2013-11-21 by The Michigan Daily

ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Thursday, November 21, 2013

Ann Arbor, Michigan

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#BBUM

ADMINISTRATION

Professors rally over ‘U’ shared services ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily

The Black Student Union blacked out the Posting Wall in Mason Hall Wednesday in an effort to give students a place to express their expereinces as part of the Being Black at the University of Michigan Campaign, which gained national attention as the hashtag #BBUM trended on Twitter Tuesday.

GREEK LIFE

Theta Xi faces public hearing Frat charged with violating student org code of conduct for racist party By ALICIA ADAMZYCK Daily News Editor

There was standing room only in the Anderson Room of the Michigan Union Wednesday night as more than 100 people gathered to watch a formal

hearing against members of the University’s chapter of Theta Xi fraternity for a Facebook event posted by a brother that drew sharp criticism from the University community for its insensitive content. A case brought on by three university students alleges that the fraternity violated sections of the Standards of Conduct for Recognized Student Organizations. Music, Theatre & Dance senior Erica Nagy and LSA seniors Erin Fischer and Brian Thomas were

the plaintiffs in the case, which was heard by the Greek Activities Review Panel — the judicial body for the Panhellenic Association, the Interfraternity Council, the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Multicultural Greek Council. The Facebook event was for a party that promised twerking contests and used terms such as “ratchet pussy” and “bad bitches” to describe intended partygoers. Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones filed an official complaint with the fraternity after

the Facebook event went viral. The event was later cancelled. Theta Xi’s national headquarters also launched its own investigation into the incident. The review panel is comprised of five members of the Greek community. It has three business days to privately consider and issue any sanctions against the fraternity or individual members, which could range from educational programs to fines. LSA senior Eric Quang, president of Theta Xi, and LSA junior See HEARING, Page 5A

Dept. chairs and faculty join to oppose planned centralization By SAM GRINGLAS Daily Staff Reporter

With the University’s Shared Services Center scheduled to open next year, University officials have scrambled to quell the fears of faculty and staff amid a growing chorus of complaints. Since the beginning of November, at least seven University departments have submitted letters to University President Mary Sue Coleman or Provost Martha Pollack criticizing the University’s implementation and communication of the shared services initiative. The consolidation of services is a part of the Administrative Service Transformation Project, a cost-saving measure that will transfer 275 departmental human-resource and

HOSPITAL

BUSINESS

Cancer Center director to step down from post Max Wicha, noted researcher, oversaw center’s formation and growth By AMABEL KAROUB Daily Staff Reporter

After establishing the University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center in a temporary trailer behind the Simpson Memorial Institute 27 years ago, Cancer Center Director Max Wicha has decided to step down from his post. Under Wicha’s leadership, the Cancer Center has become one of the leading cancer treatment and research centers in the country, ranking fourth in grants awarded from the National Cancer Institute and first for a university-based cancer center. Looking back on his time as director, Wicha said building a state-of-the-art facility that would house both clinical work

and research was significant highlight of his career. He led the effort to expand the Cancer Center’s reach even further with the 2010 acquisition of the North Campus Research Complex from Pfizer. During Wicha’s time, the center also developed new techniques for treating cancers, and created one of the first breast cancer centers in the country that brings together physicians and nurses from different specialties. Every five years, the NCI must renew the grant for the Cancer Center to continue its work. As the grant was recently renewed for the sixth time under Wicha’s leadership, he said he feels that it is the ideal time to hand the baton over to his successor. Over the next year, the University of Michigan Health System will conduct a national search for Wicha’s successor. Wicha said a good replacement would have a vision in mind for how to take the center forSee DIRECTOR, Page 5A

finance staff to a centralized location where the support staff can be shared across departments. Earlier this year, the University hired Accenture LLP, a major consulting firm, to plot out how to implement shared services. The Accenture contract is valued at $11.7 million. The initiative was initially expected to save $17 million per year, but that estimate has been reduced to savings between $5 and $6 million. On Wednesday, University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said the reduction in estimated cost savings came about because administrators decided to decrease the extent of the changes to services. However, University faculty members have voiced concern focusing on the project’s transparency and equity, as well as its consequences for the intellectual environment of departments and academic units. Some University employees interviewed about shared services agreed only to speak anonymously due to the sensiSee SERVICES, Page 5A

Charitable business opens on South U Merit aims to help underserved highschool students get into college ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

LSA sophomore Danielle Purtell speaks at a candlelight vigil for the millions of victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines on the Diag Wednesday. Purtell discussed her personal connection to the afflicted nation and how the typhoon affected her family.

Students organize vigil for Typhoon Haiyan relief Over 10,000 dead, 4 million displaced by storm By NEALA BERKOWSKI For the Daily

To honor of the victims of the catastrophic devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan,

more than 60 students gathered on the Diag Wednesday evening for a candlelight vigil. The storm ripped across the nation on Nov. 8, and entire villages were swept away, over 10,000 people have been reported dead and an estimated four million people have been displaced, according to The Wall Street

Journal. Organized by the Filipino American Student Association and the Michigan Environmental Group Alliance, the vigil opened with the singing of the Philippine National Anthem and continued with students sharing personal stories of friends and family who are living in the Philippines See VIGIL, Page 5A

By HILLARY CRAWFORD Daily Staff Reporter

Even though the streets outside of the new Merit storefront were cold, the crowd of Ann Arbor residents and students from Detroit and the University created a buzz of excitement on South University Avenue. Merit, which seeks to raise awareness about education issues through the commercialization of its clothing brand, was founded by University alum David Merritt. Merit Goodness, Inc. is made primarily of two components, FATE mentorship and the Merit clothing line. FATE, which is based at the University, pairs University stuSee MERIT, Page 2A

Season of love MUSKET to present the acclaimed musical “RENT”

WEATHER TOMORROW

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SUDOKU.....................2A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A B-SIDE ....................1B

News

2A — Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013

MONDAY: This Week in History

TUESDAY: Professor Profiles

WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers

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THURSDAY: Alumni Profiles

FRIDAY: Photos of the Week 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com

LAWYER DEVOTED TO PUBLIC SERVICE, EDUCATION

Alum disscusses social role of University Since G.A. Finch has been at the University, he has been a partner at Chicago-based law firm Hoogendoorn & Talbot LLP and served as Chicago’s deputy planning commissioner, general counselor to the Chicago Housing Authority and now, as chief of staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. You seem to be deeply involved in public service, education being of particular interest to you. Why have you taken up such a role? Well, I think public service is something that everyone should do. Whether they’re serving for the military or doing stints in the government sector, I think we all have a

duty to be active citizens. The benefits of doing public service are that it makes you a better professional, a better leader to be in these kinds of roles. You develop a new skill set. You develop broader relationships. I think it makes you better at what you do, wherever you come from. It’s helped to me a better counselor and adviser and advocate for my clients. What steps do you think need to be taken by the University or by the state government at large to ensure the representation of minority groups at institutions of higher learning? I think it’s the responsibility of

CRIME NOTES

the University community and the administration to make sure there is a nurturing, benign environment for all students, whatever persuasion or ethnicity or gender orientation. In terms of the mechanics and the practicalities of how you increase the number of minorities, I think it’s critical to provide sufficient financial aid to anyone who has an ability to get in and to succeed at Michigan. But I think what’s happened is that because it’s been tied to race and ethnicity, it is being perceived as giving advantages to particular minorities to the disadvantage of other ethnic groups of whatever persuasion. I think financial aid should be tied to one’s economic circumstances. Not all African Americans

Very superstitious

Bleed Maize, beat OSU

WHERE: Hatcher Graduate Library WHEN: Tuesday at 11:50 a.m. WHAT: About 100 highschool students protested on the steps of the library, blocking the entrance, University Police reported.

WHERE: 1300 McIntyre WHEN: Tuesday at about 8:45 a.m. WHAT: A side mirror was broken off a vehicle parked in a public lot, University Police reported. The incident occurred between Nov. 18 and Nov. 19.

WHAT: Come participate in the blood drive, taking place up until Nov. 27th, to beat OSU in the Blood Battle and do a good deed for the day. WHO: Blood Drives United WHEN: Today from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union

Bumper cars, Branching Out anyone? WHERE: 1919 Green WHEN: Tuesday at about 7:30 p.m. WHAT: A U of M vehicle was damaged by a broken branch, University Police reported. The vehicle suffered damage to the door and fender, but no injuries were sustained.

Law School App Prep

WHERE: 1520 Fuller WHEN: Tuesday at about 9:20 a.m. WHAT: A parked vehicle sustained bumper damage after being backed into by another car, University Police reported. The culprit left the scene.

WHAT: Current law school applicants can make an appointment through the Career Center to attend this workshop to learn how to write personal statements. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: Today from 3:30 to 4:10 p.m. WHERE: Student Activities Building

MORE ONLINE Love Crime Notes?

Get more online at michigandaily.com/blogs/The Wire

Interview input WHAT: This interview workshop is open to undergrads from all grades, and will outline strategies that prove helpful in interviews for either full time jobs or internships. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: Today from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m WHERE: Student Activities Building

Annie’s back! WHAT: Annie will be performed tonight. Families are welcome! WHO: Michigan Union Ticket Office WHEN: Today at 7 p.m. WHERE: Mendelssohn Theatre l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.

Nuclear talks begin amid Iran’s warning of negotitation limits

— SEAN CZARNECKI Read more at michigandaily.com

THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY

Burger King announced Tuesday that it plans to expand to India, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. It plans on tweaking the menu by adding a “local twist” and has yet to decide which burgers to include on the menu.

“RENT” will be put on by MUSKET, the student-run musical theater organization on campus that is made up entirely of students. Read about it in this week’s b-side. >> FOR MORE, SEE INSIDE

People Magazine has named Adam Levine the official “Sexiest Man Alive,” reported People on Tuesday. The singer has been especially successful this past year, after developing his own clothing line. But he has a girlfiriend, ladies.

MERIT From Page 1A

dents with students from the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, a public charter high which his country will not com- former ally that turned adversary school on the Northwest side of promise. after the Islamic Revolution of Detroit founded by the former Still, both sides indicated a 1979. Michigan basketball player of first-step agreement was posBut America’s longtime allies its name. Merit, the business sible on a deal to roll back Iran’s Israel and Saudi Arabia fear a deal side, donates 20 percent of its nuclear program in exchange for will fall short of ending the Irarevenue toward scholarships limited sanctions relief, despite nian threat and that a resurgent awarded to mentees who parstrong opposition from Israel Iran will transform the balance ticipate in FATE. GENEVA (AP) — A new round and unease in both Congress and of power in the Middle East. The store opened its doors of Iran nuclear talks began in fits among Iranian hard-liners. A senior U.S. official said South University Avenue earand starts Wednesday, with the President Barack Obama Wednesday’s brief plenary was lier in the month, but officially two sides ending a first session appears determined to reach such only a formality and that bilateral joined the Ann Arbor business just minutes after it began amid an agreement, which could be a meetings would continue through community in a ribbon cutting warnings from Iran’s supreme major step toward reconciliation the evening to try to hammer ceremony Wednesday night. leader of “red lines” beyond between the United States and a out the first steps of a deal. She The ceremony began as Comdemanded anonymity under U.S. pulsive Lyres, a University a government briefing rules. cappella group, performed outHowever, there was also tough side of the storefront. Univertalk, reflecting tensions from sity alum Kuhu Saha, founder nearly a decade of negotiations of FATE, addressed the audithat have begun to make headway ence gathered on the sidewalk, only recently. thanking them for their supWhile voicing support for the port. talks, Iran’s supreme Leader, The ribbon was cut by JanAyatollah Ali Khamenei, insisted Ida Ripton, a student at the there are limits to the concessions Jalen Rose Leadership AcadLoading “Sudoku Syndication” 1/29/09 1:40 PM Tehran will make. And he blastemy. Ripton told the crowd ed Israel as “the rabid dog of the that the opportunities offered region” — comments rejected by by the FATE program and that French President Francois Holthe promise of a $5,000 college lande as “unacceptable.” scholarship, raised by Merit French spokeswoman Najat revenues, has encouraged her Vallaud-Belkacem told reportHARD ers in Paris that such statements complicate the talks, but France still hopes for a deal and its position has not changed. At the previous round earlier this month, France said it wanted tough conditions in any preliminary deal with Iran, and those negotiations then ended with both sides speaking of progress but continued differences on a final agreement. Khamenei gave no further details in a speech to a paramilitary group aimed at both placating hard-liners and showing his backing for the Iranian officials meeting with international negotiators in Geneva. But his mention of Iran’s “nuclear rights” was widely interpreted as a reference to uranium enrichment. For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed ahead with criticism of © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. what he asserts is a deal in the making that will give Iran too much for too little in return.

U.S. officials seek agreement through bilateral meetings despite tensions

SUDOKU

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aspirations to attend New York University and study theater. Merritt gave remarks after Ripton’s address. “When David and Kuhu first came to the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy and talked about how the program would help students get to college, I was just awestruck and said, ‘I just need to enter this program,’ ” Ripton said. “I love the fact that we get to visit different organizations and businesses and get to go outside our community.” LSA senior Dailyn Foster, president of FATE, said the mentorship and outreach program has done its part by spreading the word through social media and other means. “Part of our mission is to support the store,” Foster said. “The whole purpose is so that kids get scholarships … and get a chance to go to college.” Ann Arbor resident Suzanne Upton, who has a daughter in high school, came to the opening to support the new business in the community. “I think the way David put it — that you’re wearing a badge that supports something larger than yourself — is kind of cool,” Upton said. Members of the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce were also present at the event. Joey

Blaszczyk, membership sales representative of the chamber, said he respects the fact that Merritt chose to return to Ann Arbor to establish his business. “They give back so much to the youth, funding so many scholarships — really going out of the way to make them succeed is what makes them stand out,” Blaszczyk said. Merritt said he wants to expand the store by opening an outlet in Detroit, which he predicts will happen in the next 12-to-18 months. Marketing the brand is a part of the process, and much of it will rely on getting word out to University students. “So many of our U of M students are so dedicated to giving back, that we can connect with them on that, and know that we’re going to connect fashionwise with a lot of students,” Merritt said. “We’re trying to get the best of both worlds — whichever hits the heart — so we can hopefully become a fabric of the community.” Zingerman’s and Google, which have provided workshop to FATE mentees, have signed on as two of the 20 community partners supporting Merit. — Anna Grant contributed to this report.

