CELEBRATING OUR ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, April 14, 2015
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ACADEMICS
‘U’ maintains unpopular LSA majors despite costs Provost emphasizes importance of offering a broad array of disciplines
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Melody Barnes, chair of the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions, talks about the disconnect between policy makers and those affected by policy and outlines a better way to provide opportunity to lower income, disadvantaged kids at the Annenberg Auditorium on Monday.
Obama’s former domestic policy director talks youth Melody Barnes discusses people who lack access to education, jobs By EMMA KINERY Daily Staff Reporter
The Ford School of Public Policy ended its yearly policy talk series Monday with a lecture from a University alum. Melody Barnes, chair of the Aspen Institute’s Forum for Community Solutions, gave a lecture to aspiring policy makers, titled “Creating Opportunity for America’s Youth: Anatomy of a Public Policy Challenge.”
Barnes received her law degree from the University in 1989. Prior to becoming the chair of the forum, Barnes served as an assistant to the president and director of the White House Domestic Policy Council from 2009 to 2012 under President Barack Obama. In her opening remarks, Barnes said she was happy to return to Ann Arbor. “I don’t think I’ve been back in Ann Arbor for a number of years,” Barnes said. “It’s terrific to be back. I already had a Zingerman’s brownie, so I’m in good shape.” Barnes’ lecture focused on the issue of young adults in America who are disconnected with the education system — college and high school
dropouts — as well as those not interacting with the economy in a significant way or holding jobs that cannot support them or a family. Barnes refers to the estimated 6.7 to 7 million American 16- to 24-year-olds who fall into this category as “opportunity youth.” Contrary to the common narrative, which categorizes these youths as disconnected and uninterested in engaging in the community, Barnes said she and her counterparts discovered their value while engaging with the opportunity youth. “I believe that, having spent time with many of these young people, that this is an untapped, but vital resource for our country,” she said. “They have much to contribute in intellectual
By TANAZ AHMED Daily Staff Reporter
Though LSA offers more than 75 majors, some majors are far less popular than others. According to the enrollment report from the Office of the Registrar, as of the current winter semester the Ancient Greek, Modern Greek and Earth Sciences majors each have only have one student enrolled. Ancient and Modern Greek are offered by the Classical Studies Department, while Earth Sciences is housed in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. However, Michelle Biggs, the undergraduate coordinator for the Classical Studies Department, said there are five students enrolled in the Modern Greek concentration. There are also 14 students majoring in Classical Language and Literature, seven of whom chose Greek as their main language. The Classical Languages and Literature concentration requires students to study both Greek and Latin, but to choose one language as their main focus.
gifts and in grit, and a view of the world that can help us solve many of the challenges before us.” Barnes explained the importance of investing in opportunity youth for both moral and economic causes. During the question and answer period, Barnes said failing to address the challenges faced by opportunity youth costs taxpayers billions of dollars — including loss of federal revenue to funding the juvenile justice system and healthcare, as well as loss in federal tax revenue. Barnes said society’s perceptions of opportunity youth is one of the biggest roadblocks to finding solutions. See YOUTH, Page 3
ADMINISTRATION
FACULTY
Regents to consider new robotics lab Board will also vote to approve $38.5 million parking and transport facility By ALLANA AKHTAR and GEN HUMMER Daily Staff Reporters
The University’s Board of Regents will meet Thursday to approve the construction of a brand new Transportation Operation and Maintenance Facility project and the construction for a $54 million robotics laboratory on North Campus. Doug Strong, the University’s interim chief financial officer, recommended constructing a new research and teaching facility for the robotics program through the College of Engineering. The new building will house research laboratories, offices, classroom space and other functions. The project will be funded in part through resources and gifts from the College of Engineering. Strong also proposed to replace the current Parking Transportation Services Building with a larger building to accommodate heavier
WEATHER TOMORROW
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equipment and larger buses. Though the Parking and Transportation Services Building is located currently on South Campus, on Kipke Drive and past the Yost Ice Arena, the new building is to be located on North Campus near Green Road and Hubbard Street. According to Strong, the movement will allow the University to save approximately $400,000 per year in operating expenses by reducing miles out of service buses travel to get to the farther location. Furthermore, the new facility would allow about 185 parking spaces to become available on the Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus. The new site is estimated to cost $38.5 million and construction is set to begin in fall 2017. Construction proposals The regents will also consider a variety of construction proposals. The North Quadrangle Residential and Academic Complex, which opened in 2010, is in need of a new roof. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the roof’s premature deterioration. The proposal recommends replacing approximately 25,000 square feet of the metal roofing on the building’s south wing. See REGENTS, Page 3
The differences between the information in the enrollment report and the actual number of students enrolled in a program may be due to students studying abroad. The report also does not also include students who declared their majors after the data for the report is collected. University Provost Martha Pollack said there is no specific enrollment number and the University does not require concentration programs to retain a minimum number of students because it is important the University provide a large variety of subjects for students. “What distinguishes us is our breadth of excellence,” she said. Pollack said the cost of maintain each major and minor is only one of the factors the University takes into consideration. The importance of the major or minor in the field also impacts the University’s decisions. “We are very, very concerned with the cost of higher education, but we are also concerned with having the breadth that makes us great,” Pollack said. According to JoAnn Peraino, the University’s curriculum and enrollment manager, low enrollment does not impact how majors are modified or how their futures are decided. “It’s driven by pedagogy,” she said. “It’s about the subject, not the numbers.” Periano said the University as a See MAJORS, Page 3
SACUA considers adding ‘U’ honor code Committee also adds new guidelines for faculty grievance procedures By CARLY NOAH Daily Staff Reporter DAVID SONG/Daily
Producer Mike Dilbeck speaks to members of Sigma Delta Tau sorority about taking action in times of moral crisis in the Michigan Union Ballroom on Monday evening.
Sorority that attended ski trip hosts bystander training Sigma Delta Tau kicks off “Speak Up! Michigan” initiative By EMMA KILBANE Daily Staff Reporter
After the University placed its chapter of the Sigma Delta Tau sorority on a two-year disciplinary suspension for attending a January ski trip
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that resulted in thousands of dollars in damage, the sorority is launching a bystander intervention program. The newly implemented Speak Up! Michigan program kicked off Monday evening with a lecture by Mike Dilbeck, who founded Response Ability, a program providing people with the tools to intervene in difficult situations. SDT organized the initiative to promote bystander intervention education on campus. The audience was mostly
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composed of students affiliated with Greek life. SDT members made up a majority of the audience. Michelle Carlson, SDT national president, also attended, and referenced the chapter’s current disciplinary suspension. Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones sanctioned the chapter in February upon the conclusion of the University’s disciplinary proceedings. “Our women really believe that they did not have the See BYSTANDER, Page 3
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The Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs convened Monday afternoon for their second-to-last meeting before newly elected members take office on May 1. The committee reviewed the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities and adopted an edited version of the SACUA Guidance on Grievability. SACUA member David Potter, a Classical Studies professor, discussed two main takeaways from attending a recent luncheon sponsored by the University’s Office of Student Conflict Resolution. He noted the types of statement violations reported to the University and the potential of adding an additional honor code to supplement the statement. Potter said 600 statement violations were reported within the last year, and the University issued no expulsions or suspensions during See SACUA, Page 3
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MAYA MENLO
A Inter-Cooperative Council 2
Public Policy senior Maya Menlo is Ann Arbor Inter-Cooperative Council president and a board member for North American Students of Cooperation. What prompted your involvement in a co-op living situation? I think that after living in the dorms and not necessarily getting the sense of community that I wanted out of my college situation. The real reason that I was ever involved in the co-op was that I had a friend from a class of mine, and she asked me to dinner while she was living at Gregory House on Washtenaw Avenue. There were a lot
of people in a cozy atmosphere. How long have you lived in the co-op? Sophomore year I moved into Benjamin on Catherine Street, 2012-2013. I’ve been there three years now. The people who live there are my friends and my family. How does living in a co-op differ from traditional dorm life or living in a fraternity or sorority house? Well, the biggest thing about the co-op is it’s an intentional community. The shared set of values has always been key
for it’s for ent
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What responsibilities have you taken on as president of your co-op? There’s a laundry list. The most visible duties are chairing the board of directors and the executive community, which we call our coordinating committee. I also oversee hiring and firing processes for our full-time staff. emergency situations and contract issues. -JACQUELINE CHARNIGA
Indian dance performance
WHAT: A University history professor will discuss private libraries during and after the Enlightenment. WHO: Williams L. Clements Library WHEN: Today from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Hatcher Graduate Library
WHAT: Indian classical dancers will perfom an Odissi dance based on the work of Indian poet Gita Govinda. WHO: University of Michigan Museum of Modern Art WHEN: Today from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Campus philharmonia
Malik Goodwin lecture
WHAT: Roberto Kalb will conduct performances of pieces by Mozart, Bach and Ravel, among others. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Today at 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Hill Auditorium
WHAT: The Vice President of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. will talk about his work. WHO: A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning WHEN: Today from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. WHERE: Art and Architecture BuildingAuditorium (Room 2104)
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Hockey player Tyler Motte plays air hockey with a fan at the “Skate into Spring: with Michigan Hockey” event in the Michigan Union on Monday.
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WHAT: Geo Jue, assitant professor at Barnard College, will discuss the conceptualization of the dead in Early China as seen through various rituals and customs. WHO: Lieberthal- Rogel Center for Chinese studies WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work Building, Room 1636
WHAT: Assistant Prof. Daniel Romero will discuss the association of external events with social network content and structure. WHO: School of Information WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: West Hall, Room 411
WHAT: Professor Gerber will discuss the Regional Transit Authority efforts to create a four county region transit network and a cross county transit corridor. WHO: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute WHEN: Today from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. WHERE: Rave Cinema, 4100 Carpenter Road, Ypsilanti
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me. I think its safe to say not for everybody, but it is a lot of people and differtypes of people, as well.
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Russia lifted a missile system delivery ban on Iran, the New York Times reported Monday. The ban was imposed in 2010 after the United Nations implemented sanctions against Iran. The deal is worth $800 million.
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Despite a substantial loss of talent following the 2014-15 season, things are looking up for Michigan hockey next year following the addition of bluechip recruit Kyle Connor, a WHAT: Graduate students current USHL star. and director Eugene Roberts >> FOR SPORTS, SEE PG. 8 will perform. WHO: School of Music, Five women detained Theater, and Dance for advocating for WHEN: Today at 8 p.m. women’s rights in WHERE: Walgreen Drama China were released over Center- Stamps Auditorium a month later, AP reported l Please report any Monday. The women were error in the Daily released conditionally to corrections@ and the investigation will michigandaily.com. remain open.
