved to be legendary, Arie Lipsky, the AASO’s conductor, is decidedly more accommodating in his attitude toward soloists. “I usually feel that my job as a conductor is to be a teamplayer,” Lipsky said. “I am really going to accompany him (Watts),” he stated further. As an incidental but noteworthy aside, it was early on in Watts’s concert career that he was asked by Leonard Bernstein to replace Glenn Gould in a performance with the New York Philharmonic in 1963, playing Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat. To most ears, the opening
bars of the Fifth Symphony are a song as old as time, seemingly eternal. But their celebrity should not obscure the great demands they put upon the orchestra and conductor. That symphony, as well as the overture and concerto, exemplify some of Beethoven’s most momentous dynamic achievements. Sheer volume does not a successful triple fortissimo (the dynamic marking for “very loud”) make – after all, a composition’s loudness only makes sense in relation to its quietest, tenderest passages. Highlighting that is the difficulty for any ensemble setting out on such a program as this one. “I try to capture Beethoven’s relentless energy,” Lipsky said in describing his principal goal in performing this titan of classical music. “My biggest challenge in all of these pieces is to find these beautiful, endless, soft passages, and to really bring them out,” Lipsky discussed. “There are some swatches of triple piano (dynamic marking for soft playing), which Beethoven usually shies away from. He typically goes between pianissimo and fortissimo, but there are moments where he puts not two, but the three ‘p’s.’” Those who attend this event will be in the expert hands of Lipsky, Watts and the AASO’s musicians, as they experience the play of ecstasy and calm, triumph and solemnity, in these celebrated compositions.
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EVENT PREVIEW TV REVIEW
BBC AMERICA
‘Don’t you even fucking dare talk about my hair’
Confusion, not mystery in new show ‘Intruders’ By DREW MARON Daily TV/New Media Editor
Some pilots prefer to play things safe — spoon-feeding exposition to get viewers on board, just for the sake of Bensuring that the audience Intruders isn’t bewildered and Season Premier feels OK com- BBC America ing back next week. BBC America’s “Intruders” laughs at such ploys. The premiere doesn’t lower itself to info-dumping, and the exposition it does provide is minimal, resulting in layers and layers and more layers of mystery. (Well, confusion may actually be a more apt term.) Any confusion aside, it’s still easy to appreciate a pilot that doesn’t hold the audience’s hand through it all. This admiration only goes so far, however. It’s one thing to not reveal information to hook viewers, and it’s another to leave them not sure what to think. “Intruders” is more of the latter. The story’s hard to sum up, but basically it involves secret groups, evil magic, body possession and a few random
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people who get swept up in it all and end up just as confused as the audience. Fortunately, the show’s not trying to be a lighthearted comedy (though a sitcom involving people becoming possessed would make for an interesting pitch), and so we shouldn’t expect to understand everything that’s supernatural and demonic. Still, there comes a point where the confusion detracts from basic things like character and plot.
Genre series undervalues plot and character. One casualty is the main character Jack Whelan (John Simm, “Doctor Who”), a former cop whose wife disappears under strange circumstances. Whelan investigates her disappearance, dragging him into a dark conspiracy. On paper that’s interesting, but on screen Whelan just isn’t engaging enough, so you can’t become all that invested in the mystery surrounding him. Perhaps developing his relationship with his wife (Mira Sorvino, “Norma Jean & Marilyn”) would have helped matters; we learn little about her, mostly just how she was acting strangely before she vanished. The pilot’s too busy building up its mysteries here to provide any substantial character development. It does offer a more interesting plotline with Madison (Millie Brown, “Once Upon a Time
in Wonderland”), a nine year old who periodically suffers from possession. It’s not explicitly clear who’s possessing her, but he/she seems intent on torturing this girl (and her pet cat). Brown does very well as Madison, but she has a harder time portraying whoever takes over Madison’s body. The shift in character is clear, and it’s pretty creepy watching a little girl take on a totally different demeanor. Brown just doesn’t pull it off as well as one would like. (There’s still seven episodes to go, so there’s time to improve.) Richard Shepherd (James Frain, “The Tudors”), a killer with a connection to the forces that haunt Madison (and probably Jack and his wife), could prove to be the most interesting character of the bunch. He certainly makes some intriguing choices, particularly at one point when he confronts Madison, marking one of the few times the pilot tries to be intriguing and succeeds. We still don’t know very much about him, especially his motivation, but for now he’s the highlight of the show. He’s mysterious without being confusing or uninteresting. Now, if only the rest of “Intruders” could be like him, then maybe we would have a recommendable show on our hands. When you take away the mystery and horror elements, it’s a boring affair. Even with them included, the show can’t make up for its lack of substance — the show has a possessed nine year old girl drown her pet cat in a bathtub, and that still isn’t enough to carry the rest of the episode. It’s a discouraging start; there’s a chance it’ll pay off, but for now it seems more likely you’ll be left in the dark.
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, September 12, 2014 — 7A
Men’s soccer to welcome Maryland to Big Ten By MINH DOAN Daily Sports Writer
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Colin McAtee and Michigan will host Big Ten newcomer Maryland on Friday.