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are impoverished. Many come from a solid middle-class and upper-class background, and they don’t need financial aid. In terms of increasing minorities at Michigan, I think Michigan has a good story to tell and it needs to be told better. My father, he went to Michigan in the 1920s, and they’ve always had African Americans going to the University. And so I think Michigan has a good story to tell, that there is a long history of African Americans matriculating and doing well at Michigan.

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Thursday, November 21, 2013 — 3A

The Cold War, Cleopatra, and Wine: The Guide to Interesting Winter 2014 Courses CLCIV 125, Section 1: Cleopatra Instructor: Arthur Verhoogt Credits: 1 Requirements: HU Prerequisites: N/A Date/Time: TuTh 12-1 p.m.

This course focuses on reconstructing Cleopatra from a historical viewpoint, going beyond popular perceptions and discovering the Roman, Western European and Egyptian versions of her while letting students build their own perspective on the Egyptian queen. The intended audience is any student interested in the ancient world. The course has been adapted from a broader, three-credit course. Greek Prof. Arthur Verhoogt said his motivation to build a course around Cleopatra was because of the interest in her in his larger courses. “I’m a specialist in papyrology, so I study the papyri from Egypt, and specifically the ones from the Roman period,” Verhoogt said. “I’ve always done courses with the papyri themselves, but I have noticed that everybody always comes back to Cleopatra. And then I thought yes, you think you know Cleopatra, but you don’t know half of it, so let’s look at what else is there.” The course is graded based on attendance, participation and several short writing assignments. It can be taken only pass/fail.

AOSS 101: Rocket Science Instructor: Mark Moldwin Credits: 3 Requirements: BS, NS Prerequisites: Algebra/Trig Level Math Date/Time: TuTh 10-11:30 a.m.

A classic natural science standby for non-science majors, AOSS 101 functions as an introduction to the concepts leading to spaceflight, space exploration and space environment — teaching students complex problem-solving skills and how to grasp big-picture ideas. “These concepts are taught with the backdrop of space exploration, so we can examine some cool topics like space travel and the future of the human race,” Moldwin wrote in an e-mail interview. “It was a way to introduce a broader audience to systems thinking while we explore rocket science and engineering.” The course is structured around mini-lectures and small group discussion, as well as take home “dorm room” experiments. It is graded based on regular homework problems and exams.

ENGLISH 230, Section 2: Houses

and Hauntings

Instructor: Emily Waples Credits: 3 Requirements: HU Prerequisites: N/A Date/Time: MoWe 1-2:30 p.m. This course welcomes non-English majors who wish to discover the answers of what it means to be “haunted.” Students will get a broad-range of styles of literature and learn how to analyze prose fiction by reading a variety of short stories and novels, including House of Usher, Beloved and House of the Seven Gables. Students will also watch classic horror films like “The Shining,” The Haunting” and “Rebecca.” The grading system is based on four essays and shorter writing assignments.

INSTHUM 212: Mapping Moby Dick Instructor: Patrick Tonks Credit: 1 Requirement: SS Prerequisite: N/A Date/Time: TuTh 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Mapping Moby Dick is offered by the Institute for the Humanities and is designed to give students new and progressive ways of researching in a digital landscape. Students will be analyzing Herman Melville’s Moby Dick not only by reading the novel, but also by making maps of where Ahab and his ship travel as he traverses the Pacific Ocean. The course will also be co-taught by Justin Joque, data visualization librarian at the Stephen Clark Library, and Rackham student Patrick Tonks. “This course is unique in the way we'll focus on mapping in particular as a way of engaging with a literary text,” wrote Tonks in an e-mail interview. The map will be plotted using visualization software. Students will complete one project throughout the mini-course.

CHEM 120: Science and Wine Instructor: Ruthann Nichols Credits: 3 Requirements: BS, NS Prerequisites: First-year students Date/Time: TuTh 4-5:30 p.m.

In this discussion-based course, students will explore the science behind wine and its health effects on humans. This new first-year seminar covers everything from how to develop a hypothesis to the reasons behind Beethoven’s deafness. The class is open to anyone who wants to explore and engage in analytical thought. “Science is so much fun, and wine represents a part of our social lives, nutrition, and diet,” Chemistry Prof. Ruthann Nichols said. “A lot of wine production is local, and there’s a lot of history. I put the two together and thought, alright, here’s the topic.” Grading will be multi-faceted and related to discussion, presentation and mastery of readings and exercises done throughout the semester.

PHIL 162: The University of Michigan: A Moral Institution? Instructor: Gary Krenz Credits: 3 Requirements: HU Prerequisites: N/A Date/Time: Tu 2:30-4 p.m. and discussion sections

Philosophy lecturer Gary Krenz, a special counsel to University President Mary Sue Coleman, will apply the writings of John Stuart Mill, Immanuel Kant and Aristotle to evaluate the University through a case study approach. The course’s intended audience is students who are interested in thinking systematically and philosophically about the human experience in the context of academic life. “Ethical inquiry is deeply embedded in what we as human beings do — or at least it should be,” Krenz wrote in an e-mail. “In this respect, your college years are a wonderful laboratory for exploring your personal ethical beliefs, for thinking about how we engage ethically with the communities we're a part of and the institutions we belong to. I hope the course will facilitate such examination and engagement for students.” The course is graded based on one final paper, participation, online homework and quizzes.

CEE 265: Sustainable Engineering

Principles

Instructor: Steven Skerlos Credits: 3 (Non-LSA) Requirements: BS Prerequisites: Advisory Chem 130, Math 116 Date/Time: TuTh 2:30-4 p.m.

Sustainable Engineering Principles is a newly revised course focused on the scientific, economic and social impacts of progressive engineering techniques —examining resource consumption, life cycle assessments, pollution generation and several other metrics. The first half of the course is meant to introduce the principles of engineering that will be used in the case study-focused second half of the course. “Undergraduate engineers have been disengaged from sustainability in their formal required and technical elective coursework since I arrived at U-M in 2000,” Skerlos wrote in an e-mail. “This course was a reaction to that. With this revision, we open up the class to everyone and introduce sustainability topics which include some of the past environmental engineering topics but focuses much more on technological sources, economic decisions, and assessing engineering choices holistically — encompassing material choice, manufacturing methods, use, and disposal.” CEE 265 will have three exams, quizzes and homework.

RCARTS 285: Photography Instructor: Seder Burns Credits: 4 Requirements: CE, RC arts practicum Prerequisites: N/A Date/Time: MoWe 9 p.m.-12 a.m.

Students will have the opportunity to experiment with classic photography principles in the only functioning dark room on Central Campus. Those who take the class will learn how to develop film, print images in the recently renovated dark room in East Quad Residence Hall, scan film and use digital print. Color film techniques will also be taught for the first time. By the end of the course, lecturer Seder Burns said students should be able to produce photographic and aesthetic artwork that expresses their personal views and how to develop photographs in dark rooms. Required materials include two textbooks, a 35mm camera, photo paper and film. Grades will be based on quizzes, creative assignments, successful completion of assigned major and minor projects, a midterm and a final exam.

AMCULT 204, Section 3: Spies, Sex and Sci-Fi: Cold War Culture

Instructor: Penny Von Eschen Credits: 3 Requirements: HU Prerequisites: N/A Date/Time: MW 10-11 a.m.

Students will get a chance to explore Cold War culture through mediums including film, TV and video games, studying favorites such as “James Bond,” “I Love Lucy,” “The Bourne Trilogy,” “The Manchurian Candidate” and “Star Trek.” This class is open to humanities and non-humanities majors alike. “We start in ’45 and then go into the culture of the 50s,” said history Prof. Penny Von Eschen. “It’s literally around spies, sex and sci-fi, because the idea of sexuality being deeply tied to communist subversion is all over the place in American culture. We look at how a lot of those tropes get challenged in the 60s and how some of that classic story starts to fall apart.” The course will also be collaborating with the LSA Winter 2014 theme, “India in the World.” It will include a new unit on Cold War relations with India and Pakistan and cooperation between U.S. and Pakistani intelligence networks.

ARABAM 235, Section 1/WOMENSTD 235, Section 1/AMCULT 235, Section 1: From Harems to

Terrorists: Representing the Middle East in Hollywood Cinema Instructor: Evelyn Alsultany Credits: 4 Requirements: HU, RE Prerequisites: N/A Date/Time: MW 4-5:30 p.m.

This film-based course explores how American views of Arabs and Muslims have changed over the last century, particularly in the face of different political environments. Students will watch a film from each decade starting with “The Sheik” in the 1920s, moving forward to movies including “The Mummy” and “Road to Morocco” — traveling all the way to the present decade. “Ultimately, students get a language to talk about representations,” said American Culture Prof. Evelyn Alsultany. “My hope is that students leave with an actual framework for analysis so that they can watch any movie past or present about Arabs, not just the 12 movies we watch in class, and be able to understand them and talk about them and analyze them.” Assignments include a weekly film viewing with notes, participation, two exams and a creative final project. The final project involves students becoming producers of media by creating a piece such as a five-minute film or a blog.

ARCH 213, Section 1: Buildings, Cities and People: Architecture and Modernity

Instructor: Claire Zimmerman Credits: 4 Requirements: HU Prerequisites: N/A Date/Time: TuTh 1-2:30 p.m., discussion section

“Buildings, Cities and People, Architecture and Modernity” will explore the evolution of architecture from its past linkages with elitism to its current associations with democracy and industry. It will also examine the problems that have arisen from rapid industrialization and physical development. Claire Zimmerman, associate professor of History of Art, said the class is usually composed of two main constituencies: undergraduate architecture students and a mixed group of students from other academic areas. “I try to use these two constituencies to help each other,” said Zimmerman. “The architecture students need to know how the rest of the world sees the built environment, and the non-architecture students need to understand what it is that architecture can do to the built environment.” The course includes a day trip to Detroit and will also use buildings on campus to illustrate thematic concepts. It is graded based on section participation, midterm/final assignments, a short field trip report, two short writing assignments and quizzes.

UC 254, Section 7: Much Depends on

Dinner

Instructor: Margot Finn Credits: 3 Requirements: ID Prerequisites: Completion of FYWR, must have sophomore standing Date/Time: TuTh 4-5:30 p.m. “Much Depends on Dinner” is an introduction to Food Studies and will expose students to uncommon research about food and evaluate the claims about what is more “authentic” or “healthier.” Students will discuss some of the major debates about food in the U.S. ranging from family meal planning to the obesity epidemic. Margot Finn, a lecturer in the American Culture department, said while related courses in Anthropology or Biology discuss food, this course will offer a broader range of perspectives. “The goal is to get them to really evaluate the evidence and the reasoning that can lead people to sometimes diametrically opposed positions and then decide for themselves what makes the most sense,” Finn wrote in an e-mail interview. Grades will be assigned using a class blog/reading responses, reading quizzes and four essay assignments.

ASTRO 127: Naked Eye Astronomy Instructors: Kwayera Davis Alabama Clement Credits: 1 Requirements: NS Prerequisites: N/A Date/Time: MoWe 2-3 p.m., 3-4 p.m., 4-5 p.m.

This mini-course is for all students who have an interest in astronomy, but want hands-on experience in observation. Unlike other astronomy courses, the mini-course is taught entirely in the Angell Hall planetarium, which gives the most experience in navigating the sky. Students will learn how the sky moves, how to find latitude and longitude in the sky, learn how to locate satellites and discern the phases of the moon. There are no required textbooks, only online reading and observing log sheets. Grades are based on two tests, two take-home quizzes, naked-eye observations, daily quizzes and talks about astronomy.

UC 250, Section 1/AMCULT 205, Section 1: Genes and Society: A

Global View

Instructor: Alexandra Stern Credits: 3 Requirements: HU, must have sophomore standing Prerequisites: N/A Date/Time: TuTh 2:30-4 p.m. This 20-student seminar is part of the Sophomore Initiative and is aimed toward second-year students interested in learning more about genetics from a global perspective. The instructor will use a wide variety of readings and films to cover topics including the history and issues of genetics, and related conditions such as Down’s syndrome and Huntington’s disease. The course is one of four new sophomore seminars offered winter term, all of which have to do with an aspect of global health. Stern said the 80 students from the four courses would participate in shared sessions throughout the semester. “One of the instructors in the smaller courses will lead these big common sessions,” said American Culture Prof. Alexandra Stern. “That way these students will learn even more perspectives on how to approach global health, how to study it, how to think about issues of global health disparities or ethical issues and so on.” Grading in this class will be based on four short paper assignments and a final creative project.

Earth 103, Section 1: Dinosaurs and Other Failures

Instructor: Tomasz Baumiller Credits: 1 Requirements: BS, NS Prerequisites: N/A Date/Time: TuTh 4-5 p.m. This mini-course asks two questions: First, what are the implications of size in biology? Second, how can we understand the behavior and functioning of organisms that are extinct? The class is aimed at anyone intellectually curious with a solid background in reasoning and logic, but is not limited to students with a science or math background. “We use dinosaurs, but we’re interested in some processes that affect not just dinosaurs but organisms in general,” said geological sciences Prof. Tomasz Baumiller. “What I’d like to do is have people think more broadly about organisms. I’m not trying to perpetuate some silly notions about dinosaurs; I’d like to place them in a family of other living things.” Grading will be largely based on one exam, with opportunities for extra credit. These opportunities include a trip to the Hall of Evolution at the Ruthven Museum and one-question quizzes during lecture.

COMPILED BY AMIA DAVIS, AMABEL KAROUB AND SHOHAM GEVA DESIGN BY NICK CRUZ

Opinion

4A — Thursday, November 21, 2013

Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com MELANIE KRUVELIS ANDREW WEINER EDITOR IN CHIEF

and ADRIENNE ROBERTS

EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS

MATT SLOVIN MANAGING EDITOR

Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.