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Rubio announces 2016 White House candidacy Senator touts ‘A New American Century’ during campaign kickoff MIAMI (AP) — Sen. Marco Rubio entered the presidential race Monday by offering the nation a younger generation of leadership that breaks free of ideas “stuck in the 20th century,” a jab at both Democratic favorite Hillary Rodham Clinton and his one-time Republican mentor, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Standing in front of a banner that proclaimed “A New American Century” and repeating that refrain throughout his kickoff speech, the 43-year-old Cuban-American used his first turn as a Republican presidential candidate to take on two of
America’s political dynasties. In doing so, he bet heavily on the electorate’s frustrations with Washington and his ability to change how his party is seen by voters. “This election is not just about what laws we are going to pass,” Rubio told his evening rally. “It is a generational choice about what kind of country we will be.” He said it’s also a choice between the haves and havenots, nodding to his own upbringing by working-class parents. “I live an exceptional country where the son of a bartender and a maid can have the same dreams and the same future as those who come from power and privilege.” Earlier in the day, the firstterm Republican from Florida spoke to his top donors and told them many families feel the American Dream is slipping
away and young Americans face unequal opportunities. He’s banking on the hope that he, alone among many GOP rivals, can make inroads with groups that have long eluded Republicans — young people, minorities and the less affluent. “I feel uniquely qualified to not just make that argument, but to outline the policies that we need to have in order to achieve it,” he said on the donor call. In his televised speech, he told supporters, “The time has come for our generation to lead the way toward a new American century.” Rubio’s remarks came as Clinton was traveling to Iowa on her first trip as a candidate. Her entrance into the race with an online video Sunday is robbing some attention from Rubio’s splash into the race. But Rubio saw an opportunity to cast the presidential contest as one between a fresh face representing a new generation of leadership and familiar faces harking back decades — namely, the 62-year-old Bush and the 67-year-old Clinton. “While our people and economy are pushing the boundaries of the 21st century, too many of our leaders and their ideas are stuck in the 20th century,” Rubio said to applause. The swipe at Bush was implied; with Clinton, he was more direct. “Just yesterday, a leader from yesterday began a campaign for president by promising to take us back to yesterday,” Rubio said to jeers. “Yesterday is over and we are never going back.” Supporters began lining up in 87-degree heat three hours before the public kickoff at Freedom Tower, the Miami landmark that was the first stop for tens of thousands of fleeing Cuban exiles during the 1960s and 1970s. Kelly Steele, 50, and her
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LSA senior Micah Warschausky chats with a friend and enjoys free food and music during the inaugural LSA Senior Celebration on Ingalls Mall on Monday.
LSA student government hosts Senior Celebration Inaugural event marks final send off for graduating liberal arts students By ALYSSA BRANDON Daily Staff Reporter
LSA Student Government celebrated seniors on Ingalls Mall Monday morning with free food, games on the Diag and a speech by Golden Apple-winning Statistics Lecturer Brenda Gunderson. Designed to honor graduating LSA seniors, the event also provided resources as they transition into their new roles as alums. LSA’s marketing department also provided resources detailing how to join the Dean’s Young Alumni Council and stay connected to LSA after graduation. LSA senior Corey Walsh, event organizer and former LSA Student Government vice president, said the event was created to instill the value of liberal arts degrees in graduating seniors one last time.
“We just thought it was important that seniors, as they’re exiting the University, have some type of large-scale capstone event to leave seniors feeling some sort of unity with the college of LSA, so that whenever they graduate they can become active alumni,” he said. The idea for Senior Celebration began last summer, but all of the details were put into place over the past two months. LSA junior Jason Colella, LSA Student Government president said there have been various attempts to hold a senior celebration in the past that never seemed to catch on. “We are sort of trying to revive it, restart it, to really foster a sense of LSA pride,” Colella said. He added that other students tend to feel more attached to their colleges after graduating, which he said isn’t necessarily the case with LSA alumni. Gunderson said the decision to present a speech for graduating LSA seniors was an easy one. “Being able to congratulate them and send them off and tell
them they’re already amazing and they’ll continue to be, how could I not have an opportunity to say that?” she said. Gunderson said she hopes graduates realize they won’t be alone, and that they will have access to a wide array of alumni resources. She also emphasized the importance of the LSA community to the college experience. “You are not just handed knowledge,” Gunderson said. “You work with lots of other people and created that knowledge.” Furthermore, she said the seniors’ LSA educations have provided various ways to think and observe the world, which will enable them to solve complex problems in real-life situations, no matter where they go or what career path they take. LSA senior Sarah Lopez said the senior celebration was a good way to recognize the senior class’s achievements. “It’s a nice reward for being a senior and celebratory preparing for graduation a few weeks away,” she said.
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NEWS BRIEFS ROCKWOOD, Mich.
New partnership seeks to improve habitats for ducks A partnership is working to improve the habitat for ducks at Pointe Mouillee State Game Area in southeastern Michigan. The state Department of Natural Resources says a group of volunteers recently participated in the On the Ground project. They worked the DNR staff to install 10 new nesting structures for mallards and cleaned and maintained 20 existing mallard nest structures. The work took place in the game area’s Vermet, Humphries and Long Pond units. They also spread cattail seed heads in the Vermet Unit to increase cover for ducks. And they cleaned and maintained 30 wood duck nest boxes. Volunteers came from a number of groups. The project is part of a partnership between the DNR and Michigan United Conservation Clubs to improve fish and wildlife habitat.
EDINBURGH, Ind.
Man arrested after Megabus crash A Megabus bringing passengers back to Chicago after another bus was involved in a crash was stopped by Indiana State Police so a passenger wanted on a warrant out of Michigan could be arrested. Trooper John Perrine says the arrest was made without incident shortly before noon Monday. He didn’t know what the man was charged with or how Michigan authorities knew he was on the bus. Perrine says the man was not among the 19 passengers injured when the other Megabus crashed about 5:30 a.m. Monday in Johnson County near Edinburgh. The second bus was allowed to continue to Chicago after the arrest.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.
Storm clouds stall space grocery run SpaceX will have to wait another day to deliver groceries and an espresso maker to the International Space Station. Fast-approaching storm clouds prevented the unmanned rocket from blasting off Monday afternoon. The company will try again Tuesday afternoon, but more bad weather is forecast. The odds of acceptable conditions are just 50-50. SpaceX halted the countdown at the 2½-minute mark as a menacing storm system moved into the 11-mile keep-out zone surrounding the Falcon rocket. The company had a single second to get off the ground. “We were in a race, but we didn’t quite make it today,” a SpaceX launch commentator said.
BEIJING
China releases five women activists Chinese authorities released five women’s rights campaigners Monday whose detentions sparked an international outcry and underscored the government’s tight restrictions on independent social activism, lawyers said. Lawyer Liang Xiaojun said the five were let go after more than a month in detention under a form of conditional release that still allows charges to be brought later. As of late Monday night, all had either returned or were on their way to their homes in Beijing and elsewhere in China, including the southern metropolis of Guangzhou and the eastern resort city of Hangzhou. Other lawyers could not be reached by phone, but posted messages on social media saying their clients had been freed. Calls to the Haidian District Detention Center in western Beijing where they had been held rang unanswered Monday night. —Compiled from Daily wire reports
MAJORS From Page 1 whole also does not attempt to increase enrollment for specific majors. Rather, she said, it is the department’s responsibility to market their majors through their course listings and presence at the Major/Minor Expo. Biggs said many students do not enroll in the Ancient Greek or Modern Greek programs because the majors are difficult and the language is not usually taught at high schools. She also said students often do not recognize the versatility of the programs. “It’s a good preparation for things not just in academia,” Biggs said. Though the number of students majoring in the programs is low, the departments are not impacted financially since Greek classes offered by the department are filled with graduate students as well as non-majors, according to Biggs. LSA senior Joseph Jozlin said he chose to study Modern Greek because of the major’s lack of popularity with most students. “Most people study languages like Spanish and Chinese,” Jozlin said. “I wanted to do something different.” LSA junior Constantinos Demetral said he decided to major in Modern Greek because it allows him to con-
nect to his cultural roots. He also chose to study the subject because of the quality of the department and its professors. “I am Greek and I’ve always wanted to brush up on my Greek,” Demetral said. “There are also great professors who are willing to help and the department is very supportive.” Demetral also cited the difficulty of the upper-level classes as a reason for why students may not want to pursue a major in Modern Greek. “The 300-level classes are very hard and the grammar is very difficult; it’s nothing like English grammar,” Demetral said. LSA sophomore Jonas Sese initially considered majoring in Ancient Greek but later chose to major in Classical Languages and Literature instead because he wanted to study both Ancient Greek and Latin. Sese said he believes the low enrollment in the Ancient Greek program is due to more students turning to science, technology, engineering and mathematics majors. “I think it has to do with the shift of focus in universities from the humanities to STEM fields,” Sese said. “Ancient Greek is as far into the humanities as you can get. I think a lot of people entering into university want a major that has a lot of practical applications.”
