ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Thursday, March 20, 2014
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ENGINEERING
Judiciary invalidates student gov. election ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily
Students occupy the Central Student Government chambers in the Michigan Union Wednesday night to protest the body’s decision to indefinitely postpone voting on a resolution that will call on the University to divest from a number of companies that do business with the Israeli military.
Divest sit-in calls on CSG to pass stalled resolution Administrators meet with SAFE members, CSG leaders late at night By ALICIA ADAMCZYK Daily Staff Reporter
In response to the Central Student Government’s decision Tuesday to indefinitely postpone voting on a
resolution that would call for the University to divest from companies allegedly involved in human rights violations in Palestine, more than 100 University students, alumni and community members came and went throughout the night during an “indefinite” sit-in in CSG chambers Wednesday to demand a vote on the measure. Students Allied for Freedom and Equality, a pro-Palestinian student organization, arranged the sit-in and also
sponsored Tuesday’s protest in favor of divestment from companies including Caterpillar, Inc. and Hewlett-Packard. SAFE contends that the companies’ involvement in Israel makes them culpable in the country’s eviction of Palestinians from East Jerusalem, and do not want their tuition dollars invested in these companies. CSG postponed a vote on passing a divestment resolution by a vote of 21-15, with one abstention.
In addition to demanding CSG vote on the resolution, SAFE initially called on CSG to make all of its meetings open to the public and to allow students unlimited speaking time at meetings. CSG currently allots 30 minutes for community concerns, and students are individually permitted three minutes of speaking time. Three members of SAFE met with Dean of Students Laura See SIT-IN, Page 3A
CSJ ruling states Engineering Council procedures violated Constitution By KRISTEN FEDOR Daily Staff Reporter
Early Wednesday morning, the Central Student Judiciary released an official ruling stating the Engineering Council, the student government for the College of Engineering, violated its own constitution and bylaws by improperly conducting its December election. CSJ ordered the current UMEC Executive Board members to step down and be replaced by interim officers at the authority of the UMEC General Council. Permanent Executive Board members will be decided in the upcoming elections to take place at the same time as the winter Central Student Government elections.
GOVERNMENT
TECHNOLOGY
Dingell, Levin to leave impact after retirement Michigan leaders established vital relationships on Capitol Hill By SAM GRINGLAS Daily News Editor
When Sen. Carl Levin (D– Mich.) and Rep. John Dingell (D–Mich.) step aside from their congressional positions early next year, there may be more to forfeit than personal legislative clout. With almost a century of combined experience on Capitol Hill, Dingell and Levin’s retirements could also signal a period of waning Washington influence for Michigan. With federal research dollars and other policy initiatives on the line, their retirements have an equally significant effect on the University. Aaron Kall, director of the University’s debate team and expert on election politics, said the departures would have a lasting impact.
“Any time you have such longserving members of Congress retire, it’s inevitable there would be some decline in influence,” he said. However, clout is difficult to measure, as connections with political leaders are difficult to replace and dependent on personal relationships. An ear at the White House or connection to committee chairs or members of the leadership carries weight and provides additional entry points to trumpet the state’s priorities. Levin has also been a fixture of the Sunday morning political talk show circuit — representing the state on millions of screens across the country. “Those things are invaluable,” Kall said. “Phone calls, communication could lag a little bit if those kind of connections are lost with these retirements.” Cynthia Wilbanks, the University’s vice president for government relations, said she is confident that Levin and Dingell’s successors will champion the state’s priorities and it’s public institutions upon entering See RETIREMENT, Page 3A
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Engineering graduate student Kyle Lady, the Eta Kappa Nu representative for UMEC, and Engineering senior Kelsey Hockstad, an officer of Tau Beta Pi, filed the suit against UMEC for alleged undemocratic behavior earlier this month. Engineering graduate student Michael Benson served as counsel for the petitioners. Lady and Benson both said they were pleased with the CSJ decision. “It definitely provides a mechanism to try and improve the student government for engineers,” Lady said. Petitioners found a myriad of irregularities with the UMEC elections, which took place in December. According to Article IV of the UMEC Bylaws, results should have been released to the public by Dec. 9. The Michigan Daily reported on March 10 that they were given to the plantiffs in Janurary; however, they have not yet been released to the public. Additionally, Rackham student Boying Liu received the See JUDICIARY, Page 3A
SafeRide app seeks to increase efficiency New interface will provide alerts, updates for students By KRISTEN FEDOR Daily Staff Reporter VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily
Hunter Morrison , director of the Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium Initiative, speaks at the CLOSUP lecture series at the Ford School of Public Policy Wednesday.
Policy experts look at Ohio town for urban renewal Panel discusses planning for a greener city By MAYA KALMAN For the Daily
Youngstown, Ohio — a town that lost over 60 percent of its population since the 1960s — may be an emerging model
the v-side
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of urban planning, panelists at a Ford School of Public Policy discussion Wednesday said. The optimistic outlook on Youngstown has strong implications for the futures of Detroit and other transitioning cities throughout the country. The Ford School’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy hosted a panel discussion titled “Lessons from
Youngstown: Planning for a Smaller, Greener City” with about 40 community members Wednesday afternoon. The panel featured Ian Beniston, Hunter Morrison and John Russo, all urban planning professionals involved in the Youngstown Project. Urban Planning Profs. Margaret Dewar and June Manning Thomas moderated See URBAN POLICY, Page 3A
With the help of a new application, student SafeRide users now have the option of ordering a ride directly from their phone or computer. The app, called Campus SafeRide, alerts users when rides are en route and arrive at a pickup stop. It launched this past weekend. Engineering seniors Andrew McGrath and Summit Shrestha, both Computer Science majors, created the app as a continuation of a class project they worked on together. McGrath was a SafeRide driver for more than a year and said he noticed certain inefficiencies with the program — faults he wanted to fix with the creation of the app. When presented with a class assignment that provided See SAFERIDE, Page 3A
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2A — Thursday, March 20, 2014
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Rubinstein’s notebook analyzes the men’s baseball team, which is coming into form on the backs of newcomers to the team this season. Pitching by fifth-year senior Ben Ballantine and sophomore Jacob Cronenworth has contributed to the success.
While they’re only in their second season as a varsity sport, the men’s lacrosse team’s first recruited players reflect on their season thus far. With many freshman and sophomore starters, the team looks to grow throughout the rest of their second season at play.
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We know how busy you are. That’s why we compiled the biggest news events of the week — on campus and nationally. From a controversial Central Student Government vote to a missing aircraft, this article has everything you need to know.
The perfect batch of popcorn doesn’t always have to be saturated with butter. Instead, top your popcorn with the cookie that’s been gracing the shelves of American groceries stores for more than 100 years. Read more from these blogs at michigandaily.com
school. I got used to late nights and large projects. Many of our projects were team-based, so I learned to work with others on complicated projects. All of these experiences prepared me very well for the types of projects I work on now. What are some of your most memorable moments at the University? Some of the best days were football Saturdays. I lived on Hoover so was always in the thick of the Saturday festivities. I also really enjoyed traveling with my team to events at other Big Ten schools.
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
World Cafe Discussion
Wood Engraving Exhibit
WHAT: Campus members will discuss the experience of students of South Asian heritage at the University. WHO: Shapiro Undergraduate Library WHEN: Today 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. WHERE: Hatcher Graduate Library Room 100
WHAT: This exhibit will feature works of the American wood-engraving master John DePol. WHO: University Library WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library - Special Collections
(Re)tooling Your PhD WHAT: A workshop will help young academics explore alternative careers across disciplines. Topics to be considered include networking, digital tools, locating resources, and others. WHO: Center for the Education of Women WHEN: Today 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. WHERE: Rackham Common Room
CORRECTIONS In a previous version of the article “English department looks at classroom racial climate,” English Prof. Joshua Miller was incorrectly quoted. He said the goal of the event was to improve the campus racial climate, not the “poor” campus racial climate. l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.
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‘U’ inspired alum’s startup
How did your experience at the University help you prepare for a career in computer science?
LSA senior Rachel Reed fills out a thank-you card in the Michigan Union Wednesday to thank an alumnus for donations to the University as part of an event through the Office of Development.