FROM THE DAILY

Claiming the court Shifting power away from Ingham County court is a political move

n Tuesday, Nov. 12, Gov. Rick Snyder signed into law a bill that ends Ingham County Circuit Court’s tenure as Michigan’s Court of Claims. Public Act 164 moves the Court of Claims out of the Ingham County Circuit Court to the Court of Appeals and expands the court’s jurisdiction. The new, expanded Court of Claims will now handle hundreds of cases from the state, including challenges to Michigan’s Open Meetings, Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights and Freedom of Information Acts — a significant expansion of its scope. Yet, the Court of Claims jurists are handpicked by a group of Republican judges. It makes sense that an Ingham County court should not have the authority to make state decisions; however, the real reason for shifting responsibility is questionable, and most likely politically minded. While the conservative Michigan Supreme Court appointed two Republicans and two Democrats to the Court of Claims, its composition could change and is now open to manipulation in the future. Thus, partisan legislation could easily be pushed through by whatever political party holds a majority on the court. Even Bruce Timmons, a longtime Republican staffer for the House Judiciary Committee, said the new law is “rigging the deck against those who have to appear in court.” And now, an increased number of important state cases will be decided by Snyder-approved judges rather than being filed at local circuit courts. The new Court of Claims will assume immediate control of important pending cases, including Detroit’s right to cut retirement benefits and the legality of a tax on teacher pensions. While state officials claimed that this move was made simply to make the process more democratic, the governor and Michigan Supreme Court are granted more power. There are other ways to make the Court of Claims process less partisan that were apparently ignored.

State Rep. Jeff Irwin (D–Ann Arbor) introduced an amendment that would have the four judges selected by “blind draw.” That amendment, however, was shot down. There are only three states where the Court of Claims falls to the judicial branch. In New York, the Court of Claims is its own independent court. This is not the case in Michigan, where the separation of powers between government branches is slowly becoming nonexistent. Snyder is clearly attempting to thwart judicial review of the legislation he backs. Just like the emergency manager law, which was quickly pushed through the legislature, the Court of Claims reform was introduced in October and passed into law a month later, stifling public debate. This law, in theory, makes sense. However, its ostensibly sensible purpose is overshadowed by the blatant power grab by conservatives seeking to protect their own controversial reforms. The Court of Claims is now open to partisan influence by the governor and the state Supreme Court, and this power can easily be misused in the future.

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Barry Belmont, James Brennan, Rima Fadlallah, Eric Ferguson, Jordyn Kay, Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble, Adrienne Roberts, Matthew Seligman, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe ALEXANDRIA FOSTER | VIEWPOINT

Let us not lose sight When I walked into Mason Hall this morning for my political science research design class, I stopped in my tracks and looked at the black construction paper that replaced the usual posters and flyers advertising events on campus. I saw African American students gathering to write messages with chalk about their experiences, both positive and negative, about being students of color at the University of Michigan. I picked up a piece of light blue chalk, placed it on the black paper, and stood for a few minutes. After thinking about what I wanted to write, I put the piece of chalk back down, leaving the space empty. Throughout my class, I thought about what I wanted to write and then realized that a few words would not do justice in explaining how I feel as a biracial student on campus. Throughout my life, people have always questioned my race. At times, I have wondered if it is out of genuine curiosity or just plain ignorance. For some reason I never understood why people were infatuated with my hair or so quick to ask which one of my parents is white. And then it dawned on me — it is ambiguity that the human race is fascinated with. As a junior at the University, I have never felt particularly comfortable identifying with one racial group over another. Although I have been a member of a few Black student organizations, at times I felt that I was not worthy because I grew up in a predominately white environment. Because of this, among other reasons, I did not join a Black sorority or the Black Student Union. I was simply afraid that I would stand out as an anomaly. I can admit that these are two regrets I have as someone graduating from the University next year. It was not until yesterday morning, when the #BBUM trend on Twitter sparked national attention, that I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. It reassured me that other students shared similar feelings to my own and that they recognized the same problems I have noticed since I stepped foot on campus. As I read through tweets, Facebook posts and handwritten messages in Mason, I had an “aha!” moment: It dawned on me that being biracial at the University means that while I

can sympathize with the frustration of Black students, I am also conscientious of how white students feel about the racial climate on campus. It made me realize that it is my responsibility to support movements that empower minorities, while also understanding that other students, including those who are white, do not always feel safe and welcomed in classrooms and student organizations. I am not blind to the racial issues and certainly not to the lack of diversity on campus, but it would be unfair to solely blame the University. We must do something to create change. In forming a movement, let us not forget that we attend a world-class institution — an institution that certainly has imperfections — but also has opportunities many could only dream of. An institution with a rich history of inclusion. An institution faced with bureaucratic challenges that often make problems difficult to solve. An institution that allows all students, including those of color, the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Let me be clear that I have had wonderful experiences at Michigan and have had opportunities that I am incredibly grateful for. I have heard President Barack Obama speak, traveled to Guatemala to volunteer on a medical mission trip, listened to the struggle and life story of Jose Antonio Vargas, watched my friends dance in cultural shows, and of course, cheered on the football team in the Big House. I have been taught by renowned professors and sat in on lectures with famous authors. This being said, it is easy to get caught up in the school’s prestige, and lose sight of issues that affect many students including myself. I want my voice to be heard, and I want others to know that it is OK to not feel completely comfortable in one racial group. Being biracial is something that has shaped the person who I am, and how I identify myself at Michigan. I encourage all students, especially students of color to continue to generate a movement. In doing so, I hope that we reach out to other students, and rather than strengthen racial divides, work to loosen them. Alexandria Foster is an LSA junior.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

The president of the bros

here are very few graduating seniors who have had a linear path through college. The vast majority of undergraduates utilize their time at Michigan and the years following to find themselves and create their future career. TIMOTHY Frequently, this BURROUGHS involves some reevaluation and plan changes along the way. While not all of us can follow the Mark Zuckerberg model of capitalizing on a good idea early, understanding our individual strengths allows us to discover our own niche where we can be successful. University alum David Portnoy understands this as well as anyone: He’s the owner and founder of the popular website and franchise Barstool Sports. Perhaps better known by his alternate persona, El Presidente, Portnoy developed the Boston-based blog, which is devoted to sports, pop culture, YouTube videos and plenty of scantily clad women. Although it has hardly been a direct path for Portnoy, his site now receives more than 75 million page views a month and has become extremely profitable through the combination of advertising, the Barstool Blackout concert tour and original apparel sales. Portnoy harnessed his previous career skills in sales and marketing to capitalize on the “fraternity” culture of 18-to-35-year-old males. Portnoy’s success exemplifies how capitalizing on our personal strengths and understanding target audiences can lead to entrepreneurial success. Portnoy, who was originally only accepted to the School of Nursing at Michigan, quickly transferred into LSA after arriving on campus.

Unable to pass the undergraduate language requirement, he transferred again into the School of Education, where he graduated with no intention to become a teacher. Though never a member of Greek Life at Michigan, Portnoy lived in West Quad Residence Hall his freshman year where he befriended members of the wrestling team, who became his close friends throughout his undergraduate career. Portnoy began working in sales after graduation where he gained experience pitching ideas to prospective advertisers and an understanding of how to maintain an audience and a market for his product. The original Barstool Sports site launched in 2007 when a fan of the original newspaper version moved to New York but still wanted access to Portnoy’s product. Back when blogs were still something you didn’t want in your plumbing, this avid fan created a site where Portnoy could upload content in a PDF format and effortlessly post it to the site. Since then the site has taken off nationally, with fans referred to as “stoolies” ranging from college-age students to many of Boston’s professional athletes. Portnoy attributes his rapid success to two main factors. By entering the blog world early, Portnoy feels his site “was unique by its very nature of existing. Looking at a lot of different blogs out there (now), whether it is Bro Bible or Total Frat Move, in my mind (they) rip off what we do… We had a huge head start.” While he may have been able to predict the interests of his audi-

ence, Portnoy admits the biggest surprise was how popular his writing became. “I was never supposed to be a writer, but the things people responded to the most were stories from my personal life, so I just followed it,” he said. Being able to adapt to what fans want has been a consistent goal of Barstool. The blog, which claims to be “by the common man, for the common man” has never feared trying new ideas, but constantly evaluates what works well and what falls short. The site now includes separate blogs for New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, the Washington D.C. and Baltimore area and, recently, Los Angeles. Barstool Blackout Tours, which started as a party series at fraternities, has expanded into a huge money maker, featuring shows across the nation including the University of Michigan. Barstool has also expanded into original YouTube content through “The Bro Show” which Portnoy feels could turn into the next big thing for his franchise with a possible TV deal on the horizon. Building on an established audience and maintaining loyal fans has allowed Portnoy to build a thriving brand. For those of us still looking for the next Facebook, Portnoy’s story shows how each opportunity contributes to the mindset of how to become competitive. His business sense, gained through personal experience and critical thinking, illustrates the process from which modern entrepreneurs can be successful.

Capitalizing on our personal strengths can lead to success.

—Timothy Burroughs can be reached at timburr@umich.edu.

SARA ISAAC | VIEWPOINT

Electrifying Africa

In 2013, about 80 percent of American teenagers have cell phones and more than 90 percent have a computer or access to one at home. The digital economy alone in the United States requires a massive and growing amount of energy. This is in contrast to sub-Saharan Africa, where 589 million — or nearly seven out of 10 — people do not have access to even the most basic electricity. It may be hard to discern, over the sound of the average American teenager complaining about how his or her iPhone desperately needs a charge, just how desperate the situation is in sub-Saharan Africa. Close to 90 million students have no electricity at school in Africa; they learn in locations without air conditioning or ventilation. About 70 percent of businesses cite the lack of access to reliable power as a major constraint; small business owners are often forced to repair and replace equipment without electric tools. Almost 225 million people of sub-Saharan Africa rely on health facilities that are without electricity. After mothers give birth in the

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

dark, there are seldom incubators in which they can place their babies for warmth, or respirators for people who cannot breathe on their own, or electrocardiography tests to find the source of unexplained chest pain. Families struggle to preserve food and cook without refrigeration and adequate heat, and many consume water that isn’t potable because it simply cannot be sanitized. Education, medicine and economic development all demand access to electricity, and subSaharan Africa can’t be expected to progress without this access. It’s tremendously unfair for sub-Saharan Africans to have to contend with this burden solely because of where they were born. Hope for the future lies in the congressional enactment of the Electrify Africa Act, part of a bipartisan initiative called Power Africa, which will hold the United States responsible for creating a “comprehensive strategy to help increase electricity in sub-Saharan Africa,” which, among other things, includes

Engineering may need reform, but difficult courses are necessary TO THE DAILY: I want to clarify a quote that was taken out of context in the article “Is an engineering education disconnected from reality?” by Julia Zarina. After briefly discussing an overwhelmed student, drop-out and transfer rates, degree workload and general student happiness, Zarina brings up a line from an e-mail sent out by a professor to his students in a previous semester: “Don’t plan to have a social life or engage in extracurricular activities until you’ve completed the first project,” the e-mail read. “Until then you won’t really know how much time this course requires of you.” This e-mail was sent to all students registered or wait-listed for the course Electrical Engineering and Computer Science 381, “Object Oriented and Advanced Programming,” well prior to the beginning of the semester. The content of the e-mail, not excluding Zarina’s quote, as well as the Cmputer Science and Engineering program guide and surveys available on the EECS department website makes it quite clear that this course is arguably one of the most intense courses offered to undergraduate Computer Science students at this University. The e-mail goes on, however, to explain why a diffi-

encouraging the U.S. Agency for International Development to use programs that are already in place, like loan guarantees, partnerships and grants, to increase electricity in sub-Saharan Africa, and inducing the World Bank, African Development Bank and Overseas Private Investment Corporation to prioritize and increase electrification and electrical sector investments in sub-Saharan Africa. It goes without saying the Electrify Africa Act, which costs the U.S. taxpayer almost nothing and relies mainly on renewable energy sources, is a huge step toward attaining modern energy for sub-Saharans. It’s not, however, one large enough to fill the vacuum. In fact, without new efforts, almost half of the subSaharan population will not have access to power in 2030. Surely one of the richest countries on the planet can afford to take further measures to help supply the world’s poorest obtain what has undeniably become a necessity of life. Sara Isaac is an LSA sophomore.

Send letters to: tothedaily@michigandaily.com cult workload is necessary to teach its material: “... good design and code quality become important when the programs start getting complex, .... The quality evaluation is the *major* part of the project grade.” Simply put, this class teaches the material that is frequently ignored when the complexity of an assignment doesn’t demand it. The professor even adds “This is why the projects are relatively large (though still tiny by industrial standards),” which emphasizes the gap between the projects students are expected to do when they are still learning how to program, and the projects required in industry. This is a gap EECS 381 exists to mend. In addition to the plainly advertised workload, the course is by no means compulsory. Students who are either not prepared for the course or would not benefit from the material are, of course, advised not to take it. Conversely, students who are both prepared for and would benefit from it are encouraged to take the course. Engineering education may be in need of reform; Zarina raises many good indicators to this effect. But there will always be, and should always be, courses that are difficult not for the sake of difficulty but for the sake of preparing students for problems they are more likely to encounter outside of their undergraduate education. Charles Vink Engineering senior

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be fewer than 300 words and must include the writer’s full name and University affiliation. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.