The No. 12 Maryland soccer team will make history this weekend. After 61 years in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Maryland decided it was time for a change. In July, the Terrapins, along with Rutgers, officially became part of the Big Ten, joining the conference’s existing 12 members. And on Friday, Maryland will play in its first Big Ten match in any sport when it comes to Ann Arbor to take on the Michigan men’s soccer team. “What’s unique about soccer in the Big Ten is the passion players have in their institution,” said
Michigan coach Chaka Daley. “Not just our team, but our fans, the Ultras.” But playing a more technical game and hostile crowds are something the 12th-ranked Terrapins (1-2-1) are already used to. There’s no shortage of talent in College Park, and it has been evident since 1993 — when it last missed qualifying for an NCAA Tournament. This year, though, is a bit of an anomaly. Gone from the NCAA College Cup finalist team is forward Patrick Mullens, now in Major League Soccer, who led Maryland last season with 19 goals and eight assists. The Terrapins scored 53 goals in the 23 games they played.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
‘M’ looks to exact revenge By ISAIAH ZEAVIN-MOSS For the Daily
As the Michigan women’s soccer team opens the Big Ten season this weekend against Minnesota and No. 9 Wisconsin, the Wolverines have revenge on their minds, but it won’t be easy. Coming off a weekend with two shutouts — 4-0 over Toledo and 3-0 over Central Michigan — that saw Michigan dominate much of the possession and pace of the match, the team is now ready for its first conference showdown of the year. Minnesota, which comes to town Friday, struggled the past few years and should present an even and competitive beginning of conference play. The Golden Gophers handed Michigan its first Big Ten loss last season. Michigan, which started nine new players last weekend, doesn’t have much time to come together
before its first daunting battle against Wisconsin on Sunday night. “We want to compete every time we step on the field,” said Michigan coach Greg Ryan. “But it does not change our approach because we’ve got to continue to make progress and we’ve got a long ways to go.” While Ryan is hopeful for the upcoming weekend, he also understands Minnesota is in a different situation. “They don’t have nine new (starters),” he said. “I’ve got to coach these guys to be the best they can be right now and give them the best opportunity to
compete and win. Then, we’ll look at it and learn from it.” Given the team’s lack of experience, Ryan views his squad as a work in progress — one that may not see success right now, at the beginning of the season. The players, though, are much more confident about the Wolverines’ chances for immediate success. “I’m actually really confident we’re going to come out really hard this weekend,” said senior midfielder Jen Pace. “This past weekend gave us some more confidence going into the Big Ten season, gave us the momentum that we needed.” Added freshman goalkeeper Megan Hinz: “I believe whole-
“I’m sure they’ll grow into everything I hope they will be.”
heartedly in this team. We all have the same goals, we all want the same thing from the season, and that’s to do our best and represent Michigan.” Hinz, one of the three freshmen in the starting lineup this past weekend, says, while the inexperience is undeniable, the captains and the upperclassmen are taking charge of the leadership roles. This group of fiery freshmen will try to come together in time to defeat the lofty competition of the Big Ten, but their inexperience may be too much to overcome. As the uncertainty swirls, we won’t see any answers until kickoff comes Friday night. But Ryan sees the potential for greatness in his team. “I’m not only confident, but sure they’ll grow into everything I hope they will be,” he said. “I just don’t know how soon.”
Unlike last season, the Maryland offense is still looking to find its identity. In four games, the Terrapins have scored just four goals and have lost twice; compared to dropping just five contests all of last season. On the other side of the pitch, Michigan (1-2) is having a tough time of its own. After a convincing 3-0 win against Southern Methodist in their opening weekend, the Wolverines traveled to New York, where they lost convincingly to Columbia, 3-0. For a team that starts three freshmen and three sophomores, there has been a problem with consistency in play. “We’re going through some
growth with our younger group,” Daley said. “Every game is extremely difficult. There’s a lot of parity in men’s college soccer. There are a lot of teams that are formidable opponents. We need to be competing at the high level every match like we’re capable of.” As Maryland looks to announce itself in its first conference match, there will be plenty of storylines in this game. But that shouldn’t take away from the fact that Maryland and Michigan are two programs struggling to find their footing and scoring touch in the new season. Friday will provide the chance for both teams to do just that.