THURSDAY: Alumni Profiles STARTING SMALL
Vince Chmielewski graduated from the University in 2002 with a B.S. in Computer Science and is the president and founder of Visual Compass Web Design. Located in Ypsilanti, the company offers a variety of web services, including hosting, designing and maintenance.
RYAN REISS/Daily
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What advice would you give to students at the University who are graduating and looking for careers of their own? I would suggest that they look closely at starting their career with a small business or start-up. You are exposed to a lot of different things. Not just broad scope of technologies, but also the business processes. They will learn so much more in that sort of environment than at a big company.
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THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
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Dong Nguyen, creator of the famous “Flappy Bird” app, said that the game will eventually return to the app store, The Huffington Post reported Wednesday. This contradicts his earlier statements that Flappy Bird was “gone forever.”
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This week, the b-side takes an in-depth look at the University’s production of the “Vagina Monologues” and MUSKET’S “How to Succeed in Business Wihout Really Trying.” >> FOR MORE, SEE B-SIDE, PAGE 1B
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A study published by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that prolonged sleep deprivation, such as that experienced by nightshift workers, could lead to permanent brain damage, BBCNews reported Wednesday.
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Blood cholesterol linked Victors for Michigan organizers with new genetic variation distribute free shirts on campus University scientists utilize Norwegian records to analyze correlation By JULIA LISS Daily Staff Reporter
A team of University researchers, lead in part by Cristen Willer, assistant professor of internal medicine, human genetics and computational medicine and bioinformation, published findings Sunday linking a previously unknown gene variation with healthier blood cholesterol levels and lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The work expanded on research published by the same team in 2008 where they had found an association between a particular region of the genome — the genetic material in an
organism’s cells — and blood cholesterol levels. It then took six years for them to figure out exactly which gene in that region was responsible. Willer, the senior author of the paper that was published in “Nature Genetics,” worked closely with a team of scientists and doctors around the world, including Kristian Hveem, a gastroenterologist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Through their work with the Norwegian scientists, Willer gained access to a Norwegian biobank of over 80,000 donated tissue samples, from which she and her team selected 10,000 samples to study. Willer said they chose people who had previously experienced a heart attack, and then a control sample of people who were the same age and sex as the first group, but hadn’t had any heart problems.
Hveem said they were able to conduct a longitudinal, prospective follow-up study by collecting data from registries over many years without having to physically examine the patients after their initial registration. The study design focused only on differences in DNA across people that also changed proteins. “By looking at that smaller set of all the DNA changes that are possible between individuals we were able to focus much more quickly on a specific gene called TM6SF2,” Willer said. To test their hypothesis that TM6SF2 was responsible for changing the blood cholesterol levels and risk of heart attack in the Norwegian subjects, the researchers disrupted the same gene in mice, either by overexpressing it or down-regulating it. The resulting effects in the mice’s blood cholesterol levels were exactly what the researchers had expected. “That was pretty clear evidence that this indeed was the gene responsible,” Willer said. Both Hveem and Willer plan to continue studying the gene in the hope that they may find a way to design a new drug that would target this gene in a way that hasn’t been possible before. Willer said he believes the same gene might be associated with fatty liver disease and plans to research the topic further. They also both said how rewarding it was to work together on this project. “For me, one of the exciting and rewarding things about this work is when people collaborate to do much better science than they can do by themselves,” Willer said.
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Students rewarded for writing thankyou notes to small contribution donors By SAM GRINGLAS Daily News Editor
The University’s Office of Development distributed thousands of free t-shirts Wednesday — with just one catch. To receive one of the blue shirts with the words “Hail yeah!” printed across the front, students were asked to fill out a postcard thanking an individual University donor — all of whom had made small gifts under $50 — for their contribution to the University. Around 4,500 students filled out postcard thank-you notes and received a free t-shirt at one of the more than a dozen Hail Yeah stations located around campus. The Alumni Association and 15 University units participated, including multiple colleges and the Office of Financial Aid. Kat Walsh, director for student engagement at the University’s Office of Development, said the goal of the event served to remind students that every gift matters and that alumni and students can have an impact even with $10 or $20 donations. “We’re specifically focused on alumni because we want students to see themselves as
future supporters of the University,” she said. “This is a part of the Victors for Michigan campaign because we want them to know they can play a huge role in reaching the campaign’s goals.” Though the Office of Development holds the Hail Yeah student engagement event annually, this year’s incarnation occurs in the midst of the $4 billion Victors for Michigan fundraising campaign, which launched in November. Compared to previous campaigns, Victors for Michigan has refocused attention on engaging students, both as a means to encourage donors to give toward financial aid and to help students understand the role development plays in their experience at the University. Walsh said students contributed to the planning and implementation of Wednesday’s event, as well as the campaign’s kickoff community festival in November that drew thousands to Ingalls Mall for musical performances, food and giveaways. She said this level of student campaign engagement is unprecedented. “This campaign is really about creating experiences here on the Michigan campus for current students,” she said. “This is really a way to engage students, to thank alumni who are part of the campaign and to thank students.” Katy Wallander, assistant director of student philanthropy, said student-driven events like Hail Yeah resonate more effec-
tively with the campus community. “This campaign is really about creating experiences here on the Michigan campus for current students,” she said. “This is really a way to engage students and to thank alumni who are part of the campaign.” Walsh said a handout like t-shirts are another way to thank students who have contributed or helped fundraise $1.5 million for University development. Beside featuring and engaging students at events, campaign strategists have placed a fundraising emphasis on student support — with a goal of raising $1 billion dedicated to student support. LSA junior Jennifer Sylvester filled out a thank-you postcard at one of the tables inside the Chemistry Building Wednesday. “I have a scholarship here and it’s really meant a lot to me, so everything helps to help another student be able to go here and have an amazing experience,” she said. Though the promise of a free shirt initially attracted her to the table, LSA freshman Katie Washagan said she recognizes the importance of donors helping to improve the student experience. “Without them my experience wouldn’t have been the same — and it’s been incredible so far,” she said. “Every little bit counts. It doesn’t matter if you donate even five dollars — I feel like it will go to something great.”
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SAFERIDE From Page 1A the opportunity to create this app, he teamed up with Shrestha to make it a reality. One of the issues McGarth hoped to address was the comparatively long waits students often endure for SafeRide to arrive. With the app, students can now receive alerts for when their ride is on its way. This allows students to continue working in the library while they wait, McGrath said, instead of having to wait outside for long periods of time. McGrath and Shrestha approached LSA junior Emily Lustig, chair of CSG Campus Safety and Security Commission, for help in promoting it the campus community.
RETIREMENT From Page 1A their respective positions. “I’m reluctant to say we’re going to falter,” Wilbanks said. “It’s important of course to recognize we are losing longevity and very long influence on the part of two members of the delegation. They have been great friends of the University and they’ve always been ready to roll up their sleeves and work tirelessly on behalf of many of the issues we care about deeply. But I’m also prepared to say those who will follow in their shoes are going to be eager to be effective as quickly as possible.” She added that the University’s government affairs team will immediately begin developing relationships with the new members, just as they have done with any new addition to Michigan’s congressional delegation. Wilbanks said the members of the entire Michigan congressional delegation are assets of the state and its public institutions. “Of course they have differing views and many have differing priorities, but I don’t think you ever want to fail to stay connected and to be sure that your message — the advocacy we think is important on any number of issues — is shared with every member of the delegation,” she said. “How they approach those policies and priorities is of course up to them, but we cannot fail in maintaining and strengthening every relationship we have.” Wilbanks cited federal research funding as a top concern. Over the past few years, the funding was threatened by sequestration measures. Federal support makes up 62 percent of the University’s research budget. Though Wilbanks said Levin and Dingell have been helpful in lobbying on behalf of the University’s research interests, she
SIT-IN From Page 1A Blake Jones and CSG representatives, including Business senior Michael Proppe, CSG president, behind closed doors late Wednesday night. At press time it was unclear whether any decisions or compromises had been made between the groups. LSA senior Suha Najjar, a Palestinian American and member of SAFE, said CSG’s postponement of voting on the resolution and limitation on students’ speech was unjustifiable. “I think yesterday what happened on this campus should never happen,” Najjar said. “What we’re hoping is to send a message that we’re the student body and you need to listen to us.” “As a Palestinian, I felt it was extremely racist,” she added. “I felt like I was not important enough to speak.” Proppe was unavailable for comment on the sit-in and CSG’s plan of action on the resolution due to the meeting between himself, Jones and the SAFE representatives.