News

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

SERVICES From Page 1A tivity of the matter. In a Nov. 1 letter obtained by The Michigan Daily, 19 LSA department chairs and program directors called on University leadership to arrange a meeting with department representatives to address concerns related to shared services. The letter was addressed to Coleman; Pollack; E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life; Timothy Slottow, executive vice president and chief executive officer; and Laurita Thomas, associate vice president for human resources. The signatories listed three main concerns with the project’s implementation. First, the chairs and directors said they should have been consulted earlier in the decision-making process. Second, they claimed the project has been characterized by an aura of secrecy, which spiraled rumors and increased anxiety among staff. Third, the departmental leadership said shared services “amounts to a dehumanization of the workplace.” The authors were also concerned that most of the affected employees are predominantly women from lowerincome backgrounds. “In a recent communication, President Coleman writes that the ‘Victors for Michigan’ campaign ‘starts with the heart of our university — the faculty and staff who dedicate themselves to excellence at Michigan.’ We agree with the sentiment wholeheartedly, and respectfully request that AST be implemented with the respect and appreciation the staff members at the heart of the institution so richly deserve,” the letter said. Silke-Maria Weineck, chair of the Department of Comparative Literature, said in an interview that University administrators had cleared their calendars for a meeting during the week leading up to the Victors for Michigan campaign launch. Pollack, Slottow and Thomas attended the meeting, which took place on Nov. 7. “They responded immediately, and they responded with great openness,” Weineck said. “I think it was a very constructive meeting. Martha Pollack seemed very open and acknowledged that mistakes had been made. They asked many times what can we do to make this better.” Weineck said LSA’s department leaders’ most significant demand was a promise of no layoffs. While the administration could not commit to this promise at the meeting, University leaders announced in a Nov. 14 letter that no layoffs would result from the transition to a shared services center. Before the University made this announcement, many University staff members were concerned as uncertainty mounted in their departments. In an anonymous letter submitted to a department chair

DIRECTOR From Page 1A ward, particularly in the fields of research and patient care. “As director, they will have to have administrative skills in health care and health-care delivery, because with all of the changes in health care and health-care reform it’s becom-

— who wished to remain anonymous speaking about AST — one day before the administration’s announcement, an employee expressed anxiety related to the minimal information provided regarding her future at the University. “I cannot even tell you how anxious and worried and sick this charade has made me,” the employee wrote. “I cannot sleep. I do not know what I will do if I find myself without a job next year. I have worked for the University a long time. I am not ‘young’ and I have family who relies on my job. I do not know what will happen to us. I try so hard to do a good job and I’ve never received a bad job review or have been reprimanded about anything about my job performance, ever.” The administration addressed issues surrounding communication in their letter distributed to faculty and staff. “It is clear we were not sensitive or consultative enough in the planning and communication of this initiative,” the statement said. “We deeply value every member of the university community, and regret that the early stages of the process did not live up to our shared values.” Even after the University promised no layoffs would occur, faculty members continued to send letters regarding the anticipated effects on their respective departments. “However important as this is for the targeted staff, the crisis we now confront as a university and a community is less a crisis of money than a crisis of values,” a letter from the Women’s Studies Department said. The letters expressed disappointment in the University’s decision to pull valued staff from their departments. In some cases, impacted staff members have worked in their departments for more than three decades. “From our perspective, AST will disconnect vital individuals from our departments and warehouse them in remote locations,” the Department of American Culture letter said. “While the AST architects have attempted to give this a nice gloss, we view these new working conditions as unacceptable, promising a grim existence that others have compared to an ‘accounting sweatshop.’” American Culture Prof. Alexandra Stern said moving key staff to an off-site call center would immensely damage the department’s everyday functions. “There’s a lot of local knowledge in departments,” Stern said. “Departments are organic communities where there’s a lot of on-site problem solving.” She said a move toward shared services could decrease, rather than improve efficiency. Staff not only handles financial and human resource tasks but also plays a key role in coordinating the inner workings of University departments. With these employees relocated, Stern said faculty would need to spend a greater proportion of time handling paperwork,

systems or scanning. “I’m not whining or complaining about this,” Stern said. “I’m not saying that faculty shouldn’t do their share of needed work for their own projects and their own teaching. I think it could have an impact on the quantity of time faculty can spend with students, which none of us want.” Though Weineck, the Comparative Literature chair, will not lose any employees in her department to the shared services center, she, like other faculty members, has felt affected by the transition. “I’ve noticed that even staff members who are not affected at all have taken this as a very worrisome institutional process by which they feel threatened,” Weineck said. “There has been a certain kind of understanding that we are community. We do care for each other and this process seems extraordinarily cold.” In an interview with the Daily, one LSA chair who wished to remain anonymous said her department’s staff convened in her office, together with their one staff member told she would be transferred to a shared services center. They cried together. “This is real pain,” the chair said. “They are the heart and soul of this department.” On Wednesday, Pollack met with individual departments, including American Culture. American Culture faculty asked the University to postpone the shared services transition for one to two years — a period after the University’s next president and permanent LSA dean assume office, according to a faculty member present at the meeting with the department. That timeframe would allow faculty and staff to participate in the decisions surrounding a shared services transition. The faculty members also requested no staff in their department be transferred to the shared-services center until the end of that period. “The meeting with Pollack, who seems like a very nice and completely reasonable person, went well in a way — that is, everything was communicated honestly and cordially on both sides of the fence,” said a professor who wished to remain anonymous. “But it was also kind of depressing because of course no decisions were actually made.” Weineck said she sees the shared services conversation as an opportunity to strengthen ties between faculty and University officials. “I’m quite hopeful,” she said. “I think this process has been on the whole a positive experience because it opened up channels of communication between faculty and several administrators that weren’t there before.” As Universities across the nation begin to adopt shared services models, Weineck hopes the University will choose an alternative course. “My hope is that Michigan, rather than joining the trend, can actually establish itself as the University that does things differently.”

ing more and more of a challenge to be able to run successful large clinical programs,” Wicha said. After leaving, Wicha plans to spend more time personally treating breast cancer patients, along with conducting more cancer stem cell research. In 2003, his lab discovered breast cancer stem cells that are resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy — leading Wicha and

his team to focus on the development of new drugs that can attack stem cells. “My hope is that even over the next decade many of the treatments we use now such as chemotherapy will become obsolete, and that our treatments will be much more tailored to individual patient’s tumors and the therapies will be much less toxic than what we have today,” Wicha said.

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Thursday, November 21, 2013 — 5A

PAUL SHERMAN/Daily

LSA junior Allen Wu (left), a member of Theta Xi Fraternity, and LSA senior Eric Quang (right), the fraternity’s president, and listen to oral arguments at a hearing Wednesday at the Michgian Union concerning the fraternity’s planned raciallycharged party theme.

HEARING From Page 1A Allen Wu, who created the Facebook event, represented Theta Xi at the hearing. For considerations of sanctions against the fraternity, the plaintiffs stressed to the panel that even if the members of the fraternity may not have known the event could cause harm to certain people and groups on campus, the impact was more important than Theta Xi’s intent. Quang, however, said it was more important for the panel to take the intent of the party, which was not malicious, into consideration rather than the final impact. He and Wu also emphasized that the party was of Wu’s creation, not the fraternity’s, and that the fraternity as a whole should not suffer as a result of one individual member’s actions. “Anything that we put on the Internet we’re responsible for, and we’d like to take responsibility for those acts,” Quang said. “As a fraternity, I’d only like to take responsibility for the specific problems we have caused.” Fischer said it was obvious that Quang and Wu still don’t fully understand the effects of the party. She believes the fra-

VIGIL From Page 1A and dealing with the major natural disaster. Typhoon Haiyan, which reached land on Nov. 8, caused major destruction in the Philippines, killing nearly 4,000 people and displacing thousands more, according the Associated Press. CSG representative Jodi Ramos, a Nursing senior, said the purpose of the candlelight vigil was to bring awareness and supportive to the conditions in the Philippines. “As media coverage on the typhoon wears down as time goes on, we want everyone to keep in mind that support efforts are still needed,” Ramos said.

ternity should take full responsibility for the event and its ramifications on the entirety of the University community. In addition to the insensitive concept of the party, the plaintiffs argued that the steps Theta Xi leaders took to remedy the situation, including an apology issued by Quang and aViewpoint printed in The Michigan Daily authored by Wu, displayed a lack of understanding of and disconnect from the reality faced by many students on campus. “This hearing is important because I want to make sure other students always feel as if they are a valued member of our Michigan community,” Fischer said. “Yes, we were angry, and yes, I am still angry,” said Thomas. “I am not Black; I am not a woman ... I have never directly experienced racism or sexism, nor will I ever. I am still upset.” Nagy told the panel that she brought forth the complaint to open up a dialogue about the issues that still plague campus. She pointed to #BBUM, the Black Student Union’s viral Twitter campaign, as evidence of the impact that raising one’s voice against perceived injustices can have. Wu and Quang both acknowledged that they needed to educate themselves on racial and

sexist issues on campus. “Moving forward, I definitely look forward to education and I really hope that can help me become more conscious and aware of the social issues that people on this campus are facing,” Wu said during a crossexamination. “I hope that through this education my fraternity members and myself just become more aware and responsible for our actions.” After the hearing Quang said there is much more to learn “for the parties involved and for the University.” “I’m glad to open the conversation,” he said. “And I believe not only for the perpetrators of the harm but just for everyone, there’s a lot to be learned.” Members of the panel asked questions of both the plaintiffs and defendants, but did not make formal statements regarding the case. After the hearing ended, Thomas said that it was important to have a formal hearing against Theta Xi so future organizations could have a record to look to if similar issues arise again. “I think that (members of Theta Xi) are trying very hard to have their minds open,” Thomas said. “I am hopeful that they are as receptive as possible to all positive change that can occur.”

Like several other students who were present at the candlelight vigil, Ramos has family in the Philippines who were affected by the storm. She said her family lives in the western Visayas region — an area devastated by the storm. “Thankfully, all of my family is pretty safe, but my parents’ hometown was hit pretty hard and is in need in a lot of support right now,” Ramos said. Another focus of the event was the impact that Americans have upon climate change and how this affects others, such as those in the Philippines. Public Policy junior Marissa Solomon said Americans process of production is “fossil fuelheaving,” producing excessive carbon dioxide and resulting in climate change. “This is causing a lot more

natural disasters,” she said. Solomon said students can decrease their impact on the environment by making small changes, such as unplugging electronics when they are not in use. However, she said changes in policy would have a bigger impact and encourages students to urge politicians to make changes that will benefit the environment. FASA sold $5 wristbands after the vigil to raise money for the Philippine Red Cross and Advancement for Rural Kids, which promotes education and fights hunger in the developing world. Faraon said students who would like to help the victims of Typhoon Haiyan should research and donate to different charities that are directly helping victims in the Philippines.

News

6A — Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Auto manufacturers plan to mass market hydrogen vehicles Detroit dealers set to release new consumer concept models

M. SPENCER GREEN/AP Photo

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, center, signs the state’s Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act into law in Chicago.

After lengthy debate, Illinois governor signs same-sex marriage legislation State becomes 16th nationally to pass gay marriage law CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation Wednesday allowing same-sex weddings starting this summer, making President Barack Obama’s home state the 16th overall — and largest in the nation’s heartland — to legalize gay marriage. The festivities at the University of Illinois at Chicago featured a family-friendly crowd, musical performances and a stage lined with American, Illinois and rainbow flags. “We understand in our state that part of our unfinished business is to help other states in the United States of America achieve marriage equality,” Quinn said before he signed the bill on a desk once used by President Abraham Lincoln. He said part of that mission was to ensure that “love is not relegated to a second class status to any citizen in our country.”

References to freedom, equality, fairness and Lincoln — the desk was where he penned his 1861 inaugural address — were peppered throughout the event. In attendance were top elected officials, including Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Organizers estimated roughly 2,300 attended, including activists and members of the public. Illinois, where Democrats lead both legislative chambers and the governor’s office, legalized civil unions in 2011, but the road to same-sex marriage was bumpy. When 2013 began advocates hoped Illinois would’ve been the 10th state, but watched as other states passed it. Gay marriage is allowed in Washington D.C., and 15 other states; Hawaii’s governor signed a measure last week. Even with support from top business leaders, unions and some Republicans, several lawmakers were resistant to the idea. That included some Democrats in more conservative downstate Illinois and some Chicago-area lawmakers.

The measure was fought hard by some of the state’s most well-recognized religious figures, including Cardinal Francis George of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Rev. James Meeks, a former state senator who runs a politically-influential mega church in Chicago. Meeks was part of a coalition of black pastors who said marriage should remain between a man and woman and sponsored robocalls in several legislative districts and on the airwaves. The opposition placed black lawmakers in the House in a spotlight and several evaded public inquiries on the matter for months. Although Illinois once appeared poised to become the first Midwestern state to approve gay marriage in the Legislature, Minnesota did it sooner and started holding its first same-sex weddings over the summer. Iowa allows gay marriages too because of a court ruling, not a legislative vote. The Illinois Senate approved the measure on Valentine’s Day, but the bill’s main sponsor, Dem-

Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Thursday, November 21, 2013

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

ocratic state Rep. Greg Harris of Chicago decided against calling it for a vote in the House because he said he didn’t have the needed support. In a tearful speech in front of his colleagues, he vowed to bring the measure back. Proponents then launched another aggressive campaign with help from labor, the former head of the Illinois Republican Party and the ACLU. They billed the measure as a matter of civil rights and equality for families. Quinn and House Speaker Michael Madigan also persuade lawmakers in the final days. The measure passed the Illinois House earlier this month by a narrow margin 61-54; It needed 60 votes to pass. But none of the opposition or slim margin was evident Wednesday at the event where the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus performed and Lincoln’s desk was lined with patriot bunting. “We’re here to celebrate, family, commitment, equality, love, courage and community,” Harris told the crowd to enthusiastic applause.

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DETROIT (AP) — Cars that run on hydrogen and exhaust only water vapor are emerging to challenge electric vehicles as the world’s transportation of the future. At auto shows on two continents Wednesday, three automakers unveiled hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to be delivered to the general public as early as next spring. Hyundai Motor Co. will be the first to the mass market in the U.S. It unveiled a hydrogenpowered Tucson small SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show that will be leased to consumers. Honda also revealed plans in Los Angeles for a car due out in 2015. Earlier, at the Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota promised a massproduced fuel cell car by 2015 in Japan and 2016 in the U.S. Hydrogen cars are appealing because unlike electric vehicles, they have the range of a typical gasoline car and can be refueled quickly. Experts say the industry also has overcome safety and reliability concerns that have hindered distribution in the past. But hydrogen cars still have a glaring downside — refueling stations are scarce, and costly to build. Consumers can expect costs in line with some luxury models. In Tokyo, Toyota promised a price of $50,000 to $100,000, and as close to the lower figure as possible. That’s comparable to its Lexus luxury sedans, but a range that makes the once space-age experiment with fuel cells more credible. Hyundai said it will lease the Tucsons for $499 per month for three years with $3,000 down. And Hyundai is offering to pay the hydrogen and maintenance

costs. The company will start leasing in the Los Angeles area, where most of the state’s nine fueling stations are located. California lawmakers have allocated $100 million to build 100 more. Honda wouldn’t reveal any pricing details. Even as battery-powered and hybrid-electric cars took on conventional gasoline models in the past decade, automakers continued research into hydrogen fuel cells, said Paul Mutolo, director of external partnerships for the Cornell University Energy Materials Center. Manufacturers now are limited only by costs and the lack of filling stations, he said. Hydrogen cars, Mutolo said, have an advantage over battery-powered electric cars because drivers don’t have to worry about running out of electricity and having to wait hours for recharging. “It’s very similar to the kind of behavior that drivers have come to expect from their gasoline cars,” he said. Hydrogen fuel cells use a complex chemical process to separate electrons and protons in hydrogen gas molecules. The electrons move toward a positive pole, and the movement creates electricity. That powers a car’s electric motor, which turns the wheels. Since the hydrogen isn’t burned, there’s no pollution. Instead, oxygen also is pumped into the system, and when it meets the hydrogen ions and electrons, that creates water and heat. The only byproduct is water. A fuel cell produces only about one volt of electricity, so many are stacked to generate enough juice. Hydrogen costs as little as $3 for an amount needed to power a car the same distance as a gallon of gasoline, Mutolo said. Manufacturers likely will lose money on hydrogen cars at first, but costs will decrease as precious metals are reduced in the fuel cells, Mutolo said.

