2014-03-13 by The Michigan Daily

ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Thursday, March 13, 2014

Ann Arbor, Michigan

michigandaily.com

GOVERNMENT

Abortion law to have little effect on ‘U’ plans

VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily

LSA junior DeVante Rollins and LSA senior Susie Robinson, UROP peer advisors, talk to LSA freshman Richard Wu about research opportunities at the Major/ Minor Expo in the Michigan Union Wednesday.

Majors fair draws students Programs large and small look for new recruits By AMIA DAVIS Daily Staff Reporter

On Wednesday afternoon, undecided students paused their frantic hair pulling to explore new majors and minors that fit

their interests. Staff from the Newnan LSA Academic Advising Center hosted the Major/Minor Expo, — held in the Michigan Union ballroom — to give students the opportunity to meet with faculty, staff and advisers from various concentrations and discuss potential interests. The Newnan Advising Center consists of general LSA academic advisers who help students

choose courses, career paths and alternative choices to the plans they make. They also certify students’ graduations and assist them with academic difficulties. All LSA majors and minors were represented at the exposition. Several programs from outside LSA also attended, including those from the Ross School of Business, the School of Education and the School of

Social Work. Erin Trame, department advising coordinator for Newnan Advising Center, said the expo was a chance for all LSA departments to come together in one location. It also gave all students — freshman to senior, LSA or non-LSA — a chance to talk to major advisers and set up advising appointments. “It makes it much easier See EXPO, Page 3A

Administration and IFC plan for St. Patrick’s By ARIANA ASSAF Daily Staff Reporter

This St. Patrick’s Day weekend, green beer may very well replace green tea as the breakfast drink of choice. However, the University also has a lineup of non-alcoholic activities for students. Wolverine Wellness, Beyond the Diag, the Center for Campus Involvement and the Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones worked together to give students alternative activities for St. Patrick’s Day that don’t involve alcohol. Joy Pehlke, University Health Service health educator and Sarah Daniels, assistant dean of students, were part of the effort that created events such as the Sober Skate and Shamrock It. Pehlke said that programs are similar to UMix — including food, movies and games to draw crowds. She said she encourages students to keep up-to-date with

activities on the Dean of Students’ website. For example, green donuts and water will be handed out at opposite ends of the Diag on Monday for students on their way to class or on their way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at local establishments. “History here on campus will tell you that some students will go out first thing in the morning as soon as the bars open because there are some places around here that do morning specials,” Daniels said. Pelkhe said students who go out — especially over the weekend — tend to drink in excess. She listed strategies such as keeping track of drinks, pacing oneself and eating throughout the day to avoid sickness or injuries. “One of the unique problems of St. Patrick’s Day weekend is that people drink during day and at night, so often that’s different than what people normally do,” Pehlke said. Although in years past the holiday has also brought warmer weather, the forecast for this weekend is chilly. Both Daniels and Pehlke said that this adds to the risk, as being intoxicated may See ST. PATRICK, Page 3A

By SHOHAM GEVA Daily Staff Reporter

Michigan’s controversial new abortion insurance law will go into effect Friday, but students and faculty with healthcare plans provided through the University should not see a change in their coverage. The law, which was passed late last year, prohibits healthcare plans purchased after Thursday in Michigan from covering abortions. Some individuals, specifically those who are fully insured through an employer or enrolling organization, will have an option to purchase a rider — an additional

STICK ‘EM UP

CAMPUS LIFE

Groups encourage students to ‘stay in the blue’ on the alcohol-heavy holiday

Measure prohibits abortion coverage in most new healthcare plans

cost to their insurance — to have abortion coverage. The domestic and international student health insurance the University provides through Aetna qualify as fully insured plans, which means that to continue coverage under this law, the University would have to add on that additional rider. But, since the law only applies to new enrollments, students will not see any change until August, when the University must renew its plan. In a statement Wednesday afternoon, Aetna Spokeswoman Cynthia Michener said the effect of the law on the University’s student insurance plans will not be clear until then. “It’s too early to know,” Michener wrote. “We will discuss the University of Michigan’s plan options during the renewal process.” However, Laurie Burchett, See HEALTHCARE, Page 3A

ANN ARBOR

Candidates prepare for A2 judicial election As two judges retire, competitive race ahead for numerous contenders By EMMA KERR Daily Staff Reporter NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily

Art & Design senior Carisa Bledsoe performs “Off the Wall” at Links Hall in Chicago Feb. 15. See Page 4B in today’s B-Side for more.

POLICY

Case may lead to samesex marriage legalization State considers arguments in adoption controversy By ALLANA AKHTAR Daily Staff Reporter

Michigan could be the next state to legalize same-sex marriage upon the review of recent case hearings by a federal

judge. Last Friday concluded a series of arguments regarding the legality of same-sex marriage in the state of Michigan and the validity of a 2004 proposal that banned the practice, lasting two weeks. At the heart of controversy is whether same sex couples are able to be adequate parents. Hazel Park residents April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse

brought the case to court after the state denied them joint adoption of their three children. While the case began as a matter of changing the adoption process in Michigan, the lawsuit ultimately called into question the same sex marriage ban itself. The state, represented by Attorney General Bill Schuette, is defending the voters’ 2004 See MARRIAGE, Page 3A

As Washtenaw County judges Nancy Wheeler and Donald Shelton prepare to step down from their posts in January, the race to fill their positions is heating up. The judicial election will have its primary on Aug. 5 followed by the general election on Nov. 4. Candidates running so far include Jane Bassett, Tamara Garwood, Constance Jones, Julia Owdziej and Tracy Van den Bergh, all of whom are competing for Wheeler’s seat, and Veronique Liem, Patrick Conlin and Michael Woodyard are vying for Shelton’s seat. Wheeler’s successor will be responsible for family law, probate cases and ensuring that claims to an estate of a deceased person are properly recognized. There is also a potential for change in the docket over the folSee ELECTION, Page 3A

social media b-side A look at the University’s diverse digital campaigns.

» INSIDE WEATHER TOMORROW

HI: 42 LO: 24

GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.

NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Social disorder: Gentrification and you MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS

INDEX

NEWS......................... 2A SUDOKU..................... 3A OPINION.....................4A

SPORTS.......................6A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A B-SIDE ....................1B

News

2A — Thursday, March 13, 2014

MONDAY: This Week in History

TUESDAY: Professor Profiles

OH SNOW!

WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers

FRIDAY: Photos of the Week

ZIP LINING TO SUCCESS

Alum thrives on connections Gaal Karp graduated from the University in 1987 with a Bachelor of General Studies degree. After graduating, he entered into the development and building business. He currently works as an independent development consultant and is the development director for Outdoor Ventures, a zip line company, and Arbor Lofts, a student housing company for Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Mich.

MCKENZIE BEREZIN/Daily

Artist Vaugh Louks helps build a life-sized snowman outside Urban Outfitters on State Street Wednesday.

What is the most important lesson you learned as a student at the University? How does it apply to your life now? The most important thing about University, especially

Michigan is connections — people! Every person you meet, every person’s friends you know, at some point in your life you may bump into them again for one reason or another. Maybe that person will introduce you to your future mate or helps you with furthering your business career. Once you’re older if they know you or are friends with someone you know, they might introduce you for some business thing. Probably the most important thing period from college is that you learn how to socialize and meet people. Those people you meet you will hopefully come into contact with some way or another in the future and that will help you with whatever you do in your life.

CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES

ON THE WEB... michigandaily.com

Beginners’ Gentrification Medical alarms meditation THE WIRE

THE PODIUM

THURSDAY: Alumni Profiles

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

BY JARRON BOWMAN

BY TOM MCBRIEN

Jarron Rowman dissects the pros and cons of gentrification, the renovation of buildings in lower class communities by wealthier individuals. Although the process can revitalize communities, it can also cause unwanted evictions.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System have have found that medical alarms designed to keep patients safe by alerting doctors of a patient’s condition may actually do more harm than good.

THE PODIUM

THE FILTER

Death penalty

Skrillex

BYMICHAEL CASEY

BY ALLEN DONNE

Michael Casey sheds light on the case of Glenn Ford, a Black man recently released from his death penalty sentence. The case, which occured thirty years ago, provided no concrete evidence for conviction and instead relied on racism to condemn Ford.

Skrillex has released a new single, “Coast is Clear,” which features Chance the Rapper. The “go-to feel good anthem” shows a different side of the artists by utilizing new elements. Read more from these blogs at michigandaily.com

Penny Stamps speaker series

WHAT: Students are invited to a drop-in clinic for those interested in learning basic meditation skills to incorporate in their daily lives. WHO: CAPS WHEN: 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. WHERE: CAPS Office

WHAT: Sanjit Roy will speak about his founding of the Barefoot College in Rajasthan, India, whose mission is to help rural communities toward self-sustainibility. WHO: School of Art & Design WHEN: 5:10 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Theater

UMMA After Hours

Engineering lecture

WHAT: The University of Michigan Museum of Art will be opened late with music, refreshments and art, of course. Permanent and special collections will be open to the public. Curators will be present for information and conversation. WHO: UMMA WHEN: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. WHERE: Museum of Art

WHAT: In the 44th annual Donald L. Katz lecture, Kristi Anseth, professor of chemical and biological engineering at the University of Colorado, will deliver her research, “Body Building: Designer Gels to Promote Tissue Regeneration.” WHO: School of Education WHEN: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Gerald Ford Library Auditorium

How did your time at the University help lead to your success in the development business? It certainly helped me decide what I didn’t want to do. I took certain classes that I realized the subjects were not very interesting. For example, I took psychology and I thought it was certainly interesting, but not really for me. I think a lot of the stuff you learn in college is what you’re not excited about. You may not find what you end up doing or really love, but you certainly learn what you don’t like as well. — EMILIE PLESSET

THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY

New research suggests that climate change may have contributed to Genghis Khan’s success in the 13th century, PBS reported. A period of increased warmth and rain improved grass growth for Khan’s horse-mounted army.

The Daily Arts staff takes a look at how the University is employing social networking strategies to reach a wider audience base online. We also examine the Digital Media Club. >> FOR MORE, SEE B-SIDE, PG. 1B

Turkish riot police fired tear gas into crowds that were mourning the death of a 15-year-old boy, Headnine reported. The boy, Berkin Elvan, died after being put into a coma last June by what is believed to have been a police tear gas canister.

420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com PETER SHAHIN KIRBY VOIGTMAN

Editor in Chief Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1251 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 pjshahin@michigandaily.com kvoigtman@michigandaily.com

Newsroom

News Tips

734-418-4115 opt. 3

news@michigandaily.com

Corrections

Letters to the Editor

corrections@michigandaily.com

tothedaily@michigandaily.com

Arts Section

Editorial Page

arts@michigandaily.com

opinion@michigandaily.com

Sports Section

Photography Section

sports@michigandaily.com

photo@michigandaily.com

Display Sales

Classified Sales

dailydisplay@gmail.com

classified@michigandaily.com

Online Sales

Finance

onlineads@michigandaily.com

finance@michigandaily.com

EDITORIAL STAFF Katie Burke Managing Editor Jennifer Calfas Managing News Editor

kgburke@michigandaily.com jcalfas@michigandaily.com

SENIOR NEWS EDITORS: Ian Dillingham, Sam Gringlas, Will Greenberg, Rachel Premack and Stephanie Shenouda ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Allana Akhtar, Yardain Amron, Hillary Crawford, Amia Davis, Shoham Geva, Amabel Karoub, Thomas McBrien, Emilie Plesset, Max Radwin and Michael Sugerman

Megan McDonald and Daniel Wang Editorial Page Editors

opinioneditors@michigandaily.com

SENIOR EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Aarica Marsh and Victoria Noble ASSISTANT EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Michael Schramm and Nivedita Karki

Greg Garno and Alejandro Zúñiga

Managing Sports Editors sportseditors@michigandaily.com

SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS: Max Cohen, Alexa Dettelbach, Rajat Khare, Jeremy Summitt and Daniel Wasserman ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Lev Facher, Daniel Feldman, Simon Kaufman, Erin Lennon, Jake Lourim and Jason Rubinstein

John Lynch and Akshay Seth Managing Arts Editors

jplynch@michigandaily.com akse@michigandaily.com

SENIOR ARTS EDITORS: Giancarlo Buonomo, Natalie Gadbois, Erika Harwood and Alec Stern ASSISTANT ARTS EDITORS: Jamie Bircoll, Jackson Howard, Gillian Jakab and Maddie Thomas

Teresa Mathew and Paul Sherman Managing Photo Editors

photo@michigandaily.com

SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS: Patrick Barron and Ruby Wallau ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS: Allison Farrand, Tracy Ko, Terra Molengraff and Nicholas Williams

Carolyn Gearig and Gabriela Vasquez Managing Design Editors

design@michigandaily.com

SENIOR DESIGN EDITORS: Amy Mackens and Alicia Kovalcheck

Carlina Duan Magazine Editor

statement@michigandaily.com

DEPUTY MAGAZINE EDITORS: Max Radwin and Amrutha Sivakumar STATEMENT PHOTO EDITOR: Ruby Wallau STATEMENT LEAD DESIGNER: Amy Makens

Mark Ossolinski and Meaghan Thompson Managing Copy Editors

copydesk@michigandaily.com

SENIOR COPY EDITORS: Mariam Sheikh and David Nayer

Austen Hufford

Online Editor

ahufford@michigandaily.com

BUSINESS STAFF Amal Muzaffar Digital Accounts Manager Doug Solomon University Accounts Manager Leah Louis-Prescott Classified Manager Lexi Derasmo Local Accounts Manager Hillary Wang National Accounts Manager Ellen Wolbert and Sophie Greenbaum Production Managers Nolan Loh Special Projects Coordinator Nana Kikuchi Finance Manager Olivia Jones Layout Manager The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.