Lustig said the app is an initiative that will help increase safety of students on campus. She said other new initiatives such as the Night Owl bus have been helpful in transporting students who are off campus, but the SafeRide app will be more focused on students on campus. Lustig also serves as party chair for Make Michigan, a party running in the upcoming CSG elections. She brought the app to other Make Michigan leaders to further the collaborative process of implementing the app. Public Policy junior Bobby Dishell, Make Michigan presidential candidate and current vice president of CSG, spoke about the work the party did to help implement Campus SafeRide as part of its campaign
promises. “We think it’s going to make campus a lot safer, and we’re happy that Make Michigan was able to help bring this to campus,” Dishell said. McGrath and Shrestha said the response to the app has been positive overall since its launch. “It’s been really great creating something that we thought students would like and based on the feedback, it honed to what we wanted,” Summit said. Since the launch, they have already tweaked some features in response to student feedback. McGrath said these minor changes deal with making alerts more pronounced and clear. Students can visit campussaferide.com to send in feedback and get directions on how to download the app.
added that maintaining funding is a challenge that spans across terms and administrations — a difficulty that will continue in the future. But even with two top-tier retirements, the University and the state have several powerful legislators to lean on. Two Republicans, Rep. Dave Camp (R–Midland) and Rep. Mike Rogers (R–Brighton), chair influential and prestigious house committees and Michigan’s soon-to-be senior senator, Debbie Stabenow (D–Mich.), chairs the Senate’s Agriculture Committee. In a statement to the Daily, Stabenow lauded Levin and Dingell’s commitment to the state as she prepares to carry on where they left off. “Carl Levin and John Dingell dedicated their lives to public service,” she wrote. “They have been champions on so many issues important to the people of Michigan, from standing up for the auto industry to protecting our Great Lakes, to making college more affordable for students. It has been an honor to work with them to fight for Michigan families.” Last month, Stabenow facilitated the passage of the Farm Bill, one of the few major bi-partisan pieces of legislation to pass through both houses in recent months. Kall said her stewardship of the bill and the presence of President Obama in East Lansing for the bill signing, serve as testaments to Stabenow’s own influence. Though the two announced candidates angling for Levin’s Senate seat — Rep. Gary Peters (D–Bloomfield) and Terri Lynn Land, the Republican contender and former Michigan Secretary of State — would be new to the upper house of Congress, Wilbanks said becoming acquainted with the winner would not pose much of a challenge.
During her time as vice president of governmental relations, Wilbanks said she has worked closely with both of the candidates and is confident either could serve the University’s interests well. “These are all smart people and many we’ve had a relationship in the past. I’m not sure I’m ready to concede we’ll miss a beat,” she said. Additionally, Kall and Wilbanks said if elected, Debbie Dingell, John’s Dingell’s wife and the Democratic candidate running to fill his seat, will likely carry on the brand and networks formed during her husband’s record-breaking length of service in the House. Debbie Dingell spoke at the Rackham Auditorium last week to encourage more women to run for political office. But despite the inevitable change in leadership, Kall said the transition might matter less than it would have during other periods of history before additional congressional regulations placed limits on a legislator’s pet projects. The retirements also arrive as many long serving members of the House and Senate are exiting amid a culture of partisan rancor. “It’s part of a larger trend nationally, of the increasing political partisanship nationally that’s causing people to think they can more change outside of Congress,” he said. “It’s slower governing almost to a halt and ultimately a lot of the losers of such a process are the American people.” The departures also occur on the tail end of an economic recession that required federal action to bailout Detroit’s auto industry — a move pushed for and won in part by Levin and Dingell. “This is a key turning point, not just in Michigan, but nationally,” he said.
SAFE and its allies arrived at the Union at 6 p.m. Wednesday to begin preparing for the sit-in. In an e-mail sent to supporters, SAFE told students “Bring your study materials, food, friends. The CSG chambers is our ‘indefinite’ home now.” Najjar said she plans to stay until CSG meets the demands. LSA sophomore Sarah Aaoof, who attended Tuesday’s CSG meeting, echoed Najjar and many other attendees in her concerns with how CSG addressed protesters’ concerns. Aaoof said CSG has a responsibility to listen to the concerns of the student body. “I felt that the whole issue was misrepresented as whole,” Aaoof said. “We deserved more time to present the issue. I felt like it was pushed to the side ... considering there were 300 people plus, I don’t think it was handled correctly.” University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald confirmed Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones had “been in touch with a wide range of students” Wednesday regarding Tuesday’s CSG meeting, though he couldn’t give any further details of the meetings. Advocates both for and
against divestment spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, though opponents of the divestment resolution were not present at Wednesday’s sit-in. “I want multiple and diverse narratives to come together in peaceful and safe spaces on campus,” LSA junior Michele Freed, Hillel chair, said Tuesday. “Where all voices have a space and are respected. This polarizing resolution is bringing about just the opposite.” Najjar said she spoke with Jones earlier in the day about concerns that University police would arrest students who did not leave the Union, where the CSG chambers are located, by 2 a.m. when the building closes. The sit-in began just as it was reported that San Diego State University’s and Loyola University Chicago’s student governments passed similar divestment resolutions this week. Pro-Palestinian students at the University have petitioned administrators to divest from Israel for years. However, the University’s Board of Regents has voted against divestment several times, most recently in 2006.
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JUDICIARY From Page 1A presidential title, though he ran for the position of vice president. Engineering sophomore Selina Thompson ran for director of administration yet was seated as vice president. Engineering sophomore Anna Shrestinian did not appear on the ballot, but was seated as director of administration. The Michigan Daily reported that Engineering senior Kenneth Mull, the former vice president of UMEC, said in a Jan. 22 e-mail to Lady, one of the plantiffs, that Engineering sophomore Diego Calvo, won the election but withdrew over winter break. This could have validated Liu’s assumption of the presidential seat; however, it would violate Article III of the UMEC Constitution. In the event of a vacated seat, according to Article III, the Executive Board should appoint an interim officer to be approved by a vote of the General Council. UMEC did not make any such motion following Calvo’s resignation. The alleged vacancy of the seat is still unclear, as Calvo was not yet sworn in as president when he resigned. Petitioners argued that the UMEC constitution is in violation of the all-campus Constitution articles regarding equal protection and democratic representation. They claimed graduate students should not be involved
URBAN POLICY From Page 1A the event. Located among the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Youngstown was a center for steel production until the industry began to decline in the 1970s. Urban planners have recently approached the city about looking for ways to redevelop a midsized city from a once larger metropolis. Among the program’s strengths, she said, are its vision of citizen engagement, clearly written plan, strong institutional support, ability to create capacity and, most notably, acceptance of its decline to a smaller city. However, the program is challenged by population loss and decreasing resources, the difficulty in establishing for whom the main district exists and an inability to overcome racial dynamics. “There’s a lot we can learn from this plan, there’s a lot we can learn about what a plan can and cannot do as well,” she said. Dewar introduced the Youngstown 2010 Plan, which aimed to involve the community in enhancing the rapidly shrinking city. This differs from most urban plans, which generally focus on community and population growth. Dewar said they had to define Youngstown’s role in the new regional economy, improve
Thursday, March 20, 2014 — 3A in UMEC, as they do not pay dues for the College of Engineering student government. CSJ ruled the UMEC constitution is not in violation of the All Campus Constitution. According to the official opinion, CSJ said graduate students are entitled to representation in UMEC as they are covered by the College of Engineering. However, graduate representation should remain less significant than that of undergraduates. Engineering graduate student Boying Liu was appointed president of UMEC in the December elections. This is a violation of Article III of the UMEC constitution, which declares that an executive officer must be enrolled in the College of Engineering. Though an engineering graduating student, Liu is technically enrolled in Rackham, not the College of Engineering. Liu, in addition to the other officers, was appointed in an invalid election according to CSJ. According to Article III of the UMEC constitution, UMEC elections should be held in conjunction with CSG elections in November. For unclear reasons, UMEC elections did not take place until December. Additionally, information regarding candidates has a deadline of being released at least two weeks prior to the election according to Article III. This information was released to prospective candidates on Dec. 3, only two days before the Dec. 5 elections. CSJ also ruled the appointment
of executive board members at the Jan. 22 UMEC meeting was an “egregious use of illicit power.” Engineering graduate student Christine Zuchora, the outgoing UMEC president, elevated members to specific offices to which they were not elected. Benson said the removal of the current Executive Board reflects more long-term problems within UMEC that he hopes to help fix. “The current UMEC officers really were caught in the middle of things, and I was really pleased the court made very clear that they weren’t being held accountable,” he said. “The issues with UMEC have been long-standing.” In a statement to The Michigan Daily, members of the executive board that must step down wrote they are happy UMEC can now move on from this case. “We are looking forward to UMEC’s reinstatement so it can continue to support the College of Engineering student body and its student organizations,” they wrote. While CSJ did not order a constitutional convention, both sides recognized at the hearing that they were open to reviewing inconsistencies between UMEC and All Campus constitutions. Lady said changes to the UMEC constitution and bylaws are still needed. “Whether it is or isn’t in violation of the all-campus Constitution, we’re going to go through the same process of reworking them to serve the students better,” he said.
