ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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DESIGN BY OLIVIA STILLMAN
Administration responds to racist, anti-Semitic rhetoric on campus
Despite action, students see ‘U’ responses as inadequate in many situations JENNIFER MEER Daily Staff Reporter
In the past two years, the University of Michigan has seen several acts of hate targeted at people of color and minority groups across campus. In September 2016, flyers advocating white supremacy were found on campus posting walls. In February, engineering students received racist and antiSemitic emails from hacked email
accounts. This September, the Rock, a campus landmark, was found graffitied with anti-Latino and pro-Trump expressions. In October, racist slurs were found on the residence hall doors of three Black students in West Quad Residence Hall. In the aftermath of these incidents, campus communities have not stood idly by. Hundreds of students have rallied against racist flyering, graffiti and a variety of other attacks. In late September, Rackham student Dana Greene knelt in the Diag for 21 hours to protest racism on
campus and across the country; dozens of other students joined the peaceful protest. The University administration has taken steps to respond to acts of hate and its historically low minority enrollment. In October 2016, the University launched its five-year Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategic plan, which aims to foster a diverse and inclusive campus, while also supporting inclusive scholarship and teaching. Diversity has been especially difficult in the University, since practicing affirmative action has been
banned in the state since 2014 despite the University’s attempts to appeal the vote. When the plan was implemented, then-Provost Martha Pollack, who is now the president of Cornell University, said the recent racist incidents only emphasized the need for the plan. “It’s only human to respond with anger and sometimes with fear, emotions that have been felt deeply on this campus,” she said. “I share the grief and outrage felt by our students, faculty and staff. We must cling to the vision of
what the world must be … and that is what the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan is all about.” However, also pertinent to DEI, the University ranked last in terms of socioeconomic mobility and diversity among top public universities. According to a report by the Equality of Opportunity Project, which was highlighted by The Upshot — a data analytics section of the New York Times— 66 percent of students come from the top 20 percent of the income distribution and students have the highest median family income of 27 “highly selective” public colleges. The DEI plan has been criticized for failing to foster a diverse environment and for failing to put a stop to racist incidents. After the racist emails were sent out in February, students protested outside University President Mark Schlissel’s house calling for “action, not emails,” referencing the University’s digital statement, which showed its support for those attacked, but no further action. “Schissel WYA” is a common rally of for University students, criticizing University President Mark Schlissel’s response to the incidents. In mid-September, students gathered in front of the president’s home and posted flyers on his door. Schlissel was at a family event during this time. Postdoctoral fellow Austin McCoy was not surprised by the University’s response. “From the administration, I anticipate them sending out probably an email and saying that they condemn the acts and then that they’re investigating, but other than that, I don’t know what else the administration plans to do,” he said in February. However, such incidences and responses are not unique to the University of Michigan campus. Post-election, campus climate and rallying students have been points of debate across the country. Conservative criticism refers to liberal students as too sensitive
and ignorant of free speech — worried for conservative students and their lack of voice on more Democratic campuses. The University of Chicago even shut down the concept of “safe spaces” — sparking what some call a clear rebuke of political correctness. Liberal students, however, hope to protest the turn of the administration along with the fear of rhetoric that they deem bigotry and do not wish to give such thought a platform. This article is part one of a series in which The Michigan Daily looks at colleges similar to the University of Michigan on the issue of reacting in a tense campus climate. As the University administration and students face their own numerous bias incidents, The Daily will look at other schools to compare and contrast in incidents, administration response and student activism, whether it is a difference in religion, culture, politics or policies. Cornell University Juliana Rosana Montejo graduated from Cornell University in May 2017. Montejo is Guatemalan and came from a predominantly white high school. She said when she entered the university in 2013, she wasn’t really aware of incidents on campus. “Long story short, every semester there has been something,” she said. Cornell University, located in Ithaca, N.Y. — a blue state — ranks similarly to the University of Michigan in terms of the Upshot’s SES status — albeit in the private school category among other Ivy Leagues. Out of 14,907 undergraduate students, Cornell has 6,462 students of color — 43.34 percent. In the graduate program, it is 17.94 percent. Cornell also uses affirmative action in admission. In fall 2013, a campus organization that promotes Cornell sporting events attempted to increase support for an See ADMINISTRATION, Page 2
Community members discuss concern Budget ‘U’ denies 2 increases over new A Amtrak station location knowledge
ACADEMICS
CAMPUS LIFE
discussed at SACUA
Public comment set to close Thursday, debate over Depot, Fuller continues
Assembly also carries on discussion of racial tensions in classroom
On a Sunday afternoon in October, about 15 Ann Arbor residents gathered at the parking lot in Fuller Park. Bracing the cold wind, the group listened in as members voiced their concerns over the potential relocation of Ann Arbor’s railroad station from the current location on Depot Street to Fuller Park. The meeting was hosted by Protect A2 Parks, an environmental advocacy group, as part of its All Aboard On Depot Street initiative and included a tour of the Fuller and Depot locations ahead of public commentary on the subject closing Nov. 2. Ann Arbor resident Gwen Nystuen, who formerly served in the Park Advisory and Planning commissions, said Depot Street is a better spot for residents because of its proximity to Ann Arbor’s population centers and since it already has the buses it needs to take travelers elsewhere in the city. “It’s a better location for most of the city population,” Nystuen said. “There are already the things you need around the station, such as two restaurants … and it’s a much shorter to the downtown area.” The city released a draft environmental assessment report in September detailing options for the new Amtrak station. The report names the southern portion of Fuller Park, near the University of Michigan
ALEX COTT
Daily Staff Reporter
The Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs convened Monday afternoon to discuss increasing the body’s budget, standardizing the training protocols for the University Faculty Ombuds — a body of University of Michigan officials who handle cases of grievances among faculty members — and incorporating the topic of campus racial tensions into classroom discussion. SACUA Chair Robert Ortega, an associate professor of social work, discussed the results of their private meetings with President Mark Schlissel and Provost Martin Philbert, executive vice president for academic affairs, last week. Following these meetings, SACUA requested an increased budget to cover the expenses of digital innovations aiming to educate new Senate Assembly members on the inner workings of SACUA. “We had thought about doing a number of public service See SACUA, Page 3
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ISHI MORI
Daily Staff Reporter
Hospital, as the preferred spot for a new train station and expanded parking facilities. The station is slated to cost $86 million, after an accounting error of $5 million was discovered two weeks ago by Ann Arbor resident Rita Mitchell, a member of Protect A2 Parks. This is not the first time Fuller Park has been named as a candidate for a new train station. In 2010, the Ann Arbor Planning
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Commission approved building a five-level, 977-space parking structure, with a train station to follow. The plan was put on hold due to lack of funds, and the University built a structure on Wall Street instead. The parking lot that is set to be converted into a parking structure for the station has been rented out by the University from the city for $45,000 a year since 1993, according to Jim Kosteva,
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director of community relations for the University. Protect A2 Parks members said though the lease was only supposed to last 15 years, the University has been continually renewing the contract. Mitchell pointed out how the hospital’s employees’ cars are parked in the lot after 5 p.m. every day, though after that time the lot is reserved for city residents. “There’s a perception that the See AMTRAK, Page 3
COURTESY OF RITA MITCHELL
INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 20 ©2017 The Michigan Daily
of Spencer speaking
Rumors originated from tweet claim the white supremacist will visit KAELA THEUT
Daily Staff Reporter
Despite online speculation, the University of Michigan has confirmed there were no attempts made by Richard Spencer, or anyone representing him, to book a speaking facility at the University this past weekend. Spencer, a prominent white supremacist, heads the National Policy Institute, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has deemed a hate group. Though he has attempted to speak about his beliefs on college campuses across the country, several university administrators, at the University of Florida, Texas A&M University and Michigan State University, have barred him from speaking due to safety concerns. On Oct. 27, Michigan attorney Kyle Bristow, an alum of Michigan State University and former president of conservative Young Americans for Freedom, tweeted: “This evening @CameronVPadgett requested to rent a room at @UMich for @RichardBSpencerto speak. Your move, @DrMarkSchlissel.” However, in an email statement, University spokesman Rick See CLAIMS, Page 3
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6
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News
2 — Tuesday , October 31, 2017
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ON THE DAILY: CARDI B RECEIVES SPIRIT OF DETROIT AWARD When rapper Belcalis Almanzar, known by her stage name “Cardi B,” performed at Detroit’s Masonic Temple on Friday, audience members didn’t expect her to be awarded for her outstanding service to her city the next morning. “I feel very special and blessed. … Thank you CITY OF DETROIT for giving me THE SPIRIT OF DETROIT AWARD,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “Thank you Hot 107.5 radio station for making it happen.” The award, which is given out by Detroit City Council, is described on the city’s website as a way to honor outstanding achievement or service to the citizens of Detroit. While previous recipients such as Xscape, Dru Hill and Bow Wow prove the award does not have to go to a Detroit native, some people are questioning just how much of an impact Cardi B, who is a native of the Bronx, has on the city of Detroit. Kash Doll, a Detroit-born hiphop artist and previous award recipient, showed her disapproval of
the situation in a tweet. “I already got one, it’s just weird nothing against her I just thought u had to put work in the city to get it like other artist (sic) in Detroit,” she tweeted. Kamal Smith, a producer at Hot 107.5, told the Free Press while the station did present her with the award, he didn’t know who nominated her or which city council member approved the nomination. He did say, though, he was excited for the rapper. “(Cardi B) is doing a lot for the city that the public may not know,” he said. Smith said the rapper is helping schools and making other positive change in the city, not for public credit, but out of the goodness of her heart. His radio show, “Morning Heat,” talked to listeners about their thoughts on the matter, finding mixed reviews from the rest of the city, too. Detroit’s city council has not put out an official comment
yet, but Councilwoman Mary Sheffield, D-Ward 5, posted a public Facebook announcement denying responsibility for the award. “Hey Detroit, My office did NOT present Cardi B with a Spirit of Detroit Award last night at the masonic temple,” Sheffield wrote.
“This is no disrespect to her, I just want to be clear. Every artist that I have given an award to has worked with me personally to uplift and empower our youth in the city of Detroit.”
International Studies Horror Film Fest
WHAT: North Quad Dining Hall will have candy available at the dessert station all day. WHO: Michigan Dining WHEN: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: North Quad Residence Hall
WHAT: The Annual International Studies Horror Film Fest will be going on all day at the Shapiro Undergraduate Library. Stop by for four different movies from four different countries. WHO: University Library WHEN: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. WHERE: Shapiro Library, Room 2160
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WHAT: Come to this mass meeting to learn how to get involved in Global Brigades, a nonprofit international development group hoping to fix economic and global health disparities. WHO: Maize Pages Student Organizations WHEN: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union, Pond Room
WHAT: The English Department as they spend the evening telling scary stories. WHO: Department of English Language and Literature WHEN: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Angell Hall, Room 3222
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Psychology professor James S. Jackson received the inagural Distinguished Diveristy Scholar Career Award Monday. He spoke on the history of affirmative action and higher education in the United States.