Suspect in shooting of journalist arrested DNA evidence links single suspect to Monday’s attack PARIS (AP) — After a two-day nationwide manhunt, French police arrested a man Wednesday night suspected of shooting a newspaper assistant photographer and three other attacks. The motive for the attacks remains unclear. Interior Minister Manuel Valls identified the suspect as Abdelhakim Dekhar, convicted in 1998 as an accomplice in a high-profile 1994 robbery and car chase that left three police officers and a taxi driver dead. Dekhar served four years in prison in the so-called ReyMaupin affair but authorities had no trace of him in recent years, Valls said. Based on DNA data, authorities believe he was the lone gunman behind Monday’s shooting at the prominent daily newspaper Liberation, a shooting outside French bank Societe Generale, a brief hostage-taking in which the suspect hijacked a car, and a similar shooting incident three days before at news network BFM-TV. The shooting prompted cries of concern about attacks on the media. Security was tightened at media offices and on the busy Champs-Elysees shopping avenue. Dekhar apparently tried to kill himself before he was arrested Wednesday, Valls told reporters early Thursday. Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre, a spokeswoman for the French prosecutor’s office, said the suspect was arrested in an underground parking lot in Bois-Colombes, 10 kilometers

(6 miles) north of Paris. She and police union official Christophe Crepin said the man appeared heavily medicated when he was detained. “My colleagues noticed he was not very lucid. They deduced that he had taken medicines, because of the capsules nearby. They called the ambulance, which brought him to the hospital. There he is incarcerated but in a medical environment,” Crepin told The Associated Press. Dekhar was found after a witness reported to police that a suspect resembling images broadcast on national television since Monday had stayed at his house in recent days, said Paris judicial police chief Christian Flaesch. Authorities had released video footage and photos of the shooter, who was wielding a pump-action shotgun in the attacks on Liberation and BFM. The gunman entered the lobby of Liberation around 10 a.m. Monday and opened fire. A 23-year-old photographer, who works at the paper as a freelance assistant, was in intensive care after being shot near the heart and in the arm. Valls said he visited the photographer Wednesday and he’s “doing better.” Soon after the shooting at Liberation, three shots were fired in front of the headquarters of the bank Societe Generale in the Paris suburb of La Defense. No one was hurt. Less than an hour later, a man called police to say he had been taken hostage by a gunman in the town of Puteaux, next door to La Defense. Police said the gunman forced his hostage to drive six kilometers (3 1/2 miles) back toward central Paris, then let him go on the Champs-Elysees.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Sports

Career night earns ‘W’ By LEV FACHER Daily Sports Writer

It took four separate scoring outbursts for the Michigan women’s basketball team to finally put away Pittsburgh on Wednesday night at Crisler Center, and even the fourth one wasn’t a sure thing. But the Wolverines PITTSBURGH 75 held on in MICHIGAN 83 the end, earning an 83-75 win thanks to the best night of freshman guard Siera Thompson’s Michigan career — she scored a career-high 22 points, while junior guard Nicole Elmblad tied her career high with 19. With Michigan (4-2) leading 4-0 thanks to a pair of baskets from sophomore forward Cyesha Goree, Pittsburgh coach Suzie McConnell-Serio found herself in need of a quick answer. It came in the form of redshirt freshman Marvadene “Bubbles” Anderson — a 6-foot-11 center from Jamaica — who checked into the game with 16:40 remaining in the half. The Wolverines also managed to work around Anderson on the offensive end, extending their early lead to 10-4 on a trio of jumpers from sophomore guard Madison Ristovski and junior guards

Nicole Elmblad and Shannon Smith. And despite having to deal with Anderson, Goree managed 10 points and three rebounds. Smith, easily Michigan’s most potent offensive weapon so far this season, was held to eight points, making just three field goals on nine attempts. But the Wolverines responded well, as four players ended up with double figures, more than making up for Smith’s off night. “I don’t think we got as much transition as we normally do,” Elmblad said. “But in the half court, we were able to knock down shots. People have been getting to the gym and working.” But despite Michigan’s sharpshooting, the lead didn’t last long — the Panthers (2-2) tied the game at 17 on a 3-pointer from Asia Logan off an assist from Cora McManus. The Wolverines jumped out to another lead on an 8-2 run that was charged by pairs of free throws from Ristovski and Thompson, as well as a smooth Goree jump shot from the top of the key. But once again, Michigan’s momentum was short-lived — the eight-point lead shrank to three by halftime and was cut to one on a Logan jumper moments into the

second half. The late first-half advantage wouldn’t be the last one Michigan squandered on the evening, either. After a pair of layups from Smith helped put the Wolverines up nine with 10 minutes remaining, Pittsburgh came storming back once again, using a 7-0 run to whittle the deficit to two points midway through the half. It was the fourth Michigan outburst of the evening that finally put the nail in the Panthers’ coffin, but just barely — the Wolverines held a lead of at least seven for several minutes, but Pittsburgh trailed only 73-69 with 1:20 remaining. “Every time we’d make a run, they would come back and challenge us and push us,” Barnes Arico said. “But we were able to finish it. We were able to make free throws and get to the freethrow line, which is something we’ve been emphasizing lately.” The Panthers couldn’t make a final push as the clock wound down. Free throws from Smith and then Elmblad pushed the lead to 77-69, leaving both Thompson and Elmblad with career nights and putting Michigan two games over .500 for the first time this season.

TERESA MATHEW/Daily

Freshman guard Siera Thompson scored a career-high 22 points in Wednesday’s 83-75 win over Pittsburgh.

Thursday, November 21, 2013— 7A

‘M’ faces world’s tallest teenager By ALEXA DETTELBACH Daily Sports Writer

Before the start of the season, Michigan women’s basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico said size was going to be her squad’s biggest concern. So you can imagine the nightmare when Pittsburgh’s (2-2 overall) 6-foot-11 redshirt freshman center, Marvadene “Bubbles” Anderson, came to town. Anderson holds the title for the world’s tallest teenager. The Jamaica native usually starts for the Panthers, but against Michigan (4-2), she came off the bench, which allowed the Wolverines to jump out to a fast 4-0 start from a pair of baskets from junior forward Cyesha Goree. In response, Pittsburgh turned to its secret weapon, and everyone noticed the minute Anderson checked into the game. Anderson is over a foot taller than the Wolverines’ starting backcourt and stands seven inches above Michigan’s tallest player, 6-foot-4 senior Val Driscoll. Her presence, though, didn’t faze the Wolverines, who went on to beat Pittsburgh, 83-75, for their third straight win. When Anderson first checked in, it took Michigan a few minutes to get acclimated to matching up against such a big player. Fifteen seconds after Anderson entered the game, she had an easy layup for the Panthers’ first points of the night. But despite the unbalanced matchup in the paint, the Wolverines were eventually able to find some offense down low, even when Anderson was on the court. “I just had to get out and run more, run and get out in transition and try to get my points,” said junior forward Cyesha Goree. “(On defense) I looked to take away her strength, my guards helping to dig in so she felt doubled, forcing her to kick it back out.” Anderson’s other-worldly size has plagued her with knee troubles, and it shows when she’s on the court. In transition, she is usually strides behind her teammates and requires more bench time than others. Michigan used the delay to attack the paint early in

TERESA MATHEW/Daily

Pittsburgh forward Marvadene Anderson is a presence, standing at 6-foot-11.

the possession. But once Anderson got back on defense, the Wolverines typically stuck with working the perimeter. “I thought we did a tremendous job tonight of making Bubbles try to come out on ball screens,” Barnes Arico said. “She wasn’t really leaving the paint, so we took advantage with our outside shot.” Anderson found herself on the bench late in the first half, but two quick baskets from Goree, followed by foul trouble for Panther forward Asia Logan, forced Pittsburgh coach Suzie McConnell-Serio to turn to her redshirt freshman earlier than she wanted. “I don’t know many women that are 6-foot-11,” Barnes Arico said. “And any time she got deep in the paint, we knew we were going to be in trouble, but I thought Val Driscoll did an outstanding job on her in the first half.” To start the second half for Michigan, freshman guard Siera Thompson drained a 3-pointer from the right side. A quick Panther turnover immediately after gave the ball to Goree who hit an uncontested bank shot from the paint. McConnell-Serio turned to her bench once again, as Goree made the basket and motioned for Anderson to check into the game. On Anderson’s first possession, she drew a quick foul from Goree and hit an easy shot over her after the inbounds pass.

Anderson’s presence for Pittsburgh is undeniable and her ceiling is extremely high, but her early production on the stat sheet has been limited because of her shorter minutes. She finished Wednesday’s loss with 12 points and five rebounds, just around averages nine-points and four-and-a-half-rebounds. “It was a challenge and you look at her and you’re like ‘wow she’s tall,’ ” said junior guard Nicole Elmblad. “She was able to finish a lot on us and a couple times she did stuff on us that we didn’t like, but for the most part I thought we did a pretty good job of boxing her out on the offensive end.” Added Barnes Arico: “We tried to limit her touches, and we tried to double her as best as we could. Overall, I thought we did a very decent job on her. We made her turn the ball over a little bit, and we got her into foul trouble, which I thought helped us as well.” In the end, the Wolverines’ starting frontcourt, Goree and Elmblad, won the battle, generating just enough offensive and defensive power down low to win the game. The two finished with 10 and 19 points, respectively. Elmblad matched her career high in points and also added six rebounds. A third-straight win was big for Michigan, but playing against the world’s tallest teenager will be memorable for years to come.

A look back on Rachael Mack’s career By MATTHEW KIPNIS Daily Sports Writer

In the first chapter of senior forward Rachael Mack’s Michigan legacy, she stood on Phyllis Ocker Field for the first home game of her Michigan field hockey career. It was Sept., 10, 2010. Mack looked up at the scoreboard to see the Wolverines staring at a 3-0 deficit against No. 14 James Madison. Unintimidated by this disadvantage, Mack scored her first two goals to lead Michigan to a 4-3 victory. Only one month into her career, she was a star, and this was one of the first indicators of the successful career that lay ahead for Mack. She was born on Jan. 24, 1992 to Derek and Fiona Mack in Bromsgrove, England. Mack grew up with a passion for sports but didn’t play field hockey until the age of 11 – early compared to most Americans, but late in England. “I played tennis when I was younger, and I always wanted to play a sport,” Mack said. “Any kind of ball I wanted to play, and I never played hockey before I went to the (Bromsgrove) school. I started at school when I actually didn’t want to play it, as I wanted to play football, soccer, instead but then I got into hockey and from minute one I really loved the game.” Once Mack picked up the stick, she didn’t look back. Mack played for Olton high school and a club team in England’s Women’s Premier Division, among others, prior to coming to Michigan. When Mack started to seriously consider her choices, she knew that she would somehow end up in the United States. Mack had dreamt of coming to the United States at a young age. When her

father took a job working for an American company, a nine-year old Mack was afforded the opportunity to live in Texas for a summer, which just enhanced that dream. “It was right at that age where everything in America was amazing and big so that was really fun,” Mack said. “I always wanted to come to America, whether it was for hockey or for tennis. It was something I wanted to do.” Mack’s coach of three years at Olton, Michael Boal, gave the tip to an old coaching friend, Michigan assistant coach Ryan Langford, that Mack decided she was going to leave England for college. “First impression was kind of a ‘wow factor’,” Langford said. “I saw this girl playing for England’s under-18 national team, and when I saw her step on the field I thought she held such a great presence, and it looked like she had an aura around her of strength and confidence and that translated directly into play. She was very talented from the first day I saw her.” Langford knew from that point on that he needed to recruit Mack, and invited the family to visit. Like many students who tour Ann Arbor, Mack fell in love. “We were driving up State Street, and my mum was looking around and she was just like ‘Yeah, I think you should go here, Rachael,’ ” Mack said. “Every new thing I saw, every step along the way of my visit made it more prominent in my mind that Michigan was where I wanted to be.” While Michigan was on a road trip to Louisville, Langford received a call from the future phenom – Mack was coming to Ann Arbor. Unlike most international play-

ers playing field hockey in America, Mack knew she was going to stay for four years. Some athletes may only stay for a year or two to work on their game and head home to play professionally. “I wanted to get a great education, and Michigan offered that, so I did come thinking that I would stay here four years in my mind,” Mack said. “After my first year, I knew I was going to stay here because it’s awesome.” Not only was there the added pressure of being a freshman playing James Madison in front of the home crowd, but the coach standing on the other side of the field was none other than the reason Mack wound up at Michigan – Boal. “I scored my first two goals, and funny enough the two goals I scored were the ones me and Michael had worked on before I came here,” Mack said. “It was kind of cyclical that it would come back to that. It was really nice to have him there and be able to see my first goals even though he was the opposing coach. I told him, ‘I am sorry, but I am not really sorry.’ ” Mack finished her freshman year with 16 goals and 36 points, and led the Wolverines to the Big Ten title. She won the Big Ten Tournament MVP award, NFCHA All-American third-team honors, All-Big Ten second team, Michigan Rookie of the Year and the Michigan athletic academic achievement award. “I scored a lot of goals my freshman year, and my dad was like ‘You should look up the record, go see it,’ so I did,” Mack said. “He was the one that initially set my mind that you are going to break that record by the end of senior

year.” And so Mack continued to score en route to the Michigan goals record. She led the team in scoring every year after her freshman year. Mack continued to win awards each season while getting closer to achieving her objective. It was only fitting it would finally be broken against archrival Ohio State in overtime. Redshirt junior Lauren Hauge fed Mack the ball just outside the circle, and she carried it, spun around a defender and fired a shot to the top-right side of the net to make her mark as Michigan’s alltime leading scorer. As an added bonus, Mack was awarded Big Ten Player of the Year and was a unanimous choice for Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. In the field hockey team’s final banquet, the player who held the record before Mack, April Fanzoni, was in Ann Arbor and presented Mack her own record-breaking ball she scored against the Buckeyes. Fanzoni and Mack had been talking prior to the goal, and Fanzoni was there cheering Mack on. “It was funny, she had scored 68 goals and I have 73 now, and she said, ‘You know I am glad that you have overran my record by five, because if it was just one then it would have been painful,” Mack said. “But now you have done it by a few more so I’m okay with that.’ ” Now that Mack’s career as a Wolverine is over, she looks forward to the senior game, as it will be her last opportunity to represent Michigan. Once she graduates, Mack hopes to join the British national team. Having played for the junior national

team before college and improving her game in the states, Mack is on the right track to achieve her goal. And so in the final chapter of Mack’s Michigan legacy, on Nov. 3, 2013, Mack stood on Phyllis Ocker Field for the last home

game of her Michigan career. The Wolverines were staring down a 3-1 deficit, just like her first home game. Mack scored the final two goals of her career, leading Michigan to a 4-3 victory and finished as the Michigan field hockey team’s all-time leading scorer.