Investigators seek cause of San Francisco worksite fire Blaze deemed ‘one of the largest of recent years’ threatened whole neighborhood SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Fire investigators on Wednesday were looking into whether welding work was to blame for a massive blaze that barreled through an apartment building construction site, threatening nearby structures and prompting evacuations as firefighters worked to prevent its spread through a San Francisco neighborhood. City officials said a catastrophe was narrowly avoided in an up-and-coming area near AT&T Park, home of the Giants. “I think we’re very lucky that the fire didn’t jump anymore,” Mayor Ed Lee said. Sudoku Syndication The exact cause of the blaze — one of the largest in the city in recent years — was under inves-

tigation. Fire officials were looking into preliminary reports that workers at the block-long site were doing torch work shortly before the fire was reported around 5 p.m. Tuesday, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said. “It’s too early to determine a cause at this point,” Fire Department Battalion Chief Kirk Richardson said. “Our arson investigators still have a lot of material they have to look at.” Two firefighters suffered minor injuries. One of them, Tom Murphy, suffered burns while battling the fire from above but didn’t realize he was injured for hours, said firefighter Stephen Maguire, whose crew was among the first to arrive. The five-alarm fire created a plume of black smoke that was visible for miles and led to the evacuation of nearby buildings as about 150 firefighters were called to contain it. A wall of the burning building collapsed about an hour after the fire began.

SUDOKU EASY

8 7

4 9

7 8

3 6

1 6

THE STRUGGLE IS REAL.

2 1 © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only.

puzzle by sudokusyndication.com

Firefighters had to take a defensive stance because the building was leaning in some areas, Maguire said. The blaze cracked windows at Strata at Mission Bay, an apartment building across the street, and sent an ember onto the roof of a University of California, San Francisco building. Flames briefly spread to scaffolding at another building under JOHN MINCHILLO/AP construction, Maguire said. Firefighters respond to a fire on 116th Street in Harlem after a building exploded in huge flames. The fire was fueled by wooden frames and other materials at the site, Hayes-White said. Because it was under construction, the building had no fire-suppression systems. “Our objective last night, at 116th Street, not far from the Fire officials said some people which we were able to achieve, was to contain (the fire) to the edge of Central Park, erupted were unaccounted for but caubuilding of origin,” she said. about 9:30 a.m., around 15 min- tioned they may not have been in utes after a neighboring resident the buildings. Fire officials did not yet have reported smelling gas, authoriA tenant in one of the destroyed a damage estimate but said the entire six-story building was a ties said. The Con Edison utility buildings, Ruben Borrero, said http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ loss. NEW YORK (AP) — A gas leak said it immediately sent workers residents had complained to the triggered an earthshaking explo- to check out the report, but they landlord about smelling gas as By late afternoon Wednesday, construction crews were using sion that flattened two apartment didn’t arrive until it was too late. recently as Tuesday. an excavator to tear down the buildings on Wednesday, killing The explosion shattered winA few weeks ago, Borrero said, structure on one end while fireat least three people, injuring dows a block away, rained debris city fire officials were called about fighters on the other end doused more than 60 and leaving nine onto elevated commuter railroad the odor, which he said was so missing. A tenant said residents tracks close by, cast a plume of bad that a tenant on the top floor hotspots. Firefighters will likely remain had complained repeatedly in smoke over the skyline and sent broke open the door to the roof for on the scene throughout the recent weeks about “unbearable” people running into the streets. ventilation. gas smells. “It felt like an earthquake “It was unbearable,” said Bornight to make sure the fire doesn’t rekindle, Richardson By evening, rescue work- had rattled my whole building,” rero, who lived in a second-floor said. ers finally began the search said Waldemar Infante, a porter apartment with his mother and for victims amid the broken who was working in a basement sister, who were away at the Meanwhile, residents of the Strata apartment building were bricks, splintered wood and nearby. “There were glass shards time of the explosion. “You walk allowed back into their homes mangled metal after firefighters everywhere on the ground, and in the front door and you want to spent most of the day dousing all the stores had their windows turn around and walk directly Wednesday evening. Exterior sprinklers on the the flames. Heavy equipment, blown out.” out.” building had to be replaced including back hoes and a bullPolice said two women believed The fire department said a and the fire protection system dozer, arrived to clear the moun- to be in their 40s were among the check of its records found no restored before residents could tain of debris where the two dead. instances in the past month in five-story East Harlem buildHunter College identified one which tenants of the two buildbe allowed back in, fire Deputy Chief of Operations Mark Gonings stood. Flood lights were in as Griselde Camacho, a security ings reported gas odors or leaks. zales said. About 30 units sufplace. Thermal imaging cameras officer who worked at the SilberJennifer Salas lived in one of fered damage, fire officials said. were at the ready to identify heat man School of Social Work build- the buildings. She told The New Earlier Wednesday, Eli Brill spots — bodies or pockets of fire. ing. Hunter, in a statement on its York Times her husband, Jordy The recovery was facing hard- website, said she had worked for Salas, and her dog were in the and his wife Justyn Bellsey, both 31, temporarily returned to their ship in the form of the weather, the college since 2008. building at the time of the colapartment at Strata to retrieve which was expected to drop into At least three of the injured lapse and were missing. the 20s with rain. Some parts of were children; one, a 15-year-old “There’s six floors in the buildbelongings. Firefighters had helped them retrieve their dog the debris pile were inaccessible boy, was reported in critical con- ing; each floor has one apartthe previous night. because of a sinkhole caused by dition with burns, broken bones ment,” she said. “Last night it a subsurface water main break, and internal injuries. Most of the smelled like gas, but then the “It was really scary,” Bellsey said. “I’m just relieved that we officials said. other victims’ injuries were minor smell vanished and we all went to were able to get in.” The fiery blast, on Park Avenue and included cuts and scrapes. sleep.”

Generate and solve Sudoku, Super Sudoku and Godoku puzzles at sudokusyndication.com!

NYC explosion flattens two buildings, kills three people Residents complained for weeks about gas smell in area

News

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

HEALTHCARE From Page 1A Managed Care/Student Insurance manager, said in an interview Wednesday afternoon that the University is committed to providing elective abortion coverage for the domestic student plan. “This is something that we cover, and we’re going to continue to cover it,” Burchett said. Louise Baldwin, associate director of the International Institute, said for international plans, the same applied. “It would be technically considered as a rider, which is what the plan specified, but all students enrolled in the plan would have the benefit,” Baldwin said. “Long story short, it’s not going to affect the coverage.”

ELECTION From Page 1A lowing six years of his or her term. University alum Tamara Garwood, an Ann Arbor resident and Detroit College of Law graduate, has practiced in Ann Arbor for the past 15 years. Garwood’s legal specialties are divided between probate and family law cases, making this available seat, Garwood said, an ideal fit for her skill set and passions. “I can only help so many people in private practice. It sounds altruistic, but I want to help more people,” Garwood said. “I want to have a greater impact on the community, and in my mind the way to do that to be able to help more people each day is to become a judge.” Garwood is the only candidate to receive incumbent Judge Wheeler’s endorsement, Garwood Campaign Manager Tiffany Messer said. After receiving her Masters of Social Work from New York University, Ann Arbor resident Tracy Van den Bergh moved to Michigan 14 years ago, attended Michigan State University College of Law and currently practices at Legal Services of South Central Michigan, where she specializes in both probate and family law. According to Van den Bergh, her unique background in social work, understanding of mental ill-

ST. PATRICK From Page 1A make it more difficult to take into account the severity of the cold. LSA sophomore Leo Weissburg, the Interfraternity Council’s vice president for public relations, said that the IFC has various strategies in place to ensure that students attending events at fraternities have fun and stay safe. For example, “stay in blue cups” — which are made with standard drink lines — will be provided to fraternity houses

EXPO From Page 1A instead of going to all the departments separately,” Trame said. Students of all class standings stood in line at the front desk in front of the Union Ballroom to swipe their MCards to gain admission to the event. According to Trame, more than 100 students attended the expo within the first half-hour, which was a larger turnout than last year’s expo. Many students wandered up to various departments’ stands

Baldwin added that students should not see an increase in what they pay for the plan based on the addition of the rider. Graduate students and faculty at the University who receive coverage through University plans, such as GradCare, U-M Premier Care or Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s Community Blue PPO, will not see any change in their coverage under the new law. These self-insured plans — under which the University assumes financial risks instead of the provider — are not subject to changes under the new law. The three faculty and grad plans all already offer some form of elective abortion coverage currently, according to documents on the University Benefits Office website. One faculty plan, the Health Alliance Plan, is not self-insured, but it already has a rider for

abortion coverage, David Reid, senior director of Strategic Communications, said in an e-mail statement. On campus, the law has pushed students to act both for and against the changes. LSA junior Taylor Crookston, vice president of Students for Life, a pro-life organization, said a lot of students among the organization got involved with advocating and petition to get the law through Congress. “We did the petition drives, most of us have signed it,” Crookston said. “We didn’t do a lot of it on campus with holding the petitions and getting people to sign it, because most of it was done over the summer.” LSA junior Sophia Kotov, president of Students for Choice, a pro-choice organization, said she saw a strong campus reaction after the abortion insurance law

passed last December. “When the law actually passed, a lot of people were showing up for Students for Choice and were saying ‘Wow, this is ridiculous, I should get involved somehow,’” Kotov said. “It actually mobilized a lot of people.” The law’s official start date also gathered attention at the Michigan State Capitol. State Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D–East Lansing) announced the launch of a new nonprofit organization Wednesday, called Right to Health, in response. “Through Right to Health, I’ll be traveling around Michigan this year to talk to women & men about the importance of protecting our health care rights and the damage that is caused when misogynistic ideas like the new ‘Rape Insurance’ law are allowed to happen,” Whitmer wrote in a statement on her Facebook page.

ness and ability to interact with a wide range of individuals sets her apart from other candidates. “I would like to take my unique education to the bench because I believe it will enable people across the board to have better access to the justice system,” Van den Bergh said. The importance of this bench, Van den Bergh said, cannot be overlooked, as the majority of people in probate court are experiencing a life crisis and require a fair and compassionate judge. Ann Arbor resident Connie Jones, who grew up in Washtenaw County and attended the University’s Law School, worked for the United Auto Workers-General Motors Legal Services before opening her own practice in 1993. She also worked for Ozone House, a homeless shelter for youth, and volunteers in the LGBTQ community. She said her passion of working with children and the elderly inspired her to pursue a seat on the probate court. Ann Arbor resident Julia B. Owdziej, who graduated from Detroit College of Law, is currently the deputy register for the Washtenaw County Probate Court. She is also the referee for Washtenaw County Juvenile Court, in which she presides over hearings. She has lived in Washtenaw County since 1991, and said that her experience in a variety of

areas will help her better serve the people of Washtenaw County. “Having been an advocate, a decision maker and administrative work in probate court, I think I have all of the areas covered to be a successful judge for the most vulnerable people in probate court,” Owdziej said. Ann Arbor resident Jane Bassett, a Detroit Mercy School of Law graduate, opened her own practice in 1994 concerning elder law and family formation for twenty years. A Washtenaw County resident since 1982, she said she hopes to use her resources, connections and experience to serve in a personal and effective way. “Some of my shining moments have been small victories. Knowing the details of someone’s life and helping them have a better quality of life in their last days,” Bassett said. “When clients come to me they know they are going to get the service they need with compassion about what they are going through.” Shelton’s circuit court seat is historically responsible for more family law cases, personal protection orders, divorces and juvenile court cases. Ann Arbor resident Michael Woodyard, Wayne County assistant prosecutor, attended Eastern Michigan University and Wayne State University Law School and will be running again after losing the 2012 election against incumbent Judge

Tim Connors. Chelsea resident Patrick Conlin, another candidate who grew up in the Ann Arbor area, has a private practice in Chelsea. He attended the University of Notre Dame and became a high school English teacher before attending Wayne State University Law School. “I am really eager to serve the people of this county,” Conlin said. “I understand public service from my family’s own history of serving the community, and I’m really eager to be in a position to make the decisions that are necessary to bring resolution to people’s conflict.” Veronique Liem is an attorney at Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge, a law firm with four locations throughout Michigan. She received her MBA and JD from the University. “I want to perform community service as part of my work,” Liem said. “I also at a stage in my career and my life where I think I have the knowledge and skill to be a good judge and to render sound and impact decisions especially in family law, which this seat will predominantly preside.”

that are hosting events. To continue with past years’ practices, fraternities will purchase food to encourage students not to drink on an empty stomach, and the IFC will reimburse these purchases. Members of the Michigan Ambassadors Program who are trained by University Health Services and the Ann Arbor Police Department will also be patrolling social events to ensure that “everything is within control,” Weissburg said. Weissburg said LSA sophomore Alex Krupiak, IFC’s vice president of social responsibility, created guidelines specifically

for the holiday to ensure safety. For example, the policy discourages the use of glass containers and encourages fraternity members to pick up trash throughout the day, as well as be aware of sound system set-ups to avoid noise complaints. In addition, Weissburg said the guidelines encouraged fraternities to hold events on Saturday in lieu of Sunday, when Honors Convocation will occur. “We want students to know that there’s alternative events, that there’s other things to do besides engaging in high-risk drinking, or drinking at all,” Daniels said.

to browse concentrations and requirements, discuss career plans or set up advising appointments. However, some students were already set on their academic plans. LSA sophomore Lasherryn Duncan said she had all her of options in mind before she attended the expo. As a Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience and Spanish double major, Duncan decided to attend the expo to check and confirm all of her options. “It was good to see that with each stand, there was a professor there,” Duncan said. “It was help-

ful to put a face with a name.” LSA freshman Mia Licciardi said she came to the expo to figure out the next step for her chosen major — English. But after perusing the selections, she said the event opened up her mind to other majors she was interested in, such as psychology. LSA senior Hani Habra attended the event with a completed major in mathematics. By attending the event, he hoped to explore other opportunities for graduate school, such as pursuing a degree in Engineering. “I’m still searching,” Habra said.