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Trick or Treat at North Quad Dining Hall
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Bioscience Talk WHAT: Bruce Dore from the University of Pennslyvania will be giving a talk on how the cognitive control of emotion is a choice, tool and way of social exchange. WHO: Department of Psychology WHEN: 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. WHERE: East Hall, Room 4464
Guest Recital: Nicholas DiEugenio, violin, and Mimi Solomon, piano WHAT: Join DiEugenio and Solomon as they explore the “musical fabrics” of Beethoven’s sonatas. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: 8 p.m. WHERE: Walgreen Drama Center
Behind the Scenes: LIVE Tour of Under Armour HQ WHAT: Join the Career Center for a YouTube Live tour of Under Armour’s campus and a live chat with current employees. RSVP to the Career Center to have the YouTube link sent to you. WHO: University Career Center WHEN: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: Online seminar
Haunted Bell Tower WHAT: This Halloween festival will feature prizes, a DJ and the scariest monsters on campus. WHO: Center for Campus Involvement WHEN: 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. WHERE: North Campus Grove
“I can’t even consider having a second child on my salary”-#umich #flint lecturer
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explained Cornell is known to anonymous, told the Sun he be a liberal school; subsequently, confronted four or five white there is a claim that conservative men who were shouting racist ideas are oppressed on campus. slurs at him; they then proceeded upcoming football game by “The conversation wasn’t to beat him. 420 Maynard St. creating a “Cinco de Octubre” automatically, ‘What can we do In Michigan, during one of Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com event, which incorporated racist for people of color?’” she said. “A the protests after the racist caricature depictions of Mexican lot of it became, ‘Look at these vandalism, an individual was Americans. Montejo said there poor conservative students who punched by a white man who EMMA KINERY NATHAN GUPTA Editor in Chief Business Manager was a prize given to whoever aren’t able to speak their minds.’” also called them racial slurs. 734-418-4115 ext. 1251 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 dressed up as the “best Mexican.” She said at the end of 2016 Black Students United at kineryem@michigandaily.com nathankg@michigandaily.com Since then, Montejo said, there and in early 2017, there were two Cornell released a statement have been a variety of incidents resolutions brought before the saying the perpetrators were that have primarily targeted student assembly to create task members of the Psi Upsilon Black people and people of color forces to investigate why there fraternity, which already had its NEWS TIPS ARTS SECTION PHOTOGRAPHY SECTION generally. She said she met many are so many liberal professors recognition revoked on campus. news@michigandaily.com arts@michigandaily.com photo@michigandaily.com people involved with activism at at the school. There have also The building is to be remade into LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SPORTS SECTION NEWSROOM Cornell and in her senior year, been calls for the university to a multicultural center. tothedaily@michigandaily.com sports@michigandaily.com 734-418-4115 opt. 3 she served as vice president of do more to protect conservative Pollack, now Cornell’s EDITORIAL PAGE ADVERTISING CORRECTIONS diversity and inclusion on the speakers who come to campus. president, released a statement opinion@michigandaily.com dailydisplay@gmail.com corrections@michigandaily.com Cornell Student Assembly. She said there have been more in response to the incident — and “A big part of why I started visibly proactive actions to help others preceding it — citing steps getting more involved was conservative students. the administration will take that there had just been a lot of Montejo also said that whereas to create a more equitable and things building up, and I think prior to the election, there inclusive campus. Among them AMELIA CACCHIONE and EMMA RICHTER we were kind of at a culmination seemed to be one or two major was a promise to take disciplinary Managing Photo Editors photo@michigandaily.com of, ‘Oh there were some of these acts of hate every semester, there action against the perpetrators of In Senior Photo Editors: Zoey Holmstrom, Evan Aaron, Alexis Rankin, REBECCA LERNER undertones there already,’ and is now something happening all the aforementioned attack and a an Zach Moore Managing Editor rebler@michigandaily.com Assistant Photo Editors: Claire Meingast, Katelyn Mulcahy, Aaron now it’s kind of coming to a point the time. commitment to not reinstating Baker, Sam Mousigian, Kevin Zheng where it’s kind of exacerbated,” Last month, a Cornell student the fraternity. ALEXA ST.JOHN LARA MOEHLMAN Managing News Editor alexastj@michigandaily.com she said. was arrested by Ithaca police for “I will not tell you ‘this is not Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com Senior News Editors: Riyah Basha, Tim Cohn, Lydia Murray, Montejo also said such hateful a hate crime, according to the who we are,’ as the events of Deputy Statement Editor: Brian Kuang, Yoshiko Iwai Sudoku Syndication http://www.sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ Nisa Khan, Sophie Sherry incidents became more prevalent The Cornell Daily Sun. A Black the past few weeks belie that. Assistant News Editors: Jordyn Baker, Colin Beresford, Rhea after the 2016 election. She student, who asked to remain But it is absolutely not who we Cheeti, Maya Goldman, Matt Harmon, Andrew Hiyama, Jen ELIZABETH DOKAS and TAYLOR GRANDINETTI Meer, Ishi Mori, Carly Ryan, Kaela Theut want to be,” the statement read. Managing Copy Editors copydesk@michigandaily.com “The leadership team and I ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY and REBECCA TARNOPOL Senior Copy Editors: Marisa Frey, Ibrahim Rasheed Editorial Page Editors opinioneditors@michigandaily.com have been working throughout the weekend, and we will DYLAN LAWTON and BOB LESSER Senior Opinion Editors: Anu Roy-Chaudhury, Ashley Zhang, continue to do so, to develop Managing Online Editor lesserrc@michigandaily.com Max Lubell, Madeline Nowicki, Stephanie Trierweiler EASY Senior Web Developers: Erik Forkin, Jordan Wolff and implement steps to be a MI BETELHEM ASHAME and KEVIN SANTO more equitable, inclusive and ABE LOFY Managing Sports Editors sportseditors@michigandaily.com welcoming university.” Managing Video Editor video@michigandaily.com Senior Sports Editors: Laney Byler, Mike Persak, Orion Sang, Senior Video Editors: Gilly Yerrington, Matt Nolan, Aarthi Meanwhile, Black Students Max Marcovich, Ethan Wolfe, Chris Crowder Janakiraman, Emily Wolfe United declared a “state of Assistant Sports Editors: Rob Hefter, Avi Sholkoff, Matthew Kennedy, Paige Voeffray, Mark Calcagno, Jacob Shames emergency for black students” JASON ROWLAND and ASHLEY TJHUNG Michigan in Color Editors michiganincolor@michigandaily.com in response to the incident. The ANAY KATYAL and NATALIE ZAK Senior Michigan in Color Editors: Christian Paneda, Adam group blamed the university for Managing Arts Editors arts@michigandaily.com Brodnax, Halibut Olaniyan, Tanya Madhani, Sivanthy Vasanthan creating the Campus Code of Senior Arts Editors: Dayton Hare, Nabeel Chollanpat, Conduct, which protects white Madeline Gaudin, Carly Snider Arts Beat Editors: Danielle Yacobson, Danny Hensel, Erika supremacists’ hate speech. They ELLIE HOMANT Shevchek, Matt Gallatin, Naresh Iyengar Managing Social Media Editor recognized it would be difficult Senior Social Media Editors: Kayla Waterman and Anna Haritos to change the policy but felt it MICHELLE PHILLIPS and AVA WEINER would be possible with help Managing Design Editors design@michigandaily.comeffort to increase awareness from the greater university of opportunities within the community. CAYLIN WATERS In mid-September 2016, Black Brand Manager EMILY RICHNER Students United handed a list of CLAIRE BUTZ Sales Manager demands to Pollack, including Business Development Manager JUEUI HONG racial sensitivity training for all JULIA SELSKY Special Projects Manager Local Accounts Manager employees and a space for Black CAROLINE GOLD students on campus. SANJANA PANDIT Media Consulting Manager Production Manager Prior to creating an official list, Black Students United © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the BOOOOOO! puzzle by sudokusyndication.com members met with Dean of University OF Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office
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ADMINISTRATION From Page 2 Students Vijay Pendakur right after the assault. They were frustrated Pollack did not reach out to them until three days after the assault; they were also frustrated that many of the ideas they brought up in their meeting with Pendakur were presented in Pollack’s letter, without recognition. Anti-Semitic posters have also been seen on Cornell’s campus and Pollack has denounced these incidents as well. Looking at responses to acts of hate on Cornell’s campus overall, Montejo said there appears to be a lot of support. “In terms of climate change I think to your face it seems like there’s a lot of support,” she said. “But behind the scenes, there’s a lot of weird antagonism that’s going on.” Beth Garrett, Cornell’s thirteenth president, passed away after a battle with colon cancer in March 2016. However, according to Montejo, when Garrett came into office she hired Ryan Lombardi, vice president for student and campus life. According to Montejo, Lombardi re-envisioned the Office of the Dean of Students and the dean of students position as one that would be very focused on diversity and inclusion issues. Additionally, she said Cornell has used polls to gauge how students feel about diversity and inclusion issues — the University has also had campus climate polls — and has always addressed campus climate even without major incidents occurring. Cornell has diversity officers through its Diversity and Inclusion initiative to better promote a welcoming and inclusive campus, as well as a bias reporting program. Montejo explained the administration always sends out statements to the campus community in response. Montejo noted Ivy League schools are definitely targeted. In November 2015, for example, hundreds of members of the Yale University community marched in support of minority students who felt they were not fully included on campus. According to The Washington Post, protesters rallied in support of women of color, faculty of color and ethnic studies; one person carried a sign that read: “Your move Yale.” The theory that prominent, progressive schools are being targeted has floated around before — especially with Washtenaw as a blue county in a newly turned red state. In an earlier interview with The Daily, Schlissel said there might not be
SACUA From Page 1 announcements ... through some kind of a web-based video educating people,” Ortega said. “We told the provost that these will be expensive, so we wanted to put these requests into an increase in our budget.” SACUA member Neil Marsh, a professor of chemistry, also raised his concern about incorporating increased communication between those on faculty governance bodies and other faculty members into the new budget. “Doing communications effectively requires somebody whose job it is to do that in terms of putting out newsletters or bulletins or organizing informational sessions,” Marsh said. According to Senate Assembly member Sami Malek, an associate professor of internal medicine, Schlissel agreed to stronger representation of the whole University faculty through these communication efforts. “We need to gain further interest and legitimacy in representing the core faculty,” Malek said. “(Schlissel) fully agreed with that … in order to make that point, we need to reach more of the faculty.” However, Malek’s meeting with Philbert proved SACUA needed to take budget funding into its own hands and raise funds itself by connecting with development. “Development are these
a way to mitigate the target on the University’s back. “I think that part of being a prominent university, taking clear positions on things, having large numbers of very successful graduates out there in the world, being on TV all the time, being in the media all the time means that what happens here gets noticed,” he said. “That’s the sort of other side of this double-edged sword of being famous and prominent. … It’s because of our prominence that provocateurs realize they can use us as a platform that the national media will pay attention to, to spread their terrible, thoughtless, degrading, awful ideas. They’re using us.” Montejo said she believes Cornell is generally diverse. According to Cornell’s Composition Dashboard from fall 2016, 39.5 percent of undergraduates were white, while 42.3 percent were from minority groups. Despite that, she said groups that have disproportionate power on campus include those that are white, including the Interfraternity Council. “I felt really compelled and pushed to join a Panhellenic sorority, and while I had a great experience there, it did kind of feel like there was a disproportionate amount of influence of power in that structure because of its whiteness,” she said. Though the administration has taken a lot of positive steps, Montejo said there are gaps that need to be filled. She said she feels there is a lot of movement on reactive measures but not nearly as much around proactive members. In an email response, Cornell’s Media Relations Office pointed The Daily to several of its official statements. University of California at Berkeley Some say Berkeley has been the poster child of college campus activism this year — the pushback against controversial speakers has been widely documented in the media. Notably, while activism has escalated to violence, much of it has occurred in the campus vicinity, not specifically at the university. Billy Curtis is the director of the Gender Equity Resource Center at University of California at Berkeley. Strictly in terms of reports, Curtis said, there has been an uptick, but quickly explained that like with incidents of sexual violence, as there are increases in education and awareness, there are more reports. It’s unclear whether there are more incidents or more reports. Another challenge UC-Berkeley faces, according to Curtis, has to do with protocols
people that raise money for whatever cause you want to go after,” Malek said. “If tomorrow you want to raise money in your department that you cannot get grant fund money for, that doesn’t mean that through development you couldn’t find a sponsor or someone who feels like they want to fund you.” The Tenure, Promotions and Professional Development Committee chair, John Lehman, an LSA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, served as the guest speaker and reported the committee’s inactivity last year. “We had no continuing business last year because we had no meetings last year,” Lehman said. “So this year we met three times … and went over model grievance procedures.” He emphasized the committee will be making up for its lack of work last year by addressing the institutionalization of the University Faculty Ombuds training process this year. A faculty ombud is assigned to each school and serves as an unbiased mediator for faculty grievance conflicts. The ombuds are responsible for conducting confidential coaching, tracking problem areas and providing feedback to senior administration. According to Lehman, recent reports from unit ombuds reveal discrepancies in training practices among the different schools, such as differing term lengths and unequal training between recent and seasoned ombuds. As a result, the committee aims to standardize
for a response. Many victims and members of communities that are targeted feel the chancellor needs to respond. “We’re trying to figure out always, when does the chancellor respond? What does that response look like? How do people feel cared for, seen, heard, tended to?” he said. “I think that’s the biggest challenge because too often what we’re really dealing with isn’t necessarily just a campus climate issue, we’re dealing with our sociological problems of the United States.” UC-Berkeley is taking steps to make the campus more inclusive and address the needs of students from marginalized communities. The Division of Equity & Inclusion provides a variety of programs and services. On Sept. 1, the division launched the Campus Climate, Community Engagement and Transformation unit, whose mission is to focus on “reshaping and influencing policies and practices that increase opportunities, advance social justice and create equitable experiences for all groups, with a special focus on marginalized and underserved populations.” The initiative’s website also highlights results of a spring 2013 campus climate survey, which showed 1 in 4 community members have experienced exclusion on campus. It also showed undergraduates who are not African American overestimate the inclusivity of the climate for the group. For instance, 89 percent of Asian students and 87 percent of white students rated the climate as “respectful” or “very respectful” for African Americans; African Americans rated the climate as 47 percent for the categories. Additionally, on the survey, a top concern was not having channels through which to report discrimination and the notion that faculty judge students based on their perceived identities. That being said, in fall 2017, 2.9 percent of enrolled freshmen at UC-Berkeley were African American or Black, 9.9 percent were Mexican American or Chicano, 3.7 percent were labeled “other Hispanic/Latino.” White students constituted 24.5 percent of the freshman class. Other initiatives through UC-Berkeley’s diversity division include a Campus Climate Speaker Series, which brings scholars and activists to campus to address related issues, and Innovation Grants, which provide funding for projects focused on increasing equity and inclusion on campus.