8A — Thursday, November 21, 2013

Sports

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Lewan not a semifinalist By EVERETT COOK Daily Sports Editor

Taylor Lewan came back for a Big Ten championship. With that out of reach, at least he could have been rewarded for NOTEBOOK sticking around in Ann Arbor with some individual awards. But on Wednesday, the fifthyear senior tackle was not named a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy, given to the best interior lineman in college football. There were six players named to the list, and the player who was projected as a first-round draft pick last year was not one of them. Unsurprisingly, Michigan coach Brady Hoke was less than pleased. “Am I disappointed?” he said. “Yeah. Really disappointed.” Lewan is part of an offensive line that has been beaten up all year. It’s Michigan’s offensive crux, and it makes sense that the best player on the line has taken some criticism. Still, it’s not like Lewan has had a disappointing year. It’s hard to gauge an offensive lineman’s play on an individual basis since it works as more of a unit than any other group in football, but Lewan has seemingly held his own. When asked if Lewan should’ve been named as a semifinalist, Hoke said, “Yeah. No doubt. No doubt.” In terms of draft stock, Lewan should still be a first-round pick, at least according to ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper. Last week, Kiper projected Lewan as a mid-first round pick and has him ranked No. 14 on his Big Board. That position would be further down than last year’s projections, where many analysts had Lewan going as a top10 pick. But even if the Outland Trophy committee doesn’t see it, nor

HOCKEY

Michigan announces four 2014-15 commits By ERIN LENNON Daily Sports Writer

ERIN KIRKLAND/Daily

Fifth-year senior tackle Taylor Lewan is having a solid season but wasn’t named as a semifinalst for the Outland Trophy.

do current NFL analysts, Hoke still thinks that Lewan has done nothing but improve this season. “What he’s done physically to himself and the discipline throughout,” Hoke said on Lewan’s improvements. “With that offensive unit line-wise, his direction, the coaching he gives them, he’s into it with them. That’s another step in growth.” SWITCHING HAYES: In a running performance that completely switched the tables, redshirt sophomore running back Justice Hayes was the odd man out. With starting running back Fitzgerald Toussaint out with a concussion, Derrick Green and De’Veon Smith picked up the slack for a running game in desperate need of a jolt against Northwestern last weekend. The two freshmen combined for 120 yards on 27 carries, good for 4.4

yards per carry. In its last two games, Michigan had rushed for negative rushing yards. The unsung hero, according to Hoke, was Hayes. He didn’t have a carry (he has only one on the year) but did have a reception on a screen pass that Hoke said should have gone for a lot more yards if properly executed. Hayes was also praised for his blitz pickups, which are huge from a young running back working with a raw offensive line. On Wednesday, Hoke said that Hayes could be transiting from running back to a wide receiver role, saying, “That’s where we’d like to get him trained most of the time.” He added: “Justice has been in the program long enough and he knows the protections, even though we moved him out to the Z receiver, slot a bit. Because of

his maturity and being around, he can do both.” WELLMANIZED?: If you think Green looks like a powerful running back now, wait until he has a full offseason to work in Ann Arbor. His freshman year started with weight issues and an injury in fall camp, but now, Green is down (yes, down) to 230 pounds. He’s always been a big, bruising back, but Hoke still thinks Green has a ways to go before he reaches his optimal weight. The coaching staff, specifically strength and conditioning coach Aaron Wellman, will have a lot to do with that. “He won’t be in his prime shape yet,” Hoke said. “He has to be Wellmanized and all those things. Summer, winter, spring football. Those guys haven’t tasted it all yet.”

The No. 5 Michigan hockey team announced the commitment of four players for the 201415 season Wednesday. Michigan assistant coach Brian Wiseman has been working on this recruiting class since his return to the Michigan hockey program as an assistant coach in 2011. “We have a little bit of everything,” he said Wednesday. “We have some good balance and definitely some guys that are going to make an impact.” As it stands, this four-man class includes two forwards, a defenseman and a goaltender, each of whom are expected to fill key voids after this season. Currently a captain of the Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League, forward Dexter Dancs is one of three players from the BCHL listed on the 2013 NHL Central scouting midterm rankings. A second forward, Dylan Larkin, has been on the Wolverines’ radar since his days in midget minor hockey. The Waterford (Mich.) native has recorded six goals and five assists in nine games in his second year with the U-18 US National Team Development Program team this season. Larkin grew up a Michigan hockey fan and is expected to contribute early on. “He’s a tremendous team player, and he comes from a championship team,” Wiseman said. “He’s a captain and a leader and he’s a prolific skater. Our fans are going to enjoy seeing him skate around Yost (Ice Arena).” Larkin is joined by another Michigan man, this time from Spartan country, in defenseman Cutler Martin. Out of East Lansing, Martin has twelve assists and four goals from the blue line in just nine games this season

with the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League. With an ability to produce in both zones, Larkin will be a good fit with the departures of senior defensemen Mac Bennett and Kevin Clare. “We’re excited about the four student-athletes in this class and what they’ll bring to the program,” said associate head coach Billy Powers. Though this class is not expected to grow into double digits like this season’s freshman class, Wiseman expects up to three more verbal commitments over the next few months. Ideally, the Wolverines want another defenseman and forward to add both balance and depth. “You can take a look at our lineup this year, and we have pretty good depth on the forward side and on the defense,” Wiseman said. “We want to continue that trend of depth for injuries and for internal competition. We have that in the goalie position with Hayden Lavigne.” Lavigne, a teammate of Martin’s on Tri-City Storm, boasted a .922 save percentage with the Wellington Dukes of the OJHL before moving to USHL after the 2012-13 season. Like freshman goaltender Zach Nagelvoort, the 6-foot-2 Lavigne will provide both competition and size to an already solid goalie depth chart. “I don’t know if there’s such a thing as too much depth,” Wiseman said. “That’s something that we’ll figure out as we go. Depth is always good.” As it is in football, Wiseman and his staff begin making scholarship offers two and three years prior to players’ signing dates. As of Wednesday at midnight, signing is closed until the next signing period in April. Until then, the Wolverines may be accepting verbal commitments to fill out the 2014-15 roster.

Instead of vacation, summer of labor propels Stauskas and LeVert to next level By NEAL ROTHSCHILD Daily Sports Editor

It could be a coincidence, but the two players that passed on a vacation to stay in Ann Arbor over the summer are the players that have sparked No. 14 Michigan in the Michigan first two weeks vs. Long this season. Beach State Sophomore guards Caris Matchup: LeVert and Michigan 2-1; Nik Stauskas Long Beach were role play- State 1-3 ers in the Wol- When: Thursverines’ run to day 5 p.m. ET the National Where: ColisChampionship eo Roberto last year, but Clemente the exit of Trey in San Juan, Burke and Tim Puerto Rico Hardaway Jr. TV/Radio: meant a more ESPN2 prominent role in the offense this year. The pair spent the spring and summer semesters in town taking classes, gunning against each other in jump-shot drills and putting in work with strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson. They were joined by upperclassmen Jon Horford and Jordan Morgan for the spring semester, but in the summer term, Stauskas and LeVert had the practice facility to themselves. While many of their classmates were sleeping in during lazy summer mornings, the sophomores got up for 9 a.m. class, got a quick bite to eat and then spent eight hours at Crisler Center and the Player Development Center. After arriving from Central Campus, they’d put in two-and-ahalf hours of weight lifting before getting something else to eat and heading to an open gym. The work in the weight room bulked LeVert up from 170 pounds as a freshman to 185 this

ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily

Sophomore guards Caris LeVert and Nik Stauskas spent their summers in Ann Arbor together to get stronger. The two lead the team in scoring so far this year.

year — weight that can support a more aggressive driving game as he assumes a role based less on hanging out near the perimeter and more on slashing into the paint to draw attention from the defense. Stauskas was able to add 16 pounds over the offseason, all muscle, he says. The strength has

been palpable the first few games, flying through the defense on multiple occasions without being knocked off his path. In the second half of a loss against Iowa State on Sunday, Stauskas drove through the left side of the paint to fire home a right-handed dunk. The added weight will also serve to make him a more imposing

presence defensively. “It was a tough process from coach Sanderson,” LeVert said. “He pushed us every day in the weight room starting from the time we lost to Louisville up until now, he’s still pushing us. I just got stronger every day.” The period from noon to 8 p.m. wasn’t all spent on the court or

in the weight room. Sometimes they’d be watching television or playing video games on the big screen in the PDC video room. When the day was done, they’d head back to the apartment to watch NBA playoff games. “When you’re here all day, just me and him, there’s a lot of time to just talk about stuff,” Stauskas

said. Added LeVert: “We were pretty close, but we got a lot closer since then. Every day was a bonding moment, just a lot of fun. Being with him every second of the day from start to finish, it was just great.” Summer ended, so with the arrival of fall came the arrival of the rest of the team. In addition to sophomore forwards Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III being the focal point of the Michigan attack, LeVert and Stauskas were clear in their intent — they were ready to lead the team as well. LeVert was so impressive in the fall that Michigan coach John Beilein scrapped his plans to start two big men, wanting to get LeVert into the starting lineup. LeVert made sure the fans understood why Beilein made the move. He led the team with 17 and 24 points, respectively, in the first two games. Stauskas, meanwhile, has made himself a more dominant presence on the court. The added weight didn’t take away his deadeye 3-point stroke, and it has made him even more dangerous when dribbling to the hoop and finishing at the rim. He is shooting 53 percent from behind the arc and was the most threatening Wolverine on the floor against the Cyclones with a team-high 20 points. He leads the team with 17.3 points per game, just ahead of LeVert, who has 15.3. Robinson has been slow out of the gate after an explosive performance in the exhibition opener, while McGary is just returning to action after a back injury. Summer has passed, and instead of NBA Playoffs viewings, LeVert and Stauskas can instead watch early season NBA action. They can watch Burke and Hardaway on TV, as it becomes more and more likely that they will join those two in the next few years.

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2B — Thursday, November 21, 2013

HEALTH AND FITNESS COLUMN

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

STEP INTO THE SALON

Addiction doesn’t Is Natalie Portman worth the hype? discriminate

n Nov. 3, I celebrated three years sober — yes, in a row. Not a single drop of alcohol or iota of a mindaltering substance has entered my body for the past three years … and I remember when I couldn’t string together three hours. CARLY I’ve accomKEYES plished a lot in life thus far — academically, athletically, artistically and beyond — but my recovery is by far my greatest achievement, for without it, nothing else would be possible. Freedom isn’t possible; life itself isn’t possible. I’ve been writing this health column for nearly a year, and I’ve courageously touched upon my issues with depression, but I’ve yet to directly discuss my alcoholism. It’s an even tougher topic to tackle. It’s personal. It’s complicated. It’s misunderstood. But I feel that now is the right time to share my story (or as much as one can when cramming a seven-year struggle into 1,400 words), as it’s one of the most pressing physical and mental health issues facing young people today — especially the college-aged — and in case someone reads this and can relate to my experience or knows someone who probably would.