IT’S AN HOUR PAST MIDNIGHT AND WE’RE HERE MAKING A PAPER

WE’RE HOPING NO NEWS BREAKS TONIGHT SO WE DON’T HAVE TO BE HERE LATER

OF COURSE WE LOVE THE NEWSROOM

IN ALL ITS PRINT MEDIA SPLENDOR WE JUST REALLY NEED SOME SLEEP SOON

SO WE CAN SERVE YOU BETTER HERE’S TO YOU, OUR READERS FAST ASLEEP BY NOW

OR MAYBE WATCHING NETFLIX

A SHOW HIGH OR LOW BROW WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING

BE SURE TO PICK A COPY OR TEN

WE MAKE IT EVERY NIGHT SO YOU CAN KNOW

WHAT’S GOING ON AT U OF M

Thursday, March 13, 2014 — 3A

MARRIAGE From Page 1A decision to define marriage as one man and one woman. Both sides presented data and statistics from numerous scholars, including professors and economists, to ascertain if children would be at a disadvantage if raised by same-sex parents. According to University lecturer Mark Rosenbaum, Chief Counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, the data clearly favored DeBoer and Rowse. “There is no basis other than sheer animus against all LGBT individuals to prevent two people who love one another to say so or do so in the same ways as heterosexual couples,” Rosenbaum said. In 2004, Michigan residents approved a ban on same-sex marriage with around 59 percent of voters favoring the measure. DeBoer and Rowse’s suit may overturn this law and raises the question whether initiatives are appropriate ways to make legislation. Jay Kaplan, an attorney with the ACLU of Michigan, said he believes constitutionality should not be judged solely on majority opinion. He said the Founding Fathers created three branches of the U.S. Government to prevent such action.

“Our government, our laws, protect us from the tyranny of the majority and clearly that was a discriminatory prevision that was approved by a wide majority of voters in 2004,” Kaplan said. “We’ve seen over the last 10 years how attitudes towards LGBT people in terms of their support for the right to marry has significantly changed — I just think it was unconstitutional back in 2004, it is today and the decision to overturn it is exactly the right thing to do.” Rosenbaum also warned against the dangers of majority opinion when dealing with governmental action. He said he believes the role of the courts is to represent the minority voice in legislation to distinguish between what is constitutional and what is discrimination. “In the area of whether it’s race or whether it’s class or whether it is gender or whether it is sexual orientation: we need to be very careful in saying the majority’s vote is the final say so,” he said. An Michigan State Unviersity poll found earlier this month that 54% of Michigan residents support gay marriage. The federal judge will take weeks to issue his ruling. Both the University’s chapter of the College Republicans and the American Family Association of Michigan were unavailable for comment.

Opinion

4A — Thursday, March 13, 2014

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

MEGAN MCDONALD and DANIEL WANG EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS

KATIE BURKE MANAGING EDITOR

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

FROM THE DAILY

Pothole problems Michigan needs to allocate more funding to maintain Michigan roads

his Michigan winter has been exceptionally awful, with recordbreaking low temperatures and snowfall totals approaching the all-time record. Such harsh weather conditions have taken a considerable toll on the state’s roads. Poor road quality has affected the health and pocketbooks of Michigan drivers. Michigan’s legislature is introducing a mid-fiscal year supplemental budget that will allocate $215 million to repairing roads. Republican Gov. Rick Snyder can and should alleviate the dangerous conditions by signing the budget. The budget was passed Tuesday in the state House and Senate. $100 million will be spent on general road maintenance and $115 million will be set aside for road projects specified by various legislators. The pockmarked roads throughout the state have caused a number of serious and fatal injuries to drivers, and failing to fix roads is endangering Michigan residents. In February, the Michigan Townships Association released a statement saying that “One-third of all fatal and serious traffic accidents are at least partly due to poor road conditions and roadway design.” The MTA also claimed that improving roads could save up to 1,000 lives over the span of 10 years. Maintaining the quality of Michigan roads is not only a matter of improving driving conditions, but a case of saving lives. Michigan citizens pay the sixth-highest gasoline tax rate in the nation yet the state is unable to keep the roads in acceptable condition. The average vehicle owner in Michigan pays an additional $357 per year on vehicle repairs such as flat tires, shock and strut replacements, and

on repairs stemming from accidents caused by the state’s poor road conditions. In areas such as Metro Detroit — where more than half of the roads are rated in poor or mediocre condition — motorists spend $536 more in unnecessary vehicle repairs. Taxpayers are already paying for the upkeep of the roads and their vehicles. It’s ridiculous that motorists should be subjected to further costs due to the state’s lack of road repair. Michigan comes in dead last in per capita spending on roads and bridges annually at $154. If the state had been utilizing more funds to maintain the roads before the current winter — one of Michigan’s worst winters in years — the roads would not be in such extreme deteriorated conditions. Currently, 32 percent of the roads in Michigan are ranked in poor condition. It has been estimated that the number will increase to 65 percent if the problem isn’t addressed. An aggressive investment in road infrastructure now will help save both drivers and the state money in the future.

Ryan Dau is an LSA freshman.

with romance — this also implies a tendency to associate LGBTQ members with anything romantic. These perceptions create stereotypes seen in the media. A recent study examined the degree of sexual material in DNA and Instinct, magazines targeted towards gay males. The study found that 47 percent of advertisements focused on selling materials of an explicitly sexual nature, including underwear, male enhancement materials, pornographic DVDs and lubricant. This 47 percent didn’t include car, clothing and alcohol advertisements, which commonly use sex to sell. Of course, sexual content runs rampant through the media, but I highly doubt half of “Men’s Health” contains advertisements for penis pumps, condoms and porn. These stereotypes also leak into health fields. Sexually transmitted infections and other sex-related topics represent most commonly discussed LGBTQ topics in medical school, but many members suffer from other issues. LGBTQ youth are five times more prone to homelessness, three times more prone to suicidality and twice as prone to depression — yet medical school, which spends, on average, five hours covering LGBTQ issues, rarely covers these topics. This creates serious consequences. Though doctors may know about STI risk, they aren’t aware of potential psychological dangers to LGBTQ members. They may be educated on suicide and depression, but they don’t understand their impact on LBGTQ members. How is that fair? This isn’t doctors’ faults. They don’t select the medical school curriculum, but nevertheless, these issues are dangerous and require education. Such stigmas also create social ramifications. In my experience, gays and lesbians talk about their relationships and sex lives more than heterosexuals. If this talk occurred among only specific individuals, I wouldn’t be concerned, but I see this happening consistently. I even see it

within myself. Though it’s important to embrace sexuality, we shouldn’t feel restrictedly bound to them. Instead, like any heterosexual, we should feel encouraged to decide how much we incorporate our sexuality into our personalities. The problem is that my sexuality presses me into being the “gay guy,” and I believe lesbians and transgenders feel the same way. This can cause a slippery slope leading to complications. By pressuring LGBTQ members to fulfill sexually based stereotypes, we inadvertently pressure them into fulfilling other stereotypes — i.e. feminine gays and butch lesbians. Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being a feminine gay or masculine lesbian if that’s truly who you are. What concerns me is that feminine guys and masculine girls feel driven to these personalities based on fulfilling a sexuality-based stereotype. The truth is that my sexuality — and the sexuality of many other LGBTQ members — is no more important than a straight person’s. On most occasions, I’d rather discuss “Twitch Plays Pokemon” over some guy’s biceps. But that doesn’t mean every member does. Some, just like straight people, frequently gossip about relationships, hookups and bodies. We each favor hookups or relationships based on our personalities. How often we think about sex depends on who we are as individuals. Most importantly, we, or at least I, want to choose how much we define ourselves by our attractions. Sexuality’s purpose is providing clarification about who we are as people. By flipping this concept and instead defining someone by their sexuality, you’re not only enforcing stereotypes, you’re overlooking the purpose of sexuality. — Michael Schramm can be reached at mschramm@umich.edu.

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

Barry Belmont, Nivedita Karki, Jacob Karafa, Jordyn Kay, Kellie Halushka, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Paul Sherman, Allison Raeck, Linh Vu, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe

Abolishing minimum wage the same time encouraging intrepid workers to enter the market at the now-higher salary, producing a body of structurally unemployed labor, which didn’t exist prior to the imposition of this policy. This is the essential explication of “Eurosclerosis,” or Western Europe’s dichotomy of high unemployment even during times of economic expansion. Well-meaning governments, assured that they are providing a helping hand to working families in their constituencies, impose a quasi-wage control that ushers in sickeningly high levels of unemployment. Notably, and as mentioned in the article, this view on the minimum wage has been greeted with dissent by economists David Card and Alan B. Krueger, who in their article, “Minimum Wages and Employment: A Case Study of the Fast-Food Industry in New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” documented a supposed positive correlation between an increase in the minimum wage and employment in fast-food chains within the two aforementioned states. Not only was this claim later redacted by the authors, who revised their conclusion to say instead that there was either a mild increase or no change at all in fast-food worker unemployment, but the article flies in the face of literally thousands of other publications documenting the minimum wage’s adverse effects on employment for African-Americans, single women, teenagers and part-time workers. The retort to this claim is obvious; even if Card and Krueger are wrong and the minimum wage produces unemployment in the short-term, this will be mediated in the longrun by an increase in demand from those workers who will see an increase in their purchasing power, spurring expansions in industrial output and, naturally, in employment. This hinges critically on the assumption that the market demand for labor is inelastic over the range of the wage increase from the minimum wage hike. In layman’s terms, we’d have to assume that higher wages for those who stay employed outweigh lost wages from those who become unemployed, and considering that the demand for labor has been documented as being highly elastic during recessions at least since Lionel Robbins’s 1934 treatise “The Great Depression,” I wouldn’t say that those are betting odds. Now, if liberals are to accept that the minimum wage is impotent at delivering increases in either employment or higher wages for all workers then policies which do both, such as economic stimulus packages, investments in infrastructure and education, subsidies for student loans and so on may be pursued in their stead. Political capital is a scarce good, and it pains me to see my fellow Democrats wasting it on a bum policy like the minimum wage.

Oversexualized sexuality

hen I first came out, I wasn’t expecting to discuss attractive guys as much as I did. I knew I would, and the thought felt exciting. Expressing my attractions felt like placing the final piece to my identity puzzle. What MICHAEL struck me as SCHRAMM odd, though, was how consistently attractive guys were brought to my attention. This piece framed my identity instead of fitting into my identity’s frame. My girl friends always pointed out attractive guys — whether it was the cute guy across the street or the actor on TV. I couldn’t understand why I was given such acute attention to anything male and attractive. Even more puzzling became my frequent exclamations about cute boys. These comments felt subconscious, yet I sensed this spotlighting enough to realize I didn’t understand it. I now understand this phenomenon’s root: oversexualizing the LGBTQ community. Though our entire culture is sexualized, the gay community carries a heightened sexual sense where members are defined by their sexuality. Since orientations outside heterosexual are minorities, we emphasize those members’ personalities as linked to their sexuality. For example, if you’re interacting with a lesbian and a straight woman, the straight woman’s orientation wouldn’t induce much thought. You’re desensitized to her sexuality since it’s common. But being a lesbian is more uncommon, and therefore, you’ll more likely highlight her sexual orientation in constructing your perception of her identity. This means that you’ll more likely associate “gay” with “sex,” and — because sexuality connects

RYAN DAU | VIEWPOINT

In my experience, political ideologies are akin to overcoats; you wear one while it fits and trade it for another when you’ve outgrown it. In this vein I’ve had dalliances with neoconservatism, I’ve summered as a Marxist, I misspent my high school years as a libertarian and my intellectual adulthood has thus far been lived within the parameters of American liberalism. Each philosophy, of course, has its own little foibles and fallacies to nip at the heels of its advocates. Conservatives suffer from a fetishization of militarism and the more macabre elements of biblical scripture, while Marxists are hung up on their woefully incoherent doctrine of historical materialism; libertarians could fill the Encyclopedia Britannica three times over with their deductive missteps and political faux pas. In turn, my confederates can’t seem to help themselves when it comes to the minimum wage. Let me blunt the edge of my criticism by saying that I share all of the concerns echoed by the College Democrats in their recent Michigan Daily article — wages are shockingly too low, the economic fortunes of working class families are woefully insecure and income inequality is disgustingly ubiquitous in American life. This is a disagreement among friends alone, and while my strategy for achieving a more equitable economic climate differs from my comrades the ultimate goal is nonetheless the same. Please keep this in mind when I say that supporting even the existence of a minimum wage is misguided at best and antisocial at worst. The contemporary liberal case for the minimum wage is largely a hangover from the writings of economist and policy wonk John Kenneth Galbraith, who advocated for systemic price and wage controls to tame inflation in his 1952 work A Theory of Price Control. While a prescient and insightful macroeconomist, Galbraith’s microeconomic treatise proved to be shockingly off the mark. When former President Richard Nixon implemented Galbraith’s policies as part of his “income policy” to control inflation, the bane of rising prices was replaced with the drudgery of economy-wide production dislocations. Those industries faced with mandated prices above the market-clearing rate built up unsalable surpluses while those businesses forced to sell goods below the market equilibrium price were faced with unquenchable shortages. America’s income policy died in 1973, and liberal support for Galbraithian wage and price controls went out to pasture with it — except, it seems, for the minimum wage. Now, the minimum wage interferes with the workings of the market in a manner akin to any ordinary price floor; quantity demanded is curtailed while quantity supplied is stimulated, and we are left with a certain output which cannot be traded at the given price. In this case the minimum wage curtails hiring by businesses while at