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the training regimens for incoming ombuds. “We have to take an active role in institutionalizing a training program because we’ve got people who come in saying that the terms are differing from unit to unit,” Lehman said. “Some people will come in and say, ‘It’s a two-year term in my unit and I spend the whole first year just learning the ropes and then I just got that one year.’” Due to these concerns, Ortega found ombuds to be lacking in their duties toward mediating grievance concerns within their own units. This raised questions regarding training and qualifications among the faculty ombuds. “I’m not convinced that there’s an equal training and equal designation of persons qualified,” Ortega said. “So when we did our research to figure out who were the active ombuds in these units … there were some names were listed on the website who weren’t there. We’re starting to think about how serious is your unit taking these, how serious is the training.” In order to address these issues, Lehman and the SACUA members proposed creating a faculty grievance model, providing ombuds with more specific instructions, guiding mentors and annual training sessions. “If we could come up with a model for grievance policy or grievance model practices and the same thing for ombuds, that would be a great contribution,” Ortega said.
CLAIMS From Page 1 Fitzgerald clarified there has been no reported contact between Spencer’s representatives and the University. “We have checked with a number of offices on campus today that handle facility rentals and none so far has reported any contact from anyone representing Richard Spencer,” he wrote. Last year, Spencer told The Washington Post he watched a video of approximately 100 students staging a walkout at the University, in response to the Rev. Jesse Jackson demanding administrative action against racism and found pleasure in their chanting of “No alt-right. No KKK. No racist USA.” Spencer said he took great pleasure in getting under the skin of University students. In an Aug. 16 Facebook post, W. Kent Fuchs, president of the University of Florida, emphasized the decision to deny Spencer was
AMTRAK From Page 1 parking spaces are Universityowned … and there’s a perception that it’s a parking lot and not really a park,” Mitchell said. “(There is a) perception that it has less value because it’s used for parking use.” Ann Arbor resident Barbara Bach, another member of Protect A2 Parks, suspects the University supports the Fuller Park proposal because it still wants more parking space near the hospital. Bach argued there is no way of knowing for sure the University would not rent out a large amount of space again; she sees this as the city effectively subsidizing University parking. “The city isn’t in the business of taking care of University parking,” Bach said. “We certainly want to be a good neighbor and be helpful but that’s not our concern here.” However, Ann Arbor City Councilmember Zachary Ackerman, D-Ward 3, argued the city is simply gaining revenue that goes back into services on nearby neighborhoods and the lot takes little to no money to maintain. “Any way that we can find a means to get money from the University to pay for the services they don’t pay for, that’s great,” Ackerman said. Kosteva also said assertions that the University parking in the new structure were “premature and speculative.” Though he recognized there is a lack of parking space for hospital employees at the moment, he said there has been no discussion about parking yet between the city and University.
At the request of Schlissel, SACUA discussed how to properly incorporate current topics on campus racial tensions into class syllabi. According to Malek, Schlissel wanted SACUA to explore the idea and see how it would be sought by faculty. “He wanted help from the faculty in dealing with the racial tension involving central campus,” Malek said. “Whether through statements … or in the syllabus of individual lectures.” Ortega further contemplated how to incorporate such sensitive topics into the classroom in a way that would promote learning and awareness. “How can this present itself in the classroom setting and present itself in syllabi that talks about tolerance and inclusion, some kind of statement that reflects the importance of diversity and experiences of diversity that can be part of the learning process,” Ortega said. Faculty senate secretary David Potter, an LSA professor of Greek and Latin, proposed collaborating with Central Student Government to connect faculty and students on the concept. “That kind of discussion I think should be involving both SACUA and Central Student Government so that we can develop a statement in common,” Potters said. Senate Assembly member Stefan Szymanski, a professor of kinesiology, proposed accumulating faculty academic research on these social issues and make them available to the
Tuesday, October 31, 2017 — 3 based upon the violence he could incite, especially in the wake of what occurred in Charlottesville, Va. “This decision was made after assessing potential risks with campus, community, state and federal law enforcement officials following violent clashes in Charlottesville, Va., and continued calls online and in social media for similar violence in Gainesville such as those decreeing: “ ‘The Next Battlefield is in Florida,’” he wrote. Fuchs adamantly stated although he disagrees with Spencer’s message, the University of Florida is dedicated to fostering a free exchange of ideas and rhetoric. However, in the case of Spencer, these ideas would put students in imminent danger of violence. “I find the racist rhetoric of Richard Spencer and white nationalism repugnant and counter to everything the university and this nation stands for,” he wrote. “That said, the University of Florida remains unwaveringly dedicated to free speech and the spirit of public discourse. However, the First
Amendment does not require a public institution to risk imminent violence to students and others.” This intense analysis of the safety of allowing certain speakers on campus comes in the wake of the violence that occurred in August 2017 Charlottesville — where white nationalists and neoNazis planned a “take America back” rally, but were met with resistance from counterprotesters. In the ensuing chaos, Ohio resident James Alex Fields Jr. drove his car into the crowd, killing 32-year-old counterprotester Heather Heyer. When interviewed by The Daily in 2016, LSA senior Grant Strobl, founding chairman of the University of Michigan’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, emphasized his organization was not affiliated with the “alt-right,” though it has invited controversial speakers, such as Ben Shapiro, to speak before. “Conservative ideas undermine and are not compatible with the alt-right,” he wrote in an email. “Conservatism has no place for racism.”
“There has been no conversations as to what, if any, parking would be made available to University employees at any potential station at that location,” Kosteva said. Another major point of concern was traffic. According to the environmental assessment report, the Fuller Park will have only one point of entry: Fuller Road. The assessment calls for building a double roundabout to ease the traffic congestion that is predicted. However, Nystuen is not convinced. She said for a complex structure like a double roundabout there are concerns about pedestrian safety that is not addressed in the assessment report. “It doesn’t have any plans in it for how they would handle (pedestrians),” Nystuen said. “In fact … they just have a description saying, ‘Yes it will work, we have studied it and it will work.’” Ackerman agreed with Nystuen about the roundabout concern, and contended even the current situation at the intersection between Fuller Road and East Medical Center Drive is dangerous. However, he emphasized the plan is still a work in progress and ensuring pedestrian safety will be top priority. “If we’re going to be looking at roundabouts close to job centers … and closer to downtown urban walkable areas, we have to figure out a scheme to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe,” Ackerman said. “Securing this funding and finalizing this plan actually looks like in reality is going to be a manyyear process that’s going to include the public every step of the way.”
Mitchell and others find sympathetic voices in the council, although they are in the minority in the chamber. In a previous interview, Councilmember Sumi Kailasapathy, D-Ward 1, questioned why the city is prioritizing the train station when there are numerous other challenges residents face. “I don’t think the City can afford (20 percent) with (its) current needs,” Kailasapathy said. “With so many infrastructural needs that are coming up, affordable housing, and pedestrian safety and climate action … these need to be the main focus now.” Ackerman urged those not convinced to give the proposal another chance, arguing the current infrastructure is out of date and a new, welcoming train station would be a prudent investment. “The details are still coming and if they think anybody’s made a final decision, I don’t think that’s unfair,” Ackerman said. “I hope they move forward with us and make sure that the funding comes from the right avenues and make sure that the design is something that speaks to everybody in the community.” As for Ann Arbor resident Nancy Shiffler, the chair of the Sierra Club’s Huron Valley Group, simple adjustments to the current station like an elevator to reach the other side of the station and a lift for people with disabilities to be able to climb up to the platform would be more than enough for now. “We can do one thing at a time,” Shiffler said. “You could do it, and you could make it attractive and you would be tied in with the development and activity in the area.”
University. “I think there is a way in which we can have some kind of unifying project and put it into one place as a resource for anyone associated with
the University. That would make very clear where we as a University stand,” Szymanski said. “We don’t have any advocates for discrimination, lack of inclusion or inequity.”
Opinion
4 — Tuesday, October 31, 2017 (get spooky!)