the city’s image and enhance the quality of life by making Youngstown a healthier place to live and work. Russo, visiting research fellow at the Virginia Tech Research Center, was not as optimistic. He said despite the positive economic effects of the plan, it has forced Youngstown residents to realize the shortcomings in their city. “There is a type of collateral damage that happens to a community, just not economically,” he said. “Now there is a sort of physical health problem, suicides, a sense of community agency, a sense of loss, a feeling of failure, a loss of pride and a sense of shame and all of these things are carrying the community.” Russo also argued that urban planners neglected services and infrastructure in specific neighborhoods, often those that are heavily impoverished. “What happened was that there were few relocation allowances and there were few residents who wanted to leave their home and the neighborhoods that were targeted for this were largely African American,” Russo said. Hunter Morrison, executive director of the Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium Initiative, said one strategy the urban planners undertook was integrating Youngstown State University with the surrounding community. This work was accomplished
by a partnership between the university and the city to develop the area within a half-mile radius of campus in order to promote shared spaces. “As a result of that strategy we’ve seen increased investment and renovation of office buildings, housing, restaurants and the like, so this has become quite a vital area where ten years ago it was pretty much empty,” Morrison said. Another problem was vacancy after the population drop. Outside of the bustling “anchor district,” the rest of the city was failed to develop. Ian Beniston, deputy director of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, said they developed a neighborhood-specific strategy and are currently using it to implement change on the city. Beniston added that the creation of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation increased the community’s capacity for change, and underlined his optimism for the city’s future. The final challenge was downsizing. When a community’s population declines, its resources and investment also decline, which further discourages residents to move or stay in the city. “Services that people have come to expect get shed and it’s taken a long time for Youngstown to figure out a way around that problem,” Morrison said.
Opinion
4A — Thursday, March 20, 2014
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com MEGAN MCDONALD and DANIEL WANG EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FROM THE DAILY
Prioritizing minors’ health E-cigarette sales to minors should be banned, but not classified as tobacco
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ichigan is poised to take another step to prevent underage smoking by extending a ban on electronic cigarettes with state Senate Bills 667 and 668. Under Michigan’s public health code, minors may buy e-cigarettes because they don’t contain tobacco. E-cigarettes are appealing to minors due to easy accessibility and variety of flavors. The Michigan legislature should pass this legislation to protect vulnerable minors, however it should not take further action to classify e-cigarettes as tobacco products. The bills are on their way to the Michigan House of Representatives after both were adopted unanimously by the state Senate. The FDA doesn’t regulate e-cigarettes or their advertisements and little significant testing has been done to show the long-term effects of e-cigarettes on human health. Furthermore, there is also little research about the effects of second hand vapor smoke. E-cigarettes are much more accessible to minors than traditional tobacco cigarettes, but still pose health risks. Nicotine levels in e-cigarettes are unregulated, and often provide users with as much or more nicotine than tobacco products. The availability of e-cigarettes, combined with flavors such as bubblegum, chocolate and cherry, leaves minors susceptible to addiction, which could lead to future tobacco use. Smoking habits usually develop at a young age — about 90 percent of smokers began smoking as kids. According to the American Cancer Society, men who smoke are about 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer. Since e-cigarettes contain no tobacco, it would be a difficult issue to label them as such. Organizations such as the American Heart Association and the American Cancer
society links them to tobacco products, in order to maintain awareness of the possible dangers. This would entail extensions of bans on where they can be used. Some individuals with health issues report that the vapor is irritating to the nose and throat, but until more research supports these claims, legislation should not restrict e-cigarette use in the same manner as tobacco smoking. Though e-cigarettes may pose a threat to minors, they can be a useful tool for smokers in the process of quitting tobacco. More research on the subject is needed, but currently the vapor of e-cigarettes is considered to be less harmful than the smoke of tobacco. Using an e-cigarette will not break the addiction to nicotine but it can end dependence on tobacco. E-cigarette cartridges without nicotine are available as well — in this case, the smoker goes through an imitation of smoking without the nicotine, which could lead to breaking the addiction. If the state classifies e-cigarettes as tobacco then smokers will lose incentive — such as smoking in public — to switch to the less harmful product. Further research needs to be conducted before the government imposes arbitrary rules on e-cigarette users.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Barry Belmont, Nivedita Karki, Jacob Karafa, Jordyn Kay, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Paul Sherman, Allison Raeck, Linh Vu, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe JARED FRANK | VIEWPOINT
Giving back to the University Most people on campus will tell you that the University of Michigan is a truly great university. But what makes it so great? Michigan has excellent academics (and the rankings to match), a wide range of interesting classes, incredibly accomplished professors and yes, some pretty great athletics as well. But while all of these things are truly important, I’d say they’re not the most important factors in Michigan’s success. To my mind, there are two things that make Michigan truly special: the bold ideas that are created here at all levels — by students and faculty — and the desire to give back to the Michigan community. When I was in high school, I decided to come to Michigan for those two reasons. I was impressed with the exciting and novel work being done in Ann Arbor, but I was even more impressed with the Michigan community, working together to give back to the University that had educated and supported them. I truly believe the largest factor for the greatness of this University is that the community works together to create bold ideas, which is now one of the three pillars of the University’s Victors campaign. Why is support of inventiveness on campus important? In some ways, it’s obvious. These are things that change the world on a local and global scale. When a new medicine is created, when a new technology is introduced, you can be certain ingenuity was the seed of development. Important to University researchers and scholars, original ideas allow for the realization of goals, the thrill of discovery and the ability to help those in need. Bold ideas are the lifeblood of the University of Michigan. This creativity helps to maintain our reputation as one of the world’s top universities. But ingenuity isn’t just for University professors; it’s important for University students too. Very few students are content to let their Michigan experience begin and end in the classroom. In my experience, my fellow classmates want to get their hands dirty, working in the lab, helping out in the world, doing things that matter. Supporting bold ideas will allow for students with the drive to make things
happen and get involved here on campus. The 1,200-person Hackathon in the Big House, sponsored by MHacks, is just one example. And while Michigan students can make just about anything happen, there are certain things, such as laboratory research, that students can’t do on their own. Ideas fostered by researchers on campus provide students with an opportunity to volunteer in labs, work exciting projects, apply their knowledge to real-world situations and maybe even contribute to their community and their world. Basically, bold ideas give students an opportunity to give back. I came to the University because I wanted to be part of the incredible tradition of excellence in research. I have had the opportunity to work in a biomedical research lab, translating bold scientific ideas into reality. I have already benefited enormously from being part of that. I want to be able to say that I gave something back in exchange for what I’ve learned. I want to be able to say that I worked to become part of Michigan’s reputation for research excellence rather than just benefiting from an association with it. I want to do something of substance, something of importance, if not necessarily of great magnitude. I don’t want to leave this university saying, “I’ll give something back to U of M when I’m older.” I want to say that I did everything in my power to make the University proud while I was here. There are many ways to give back to the University. In my mind, the most important is to give back with bold ideas, whether by introducing your own or by supporting the ideas of others. I consider myself very lucky to be a student in Ann Arbor, and not a day goes by where I’m not grateful for being the beneficiary of the great things the University offers its students. I could be very successful simply taking all that this school offers me, grabbing my diploma and moving on to a career. But if I did that, while I would be successful, I wouldn’t be satisfied. There are other reasons why I’m here. Jared Frank is an LSA junior.