8A — Friday, September 12, 2014
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September 13, 2014: Miami of Ohio
SHAKING IT OFF
‘M’ with a chance to rebound vs. Miami By GREG GARNO Managing Sports Editor
If the Michigan football team ever needed an easy opponent, it would be now. And fortunately, they’re getting one of college football’s easiest foes when Miami (Ohio) heads to Ann Arbor on Saturday for what should be a chance not only to build confidence, but also provide a chance to give players added experience before the Big Ten schedule. Miami is a welcome respite following last weekend’s 31-0 drubbing in South Bend. The RedHawks haven’t won in their past 18 games, stretching back to 2012, and having started the season 0-2, Miami shows few signs of improvement under new coach Chuck Martin. The RedHawks haven’t played in front of more than 100,000 fans since Sept. 1, 2012 at Ohio State, which means Michigan (1-1) should have an advantage before it even snaps the ball. “We have to go in there and be aggressive and play from the get-go,” Martin said in the MidAmerican Conference coaches’ conference call. “Not be standing around, looking at the Big House and what a big place and (saying) ‘Wow, this is a lot different than we’re used to.’ “We have to focus on what we’re trying to do. We’ve got to go out and be aggressive and make plays and not sit around and wait for Michigan to make all the plays.” But if there is one thing going for the RedHawks, it’s that they run a similar offense to the one that gave the Wolverines fits last weekend. Martin, a former assistant coach under Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly, has seen Michigan for the last four years, and he’s implemented what he’s learned. Even his quarterback, Andrew Hendrix, used to play at Notre Dame before transferring. Hendrix, who didn’t see much time at Notre Dame, gets the ball out of his hands quickly, much like Fighting Irish quarterback Everett Golson did. “They’re throwing the ball a ton, but he’s pretty daggone accurate,” said Michigan coach Brady Hoke. “You’re going to see a lot for quick throws. It reminds me a little bit more of the offense at Notre Dame with (former quarterback Tommy) Rees.”
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But getting burned by that offense last week should have the Wolverines more prepared for it this time around. Miami will utilize six-man protection schemes, often using a tight end to compensate for a weak offensive line, which should theoretically allow Michigan’s defensive line to show it can create pressure. The Wolverines have yet to record a turnover in two games, which has kept the defense on the field longer and left it more fatigued. “They’re one of the hardestplaying football teams I’ve ever really watched in my twenty-some years of coaching, and they’ve obviously got talent,” Martin said. “So we’ve got to a little bit throw caution to the wind, a little bit go in there and be aggressive and play our game.” The RedHawks’ game hasn’t been much to brag about now, though. They fell to Marshall in Week 1, 42-17, and turned the ball over when they had chance to beat Eastern Kentucky. Hendrix is the predominant ball carrier at Miami, though that’s not by design as much as it is to avoid getting sacked. He rarely has time to set up and wait for one of his undersized wide receivers to break free. “Mainly we’ve got to improve in ... negative plays, particularly turnovers, particularly red zone efficiency if we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win games,” Martin said. And if they somehow do find success offensively, they’ll still have to shut down 6-foot-5 receiver Devin Funchess, who torched Appalachian State for three touchdowns in three quarters. “I don’t know that anyone matches up in the country with Funchess very well,” Martin said. “Too big for the DBs. Just physical size-wise. Too athletic to put a linebacker-type body on him. He’s a handful for anyone. You’ve just got to fight and scratch and claw and make him earn all the gains he gets.” And they’ll have to hope their linebackers can bring down bruising running backs Derrick Green and De’Veon Smith, who are just as big if not bigger. So Michigan will get the easy opponent that it so desperately needs for a rebound. Whether it can take advantage has yet to be seen.
FootballSaturday, September 12, 2014
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
Junior receiver Devin Funchess suffered an injury against Notre Dame, and Brady Hoke hasn’t given any updates on his status.
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
The Michigan football team was shut out in South Bend, but Miami (Ohio) presents easier challenges on both sides of the ball.
Q&A: Miami beat writer Tom Downey By GREG GARNO Managing Sports Editor
It’s been more than a year and a half — 18 games to be exact — since Miami (Ohio) has won a game. After a last-place finish in 2013, the RedHawks could be poised to fall to the cellar again. And Tom Downey, Sports Editor at The Miami Student, has been following them since 2013. The Daily spoke with Downey to look ahead to the Michigan football team’s game on Saturday. The Michigan Daily: Andrew Hendrix and Miami utilize quick passes in the offense, something Michigan struggled with last weekend in Notre Dame. Is the offense effective at all with that style of play and can he take advantage of that passing style this weekend? Tom Downey: It’s better than last year, but last year’s was terrible, so that’s not saying too much. They’ve put up yards and they’re fourth in the NCAA in time of possession, so they’re always keeping their defense off the field. But they’ve struggled to punch it in and score points. And turnovers have killed them. Especially against Eastern Kentucky where they had six turnovers and six false starts. The mental mistakes are just killing them. TMD: As you watch the team progress, are you seeing any improvement in an offensive line that struggles to protect long enough, or is it much of the same? TD: They haven’t done a good job of recruiting at the line. I talked with coach Martin and he said, “There is no depth at the offensive line.” It’s one of those things they have to put up with and do as best they can for now. TMD: How does that poor offensive line impact a running game where the quarterback has the most attempts? TD: It’s really on a lot of nondesigned plays that (quarterback Andrew Hendrix) is running the football. And a lot of those incompletions that he’s had, too, are rolling out, trying to buy time to throw it away. They haven’t been able to run the ball much and the only way they can do it is to go east to west with the occasional read option.
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Joe Bolden (left) and the Michigan defense struggled to stop Notre Dame, and they’ll face a similar offense Saturday in Andrew Hendrix and the RedHawks’ attack.