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MICHAEL MORDARSKI | COLUMN
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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FROM THE DAILY
Stop overpolicing students of color
I
n an increasingly tense school year for students of color, the Oct. 7 football game against Michigan State University renewed controversy: the policing of multicultural fraternity parties. On gameday, Kappa Alpha Psi and Lambda Theta Phi, historically Black and Latino fraternities, respectively, received upward of six citations, whereas all 10 white fraternities surveyed by The Michigan Daily reported no police intervention at their house tailgates. This disparity underscores the overpolicing of communities of color in Ann Arbor. The Michigan Daily Editorial Board calls upon the Ann Arbor Police Department and the University of Michigan’s Division of Public Safety and Security to protect, rather than selectively police, communities of color. The policing of multicultural fraternities Oct. 7 is just one item in a laundry list of occurrences of overpolicing of communities of color in Ann Arbor. When the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity threw a Christmas in July party in 2016, police from seven different districts were called to shut down the event. Though there were no major arrests, several Black students noted the use of unnecessary force by police. Other KAP brothers alleged that AAPD has broken up date parties by coming into their house, checking drinks and inspecting identifications — something that rarely, if ever, occurs at white fraternities. Overpolicing extends beyond the University of Michigan community as well and affects the city of Ann Arbor. In 2014, Aura Rosser, a mentally ill Black woman, was fatally shot by a white AAPD officer, causing local outcry. More recently, Ciaeem Slaton, a Black teenager, was violently arrested at Blake Transit Center after failing to produce a school ID he had not yet received. The Editorial Board believes these stories are far from anomalies; rather, they are results of a cycle of systemic racism. Communities of color are not afforded the same connections as
white communities, which holds true within the Greek life system. Fraternities in the National Multicultural Greek Council lack access to many of the resources available to majority-white fraternities in the Interfraternity Council. For example, IFC fraternities have official houses that seldom change, whereas NMGC fraternities rarely hold a house for more than two years. IFC fraternities have formal recruiting and funding processes, allowing them to maintain high numbers of active members and alumni, who bring in more money and enable them to hire private security and formally register their events. NMGC fraternities, on the other hand, have not historically had these funding structures in place. Furthermore, IFC fraternities have a closer relationship to local police through informal and formal connections. Police are more willing to allow IFC fraternities to “self-police” their parties due in part to these connections. We must note that these problems aren’t limited to fraternity parties alone. There is little discrepancy between what policing would occur at a multicultural fraternity party and a party primarily attended by people of color, even though similarly disruptive events attended by a
largely white community would likely fly under the radar. Such discrepancies in policing may be attributed partially to the fact AAPD is not as diverse as the city it serves. Police departments lack the transparency needed to debunk their actions as resultant to anything except for racial bias. In cases like these, transparency becomes especially important, and police departments must own up to their own actions. How and why policing occurs is very unclear to the public. There is already considerable speculation on whether police are protecting their citizens; any doubt on this front is unacceptable. Police are meant to protect. When their policing becomes selective, they are not doing their job properly, and change is needed. We as the Editorial Board agree that overpolicing communities of color is wrong and a consequence of institutionalized, societal racism. It is the responsibility of police to hold themselves accountable to justice and to be transparent in doing so. We demand the Ann Arbor Police Department meets these standards so that all students — especially students of color — will experience a safe and equitable campus climate.
COLE KAUFFMAN | OP-ED
The price of Richard Spencer
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alf of a million dollars is the kind of spending money any rational individual could change their life with. In the hands of a top-notch university, this is no different. The federal and state funding public colleges receive — keeping in mind their nonprofit nature — is funneled to their financial aid offices, research programs and campus facilities, among other departments, and allows for one of the most valuable public goods to operate and, in effect, better the livelihoods of a significant fraction of the populace. So why was it acceptable that the University of Florida had to reluctantly draw $500,000 out of its budget to host an uninvited guest? I understand the University of Florida is public and must allow free speech in this manner as it would with, say, student demonstrations on campus in regard to controversial policies and international crises. However, it is rather exceptional for the anticipated presence of a single individual to ignite the same response from the state as was given in preparation for Hurricane Irma, the recent Category 5 mega-storm that hit Florida in September. U-F President Ken Fuchs himself sent out an email to the student body voicing his disapproval regarding the upcoming event. Further, a Facebook event page dubbed “No Nazis at UF,” which has garnered over seven thousand “interested” users, was created to outline
general behavior guidelines in order to keep demonstrations from escalating into conflict. The University of Florida clearly did not want to welcome Spencer onto its campus. The debate over free speech must occur at this point. To what extent are public universities, which are designed to be welcoming nodes of diversity and intellectual discussion, expected to expend resources to protect the First Amendment rights of individuals and groups whose words foment hatred and ignorance and often stir up violence? The National Policy Institute, an “alt-right” think tank based in Virginia, booked the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts — an on-campus venue — for a “speaking event” that was led by its president, the popularly detestable Richard Spencer. Spencer, charming as he is, has grown to become one of the leading figureheads in the ever so developing white nationalist movement, which has made itself salient to the American, and even global, audience in past months, specifically after the horrifically chaotic Charlottesville, Va., rallies in August. Though he denies allegations of racism, Spencer has gone on the record to say that, in regard to his advocacy for a white America, “Our dream is a new society, an ethno-state that would be a gathering point for all Europeans;” in a separate internet spiel, if I may, Spencer wrote: “(T)he Holocaust is all
about the Jews. It is all about their meta-narrative of suffering, and it shall undergird their peculiar position in American society, and theirs alone.” Expectedly, when the organization first approached the University of Florida, the administration quickly denied its request to rent any facility for the evidently anti-Semitic, xenophobic and anti-Black speaker. However, Spencer’s legal threats and constitutional backing (see the First Amendment) gave the university no choice but to permit his visit, and thus to bear the hefty cost of providing security for the mayhem that might very well arise in a similar fashion to his University of Virginia trip. Florida Gov. Rick Scott even declared a state of emergency to properly prepare and keep the people and students of Gainesville protected from the likelihood of violent confrontation. Spencer’s voice does not contribute to an intellectual discussion, it demeans it. The University of Florida did not want to divert $500,000 away from its budget to host him, but because Spencer’s threat of litigation was credible and likely to succeed if carried out in court, the school’s wishes were irrelevant.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com Cole Kauffman is an LSA freshman.
Class comforts and discomforts
F
all’s arrival to the of money on clothing, vacations, University of Michigan housing and nights out is regarded can be marked by the as “normal.” Hailing from positions student body’s switch from lazy of privilege and considerable and expensive summer financial comfort, we attire to lazy and even are simply benefiting more expensive fall off what our parents attire. have provided. All across campus, A particularly bland and repetitive poignant article in fall uniforms are semiThe New York Times enthusiastically put written by Richard on by students who Reeves argued the begin to look more and upper-middle and more like hungover upper classes of the MICHAEL United States feel no Patagonia models MORDARSKI as the temperature shame in participating continues to decrease. in what he calls the “American And these cold Michigan seasons class reproduction system,” amplify the perceived levels of for they believe that “they are class on campus — for an identity operating in a meritocracy (a belief is more visible with the specifically that allows them to feel entitled dressed 20-somethings wearing to their winnings); on the other overpriced mountaineering jackets hand, they constantly engage in to the bar. antimeritocratic behavior in order What could be called a campus to give their own children a leg up.” stereotype of upper-middle and That’s where we and our cozy upper-class kids bundled up jackets come in. And by we, I mean in Antarctic exploration coats the majority of University students purchased by their parents is who hail from the top 20 percent of relatively accurate and serves as earners in this country (66 percent yet another material example of of the student body). Whether or the “class reproduction” system of not we would like to believe it, a which many of us are a part. majority of us have had that leg up The University student body due to our upbringing. has an average family income Obviously, there is some merit of $154,000, so it is fair to say to the work ethic we have for being that there is obviously a serious accepted into and studying at the detachment to the lives of a number one public university in the majority of Americans. Material world — but many of us come from goods sharpen the distinction specific neighborhoods where we between classes, and when one went to better-funded schools or can afford outerwear that costs the private preparatory collegiates. same as the payment for a private We grew up surrounded by kids in elementary school, that distinction similar socioeconomic situations becomes extremely evident. in comfortable and supportive And there exists a sense of communities. Additionally, we normalcy associated to the higher applied to a University system in incomes and backgrounds of many which prior family attendance is students on campus, one that viewed as beneficial: According further alienates our campus from to the University, “Although not the realities of most Americans. a primary factor in admissions Here, and on many other elite decisions, having a parent, stepcampuses, spending large amounts parent, grandparent or sibling
who attended the University of Michigan is considered as part of the holistic review process.” When we graduate, we too may fall “victim” to continuing this cycle. Benefiting from privileged upbringings and an excellent education, many of us will find our ways into successful careers — careers that we may deluded ourselves into believing that our merit and hard work alone secured, failing to recognize how far ahead we already were. To be clear, participation in upper-class replication is not exclusively restricted to the top 1 percent. This is participated in by everyone hailing from the upper incomes, or as Reeves brilliantly put in his piece, “people with healthy six-figure incomes to convince themselves that they are somehow in the same economic boat as ordinary Americans, and that it is just the so-called super rich who are to blame for inequality.” The University of Michigan is not average America by any means — but the income inequality that exists here is absurd. There should be no financial exclusivity placed on the access to higher education; intelligence should be the primary factor to be weighed. Though the University has taken incredible actions to allow access to the lower-income families, for example, offering free tuition under the Go Blue Guarantee, the problem is far deeper and is only getting worse. There is an extreme importance in recognizing positions of comfort and privilege, not just luxury and wealth. This class reproduction system is something a majority of the students here are a part of. Benefiting because of the efforts of our parents is no sin, but continuing this cycle later on definitely is. Michael Mordarski can be reached at mmordars@umich.edu.