FOLLOW THE DAILY ON TWITTER Keep up with columnists, read Daily editorials, view cartoons and join in the debate. Check out @michigandaily to get updates on Daily content throughout the day.
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Israel, BDS and fake balance
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’d like to give a round of applause to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, University of Michigan Hillel and all the other organizations that have so masterfully done their job of killing any and all real debate JAMES about Israel. BRENNAN From college campuses to the U.S. Congress, we should all give a big “bravo” to the Israel lobby for its wonderful work. These organizations have turned human rights activists into anti-Semites, and one-sided forums and panels into “open and honest discussions.” Tuesday, despite a letter signed by 36 student groups and what, I would imagine, is the biggest turnout for a Central Student Government meeting in years, representatives from CSG refused to even debate a resolution. The resolution was simple: it asked the University to investigate and remove its investments in companies benefiting from possible Israeli abuses of Palestinians. Yes, this was part of the wider, controversial Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement, but it did not demand condemnation of the existence of Israel or Zionism as a whole. How good are Israel’s lobbyists and PR people? Well, even a university’s student government — which has no apparent functions other than philanthropy, fighting ticket policies and doling out money to organizations — can’t pass a simple resolution that asks critical questions. Much like the hit job that Hillel students did on Students Allied for Freedom and Equality after the #UMMockEviction, CSG
representatives continuously demanded a “fair debate” on the measure, ignoring the fact that the very action they took prevented a debate from happening. The idea of fairness presented by many proIsrael groups seems to only apply to themselves. Hundreds of students show up in support of a BDS-related resolution? “We need to have an open and fair debate, not something so one-sided.” A person asserts that Israel commits human rights violations? “There have been atrocities on both sides.” Students alienated from returning to their homeland write viewpoints attacking Israel’s treatment of them? “I feel attacked for supporting Israel.” But try to get Hillel to host proPalestinian speakers who criticize Israel? Well, that’s against their policies. Fair, right? As I’ve repeated to Zionist, BDS and even moderate friends countless times, and as I’ve written in this very publication, I can’t take a side on this issue simply because I don’t know enough about it. I feel that way about a lot of issues, and I’d be willing to bet other people do, too. One thing I cannot stand though is a skewed, one-sided debate, especially when one side has far more resources and influence. CSG had an opportunity last night to contribute to a very meaningful, open, campuswide dialogue on one of the most divisive and important issues of our generation. They skirted that opportunity and further suppressed
debate and dissent at the University. I don’t care what side of the issue you come down on, you should feel shame for your representatives for what they chose to do. Malcolm X once said, “I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against.” These are principles that most of us (at least I’d hope) try to live our lives by. Truth over bias, justice over politics, fairness over unfairness. One of the easiest ways to achieve the goals of truth, justice and fairness is to fight for open and free exchanges of ideas. Pushing them aside, whether through CSG votes, misleading newspaper articles or loaded panel discussions, is a disservice to the universal goals of fairness and truth. Pro-Israel groups who condemn so-called onesided BDSers and Palestinian groups: this is what you get. Militant, angry, onesided rhetoric is met with other militant, angry, one-sided rhetoric. The difference is of course that groups like SAFE are fighting for their spot at the table, while you’ve already taken yours and condemned them for trying to do the same. Stop with the fake demands for fair treatment and honesty. Stop with the laughable idea of sitting down for an honest discussion with all sides when all the action you take is to the contrary. Instead, let your actions speak. Students certainly heard them Tuesday night.
Militant, angry, onesided rhetoric is met with other militant, angry, one-sided rhetoric.
— James Brennan can be reached at jmbthree@umich.edu.
The weight of sadness
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ears dripping. Lips trembling. Eyelids swelling. Hands shaking. Shoulders collapsing. Pain oozing. Hopelessness seeping. These are strong students degraded to pure rawness. For far too many, the MAJA deterioration of one’s family TOSIC brings upon their own silent deterioration. From emotional, mental, physical and financial abuse to divorce and parental neglect, these issues are real among the people around you. They are omnipresent circumstances that have become embedded in too many bloodstreams. Behind hidden doors quivers a shadow of being, a sliver of what used to exist. But in the open, tears are wiped away and lips are steady. Eyelids are rested. Hands are calm. Shoulders are poised. Pain and hopelessness are invisible, but never obliterated. Walls of sturdy homes are covered with photographs of perfectly posed and happy families. Houses are clean and fresh-cut grass lies as a welcome mat. At the restaurant table, pleasant conversations are rotated among the mouths of smiling faces. But beyond all this lies another unnamed reality. What do you call a family emergency that haunts you every day and every night behind closed doors? Immeasurable amounts of students walk through this campus with the reality of a traumatic family and home life lurking too close for comfort. Although Ann
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Arbor is a common home we all return to at the end of the day, many are still dangerously tied to their other homes. For these students, the threat of a distressing phone call is always within reach. The need to become a parent when you’re born as a child is always pressing. For many, breaks from school are not a period of relaxation. “Family time” is not something looked forward to. For those that surround you, coming back to school is a time of selfhealing and recovery. Despite the physical distance between a student and their families, the attachment is always strong enough to saturate one’s mind with difficult concerns. But how do you worry... How do you protect... How do you comfort... How do you empower... How do you act... ...when you are hundreds of miles away? Such unanswerable questions silently poison numerous minds. These concerns and troubling situations are shunned and never to be detected. The topic of imperfect and painful families is unspoken. Hurt and concern are forced to settle densely into the depths of one’s consciousness. True emotions are suppressed from view and barred from entrance into friendly exchanges. To reveal the truth of one’s life is often seen as damaging. We have come to believe that the words “broken” and “dysfunctional” will be a reflection
of our attributes. We dangerously assume that a seemingly perfect and happy family extends a positive message of our character. And an unhappy family must send the opposite message; one of weakness and shame. Currently, the only perceived acceptable place to dwell on such topics is at counseling services. However, danger lies in reserving our honesty and vulnerability for the therapist’s couch. Conversations with friends often remain on a level much higher than the depth of one’s pain. Infinite amounts of courage and trust are needed to honestly and vulnerably talk to friends. The fear of becoming tainted prevents many from reaching out to others. And the same fear also prevents people from entering the therapist’s room. Therefore, many have become stuck in silence. Without anywhere to turn to except the private corners of one’s existence, students are crumbling with too much pain to bear. The pressure to remain silent and seemingly content is suffocating. We are denied true human connection and understanding as we move further into a culture that silences and shames our pain. We cannot know how to process, empathize and support each other when we live in agonizing isolation. Break the silence and become whole again.
We cannot know how to process, empathize and support each other when we live in agonizing isolation.
— Maja Tosic can be reached at tosimaj@umich.edu.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Time and time again I have been silenced. We are supposed to be given a platform in this room and doors are being shut in our face.” — LSA senior and Students Allied for Freedom and Equality member Suha Najjar in response to the Central Student Government’s indefinite suspension of the divestment of Israel proposal.
Weekend Roundup
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, March 20, 2014 — 5A
Who, What, Where: The week in review CAMPUS
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By Tanaz Ahmed, Weekend Roundup Contributor
t’s been a long and eventful week. It’s difficult to keep track of and remember everything that’s happened, so The Daily rounded up some of the most significant events that have happened around campus and the world this week.
Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital. Michael Johns, a professor of otolaryngology and health policy at Emory University, will be the interim executive vice president for medical affairs.