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Marijuana misconceptions

week prior to the 2014 State of the Union Address, The New Yorker published Editor David Remnick’s profile, “Going the Distance: On and off the road with Barack Obama.” The following morning, the headlines or LAUREN lower third of MCCARTHY every major news institute read, “Obama: Marijuana not ‘more dangerous’ than alcohol.” Though Remnick’s profile consists of 10 segments and totals more than 16,500 words — these six were the only ones the American people heard, and continue to repeat. Obama’s comment rapidly became re-tweeted, posted and commented on just as quickly as it became skewed, reworded and misinterpreted as indicative of active change in policy. From millennials to baby boomers, social media was littered with the belief that the President advocates for the legalization of marijuana. During the Feb. 4 U.S. Congressional hearing on marijuana policy, Rep. John Mica (R–Fl.), chairman of the subcommittee on government operations — under the Committee on Oversight & Government Reform — accused the administration of having “the most schizophrenic policy (he) has ever seen.” Despite these accusations and Obama’s recent comments, Michael Botticelli, the deputy director of the White House Office of National Drug Control and Policy, maintained that the administration remains opposed to state-based efforts to legalize marijuana. The White House website states that, “The Administration steadfastly opposes legalization of marijuana and other drugs” — and rightfully so — “because legalization of marijuana would increase the availability and use of illicit drugs, and pose significant health and safety risks to all Americans, particularly young people.” This commitment, however, seems unbeknownst to both the

American public, as well as state governments. Both Washington and Colorado have legalized recreational use of the drug for adults. Similarly, 20 states and the District of Columbia have approved the use of medical marijuana, and 28 states have decriminalized marijuana use in at least one region — despite the fact that cannabis is illegal under federal law. While it was perhaps unwise of the President to share his thoughts on the strength or danger of marijuana, he made several other pertinent remarks on the subject. He expressed his concern of the disproportionate adolescent arrests, claiming, “Middle-class kids don’t get locked up for smoking pot, and poor kids do … and African-American kids and Latino kids are more likely to be poor and less likely to have the resources and the support to avoid unduly harsh penalties.” He stated that the “experiments” taking place in Washington and Colorado are important in eliminating a situation in which a large portion of people break the law, yet only a select few get punished. Disproportionate adolescent arrests and incerations are a valid concern, but not one that should be aided at the expense of national health standards. Though I do not disagree that America’s youth can be hindered by the harsh legal ramifications for marijuana possession — the legalization of cannabis for adult recreational use provides neither a remedy nor positive solution. Instead, youth may be further exposed to marijuana by family members, older siblings, friends or parents who choose to consume the drug, validating its use in the minds of their children. Exposure and desensitization to the drug continues to lessen the stigmatization surrounding its negative effects. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, pot among adolescents is again on the rise, and the serious consequences of the drug have gotten both lost and vehemently denied in the national, pro-legalization discourse taking place online and on college campuses. However, if teens and young adults begin abusing

marijuana before the age of at least 25, it can dramatically affect their ability to problem-solve, retain memory and engage in critical thinking. Studies have also found long-term use of the drug to be linked to a lower IQ — as much as an 8-point drop — later in life. Hans Breiter, a professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and the senior author of a study focused on heavy marijuana users found the earlier the drug was taken up, the worse the effects on the brain. “Marijuana is the ideal compound to screw up everything for a kid,” Breiter explained in an interview with Time Magazine. He concluded, “The more I study marijuana, the more I wonder if we should have legislation banning the use of it for everyone under 30.” The study also found that abusing marijuana may have dangerous implications for young people who are developing or have developed mental illnesses. Abuse of the drug has been linked to developing schizophrenia in prior research, and Northwestern Medicine’s paper reveals that the use of marijuana may contribute to the changes in brain structure that have been associated with having schizophrenia. Matthew Smith, the study’s lead author and an assistant research professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, told Time, “Chronic marijuana use could augment the underlying disease process associated with schizophrenia … If someone has a family history of schizophrenia, they are increasing their risk of developing schizophrenia if they abuse marijuana.” Regardless, by no means is marijuana as benign as many Americans tweet, post, comment and claim. In a country that continues to intellectually fall behind our counterparts overseas, there is no justification in legalizing a Schedule I drug — proven to erode brain function, lower IQs and hinder critical processing skills — for recreational abuse. — Lauren McCarthy can be reached at laurmc@umich.edu.

Weekend Roundup St. Patricks’s Day Events & Specials Selection Sunday:

Thursday, March 13, 2014 — 5A

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

By Alicia Adamczyk, Weekend Roundup Editor | Photos by Adam Glanzman, Daily Staff Photographer

This weekend, Ann Arbor will be (pub) crawling with drink and food specials for St. Patrick’s Day. While green beer will be a staple at fraternities across campus, bars and restaurants are also offering St. Paddy’s-inspired fare to get you in the Irish spirit of the day. If you’re over 21, these are for you. If you’re looking for something else this weekend, skip ahead to the Campus Events section.

There are five different beers on tap and no cover all day.

Dominic’s Dominic’s, a favorite for students and Ann Arbor residents in the warmer months of the year, reopened Monday. Students yearning for the homemade sangria are in luck: University alum Olivia Horn, who works at Dominic’s, suggested students order the Green Sangria, a staple of the establishment’s.

Conor O’Neills If you’re in the mood for an authentic Irish experience, head to Conor O’Neills on Main Street, where there will be a live Irish music — including musicians playing the bag pipes — all day, starting at 7 a.m. and accompanied by traditional Irish dancing. As always, there will be plenty of Guinness to go around.

Arbor Brewing Co. Arbor Brewing Company will also open at 7 a.m. with a special breakfast menu and happy hour until 11 a.m.

By BRAD WHIPPLE Weekend Roundup Columnist

Campus Events And if you’re under 21 or the bars aren’t your scene, there are plenty of other events to celebrate over the weekend: Friday, March 14

Innovators and Best: A Student Entrepreneurship Panel The Michigan Daily and the Good Time Charley’s Michigan Association of Communication Studies are A self-described “U of hosting an entrepreneurM Landmark,” Charley’s ship panel beginning at 5 doesn’t exactly need public- p.m. at 420 Maynard Street. ity for its specials and will be an obvious choice for many Wild Wild UMix students this weekend. Yee-haw! The Center for Lauren Irvine, a bar- Campus Involvement will tender at Charley’s, said have Western-themed inIrish Car Bombs, Dirty flatable activities at this Girl Scout shots and Dub- week’s UMix, beginning lin Iced Tea will be on spe- at 10 p.m. in the Union. cial Monday. Irvine recommends the Irish Car Bomb. Saturday, March 15 TEDxUofM 2014 The theme of this year’s TEDxUofM event is Against the Grain. It begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Power Center for the Performing Arts. .

Lauren Irvine makes a Dublin Iced Tea at Good Time Charley’s.

Dublin Iced Tea, Irish Car Bombs and Dirty Girl Scouts are the drinks du jour for St. Patrick’s Day at Good Time Charley’s.

Shamrock It! There will be a free latenight breakfast buffet in the Michigan Union, trivia activities and a screening of “Frozen.” The event lasts from 9 p.m. to midnight. Sunday, March 16 Men’s Basketball Big Ten Championship Root for the Maize and Blue (assuming Michigan wins on Friday and Saturday) at the Big Ten Championship this weekend. . Monday, March 17 Count Your Luck and Stay in the Blue As part of its Stay in the Blue program, which promotes responsible drinking habits, the University will have green donuts, water and Stay in Blue giveaways.

University alum Olivia Horn suggests Dominic’s St. Patrick’s Day Special: The Green Sangria.

At the Daily, we’re always looking for NEW, creative content. (If you’ve been searching for a curated Blues Spotify playlist by American Culture Prof. Bruce Conforth, we even have that covered.)

Check it out ONLINE!

michigandaily.com

LOOKING THE PART FOR ST. PATRICK’S DAY

ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily

Getting a little festive never hurt anyone.

By STEPHANIE SHENOUDA Daily News Editor

St. Paddy’s day is the only day that we can condone going green in Ann Arbor, so you’ll definitely want to go all out. It’s a great day whether you plan to hit the streets at the top of the morning or are going to practice your best jig on the rooftops at night. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a drop of Irish blood in your veins,

there are plenty of ways to be festive and over-thetop without covering every inch of your body in green paint and adopting a cheesy accent for the day — unless you’re into that. Even though it’s only projected to be about 39 degrees this weekend, you can’t let a little thing like the weather get in the way of your festivities. Unless your coat happens to be green, you’re going to have to employ some

The race for $1 B

accessories for your daily dose of green, lest you get pinched all day long. The Weekend Roundup staff scoured Ragstock and came out with our favorites. Be as creative as you want; there’s no need to be super fancy or spend a ton of money. Even donning a green glitter hat like the one we found for less than $5 will get you feeling jolly and ensure you stand out in the crowd. Green leis and necklaces can be layered to create a funky look that suits you and bowties are fun and festive. If you still feel your look isn’t leprechaun worthy, you can pump it up with other accessories as well, the greener the better. And if you’re Irish by blood, then this is your day! Show your pride for everyone to see with a fun button, like we’ve selected above. No advice on soliciting kisses though, that’s on you.

How does one billion dollars sound? Selection Sunday is this week, and 64 teams will be given the chance to dance their way to Arlington, Texas. Who will cut the netting in AT&T Stadium and return home with an NCAA Championship trophy in their hands? But more importantly, who will be on the edge of their couch April 7 and learn they’ll never have to work a day in their entire life? That’s where the billion dollars comes into play. Quicken Loans, a Detroit-based online retail mortgage lender, has partnered with Yahoo Sports to give anyone with a perfect March Madness bracket a share of one billion dollars. If you win, you can receive 40 annual installments of $25 million or take an immediate $500 million lump sum payment and earn the rest later. Who’s the couch bum now? Now, there is no bulletproof algorithm to correctly pick 63 game results. Think about it — there are more than four billion bracket combinations, and you’re trying to battle the odds? Last year, the favorite team was the number-one overall seed, Louisville, which beat Michigan in the final. This year, though, there isn’t really a clear-cut leader. Lots of teams are playing well, and even the best hit a stopping point. For instance, Syracuse was a favorite to go far in the post season when they were 25-0 in February, but the Orange suffered an embarrassing first loss of the season on Feb. 19 to Boston College, the second to last team in the ACC. This makes brackets even more difficult because you have to try and predict if a team will go through a dry spell, and the “Cinderella Story” teams go from underdogs to top contenders. Last year was actually maddening. Florida Gulf Coast, a 15th-seed,

made it to the Sweet Sixteen. Meanwhile, Wichita State upset firstseeded Gonzaga in round two and cruised its way to the Final Four after overcoming second-seeded Ohio State. This year, Wichita State will enter the NCAA Tournament 34-0, the first team to do so since 1991. There’s no telling what could happen in the tournament, but here’s some food for thought if you’re partaking in the bracket madness this season: First: Pick all number-one seeds to make it to at least the second round. They have never lost against the 16th-seed, and it is extremely unlikely to ever happen. And don’t throw all the number-one seeds in the Final Four, because it’s only happened once since 1985. Second: Making accurate picks relies on research — compare season records, RPI rankings that compare strengths of schedules and general team and player stats, such as points per game. It’s also important to look at coaches — what’s their track record in the tournament and how many national titles do they have under their belt? Third: Winning teams mainly come down to the stars that make them. Former guard Trey Burke, who earned National Player of the Year, put Michigan in the spotlight last year and was the team’s foundation. This year the torch seems to have passed to sophomore guard Nik Stauskas. Each team has its star and these stars make championship teams. That said, the winner of a matchup could come down to the team with the better main-man to look to in high-pressure situations. Then again, anything can happen. Countless factors affect the madness of March, but in reality its entirely based on luck with relatively little skill. But I still spent more time on my bracket last year than I did on my college applications. Hey, with one billion dollars now on the line, who wouldn’t?

Sports

6A — Thursday, March 13, 2014

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Tournament Watch: College hockey edition By JEREMY SUMMITT Daily Sports Editor

The No. 13 Michigan hockey team finds itself on the bubble of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament heading into the final week of the regular season. It’s been a year of ups and downs for the Wolverines, but if the season ended today, they’d probably sneak their way into one of the final spots in the 16-team bracket. Unlike the NCAA Basketball Tournament, college hockey has just 59 teams vying for 16 spots. Smaller competition ultimately means fewer teams on the bubble every year. Instead of 10 teams probably being “snubbed” by the selection committee like in basketball, there are usually just four or five teams on the NCAA hockey bubble in the first place. And how is the selection process different from basketball? Well, it’s more straightforward and less subjective, actually. The committee uses something called the Pairwise Rankings to guide the selection process for the NCAA hockey

PAIRWISE RANKINGS For the week of March 10th

Cornell — (15-8-5 overall)

Tied-14

Michigan — (17-11-4)

Tied-14

Northeastern — (18-12-4)

tournament. There are six automatic bids coming from each conference tournament at the conclusion of the season. That leaves just 10 at-large spots to complete the rest of the field, assuming that the highest-ranked teams win their respective conference tournaments. Michigan currently sits at 14th in the Pairwise Rankings. To earn an at-large spot, a team needs to be ranked 15th or better in the Pairwise. In 15th place, a team will likely make the national tournament only if there are no surprise champions in the conference tournaments. If a team is ranked 10th or better, it would be considered a lock for the tournament since only six automatic bids are handed out. Eleventh through 16th in the Pairwise Rankings would be eliminated if all six conference championships were from teams that aren’t ranked in the top 16 of the Pairwise Rankings. While it’s an unlikely circumstance, it would prove to be fatal to Michigan’s NCAA Tournament aspirations. The Wolverines currently sit at 14th in the most recent Pairwise Rankings and no doubt have work to do in the Big Ten Tournament and when No. 1 Minnesota comes to town this weekend. If the Wolverines win out, there won’t be any worries. But if they falter early in the Big Ten Tournament or get swept by the Gophers this weekend, they’ll need some help from around the country. So here is whom fans should be rooting against for the next two weeks if Michigan finds itself under tough circumstances. Cornell: Playing against Clarkson in the quarterfinals

Colgate — (17-12-5)

VICKI LIU/Daily

Red Berenson and the Michigan hockey team need at least a split against No. 1 Minnesota this weekend to safely qualify for the NCAA Tournament later this month.

of the ECAC Tournament and sitting one spot ahead of Michigan in the Pairwise Rankings, Cornell could nearly solidify its position in the tournament with a semifinal birth. On the other hand, if Cornell is upset and the Wolverines have a strong showing against Minnesota, it could put Michigan in a favorable position come selection Sunday. Northeastern: Sitting in a tie for 14th place in the Pairwise Rankings with Michigan are the Huskies. Northeastern begins the Hockey East tournament with a three-game series against New Hampshire this weekend. Even though UNH sits comfortably outside the

tournament bubble, Michigan holds the edge over New Hampshire with a win and tie against it early in the season. It’d be safe for Wolverines fans to pull for an upset here to give their team a little breathing room from Northeastern. Colgate: Before a clash against St. Lawrence in the quarterfinals of the ECAC Tournament, Michigan would benefit if the Raiders were to stumble this weekend. Colgate would move on to play No. 3 Union in the semifinals with a victory over St. Lawrence, and a loss to one of the top teams in the country certainly won’t harm its tournament resume. A win might even be enough for the No. 16 team to leapfrog

GOING TO INDY FOR THE BIG TEN TOURNEY? Doubt it. You’re probably trapped in your house.