But against Michigan, who has much faster defensive ends, I don’t see how effective they can be, or if they can even use it at all. TMD: Who else on the offense picks up the slack for Hendrix, then? Does anyone pose a matchup problem? TD: David Frazier is a really good route runner, and that showed against Marshall and Eastern Kentucky. I don’t know how effective that will be against Michigan, who has better corners. Dawan Scott is a guy they try and get the ball in his hands and space, but I don’t know how much success he can have because of Michigan’s speed. Maybe Alex Welch, the tight end, can get a matchup against a linebacker and find space, because he has some great hands. But it’s going to be an uphill battle for Miami.
TMD: Is there anything the defense does well that can frustrate Michigan at all, something they’ve built off last season, perhaps? TD: Well, the defense last year wasn’t very good. That’s what happens when you go 0-12. They weren’t great against Marshall (this season). They’re a little small up front on the defensive line, which makes it tough to stop the running game, where I think Michigan will have a lot of success. The corners are fairly good, especially for a MAC school. You’ll want to watch Quinton Rollins closely, who played basketball for four years with Miami. He’s very good and an incredible athlete. You watch him and you think that there’s no way the kid has been playing basketball for four years because he makes it look easy.
“Against Michigan, ... I don’t see how effective they can be.”
TMD: With all their struggles on this year’s team, do you get a sense the losing streak is hanging over Miami’s heads? TD: I don’t know if it’s really weighing over their heads as much as (head coach Chuck) Martin is holding it over their heads. There doesn’t really go a press conference by with Chuck Martin where he says they’re 0-18. It’s all about breaking that streak, and Martin does not like losing whatsoever.
TD: Michigan’s going to win, that’s for sure. I think by how much depends on which Miami offense shows up. As long as Michigan shows up prepared and focused, there won’t be many issues. I’ll say 38-17, Michigan.
TMD: Is Martin changing the culture at Oxford then? TD: He hasn’t used the word, but he’s used the phrase, “how we go about things.” Under (former coach) Don Treadwell I don’t think it was taken with the seriousness that you see in other programs. The weight room was one area I don’t think the players were forced to go as often as they should have been. Their routines — they didn’t go about them the right way. And that was one of the first things Martin was trying to change.
Days since the RedHawks last won a football game (Oct. 27, 2012).
TMD: Alright, what’s your prediction for Saturday’s game?
BY THE NUMBERS Miami (Ohio) football
685 18
Number of consecutive losses.
6
Number of turnovers, and false starts, in the RedHawks’ last game.
36
Number of carries by quarterback Andrew Hendrix this year.
TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com
3
THE LONG ROAD BACK
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Reporters asked him about it Monday, and he acted like he hadn’t heard the question hundreds of times before. Instead, he chuckled, then offered an answer about loving the name. Maybe the cheeriness didn’t come from the jokes but from last Saturday, when, against expectations, he played against Notre Dame despite anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in February.
by alejandro zúñiga managing sports editor YES, he has a funny last name. His position doesn’t exactly help. Sophomore tight end Jake Butt has heard the jokes all his life. One look at his Twitter handle, @JBooty_88, shows that he embraces the humor.
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FootballSaturday — September 12, 2014
DESIGN BY CAROLYN GEARIG PHOTO BY PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
THINGS FALL APART Thirty years ago, Butt might not have gotten a second chance at football at all. In another time, an ACL tear used to threaten an athletic career. It’s not hard to understand why. The knee is held together by several ligaments. Besides providing internal stability, the ACL helps prevent the tibia from sliding in front of the femur. Before modern surgical procedures more closely approximated the structure of the ligament with a graft and improvements in rehabilitation, ACL tears could mean a lifetime of instability and difficulty returning to activities involving sharp movements. One look at Mario Manningham, the former Michigan receiver whose career is in flux after such an injury, demonstrates possible implications of knee damage. Even today, the recovery process is tabbed at seven months or longer, though athletes can sometimes return faster because of world-class support staff. The procedure itself takes about an hour, but even the most dedicated rehab process can’t eliminate the risk of chronic stiffness or recurring pain. And, like Butt’s injury, ACL tears are often accompanied by secondary ligament damage. Butt said he also tore his medial meniscus, which can lead to more discomfort and sometimes causes an inability to fully extend the knee. So when Butt felt his knee give out while running a corner route on Feb. 13, he didn’t need a medical professional to explain that he’d suffered significant damage. “I knew it right away though, once I
FILE PHOTO/Daily