@michigandaily BYSTANDER From Page 1 training necessary to step in and make a difference,” Carlson said. “They want to empower other students on this campus to step in and make a difference when situations happen. They were faced with a situation where they felt like they didn’t have the tools yet.” The University’s statement deemed SDT’s members bystanders during a trip where members of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity committed more than $250,000 in property damage to a Gaylord ski resort. “Members of the Sigma Delta Tau sorority stood by at Treetops Resort and allowed others to vandalize the facility,” the University’s statement read. “This
YOUTH From Page 1 “Included in this is a specific focus on perception change,” Barnes said. “In many ways it is the thorniest and knottiest of all of the problems that we have, and it sits at the base of so many of the other challenges that we’re trying to address.” The Aspen Institute launched an advertising campaign to attempt to target this challenge, according to Barnes. During the lecture, Barnes showed a commercial in which a girl explains to her interviewer the skills she has gained and can contribute to her job despite the fact that she has not attained a college degree. “This is one of the things that I see over and over and over again,” Barnes said. “People are willing to believe that there’s that one exceptional person … But 6,000,000 exceptional
REGENTS From Page 1 The project, which is estimated to cost $3.2 million, will be funded by internal investment proceeds and is scheduled for completion in fall 2015. The board will also consider a budget revision for the Earl V. Moore Building renovation and Brehm Pavillion project. The project, which was approved by the Board in December 2013, was initially estimated to cost $24.32 million. According to the original proposal, approximately 28,000 square feet of the existing building will be renovated and 34,000 square feet of shelled space will be added. The proposal asks the regents to increase the budget to $29.5 million to allow for a music technology room, a student commons room and miscellaneous furnishings. Central Student Government in review CSG president Bobby Dishell, a Public Policy senior, will give his final address to the board — a portion of which will focus on the pending, CSGgenerated student honor code. In February, Dishell created a student task force charged with designing the centralized student honor code — and Thursday, he will report on its progress. The honor code follow-up comes as the Office of Student Life reviews the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities as part of its regular amendment cycle. In an e-mail to the University community on April 9, E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, announced the statement was up for revisions and noted that CSG, the Senate
Tuesday, April 14, 2015 — 3 Advisory Committee on University Affairs, and the University’s administration are the three bodies that can propose amendments. On this subject, Dishell wrote, “Currently, there is no student ownership or input over the process and rules that govern student behavior and hold students accountable.” Subsequently, he said, the honor code is to work parallel to the Statement. “I encourage students to work with the administration, take the honor pledge, and hold each other and ourselves accountable,” Dishell wrote in his report. In a February interview with the Daily, Harper said she felt that the potential of an additional academic honor code could have significant overlap and even clash with the existing Statement. However, she agreed it would be beneficial to hold students accountable for their behavior in a more rigid and well-known way. “What I think is fabulous about it is, I think having the conversation about that (is important),” Harper said. “What does it mean in our community to have an honor code? What does it mean to be honorable? And then, what do you do about it when someone is behaving in a dishonorable way?” Dishell will also speak to the board about the need for a continued focus on mental health, a topic which he discussed on a personal level at last month’s meeting. CSG has emphasized the need for improved mental health facilities on campus; this year’s efforts have included the launch of Wolverine Support Network in September.
lack of action is unacceptable.” The discussion began with the recitation of a 20-line creed, which began and ended with the words, “I am courageous leadership.” Courageous leadership was defined by Dilbeck as going beyond fear and standing up, stepping in and speaking out against the injustice present on campus and in the everyday lives of people everywhere. Dilbeck also shared a personal story of his experience founding the Sigma Nu fraternity at Texas Christian University, a chapter that was ultimately shut down in 2002. During his speech, Dilbeck discussed recalled his own failure to intervene in several situations. “I am deeply ashamed for what I didn’t do,” he said. LSA sophomore Allie Lisner, a member of the SDT executive board, said SDT members have
met with the Dean of Students to discuss implementing a bystander intervention program on campus. She said the sorority hopes to provide programs and spark conversation about speaking up in difficult situations. “There’s nothing for if you’re in a disaster or this crises when someone is damaging something, like how could you intervene?” Lisner said. “People should learn this when they come to Michigan or when they join Greek life or any other organization rather than after they’ve already made the mistake of not being the best bystander they could have been.” Dilbeck invited students to anonymously text his iPod on stage with their own stories about difficult situations they had been in. He read a few of the stories submitted by stu-
dents from other campuses as well, some of which addressed hazing and discrimination. Lisner said SDT is looking to include the entire campus community in the Speak Up! Michigan program and not just members of Greek life. “Bystander intervention is important in any setting across this country,” Delbick said. “We have such an opportunity to empower the people who are not standing up to the wrong of the world.” LSA freshman Maggie Brockmeyer-Bernard commented on the importance of continuing education on the topic. “We are constantly put in situations where it is useful so it’s really good to be educated on this type of thing.”
people? Society seems to be unwilling to believe that that’s possible, but it is.” For example, Barnes recalled working with Obama to replicate an educational achievement model employed by the non-profit organization Strive Together. The Strive Network found graduation rates were dropping in the region and worked with other public and private institutions to create a network to solve the problem. “Then they decided, ultimately, to take their work and say we’re not just going to do that here,” Barnes said. “But we can replicate this all over the country, and now that work is taking place in over 34 different cities and the District of Columbia. We’re seeing that kind of progress everywhere we turn.” The Aspen Institute works in conjunction with the collective impact of the federal government and private institutions.
They work to create a collaborative effort by having members of companies and philanthropic organizations to ensure that all parties are working together and not just providing funding. In addition, they include the opportunity youth in the panels. “You have to bring the very people in the communities that you want to work with to the table to understand what the challenge of the problems is so you can understand that you can go about with their support and their assistance with them as partners to actually fix it,” she said. “Who’s a better expert on the life of an opportunity youth here than an opportunity youth?” She said the Aspen Institute ultimately wants to create a nationwide network between government, philanthropic organizations, private businesses and opportunity youth. “To create a learning com-
munity, to create a hub, where communities that are doing this work can talk to one another,” Barnes said. “What we have found is that literally communities 50 miles apart, 100 miles apart, didn’t know what they were doing, and, as a result of that, communities were making the same mistakes over and over. We could leap all part that if people are talking to one another.” Barnes concluded her discussion by highlighting the potential for students to make a lasting impact on the community. “We can have the kind of success that we want and that we need,” she said. “We can solve these problems if we work collaboratively, and with the benefit of the kind of education that many of you are getting here today, you will be the initial fuel in each of those sectors to make sure that get it.”
HISTORY FACT: ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS ASSASSINATED ON THIS DAY IN 1865
SACUA From Page 1 that time. He added that of the 129 reported sexual misconduct cases, 68 of which were classified as sexual assault and 34 as sexual harassment. There were 14 cases of stalking, 11 violations for other matters and two for retaliation. “There were a significant amount of cases that were reported where the survivor did not wish to pursue matters further,” Potter said. The second item of note — the creation of an honor code — is also under consideration by Central Student Government. In February, CSG President Bobby Dishell, a Public Policy senior, commissioned a task force to consider writing an honor code, which would cover topics such as academic integrity and student rights. “The aim of the task force, and eventually the honor code, will be to encourage and motivate students to hold ourselves to a higher standard,” Dishell wrote in a February press release. “Currently there is not one place where students can turn to in order to know what our community stands for. It’s important that, as students at Michigan, we understand our roles as the leaders and best both on and off campus.” At the luncheon, Potter said attendees suggested that any new honor code also provide procedures for handling violations of the code. He also noted the strength in a single Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities governing all of the University’s schools and colleges. At the luncheon, Potter said OSCR officials clarified that it is important to maintain this consistency. Though all units are governed by the current Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities, not all have honor codes that provide clear expectations of behavior for members of the University community. The body also adopted a new SACUA Guidance on Grievability, which is designed to provide resources for faculty filing a complaint through the University’s grievance procedures. After reviewing the final guidance, SACUA member John Lehman, a professor of biology, made a motion to adopt the document and revisit it annually. The motion was passed unanimously. “If the hearing board decides that the complaint is not grievable, the grievant can appeal the decision to SACUA,” SACUA Chair Scott Masten, a professor of business economics and public policy, wrote in an e-mail interview after the meeting. “After receiving such an appeal last fall and overruling the grievance board, we decided that it would be useful if grievance boards had a document that explained how we interpret the grievance procedures so that they would be less likely to make an error. The document that we approved today is that document.” During the meeting, Masten said he plans to give an update on SACUA’s report on the University’s Office of Institutional Equity when the full Senate Assembly meets next week. Masten said the decision making process will carry over into May because of the provost’s schedule. A report filed by SACUA last month pointed to several flaws SACUA found within OIE. The report’s central concerns were the adequacy of due process protections in OIE procedures and OIE’s application of those procedures in the specific cases of three faculty members who submitted complaints to SACUA. The last SACUA meeting of the 2014-2015 academic year is scheduled for April 27.
Opinion
4 — Tuesday, April 14, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
“Boston Strong” does not mean death
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com JENNIFER CALFAS EDITOR IN CHIEF
AARICA MARSH and DEREK WOLFE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
LEV FACHER 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.
KALYN SANDERFER | VIEWPOINT
The fight for $15 I am a senior here at the University, and next year I’ll be attending graduate school here as well. Today I am going to tell you a little bit about my experience as a workingclass, work-study student. Over the last four years, I have held a few different jobs, including working at the campus dining halls, daycare and babysitting services, Briarwood Mall in retail, McDonalds and Coldstone. I am currently an employee at University Health Services, making $9.75 an hour as an assistant in human resources. I didn’t continue in my previous positions for various reasons, but they all had a few things in common: None of my former employers offered me any kind of health insurance. My schedule was not consistent. There was little to no opportunity for career advancement. No one paid over $10 per hour. There were always unresolved issues between employees and management. There was no sympathy for life as a student. None of these are jobs that look really exceptional on my resume. But without experience, extra time or connections, it isn’t easy to find an opportunity that doesn’t fall under this umbrella of occupations. Being a first-generation student from a low-income family, it’s a necessity that I work while going through school. I don’t have the option to do only one. But the rigor of our academics and the commitment needed to advance in the workplace are constantly working against each other in my life. Even now, I only work 15 hours a week, 20 on a good week — this in combination with my school schedule, and homework is very tiring. Especially now, when I’m trying to prepare myself for graduation and graduate school. For the most part, my income alone has not been sufficient in meeting my basic needs. I have made up for the difference in loans from the University and favors from family members who cannot really afford to help me. I have tried my best to cut all financial corners over the years, (I’ve never had a car, I have lived in Ypsilanti since sophomore year for cheaper rent, had food stamps and state health insurance at one point, and lived with roommates), but all of these solutions were short-term, and ultimately the problem lies in the lack of support I am receiving from my job. Though the University has been helpful in providing what resources it can, its help mostly consists of loans, which will benefit them more in the long-term than me. Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour would allow me more time to focus on my studies while still receiving a sufficient income. It would also save me somewhat from drowning myself in more student loan debt later. A current issue I am facing as a work-study student is requesting a higher pay grade once I begin graduate school. Even though I’ll have a degree from one of the best institutions in the country, my pay will increase by just 25 to 75 cents from the $9.75 I am making right
now. How can the University expect other businesses to pay and treat us properly when they don’t always follow suit? I have worked at my job for two years, going into my third, and with my family’s income and my position as a full-time graduate student, I think I should be paid at least $14. There are other graduate students on this campus who make that amount, if not more. The University needs to take a greater responsibility for making wages for student workers more consistent. Getting paid a higher wage is something I think about often, but with the University monopolizing my time, I feel silly applying for jobs that can give me the support I need. I need health insurance, or at least sick days. I need a higher wage. But I also need a professional community that understands my position as a student, and how big of an accomplishment school is for me and my family. I know my story is unique, but there are many other first-generation, low-income, over-worked and underpaid students on our campus. Seek them out and listen to their stories because they matter. This problem is a real one. And it’s also something I didn’t think I could complain about until involving myself with the U of M Fight for $15 campaign. As students, we have to remember that this is our campus. We put all of our time and energy into the University. Some of us spend literally everything, and I mean everything, that we have to be here and even promise to pay back loans we may never have the income to afford. That’s a scary reality, but we also have the power to change the structures that determine how we live. It’s going to take mobilizing students like myself, and more resourceful students who can empathize with us, to get the ball rolling. This issue is important because no student should have to choose between supporting themselves right now and preparing to support themselves long-term. That in itself is contradictory. Though this may not be a problem the average Michigan student faces (because most have financial support), it’s a problem across college campuses and for workers everywhere. Starting an undergraduate workers’ association and raising the minimum wage for all University employees, both directly employed and subcontracted through University Unions and Catering, is the first step in the fight for a living wage in Washtenaw County and across the state. We could be innovators in creating a space where student workers have a voice and are initiators of the next big labor movement. Join us on Wednesday, April 15, at noon in front of South Quad for a rally on campus and at 3:45 p.m. at the Cube to support Detroit fast-food workers in their fight for a living wage and the right to unionize. For more information and to get involved, please visit our Facebook page. Kalyn Sanderfer is an LSA senior.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Ben Keller, Payton Luokkala, Aarica Marsh, Victoria Noble, Michael Paul, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Allison Raeck, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Linh Vu, Mary Kate Winn, Jenny Wang, Derek Wolfe
“
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Everday Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion.”
— Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announcing her candidacy for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination in a video Sunday afternoon.
A
ttending the Boston Marathon has been an annual tradition ever since my parents emigrated from China to Massachusetts. They only knew fragmented English then, but they waved from Copley Square as the international parade raced by. KAREN So, as a Bos- HUA tonian born and raised, I grew up with Marathon Mondays. Almost exactly two years ago, on April 15 of my senior year of high school, my dad took me into the city as per tradition. We bought 7-Eleven Slurpees and street-vendor hot dogs at Kenmore Square, then we made it down Boylston Street, where we bumped into friends — some volunteering near the finish line; some cheering competing family members on; others like me, just spectating. It was about 2 p.m. when we decided to head out early to move our car before traffic got wicked bad. About 49 minutes later, we were on the highway home when two bombs went off at the very spots we just stood. We all returned to school the next week struck by events that still seemed surreal. Our peers who stood at the finish line were still recovering from psychological trauma. Our middle school principal’s family was in critical condition at Mass General. There are others that were hit closer than most of us. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, at just 19 years old, tore apart our city, killing three and injuring countless others. This past Wednesday, the federal court unsurprisingly convicted Tsarnaev on all 30 counts for his involvement in the Boston bombings. On April 21, the same sevenwoman, five-man jury team must unanimously decide whether to sentence Tsarnaev to death. They absolutely shouldn’t. Last week, the Boston Globe released its editorial stance against
I
a death sentence for Tsarnaev. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren also declared opposition to execution in a CBS news interview. Capital punishment has been abolished for almost 60 years in the state of Massachusetts, but many Boston politicians, including current Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, support the death penalty in Tsarnaev’s case of terrorism. Regardless of these varied views on the case, the primary goal of the government is to protect the safety and well-being of its citizens. Ultimately, imprisoning harmful transgressors achieves this purpose just as sufficiently. Even mass bombers like Tsarnaev cease to be physical threats when locked up for life. For a country that has been hurt time and again by terrorist actions, we will not ameliorate any tensions by using the same violence for vengeance. Adopting the same hateful terrorist mentality is a hypocritical — not an ethical — way to conduct a country’s legal system. Murder will never be moral — out of terrorism or out of revenge — by bomb or by lethal injection. One year ago, when the massacre was especially fresh, a Boston Globe poll found approximately 29 percent of Boston voted against the death penalty for Tsarnaev and 62 percent voted in support of it. Months later, with some time from the immediacy of the event, Boston’s NPR news station, WBUR, polled 49 percent against capital punishment for Tsarnaev and 38 percent for it — a notable reduction in capital punishment support. Likewise, we cannot decide rashly from the heat of our anger and passion, as Tsarnaev did two years ago on this very day. We must allow our rationality to override our impulses to handle this case with careful contemplation. I am now 19, just as Tsarnaev was
that day. I reflect back on all the hasty, careless decisions I made two years ago — even two days ago. I like to call myself an adult, capable of taking responsibility for my actions and my wrongs, but sometimes I am too immature to do just that. This is not to allow Tsarnaev’s youthful ignorance to serve as a safety net; without parole in prison, he will never receive any second chances. However, the solution for incorrigible young individuals is not to annihilate them from existence, but rather, to teach them a hard lesson. At the time, Tsarnaev was more of a teenage boy than any sort of man. We must teach him what he may not have learned in his own childhood: two wrongs don’t make a right. A lifetime in prison should be an opportunity for him to regret his actions and emotionally realize the damage he imparted. A life sentence is not “sparing” him out of sympathy — it’s a sentence instead of a quick end to societal shame and disgrace. More importantly, it’s to remind us of how we banded together as a community to find and convict him — then, how we had the morality not to perpetuate his wrongs. A part of me is angry. I want him in prison so he can fester in regret and self-pity for the rest of his existence. But, the other part of me wants him to have, wishes him to have, the opportunity to repent later in his life when he can fully realize his terribly hurtful ways. I am a Bostonian speaking: He hurt my city and my community, but that does not make it right to execute him as a result. Just five days before this year’s marathon, we must remember that life in prison is not a mitigation of punishment — it’s just morality.
We must remember that life in prison is not a mitigation of punishment.
— Karen Hua can be reached at khua@umich.edu.
No boys allowed
n college, I have heard many stories like the Daily’s investigational article last week into the University’s policies for responding to reports of sexual assault. These stories are usually framed as tales of “crazy parties” leading to all manner of wild, often public, TRIP sexual escapades BRENNAN that men laud each other for. The issue of women (or men) actually wanting to partake is never brought up, the word “consent” being little more than a presumption. I have heard these stories, and I have felt equal levels of confusion and disgust. I can’t explain why men rape women, as much as I wish I could. I also can’t explain why people in these stories I have heard wanted to partake in loveless, public acts of (presumably) consensual sex. But as I have sat and heard these kinds of wild party stories, my confusion and disgust has been tinged with a dull ache of jealousy. As much as it makes me ashamed to admit it, that jealousy is something I might be able to explain. *** I was a boy once, a boy who had few friends and many gnawing insecurities. I wasn’t athletic, being that dreaded last-picked kid when we made teams. For similar reasons, I knew that girls were not interested in me, and I grew to hate my body and the way I looked. I had good parents, but my father was emotionally distant while my mother’s feelings swung between intense love and intense spite. My sister was the epitome of perfection I could never be, and while I loved her dearly, I knew that anything I did was immediately compared to the absurd precedent that she set. I spent a lot of my time alone; drawing, reading, daydreaming, contemplating. I would imagine what it would be like to one day have all these things I was lacking, to be popular among boys and sought after by girls. But these were only dreams, and the continued difficulty of reality led me to be deeply depressed. Over time, my depression spilled over into
bitterness and, at times, uncontrollable rage. As I got older, the concept of being a man was largely shaped by these emotions. Some of the feelings I experienced translated into important pieces of my personality, especially empathy and sympathy for the pain of others. Some of these feelings have only led to more pain. As Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote: “Part of any adult’s maturation must be keeping the idiot in them under wraps. But I can’t kill the boy. Nor should I … The boy reinforces the man. But he needs guardrails.” My guardrails have taken time to build, and on plenty of occasions over the last four years, they have melted away completely. The boy comes out, seeing the world in black and white, following his most extreme feelings into the abyss. He wants to impress people, he wants everyone to like him and he wants women to want him. The man in me knows that outposturing men and sleeping with women will not fill the craters in my heart. The man in me also knows that these craters, even the ones created by my father’s early death, do not have to define me. But the boy is blinded by his fear, his depression and his anger. My guardrails are much firmer than they once were, but they are still finding their place. I have made terrible mistakes while I’ve been in college. I have hurt myself and others around me, and I often don’t know why. Many of the worst mistakes I have made revolved around a woman, and nearly all of them occurred while I was drunk. But these mistakes have trailed off precipitously in the last two years, a time when I chose to leave my fraternity and greatly reduced how much I drink. This, I suspect, is not a coincidence. Alcohol and Greek life are not to blame for the many mistakes I made while in college, but their role in uncaging my inner demons is unmistakable. Being drunk knocks down many different personal
boundaries for different people, as does being in a superficial, overly masculine environment. But for me, they tear away at the reasonable, empathetic man I aspire to be, replacing him with an amoral boy trying to out-gun everyone else. I’m proud of myself for recognizing this, and for increasingly translating my awareness into avoiding binge drinking and checking myself when I start seeing women as tools to improve my self-esteem. In the stories that I have so often heard, from the wild sex at parties to the most brutal rapes and assaults, the assaulters are often associated with some hyper-masculine group, be it the military, the football team or a fraternity. In these stories, alcohol has almost always been present, as well, usually in the body of the assaulter. This, too, I suspect, is not a coincidence *** My path to manhood has been a difficult one, to say the least. The culture of this campus, especially when it comes to sports, Greek life and other male-dominated institutions, was not going to smooth my transition, but steer it into a black hole instead. The behavior encouraged by our culture of hyper-masculinity and binge drinking does not limit itself to males. Far too many of my female friends have been raped, sexually assaulted or beaten — not by men, but by boys. Boys who want to prove something or fill some alcoholsoaked gap in their soul. Boys like me who have gone one step further. To quote Ta-Nehisi Coates again: “After the boy has his moment, the man must take the weight.” While these words have guided much of the way I see my transition to manhood, a sort of trial by fire where I learn from my mistakes, I feel it needs to be altered. For too often, it is not the man who takes the weight, but the woman.
For too often, it is not the man who takes the weight, but the woman.
— James “Trip” Brennan can be reached at jmbthree@umich.edu.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Tuesday, April 14, 2015 — 5
Oklahoma cop faces charges Officer says he mistakenly used handgun to stop fleeing suspect OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Prosecutors charged a reserve sheriff’s deputy with manslaughter Monday in the death of a man who was fatally shot as he lay on the ground at the officer’s feet — a shooting that was certain to raise questions about the use of volunteer officers to supplement fulltime police. The sheriff’s office has said Robert Bates, a 73-year-old insurance executive who was volunteering on an undercover operation in Tulsa, mistakenly pulled out his handgun instead of his stun gun and shot the suspect as he struggled with deputies. Bates, who is white, was charged with second-degree manslaughter involving “culpable negligence” for the April 2 death of Eric Harris, a 44-yearold black man. If convicted, he could face up to four years in prison. It was the latest fatal shooting by a police officer to draw national attention after months of investigations and protests of other deaths in Ferguson, Missouri, New York City, Los Angeles and other elsewhere. A video of the incident shot by a deputy with a sunglass camera and released Friday at the request of the victim’s family, shows a deputy chase and tackle Harris, whom they said tried to sell an illegal gun to an undercover officer. As the deputy subdues Harris on the ground, a gunshot rings out and a man says: “Oh, I shot him. I’m sorry.” Harris screams: “He shot me.