LUCAS MAIMAN | COLUMN
Flint in the age of accountability
T
hree and a half years harassment case, at least his ago, the city of Flint, sixth such settlement since 2002. Mich., switched its Despite widespread water supply from knowledge of their the Detroit Water “misdeeds,” these and Sewerage men flourished Department to the for decades. Flint River. Now, Challenging their 15 current and power was risky former state and even for powerful local officials face Hollywood A-list criminal charges actors afraid of in connection with exposing Weinstein a 17-month-long for fear of losing LUCAS investigation into MAIMAN his patronage and the contamination of costly for the Fox Flint’s water. News Channel that benefitted While Gov. Rick Snyder has handsomely from O’Reilly’s attempted to distance himself TV ratings. from what happened in Flint, In Flint, though, there is an evidence suggests that state- opportunity for that script to appointed managers played a be revised. While perhaps not pivotal role in switching the as salacious as the Weinstein city’s water source. Similarly, and O’Reilly cases, the Flint Snyder and other government story preserves a similar spirit. officials failed to act when it People were unjustly injured, became clear that Flint’s water and the main aggressor has been was poisoning its citizens. allowed to avoid consequences. But guess who is notably And, like those other cases, absent from that list of 15 there appears to be a trove government officials? Of course, of evidence and testimony, the answer is Snyder. if pursued by Schuette and Snyder’s lack of accountability federal prosecutors, that could is far from surprising. Is his hold Snyder accountable. getting a pass from Attorney First, recall the studied General Bill Schuette appalling? ignorance that Snyder and his Certainly. Disenchanting? Sure. cronies exhibited when Flint But surprising? Well … hardly. residents began to complain Powerful men like Snyder about the water: are permitted to play under When fecal and total different rules. They behave coliform bacteria were detected with impunity. Their actions in August and September 2014, circumvent the same laws that boil water advisories were put check us. In a sense, they are in place for less than a week. treated like some of the banks But when, in October 2014, a during the financial crisis — General Motors plant in Flint “too big to fail.” ceased using the water because If any cycle of news it corroded car parts, Snyder demonstrates the arranged to hook GM back up pervasiveness of powerful to Lake Huron water, while men getting away with keeping the people of Flint on abhorrent conduct, it is this Flint River water. one. Just this month, The In January 2015, even after New York Times published an the state found that the level explosive investigation that of disinfecting chemicals revealed sexual harassment in the water exceeded the allegations against Harvey threshold set by the Safe Water Weinstein dating back to Drinking Act, Flint’s water was 1990. Even more recently, deemed safe for the general former Fox News host Bill population. Flint residents O’Reilly reappeared in the were left to drink and bathe in news, with The New York contaminated water from the Times reporting that 21st Flint River. Century Fox, his employer, Later the same month, the gave him a contract extension Detroit Water and Sewerage worth over $100 million even Department offered to after learning of his payment reconnect Flint with Lake to settle a $32 million sexual Huron water, waiving a $4
million fee to restore service. City officials declined, citing the increased costs they believed the new switch would bring. Three months later, Flint City Council members voted to stop using river water and reconnect with Detroit water. The state-appointed manager, Jerry Ambrose, however, overruled the vote. Of course, the public later learned the state government neglected to pay the $100 a day to add a federally mandated anticorrosive element to seal the lead in Flint’s pipes. The people of Flint now must pay a never-ending debt with their health. Researchers from Virginia Tech tested 271 Flint homes and found that the 90th percentile level for lead was 27 parts per billion, grossly exceeding the 5 ppb minimum unsafe lead level. Lead levels this high can cause “cardiovascular problems, kidney damage and memory and neurological problems.” Another study published earlier this month found that the contaminated water caused the city’s fertility rates to decrease by 12 percent in women and fetal death rates to increase by 58 percent. And lead was not the only contaminant in the water. From June 2014 to October 2015, a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak sickened at least 91 people in the Flint area, killing 12 of them. Through all of this, Snyder has maintained his innocence. He claims that he did not know that lead in water was a problem until October 2015, yet emails show that Snyder’s top advisers asked him to switch Flint’s water supply back to Detroit water as early as October 2014. Similarly, Snyder says that he was not made aware of the Legionnaires’ outbreak until January 2016 even though an aide testified he had told Snyder of the outbreak in December 2015.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com Lucas Maiman can be reached at lmaiman@umich.edu.
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TV REVIEW
Tuesday, October 31, 2017 — 5
ALBUM REVIEW
NETFLIX
OVO SOUND
‘Stranger Things’ season 2: Majid Jordan’s newest new plots & tied loose ends deserves some attention Schnapp (“Bridge of Spies”), who portrays the previously Daily Arts Writer absent Will. Trapped in the Upside Down for the majority “Stranger Things” season of the first season as his two premiere crawls its way mother Joyce (Winona Ryder, out of the upside down — quite “Beetlejuice”) desperately literally attempted to retrieve him, Will In an effort to savor this is now rescued and working to satisfying thriller and to avoid readjust to the new normal. spoilers for the entirety of the Throughout the episode, we season, only the first episode of see him struggling to overcome the series will be the pull of discussed in this the Upside “Stranger Things” review. Down, often Last year, the falling back Netflix Duffer brothers into the released the dimension Season 2, Episode 1 Netf lix original on a whim’s Now streaming series that notice, rocked the where he nation. The sees danger first season lurking at of “Stranger every corner Things” captivated audiences and a beast which is only everywhere with its high- inching closer to Hawkins. quality suspense and nostalgic, However, he’s not the only though surprisingly original, one struggling here, as Joyce, premise. Just in time for too, battles to let Will out of Halloween, Netf lix has finally her sight. Though she wants released the much-anticipated the best for Will, it’s obvious second season of the critically that their time apart, however acclaimed series. And if you brief, only serves to deepen her were looking for some early- paranoia that he’ll be swept Halloween creeps and chills, away once more. These aspects look no farther than “Stranger add an extra dimension to the Things” series two. series, as we are able to see not The season finale of only the physical, but also the “Stranger Things” left emotional toll that the Upside audiences with many Down as taken on Will and unanswered questions. Is those closely connected to the Hawkins Institute still him. operating? Is Eleven (Millie Meanwhile, Barb (Shannon Bobby Brown) alive after Purser, “Wish Upon”), destroying the Demogorgon? the loveable dork who has #JusticeforBarb? Unlike somehow managed to glaze many shows of this nature, her way into an entire internet “Stranger Things” takes following after just a few short swift action in addressing episodes makes a return — last season’s unanswered unfortunately, it’s a return questions, responding to the from beyond the grave. Last we major cliff hangers in the first saw of our favorite shy friend, episode alone. In doing so, we she was eaten by the terrifying see an upward trend moving Demogorgon. All of this with the show — they’re not happened while Nancy (Natalia sticking with what worked Dyer, “I Believe in Unicorns”) before, but instead choosing to was getting hot and nasty with expand their horizons by first our least-favorite douchey clearing the table of the old hunk Steve (Joe Keery, “The and making room for the new. Charnel House”). As a result, Not only are our most haunted Nancy feels extreme guilt over questions being answered, but the death of her friend, made we’re also seeing life post- even more visible when Steve Upside Down for the residents and Nancy join Barb’s parents of Hawkins involved in last for a weekly dinner that only season’s encounter. escalates in emotional tension Perhaps the most striking when her parents inform them performance of the second of their recent developments in season comes from Noah the search for Barb, who they MEG MITCHELL
believe has simply vanished. And in speaking of emotion, one of the smallest scenes in the episode speaks the biggest volume. The return of Eleven, or “Ele” (Millie Bobby Brown, “NCIS”), though admittedly expected, included a splash of the unexpected. Chief Hopper (David Harbour, “Suicide Squad”), who lost his daughter in an accident which the series only brief ly touches on, takes in Ele as she fights to remain hidden from the insidious Hawkins group. On opposite ends of the table, the two unwrap tin-foiled meals is an oddly emotional scene. A man without his daughter and a daughter lacking a responsible and loving parental figure, these two seem to have found a slice of peace in the madness that is occurring all around them, vaguely resembling a sense of normalcy. Overall, “Stranger Things” continues to excel as a nostalgic thriller series, growing where needed, but never exceeding its own capabilities. It’s a series that’s not only very good at what it does, but also very self-aware of just how easy it would be to fall into the status quo of throwback series. However, it’s never fallen short in drawing viewers deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. Our hearts break twice when considering that Barb’s parents are continuing to search for a dead girl and once more when Nancy excuses herself to cry silently in the bathroom over her fallen friend, stuck to rot forever in an alternate dimension while life continues on without her. We feel childish joy as Will is able to rejoin his friends in the arcade and when they consequently chase after the new mystery girl, Max (Sadie Sink, “The Glass Castle”), who has managed to beat all of their high scores in Dig Dug and fellow ‘80s classics. But until we find Eleven eating Eggos and fighting demons from other dimensions with the gang again, we’ll have to settle for wondering why Nancy is still dating Steve. All episodes of “Stranger Things” series two are currently streaming exclusively on Netf lix.
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accompaniment. Electronic drums groove and synth bass bounces; all For the Daily the elements combine to create the soundscape of Toronto’s nightlife. Most people don’t care about The production has much more Majid Jordan, and that’s a damn character and creativity to it than shame. The Toronto-based duo, their previous work. Upbeat songs consisting of Majid Al Maskati and like “One I Want” and “Gave Your Jordan Ullman, is one of OVO’s Love Away” are timelessly groovy, most overlooked acts. For years while slow-burners “Asleep” and the project has lived in the shadow the title track are extremely wellof fellow OVO artists Drake and crafted. PARTYNEXTDOOR, as well as While the production is other R&B artists such as Bryson excellent, it can’t carry the album Tiller and The on its own — what Weeknd, and this really sets The Space The Space oversaturation Between apart is in the Toronto Majid Al Maskati’s Between late-night music vocal delivery. Majid Jordan market has His melodies are inhibited Majid relentlessly catchy; OVO Sound/Warner Jordan’s potential each song feels like Bros. success. Their a potential single. debut album, selfHe proves his titled, did not do vocal athleticism much to help distinguish them from throughout, particularly on the their competition — it was solid but hook of “Asleep.” His abilities unspectacular, unshakably generic. extend beyond the purely virtuosic But with The Space Between, Majid — Al Maskati captures a nuance Jordan have solidified their position and emotional character often as OVO’s most slept-on act. The overlooked by more showy R&B Space Between is an endless woozy singers. You can feel the restraint in groove, synth bass and R&B tones his voice. pulsating behind breathy come-ons. The lyricism on The Space Jordan Ullman’s production Between is not particularly is flawless and inspired, smooth innovative, as Al Maskati generally retro synth keys sparkle with sticks to the standard presentation the occasional dreamy piano of the subject matter of love and JONAH MENDELSON
heartbreak typical of this late night sound. Then again, while innovative lyrical content is generally not considered particularly important on a neo-R&B record, Majid Jordan would certainly benefit from some of the intrigue and mystery created through the lyrics of artists like Trilogy-era Weeknd or Jai Paul: The stylish disregard of The Weeknd and the enigmatic translucence of Jai Paul create distinctive characters, whereas Al Maskati (while a fantastic singer) cannot conjure that same cult of character. This whole album is a slow-burn despite its generally uptempo nature — even the high-energy tracks take a few listens to fully click, but when it all comes together, you feel it. It is rare to find an album this consistent today, in the era of 20-song long “playlists,” all-too-prolific artists and generally bloated projects. There is only one song that doesn’t feel like a necessary addition to the album: “What You Do To Me,” a bland track that feels like it never quite takes off, an intended torch song that fails to burn. Other than that track, the whole album feels remarkably cohesive and fresh. With The Space Between, Majid Jordan has proved itself as much more than just a member of Drake’s supporting cast, and hopefully has earned some overdue attention.