went down,” Butt said. “Like ‘Oh, man, I probably tore my ACL.’ ” Doctors confirmed the diagnosis, and the tight end underwent surgery at the end of the month. At the time, Michigan announced the sophomore was out indefinitely. After the operation, Butt said, doctors explained that, in a best-case scenario, he could be back by the first Big Ten game but that his season might be in jeopardy. By mid-summer, though, Butt was progressing ahead of schedule, surprising coaches and doctors, but not himself. “I used to tell the trainers, … ‘I’m going to have to start paying rent,’ ” Butt said. “They would have to kick me out. I’d always be in here doing extra stuff.” ANN ARBOR PANDEMIC? In the year before Butt’s surgery, linebacker Jake Ryan, defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins, offensive lineman Joey Burzynski, quarterback Russell Bellomy and running back Drake Johnson all suffered the same injury. That’s a worrisome trend, but not entirely unprecedented. After all, ACL tears are common in sports, and only about 30 percent are due to contact with another player. The rest, like Butt’s, occur when the body undergoes rapid directional changes. Still, the plethora of knee injuries has impacted Michigan. The Wolverines were surprisingly thin at the quarterback position in 2013, forcing then-freshman Shane Morris away from a potential redshirt year. And Burzynski, who had cracked the starting lineup last fall, missed crucial time for improvement. ACL injury prevention focuses on avoiding compromising positions, but that’s not always possible in football. In Butt’s case, he was cutting in the same way that he had hundreds of times before, making the break for the sideline while going one-on-one with a linebacker. Athletes can also focus on improving flexibility, increasing leg strength, practicing plyometric exercises to
FILE PHOTO/Daily
build explosiveness and proprioception drills to improve reactions to sudden changes. However, Johanna Innes, a doctor and contributor to the Sporting News, explained that overtraining can be a factor in knee injuries. Additionally, she said, artificial turf causes an “increased incidence” in ACL tears. Besides the number of ACL injuries, nothing indicates Michigan isn’t taking proper action to guard against knee injuries. Butt’s recovery time suggests that they know how to react to one. A HELPING HAND Jake Ryan was man-to-man with Butt when the tight end tore his ACL. The linebacker knew Butt’s pain all too well. Ryan went through a similar recovery process the year before. Ryan tore his ACL in March 2013 under similar circumstances. “I took a cut and went out to my right and just tore it,” Ryan told MLive.com last August. “I knew it. I knew when it happened.” The linebacker made his return in early October, and though he struggled to adjust to mid-season speed, he provided a welcome boost to Michigan’s defense in the second half of the year. And this fall, perhaps Ryan saw some of himself in Butt. Both were coming off breakout years and hurt themselves in the offseason. And both had suffered their injuries with enough time to feasibly return during the upcoming fall. So Ryan offered Butt plenty of advice on how to avoid aggravating his injury. In one of his first practices back, Butt celebrated a touchdown with a jump and twist, but Ryan advised him not to do it again lest he risk causing more damage. Butt has since been cleared to play, but returning to the gridiron carries significant risk. According to Innes, once you’ve torn your ACL, you’re more likely to re-injure it, especially in the first year following the injury. Long-
FILE PHOTO/Daily
term, reconstructed knees have a higher probability to develop arthritis. Predictably, though, Butt was eager to rush his progression. “I really think of myself as a hard worker, (and) I went above and beyond whatever they did in treatment,” Butt said. “I would always do it on my own, whether it’s in my dorm room just coming back trying to make sure I got an edge on anyone else who’d had an ACL surgery before. I just wanted to put myself in the best position possible.” PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION The moment Butt felt his knee give out, he vowed to return for Michigan’s game against Notre Dame on Sept. 6 in South Bend, Indiana. Never mind that a traditional timetable might have him returning about three weeks later and that coach Brady Hoke estimated a best-case-scenario return for Michigan’s conference opener against Minnesota on Sept. 27. That goal wasn’t because of the national implications of the game or the allure of the last meeting between two storied rivals, though neither hurt. Rather, Butt’s drive to come back stemmed from a childhood connection: His grandfather had won two national titles with the Fighting Irish. In fact, as ESPN’s Jared Shanker wrote in 2012, Butt often wore his grandfather’s rings and dreamed of playing in the domed helmet at Notre Dame Stadium. But the Irish never offered him a scholarship, and neither did Ohio State, Butt’s childhood team. Some programs even preferred him as the generic athlete or as a defensive player. And when Michigan offered, Butt had no qualms committing to the rival program, Shanker remembers. So Butt made his unlikely return against Notre Dame, playing four snaps in the final game of one of football’s most iconic rivalries. Now healthy, he expects to start in the Wolverines’ biggest game of every season — against Ohio State. After his progress the past six months, who would doubt him?