Oh, my God,” and a deputy replies: “You f---ing ran. Shut the f--- up.” When Harris says he’s losing his breath, a deputy replies, “F--- your breath.” Harris was treated by medics at the scene and died in a Tulsa hospital. The family said in a statement that it was “saddened, shocked, confused and disturbed.” “Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of all of this is the inhumane and malicious treatment of Eric after he was shot,” the family wrote. “These deputies treated Eric as less than human. They treated Eric as if his life had no value.” At a news conference on Monday, Andre Harris, the victim’s brother, said he does not believe the shooting was racially motivated. Oklahoma law defines culpable negligence as “the omission to do something which a reasonably careful person would do, or the lack of the usual ordinary care and caution in the performance of an act usually and ordinarily exercised by a person under similar circumstances and conditions,” Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said in a statement. A telephone message left Monday with Bates’ attorney, Scott Woods, was not immediately returned. Tulsa Police Sgt. Jim Clark, who investigated the shooting as an independent consultant at the request of the sheriff’s office, concluded that Bates had been so engrossed in the stress of the moment that he did not think clearly about what he had in his hand. The use of reserve officers is commonplace across Oklahoma and much of the nation. Cities and counties often turn to them for extra manpower because
GERRY BROOME)/AP
A North Carolina State Highway patrolman walks the grounds on campus following a shooting at Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, N.C., Monday, April 13, 2015.
Manhunt begins for former student in campus shooting Officers barracade driveway leading to suspect’s home GOLDSBORO, N.C. (AP) — A 20-year-old former community college student fatally shot a campus print shop director that had recently fired him, just as his old boss arrived for work Monday morning, school officials and authorities said. A manhunt was underway for the suspect, Kenneth Morgan Stancil III. Authorities are pursuing him on an open count of murder, Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce said. Authorities believe Stancil has left the area but is still in North Carolina. They have not released a motive for the shooting. Stancil entered a large Wayne Community College building
around 8 a.m. with a rifle and went to the third-floor print shop, perhaps using a back staircase so he would go unnoticed, authorities and school officials said. Stancil’s former work-study boss, Ron Lane, was killed in the print shop. He had worked at the school for 18 years. The shooting frightened students and the campus was put on lockdown as officers stormed the building. First-year student Jovaun Williams, 24, told The Associated Press that he was climbing a staircase inside the building and had almost reached the second floor when he heard a single muffled pop. He recognized the sound as a gunshot, similar to the kind he heard growing up in a tough neighborhood near Long Beach, California. He didn’t know where it came from.
“You hear a shot and my biggest things is, get out of there,” he said. “It definitely wasn’t where I was at, so that was good enough for me.” By the time he walked back downstairs, he saw police officers running into the building with their guns drawn. The building, the Wayne Learning Center, houses the cafeteria and library, among other things, school spokeswoman Tara Humphries said. Stancil was a third-year student at the college but it wasn’t immediately clear when he last attended. Goldsboro city spokeswoman Kim Best said he was let go recently, but she didn’t say when. Police are using helicopters and dogs to search for him. Authorities weren’t sure how he left campus, including whether he left in a vehicle. At one point, authorities
thought they had cornered the shooter in a restroom and fired tear gas into it, only to find that it was not Stancil in the bathroom, Effler said. Authorities have described Stancil as a white man, about 5-foot-11, with a goatee and a tattoo around his left eye and on his neck. Sheriff’s deputies blocked the driveway to the white mobile home listed as the residence Stancil shared with his mother and two younger brothers. A next-door neighbor on the road lined with brick ranch homes, Barbara Williams, said Stancil’s grandparents lived on the other side of the mobile home, where they operated an assisted living home. A sign in the front yard said “Stancil Family Care Home.” An elderly man with a cane who came to the front door declined comment to an AP reporter.
Putin lifts sanctions on weapon sales to Iran U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry objects to decision
DAMIAN DOVARGANES)/AP
Members of the board committee of the Metropolitan Water District, MWD moved forwards on a proposal that would cut regional water deliveries by 15 percent beginning this summer, during a meeting in Los Angeles on Monday, April 13, 2015.
California water suppliers to reduce delivery amounts Officials propose to cut regional delivery by fifteen perecent LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of California’s largest water wholesalers moved forward Monday on a plan to reduce the amount of water it delivers to more than two dozen cities and agencies serving 19 million people amid the lengthening drought. If approved by the board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on Tuesday, regional water deliveries would be cut by 15 percent beginning in July. The district serves parts of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. The effects of the cuts would vary between local water districts. Places that have done a poor job of conserving would have to crack down on outdoor watering and take other conservation measures and boost water rates to avoid paying a high price for extra water. Several committee members wanted a deeper cut in deliv-
eries — 20 percent — but were outvoted by others who feared it could hurt the economy. Businesses “could be scrambling for the hills” if the reduction was steeper, said Michael Touhey, who represents the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District. California is enduring a fourth year of parched conditions, prompting Gov. Jerry Brown earlier this month to call for a mandatory 25 percent cut in urban water use compared with 2013 levels. To meet Brown’s goal, the State Water Resources Control Board released draft reduction targets for more than 400 water agencies that must cut their water use by anywhere from 10 percent to 35 percent. The targets are based on per-capita water use. MWD’s general manager Jeffrey Kightlinger said limiting water supplies to member agencies is necessary to meet demand and stretch storage reserves, which currently stand at about 1.2 million acre-feet, less than half of what was in storage at the end of 2012. MWD officials said the
proposed water delivery restrictions — along with conservation, rebate programs and other tools — could help local water districts meet the governor’s goal. The cuts would stay in effect for a year. The agency noted that it has a proven record of aggressive water conservation. Per capita water use in Southern California has declined by about 24 percent since 1990, even as the region’s population grew by 5 million, and it has spent $750 million over 25 years on water use efficiency. Last year, MWD delivered 2.1 million acre-feet of water and will supply 300,000 acre-feet less this year under the proposal. An acre-foot is enough to cover a football field with a foot of water or meet the annual needs of about two households. Cities that need more water would have to pay a penalty — up to four times the normal price — for extra deliveries. The proposed tightening of water supplies comes as state surveyors earlier this month found the lowest snow level in the Sierra Nevada snowpack in 65 years of record-keeping.
MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin on Monday sanctioned the delivery of a highly capable Russian air defense missile system to Iran, a game changer move that would significantly bolster the Islamic republic’s military capability and fuel Israel’s concerns. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry objected to Moscow’s decision in a phone call to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and the White House indicated the move could endanger plans to ultimately lift sanctions on Iran as part of a proposed nuclear deal. White House press secretary Josh Earnest said unity and coordination with nations like Russia is critical to the success of the negotiations. Washington has said Moscow played a constructive role in the Iranian nuclear talks, despite sharp differences between Russia and the West over Ukraine. Putin’s move was quickly welcomed by Tehran, while it worried Israel, which saw it as a sign that Iran already had begun to cash in on the emerging nuclear deal with world powers that is expected to be finalized by the end of June. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the missile system could be shipped to Iran at any moment. Russia signed the $800 million contract to sell Iran the S-300 missile system in 2007, but suspended their delivery three years later because of strong objections from the United States and Israel. Putin on Monday lifted that ban. The preliminary agreement on settling the Iranian nuclear standoff struck earlier this month made the 2010 Russian ban unnecessary, Lavrov said in a televised statement. The framework agreement reached by Iran and six world powers is intended to significant-
ly restrict its ability to produce nuclear weapons while giving it relief from international sanctions. The agreement is supposed to be finalized by June 30, and there is no firm agreement yet on how or when to lift the international sanctions on Iran. The S-300 missile system, which has a range of up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) and the
capability to track down and strike multiple targets simultaneously, is one of the most potent air defense weapons in the world. “The S-300 is exclusively a defensive weapon, which can’t serve offensive purposes and will not jeopardize the security of any country, including, of course, Israel,” Lavrov said.
Arts
6 — Tuesday, April 14, 2015
ALBUM REVIEW
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ARTS INTERVIEW
Storm feels stale Neal Gabler talks criticism’s future Despite some new tricks, Halestorm’s newest album is achingly familiar By CHRISTIAN KENNEDY Daily Arts Writer
Halestorm’s newest record, Into the Wild Life comes three years after The Strange Case Of ... ; however, after their B break, they seem to have Into the lost some of the chic pseudo- Wild Life rock touch that Halestorm breathed life into their work. Atlantic Records Opening with “Scream,” Halestorm presents low-laying verses over a consistent drumbeat, which soars into the chorus only to fall flat as lead singer Lzzy Hale repeats a synthesized “scream.” In the same vain, “I Am the Fire” builds and builds, but once the chorus arrives it feels hollow. About eight minutes into the album, there is finally some semblance of the Halestorm infectiousness on “Sick Individual.” The verses consist of quick, evenly delivered lines over a repeating guitar riff and parley themselves seamlessly into the chorus. This track, unlike its predecessors, doesn’t aim for a climactic chorus, and the result is the fluidity that is absent on “Scream” and “I Am the Fire.”
Even though the climactic rock chorus approach failed in the first two tracks, Halestorm perfects it in “Amen” — it’s catchy, maybe a tad unoriginal. But when a song makes you scream and bang your head, who cares if it feels like you’ve heard the lyrics before? This is the first song that makes me want to give an amen. “Dear Daughter” marks the beginning of Into the Wild Life’s slump. If “Amen” felt familiar in the best way, “Dear Daughter” feels so in the worst way. The production fails to keep the edge of rock that normally characterizes Halestorm’s slower songs. It’s emotional, but not powerful; and, in the end, it’s boring. It just makes me think how much better Martina McBride’s “This One’s For The Girls” is. Also in the slump, “New Modern Love” sounds like the score of an uneventful western movie. “Mayhem” lures listeners in with its prechorus whisperings, but soon Hale is screaming and, for the first time in her discography, it feels as though she’s screaming about nothing. “Bad Girls World” is a less cohesive “Dear Daughter,” but it isn’t as upfront with its badness. The hook has some grit, but after about half the song you can’t help but think to yourself, “Is this worth my time?” The album somehow finds its way back on “Gonna Get Mine.” This is what Into The Wild Life should be. It’s gritty, in your face and takes no prisoners. Here, the subtlety of “Mayhem” ’s pre-chorus gets a full showing in “Gonna Get Mine” ’s titillating chorus. The transition
into the low-tempo “The Reckoning” is rough. Maybe “wild life” refers to the ups and downs present on the record because not after long the album’s lead single, “Apocalyptic” slams listeners down and makes them listen. From the first verse to the final beats, “Apocalyptic” is without a doubt the album’s shining star. The verses and chorus soar lyrically and intermingle perfectly with guitars and drums. The rhymes are subtle enough to avoid sounding cheesy, but prominent enough to wrap Hale’s delivery in a slickness that has been missing for most of the LP.