Around Campus
Hundreds of students attended the Central Student Government meeting to see how CSG would vote on the divestment resolution. The resolution asked for the University to cease investing in companies that they feel are aiding in human rights violations in Palestine. CSG voted to postpone the decision indefinitely. This led to many students congregating outside of the Union to voice their opinions on the decision.
Wolverines drop to No. 2 seed after losing to Spartans Last weekend, the Wolverines lost the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region after Spartans won 69-55 in the Big Ten Championship. A Wolverine win would have been Michigan’s first postseason conference title since 1998. CEO of University Health Systems to step down Ora Pescovitz, the CEO of University of Michigan Health System, will step down June 1 as her fiveyear term comes to a close. She is the first female CEO of UMHS. During her term, the Health System built the
CSG indefinitely postpones divestment vote
Around the World Crimea votes to join Russia March 17, Crimean leaders announced that the region voted in favor of leaving Ukraine and becoming a part of Russia. March 18, Russian president Vladimir
3 THINGS By AMRUTHA SIVAKUMAR Daily Weekend Contributor
Between a cappella concerts, theatrical plays and sporting events, it might seem like the University has it all. But for those of you dreaming of your weekend plans in the middle of your Friday afternoon class, you may find a few things lacking. Bringing out the hipster Fairs and festivals have their place on campus outside of Welcome Week and freshman affairs — in fact, Ann Arbor is filled with them during the summers and springs, and the University organizes its fair share of outdoor events during the warmer seasons. But, free community events don’t have to end as soon as the sub-zero temperatures set in. While sunny, green days are a rarity during most of the semester, indoor spaces can do just as well. Street vendors such as Curry Up and Beet Box can easily set up in indoor spaces — if the Unions allowed it, that is — and entrepreneurs could showcase their products, probably more easily, inside. Student organizations can put on mini-shows, giving
Where my bands at? If I were to judge a campus by its music … well, the University sure wouldn’t top that list. Music is social, and it draws communities together toward a singular purpose — much like sports do. We come together as an entire college for football and basketball games, but checking out local music is hardly ever the go-to weekend activity. Don’t get me wrong, there’s always music in Ann Arbor and if you look hard enough, it’s not impossible to find a band at a fraternity or a student organization benefit concert. With intimate venues like The Ark and the Blind Pig, great bands do pop up every now and then. But music on campus doesn’t permeate. There isn’t a way for me to find all the places on campus where I can survey all the free, local and live music options playing that night and choose the one I go to based on what I’m feeling.
Thursday, 3/20
Michigan Men’s Basketball vs. Wofford 6:10 p.m. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Fashion designer L’Wren Scott dies Fashion designer and stylist L’Wren Scott was found dead in her apartment in New York City March 17. The cause of death appeared to be suicide but this has not been confirmed yet. She was also the longtime girlfriend of musician Mick Jagger.
Women’s Lacrosse vs. Winthrop 7 p.m. Michigan Stadium
Friday, 3/21 FILE PHOTO/Daily
Ora Pescovitz, CEO of the University of Michigan Health System and executive vice president for medical affairs, announced she will step down after her five-year term ends on June 1.
A Malaysian Airlines flight goes missing A Malaysian Airlines flight traveling from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China was reported as missing on March 15. As of March 19, the search for the flight is still ongoing. There have been various theories and conjectures as to what happened to the flight but there are still very little facts available regarding the situation.
Missing from the weekend in Ann Arbor
their members a free opportunity to show their skills, and any student looking to escape the books for a bit can have the perfect place to let out some steam without being left out in the cold.
EVENTS
Putin signed a treaty annexing Crimea. In response, the European Union, the United States and other western nations imposed sanctions on Russia.
Hit the books As much as we can complain about the lack of more social activities on campus during the weekend, the truth is that for most of us, weekends are prime studying time. On weekends, scavenging for an empty table becomes the impossible task at the undergraduate and graduate libraries, and stress levels run high. There’s an SLC for the broad sciences, and a Mathlab for pure mathematics, but what about the outliers? For every subject — whether it be something as commonplace as communications or something as niche as Asian art — there should be a set place that I can go to every week to find peer or GSI tutors willing to ease me into understanding elaborated concepts, as well as other students wanting to study in cohesive, tight-knit groups. Think of the number of empty lecture halls, classrooms and spaces on weekends — all of this is underutilized study space on campus. Think of how accomplishable academics would be if the resources were readily available.
Budget Snacking: Oreo chocolate popcorn - 20 Oreo cookies (about two rows from the package) Total cost: About $10 (serves around 10 but can be adjusted based on popcorn serving size) Directions: - Follow the box instructions to pop the popcorn - Smash Oreos into fragments - Melt the chocolate in the microwave ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily - Pour the melted chocolate Just try to resist this delicacy. 100 years. This Oreo Popcorn over the popcorn and mix in By EMILIE PLESSET creation is simple to make the Oreo pieces Weekend Roundup Contributor and very addicting. You’ve Total time: About 10 to 15 minutes The perfect batch of pop- been warned. corn doesn’t always have to That’s it! If you want to Ingredients: be saturated with butter. Inget really crazy, try using stead, top your popcorn with - Two bags of your favorite some of the different Oreo the cookie that’s been gracing brand of popcorn flavor options, or stir in your the shelves of American gro- - Two cups of white chocoown favorite cookie. ceries stores for more than late chips
Martha Cook International Tea 3 p.m. Martha Cook Residence Women’s Tennis vs. OSU 3 p.m. Varsity Tennis Center
Women’s Basketball vs. Stony Brook 7 p.m. Crisler Center
Saturday, 3/22
ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily
Michigan coach John Beilein and redshirt junior forward Jon Horford at a men’s basketball media day.
HEY YOU!
Do you love the weekend? And Beyoncé? And watching home improvement shows in your time off? Us too! You should consider joining, it seems like we have a lot in common.
WWW.MICHIGANDAILY.COM/JOIN-US
Men’s Lacross Saint vs. Josephs 3 p.m. Michigan Stadium Men’s Gymnastics vs. UIC 7:00 p.m. Crisler Center
Sunday, 3/23 Men’s Tennis vs. Penn State 12 p.m. Varsity Tennis Center Mister Michigan Pageant 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Michigan Union
Sports
6A — Thursday, March 20, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
2014 Softball Preview A look around the Big Ten softball league A look at Michigan’s foes as it eyes its 17th Big Ten Championship By KELLY HALL Daily Sports Writer
TERRA MOLENGRAFF/DAILY Michigan coach Carol Hutchins has been the constant in Michigan’s dominant softball teams. At the start of the Big Ten season, she looks to continue to impart her wisdom on her players to create yet another winning team.