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Michigan through the lens of the NFL ‘M’ has 38 draft picks since 2004, but many were demoted or released By ALEXA DETTELBACH Daily Sports Editor
Michigan fans didn’t need to see Saturday’s blowout loss in South Bend to know the Wolverines have been in decline for the last six years. But a struggle fans may not have noticed is how few — and how unsuccessful — the program’s draft picks have been, in recent years, compared to similar programs. One look at the makeup of the National Football League puts the struggles of the nation’s winningest program into perspective. Last Sunday, the 2014 NFL season kicked off and LSU had the most players on active rosters, with 38. That number will be bumped to 40 by week two with Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe returning from suspension and the Miami Dolphins signing linebacker Kelvin Sheppard. Behind the Tigers, USC has 37 and Alabama has 36. In all, SEC schools hold four of the top five spots. Despite having 38 draft picks since 2004, Michigan has just 24 players on active rosters. Penn State has had 40 draft picks in that time. Notre Dame and Wisconsin? Forty-five each. Ohio State? Sixty-six. The Buckeyes also lead the Big Ten in active players with 29. But of those 38 Michigan picks, only 16 remain on teams. An additional six undrafted free agents have made their way onto active rosters (and running back Fitzgerald Toussaint just signed to the Baltimore Ravens practice squad). Legends Charles Woodson and Tom Brady, far removed from the Wolverines’ recent hardships, round out the 24. In each year from 2005 to 2008, Michigan had a wide receiver drafted who went on to have a successful NFL career. In 2005, the Browns took Braylon Edwards with the third overall pick. Jason Avant went in 2006 and is currently playing for the Carolina Panthers. Steve Breaston was
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TERESA MATHEW/Daily
Denard Robinson electrified the college football world while at Michigan, but he has largely been relegated to backup roles as a running back with the NFL’s Jaguars.
taken by the Arizona Cardinals in 2007, but is now a free agent, and Mario Manningham went the year after to the New York Giants, where he remains today. Since then, just two receivers — Junior Hemingway and Jeremy Gallon — have been taken, and both were selected in the seventh round. Gallon, picked this past year by the New England Patriots, has yet to make a team. Junior Devin Funchess will surely change that in the coming years, but for now, the number remains small. In 2007 and 2008, four linebackers were selected — three of whom went in the first three rounds. Since then, only one has been taken — Jonas Mouton, in 2011 to the San Diego Chargers. The void of explosive players is highlighted by the fact that of the 24 active players in the league drafted over the last 10 years, nine are offensive or defensive linemen. This includes 2012 third round pick Mike Martin and
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former first rounders Jake Long, Brandon Graham and Taylor Lewan. There’s nothing wrong with linemen. You probably know that competitive football games are won in the trenches. But it’s the lack of playmakers and inability to make the explosive plays when the team needs it most that has plagued the Wolverines for a decade. Paying attention to the lines is important, but the program’s struggles can be attributed to its inability to develop players at skill positions. It could be a result of a vicious cycle where recruits no longer see the success of years past and opt to join more offensively explosive programs. Or, it could just be the coaching. When Lloyd Carr retired following the 2007 season, Rich Rodriguez instituted the spread offense. Now, Brady Hoke is working to emphasize size on the lines. Both systems are detracting
Michigan has just 24 players on NFL active rosters.
from the Wolverines’ getting jobs at the next level. Since Edwards and the trio of Manningham, Avant and Breaston, no Michigan receivers have been able to translate their success from Michigan Stadium to the NFL. Names like Denard Robinson, Mike Hart, Hemingway and Gallon are the explosive players Michigan fans looked forward to watching. They’re the ones who gave hope that seasons could be salvaged and bowl games could be won. And yet, Robinson — the program leader in total yards — was a fifth-round pick. His size and arm issues forced a change of position. Even at running back, he was less than impactful his rookie season. Through one week of his second pro season, Robinson ran the ball three times for eight yards. The jury’s still out on “Shoelace.” Graham was selected in the first round in 2010 by the Philadelphia Eagles and, overall, has disappointed. Many expected him to be released before this season. Hart, a hero in Ann Arbor under coach Lloyd Carr, lasted just three years at the professional
level before finding success with a clipboard on the sidelines. Difference makers at skill positions have been infrequent as of late, and that has everything to do with the numerous changes instilled by Rodriguez and Hoke. One look at the NFL is a big step to understanding what’s happening in Ann Arbor.
FIRST-ROUND PICKS University of Michigan
Lewan
The tackle was taken 11th overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2014.
Graham
The defensive end was taken 13th overall by the Eagles in 2010.
Long
The Dolphins selected the offensive tackle No. 1 overall in 2008.
Hall
The Bengals selected the corner No. 18 overall in 2007.
Breakdown: ‘M’ superior at every position By MAX COHEN
didn’t allow a run longer than six yards until the game was out of reach, when backup quarterback Malik Zaire scrambled for 14 yards. Hoke praised redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Willie Henry as a key in the rush defense. Henry was able to disrupt Notre Dame’s blocking schemes on multiple occasions. As in the other areas of play, Miami hasn’t displayed a great deal of strength in the running game. The RedHawks rushed for 60 yards against Eastern Kentucky last weekend and 100 against Marshall in the opener. Miami hasn’t had an individual rusher gain more than 51 yards on the ground this season. Edge: Michigan
Daily Sports Editor
The Michigan football team enters this weekend’s game against Miami (Ohio) needing to get itself back on track after a demoralizing loss at Notre Dame. The Wolverines’ offense, defense and special teams looked suspect in the program’s first shutout since 1984. Luckily for Michigan (1-1), the RedHawks (0-2) could present the perfect antidote to heal what ails the Wolverines. Miami has lost 18 straight games, their last victory coming Oct. 27, 2012. Last week, the RedHawks fell to FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky, 17-10. Michigan will try to avoid a similar fate to the one it nearly suffered last year in allowing another Mid-American Conference member, Akron, to stick around at the Big House until a last-second stop salvaged a 28-24 victory. Michigan pass offense vs. Miami pass defense Fifth-year senior quarterback Devin Gardner endured his share of struggles last week, throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble against the Fighting Irish. But the RedHawks’ secondary and pass rush won’t present the challenge that Notre Dame’s did. Miami’s pass defense has been competent in its first two games, but it hasn’t faced a quarterback the caliber of Gardner. Against Eastern Kentucky, the RedHawks surrendered 198 passing yards while allowing just 14 of 28 passes to be completed. Still, Gardner should have little trouble picking apart a MAC opponent. The biggest question in the Wolverines’ passing game is the health of junior wide receiver Devin Funchess, who was injured late against the Fighting Irish. Michigan coach Brady Hoke has declined to talk about injuries this week. Even if Funchess can’t play, the Wolverines should still have enough other weapons to
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Michigan wilted in South Bend last Saturday, but facing MAC foe Miami (Ohio) at home shouldn’t present as many problems.