“Hallelujah motherfucker, take me to church.” The record ends on one of its strongest notes — “I Like It Heavy.” The slight synth heard in the verses creates a strong contrast with the brashness of the chorus. It captures the aura of Hale and leaves listeners with one lyric: “Hallelujah motherfucker, take me to church.” Halestorm’s experimentation on Into the Wild Life resulted in a mix of glossy rock songs, some pointless screaming and a few tracks that aren’t recognizable as Halestorm at all. Experimentation aside, Halestorm has added another handful of head-banging rock songs to their ever-evolving repertoire.
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Neal Gabler is not a person who can be described with only the epithet “writer.” Maybe it’d be more accurate to call him “writer-journalist-criticprofessor-broadcaster Neal Gabler.” Gabler, who came to the University of Michigan on April 9 to give a lecture on whether film criticism is truly necessary, may not write much criticism himself anymore, but he certainly has a broad wealth of knowledge on the subject. “Many people talk about this as a post-critical age,” Gabler said before the lecture, in an interview. “Are we in a postcritical age, where we form our judgments for ourselves and we don’t need that other layer in between ourselves and the film?” Gabler was invited to give the lecture by professor Hugh Cohen of the Screen Arts and Cultures department. Gabler and Cohen became “friends in film” when Gabler attended the University as a student and joined a film society in which Cohen was the adviser. After years of talking about movies, seeing movies and traveling to hear major directors speak, Cohen asked Gabler to leave law school and become one of the first GSIs for his new course, which became the preliminary course for all Screen Arts and Cultures majors: SAC 236, The Art of Film. “I was fully entrenched in
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the film community here, and it’s all because of Hugh Cohen,” Gabler said. “He was best man at my wedding. He was my friend and my father and a lot of other things.” Gabler said, at that time, though film was important to culture all across the country, Ann Arbor was the best place to be a film connoisseur. Having edited the daily newspaper at Lane High School in Chicago and feeling alienated in Ann Arbor, Gabler decided to write film criticism for the Michigan Daily. “I was writing very, very long pieces,” said Gabler, who was inspired by the long pieces of Pauline Kael, the acclaimed New Yorker critic. “I was told, ‘You wrote more column inches for The Michigan Daily than any person in the history of the paper.’” Before the lecture on Thursday, Gabler stopped by Cohen’s class on writing film criticism to have a discussion with the students. Each student shared their interest in film criticism and their reasons behind it. Gabler noted that there was no single critic who everyone in the class reads — evidence of a growing divisiveness in the film community. “There are no venues for (film criticism),” Gabler said, explaining why he rarely writes criticism anymore. “There’s no place to write criticism, certainly not the kind that I like to write: long, sustained, analytical pieces. Secondly, when you’re an active working critic, you’re reviewing everything. I was seeing five movies a week. Every year, if you’re really lucky, maybe you get three or four movies that are worth engaging.” Gabler still occasionally writes about movies, but his interests have broadened. He is currently writing an expansive biography of Edward “Ted” Kennedy. Gabler also teaches one class a year at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He has taught classes on film criticism, creative nonfiction, biography and the essay. “My interest is twofold,” Gabler said. “I try to teach them how to become professionals. I’m never interested in just a skill set. I try to teach them how to think about the world in interesting ways. I get up every day and I say to myself, ‘What interesting thing do I have to say about the world today?’ That’s what I try to get my students to do: to think about the world in interesting ways because you can sell that kind of work, and it’s worth writing.” Though Gabler calls himself “a writer who teaches” instead of “a teacher who writes,” he cares deeply about education and encouraging his students to explore new points of view. “I’m not just teaching how to write an essay,” Gabler said. “If I’m good at what I do, I’m trying to teach you how to think about the world. You take that little piece, and you put it into your own sensibility, and then you’ll have another teacher and plug that into your sensibility. By the time you’re through with your education, you’ve got all these things out of which you’ve formed your own sensibility. That, to me, is the whole function of education.” In both Cohen’s class and Gabler’s lecture Thursday night, Gabler emphasized the danger of aggregate scores from sites like Rotten Tomatoes. He also explained that criticism should
be more about exploring new perspectives on a piece than completing a checklist about what strengths and weaknesses a film does and does not have.
“There are no venues for film criticism anymore.” “It’s an instantaneous culture, and you want something instant,” Gabler said. “I’m an extremely strong believer that you adjust to the film; the film does not adjust to you. I don’t have some sort of critical rubric that I apply to a movie. Never.” Gabler occasionally misses the days when film had such a prominent role in culture. In his view, the proliferation of Internet criticism, social media and a constant stream of information have led to a drastically different — if not objectively worse — role for film. “Individual movies matter, but the movies (of the canon) don’t matter,” Gabler said. “They don’t dominate our lives in the same way they once did. They don’t rouse passions the way they once did. And if the movies don’t matter much, neither does film criticism.” Still, Gabler does acknowledge that criticism may still hold great power. In Gabler’s view, common objections to criticism, like that reading criticism takes away from the magic of the film, are often misplaced. “(Reading criticism) is not, I emphasize, mutually exclusive with any other movie-going pleasure,” Gabler said. “It’s an addition to the pleasure. Why would anyone want to deny himself or herself that pleasure? Why would anyone want to shrink the movie?” One of the issues with widespread Internet criticism, Gabler said, is its inaccessibility. “The object is not to demonstrate how smart you are, but how generous you are,” Gabler said. “Do we really need film criticism? Yes, I think we do. I think we need this kind of criticism: a criticism that enables us to see what we might not otherwise have seen, that enables us to learn something about ourselves, others and the world that we might not otherwise have learned.” In the 1970s, when film and criticism flourished together, there was a symbiosis between filmmaker and film critic, Gabler said. “Every so often, I see a film, and I really wish there was a critic to analyze it in some interesting way, a critic against whom I could weigh my own interpretation, a critic to challenge me and illuminate the film,” Gabler said, comparing Pauline Kael’s widespread accessibility to lesser-known modern critics. Still, Gabler hopes modern criticism can overcome its limitations and regain the power it used to hold. “(Critics) are vital to our art, and they are vital to us,” Gabler said. “You don’t analyze a movie to death. If you are a good critic, an essential critic, you actually analyze it to life.”
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TV REVIEW
Tuesday, April 14, 2015 — 7
MUSIC NOTEBOOK
‘Odyssey’ is one The power of music third a good show to draw out time By CATHERINE BAKER Daily Arts Writer
Multiple storylines fail to coalesce in new NBC series By MATT BARNAUSKAS Daily Arts Writer
“American Odyssey” is a solid “third of a show.” Telling the interlocking stories of three people plunged into the middle C+ of an international emer- American gency, NBC’s latest drama Odyssey is only able to Series produce one Premiere strong plotline among medio- NBC cre others that Sundays at are marred in 10 p.m. predictability and flat characters. The first and strongest of these threads is that of Odelle Ballard (Anna Friel, “Pushing Daisies”), a special forces operative whose squad uncovers files that potentially connect Al-Qaeda with an American corporation, S.O.C. After her unit is brutally attacked and executed by the Blackwateresque O.S.E.L.A, Odelle finds herself the lone survivor just trying to live another day and get back home to her husband and daughter. The storyline puts its entire weight on Friel, who is more than up to the challenge. The actress displays a perseverance in her character that goes beyond dogged determination. Trapped in a hostile nation and pursued by a brutal group of mercenaries, Odelle is the character going through the titular “odyssey” in her quest to get home against insurmountable odds. The show couples its narrative ambition with dynamic visuals. Use of long takes dur-
NBC
Power scarf.
ing the opening combat situations reveals the well-trained unit Odelle helps command, but the most impressive camera work comes when the story becomes constricted. During the first episode, “Gone Elvis,” Odelle finds herself captive in a manhole cage. In the scenes depicting her imprisonment, the frame is almost entirely restricted to her trapped viewpoint as she begs her captors. When a woman burns herself, the tension rises as Odelle instructs a teenager, Aslam (newcomer Omar Ghazaoui), in helping the woman while the viewer struggles along with her to assess the situation. This combination of characterization and ambitious craft make Odelle’s sections worth watching. However, the rest of “American Odyssey,” is not so compelling. There’s corporate attorney Peter (Peter Facinelli, “Twilight”), who realizes something fishy is going on with his client, S.O.C., and begins to investigate. Meanwhile social activist Harrison (Jake Robinson, “The Carrie Diaries”) meets a paranoid conspiracy theorist named Bob (Nate Mooney, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), who isn’t as crazy as he sounds. Peter and Harrison are mostly blank slates, ready to tackle the dark truths they uncover —
Facinelli and Robinson do what they can — but the characters aren’t very intriguing in themselves. Instead, all the intrigue is displaced to the events that surround them. There are snippets of backstory, but the show throws you so many side characters and mysterious organizations that there is little time to get to know Peter and Harrison. While Odelle is given time to develop as a character, the conspiracy trumps any real development for her two counterparts. But the growing conspiracy suffers from being overly familiar. Every death and “disappearance” is easy to see coming. There’s also the traditional “He knows,” phone call between villains after one of the protagonists uncovers key information. There’s nothing really that surprising to catch a well-versed viewer off-guard, keeping the show from becoming the thriller it aspires to be. It’s commendable to see NBC air a show with such an ambitious nature, but this ambition is overshadowed by a lacking pilot. There is some strong cinematography and performances, but they all seemed centered on one particular storyline right now. If “American Odyssey” is going to be a journey worth taking, it needs to find a better balance between its three primary plot threads.