BUT OUR WRITERS ARE CURRENTLY DOGSLEDDING THERE NOW. SO FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @THEBLOCKM FOR UPDATES

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle DOWN 1 Eat at the main meal 2 Like Superman’s arms, often 3 Leaned (on) 4 Running amount 5 Group for ex-GIs 6 Stat that’s better if it’s lower 7 Luftwaffe foe: Abbr. 8 Actually existing: Lat. 9 Poor penmanship 10 Fool (with) 11 2012 film for which Ang Lee won Best Director 12 Operatic opening 13 Vine-covered walkway 18 Assent to a captain 24 Actress Merrill 25 Formal group assent 26 Soggy lowland 29 Handful 30 Completed with one stroke 31 In a foxy way

32 “As Time Goes By” requester 34 Burns’ “tim’rous beastie” ode 35 Blew up 36 Catalina, for one: Abbr. 37 Familia members 38 More rapid 41 Horseradish relative 42 Elevated conflict

43 Gather, as fallen leaves 44 Come out 45 Skilled 49 Pollution-fighting org. 50 Followers of Guru Nanak 52 Bang on the way out 56 Merit badge gp. 57 Short rule? 58 Stamp ending

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com

HELP WANTED SUMMER OF YOUR LIFE! CAMP WAYNE FOR GIRLS ‑ Children’s summer camp, Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania 6/21‑8/17. If you love children and want a caring, fun environ‑ ment, we need Counselors, Instructors and other staff for our summer camp. Interviews on UMich campus March 21st. Select The Camp That Selects The Best Staff! Call 1.215.944.3069 or apply at www.campwaynegirls.com WORK ON MACKINAC Island This Summer ‑ Make lifelong friends. The Island House Hotel and Ryba’s Fudge Shops are looking for help in all areas: Front Desk, Bell Staff, Wait Staff, Sales Clerks, Kitchen, Baristas. Hous‑ ing, bonus, & discounted meals. (906)‑ 847‑7196. www.theislandhouse.com

FOR RENT

xwordeditor@aol.com

03/13/14

! NORTH CAMPUS 1-2 Bdrm. ! ! Riverfront/Heat/Water/Parking. ! ! www.HRPAA.com 996-4992 ! $400 OFF First 10 rentals on Selected Units At University Towers Rent a FULL 2 bedroom w/ FREE HEAT as low as $1680.00. Great location, Great Service and Great RATES!! www.universitytowers‑mi.com 734‑761‑2680 **LAST ONE** $1495 FOR THE WHOLE APARTMENT at Forest Glen. Price includes FREE HEAT, 1 parking spot and furniture. Call to tour your new home today. 734‑761‑2680.

03/13/14

Yale: In yet another ECAC Tournament battle, the defending national champions

SECURE YOUR NEW home today, right on S. U. / Central Campus. All new luxury aparments come with the BEST service, amenities, and all at REASONABLE RATES. www.The2ndFloorSU.com

4 BDRM HSE, Fuller by North Cam‑ pus, 1010 Cedar Bend Dr. $2400/m + utils. 2 bath, 3 parking. Wsher/dryer. Avail. Fall 2014 contact 734‑996‑1991. ARBOR PROPERTIES Award‑Winning Rentals in Kerrytown, Central Campus, Old West Side, Burns Park. Now Renting for 2014. 734‑994‑3157. www.arborprops.com EFF. 1 & 2 Bdrm apts. for Fall 2014. $700‑$1395, showings avail. M‑F 10am‑3:30pm w/ 24 hr notice. Cappo/Deinco cappomanagement.com. Contact 734‑996‑1991 M‑F 9am‑4pm GET UP TO 1 Month Free on Select Units Why Pay over $1,500 per Bed per Year? Save over $10,000 per Year by Leasing at U. Towers. Prices starting at $695.00 Vist us at www.universitytowers‑mi.com 536 S. Forest Ave. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 734‑761‑2680 *special can end at any time* PMSI IS LEASING for 2014‑2015. Eff. 1, 2, and 3 bdrm apts avail. in Cen‑ tral Campus and downtown area. Con‑ tact 734‑665‑5552. pmsiproperties.com THE 2ND FLOOR NEW Luxury Apartments, Right on S.U./Central Campus at REASONABLE RATES. Contact us at 734-761-2680 www.The2ndFloorSU.com 4 BDRM HSE South Central Campus 1037 Packard ‑ $2500/m + utils. 2 bath, 3 parking. Wsher/dryer. Avail. Fall 2014. Contact 734‑996‑1991.

NOW. @michigandaily

visit No. 7 Quinnipiac in the quarterfinals this weekend. Winning this three-game series would pay dividends for Yale and spell trouble for Michigan if it cannot salvage a split against the Gophers. It’d be wise for Michigan fans to pull for the favorite in this matchup. Minnesota-Duluth: Tied with Yale for 18th place in the Pairwise Rankings, it should be easy for Michigan fans to pull against the team that upset the Wolverines in the 2011 National Championship. Duluth plays Western Michigan in the first round of the NCHC Tournament, and if the Broncos can oust the Bulldogs, Michigan would surely feel less pressure in its own postseason tournament.

SOFTBALL

Non-conference schedule aids ‘M’ Daily Sports Writer

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Move suddenly 5 Art style emphasizing gritty reality 11 Cut, as a branch 14 Maker of BESTA storage products 15 G8 member country 16 “__ Got No Strings”: Pinocchio 17 Cookies named for their flavor 19 Chemin de __ 20 First name in American poetry 21 Carrier with a hub in Oslo 22 Physics unit 23 Toed the line 25 Modesto-to-San Jose dir. 26 __ speak 27 Agree, in a way 28 Flu sufferer’s complaint 31 Trig ratios 33 “It’s a Wonderful Life” director 34 Fib 38 Some stereos 39 Stage device 40 Washington county or its seat 43 Spooner, for one: Abbr. 46 “Perhaps” 47 Have the flu 48 Plant with edible seeds 51 On behalf of 52 Initials on old globes 53 Stingy one 54 Yank 55 Ones often in custody ... and what 17-, 28-, 34- and 40Across are? 59 Computer addon? 60 Brought down 61 Really important 62 Blushing 63 Desert shimmer 64 Shot

Minnesota State: In the first round of the WCHA Tournament, Minnesota State plays Northern Michigan. The Wolverines can root for their former CCHA partner this weekend in order to gain more separation from the team sitting in 17th in the Pairwise Rankings. The good news for Michigan fans is that Minnesota State cannot garner another marquee win to move much further in the rankings in the WCHA tournament unless it knocks off No. 6 Ferris State.

By MAX BULTMAN

Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Thursday, March 13, 2014

the Wolverines in the Pairwise Rankings.

Up to this point, the No. 16 Michigan softball team has played against top competition every weekend. With the exception of a road trip in mid April, that’s finished. Ten of the Wolverines’ first 22 games were against ranked teams — an unusually high tally only one month in. But with the final nonconference tournament looming, only one ranked opponent, No. 18 Minnesota, currently remains on their schedule. Though the next 30 games should bring weaker competition, they will be invaluable measures of growth for the team. “Each game we’re getting stronger and looking for things to get better at,” said junior righthander Sara Driesenga. And after going 5-5 against its ranked opponents to start the season, Michigan (16-6) has found plenty to improve on — takeaways that might not have been so visible against less-stiff competition. For Driesenga, it’s been trusting herself on the mound fully. For freshman right-hander Megan Betsa, it’s been her control in pressure situations. For the offense lately, it’s been hitting with runners in scoring position. To facilitate improvement, Michigan coach Carol Hutchins decided to run a drill at practice on Wednesday that the team hadn’t done yet this season. The drill simulated a highpressure situation — bases loaded, full count — and forced the pitchers to practice one-pitch softball while the hitters tried to score the base runners. Pitchers cycled in every six outs, and the offense went down the batting order. This exercise encapsulates the isolated problems from the non-conference season and is designed to correct them in time for Big Ten play. The overarching importance, though, is to correct them before for the postseason — when the

Wolverines would once again face the nation’s top teams. “Whoever we play, it’s just preparation for the end of the year,” Driesenga said. “We’re thinking about June 4. We’re thinking about the Championship. We’re thinking about the World Series.” Being measured against the best competition in the country places a microscope on every little problem, but it’s that microscope that will ultimately help Michigan reach those lofty goals. Now that the strength of schedule is lightening up, the Wolverines will be compared against their potential and their play earlier in the season. But they’ll have to solve one major issue first. “When we played tentative, things never went our way,” Hutchins said. “When we swung, when we went up there and weren’t tentative, things are good. That’s the lesson, and when we learn it, we’ll be good.” The confidence problem is a solvable one, but it’s also one that can plague a team for prolonged periods. The next few weekends will be telling as to how it affects this bunch. Michigan will face Louisville twice this weekend at a tournament in Kentucky before beginning play at home on Tuesday. When it returns, it will go a month before seeing another team close to its level. Each new game will bring new problems, but the team’s steadfast commitment to playing the best teams will benefit it down the road. Senior outfielders Lyndsay Doyle and Nicole Sappingfield have provided sparks in trying times thus far, but they trust their younger teammates fully. “They’re doing great,” Doyle said. “Whatever their role is on the team, they’re doing their part.” Harnessing that trust and placing it on themselves may take patience. But with two months of weaker opponents, it should only be a matter of time.

Sports

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Thursday, March 13, 2014 — 7A

For freshmen, a series of hurdles to overcome By MINH DOAN Daily Sports Writer

The transition from high school to college is tough. Just ask any freshman. And some add a Division I sport to the laundry list of new responsibilities. The Michigan men’s lacrosse team has seen its fair share of those freshmen walk through the doors of Oosterbaan Fieldhouse this season, and they have excelled. Being members of just the second recruiting class in men’s lacrosse history, many of them have been thrust into big roles out of the gate. Ten out of 12 freshmen have seen playing time of some sort this season. “As we recruit, we have more time to evaluate talent earlier,” said Michigan coach John Paul. “Naturally we’re upgrading (the recruiting classes), and we have some guys coming in that have skill sets that are a bit ahead of some of the guys we had before, and it gives them an opportunity to play right away.” Three freshmen — attacker Ian King, defender Andrew Hatton and goaltender Robbie Zonino — have become mainstays in the starting lineup for the Wolverines. But they’ve all had their fair share of troubles. Zonino, hailed as the No. 8 netminder in his recruiting class, was thrown straight into the fire when sophomore goaltender Gerald Logan tore his labrum in the fall and was out for the season. Zonino became the starter for the rest of the fall and spring. But his college debut didn’t go as well as he would have hoped. Rather, it was the worst way he

could’ve started his career. Zonino gave up 11 goals in his first start against No. 8 Penn State before being pulled at halftime. But he recovered from the game thanks to encouraging words from his teammates and coaches and has since been Michigan men’s a stalwart lacrosse 2013for the 14 class Wolverines. 1. Andrew Hatton He has 2. Brian Archer recorded 3. Robbie Zonino more than 4. Charlie McPeters 10 saves 5. Christian Wolter in three 6. Will Weichert straight 7. Mikie Schlosser games and 8. Will Biagi will look 9. Andrew Simor to make 10. Peter Khoury it four in 11. Ian King Saturday’s 12. Stefan Bergman 13. Andrew Roswell Eastern College Athletic Conference opener at Bellarmine. “He had a rough start, the PATRICK BARRON/Daily Penn State game couldn’t Freshman goalie Robbie Zonino has rebounded nicely after his first-career game against Penn State in early February to help keep Michigan in games. have gone worse for him.” Paul said. “You have to be a freshman. against Detroit and has been older guys have through their Saturday, the freshmen will mentally tough, especially for But King had to overcome a successful ever since, starting in school work is incredible,” have to step up their game to a freshman, to come right back nasty case of mononucleosis in every game since coming back. Zonino said. “I know a lot of check off the big team goal and keep showing the type of the fall as well as deal with all “(Hatton) would have been the guys are in Ross (School of of winning a regular-season improvement he has. He’s really of the new responsibilities of starting right Business) and title. With only five ECAC handled (adversity) well.” coming to college. King played away,” Paul seeing how games to play, every one will be Added Zonino: “I just wanted little in the fall and had to said. “He hard they important, and the freshmen to change the story from getting work harder than most of the came in very work is very will have to bring their best to pulled in my first game to how freshmen in the offseason to be confident. He’s motivational.” every game. I reacted to it the rest of the ready for the season. a student of But the “In high school, I was in big season.” “I lost 20 pounds, so it was a the game, and older players games, but college is another King really difficult recovery,” King he handles all have also level,” Hatton said. “I’ve started started well said. “I worked back into shape of his business kept them to realize that every player I’ve out of the and it was a slow start, but my off the field like a person years grounded, making sure the played against this season is as gate for teammates gave me confidence older than he is.” freshmen don’t put themselves good as the best player I covered Michigan, to do the best I could.” While all three have had in front of the team. in high school.” leading the Hatton also had to overcome their fair share of troubles, “In our first week, (the older While the freshman class has team with a challenge of his own. After they all attributed their success players) made it clear that our already accomplished so much 16 goals and a strong fall season, he was on to the older players on the past accolades did not matter,” in its first season as Wolverines, recently pace to start the season as a key team preparing them for the Hatton said. “When we came they know they have a ways earning defender for the Wolverines. transition and being there for (to Michigan), we went back to to go before they become himself But in the only scrimmage of the every step of their journey not the bottom and have to work our something special. ECAC Freshman of the Week spring season, Hatton suffered a only on the field, but also in the way back up to the top.” Check MichiganDaily.com/sports honors. King is currently tied concussion and was kept out for classroom as well. With the Wolverines going for first in the NCAA in goals by two weeks. He made his debut “Just seeing the discipline into conference play this for up-to-date coverage

“College is another level.”