compensate. If anything, Saturday should provide an opportunity for some of Michigan’s younger, less-seasoned receivers to gain experience. Edge: Michigan Michigan rush offense vs. Miami rush defense The Wolverines’ rush offense earned mixed results against Notre Dame. As a team, Michigan ran for 100 yards, a sizeable improvement over some of last year’s lackluster efforts. But the running backs struggled to produce consistently when the game was still in reach. Hoke suggested that his team will use the same offensive line as against the Fighting Irish, providing an opportunity for the unit to establish continuity going forward. In terms of stopping the run, the RedHawks struggled in their season opener against Marshall, surrendering 171 yards. Last week, Miami allowed 82 rushing yards against Eastern Kentucky. But again, the RedHawks haven’t faced an offensive line or running backs like Michigan’s. Look for sophomores Derrick Green and De’Veon Smith to have
big games, similar to the ones they had against Appalachian State. Edge: Michigan Miami pass offense vs. Michigan pass defense
No matter who takes the field for the Wolverines, they will be tested heavily by Miami’s offense, which has been heavily reliant on the pass in its first two games. The RedHawks attempted 49 and 52 against Marshall and Eastern Kentucky, respectively. But the eagerness to throw hasn’t led to success. Miami quarterback Andrew Hendrix failed to complete 50 percent of his passes in either game. If the RedHawks continue the trend and frequently air it out, look for the Wolverines to create their much-needed first turnover of the season. Edge: Michigan
With the homefield advantage, Michigan should romp.
It’s unknown which Wolverines will take the field in the secondary Saturday. Starting senior cornerback Raymon Taylor was hurt early against Notre Dame and didn’t return, and starting freshman nickelback Jabrill Peppers was held out of the game with an ankle injury. Hoke has declined to comment on their status for the game. With Taylor and Peppers out, Michigan’s secondary looked vulnerable last weekend. Hoke cited sophomore cornerback Channing Stribling as someone who could receive additional playing time this weekend, and he also mentioned that seldom-used redshirt sophomore cornerback Terry Richardson has received extra reps in practice.
Miami rush offense Michigan rush defense
vs.
The Wolverines’ rush defense was one of the few areas that produced consistent results against Notre Dame. Michigan allowed 54 rushing yards and
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Special Teams Special teams were one of Michigan’s major issues against Notre Dame. Senior kicker Matt Wile missed field goals of 46 and 48 yards in the first half, both of which could’ve kept the Wolverines in the game. Now, Hoke says redshirt sophomore Kenny Allen is also competing for the job. Miami has also had its share of kicking woes. Last weekend, kicker Kaleb Patterson had a 21-yard field goal blocked in the second quarter, and he missed a 37-yard attempt in the fourth. Whether Peppers plays and is able to return punts or not, Michigan should have the advantage in the return games with its bigger blockers. Edge: Michigan Intangibles For all of the heat on the Wolverines after an embarrassing loss on the road last weekend, Miami lost to an FCS team at home. With the home field advantage, Michigan should romp. Edge: Michigan Prediction: Miami 10
Michigan
45,
For game coverage Check MichiganDaily.com all afternoon Saturday
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The Daily football writers do their best to predict, against the spread, what happens in the 2014 football season.