MUSIC NOTEBOOK
Listen to life’s music By MELINA GLUSAC Daily Arts Writer
A lot of people on campus are into working out. I couldn’t even do a somersault when I was a kid, so you can imagine how inadequate I feel when, almost every day, a marathoner whizzes past my vanilla latte and me — a couple who are perfectly happy together, I might add (and going two years strong), and travel at a content, glacial pace. Feeling particularly lazy last Friday afternoon, I tried some wonky YouTube cardio workout in my dorm. It was bad; I was so bad. Thank goodness I write for this paper. Typing is my aerobics. One thing to note about humans who partake in regular physical activity: almost all listen to music while they’re doing said activity. Every time a plugged-in pedestrian passes me, I find myself in intrigued. What’s going on in your ears, dear gentleman? Do you run to the gruffness of Led Zeppelin, or do you glide to the effervescence, the timelessness of Pitbull? Is “King Kunta” by (Sir) Kendrick Lamar motivating you, or are you pushed to finish those last few miles by T. Swizzle’s “Blank Space”? Whatever it is, you’re missing out. Now, a disclaimer: I am a firm believer in music’s mystical powers. It elevates your mood, inspires you and it definitely motivates you. Runners have every right to listen to music while they’re voluntarily killing their bodies; they need something to take the edge off. The issue lies with walkers, like myself. So many saunter the streets of Ann Arbor, Beats firmly planted over their
ears, on a strict mission to not be disturbed by anything, ever. Maybe they’re going home, or maybe they’re making a beeline to Espresso Royale to quell that sleep depravation (relatable) – regardless, they’re not paying attention. We’re all guilty of this. It’s so easy to pop in headphones and forget the world. Music is comforting, and sometimes, when you’re walking around the city, it just feels right to listen to whatever tune is making you feel the most alive lately. Whether it’s looking at a tall building (“The Immortals” by Kings of Leon), strolling aimlessly (“Carbon Monoxide” by Regina Spektor) or trying to get somewhere quickly (“Y.A.L.A.” by M.I.A.), there seems to be a song for everything. Right? Wrong. Well, kind of. We live in a city that offers a new symphony every day — something better than Beethoven, better than Juicy J. As I walk, and I walk, and I walk, into town from my dorm on The Hill, I hear music without headphones. The cars whizzing past under the bridge, the girl on her phone yelling at her mom about this pair of boots that she somehow can’t live without, the crunch of the guy’s shoes in front of me, the wind, the rain. It may seem cacophonous, distracting, a burden and you may have to listen a little harder sometimes — but it’s music. As I sit outside Espresso Royale on Main St., on a warm Saturday afternoon, I hear and see people walking by. Lovers (so many lovers), families, friends. There’s a little boy walking down the street next to his parents with a long cane, feeling his way forward. I feel
guilty, at first, that he can’t see this beautiful day. But as I hear the percussive taps of his cane, the melodic crescendo of excitement when his dad says they’re going to get mac and cheese for dinner (“mmmMMM”) and see his euphoric face, I realize that I’m listening and watching life’s own music video. That’s better than anything you’ll ever see on MTV. If I had been plugged into my phone that whole time, subconsciously forgoing that little boy for Lil Wayne, I would’ve missed out on something oneof-a-kind. As brilliant as Wayne is, I can hear his music as much as I want, at the press of button. I’ll probably never see that little boy again — and I’ll definitely never hear him like that again. The second we hit the pavement every day, we’re hearing a brand new song, unique to our ears. It doesn’t take a certain amount of battery charge or Wi-Fi to load it. It’s just us. The scariest part is we’ll never be able to play that song again, but that’s also the most electric — we must, then, listen harder to the world around us, soaking it all in, and add to our melody with our own footsteps, breathing, humming. A little time passes as I’m walking home from the café, and a car creeps up on the street my back is facing — a cruising, vintage ’70-something whip with a long torso. In it is an old man wearing a Bogart-esque hat and a full, white suit. He’s blasting some old blues tune; it sounds like John Lee Hooker to me, and I immediately crane my neck to see him drive by. He’s so badass, I think, as flashes of my blues-ridden childhood begin to joyously flood my mind. If you let go and unplug, sometimes the music finds you.
Where are you? Right now, right this very second. Maybe you’re in the UGLi, procrastinating finishing that paper due at midnight. Perhaps you live in a quaint cottage in Iowa and you’re reading this next to your roaring fireplace because of your keen, if a little misplaced, interest in the happenings here at the University. Or maybe you’re my mom, reading this because I know you stalk me day and night. (Hi, mom.) Forget all that. That’s not what you’re doing. At this exact moment in time, you are on a rock hurtling through space and revolving around an extremely hot ball of gas at a speed of approximately 18.5 miles per second. (For those of you who struggle with numbers like myself, that’s really fast.) There are thousands of planets circling their own suns, many of which might sustain life, and some of which think they are the only sentient beings in an ever-expanding universe. Who knows, maybe somewhere out there an exact duplicate of Earth is f loating around, except Justin Bieber is the one roasting Martha Stewart. In the grand scheme of things, human life serves remarkably little purpose aside from living out a set number of years on a tiny speck in the universe. The Sun doesn’t give a shit that you failed your Econ midterm or that you finally kissed that boy in your Wednesday discussion. (This is supposed to be a lot more comforting than it sounds, I promise.) To counteract and mask all this morbidity, humans created time. If we set goals that exist within certain timeframes, our short stories on Earth seem slightly more accomplished and if people remember you then, whoa, now you’ve really made it big. (Yes, I’m bringing this back around to music, just give me a moment.) My point is, we are allotted x number of days to live on
4AD
Neil DeGrasse Tyson Presents: Music.
this lovely planet and how we choose to spend them is entirely up to ourselves. Yes, some classes can feel like they last an eternity, while other moments pass in the blink of an eye. And in a world so full of deadlines and alarms it’s crucial for your sanity to step back and take those three minutes to listen to that song that makes you feel like time has stopped. You know the songs that I’m talking about — the ones that make moments slow down and worries seem insignificant. It’s not necessarily your favorite song, or even a good one, but it’s the one that sticks with you long after it has stopped playing.
“All these banalities suddenly turn into pearls.” It could just be a line or a lyric, or even just a quick guitar riff that resonates with something inside you, but for that one instant it’s just you and that song. Forget those millions of people bustling about in their own lives — these three minutes are yours. I have a few songs of my own, one of them being Jimi
Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower,” and I save it for those times when everything needs to stop, just for a moment. (Don’t ask me why Jimi Hendrix, because I still don’t know.) Similarly, I was crying the first time I listened to “Landfill” by Daughter, and, while it is an odd song, I’ll never forget how much it meant to me when I was 14. It’s during these times that I realize how much the world needs music. Movies and television shows are both valiant forms of entertainment that definitely have merit, but it’s music that drives this media forward. A movie without a soundtrack falls short, because removing its sound removes its soul and leaves the viewer with little emotional attachment to what they just watched. The swelling of violins, steady drums or electronic beats all play an important role in dictating how the audience should feel and allows these larger-than-life moments to linger, even after you’ve left the theater or switched off the television. Mark Ruffalo’s character speaks a line in the movie “Begin Again” that encompasses what I’ve been trying to say in a much shorter word count: “That’s what I love about music. All these banalities suddenly turn into beautiful pearls.” We aren’t given very long on this Earth, but with the right music, any time can feel like a lifetime.
STYLE REVIEW
Fashion comes to focus at Dance Mix By MARA MACLEAN Daily Arts Writer
Dance performances, which showcased a diverse set of talent across several University dance groups, wowed the crowd on Friday, April 10 at the Michigan Theater. Some captured the crowd’s attention with glow sticks or breakdancing, and others commanded the stage with their tap soles and pirouettes. Almost as captivating as the graceful and powerful movements were the strategic costume choices. Many dance groups form costume committees to discuss a certain look for a performance. Some groups will brainstorm ideas and then allow the dancers to choose a comfortable option that fits within their theme. Other committee heads will choose identical costumes for each member. Some clothing choices were simple and nondescript, allowing the dance to carry the show forward. Salto, a ballet and lyrical group, wore basic black leotards and long skirts to accentuate their classical, streamlined movements. Others, like Michigan Izzat, chose outfits that played along with their storytelling dance. The men wore sequined sailor outfits for their “Pearl Harbor” performance, tying in their themes of adventure and brotherhood. And, of course, there were
groups who just looked effortlessly cool. Contemporary company, Impact Dance, and modern group, Cadence, leaned toward simple, black attire that allowed for easy movement. In turn, the audience focused on their technical movements, which were highlighted against stark backgrounds. The clothing allowed their f lowing and gravitational movements to seem all the more angular and expressive in Impact’s performance to Beyoncé’s “Haunted” and Cadence’s dance to “Wait” by M83. The Michigan Bhangra Team performs traditional dances from the state of Punjab, India to preserve the core values of their culture. The members were outfitted in bright colors with beautiful embellishments, typical of Punjabi attire. The team wore traditional muteyaar, which LSA junior and member Howie Magaro said is essential for the traditional folk dance. “I think the costume contributes a lot to the whole presentation. It’s very colorful and it brings a pop to the performance,” he said. FunKtion, the first all-male, multicultural hip-hop dance group on campus, brought the cool to Dance Mix with smooth moves, hilarious stage presences and f lawless costumes. The boys sported
mock varsity jackets and khakis for their first performance and later rolled out in custom boiler suits. The looks begged for the comparison to the T-Birds from “Grease.” EnCore, a co-ed hiphop group, gave a strong performance to go along with their “Career Day” set. Each dancer wore some variation of children’s clothing: overalls, denim or primary colors. Engineering freshman and member Allison Goss said the denim and primary colors allowed them to look youthful but still could transition into some of the sexier routines. The movements f low from what the dancers put on their bodies. “If you’re comfortable in a costume, you dance better,” Goss said. “If we don’t feel the movement while we are wearing our costumes, it won’t portray well with the audience.” The routines at Dance Mix were inspirational and entertaining and endless hours of practice and physical strength were needed to pull off such an excellent show. However, the costumes cannot be forgotten as an essential part to any performance. Clothing allows free movement so every dance move is enhanced — every grand jeté more graceful and every crump more powerful.
Sports
8 — Tuesday, April 14, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SOFTBALL
Keeping up no easy task for Wolverines, Big Ten By TED JANES
Daily Sports Writer
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Keith Lehmann will be back on the hill this week for the first time since March 15.