On softball: ‘M’ looks to back up ‘coach speak’ Coach Hutchins continues to create winning culture among her players By MAX BULTMAN Daily Sports Writer
“Coach speak” has a bad reputation. The media hates it, fans are bored of it, and players seem brainwashed by it. But when it comes from the mouth of Michigan softball coach Carol Hutchins, it’s far from just lip service — it’s the cul-
ture she creates for her players. In 2014, the Wolverines are stacked with enough talent and depth to elevate her words from soporific coach speak to a bonafide blueprint for victory. Hutchins is on the University’s pantheon of prolific coaches. She sets the standard for how a system can cycle talent in and out and hardly miss a beat. She instills the same mantras in every player, every year, and they all buy in without fail. So when you talk to anyone affiliated with the program, you can count on them to steer the conSee HUTCHINS, Page 7A
At Alumni Field, there’s a tradition of domination in the Big Ten. The Michigan softball team has 16 Big Ten Titles, 10 Women’s College World Series appearances and 36 straight winning seasons. The sixthranked Wolverines will have two ranked opponents in No. 14 Nebraska and No. 21 Minnesota in the conference. But starting this Friday, the Michigan softball team will begin its campaign toward becoming seventh straight Big Ten champions. Here’s a look at what the Wolverines are up against. Minnesota (21-3) Big Ten pitchers will be challenged by Minnesota sluggers like junior utility player Kaitlyn Richardson and junior shortstop Tyler Walker. Richardson was named to the AllBig Ten first team in 2013 and currently leads the Gophers with a .446 batting average. Walker, who, after joining Richardson on the All-Big first team last year, boasts a .377 batting average this year. Player to watch: Senior right-handed pitcher Sara Moulton Moulton has an earned-run average of 1.25 and already holds the school record for career shutouts (35) and com-
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Thursday, March 20, 2014
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
HELP WANTED
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 At attention, say 6 Whale group 9 Caught at a rodeo 14 Grammy-winning Jones 15 CXVIII x V 16 Officer on the Enterprise bridge 17 It’s not a swine 19 Alert to drivers 20 Vinyl item 21 It’s not an equine 23 Zilch 25 Hot times in Lyon 26 MST part: Abbr. 29 Endow 31 __ projection 35 It’s not an amphibian 38 Million finish 39 Mayflower Compact signer 40 Patriots’ Day mo. 41 Former U.S. Army post near Monterey 42 Big name in game shows 43 It’s not a canine 45 “Remington __” 47 Enthusiasm 48 Common rebus pronoun 49 Avis adjective 51 “Stay” singer Lisa 53 It’s not a rodent 57 Lacking the wherewithal 61 Confess 62 It’s not an ursine 64 Seven-year phase 65 SASE, e.g. 66 Ben Stiller’s mother 67 Biography Channel owner 68 Most of AZ doesn’t observe it 69 Freddy Krueger’s haunts: Abbr. DOWN 1 Tech sch. grad 2 Rake 3 Idle in comedy
41 Identifier in a 53 “See ya” 4 Leica competitor folder 54 What a light bulb 5 Title “ungainly 43 Machu Picchu may signify fowl” of poetry locale 55 The 6 Natl. economic 44 Lover of Christine, Untouchables, indicator in “The Phantom e.g. 7 x, y or z of the Opera” 56 Eras upon eras 8 Blues singer 46 “Tao Te Ching” 58 Smile broadly Bobby of song author 59 Metallica 9 Fraternity events 50 Tried to date, drummer Ulrich 10 Columbus with “out” 60 Q.E.D. word school 63 Pretend to be 52 Tower city 11 Sign of feline felicity ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 12 “__ Tu”: 1974 hit 13 Hamlet, for one 18 Contributed 22 Slightly 24 Sirius or Vega 26 Counterfeits 27 Available, on a real estate sign 28 Rapper who co-founded Beats Electronics 30 November birthstone 32 __ Janeiro 33 Bow go-with 34 Dove’s perch 36 “Don’t bother” 37 Disney mermaid xwordeditor@aol.com 03/20/14
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plete wins (85). Northwestern (15-5) Of Northwestern’s five losses this season, four were against ranked teams. The Wildcats have only recorded one win against ranked teams, that being against then-No. 3 Washington back in February. Player to watch: Fifth-year senior infielder Emily Allard Allard was named Big Ten Player of the Week on March 10 after batting a .667 in five games at the USF Under Armour Showcase. She entered the weekend batting .316 and left with an overall average of .400. Nebraska (18-8) The Cornhuskers, along with the Wolverines, went to the Women’s College World Series last year. This year, Nebraska should once again pose the biggest threat to Michigan and a Big Ten Title. The Cornhuskers finished second in the conference last year and accounted for the Wolverines’ only Big Ten losses, but Michigan won’t be facing 14thranked Nebraska in the regular season this year. The Cornhuskers played a tough early season schedule to prepare for the Big Ten, recording a 4-6 record against ranked opponents. Player to watch: Senior catcher Taylor Edwards The senior was a firstteam All-Big Ten Selection in 2013 and has posted a .463 batting average thus far in 2014. The Big Ten should also watch out for her twin, senior right-hander pitcher Tatum Edwards. Edwards has an See BIG TEN, Page 7A
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PATRICK BARRON/Daily Michigan shortstop Sierra Romero will look to her powerful swing to meet sky-high expectations after winning the Big Ten Player of the Year award in the 2013 seasons. Romero is currently batting .324 early in the season.
Michigan’s positionby-position breakdown Michigan has strengths all over the diamond By JUSTIN MEYER Daily Sports Writer
Awaiting the opening of Big Ten play later this week, the No. 6 Michigan softball team has already learned a lot about its roster: This team has depth at the plate, in the field and on the mound. The Wolverines create runs from a number of hitters in the order and are comfortable playing in tight games and blowouts. Though Michigan coach Carol Hutchins continues to tinker with pitching, a stable Michigan starting lineup has emerged in recent weeks. The Daily breaks down the 2014 Wolverines. Pitchers Haylie Wagner is back. Michigan has a deep pitching rotation with freshman Megan Betsa and junior Sara Driesenga, but Wagner, who was plagued by a back injury last season, is perfect on the year and sporting an unthinkable 0.93 earned run average in the 15 appearances she’s made so far. The left-handed junior has faced top competition and finally looks healthy. Driesenga and Betsa, both right-handed, throw harder than Wagner and have shown some great flashes from the mound, but continue to be inconsistent. Driesenga, who was expected to be the go-to pitcher before the season, and Betsa, have each seen 30 fewer innings than Wagner this year but still figure to play major roles. Hutchins wants to be able to use her full rotation come NCAA tournament time in May, so both pitchers will see a lot of game action. Catcher Junior Lauren Sweet has been solid defensively this year and has continued to grow into a vocal leader for the Wolverines. Michigan could use a little more offensive production from Sweet, though, who is batting just .224, but has hit well in clutch situations this season. Sweet’s real value is as a defensive rock behind the plate, and her performance in the first third of the season has reinforced that notion. First Base First base emerged last season as a steady point in the Wolverines’ infield when then junior Caitlin Blanchard stepped up to the challenge and was named to the All Big Ten First Team. Now a senior, Blanchard has played an important role in the batting
order, backing up sophomore shortstop Sierra Romero to make teams think twice about walking Michigan’s star at the plate. Blanchard has exceeded expectations, slugging .452 with 18 RBI. Second Base One of the Wolverines’ most important freshman contributors has been Abby Ramirez, who has committed only one error on the year in the field and is batting a respectable .324. Michigan would like to see more clutch hitting out of Ramirez, though, as she is batting just .125 with runners in scoring position. If Ramirez can continue to improve at the plate, she will have a good chance to be an All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection at the end of the season. Short Stop In her second season, sophomore Sierra Romero has dealt with sky-high expectations with aplomb. Romero, who was selected to the ESPNW preseason All-America first team, is slugging .791 with 31 RBI. In addition to continuing to be a threat in the field, Romero is also batting .606 with runners in scoring position, something the Wolverines have struggled with. Romero will continue to wreak havoc on opposing teams despite facing a large number of intentional walks already this season. Third Base Third base was a big question mark for Michigan before the season, but freshman Lindsay Montemarano has ended the debate. Montemarano won the job with outstanding performances in the infield all winter, boasting a .953 fielding percentage. The second freshman in a young infield, Montemarano, too, has struggled a bit at the plate, but has started all but three games this season. Outfield The big three names in the outfield have been sophomore Sierra Lawrence and seniors Nicole Sappingfield and Lyndsay Doyle. All three have started the majority of games this year and contributed significantly at the plate. Lawrence, coming off an exceptional freshman season, has been particularly strong. In 27 at-bats with runners in scoring position, Lawrence has knocked in 22 RBI, second only to Romero. Sappingfield and Doyle are batting .398 and .344 respectively and providing an important dose of senior leadership. Hutchins has repeatedly complained that the Wolverines have lacked leadership at times this season, and both Doyle and Sappingfield are in perfect roles to step up as leaders in the coming months.