Alexa Dettelbach
Alejandro Zúñiga
Greg Garno
Bobby Dishell, CSG President
Max Cohen
Miami (Ohio) vs. Michigan (-34)
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Wyoming vs. No. 2 Oregon (-44)
Oregon
Wyoming
Oregon
Oregon
Oregon
Southern Miss. vs. No. 3 Alabama (-49)
Southern Miss
Southern Miss
Southern Miss
Southern Miss
Southern Miss
Tennessee vs. No. 4 Oklahoma (-21)
Tennessee
Tennessee
Oklahoma
Tennessee
Oklahoma
No. 6 Georgia (-7) vs. No. 24 South Carolina
Georgia
Georgia
Georgia
Georgia
Georgia
No. 8 Baylor (-38) vs. Buffalo
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
No. 9 USC (-17) vs. Boston College
Boston College
USC
USC
USC
USC
UL Monroe vs. No. 10 LSU (-31)
LSU
LSU
LSU
LSU
LSU
Purdue vs. No. 11 Notre Dame (-28)
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Purdue
Notre Dame
Purdue
No. 12 UCLA (-8) vs. Texas
UCLA
UCLA
UCLA
UCLA
UCLA
LA-Lafayette vs. No. 14 Ole Miss (-28)
LA-Lafayette
Ole Miss
Ole Miss
Ole Miss
Ole Miss
Army vs. No. 15 Stanford (-29)
Stanford
Stanford
Stanford
Stanford
Army
No. 16 Arizona State (-16) vs. Colorado
Arizona State
Arizona State
Arizona State
Arizona State
Arizona State
East Carolina vs. No. 17 Va. Tech (-10)
Va. Tech
Va. Tech
Va. Tech
Va. Tech
Va. Tech
UCF vs. No. 20 Missouri (-10)
UCF
Missouri
Missouri
Missouri
Missouri
No. 21 Louisville (-7) vs. Virginia
Louisville
Louisville
Louisville
Virginia
Virginia
Overall
19-11
18-12
17-13
15-15
N/A
Week 3 update: Breaking down the 2014 season Appalachian State: This totally made everyone forget about 2007, right?
undefeated team.
Racine in Chicago.
second consecutive season.
Aren’t they supposed to be smart?
Miami (Ohio): Michigan has defeated the RedHawks in all five of their meetings. The teams most recently matched up in 2008 in what was Rich Rodriguez’s first win as the Wolverines’ coach. Michigan struggled to put Miami away until Brandon Minor ran for the Wolverines’ final score in Michigan’s 16-6 victory.
Minnesota: It’s the oldest trophy game in FBS college football, even if it’s not very competitive. The Wolverines and Golden Gophers have fought for the Little Brown Jug since 1909, and Michigan holds a commanding 73-24-3 series lead. The jug was left behind in Minnesota in 1903 after the Gophers rallied for a late 6-6 tie. (Those were the only points allowed by the Wolverines all year.) The jug isn’t little (it’s a five-gallon container) and originally was white, not brown.
Indiana: Little defense was played in last year’s meeting between the teams when Michigan beat the Hoosiers, 63-47 at the Big House on Oct. 19. The Wolverines will be coming off of two difficult divisional games against Penn State and Michigan State, so avoiding a letdown could be key.
Maryland: Welcome to the Big Ten, Maryland. Like Michigan, the Terrapins are looking to rebound from a 7-6 season and have a long road to do it. The two teams will face off on the tail end of Maryland’s brutal sixgame stretch that includes Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan State. The Terrapins have sixth-year quarterback CJ Brown leading the helm.
Utah: The Rich Rodriguez era began against the Utes on Aug. 30, 2008. That afternoon, the Wolverines’ new-look spread offense struck first with a touchdown, but Utah took a 15-point lead midway through the third quarter and hung on, 25-23. The close loss earned respect later in the season as the Utes beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and finished as the country’s only
Rutgers: Despite boasting 280 years of college football between them, the Scarlet Knights and Wolverines have never met. Rutgers hosted the first-ever intercollegiate football game on Nov. 6, 1869, against Princeton in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights won, 6-4, but lost the rematch the following week. Meanwhile, Michigan played its first game 10 years later against
Penn State: Last season’s version of the matchup was a fourovertime affair that tested the health of everyone’s heart. Now, both teams return for another matchup at night. This time, the Wolverines take on a squad with just 11 seniors and new coach James Franklin replacing Bill O’Brien. In the third year of their sanctions, the Nittany Lions are playing with fewer scholarship players where the offensive line has taken one of the biggest hits. Penn State has time to adjust, though, and the team that shows up now could be different than the one starting the season.
Notre Dame: We don’t want to talk about it.
Michigan State: The rivalry for the Paul Bunyan Trophy has tilted in the Spartans’ favor in recent years. Michigan State has won five out of the last six matchups between the teams. It could be difficult for Michigan to reverse the trend this year playing at Spartan Stadium for the
Northwestern: The Wildcats seem to have had Michigan’s number the past few years. Three years ago, the Wildcats held a lead in Evanston before falling apart in the fourth quarter. Two years ago, the Wolverines needed a late effort in the waning minutes to force overtime and pull out the win. This year, they needed last-second field goal to hang on for the win. All that said, the Wildcats will be without several key pieces, including running back Venric Mark, and should be less of a threat. Plus, they reportedly used the wrong wristbands against Cal.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes will be without star quarterback Braxton Miller, but given that his replacement will have a full season to grow, Michigan should still see a dominant team. Ohio State lacks Carlos Hyde and its powerful run game and also lacks skill at cornerback. Last year’s thriller, middle fingers and broken foot behind them, this year’s game might be for bragging rights only unless the Wolverines and Buckeyes can rebound from bad losses in Week 2.
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