Michigan heads into two midweek games By BEN FIDELMAN Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan baseball team will head into a pair of midweek games against in-state rivals on Tuesday and Wednesday, looking to stay perfect in such games Michigan vs. this season. Tuesday, Michigan St. the Wolverines Matchup: head to Detroit Michigan to take on 21-14; Michigan Michigan State State 18-15 at Comerica When: Tuesday Park, and they 6:35 P.M. return home Where: Wednesday to Comerica Park face Eastern Michigan. Michigan (6-6 Big Ten, 21-14 overall) has caught fire lately, winning nine of its last 11 games. The Wolverines are looking to use these midweek matchups to work some injured players back to full strength in preparation for a postseason run. Two of those players, junior pitchers Evan Hill and Keith Lehmann, were big contributors to last year’s weekend pitching rotation. Hill is returning from a knee injury, and though he has thrown just 5.1 innings this season, he seems to be in mid-season form, allowing only one earned run to cross the plate. His last outing lasted two innings, so the team is looking for the junior to extend himself to the middle innings against the Spartans (4-5 Big Ten, 18-15 overall) on Tuesday. Hill’s only outing against Michigan State came during his freshman campaign, when he threw eight strong innings, allowing one run in a 5-1 victory. Currently, Michigan State is playing some of its best baseball, having won six of its last eight games. The Spartans currently sit in eighth place in the conference standings — two spots behind Michigan. The right-handed Lehmann hasn’t pitched since facing
Kansas on March 15, missing time due to a forearm strain. He and Hill were two mainstays in the Michigan starting pitching rotation in 2014, and they will have a chance to contribute in big ways as the team looks to improve on its 3.67 earned-run average — just seventh-best in the conference. Lehmann will lead the Wolverines against the Eagles (4-8 MAC, 13-22 overall) as the two teams face off for the second time in the last eight days. Last Tuesday, the Wolverines poured 18 runs on Eastern Michigan, the second-most the team has scored in a game this season. Michigan has only one more week this season featuring two midweek games, but coach Erik Bakich doesn’t mind the weekday games much. “Ideally we would just play one (midweek game), that way we could have another day of practice,” Bakich said. “(It’s especially big) during the academic year when our guys are juggling school. But to be honest, whether we’re playing four or five games per week is of little impact.” Usually the opponents for these games come from midmajor conferences, like the MAC or Horizon League, but this week the Wolverines face a fellow Big Ten member in Michigan State. Since the two teams weren’t scheduled to play in conference games for consecutive seasons, they scheduled a neutral-site matchup to give fans a taste of the rivalry. Bakich stresses that his team’s goals are all about getting better during these midweek games, no matter the opponent. Improving its conference-best .299 team batting average could prove difficult for Michigan no matter the opponent, but keeping the positive momentum rolling through another few midweek games will be key for this squad in its march for the Big Ten crown.
There are many reasons high school softball players wouldn’t want to come play in the Big Ten. Historically, the Pac-12 is and always has been the conference to beat. Twenty-four of the 33 Women’s College World Series titles belong to teams from the Pac-12, and six more belong to other teams west of the Mississippi River. Recently, Southern schools have made a strong surge. Since 2007, eight teams from the SEC have competed in the national championship, and last year’s battle was a Southeastern showdown between Alabama and Florida. This year, with LSU, Oregon and Florida holding the top three spots, many would favor the Pac-12 or SEC to come out on top again. For nearly the entire Big Ten conference, playing at home isn’t a legitimate option until mid- to late March. Big Ten teams on average competed in 28.47 games before their first home contest. While traveling out of the cold weather to start the season is enticing, the strenuous weekly trips across the country become exhaustive. When looking at the top teams from the SEC, travel is not a problem. No. 1 LSU played 20 of its first 25 games this season at home, and No. 3 Florida never left the Sunshine State for its first 27 games. Finally, the top 25 rankings for college softball currently contain nine teams from the SEC and six from the Pac-12, but just two from the Big Ten. Yet somehow, among all the
difficulties and issues Big Ten softball teams face, those two teams, No. 4 Michigan and No. 19 Minnesota, manage to keep up with the rest of the country. For the Big Ten to stay relevant, it’s important for these teams to face highly ranked opponents early in the season before the conference schedule starts. Through the preseason, the Wolverines matched up with five different top-25 teams. In conference play, they face only one. “People will sometimes forget about the Big Ten teams because we are so far away,” said junior infielder Sierra Romero, who was raised in southern California. “During preseason, we go and play in places like California to go out and get wins against big teams.” Despite the high level of competition out west, Romero left home to join Michigan in the Big Ten. Along with Romero, three other consistent starters come from California. In fact, out of the 10 Wolverines that have appeared in at least 20 games, only one comes from the state of Michigan, and just three come from the Midwest. Michigan’s core talent is largely based around players from other parts of the country. Junior outfielder Sierra Lawrence and sophomore righthanded pitcher Megan Betsa both came to Michigan from Georgia. Growing up in SEC
country, Betsa was still drawn up north to Michigan. However, she acknowledged the strength of Southern teams as a whole. “They all have very strong lineups one through nine,” Betsa said. “For pitching there aren’t any holes, and the number nine batter is just as strong as the two and three batters.” Even though the Big Ten doesn’t have the same depth as high-caliber teams, Michigan coach Carol Hutchins has succeeded in building a program that stays in line with the rest of the country. Her coaching style and habits are factors all her players mention when discussing why they chose to attend Michigan over other powerhouse schools around the country. “Personally, I felt that (Hutchins) genuinely cares about all her players,” said junior outfielder Kelsey Susalla. “She cares not just about our athletic ability, but about our character and academics as well.” Added sophomore infielder Abby Ramirez: “What I think was the most attractive thing here was the tradition. The team and the coaching staff was a big part of decision. She wants what’s best for you as a person.” Growing up in East Lansing, playing basketball and softball for Michigan State and working as an assistant coach at Indiana meant the Big Ten has always been home for Hutchins.
“I’ve been in the Big Ten my whole life.”
BY THE NUMBERS Softball in the Big Ten
28.47
Average games away from home before the first home game for Big Ten teams
9
SEC teams in this week’s coaches’ top 25 poll
2
Big Ten teams in this week’s poll (Michigan and Minnesota)
6
Players on Michigan’s roster from the state of California “You know, I’ve been in the Big Ten my whole life,” Hutchins said. “I think what I love most about the conference, at least from the softball view of it, is the amount of respect we have team for team, coach for coach, and even the new coaches that come in. We have huge amounts of respect for the game and for the institutions in the conference. “We all really believe in playing with integrity, we all support each other in our conference endeavors, we support each other to win outside the conference, and we stick together.” The Big Ten doesn’t have a reputation for softball prestige, and it doesn’t have a history of winning championships. But the one title it does have belongs to Michigan, and year after year, Michigan continues to fight for it, despite the impossible odds they face in the frigid Midwest.
Kyle Connor: ‘A player to watch’ By JASON RUBINSTEIN Daily Sports Editor
The Michigan hockey team may have taken a spear to the heart when its captain, Andrew Copp, decided to forgo his senior season and join the Winnipeg Jets. But there is a silver lining. Copp’s absence in the lineup will provide opportunities for others to fill his production — he tallied 31 points this past season. Look no further than bluechip recruit Kyle Connor. The Shelby Township, Michigan native has torn up the United States Hockey League the past three years — registering 195 points in three seasons with the Youngstown Phantoms — and that has Michigan coach Red Berenson excited. “Kyle Connor, he’ll be a player to watch,” Berenson said. “Right now, he’ll be the main recruit to watch.” More notably, Berenson wouldn’t rule out Connor having a similar freshman season to that of Dylan Larkin, who was just named a secondteam All American and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He notched 47 points in his sensational freshman campaign. “Maybe he could,” Berenson said of Connor’s chances of emulating Larkin. “He’s that type of player.” That could be premature. But if Connor’s USHL stats are any indication, he has the tools to become an impact player for the Wolverines. Connor just put an exclamation point on his final season with the Phantoms, scoring his 33rd and 34th goals in his final game. His 80 points are already a personal record and lead the USHL this year. More impressively, his 195 points in three seasons are the sixth-most in USHL history, and he still has playoff games to raise his total. Clearly, the USHL is becoming too easy for Connor and he needs more of a challenge. He’ll be joining a Michigan team that has failed to make the NCAA Tournament for three straight
COURTESY OF THE YOUNGSTOWN PHANTOMS
Michigan commit Kyle Connor has totaled 195 points in three seasons in the USHL and will join Michigan in the fall.
seasons after qualifying for the post season 22 straight years before. But that doesn’t faze Connor. “I think that is something I’m definitely coming in to do, trying to get them back in the right direction,” Connor said. “I think I can step in right away and go out there and try to compete and help us get back to the tournament.” Back in November, Phantoms coach Anthony Noreen gushed about his star. He told the Daily that Connor has an “NHL release on his shot,” possesses “an elite skill level” and is a “student of the game.” Though it’s bittersweet for Noreen to lose Connor, he knows Connor will be in good hands with the legendary Berenson. And Connor is also excited to play for Berenson, who will be in his 32nd season behind Michigan’s bench when Connor first takes the ice in a winged helmet. “Red Berenson, his pedigree and resume speaks for itself,” Connor said. “He is such a great
guy, and it’s going to be fun playing for him next year. I’m really looking forward to it.” Connor grew up a Michigan fan, and he has watched Wolverine hockey games for most of his life. And when he joins the squad this fall, he’ll know a face or two. Connor grew up playing travel hockey for Belle Tire alongside freshman forward Dylan Larkin and freshman defenseman Zach Werenski. The trio won a national championship together, and Connor sees no reason why they can’t do the same thing in Ann Arbor. Larkin still hasn’t announced his return to the program for next season, as he could potentially leave to join the Detroit Red Wings organization. “I’m still just trying to figure it out,” Larkin told the Daily on Monday. “It’s straight down the middle. Every day it changes and things come into play. I don’t really know yet.” Connor and Larkin played on the same line for Belle Tire.
“Right now, he’ll be the main recruit to watch.”
The two had success there, and Connor would love to rejoin his old linemate while in a Michigan sweater. “We clicked right away, and we’ve been good friends,” Connor said. “We played roller hockey way back in the day. It would be pretty fun playing with him.” Added Larkin: “He’s a dynamic player who finds a way to score at every level he has played at. I’m hoping he can come in and have an impact. Speaking as a freshman, you never want the pressure on you, but I think he will handle that well. He’s a mature kid. We’re excited to have him. I have talked to him a little bit, and it would be fun to play with him.” Even if Larkin isn’t at Michigan next season, Connor will still be excited to don the block ‘M.’ An expected firstround pick in this year’s NHL Draft, Connor said no NHL team could convince him to join its organization. The same can be said for Saginaw Spirit, who own his Ontario Hockey League rights. “That’s where I want to play,” Connor said of Michigan. “I want to play at Michigan, and I’ve wanted to play there for a long time.”