“They made it clear that our past accolades did not matter.”

PAUL SHERMAN/Daily

Redshirt junior Jon Horford took up philosophy midway through his high school career that changed his game for good.

HORFORD From Page 8A Ann Arbor to have peace and their own opinions, he wants his teammates to as well. “There’s always something intrinsically that just clicks when they hear things, and it causes them to ask me questions and be naturally curious about stuff,” he said. “That’s why I love that stuff. It’s not for a certain group of people. It’s for everybody. It connects us all.” Being the second-oldest player on the team, Jon has experienced more than others. But due to his lack of playing time growing up and his series of injuries in college, Jon knows he doesn’t have the playing experience his younger teammates have. His freshman year at Michigan, Jon averaged just seven minutes a game as he adjusted to the college system. Figuring to play a larger role his sophomore year, Jon missed the final 25 games of the season after suffering a stress fracture in his right foot. After taking a redshirt that season, Jon returned last season and appeared to be at full health again, until he dislocated his kneecap, which forced him to

miss five games. This year, after figuring to be the third big man in the rotation behind sophomore Mitch McGary and fifth-year senior Jordan Morgan, Horford’s playing time expanded when McGary went out indefinitely after having surgery on his back. Given the opportunity, Jon has averaged career highs in points, rebounds and minutes. Not that he would know. He said he has no idea what his statistics are. While he still tries to work out more than anyone else on the team, it’s not so he can stand out above everyone. “It is for them, to help them anyway I can,” he said. “Even though my role on this team isn’t necessarily to score a lot of points, it is for them, but it’s also for peace of mind.” It’s that different perspective and experience that has stayed with Jon while he’s been at Michigan. Jon’s no longer trying to be better than everyone on the team. He’s trying to get the best out of everyone on the team. *** Sometimes Jon wonders why

he plays Division I basketball. Though the basketball court brings him such relaxation when he’s alone, it’s that same place that brings him pain. Jon sees how society looks at people if they’re not on television, in films, make a ton of money or are famous. He thinks it’s ridiculous that if you don’t achieve something like that, your life doesn’t amount to anything. So why does Jon stay out there — on a stage that will only bring more lights and cameras as the season and Michigan’s success continues? The extra shots, the extra lift sessions, they don’t mean the same things they did when he was struggling to get on the court growing up. At that time, these things were designed to make him better and stronger on the court, make him better than everyone else playing. Now, Jon wonders about that decision. “Is this something I even want to do anymore?” he said. But he already knows the answer to that. He wouldn’t have climbed the ladder if he didn’t.

Sports

8A — Thursday, March 13, 2014

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

JON HORFORD’S

JOURNEY for

PEACE ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

By DANIEL FELDMAN Daily Sports Writer

As glitter and confetti rain down on the Crisler Center floor Saturday, Jon Horford stands expressionless. Eating a Cliff bar and taking a swig from his Gatorade bottle, Jon stands stiff as his peers smile while cameras flash in every direction. As the second-oldest player on the team, Jon is second to climb the ladder to cut down his portion of the net. But before he even puts a foot on the ladder, he’s already thinking of a way to get rid of the little scrap of nylon. And by the end of the night, the t-shirt, hat and net that is bestowed to him will already be out of his possession. If up to Jon, the gear would have met the same fate as every award he had won through high school — either given away or discarded. More than once, Liz Horford, Jon’s mother, has been approached regarding an award or plaque Jon won and decided to give away. And more than once the mother of that person who was gifted the award has voiced concern that, well, Liz might want it even if Jon doesn’t. Jon’s always been that way. The awards are meaningless. There’s no point to them for him. Liz made him keep the Final Four ring, though. It’s at her house closely guarded. Though Jon may never wear the ring, he’ll always have the memory of the journey to get the ring. And for him, that’s all that’s important. “It’s the type of stuff you think about at the end of your life,” he said. ***

PATRICK BARRON/Daily

Basketball didn’t always produce happy memories for him. For a while, basketball tormented Jon’s life. He started playing basketball in second grade. And with the last name Horford, it only made sense. Jon’s father, Tito, was the first Dominican-born player to play in the NBA — playing three seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Bullets. Jon’s brother,

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Al, currently plays for the Atlanta Hawks. Despite the last name, though, Jon didn’t play a lot. Playing with a bunch of boys that were coached by their fathers, Jon rarely saw time on the court. “Basketball in my family has always been a huge thing,” Jon said. “The issue was I’ve been playing basketball since second grade, but I literally sat on the bench from second grade to freshman year in high school. Straight benchwarmer. “I didn’t play, I was very disrespected, made fun of a lot. That stuff didn’t kill me, but it was something that obviously bothered me.” So Jon made a commitment in middle school to work out more than anyone else, despite his lack of playing of time. Thanks to his trainer and longtime family friend, Larry Turnbow, who taught Jon how to play basketball, it was possible. “He would pick me up every day,” Jon said. “Take me to the gym every day, make sure I got something to eat every day. I won’t say father, but he was that father figure, even though I did have a dad. He was that. But he was also my best friend and still is my best friend.” Under the teachings of Turnbow, Jon’s love for basketball grew. But as it grew, Jon’s frustration did as well.

court came pressure. Pressure to back up his family name. Pressure from doing too much in order to make up for lost time. Pressure from finally getting an opportunity he thought he should have had earlier in his life. And with that pressure came negativity. And from that came anger. *** Playing in the 2008 Michigan Class “A” District finals against Battle Creek Central. Grand Ledge held an eight-point lead with 1:30 left. Jon thought they had the game won. With five seniors on Central, it appeared it was going to be their last game. Holding on for desperation, players on Central started “throwing guys on the ground” as the refs allowed the game to carry on. After calling a timeout, even though Central had none left, the refs did not call a technical foul. “I was going to snap,” he said. “But the game was still going. I was like ‘keep playing, we’re going to win this game anyway.’ ” As the game neared its finish, Central forced a couple steals, made some free throws and ultimately won the game, 57-55, in the final seconds. It was after the buzzer sounded that Jon finally lost his composure and took it out on the officials. Jon cursed out the refs as his high school coach, Tony Sweet, and Central’s coach stood there telling him he needed to calm down. People were terrified. And after he calmed down, Jon was distraught. He needed to change his ways. “At that time, sports meant a lot more to me than they mean now,” he said. “They gave me a sense of purpose, like a false sense of purpose. It was a knock against me as a human being at that time because we weren’t able to win the district championship. Now I don’t feel that way at all.”

“It’s the type of stuff you think about at the end of your life.”

*** In middle school, Jon still sat there, on the bench, waiting for his opportunity. And while it didn’t come in games, he showed his ability in practice whenever he was given a chance. Jon would beat everyone in shooting contests, he still wouldn’t play. The trend carried over to Jon’s freshman year in high school, where he didn’t play a minute of varsity basketball. At the time, Jon stood 6-foot-5. Though Jon disagrees that he was told to play angry when he finally did get playing time, he did admit that he was told not to “forget the situations that people have put me through.” “(Turnbow) was so upset about the hand I had been dealt that he was like ‘don’t forget that these are the kids that used to treat you this way,’ ” Jon said. “Don’t forget that all the coaches that come up to you and shake your hand every game want you to come and work out with their kids and stuff. Don’t forget those are the same people who held you back for so long. “You can be nice to them and you can help them out, but don’t forget how they treated you.” By Jon’s sophomore year at Grand Ledge (Mich.) high school, he was averaging 12 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game. Jon was finally done riding the bench. But with success on the

*** It was after Jon’s sophomore year in high school that he knew he had to change his attitude and his mindset both on the court and off it to not only become a calmer person, but a sane one. He decided to find his inner peace. “I was always upset,” Jon said. “If I did have a good game versus a bad game, that would be like if I was in a good mood or a bad mood. My life was controlled by my performance, more or less.” Jon started to study the Law of Attraction — the belief that “like attracts like.” If he focused on positive thoughts, he would have positive results. From there, he looked into different philosophies like Taoism and Buddhism. In his quest to find peace, Jon realized that whether he had success or not on the court, it was just a game. It wasn’t life. Bringing positivity to all situations in his life brought

positivity back to himself. It helped him grow, and not just physically from 6-foot-5 to 6-foot-10. It freed his mind from darkness. It’s the positive energy that has expanded his mind and allowed him to grow as a person. It separated his life from basketball, instead of intertwining the two together. *** Jon wasn’t your typical jock in high school. As his teammates wore their varsity jackets and warm-ups during the day, Jon would wear skinny jeans and Vans sneakers. “He was the kid in high school who hung out with the alternative kids, played hacky sack in the hallway,” said Anna Horford, Jon’s sister. “You’ll never catch Jon in his warm-ups unless he has to be, because that’s only one part of his life.” Jon’s ability to be himself and not care about what others thought of him carried over to his time at Michigan. With an open mind and an enthusiasm to listen, Jon has become willing to talk to people about basically anything. Almost weekly, Jon says, he walks and someone random will stop him and ask him about Taoism, the government, anything really. But Jon’s point in these everyday conversations isn’t to push an agenda of his own. It’s to get people to think. Jon doesn’t want people to accept things for what they appear to be on the surface. He wants people to push boundaries. *** Jon wants to help people as much as he can. The issue, though, is that people don’t understand how Jon thinks. As a Division I athlete, fans see him as that alone — not a person, just an athlete. Jon hates the attention he gets as an athlete. He hates the glamor and glitz. “We’ll walk in the mall and his poster’s up, and it makes him uncomfortable,” Anna said. Jon thinks the contribution he delivers for the team is more important than the adoration he receives from fans. “That’s not his life,” Anna said. “What other people have to say about him is none of his business. He doesn’t care.” Though Jon dislikes the limelight that comes with being in his position, he knows playing basketball at Michigan gives him opportunities to help people that he might not have otherwise. “The significance of what we do on the basketball court is limited,” he said. “Compared to the lives that we can touch in other ways, like putting time in the community or working with kids through basketball, that’s the stuff that really means something to people.” *** As a captain, it’s part of Jon’s responsibilities to make sure his teammates are in the right mental state throughout the season. He wants his teammates to be comfortable with each other and with themselves. Just as Jon wants the people he meets and talks to throughout See HORFORD, Page 7A

the b-side B

The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, March 13, 2014

The University of Michigan is a social media junkie. You name the platform, the school’s likely got it: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube, LinkedIn, Vine, Google+ and, most recently, even a SnapChat now. And that’s just the central unit. From there, the structure gets a little messy. Many other subunits exist — specific to individual schools, programs and offices across the University — with any number and combination of those channels. But these branches have sprouted over the years without much oversight and are oftentimes handled informally by faculty and administrators. When Nikki Sunstrum took over as director of social media for the University in late January after Jordan Miller abruptly resigned amid allegations she fabricated her application, she said it became clear just how unclear the size and scope of the University’s social presence was. “One of the primary goals of my position is to create a core team of primary representatives in each of those individual areas,” Sunstrum said. “That way, if something goes wrong in social and it fell on the shoulders of athletics or someone

else, I need to know who I can reach out to to get that resolved as quickly as possible.” However, it’s a work in progress. What cohesion does exist between these branches is held together by the central unit, a three-person team under of the Office of Global Communications that acts as a general promoter of all things Michigan — retweeting and sharing a blend of content posted by the collection of satellite units. For instance, on March 7, @ umich retweeted a picture posted by @MottChildren of @umichbball players signing autographs for patients. Between Hillary Frazier, senior social media specialist, and the two student interns she oversees — LSA junior Katie Szymanski, a former Michigan Daily staff reporter, and LSA sophomore Alex Fotis — the central team curates the content consumed by a considerable audience: that’s 67,000 Twitter followers, almost 550,000 Facebook likes, about 29,000 Instagram followers and roughly 14,000 Pinterest followers. To put that in perspective, Michigan Football has 192,000 Twitter followers and Barack Obama has about 42 million. I’m still working

on number 60. The University is clearly not your casual social media user, but what’s the value of all these eyes? The picture only grows from here. Behind the ‘M’ When you think of Michigan, what comes to mind? An athletics powerhouse, the 99 top-ranked graduate programs, the investment in research, the large alumni network, maize and blue? Whatever it may be, those associations — maybe gained on a campus tour or at orientation — define the University brand, packaged into one simple symbol: the block ‘M.’ You may not even notice it anymore, but there’s a reason the block ‘M’ is plastered atop every which document, building and banner, and most famously engraved in bronze into the center of the Diag. Back in spring 2012, after a year-long brand review by a contracted independent research firm, the University rebranded itself to remain marketably competitive against peer institutions. Behind Brand Manager Steve Busch, the ‘M’ logo also got a refresh and a template was created

to help the lot of departments and offices create personal logos that visually unify the large, decentralized University — a standard block ‘M’ with proper dimensions, symmetry and color being the common denominator. “If the College of Engineering is at a college fair for engineers and they’ve got a booth out there and they’re utilizing the symmetry system and the block ‘M’ and the colors accurately, there’s a good chance that there are eyeballs at that event that are not there just for engineering, and so the value and equity that the school of engineering has raises the overall value and perception of the brand,” Busch said. “So if I’m not an engineer but happen to see the block ‘M’ at this engineering event, if I then see the School of Music Theatre & Dance’s block ‘M’ somewhere else, there’s an immediate recognition on my part that, ‘Oh I know what that is, that’s University of Michigan and University of Michigan I hold in high esteem because they have a top-ranked engineering program.’ It immediately elevates the awareness and the perceived prestige of other units by aligning those logos.” See PLUG, Page 3B

the b-side

2B — Thursday, March 13, 2014

COMMUNITY & CULTURE COLUMN

EPISODE RECAP

What if we just make our own myths?