FILM NOTEBOOK
Ha-ha-halloween: Making monsters funny once more BECKY PORTMAN Daily Arts Writer
I was eight the first time I watched a truly terrifying movie. It was the 1998 classic, “The Man in the Iron Mask” and it gave me nightmares for months. After that traumatic cinematic experience, I swore off scary movies for life. So the moment Halloween came around every year I was screwed. All my friends wanted to watch the scariest of the scary, the cream of the horror crop, the bloodiest, goriest, gruesome-est, Halloween-iest films they could conjure up (witch pun intended). Year after year I politely passed, feigning ill or saying I was busy with better plans or that I had already seen “Paranormal Activity.” Still, I felt like I was missing out on Halloween traditions. So, I created my own. That’s right kids, this Halloween special is sponsored by zany zombies, witty werewolves and you guessed it, vagarious vampires. Alliteration aside, my new Halloween tradition began with the frightfully funny films that induce more smiles than squeals. For your convenience, dear reader, I have included a selection of five of my favorite funny monsters to make your Halloween hauntingly hilarious. “What We Do in the Shadows” (2014) This mockumentary-style film follows a group of vampire housemates in modern-day
New Zealand. They argue about everything from dirty dishes to torture chamber etiquette. If you are looking for a “poke” in your funny bone, look no further. Written and directed and starred in by Jemaine Clement (“Flight of the Conchords”) and Taika Waititi (“Hunt for the Wilderpeople”), “What We Do in the Shadows” is a ridiculous romp of a vampire flick that will make you laugh so hard you will want to scream. “Young Frankenstein” (1974) This Mel Brooks classic is just that, a classic. Starring Gene Wilder (“Blazing Saddles”) as the young grandson of the famous, or rather infamous, Dr. Frankenstein, “Young Frankenstein” follows the doctor as he attempts to continue his grandfather’s work in reanimating the dead. Filled with crazy antics, penis jokes and musical numbers, this comedy would leave Mary Shelley rolling in her grave, but it will leave you rolling in laughter. “Zombieland” (2009) In this zombie apocalypse comedy, Jesse Eisenberg (“The Social Network”), Emma Stone (“La La Land”), Abigail Breslin (“Little Miss Sunshine”) and Woody Harrelson (“The Hunger Games”) make their way across a zombie-filled America following Eisenberg’s Columbus’s 30 rules for survival. In desperate search of Bill Murray, twinkies and home, the rag-tag group of
survivalists do their best to stay alive and kill a shit-ton of zombies along the way. “Shaun of the Dead” (2004) Another zombie apocalypse comedy for the books. Written by and starring the very British, very funny Simon Pegg (“Hot Fuzz”), “Shaun of the Dead” is a satirical play on the 1978 horror film, “Dawn of the Dead.” Be sure to watch this film if you are in the mood for a dirty, British-humor filled zombie comedy in which there is actually a resolution, and especially if you are craving a bloody good laugh, in more ways than one. “Troll 2” (1990) Labeled one of the worst movies of all time, “Troll 2” is definitely the best of the worst (for proof, check out the documentary on the film, “Best Worst Movie” directed by the child star of the terrible film, Michael Stephenson). The film has no trolls, it was actually intended to be called “Goblins” before skeptical American distributors renamed it “Troll 2” in attempts to garner a bigger crowd for a film that they hoped would somehow appear to be a sequel to the 1986 Empire Pictures film, “Troll.” The film follows a family vacation to the town of Nilbog (yes, goblin backwards) where they discover the town is filled with vegetarian goblins disguised as humans who wish to turn them into plants and eat them. So take a trip to Nilbog for the night and see why this horrible movie is so bad, it’s good.
Arts
6 — Tuesday, October 31, 2017
TV NOTEBOOK
HGTV
My millennial, idealized relationship with HGTV MORGAN RUBINO For the Daily
A few weeks ago, my phone and I woke up to a frenzy of emoji tears and “my life is over” tweets in the light of some soul-shattering news: “Fixer Upper” is coming to an end after five seasons. For those unfamiliar with “Fixer
Upper,” it’s an HGTV classic following home-renovators Chip and Joanna Gaines on their adventures in discovering the cheapest, nastiest on-themarket houses in Waco, Texas and transforming them into the dreamiest, chicest family homes. Now, if you haven’t seen the show, you’re missing out on a whole lot of “goals” moments between the couple,
cuteness overload from their crew of kids and breathtaking scenic shots of their personal farm, but still, it’s unexpected for a young crowd to feel such a connection toward that concept. That got me thinking: Why are teens and 20-somethings, including myself, suddenly so infatuated with HGTV? After all, it’s a network targeted toward 30+
Classifieds
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professionals, or, you know, people who actually own their homes. My personal affinity for home and interior design TV most definitely stems from the charismatic personalities of the hosts. Watching the childlike banter between the seemingly f lawless Joanna and witty Chip warms my angstfilled heart and overwhelms me with aspirations for a relationship as idealized and genuine as theirs. Then there’s the clever one-liners between the epigrammatic, and not to mention strikingly handsome, Drew and Jonathan Scott from “Property Brothers,” which leave me shamelessly binging episode after episode of their dazzling home renovations. These humble personalities, authentic, nonscripted interactions and episodes of realism act as the origin of the appeal. Feeling like you are the close friend of the host portrays them as less like celebrities and more like normal people, and their subsequent invitation to stay, catch up, and relax for a while is often overly-embraced for a couple (sometimes four) hours. One minute you’re doing your laundry and simply listening to HGTV as background noise, and soon enough its 7 p.m. and you’re wildly cheering because you correctly predicted which house the newlyweds were going to choose on “House Hunters.” Now that’s captivation at its finest. Additionally, I find HGTV shows to be incredibly
RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
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6 “The Color Purple” author Alice 7 Bus terminus 8 Modeling glue 9 60 secs. 10 Devils’ playing surface, ironically 11 Puppeteer Lewis 12 Patrol vehicle 13 Target of captioning censorship 14 “That’s __ bad” 19 “Do __ others ... ” 23 Young salamander 25 Caresses, as a dog 26 Inaugural recitation 27 Envelope part 28 Used a bike 29 Superficially cultured 32 Embassy workers 33 “What a harebrained idea!” 34 52-Across, in Toledo, OH 35 Self-esteem 36 Retired Yankee slugger, to fans
37 Gas station machine 38 Crude dude 39 Catering coffeepots 40 Big screen star 45 Ship’s pronoun 46 One-named soccer great 47 Change, as map details 49 Sparkly crown 50 Light bulb units
51 Many Rwandans 52 See 59-Down 53 Shake awake 54 Change 57 Brother of Cain 58 Nittany Lions’ sch. 59 It’s mightier than the 52-Down, so they say 60 4 x 4, for short 61 Blvd.
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10/31/17
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PETS
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how Joe, the bicycle salesman, and Linda, the dog groomer, somehow make a big enough combined salary to provide for four kids and invest in a beach house in Maui. While it makes no logistical sense, in the HGTV world, anything is possible. I feel as though young adults often become obsessed with this ideal, and the more they feed into the shows, the more they believe that the reality of TV is equivalent to the reality of everyday life. A major part of the draw to HGTV is the draw to the ideals of aspiration, perfection and success that are attached to home-ownership, especially for young adults where seeing it is believing it and whose lives are just taking off. This concept is, in a way, dually dangerous and motivating. It becomes common nature for particular homemaker details and lifestyles to be fetishized, and thought to bring about fantastical qualities of harmony and sociality into our humdrum lives. While in the same way, desiring a romanticized and content lifestyle encourages working harder and smarter, so that one day, the dream-able is truly achievable. Ultimately, home-renovation TV is just an encapsulating web of emotions, dreams and instantgratification, but until the time comes that I can purchase and decorate a two-story, openconcept lake house, I’ll just kick-back, turn on HGTV and keep imagining.
FILM REVIEW Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
FOR RENT
ACROSS 1 Capital of Poland 7 Actress Moore 11 Dick and Jane’s dog 15 Tropical lizard 16 Large-scale 17 Vagrant 18 “Evita” Tonywinning actress 20 __-ran 21 Diminutive suffix 22 Fort full of gold 23 Guitarist Clapton 24 Spanish king 25 Coast Guard rank 29 Prefix with sol 30 Flight height: Abbr. 31 Ambient music pioneer Brian 32 Rural road surface 34 Carpal or tarsal lead-in 36 Prilosec target 37 Roberto Clemente, notably 41 “__-daisy!” 42 Approximately 43 Small fishing boat 44 D.C. United’s org. 45 Sweetie pie 46 Urge 48 Ceramics shaper 52 34-Down, in Toledo, Sp. 55 Naturalist John 56 “__ Lang Syne” 57 Truant GI 58 Fatherly nickname 59 Tinker in the workshop 62 Move a bit 63 “__, Brute?” 64 Not inclined (to) 65 Meat safety org. 66 Loch with a mystery 67 Blowtorch user
visually and emotionally satisfying, as the aesthetics of the houses somehow impeccably match what the future owners envisioned, and the undertakings are always completed on time and on budget. Watching the professionals pick out the paint colors, tile textures, and interior furnishings for their latest project never gets old, and makes me believe that I’m actually gaining some knowledge in the realm of interior decorating. I mean, after a few episodes of “Flip or Flop” I have the sudden urge to repaint my bedroom walls, move around (very) heavy pieces of furniture by myself, and critique every design choice my mother made for our kitchen — “Seriously Nancy, those cabinets with that backsplash?” Each episode of each individual show follows its own formulaic schedule, which while predictable, is comforting in its sense of familiarity and assuredness. There is a very distinct before and after to a project and episode, and while real-life home renovations are often messy, stressful, and timeconsuming, with the help of the HGTV hosts, the process becomes worry-free and is completed in a precise and tidy one-hour timeslot. The HGTV world is a fantasy one, where you rarely worry about what money, time or effort is necessary to create the house of your dreams. I sit in front of my screen wondering
10/31/17
COCO, A CHAMPION HAVANA BROWN CAT, NEEDS A WINTER HOME IN MICHIGAN His owner will be down south and on extended trips from December to the begin ning of June. He is an affectionate, fully declawed, and inside only neutered male cat, 5 years old. His owner will supply food, kitty litter, etc. plus $300/month to the foster person or family. In the unlikely event that Coco needs medical attention his owner will cover that expense. Full‑time adoption may be possible for Coco.