Triumphing over alcoholism. I used to think I was a crazy person or maybe just a morally bankrupt individual. Some of the things I did in my drunken states were harmless, entertaining and even fun, but this portion of my drinking career was short-lived. The “good times” quickly faded, and my life morphed into a fast and furious, embarrassing and devastating saga of poor and dangerous choices. It’s not harmless when you drive drunk. It’s not entertaining to the police officer when he asks you to step out of the car, and you’re wearing nothing but a bathing suit and a hooded sweatshirt. And it’s not fun when he slaps handcuffs on your wrists, and you spend the night in jail. I’d just turned 20 when I got arrested for my first DUI. I’d been drinking since 15 and, from the get-go, I knew I didn’t have the same relationship with alcohol as everyone else. I couldn’t ever get enough. Soon, I grew frustrated having to wait to get drunk until parties popped up on the weekend, so I began hiding bottles of lemon Bacardi in my closet and getting drunk by myself. That’s not normal — for a 15-year-old, for anyone. But, isn’t an alcoholic like a

middle-aged homeless guy with a brown bag sleeping under a park bench? At the time when things really began to go south, I was fresh out of a privileged, middleupper-class upbringing and a student-athlete at an Ivy League school, so I couldn’t be an alcoholic, right? “What’s a nice young girl like you — Bloomfield Hills, Wharton School of Business, Division I soccer player — doing in the back of my car?” the cop asked as he led me to the station, took my mug shot, handed me a pair of jail scrubs and locked me up in a cell with nothing but a toilet in the corner and a cold, hard cement floor for the next 12 hours, or so, until my .14 BAC dropped below the legal limit. Good question, sir. It wasn’t that — deep down — I didn’t believe I had a problem with alcohol. That was pretty obvious given my track record when I drank. But I thought I was going through a phase or something. I needed more proof. And I certainly got it. I transferred to the University that fall, and things got even worse. Even on probation and facing random breath testing, I couldn’t stop drinking. During my lectures in the first two weeks of the semester, I went from sitting sober in the front row, to hungover in the back row, to drunk on my couch at home, to disenrolled entirely. I withdrew for the term and checked into a rehab facility called Caron Treatment Center in Wernersville, Pa., where they offered a program specifically for young adult females ages 20-25. When I showed up, they asked me, “What’s your D.O.C?” and I didn’t understand. “What’s your drug of choice?” one of the other young women asked me. “Alcohol,” I said plainly. “ … And what?” she continued. Again, I didn’t understand. “Just alcohol,” I said. “You don’t do coke? Shoot up? Pop pills?” another young woman asked me. My revelation about drug use and youth continued when we had a support meeting that night, and I discovered that there was an adolescent program for 13 to 19-yearolds, and while I was there, they had to make an exception in order to treat a 12-year-old who was addicted to heroin. It began to seem like I was the only one who hadn’t abused a drug other than alcohol ... yet. But “just” alcohol was bad enough. “Just” alcohol had gotten me in a rehab center at age 20. And according to a recent survey of eighth, 10th and 12th grade students done by The Monitoring the Future Survey funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, alcohol causes nearly seven times more teen deaths than all other illicit drugs combined. With addiction, it’s not always as much about what you use but how you use it. Alcohol is a drug, too, and it can be just as lethal as

anything else. It certainly was for me. I wish I could tell you that when I got out of treatment I stayed sober, but obviously the math wouldn’t add up. It is a very confusing and terrifying thing to be told — when you’re not even legally old enough to consume alcohol yet — that you have to quit drinking forever, and I wasn’t ready. So, I went looking for more proof. It took two more years of enduring a daily existence so dark and so hopeless and so tragic that I could never adequately describe it in words, another withdrawal from the University, a four-month stay at a treatment center in Arizona and a second DUI to get me to do what I now know I should’ve been doing since age 15: taking responsibility for my disease. There are two things I really want to stress with this personal divulgence. The first: Alcoholism and drug addiction don’t discriminate. They don’t target a specific sex, race, gender, social status … or age. Today in recovery, I’m surrounded by dozens of other people — both young and not so young — with whom, on a daily basis, I battle this chronic and, if left untreated, fatal disease. And the second: There is hope. Since hitting bottom on Nov. 3, 2010 and accepting the help I’d been offered, I’ve lived a life, drug and alcohol-free, of which I used to only dream. I’m pursuing my passions as a professional singersongwriter and aspiring filmmaker (Let’s just say, I have plenty of material to work with). My education is no longer a burden; it’s a gift. And my right to drive is no longer just a right; it’s a privilege. Do I have hard days? Of course I do. I’m in my 20s, and I don’t drink. I live on a college campus where waking up on the floor in your own vomit happens all the time … just not to the same person over and over again. I’m surrounded by thousands of people every day who can have a beer … without having to worry about winding up in jail later that night. But I have a disease called alcoholism, and this is how I have to live if I want to live. If I can’t change my circumstances, I must change myself. And though getting and staying sober in your early/mid-twenties isn’t easy, this seemingly insurmountable challenge is what makes the positives in my life all that more enjoyable. Tom Hanks probably put it best in “A League of Their Own” when he said: “If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.” If you or someone you know is struggling with alcoholism or drug addiction, don’t lose hope. It may seem like an impossible demon to conquer, but there’s help to be gotten, and no matter how much it seems like it, no one is ever alone.

COLUMBIA

“Do you know I’m wearing a wig?”

Jamie: Don’t get me wrong, I’m the last person to say that Natalie Portman ruined the great writing of George Lucas. But you cannot deny that she severely underacted those movies; her “you’re breaking my heart” delivery haunts me to this day. And face it, her best movies are the ones where she’s weepy and sentimental. I don’t care if you’re being versatile by being in a bad movie — you’re still doing a bad movie. In everything she does, she’s usually crying her eyes out or longing for better things. But as a side note, “Garden State” is one of the best movies of the 2000s. Akshay: A lot of people knock her for being a two-note actor: Either she’s crying or she’s extremely upset about some perceived wrong. I have a oneword response to those critics: “Closer.” The film showcases her ability to be emotionless, temperamental and capricious convincingly. In that movie, she teeters the line between collapsing into the depths of her own sadness and being able to move on from a long-lost romance. She’s never quite sad, but she’s also never quite con-

vinced she’s happy. The film is a perfect representation of how not to overact, and also a tragic testament to undeserved Oscar snubs. For everyone that’s convinced Portman can only scream or weep in movies, I’m sure you haven’t had a chance to properly examine her last scene with Jude Law in “Closer.” Jamie: I admit I haven’t seen “Closer,” and I’m always willing to give a decent actor another shot, so I’ll check it out. But the fact is, up until right now, I have never heard someone say “Natalie Portman is the best part of the movie.” Her Oscar win for “Black Swan” is completely undeserved — she won for being committed to preparation, and if that’s all it takes to win an Oscar then Christian Bale should’ve won for “The Machinist” (by no means a good movie, but the dude lost 63 pounds). All I’m saying is, she’s frequently outperformed by the other actors and, with the exception of one film, is always crying like the girl in “Jurassic Park.” She’s got time to improve on her work, but until then, I’m skeptical she’ll rise in the ranks of great actors.

FLY WITH US. @MICHIGANDAILY TRAILER REVIEW

NBC

otherwise lighthearted series, this episode shows us a side of Leslie we’ve rarely seen before: apathy. She’s always been that person who gets a drunk tattoo because someone dared them to, not because she’s lost any and all notion of optimism. Is it a step forward for her character? Probably not, but it becomes a weird

Akshay: Whenever I get into extended debates with my friends about the Greatests Of All Time in Hollywood, the biggest point of contention usually ends up being Natalie Portman. No, she’ll probably never join the likes of Meryl Streep, but is it really fair to call her a mediocre actress? This underpaid college newspaper editor says no. We’re talking about the person who, at 12-years-old, in her first-ever acting gig, managed to steal the spotlight from the likes of Jean Reno. Every one of her performances, even if the scripts aren’t always brilliant, manages to reflect a deeply personal side of her identity that isn’t just weighed down by melodrama. She’s a creature of nuance, and each of her films is a glowing testament to that reality. Jamie: Except for “Star Wars,” of course. And “Your Highness.” And “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium.” Is that enough or should I name a few more? I admit, she has her moments. But every actor has “moments,” those one or two movies where the actor can really shine. But that is not the norm for Natalie Portman. She is consistently less than stellar and rarely lives up to the hype that always surrounds her. Akshay: OK, I’ll give you “Your Highness.” But let’s be honest, who, in their right minds, would’ve said no when George Fucking Lucas called you up while you were in college and asked if you wanted to star in a “Star Wars” reboot. Even some of the silly stuff like “Your Highness” represents her versatility as an actor. They’re not great films, but they give her a chance to extend her range in the industry and are a representation of how she refuses to be pigeonholed into playing the weepy, sentimental type. I agree that she needs to be more careful about the scripts she picks, but I think those debacles are more a result of bad decision-making than acting.

Keyes is not alone. To share your story, e-mail cekmusic@umich.edu.

EPISODE REVIEW Leslie Knope is out. After months of slaving away on the Pawnee city council to try and make a difference A as a politician, Leslie, Parks and our Leslie, is out of a job. Rec Instead of “Recall Vote” the perfectly wound smile NBC and flawlessly organized policy memos, we see her walking around carrying a perpetually confused look. She’s unsure how to move forward, sleeping on park benches and talking to children about why it’s stupid to ever have hope. Don’t get me wrong — it’s hilarious, reminiscent of that one “Office” episode in which Michael Scott decides to “declare” bankruptcy. But in every scene of an

Daily Arts Writers Akshay Seth and Jamie Bircoll step into the salon for a friendly debate on Natalie Portman.

reminder that this show is nearly at its 100-episode mark. If there’s something to look forward to, the writers seem to be setting it up. I don’t think Leslie will never get her job back, but I’m convinced the people behind “Parks and Rec” are smart enough to make the journey hilarious. — AKSHAY SETH

I’ll get straight to the point — the trailer for “Dallas Buyer’s Club” is a poor advertisement for what looks like a good Bmovie. Good trailDallas ers draw you in and then Buyers Club throw you Focus away almost immediately, leaving you with a thirst that can only be quenched when you watch the movie. This particular trailer doesn’t satisfy either requirement: It simply shows too much too quickly and doesn’t leave a mark in memory. The little bits and pieces that we are shown are impressive. The performances and the story itself are particularly intriguing. It’s not everyday that we are told the story of a dying man providing “unapproved” drugs to people afflicted by HIV infection. What bothers me is how

much the trailer reveals, both of the central character and the story. Having seen the threeminute trailer, we pretty much know all there is to know about Ron Woodroof. We know how he lives life before he is told of his predicament, how he handles the situation, his unusual relationship with his business partner, his romantic feelings for his doctor, how he cares for every patient strapped down by the rules of the FDA and how

FOCUS

he refuses to cooperate with the authorities. Granted, we don’t know how his saga ends, but considering that trailers aren’t supposed to give away the ending, that really isn’t a saving grace. Trailers must be judged not on what they show, but how they show it. Sometimes, even the ordinary can be made to look spectacular. It’s a pity that in the case of this trailer, it’s the exact opposite. — MAYANK MATHUR

the b-side

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

EVERLASTING THEORIES

Revival of Deleuze New philosophy group to bring speakers to campus By CARLINA DUAN Daily Arts Writer

“The shame of being a man — is there any better reason to write?” These were the words of Gilles Deleuze, a renowned philosopher and writer whose ideas and theories have influenced multiple disciplines across centuries, including music, literature, film, architecture and fine art. Deleuze’s work, spanning from the 1960s until his death in 1995, is often taught in University classes. The Rackham Interdisciplinary Workshop — titled the Deleuze Interest Group — has created a forum space and “Material Encounters” lecture series, centered around untangling Deleuzian principles and extending academic conversation. The Deleuze Interest Group will bring several guest speakers onto campus throughout the year, as a way to invite the campus and broader community to think critically about Deleuzian philosophy. “(His ideas) are fresh,” said American Culture Ph.D. student and Deleuze Interest Group cocoordinator Stephen Molldrem. “They’re new readings of works that a lot of people are familiar with.” Deleuze and French philosopher Félix Guattari often partnered together to create a new landscape in the field. “What they tried to do was make a radical break from some of the defining features in philosophy,” Molldrem said. “They’re (inviting) you to think with them. That’s actually quite joyful and does a lot for you if you’re working

with them.” The Deleuze Interest Group, sponsored by the Rackham Graduate School Interdisciplinary Workshop program, began in winter 2012, after several students had taken an English literary theory seminar during the fall. After several discussions in and outside of class, students came together and proposed the idea of a workshop centered around Deleuze. LSA junior and co-coordinator of the Deleuze Interest Group Nate Gallant noted that the class was an effective gateway course to further dissecting philosophy and theory. “That class was a really great place where a lot of people who were interested in continental philosophy and literature could come together,” Gallant said. “There aren’t a terrible amount of classes that could offer a (focus) on just one theorist or philosopher.” After the class ended, the conversation continued in Deleuze Interest Group meetings, which served as forum spaces where the group would discuss readings. This year, the Deleuze Interest Group established a speaker series to introduce Deleuze’s philosophy, as well as the multi-dimensional feature of Deleuzian work in other fields. University of Wisconsin-Madison Geography Prof. Dr. Keith Woodward gave a Deleuze Interest Group talk on Nov. 1, titled, “Affect, State Theory, and the Politics of Confusion.” Woodward applies Deleuzian concepts in his study of political consequence and social theory, and centered his talk around an example of the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York. Regarding occupations and social movements, Woodward noted the applicability of Deleuzian thought.

“He subverts the ‘normal’ reading of the history of philosophy, and he also subverts the canon in philosophy,” Woodward said. “So his project in part was to read the minor thinkers rather than the major thinkers.” This interdisciplinary philosophy has generated further conversation among scholars and students alike. “You can have Deleuze be reframed through this other subject matter too,” said co-coordinator and LSA senior Taylor Portela, “There’s that possibility to have multiple viewpoints be in flux with each other.” However, the group emphasized that the Deleuze Interest Group does not center on Deleuze himself, but rather the discussions that derive from Deleuzian ideas. “It’s the conversation that we can have because of Deleuze, not necessarily Deleuze’s work itself,” Gallant said. “He offers up the philosophical space for interdisciplinary conversations that we’re hoping to have in these forums.” Furthermore, group members, who come from a diverse background of different fields, years and majors across the University, stress that their studies on Deleuze allow them to both further enhance their own projects in their individual areas of study, as well as find common ground to engage in philosophical conversations with one another. “This is such a great opportunity that Rackham and the University of Michigan give us, so even just to have the chance to bring in these speakers and to partner with other departments — it just really speaks so highly of the amazing community that we have here at the University,” Molldrem said. “It’s about what (Deleuze) lets all of us come together and do.”

Thursday, November 21, 2013 — 3B

GOSSIP COLUMN

Jay Z stands for fashion and justice

t’s easy to look like a boss when everything is going your way — when you have one of the biggest music empires on the planet, one of the most adorable babies in the world and your wife is freaking Beyoncé. But it’s when the going get LENA tough that you FINKEL really have to prove what you’re made of. And in this case, Jay Z passes with flying colors. It’s no secret that the superglamorous Barneys New York recently came under fire for racial profiling. Two separate Black customers filed complaints against the store when police questioned them after making lavish purchases. One individual was even accused of credit card fraud. This wouldn’t be the first time that a top-line store was accused of such actions — surprise, surprise. Just last month, actor Rob Brown also claimed police detained him for possible “credit card fraud” after shopping at Macy’s. But this time, the racist charges affected more than just the store in question. Because this time, the accusations were filed just before Jay Z intended to bring his exclusive BNY SCC clothing collection to Barneys. Oops! Of course, the mobs took to Twitter, demanding that Jay Z cut ties with Barneys. But after a lot of consideration, and (probably) a ton of negotiations with Barneys,

THE D’ART BOARD

Jay announced that he’s not backing down. Mr. Carter took to his website to proclaim: “I have agreed to move forward with the launch of BNY SCC collection under the condition that I have a leadership role and seat on a council specifically convened to deal with the issue of racial profiling. I am in a unique position to use my voice to affect change to this disturbing issue.” From a public relations stand point, this is genius. It makes him look like the hero, like he’s going to use all his power and influence to end racial stereotyping in luxury stores like Barneys.