n 1831, Victor Hugo published “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” hoping the novel would raise awareness of the decaying state of the titular cathedral and prompt renovations. When tourists began pouring into Paris to catch a glimpse of JOHN the fabled BOHN Quasimodo and see firsthand the beautiful architecture Hugo had painstakingly described, city officials, embarrassed by the dilapidation and fearful that it would come to represent the city among outsiders, hired Eugène Viollet-le-Duc to restore the Gothic vision of Notre Dame’s 12th century architects. It’s a simple gesture. To save something he loved, Hugo created his own myth, one that enlivened the interest of others in what he held dear. Restoring Notre Dame might not be the most progressive gain in the history of social activism, but I think the action contains a kernel of truth that might be useful for those with more ambitious goals in life. When I saw “We need new cultural myths” scribbled onto a San Francisco sidewalk last spring, Hugo’s gesture came to mind. To me, it offers a vibrant response to this demand, one that’s not entirely unrelated to a long-standing tradition of political action in American history. Over the course of the 19th century, many individuals and communities, feeling discontent with the world around them, simply packed up their

bags and headed west to make their own world. The idea is not to reform an unjust society, but instead, make it irrelevant. For cultural politics, following Hugo, what if we just make our own myths? In our “society of the spectacle,” the greatest pleasures of life are presented to us as always being “out there.” But “out there” is where we want to be. Everyone wants to get into Studio 54, but that’s where Andy Warhol and Liza Minnelli hang out. We devote so much energy to following the every move of celebrities because they live the life we desire, a life our vapid roles in society do not offer us. Instead of investing all of this emotional energy into Hollywood, though, why not forget it? Save that seven dollars you would spend at the movies. Don’t turn on the T.V. The last thing we need is to open another magazine and let photo-shopped models make us feel insecure about our bodies. In other words, limit the influx of unhealthy myths that the media tries to sell us. Even in the most seemingly progressive moments of pop culture, Jay-Z still has a piece of cake for Annie Mae. At what point do we just give up? I’m not saying this is the most effective politics, especially when combating structural racism, sexism, heteronormativity and classism. But the politics of irrelevancy do remind us of the little power we actually have in our everyday life. We won’t change the world — that’s not art’s place — but we might be able to make ourselves feel just a little less shitty about ourselves and our situation. Instead of getting invested in who’s going to win the Oscars, read your friend’s poems. Write

about them as much as you write about what Justin Bieber did the other day. Invest your emotional and creative energies in the people and places around you. Start spinning myths that enliven this immediate world, that creates worlds more inclusive and less harmful than what has been given us. For those who have the opportunity to asend to the

Remember: There’s a lot going on in A2. heights of media and effect change, by all means, go for it. I seriously wish you the best of luck. For those who do not have such opportunity, and they are legion, create your own communities with their own myths, symbols, icons and histories. This politics has always been in my mind while working for Community Culture. Over the years, I’ve only found more ways of articulating what exactly I’m getting at and why Community Culture has always been so important to me. I’ve had the chance to interview, and give space to, the voices of so many wonderful people in the community. Of course, as a University campus, there’s a lot going on here in Ann Arbor. If, like me, you’re straddled with debt after college and may have to return home, where not much is really going on, a lot can be happening. This is Bohn’s last column. Send your farewells to jobohn@umich.edu.

TRAILER REVIEW Well, you can’t say you didn’t see this one coming: “Transformers 4: Age of Extinction.” The first was alright, Dbut the second was not; as to Transformers the third, to 4: Age of quote ShakeExtinction speare, I say, “thou art the Paramount son and heir of a mongrel bitch,” which makes this fourth film something truly awful. This is what happens when we keep giving Michael Bay our money. So stop, because now we have robot dinosaurs … yes, dinosaurs. Our trailer begins with the venerable Marky Mark Wahlberg — since Shia Laboeuf is just too artsy for “Transformers” now — a working class, single father finding an old semi he intends to strip for parts so as to put his daughter through col-

PARAMOUNT

lege. But it’s no ordinary truck: it’s Optimus Prime. When the government comes to put the robot down because apparently the “Age of the Transformer” is done, Optimus effortlessly escapes. But then the dinosaurs and some other evil space robots come — the government undoubtedly needs help, so Optimus steps up and literally backhands a T. Rex transformer in the face. The trailer is complete with

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

finishing touches such as a robot whose face turns into a gun, screaming, explosions and slow motion. Basically, it’s everything you want out of a Michael Bay movie with the added bonus of being only two and a half minutes long. So, enjoy this sad excuse of a trailer and don’t see the actual movie, because God only knows what monstrosity will be cooked up in Transformers 5. —JAMIE BIRCOLL

HBO

When will bucket hats die?!

Hit HBO show’s first season comes to a close Discussing the ins and outs of the ‘True Detective’ season finale By CHLOE GILKE and AKSHAY SETH Daily Arts Writer and Managing Arts Editor

Chloe Gilke: That was quite the finale. I knew there would be some sort of twist ending, but ... optimism? From Rust Cohle? You got me, Pizzolatto. But aside from that spectacular final scene (you can be sure McConaughey has that Best Actor in a Miniseries Emmy Award on lock), “Form and Void” was another fantastic installment. The chase of Errol Childress was beautifully shot and acted, and the relative quiet of the last third of the hour, with Rust and Marty contemplating their revived friendship and their “victory” over Childress was satisfying. Damn, I’m going to miss this show. Akshay Seth: I’m so happy it looks like you enjoyed the finale as much as I did because I really didn’t want this recap to devolve into arguing. I watched it with a bunch of cynical assholes/my friends (hey, guys!) who all felt Pizzolatto “bitched out” and didn’t really give the type of shocking revelation they had been looking forward to the entire season. When I asked them what this shocking revelation, in their discerning views, ought to have been, I got, and I think marijuana has something to do with this, “well, I don’t know — what if the spaghetti monster was real and the last shot was Rust and Marty trying to eat him to death.” ANYWAYS, this finale was as close to perfection as you can get after the insane, thrilling ride we’ve had all season. Pizzolatto has been saying for a long time that he’s going to end the season on a predictable note because he respects his audience too much to pull a last-minute twist that nullifies hours of build-up, and that form of thinking was really apparent here. The episode hummed along cleanly and peaked in the type of chase that so many serial killer movies end in. Everything was predictable, but as is what we’d expect from

the best show of the year, it was done with poise and beauty. Chloe Gilke: I had a pretty ideal viewing experience. My friend (who stopped watching the show, which I will never understand) let me watch it alone in his room while he was at work. There is no better way to watch “True Detective” than in enormous HD, while trying not to spill cashews on his unmade bed. But I digress. I think this finale was exactly what the show was headed toward its entire run. Pizzolatto stated that he “doesn’t care at all about serial killers” and although this is a show that appears on the surface to be conducive to mystery and conspiracy, when it comes down to it, that’s not really the case. “True Detective” is about the two men who had tried for 17 years to crack a case, and who persevered even while their partnership and family lives fell to shambles. The criticism that the show has faced (mainly its lack of regard for female characters) is because of its narrow focus. But when it comes down to it, I thought that seeing Marty and Rust defeat Childress (with the coolest POV gunshot wound since “Breaking Bad”) was a satisfying enough end. One especially poignant moment was when Rust believed that the real evil hadn’t been defeated, since the Tuttles remained unscathed (of course, this didn’t bother Marty so much). Even in the end, a difference of opinion between our two detectives. Akshay Seth: Ugh, and the final monologue from McConaughey is just reaffirmation that no matter how much you hate him as a human being, he can sure as hell act. As you said, this show has been about the obsessive journeys of two men brought together by the hands of evil. Marty, for 17 years, obsessively tries to find some modicum of normality while Rust attempts to bury his past in his chase for Dora Lang’s killer. Repetitively, both men are brought together by the murder case and the last few minutes of this episode are so cathartic because it’s that same murder case which helps them finally get over what they’ve been trying to put behind for so many years. Marty finally sees some redemption in the eyes of

his estranged family and Cohle, and for the first time, is able to confront how he felt about his slain daughter. It ended on such a human, hopeful note mirroring the two men’s journeys. Chloe Gilke: And although the tie-in with Carcosa and the Yellow King was a little weak (leave it to the novelist to make everything a metaphor), I still didn’t find too much of a fault with the plot/action aspects. In my opinion, this episode even had some of the best action sequences the show has had. The tracking scene with Childress was absolutely chilling, and his Carcosa lair seemed straight out of one of my NyQuil nightmares. The overgrown plants and chaotic mess of Childress’ home was gorgeous. I’m not sure if season 2 will also be set in Louisiana, but as a sucker for Southern Gothic lit, I’ll certainly miss the color that the Louisiana landscape brought to “True Detective.” Heck, I’ll miss Marty and Rust, McConaughey monologues and 6 minute tracking shots. I could talk forever (time is a flat circle, and that must be mentioned at least once in every recap I do) about my “True Detective” sadness. But my sections of this recap have been Rust-monologue long, and I have to stop myself before I talk into the flat circle of infinity. Akshay Seth: Goddammit, I was hoping neither one of us would say “circle,” and I’d just end the recap with “CIRCLES, DROP MIC.” Anyways, we have to talk about Errol Childress — probably one of the most fucked up antagonists I’ve seen in a while. He was played perfectly by Glenn Fleshler and the whole “making flowers” scene was a brilliant way for Pizzolatto to put us out of our comfort zone whenever we saw him. Even his weird southern/British accent just made the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. When we finally see him, off in the distance, looking at Rust, for the first time, you really realize that McConaughey isn’t going to be back next season and this chase might as well mean the end of the line for both protagonists. Chloe Gilke: Maybe it was the anthology structure of the series or just the brilliant plotting of the episode, but I loved not knowing whether Rust and Marty were going to make it past Childress alive. Too often, especially with finales, plots and endings can feel predictable. The heroes are in danger, and because it’s the last episode, probably there will be a shootout and someone would die. But until the hospital scenes later in the episode, I really wasn’t convinced Rust had survived that brutal stomach wound. Even after the gunshots and Childress’ death, the suspense was still just as gripping. Maybe this is just because I was watching it live, or the threat of dropping cashews on my friend’s floor was too real. But the finale was engaging and just the perfect, beautiful ending to a perfect, beautiful show. And I say this cheesy high praise without a smirk on my face. Rust ended the series with the optimistic line that “the light is winning,” so I think my words are pretty appropriate. Akshay Seth: CIRCLES. DROP MIC.

the b-side

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

PLUG From Page 1B

TWEET CLUB

NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily

LSA junior Rebecca Steiner is the president and co-founder of the Digital Media Club.

From selfies to online networking How a campus organization teaches social media culture By ADAM DEPOLLO Daily Online Arts Editor

A recent Business Insider report found that Americans spend, on average, 114 billion minutes on Facebook every month. That’s just under six hours for every man, woman and child. But I don’t need to tell you that your average college student can knock those six hours out in a weekend. Social media use is ubiquitous amongst millennials — you can’t really have a social life without it — but sites like Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr are being picked up with ever-growing frequency by businesses, both large and small, as a way to connect with customers and expand their brands. Unsurprisingly, these businesses are looking to our generation and its uniquely obsessive relationship with social media to help them break into the digital age. Of course, there’s a difference between spending two hours a day obsessively refreshing your Twitter feed and being the Social Media Chair at Berkshire Hathaway. Fortunately, there’s a new group on campus to help University students make the transition from compulsive selfie-poster to social media mogul: the Digital Media Club. LSA junior Rebecca Steiner, president and co-founder of the club, explained that the club grew out of LHC 329, “Social Media and Business,” an elective class for her Informatics major. The class, offered through the Ross School of Business, was taught by Law, History & Communications Profs. Amy Young and Mary Hinesly. “(In the class we spoke about) social media’s role in businesses,” Steiner said. “Not only for the marketing and external aspects, but also the internal aspects: internal communication, how to share business plans, using Reddit, using Yammer (an intra-company social media platform), how to implement Google Docs, Google Chat, all of those things, all of these new digital media outlets, to improve the workforce.” Owing to Drs. Young and Hinesly’s extensive network of contacts

in the business world, the class featured insights from many industry professionals — such as University alum Dick Costolo, the CEO of Twitter, — and opportunities for students to work with corporations like Kellogg’s. At the conclusion of the class, however, the professors saw an opportunity to continue the work their students had done over the course of the semester. They asked Steiner, along with several other members of the class, to start what would become the Digital Media Club at the start of this semester. Steiner sees the club as a valuable resource for students who already possess significant digital media skills. “Our generation, we’re just more in the know than any other. Because of what we do, our activities, what we like to do for fun, without even realizing it we have so much knowledge,” she said. But, as she also explained, “There comes a point where you need to establish your credibility: You can’t just go into the game and say ‘We’re experts.’ ” Throughout the year, the club holds biweekly workshops aimed at helping members further develop their digital media skills and learn how to capitalize on their abilities. “We did ‘The Secrets of LinkedIn,’ ‘The New Digital Resume’ — how to make a creative resume, who would want a creative resume — then we did ‘How to Google Yourself’ — what recruiters look for when they Google you,” Steiner said. The club’s focus is two-fold, however. “The ultimate goal is to not only sharpen our skills and to become experts, but to present ourselves as experts,” Steiner explained. As the club develops, it aims to help its members network with potential employers and develop partnerships with businesses. “(We want to) be able to tell all of these companies and organizations that need help, ‘Come recruit from us. Come ask us to do a case study,’ ” Steiner said. “Come and see what we’re doing and see if we can help you and how you can help us.” The club doesn’t have a mandatory attendance policy, but those members that show commitment and go to the majority of the workshops will be invited to a club-sponsored networking event next fall. “Dr. Hinesly and Dr. Young have been preparing for this event, where not only are they inviting different

companies and organizations that they’re connected in — big organizations, corporations who have kind of already gotten in the forefront of the digital media game — but also people who would want to recruit from us and learn from us,” Steiner said. Equally important to developing skills and providing networking opportunities, however, is the establishment of a community and resource network for the Digital Media Club’s members. “We don’t want to make it like a club — more like a community that provides resources. That’s kind of our thing: We want to provide resources for our members and really give back for us, for what we do,” Steiner said. In the short time that the club has existed — it held its first workshop on Feb. 6 — it has already begun to develop a following. Its Facebook page has accumulated just shy of 150 likes and about 30 members are listed on its Maizepages account. But the club is looking to expand beyond just the University’s undergraduate population. “We want to have workshops for graduate student MBAs and professors on how to use social media for them, how to use Google Docs, Google Drive for them,” she said. “Definitely, in time we’ll partner up with local businesses and even larger corporations who want us to do some sort of case study or evaluation on them to help them with the skills we’re learning.” Ultimately, the Digital Media Club is driven by technology’s integral role in modern society and modern business. “Digital media and information is something that’s so omnipresent today, and every organization, if they don’t think they need to revamp their digital media presence, they do. If they’re not going to do it right now, then they will in a couple months or maybe a year or else they won’t be able to survive,” Steiner said. But this view is in no way pessimistic. The club treats digital media as a positive force in the world and a way to establish connections between people. “I think that we’re so lucky to be a part of this digital age, and it’s incredibly rewarding to feel empowered by my community and my club members to just use my interests and have a tangible effect on my surroundings,” Steiner said.