The magic of ‘The Florida Project’ and her friends frequent are to be envied by the devotees of Wes For the Daily Anderson Tumblr pages. Moonee and her friends frequent sites that look painted in an acid-colored Somewhere in the swath of manufactured dream, juxtaposed central Florida, on the outskirts of against their tiny kindergarten Orlando’s “magical” Disney World, bodies. This accentuates both exists the 38-dollar-per-night strip physically and metaphorically the motel called The Magic Castle that vast span and space they have in delivers its own type of magic. Not their world to roam and explore to be mistaken with the Magic without the guidance of parents. The Kingdom, it serves as the setting viewer is instantly submerged into for Sean Baker’s (“Tangerine”) this world, especially with the aid most recent film, of handheld cameras and “The Florida diegetic audio, completely “The Florida Project,” Project” playing at the Michigan devoid of any scene music Theater. Within these until the very end. The A24 lavender-colored walls, viewer has no choice but The Michigan you can find 6 year-old to be totally immersed Theater Moonee (Brooklynn by the characters’ lives Prince, “Monsters at because everything they Large”), equal parts adorable and hear and experience is felt too by mischievous, the female Tom Sawyer the audience. This, in turn, makes of the story, and her young mom, their quotidian struggles from Halley (first-time actor Bria Vinaite), boredom to prostitution all the more who is really more like an older sister. relatable and, therefore, all the more Both of them are typically off on their heartbreaking. own adventures. The only difference As for our thespians: Prince’s is that Moonee’s adventures include performance is Oscar-worthy. pretending to have asthma to collect Somehow, Baker channels the spare change for vanilla soft serve to neophyte talent of his actors, quash the Floridian humidity; her including Vinaite, whom he mom’s include smoking carefully discovered on Instagram. Quite rolled blunts and listening to D-list successfully, their greenness trap music. But despite the tough produces profoundly authentic hand Halley’s been dealt, she does and raw performances. Even what she can for her daughter. veteran Willem Dafoe (“SpiderBaker, like in “Tangerine,” peels Man”) doesn’t push his younger back a veil to parts of American life collaborators out skill-wise. He and geography that have escaped only boosts Vinaite’s and especially popular American consciousness. Prince’s performances. He does this without a chastising Perhaps the film’s greatest gaze and without neglecting the accomplishment is that Baker didn’t problems of Moonee’s world, aim to impose a specific emotion instead infusing the narrative with onto the audience or overtly push a sense of curiosity and innocence. messages or an agenda; everything After all, it’s shot through the eyes naturally and seamlessly speaks for of a child. For Orlando, the giant itself. No scene was more emphatic entertainment complex that drives or emphasized than the other and the city’s economy first comes to it doesn’t follow a typical narrative mind. But what about the people on three-act arc with a climax and peripheries who we don’t see? The resolution. Even when child services ones like Moonee and Halley who come to collect Moonee when Halley struggle to secure weekly rent and is officially seen as “unfit,” the can’t even afford the wonderment scene doesn’t play as overly tragic of Disney World. The ones who eat and doesn’t pull on the clichéd “kid pizza for dinner but can’t pay extra being taken away from parent” for pepperoni. Baker quietly lifts off heartstrings. the sparkling cloak of Disney and With “The Florida Project,” A24, instead exposes the poverty and the studio that produced the Oscarmundaneness of the residents in this winning hit “Moonlight,” appears to small forgotten Southern pocket. be following a similar pattern of tiny Baker paints a superb visual of stories that leave lasting, gigantic pastel colored houses and buildings, impressions. I wouldn’t spoil the further illuminated by the peachy ending for you, but it is magic in Florida sunsets and the glow of itself. As for little Moonee and other sparked cigarettes against the children like her, the forgotten ones warm horizon. Shot in 35mm, the roaming across the vast American extreme wide-shot stills of the landscape, sometimes, the magic different tourist locations Moonee they deserve is out of reach. SOPHIA WHITE
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Sports
Tuesday, October 31, 2017 — 7
Onwenu, Spanellis effective up front for ‘M’ ORION SANG
Daily Sports Editor
Inserting a sixth offensive lineman is often a tell. Unless it’s an obvious passing situation, the defense knows what’s coming. The offense — with the addition of yet another giant, mobile blocker — wants to run the ball. That was certainly the case when Stephen Spanellis entered the game Saturday afternoon. The redshirt freshman guard is usually a backup. In Michigan’s 35-14 win over Rutgers, though, he worked in tandem as the first lineman off the bench with the starters — especially right guard Michael Onwenu. On 2nd-and-8 from the Scarlet Knights’ 34-yard line, Spanellis lined up on the right side of the line, two spots over from Onwenu. When the ball was snapped, both set off for their assignments. Onwenu pulled across the formation to block one edge defender; Spanellis stayed on his side to seal the other. It worked well, as most of Michigan’s running plays did, and Ty Isaac burst through the hole for a nine-yard gain and the first down. Several plays later, the two worked together once again. Michigan was facing 1st-andgoal from the one-yard line. This time, Spanellis lined up in the backfield as an H-back. Onwenu blocked his man. Spanellis barreled into the same gap. Khalid Hill followed their lead, and the Wolverines put six on the board. Spanellis is still relatively anonymous. It probably didn’t help that he had a new jersey number without his last name stitched across the back. But if Saturday was any indication, Spanellis is on a path to earning more playing time — just like his two classmates,
sophomores Ben Bredeson and Onwenu, each of whom quickly found his way onto the field. According to Jim Harbaugh, Spanellis may have the best academic grades on the team, and has the same intelligence when it comes to playing football. Like many young offensive linemen, Spanellis has also changed physically and is “on his way to being a real physical specimen.” Most importantly to Harbaugh, Spanellis has the requisite desire to improve. “Stephen Spanellis, I mean, he is a go-getter,” Harbaugh said Monday afternoon. “The passion for playing and wanting to be good, seeing it. Seeing him get better and better and therefore he’s out there. And if he gets his opportunity, plays well, you’ll see more Stephen Spanellis as we go forward.” Added fifth-year senior center Patrick Kugler: “He’s a very physical offensive lineman. One of our strongest, if not our strongest, offensive lineman, and you know what you’re going to get out of him. He’s just going to try to bench
press people and try to move them off the ball, and that’s what we need out of our line.” If anything, Spanellis can look at the path that Onwenu took. At this point last year, Onwenu played sparingly. He was a backup who saw time mostly in jumbo packages and special teams, and sometimes, even on defense as a nose guard. Those roles might have been unconventional. But like Spanellis did against Rutgers, Onwenu was still getting into the game — valuable experience for a younger player. After earning a starting job, Onwenu struggled at times early this season. But he progressed quickly and is one of the main reasons the team’s rushing attack, which posted a season-high 334 rushing yards against Rutgers, has anchored the offense. Harbaugh commented that Onwenu has been one of the team’s top linemen, just behind senior left tackle Mason Cole. Kugler, meanwhile, thinks Onwenu can be one of the best
linemen in the country if he continues improving at this rate. “(Onwenu’s) understanding the game a lot more,” Kugler said. “We all know that he’s an athletic freak. I mean, he’s 360 pounds and can move the way he does. Just the understanding he’s getting of the offense — it’s incredible compared to what it was last year.” Added fifth-year senior linebacker Mike McCray: “He’s so big, and to be that big and be able to move that well at that size, that’s an asset for him. … That helps our offensive line create space. Strong, big powerful guy. “It’s kinda hard to get around him. You’ve just got to be stout, really. Don’t let him push you back. But it’s hard, 350-pound lineman who can move, it’s pretty hard to beat.” Spanellis may not be as athletic as Onwenu. But he has, as Harbaugh called it, football smarts — and as his performance Saturday showed, he’s still able to be effective, especially when working with Onwenu.
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Stephen Spanellis and Michael Onwenu worked in tandem against Rutgers, helping Khalid Hill reach the end zone.
FIELD HOCKEY
O’Neill a defensive difference maker ARIA GERSON For the Daily
It’s becoming a rare sight to see the ball near the Wolverines’ goal. In Sunday’s Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal win against Ohio State, the Michigan field hockey team held the Buckeyes to a mere four shots and one penalty corner en route to a 3-0 win. Halle O’Neill has a lot to do with that. The freshman defender from Hummelstown, Pa., didn’t expect to have much of a role at the beginning of the season. After coming off the bench in the season-opening match against North Carolina, O’Neill has started every match since, proving to be an indispensable member of the team. It’s a common sight to see her sweeping down the field, taking the ball away and keeping it from the other team. Her efforts have contributed to a program record 11 shutouts. “She’s had an incredible year,” said Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz. “Her ability to … jump right in at the beginning has really been part of the success of our team. She’s fast and has got great skills and makes really great decisions.” Against a Buckeye team that was aggressive on both sides of the ball, the Wolverines had to make the most of their chances. Ohio State played physically, but despite her inexperience, O’Neill was unfazed. “I would just try to step in front of them so they couldn’t even touch the ball, but that would upset them a lot, and then it got very pushy,” O’Neill said. “I think we handled it as a team very well. We stayed composed.” In the end, the penalty corners made all the difference. All three of Michigan’s goals came off penalty corners, including one scored by O’Neill when a shot from senior midfielder Katie Trombetta deflected to her.
Ohio State’s best scoring chance also came on a penalty corner. The shot by Buckeye senior defender Maartje Bongers was a good one, but O’Neill was there to block it and direct it back down the field, where the Wolverines took another shot. O’Neill is new to playing such a pronounced role as the main blocker on penalty corners. That job used to belong to fifth-year senior midfielder Esther de Leijer. But when she got injured, it was O’Neill’s turn. “With Esther injured, I knew I had to … step into her shoes,” O’Neill said. “She’s been coaching me all week, one-on-one, and she helped a lot.” For O’Neill, the guidance of many of the team’s seniors has aided her improvement. “It’s unbelievable,” she said. “The seniors have been very welcoming of us freshmen and just the chemistry has been really great.” This year, Michigan won its eighth regular-season Big Ten title under Pankratz, but its first since 2011. After starting the season ranked No. 11 in the coaches’ poll, the Wolverines are now ranked third in the nation. A big part of that is the young players – sophomore midfielder Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort, sophomore forward Meg Dowthwaite and O’Neill. “I’m proud of … how hard we’ve worked all season,” Pankratz said. “They’ve worked really hard for it and I’m really happy for them, that they were able to become champions.” The Wolverines’ ultimate goal lies ahead of them, and O’Neill is confident. “You have to go in expecting to win and expecting to succeed,” she said. “We can only go up from here and hopefully win a couple more titles.” And if the title comes, O’Neill and the rest of the defense will have been an instrumental part.
Lewan looking for success at next level ‘M’ captures second WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
straight Big Ten title TIEN LE
Daily Sports Writer
The No. 10 Michigan women’s cross country team established its presence early in the Big Ten championship to capture its second consecutive title. In an overwhelming win, the Wolverines proved that they are a serious threat to win a national title. Michigan finished first out of a 14-team field that included No. 9 Penn State and four other nationally-ranked teams in Bloomington. For the first time in a decade, the Wolverines captured consecutive conference titles with their best race of the season. The key to winning the race was the strategy put in place. Coming out fast, Michigan settled for a good placement near the front of the pack, but didn’t expend unnecessary effort to try immediately claiming the lead. “We wanted to be in good position, but not necessarily leading,” said Michigan coach Mike McGuire. “We engaged with the runners from the contending teams early, and then from there we actually established our presence even more as the race went on.” Leading the Wolverines were fifth-year seniors Jamie Morrissey and Gina Sereno. Finishing the race in third and fourth place, respectively, their performances earned them firstteam All-Big Ten honors. Sereno started the first 5,000 meters in second place. She stayed consistent throughout before dropping to a fourthplace finish in the last kilometer with a time of 20:22.2. Morrissey followed closely behind Sereno to start the race. Unlike her teammate, her placement fluctuated before dropping to seventh by the 4,000th meter. Within the last 2,000 meters, she overtook four others to take third overall with
a time of 20:16.8. Unlike the previous meet — where the fourth and fifth scorers placed in the 80s and 90s — Michigan’s depth proved to be a strength rather than a liability. The trio of redshirt junior Avery Evenson, sophomore Madeline Trevisan and junior Claire Borchers broke through a slow start to finish in succession for 15th through 17th place, respectively. Finishing within a second of each other, the three followed the game plan McGuire implemented to help the Wolverines to a 31-point lead over second-place, Minnesota. “They were really excited,” McGuire said. “They executed the race plan. They executed being accountable for each other. They left it all out there. “It’s a great feeling when they know they competed well individually. One individual competed well, and then their teammates did the same. So it was a very important collective effort.” Evenson — an All-American — set a new personal record, finishing in 20:47.5. Trevisan finished in 20:47.7, and Borcher in 20:48.5. Fifth-year seniors Haley Meier, Sophie Linn, Sarah Zieve placed 27th, 46th, and 55th, respectively, with junior Ellie Leonard finishing 64th. Though the seniors didn’t place in the top five like Morrissey or Sereno, they contributed to the scoring by pushing back the placement of opposing runners. And at the end of the day, when the Wolverines celebrated euphorically, their lack of a top finish didn’t matter all that much in the end. “I’m really happy for my seniors,” McGuire said. “It’s a great way to close out their Big Ten cross country career, and we’re really just excited that both teams, both the women’s and men’s won. That’s the first time that’s happened since 1993.”