Hip-hop mogul knows power comes with responsibility. But if Jay Z is going to genuinely take on this cause — which I honestly can’t speak to (He already has his music label, several business ventures including a new sports management group, his Shawn Carter charitable foundation and a growing family to look after.) — then he really is the role model he claims to be. In an online statement, he wrote, “The easy position would have been to walk away and leave policy-making to others hoping that someone addresses the problem.”

And he’s completely right. Bowing out of the project would have been the “easy” route. He already had millions of fans and supporters demanding that he end the project. It would have been simple for him to walk away — it’s always easiest to do what everyone expects you to do, what everyone is telling you is right. And if the roles were reversed, and Jay Z had caused such a controversy, Barneys New York certainly wouldn’t have hesitated to walk away — remember how quickly Nike dumped Tiger Woods amid his troubles? But Jay is bigger than that. This isn’t to say that walking away from the project would have necessarily been “wrong.” If Jay Z had decided to take his business elsewhere, he still would have sent the message that he doesn’t stand for this kind of behavior. But his actions would have been passive, and wouldn’t have actually dealt with the problem at hand. In times when so many celebrities are claiming to use their influence for good, Jay Z is actually showing them how it’s done. I admire him for stepping up to the plate and facing this very serious problem of racial profiling. Jay posted: “I will not leave the outcome to others. I will take this into my own hands with full power to recommend, review and revise policies and guidelines moving forward. I am choosing to take this head on.” More eloquent words were never written. Finkel is shopping at Barneys. To tag along, e-mail ljfinkel@umich.edu

The Secret Agent Diaries

Each week we take shots at the biggest developments in the entertainment world. Here’s what hit (and missed) this week.

The CW is developing a new spy thriller, which the network describes as a cross between “Alias” and “Homeland.”

Unconditionally bizarre Katy Perry releases “abstract” (read: nonsensical) music video.

The opposite of awesomeness

Great Lake

CBS orders “HIMYM” spinoff, “How I Met Your Dad.”

Lake Bell to star in Ben Palmer-directed rom-com.

It’s a sequel business An “It’s A Wonderful Life” followup is inexplicably in the works. Design by Nick Cruz

SINGLE REVIEW Armed with little more than a piano and vocals, Majical Cloudz has produced “Savage,” a very perB+ sonal and pain-stricken Savage track that Majical Cloudz the Canadian duo has been Matador performing during their live sets over the past year. Upon its release, Devon Welsh wrote a brief note detailing the vague circumstances which led to the song’s conception. While the explanation reveals little, as Welsh believes “what the song is ‘about’ is less important than how and why it is meaningful for you when you listen to it,” he does divulge that it centers around a friendship affected by drugs. The track’s raw approach

heightens the emotional intensity of Welsh’s voice as he sings “I love you / But I have to let go, let go.” Sadness and distress plague the song in its entirety through his vocals, lyrics and somber melody. While overtly personal, the song lacks the specificity to

MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW

MATADOR

detach the listener’s reliability to it. Welsh’s own experience may pertain to a friendship tormented by drugs, but as he admits “Shame on me for it / Shame on me for you,” it’s impossible not to find empathize with his heartache. —ERIKA HARWOOD

It’s hard to deny that Kanye West is a visionary artist, an expert innovator and quite possibly the most sigC nificant pop icon of our Bound 2 time. But for Kanye West a man who Def Jam wields such enormous cultural influence, Kanye sure has a track record of making puzzling decisions. Go ahead and add the recently released “Bound 2” music video to that list of headscratching Yeezy creations. The recently wed couple pulsates sensually as stock footage of an expansive prairie and sunset-topped canyon plays on the green screen backdrop. It’s impossible to explain what prompted the multimillionaire to create something so dully unimaginative and fake looking. Maybe it’s a critique

on love in the time of hypervigilant surveillance, the reality TV starlet’s nude silhouette an effigy for the loss of personal privacy? Or perhaps the meaning lies in Ye’s blank expression, his hands never leaving the motorcycle as Kim looks longingly into the camera — a commentary on the rapper’s shaky relationship with the public? Or else it’s something else entirely,

DEF JAM

some elusive meaning that — as the video is damn near unwatchable — will remain unplumbed in this review. The video for Yeezus closer “Bound 2” is not only baffling: It’s downright boring, failing to engage the viewer in any meaningful or challenging way. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes a bad music video is just a bad music video. —JAKE OFFENHARTZ

the b-side

4B— Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

TERESA MATHEW/Daily

“RENT” is attracting a diverse range of student performers, from the Residential College to the School of Engineering.

TERESA MATHEW/Daily

The production looks to examine darker topics geared around an honest discussion of HIV/AIDS.

TERESA MATHEW/Daily

MUSKET provides aspiring performers a medium for their art before entering professional productions.

MUSKET From Page 1B In an unassuming rehearsal space in the hinterlands of South Campus, distressed garbage cans stand at the ready in one corner and backpacks are strewn across another. In the center, 16 students wait to transform into AIDS-afflicted, poverty-ridden, fatally idealistic New Yorkers. Before the acclaimed musical starts, each actor takes hold of a piece of scaffolding, pushing the set into place until a bare loft centered around a dingy couch comes alive. They begin to sing, and as the music swells, their Wolverine garb and fresh faces fade away. When School of Music, Theatre & Dance senior Ryan Vasquez, playing lost musician Roger Davis, puts down his guitar to back away from Mimi’s seductions, you can barely see a tattoo of the Block ‘M’ peeking from behind his shirt. This is the heart of the University, just in a context not always associated with it. This is “RENT” as imagined by MUSKET, the student-run musical theater organization on

campus. MUSKET is made up entirely of students, and is currently run by producers Ryan Lucas and Hannah Rosenthal, both performing arts management seniors in MT&D. The program puts on one musical each semester that premieres to an audience of around 1,300 people in the Power Center for the Performing Arts. “MUSKET is this amazing opportunity and this amazing pool of resources,” Lucas said. “We get to use it to experiment, create, make mistakes, grow as leaders and create material that is so fun and accessible for the University.” As the producers and only members of MUSKET that don’t rotate from show to show, Lucas and Rosenthal were tasked with electing which musicals to perform this year. “We look for something that we think that people are not only going to be excited to be in but that the campus will be excited to see,” Rosenthal said. “RENT” is often identified as the ultimate musical for our generation — for so many performers it’s the reason they fell in love with musical theater. Lucas and Rosenthal both have felt connected to the show since childhood, and say everyone,

TERESA MATHEW/Daily

Chani Werely plays stripper Mimi Marquez.

regardless of background, can relate. More than just a show MT&D junior Sam Yabrow first heard “RENT” in middle school, riding in the backseat of his mother’s car. He would only sing along to character Mark Cohen’s lines, and now he is reprising the role of warmhearted and neurotic Mark, albeit in a grander format. Rosenthal was an unusually short eighth grader when her dad took her to see the movie in theaters; the patrons around them were shocked to see this diminutive little girl watching that “show about AIDS.” She says she understands the themes so much better now — and understands why others were so disapproving. “RENT” ’s often stigmatized as “that one play about HIV/ AIDS” — a practice in extremes and impossibilities rather than vivid humanity. “When you saw the musical for the first time you were like ‘Oh, it’s about AIDS, everyone dies of AIDS,’ but there is so much more to it than that,” Lucas said. Written by Jonathon Larson in the late 1980s and early ’90s, “RENT” chronicles a group of artists and activists surviving in New York’s East Village. While many are infected with HIV, the virus isn’t the preeminent theme of the story. Characters fall in and out of love, they sell out, they protest, they lose power just as they lose friends. As MT&D junior Adam Quinn, the show’s director, puts it, “ ‘RENT’ is about community. It’s about love. It’s about acceptance. It’s about finding light in the darkness.” Larson passed away the day of the show’s original debut, and since then the musical theater community has revered “RENT,” placing his work on a pedestal. Directors can be wary of changing the show in any way, afraid of desecrating the image Larson initially created. However, Quinn wanted to revamp this production, casting away some of the tropes that have become stale over the course of 20 years. “Any production you see, you see Mark’s plaid scarf, and Roger’s plaid pants, and Mimi wearing the ridiculous blue leggings, and all the staging is the exact same,” he said. This summer, he tore into the script, trying to understand the driving desires of each character. He wanted to do justice to Larson’s masterpiece but in a fresh way. While no changes were made to the script, he completely reworked the staging and casting of the production. The production team auditioned more than 300 students —

TERESA MATHEW/Daily

The production is often identified as the musical for our generation.

the largest number in MUSKET history — for 16 roles, consolidating 45 ensemble parts into just eight. This intimacy and fluidity between characters illustrates just how universal the situations in “RENT” are. LSA freshman Nick Shaheen plays a drug dealer in one scene then swiftly transforms into the HIV support group leader in the next. By doing away with some of the oft-used symbols of the musical, Quinn hopes to surprise students who love “RENT” and invigorate those who aren’t familiar with it. Uncommon dedication MUSKET rehearses at the Student Theater Arts Complex, a small, unremarkable building tucked next to Michigan Stadium. During their rehearsal times, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. six days a week, the area feels unreal — a still, cold land bowing under the giant M. It makes these students’ commitment seem all the more extraordinary, as they spend 24 hours a week rehearsing far from Central Campus. “You know when you are going to do a show, especially like this, that you really are in it so much and you are investing so much into the material,” Vasquez said. “There is going to be some wear and tear on your voice, on your body, on your emotional state, on everything.” It’s hard to imagine how it’s worth it, but for so many actors, producers, crew members and musicians, it’s an integral part of life. Talking with them isn’t like having a conversation with an average student about their extracurricular. Their commitment is founded in an intense love for what they do and for “RENT” itself. “For me this is so much greater than my schoolwork, which is bad, but this is what I love to do,” LSA senior Kaci Friss, who plays Joanne Jefferson, said. Many MUSKET students plan on going into musical theater, in some role, for a living — so this is their chance to show their abilities without the pressures of a career. “In a professional setting you have adults who have done this a million times and they are just sort of phoning it in,” Vasquez said. “But right now for everybody this is sort of their shot to get it right.” During a routine run-through of the show Quinn intently takes notes, muttering approval or frustration under his breath. Between acts, some actors whip out their phones, finding respite from the emotional wallop of the show in Instagram, while others stand to the side practicing their songs with closed eyes. MUSKET isn’t a club. It isn’t a job — everyone is quick to point

out that they aren’t getting paid. MUSKET is an outlets for talented and ambitious students to do what they are most passionate about. Diverse love of theater Lucas and Rosenthal discussed how campus — in particular hordes of girls — has reacted to the premiere of “RENT.” There’s a special Greek-life package, cutting down ticket prices if a sorority or fraternity buys more than 30 tickets for their chapter. Walking into the sorority houses proved just how prevalent the story still is. “The moment you say the word “RENT” people would be like ‘Ahhh!’ and all these girls would be screaming,” said Lucas. More than some MUSKET shows in the past, “RENT” incites passion in its audience. People connect to the show on so many levels, regardless of their own experiences. “It’s not just people who have AIDS or who are living in this bohemian lifestyle who can relate to this,” said LSA junior Kimberly Hay, who plays Maureen Johnson. “I think it really speaks to young people, and then you grow up and it’s still just so beautiful and wonderful.” The universality of the show not only brings a fresh vitality to the performances, but is augmented by having a cast with diverse backgrounds. While many cast members are theater veterans, the production is peppered with first-timers and non-performance majors. “I think the part we enjoy the most is when we have someone come into audition, and they are an engineer, a political science major, something completely random —and they just end up being incredible,” Rosenthal said. Engineering freshman Chani Wereley plays Mimi Marquez, the unpredictable and fragile young stripper. When she belts out, her talent is indistinguishable from the performance majors. “Chani has the most killer voice,” Rosenthal said. “She came in for her audition, and we fell over.” Though they both would love to someday go into theater, Hay is a double major in Drama and Organizational Studies, while Friss is studying Communications. “MUSKET shows tend to attract people who are really serious about what they are doing,” Hay said. “Who either have been trained or have this really raw special talent, and I really appreciate that. I really learn so much from all these different people.” However, there are some reservations to working entirely with students, especially varying levels of expertise. In a show as emotionally charged as “RENT”

— encompassing a whole range of issues from disease and death to sexuality and poverty — tension is bound to develop. “There is a lot of rawness in the rehearsal room,” Vasquez said. “There (have) been a lot of tears, a lot of emotional outbursts and explosions.” The characters aren’t imaginary for these dedicated actors. Whether they connect with Roger’s need to retreat or Mimi’s naïve uncertainty, these students can’t rehearse a scene and walk away unaffected. “We have had to take breaks and come back, but that’s the fun of (it) because if you can’t do that you really are just playing pretend,” Vasquez said. What unites everyone in the production is an earnest love for “RENT.” Despite the frustrations, fights and creative abrasion that go along with this show’s heightened emotions, everyone has parts of the story that they love. Students had different answers for what was their favorite part of the production: For some it’s the beginning number, and for some the last. Others highlight a specific piano note — a melody that unites two voices at the perfect moment. The word “chills” is thrown around rather cavalierly in their rehearsal room, but the messages of this musical do cut deeper than in many other shows. The MUSKET players admit that they didn’t necessarily understand these profound themes as children watching “RENT” for the first time. “Now I am really thinking about the story,” Sheehan said. “What is it like if you knew you were going to die in six months? What is it like when you know that your friends are going to die in six months?” Though Quinn joked that we shouldn’t all want to dwell on our own mortality after watching the show, “RENT” does instill unavoidable introspection. “No day but today” is the carpe diem-like tagline of the show, and in some ways it speaks to the partially satirical “YOLO” culture. “It doesn’t mean you should go do heroin,” Yabrow said. “But definitely think about the people you have in your life and what they mean to you, and how thankful you are for having them.” In a setting often filled with competitive individuals, “RENT” has the ability to unify performers and audiences in spite of professional or circumstantial differences. Collectively a lesson in sex and sorrow, futility and agency, presence and ambition, “RENT” is more than just a show about HIV/AIDS. As Rosenthal said, “ ‘RENT’ is ultimately about love.”