SINGLE REVIEW “Computerized,” a previously unreleased collaboration between Jay Z and Daft Punk leaked yesterday C+ to the excitement Computerized of many. Daft Punk However, & JAY Z “Computerized” creates the same sort of disappointment one would feel if they brought together a rhinoceros and a stallion to make some sex, and they ended up with something shitty instead of a unicorn. Perhaps this song is a victim of the high bars both artists have set for themselves in their previous work, but it still — at best — kind of sucks. HOV and the robots teamed up to produce this single around the time Daft Punk was recording the “Tron: Legacy” soundtrack. Appar-

ROC NATION

ently, they were unsatisfied with the result and chose not to release it. ‘Twas a wise decision, because when it hit the airwaves yesterday, the disappointment led listeners to question if it was even real. If only that was the case … Yes, these superpowers really conceived an ugly baby. There is a complete lack of cohesion between the two participants — it’s as if one stops to let the other take their turn. Daft Punk fails to

do anything original with the production, and Jay Z seems totally lost, rattling off disjointed verses about “tappin’ on his Blackberry.” The lack of chemistry impedes both artists from operating in their respective comfort zones. This partnership was definitely not a match made in heaven and their offspring is proof. Give it a listen, and you’ll see why this track was supposed to remain unreleased. —NICK BOYD

Right there is where the University starts making money. I think back to the first time I hovered over that bronze Block ‘M’ on the Diag as the innocent campus tour guide recited that silly superstition just like those University officials had trained her: “And make sure not to step on the ‘M’ or you’ll fail your first Blue Book exam.” I laughed to myself. Of course I didn’t actually believe that old wives’ tale ... Right?! I left the campus tour with fresh buds of inculcated respect for the ‘M’. When I headed home the ‘M’ followed, determined to water those buds into green. Enter again, social media. Promotion is critical for any brand, and the large audience at the fingertips of the University’s central unit is a powerful brand boosting tool. The more eyes seeing the content is the more mouths talking about “Michigan” — which hopefully translates into alumni donations, voluntary support, better attendance at events and more mainstream media coverage. Hopefully. And similar to the University’s unified logo template, disseminating a unified message across all University channels is crucial. Szymanski, the student intern who manages the central unit’s Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr platforms, said the content she posts “has to reflect back on our brand and what’s going to be relevant to students.” That of course leaves out many important contentious issues surrounding the University currently. You’ll find no mention of the federal investigation regarding the Brendan Gibbons sexual assault allegations, nor much about the national #BBUM movement that began at the University and has led to the Black Student Union’s seven demands. “We have to really pick and choose carefully what we step into,” Sunstrum said. “The individual issues in contentspecific areas we leave to the individuals that are content experts in those specific areas and leave it out of social.” Controversy is, of course, no good for the brand. Data to dollars That doesn’t mean it’s simply about garnering more followers, re-pins, or likes. While that’s definitely a part of it, Frazier said it’s more about engagement. “It’s about our content and the performance of our content as opposed to having a million followers because if they’re not engaging with you, then really what’s the point?” Engagement is hard to measure and varies across the many different channels but it

Thursday, March 13, 2014 — 3B boils down to maximizing the amount of eyes that see the content and the comments, likes, retweets, shares, etc. the content generates. Thus, knowing thy audience and their tendencies is crucial. Say hello to a social media specialist’s best friend: analytics — deep data analysis. “Primarily it shows us when people are online, when they’re engaging with us, what type of content is performing the best,” Fotis, an analytics intern for the social media central unit said. “Then we can adjust our strategy and tailor our content to that data.” Online Marketing Strategist Shannon Riffe, who manages the Twitter and Facebook channels for the Office of University Development, said her content does better in the middle of the week. “Friday is a little bit of a quieter day and the weekends are quiet too as far as engagement,” Riffe said. “I think people are at work or in class and using some of that time in front of their laptop all day to check in online. On the weekends, they’re not in front of the computers as much.” Riffe said finding the ideal time of day to post is trickier because the University is a global institution. “What is a traditional work hour for us is not for a donor or alum in Hong Kong, but in general around the times of 9 a.m. to 1 or 2 p.m.” The scope of data provided by the analytics is startling. Take Oct. 30, when Jerry May, vice president of development, sent an email to all 44,754 faculty and staff inviting them to the Victors for Michigan kickoff events. The analytics told the office that 7,277 (16 percent) of recipients opened the email and 777 (1.7 percent) of those clicked the Facebook event link. A week later, #VictorsforMichigan was launched concurrently with the event and in the span of the next month reached 2.7 million people and had 7 million impressions, which is social jargon for times displayed on screen whether it is clicked or not. Judy Malcolm, senior director of executive communications for the Office of University Development, said they had expected maybe one million impressions. “In the past campaign there was no way that with newspaper articles, meetings and announcements, we could reach 7 million people,” Malcolm said. The financial benefit of the office’s social campaign has yet to be determined because the Victors campaign is ongoing. Paid to tweet I interviewed Frazier, Szymanski and Fotis together and it quickly became clear that keeping their large following stimulated was an around the clock job for the central team.

As Szymanski explained how she uses the analytics more as loose guidelines than strict regulations, Frazier and Fotis had their phones on their laps and were tapping away. “Sometimes I get too excited and I don’t want to wait on the analytics which is so lame but I don’t care — like if I see a really cute squirrel I’m like, ‘Oh I gotta post it’,” Szymanski said. “Other times I also want to experiment and I don’t want to stick within what the analytics is telling me because maybe we can grab a different audience by posting at a different time. Obviously I’m not going to post on Instagram at 8 in the morning because nobody is going to look at that. But do I have to post at 1 p.m. everyday? — No, because then it becomes boring and people expect it. You always want to be versatile.” Szymanski posts to Pinterest 40 to 50 times per week and to Tumblr at least 40 times per week, and said she’s picked up her own personal strategies since starting to work the channels over a year ago. She went on: “I used to post on Instagram two, three times a day but now I’m finding one a day or every other day is most effective. I realized that we were getting more likes on our pictures if there weren’t as many posts.” Frazier took over from there and Szymanski went straight to her phone. She said she’s solely responsible for the @ umich Twitter account, which gets the most activity, and consumed because of it. “I’m looking at it 24/7. I’m posting there five to 10 times a day but then responding to people all the time,” Frazier said. “Writing papers is so hard. The longest thing I write is 140 characters.”

‘U’ has launched a comprehensive networking campaign. Frazier has amassed her own arsenal of gadgets, so far limited to two phones, two laptops and two iPads. I asked her if she had any stories. “The cofounder of Reddit was speaking at Rackham earlier this year and I was there with one of our other interns who just graduated. We were both sitting in the back and without even realizing it, I’m sitting there with my legs crossed with an iPad on one leg, a laptop on the other, and phones in both hands and I’m using both of them at the same time. It’s moments like that I just sit back for a second and I asked him ‘Can you take a picture of me right now, because this is not ok.’ ” I wondered if she tweeted it.

the b-side

4B — Thursday, March 13, 2014

ARTIST PROFILE

NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily

Bledsoe defines herself as a Black woman, a lesbian and, most importantly, an artist.

The many faces of Carisa Bledsoe Art & Design senior embraces performance art to its fullest By ADAM DEPOLLO Daily Online Arts Editor

For Carisa Bledsoe, identity is fundamental. The School of Art & Design senior defines herself as a Black woman and as a lesbian, but most impor-

tantly as an artist — an artist whose work is deeply inf luenced by her process of selfdefinition. “I’ve always had an interest — and I don’t know why, it sounds awful — in exposing myself in my work. In a purely selfish, sort of therapeutic way … it’s a way to grapple with things that I don’t know how to grapple with in any other way,” she said. She is, however, uncomfortable with defining herself as an artist limited to a particu-

lar medium. Her work ranges from painting, to sculpture, to video and dance — each one can convey her message. “In any given piece there are aspects of all these different types of mediums,” Bledsoe said. “You know, I might do a performance that involves video, and that video involved my paintings. The performance is inf luenced by dance, the colors I chose are inf luenced by the video.” Bledsoe is currently working on her thesis, which is

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

centered on a multimedia performance blending film, dance, textiles, music and photography. In the show, she enters wearing a heav y overcoat and a fake beard and mustache. She begins to empty the contents of her coat — dozens of small, black “creatures” made of cuts of fabric — and then slowly undresses, revealing a Pagliaci-inspired clown outfit before stripping down to just a bikini. As Louis Armstrong ’s “The Whiffenpoof Song ” plays over a speaker, Bledsoe moves bet ween focusing on her wardrobe and looking intently into the eyes of individual audience members. The performance is f unny at times while serious and probing at others, which seems to have been Bledsoe’s intention. “I def initely think that there’s a provocative component to what I’m presenting. I def initely feel like I intend for people to leave and have conversations and to revisit images that I create, because I don’t speak at all in the work that I’m making,” she said. The imager y of the show and of much of Bledsoe’s work touches on issues of race, gender and sexuality, but, as she is quick to point out, the social commentary present in her pieces is the result of a long process of artistic and personal growth during her time at the University. “Initially, I had a lot of qualms with the Art School in terms of its diversity,” she said. “The professors were very whitewashed and the student population was very whitewashed. And I felt like being a Black queer woman in class was just kind of this perspective that … you know I would make a piece of work and the commentary, before anybody would say anything about the technical aspects

THE D’ART BOARD

of the piece, it would be about ‘I’m presenting it and I’m Black and I’m a lesbian.’ ” Over time, however, Bledsoe has come to realize that the way her audience views her identity is essential to the way her work is viewed. “My work has evolved to become something that’s much more conscious of the implications that my identity as an artist carries,” she said. And, ultimately, she hopes that her work can provide others with insight into their own identities.

“I want to be talking to people who are interested in knowing more about themselves. My work is not necessarily for someone who just wants to be entertained,” she said. “I’m much more interested in promoting dialog ue, making a piece for someone who’s interested in grappling with the information they’re seeing in relation to how it affects them.” Bledsoe will be presenting her thesis performance at the Duderstadt Video Studio from April 17 to 19.

NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily

Bledsoe will present her senior thesis at the Duderstadt Video Studio in April. Design by Gaby Vasquez

State of the Fern President Obama talks health care and “Hangover” movies on Funny or Die’s “Between Two Ferns.”

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

The Big Bucks Theory

At least he’s hot...? Controversial Bachelor Juan Pablo gives pediatric nurse Nikki Ferrell his final rose.

“The Big Bang Theory” renewed for 3 more seasons

You gotta be kidding me! Mary-Kate Olsen rumored to be engaged to 44-year-old tycoon Olivier Sarkozy

Alright, alright, alright High traffic during “True Detective” finale crashes HBO GO.

SEASON TEASER REVIEW To all the TV lovers who have not yet recovered from the monumental end of “Breaking Bad,” I say: Fear not. We are but one Mad Men month away April 13th from the return AMC of AMC’s other crown jewel, and now is the perfect time to start re-focusing our attention on it. This week, AMC released a new trailer and promotional poster for the upcoming seventh season of “Mad Men.” The fifteen-second teaser, which has been widely shared and scrutinized, features a dapper looking Don Draper descending from a plane in slow-mo while “don”-ning his signature black hat. The poster, a psychedelic jumble of color and pattern designed by the artist responsible for the “I Heart NY” logo, has hardcore fans reminiscing on the infamous Roger Sterling acid trip. But what does all this

UNIVERSAL

mean for season seven? Season six of “Mad Men” ended with a sense of finality, in that Don finally reached the metaphorical “edge” and plunged off it. With his bold Hershey pitch that included a dark but true (for once) personal anecdote about growing up in a whorehouse and stealing from patrons to earn himself a Hershey’s chocolate bar, he

effectively gets himself pushed out of the agency. It set the stage for the show’s final act. Don has entered uncharted territory — he’s hit rock bottom, and he’s actually telling the truth for once. “Mad Men” is about to take a turn toward something new: a plane that flies to new places, a poster that emphasizes a new national mindset on the brink of

unfolding and a new beginning for everyone’s favorite alcoholic sex-addict. We’re in for a whirlwind of a final season (spread over two years, of course, because if something works, you draw it out for as long as possible). It’s just a matter of days (31, to be exact) until Jon Hamm graces our screens on a weekly basis once more. —MADDIE THOMAS