ETHAN SEARS
Daily Sports Writer
Mother knows best, so the saying goes. For Will Lewan, that saying is reality. “My mom had me (wrestle), starting in fourth grade,” he said. “She thought it’d be a good way for me to become a better athlete for football.” That was how Michigan’s top 2018 wrestling commit first stepped onto the mat. That was back when he was 10 years old. Four years later, in eighth grade, he quit football to focus entirely on wrestling. In ninth grade, he wasn’t just on the varsity team: he finished fourth in the state. Now, as a senior at Montini Catholic High School in Lombard, Ill., he’s the top-ranked 152-pounder in the country according to FloWrestling. “(A scholarship) was always a goal in my mind, but I never really thought it was gonna happen until my freshman year of high school,” Lewan said. “My coach just worked us so hard, and I improved so much that freshman year that I
felt like I could do anything.” By last summer, a scholarship was an inevitability. Lewan had his pick of the lot – offers from Michigan, Cornell, Iowa State, North Carolina, Northwestern, Oklahoma State and Stanford. When he visited Ann Arbor, however, the choice was obvious. “Being there, it just felt more and more like this was the place where I wanted to spend the next four years,” Lewan said. “It kind of grew on me as I was there.” He narrowed the initial list down to Michigan, North Carolina and Stanford, then announced he would become a Wolverine on Sept. 18. A pending college decision wasn’t the only thing on Lewan’s mind this September, though. Earlier in the month, he traveled to Athens, Greece with the U.S. national team for the 2017 Cadet World Championships. In the final round of that tournament, Lewan faced Azerbaijan’s Daud Ibragimov. The two had a point each as the match reached its climax. Then, Lewan drove Ibragimov to the edge of
the mat. The two grappled there for 10 seconds or so before Lewan found enough leverage to get his hands around Ibragimov and take him down, ending the match. He swaggered off and was given an American flag, which he draped around his shoulders to carry triumphantly around the mat. “I felt proud to represent my country and really show that I became the best because, for my age and weight, I was the best for that moment,” Lewan said. “I felt like all my work had just paid off.” Lewan knew it was for real when he looked at his phone and saw a barrage of notifications. “Probably half my contacts, at least,” sent congratulatory messages, Lewan told the Daily. Not to mention the barrage of Instagram followers, which now number upwards of 2,400. There was also a Michigan connection in Greece. Sean Bormet, an assistant coach on the Wolverines’ wrestling team, was one of three coaches for the U.S. team. The athletic communications department couldn’t make Bormet available for
this story because Lewan hasn’t officially signed with Michigan. However, he noted that familiarity with Bormet “helped with why I went to Michigan.” Athens isn’t the only involvement Lewan has with USA Wrestling either. He was asked to attend school at the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs this year, but decided to stay in Lombard. “I feel like I could get just as good with my coach here as I could there,” Lewan said. The 2020 Olympics are a long way off, but the invitation could be an indicator that Lewan is on a fast track to Tokyo. If one thing shone about Lewan, however, it was focus. He still has a season to go in high school to get better, defend titles, and dominate – a season that won’t go to waste. “In wrestling, it’s all up to you and how much you want it and how hard you’ve worked,” Lewan said. “You can control that in the match. In other sports, like baseball, you gotta count on the rest of your team to do it. You don’t get to physically take what you want.”
CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily
Michigan coach Joe McFarland will have Will Lewan — who is ranked as the No. 1 recruit in his weight class — joining the Michigan wrestling team in 2018.
Sports
8 — Tuesday, October 31, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Four takeaways from Wolverines’ split at Penn State BENJAMIN KATZ Daily Sports Writer
Though the Michigan hockey team (1-1 Big Ten, 4-2 overall) split its weekend series against No. 15 Penn State (2-2, 4-4) to open Big Ten play, the Wolverines showed many signs of a reenergized team with high hopes moving forward. As more competition against highcaliber conference opponents begins, the Daily looks at four key storylines from what was an eventful and decisive weekend in State College. Goaltender rotation here to stay ... for now Since Media Day in early September, coach Mel Pearson has reiterated that he wants to name a decisive starting goaltender after the first eight games. It seemed that after next weekend’s series against Ferris State, Pearson would likely announce a starter. Sophomores Jack LaFontaine and Hayden Lavigne have split time each weekend vying for the starting role. But the goaltender competition may have been a blessing in disguise, and could result in Pearson changing his views on minding the net by committee. LaFontaine and Lavigne performed well against the highpowered Nittany Lion offense, compiling 49 and 42 saves on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Despite the shot onslaught, they stood strong in the crease, making key saves in important spots to keep the Wolverines in the game or protect their lead. This was especially the case for Lavigne, who stopped 11 shots during five Penn State power plays in Saturday’s 5-2 Michigan win. “They’re good,” Pearson said. “We rotated them right from day one and it looks like that’s going to continue. I come from a school being a one-goalie guy, but we have two good ones and the competition is good. They push each other and I
hope it continues because if they’re both playing, that means they’re both playing well.” One of the biggest question marks early in the season may already be answered before eight games elapse. With quality starts from LaFontaine and Lavigne, the goaltenders may have proven Pearson wrong, with splitting time continuing to be a formidable option. Adjustments carried out well in back-to-back games After sweeping Vermont at home last weekend, Pearson expressed that whoever loses the first game of a weekend series often rebounds with a newfound energy the following game. The Catamounts had no such energy against the Wolverines, but when Michigan was on the other side of the coin against Penn State, it bounced back with a statement win over last year’s Big Ten Tournament champions. Following a heartbreaking 5-4 overtime loss Friday, the Wolverines went right into redemption mode. With a longer video session Saturday morning, Michigan dissected the last five minutes of Friday’s third period when the Nittany Lions tied the game for the third time, followed by the winning tally just 53 seconds into overtime. Pearson pointed to poor puck management and a lack of defensive stoutness in the closing moments that led to the defeat. The next night, the Wolverines conceded just two goals, stifling the nation’s sixth-best power play offense with an impressive 5-for-5 on the penalty kill — and 8-for-8 for the weekend — en route to an important rebound win. “This team’s new for me and I wasn’t sure how we would react,” Pearson said. “I was really proud of our team, the mental toughness they showed. Coming into a tough place, we got it handed to us last year a couple of times. So, to come
RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily
Senior forward Dexter Dancs has already surpassed his goal total from last year, scoring three times against the Nittany Lions in State College this weekend.
back here and win a game like this shows a lot about the character of our team. “It’s just a learning process going forward, so that when we get into a tough game somewhere down the line, we can play with that composure.” And from Saturday’s dominant victory, Michigan already proved it can play with composure in tough contests against tough opponents. Seniors begin to lead the way on offensive front Two weekends ago, sophomore forward Jake Slaker and freshman forward Josh Norris spearheaded the offensive attack against Vermont. Pearson noted how the underclassmen were stepping up while some of the upperclassmen were not. That was not the case against
Penn State. The forward line of seniors Dexter Dancs and Tony Calderone and junior Cooper Marody answered Pearson’s challenge, combining for 15 points on the weekend. Dancs, who recorded only one goal all of last season, already surpassed that total during this series alone, scoring three and adding two assists. Calderone recorded two goals — both early in Saturday’s game — and two helpers. And Marody, who hopes to play his first full season, racked up a goal and five assists. Despite the slow start to the season from some veterans, they seem to be playing to their potential when needed. With new heroes rising to the occasion weekly, the Wolverines are in no shortage of goal scorers, an aspect of the team Pearson finds admirable and essential for future
success. If the underclassmen and upperclassmen can simultaneously fire on all cylinders, the offense — which is averaging 32.7 shots and 3.2 goals per game — could be lethal against some of the biggest programs in college hockey. Defensive improvements made, but still more room for growth While the offense continues to strengthen each weekend, it can only do so much. The other half comes from the defense, an area that clearly needs to improve. From Friday to Saturday, Michigan bettered its goal protection, allowing just two goals while successfully killing 18 penalty minutes and blocking 29 shots in the second game. However, as Pearson noted, there
is still much work to be done on defense instead of solely relying on LaFontaine and Lavigne to be “the best penalty killers”. “Last night, we talked about how we’re not going to go anywhere giving up five goals against anybody,” Pearson said following Saturday’s win. “We’re just kidding ourselves. We have to buy in and have a total commitment to team defense. We’ll score goals; we have enough guys to score goals. But we have to play a lot better defensively. I’m disappointed about that.” Pearson believes his team responded to the message and “carried that forward well” Saturday. Nevertheless, a more consistent defense is imperative for the Wolverines to regularly beat the Big Ten’s best, let alone challengers like in-state rival Ferris State this upcoming weekend.
Notebook: Peters “likely” to start, Walker in line for more playing time TED JANES
Daily Sports Writer
Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that redshirt freshman Brandon Peters will “likely” get the first start of his career this weekend against Minnesota. “We’re going to prepare both quarterbacks,” Harbaugh said. “It’s likely that Brandon will play. It’s likely he’ll start too.” Harbaugh did not give a definitive answer as to whether Peters or fifth-year senior John O’Korn would take the first snap, but in a lexical tug-ofwar-esque press conference, he insisted that Peters would absolutely see additional playing time. “We’re going in the way we have, preparing both quarterbacks,” Harbaugh said. “I’m not naming a starter today. We’ll see how the week progresses. Our system is a meritocracy where the best players play.” Peters threw for 124 yards, completed 10 of 14 attempts and passed his first career touchdown against Rutgers on Saturday. He adjusted well to his first major collegiate appearance but faces a bigger test this week against Minnesota. Rutgers gives up an average of 213 passing yards per game, and the Golden Gophers allow just 184. Harbaugh said that he is really looking to see how Peters builds on the successes he had against the Scarlet Knights. And after jokingly going back and forth with reporters about the meaning of the word “likely,” Harbaugh attempted to clear the ambiguity. “Brandon is definitely going to play. I’d say the 51 percent would be on the side of him starting,” Harbaugh said. All in all, Harbaugh at no point definitively said that either Peters or O’Korn would start, but it does seem more probable than not that Peters will be the one to step out on
the field with the Wolverines’ starting offense. The Little Brown Jug Fifth-year senior linebacker Mike McCray remembers losing to Minnesota three years ago. Then in his redshirt freshman season, McCray watched as the Golden Gophers stole back the Little Brown Jug trophy. That year was 2014, the same year that Michigan went 5-7 and failed to make a bowl game, and the first year that Minnesota beat the Wolverines since 2005. “They came in here and blew us out,” McCray said. “For me, most of the guys weren’t here for that. That’s one thing that’s in the back of some of our minds. … That year wasn’t a good year. The atmosphere is a lot better (now). … Rivalry games are always close, good games. Gotta stay level-headed. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low, just go out, compete and have fun.” While the rivalry with the Golden Gophers doesn’t garner the same hype and attention as the games against Ohio State and Michigan State, McCray still relishes the chance to play for some hardware. And when your team is expected to win the rivalry as often as Michigan is, losing can be even more uncomfortable for the Wolverines. “As a kid, you always wanted a trophy,” McCray said. “I feel like it’s the same thing when you come to college. You win that game — you keep the trophy. That game (in 2014) was one of those awkward games that sits in your mind for a while.” Walker getting more snaps Redshirt freshman running back Kareem Walker has finally started to see time in the deep tailback rotation. Whatever it is that Walker is doing in practice, it’s paying off on the field.
“He’s demonstrated a good, hard running style,” Harbaugh said. “The way he runs — feet are turning over fast, he’s picking the right hole, finishes runs with a nice lean forward. He’s the aggressor, not the aggressee.” Walker was the nation’s fourth-ranked running back in his recruiting class, but did not play last year when Harbaugh said that he was “working through some things academically.” This year, Walker has appeared in three games — Purdue, Indiana and Rutgers — rushing for a total of 49 yards. He ran for his first touchdown on a five-yard rush in the third quarter against the Scarlet Knights. While he is still behind junior Karan Higdon and fifth-year senior Ty Isaac on the depth chart, he’s starting to make a bigger impact, and showing signs that he will be a big part of the Wolverines’ offense in the coming years.
BY THE NUMBERS Rookies against Rutgers
124
Passing yards from redshirt freshman Brandon Peters.
10
Completions on 14 attempts for Peters.
6
Carries for redshirt freshman Kareem Walker — a career high.
2
Touchdowns combined between Peters and Walker.