Sports
7A — Thursday, March 20, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Softball: A team of multiple aces Michigan places its title hopes on multiple pitchers By JAKE LOURIM Daily Sports Writer
Practice is almost over at Oosterbaan Field House on March 12, Michigan’s first since a nine-day spring break trip in California. After three days off, the energy is palpable. Softball is not known for its fast-paced nature, but today, after a tough 3-4 stretch out West, chatter fills the building. One half of the Wolverines’ junior pitching duo is on the makeshift mound, the other practicing in the batting cage. Junior right-hander Sara Driesenga pitches in the circle while junior left-hander Haylie Wagner waits on the first-base line. They are taking turns in a fullcount drill with the bases loaded, a drill designed to mimic lategame pressure. With Wagner looking on from the first-base line, Driesenga gets a strikeout, sending Wagner out to the mound while Driesenga gets some quick advice. Wagner gets the sign, then delivers. She snags a line drive up the middle and throws it home. A moment later, she catches senior leadoff hitter Lyndsay Doyle with an off-speed pitch. This year, freshman Megan Betsa has been thrown into the mix and has been strong, starting 6-3 with a 2.27 ERA. Still, as the Wolverines get deep into Big Ten season, one of the experienced juniors will likely get the nod for postseason play. In the meantime, Michigan coach Carol Hutchins isn’t shy about dividing the load. “I don’t really care who plays,” Hutchins said. “I don’t care who pitches. When you’re in there, I want you to do your part and do your best. And there’s nothing that would be better than to have all three of them on all cylinders at that time. We certainly need at least one of them to be, but the
HUTCHINS From Page 6A conversation toward “onepitch softball,” that “champions adjust” or that “the game doesn’t know.” This year, Hutch’s team has all the pieces to execute the phrases they echo so readily. And with the bulk of the non-conference schedule over, Michigan has already had its mettle tested when it comes to sticking to the Gospel of Hutchins. One-pitch softball: In the season opener against then-No. 4 Florida, the Wolverines led, 4-0, with two outs in the seventh inning. Junior righthander Sara Driesenga had held the Gators to just two hits and appeared to be just a few pitches from a season-opening win. That was the problem. Driesenga seemed focused on finishing the game, not making the best pitch for the count. Then Florida got a hit. And another. And another. And another. Suddenly, it was a 4-4 game going into extra innings, and then a 9-4 loss. Game over. Lesson learned. Flash-forward to Feb. 22, with Michigan leading No. 5 Kentucky 3-0 in the seventh inning, and
more pitchers you have ready to go, the better your arsenal.” As the Wolverines (19-6) head into the Big Ten season this weekend, Wagner is on a roll. Driesenga’s ERA has dropped, thanks in part to three scoreless innings in two relief appearances last weekend. Each pitcher’s high has been the other’s low. Each has had her worst year during the other’s best. Each has shown signs of greatness in her career. Many national champions have one great pitcher. Will one emerge, or will two? *** More than eight months had passed since Driesenga last pitched in a game, but in the season opener on Feb. 8, she played like she was still standing on the mound in Oklahoma City. Through six innings, the junior had a two-hit shutout and showed no signs of slowing down. Paced by sophomore shortstop Sierra Romero’s grand slam, Driesenga took a 4-0 lead to the seventh against No. 5 Florida. But then things changed, and they haven’t been the same since. Driesenga gave up four runs in the seventh before giving the Gators the lead in the eighth. Wagner came in briefly in the eighth and gave up a two-run home run. Since then, Wagner has given up just eight earned runs in 74.1 innings, while Driesenga has surrendered 16 in 34.1, never again replicating the form she had in the season opener. She is 0-3 with a 3.19 ERA and three saves in 11 appearances. Driesenga said she hasn’t made any major mechanical changes in her delivery — after all, nine months ago, she was pitching on college softball’s biggest stage. “Confidence is a huge thing, just going into every game remembering that I can do it,” Driesenga said. “I’m playing for a reason, for my teammates surrounding me and everyone right next to me.”
junior left-hander Haylie Wagner having given up just two hits all game. Sound familiar? This time, Wagner made her pitches, one at a time, and the Wildcats went down 1-2-3. It was textbook one-pitch softball. Champions adjust: In an attempt to escape the fickle Ann Arbor weather, the Wolverines went to the Louisville Slugger Invitational in Lakewood, Calif. the last week of February. Surprisingly, though, four of their five games were canceled due to inclement weather, and they weren’t even able to be outside long enough to run a practice. “You either let it defeat you, or you defeat it,” Hutchins said then. “You have to rise above it.” And rise above it they did. Michigan emerged from the storm to split a pair of games with then-No. 4 UCLA. But adjustment is perpetual. It means being quick to identify problems and starting on a solution immediately. With this Wolverine team, there’s enough talent that when one position group is down, any other group is strong enough to buoy the team
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Three scoreless innings last weekend were a step in the right direction, but Hutchins hasn’t decided on a distribution of innings going forward. In her second campaign, Driesenga owned the circle, while Wagner sat out the first part of the season with a back injury. She went 31-9 with a 1.89 ERA and led the team all the way to the Women’s College World Series, after finishing with a losing record in her freshman year. With only half of the season over, Driesenga still believes she can regain the form that earned her seven postseason wins in 2013. On goes the competition, which — at least in practice — remains friendly. “We want each other to do well,” Driesenga said. “That doesn’t mean I want the ball any less.”
TERRA MOLENGRAFF/Daily
*** A product of Orange, Calif., Wagner immediately earned a stronghold in the circle in her freshman year. She set the school record with 50 appearances — a record that lasted all of one year until Driesenga broke it last season. Now, Wagner is having the best stretch of her career: 13-0 in 15 appearances and a 0.93 ERA. As a freshman, she was Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, going 32-7 in 34 starts with a 1.53 ERA. Before Wagner got the chance to continue that success last season, she suffered a back injury and missed three weeks. When she returned, she split time with Driesenga until Driesenga gained the edge in the postseason battle. From the Big Ten Tournament to the end of the season, Driesenga pitched 70 innings to Wagner’s five. So what’s working well this season? “I’m just going out there and hitting my spots and working on my pitches and working on movement,” Wagner said. “I know that if I pitch the ball, I know my defense is going to be
while it recovers. In that way, it can be hard to differentiate between what is adjustment and what is a good team covering up its few problems with a surplus of star power. The game doesn’t know: If there’s one “Hutchinsism” sure to ring true for this team, it’s this one. Between sophomore ESPN Preseason All-American shortstop Sierra Romero, freshman right-hander Megan Betsa and sophomore outfielder Sierra Lawrence, Michigan is loaded with high ceilings. Hutchins hasn’t eased them into competition to maximize their potential; she has thrown them right into the fire — because she can. “We didn’t recruit anyone to come in and take a year off to be a freshman,” Hutchins said. “The game doesn’t know whether you’re a freshman or a senior. The game only knows how you play it.”
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Junior right-hander Sara Driesenga (top) and junior left-hander Haylie Wagner (bottom) have controlled the mound.
right there and be able to help me out with anything that goes their way.” Each pitcher came into 2014 with one breakout year under her belt. This is quickly becoming Wagner’s second — among Big Ten pitchers, she ranks first in ERA by more than two tenths of a run and second in wins despite sitting at eighth in starts. Compared to Driesenga and Betsa, Wagner likely has the slowest velocity, but makes up for it by hitting her spots. “Everybody wants their speed a little bit higher, but I don’t really focus on that,” Wagner said. “I just focus on the movement and spin and hitting my spots and
With how Michigan’s younger players have performed early on, it’s hard to argue otherwise. Betsa is 6-3 with a 2.27 ERA and a team-leading 63 strikeouts in 49 innings pitched. Romero leads the Wolverines with six home runs and 31 RBI, slugging .791. Lawrence isn’t far behind those numbers. These are players who are going to make or break the season for Michigan, and they’re hardly any older than the recruits who come and watch them play. And that’s all by design. A Hall of Famer with 15 Big Ten titles under her belt and a Womens’ College World Series ring on her finger, there’s no question Hutchins knows what she’s doing in the dugout. This year’s group of players has all the talent to back up her classic rhetoric. As they keep delivering on it, the seemingly mundane echoes will only get more emphatic.
working on the little things and what’s most effective and what’s going to beat the batters.” Added Hutchins: “She commands the zone, she throws it just enough out of the zone to get them to miss it and she attacks the hitters. You have to have command of the zone. You’ve got to be able to put the ball just off the plate, then get way ahead, then get a little bit more off the plate, and then sneak it inside on them.” Hutchins said she still plans to divide up the innings in the near future, but she did acknowledge Wagner’s dominance. “I would say right now Haylie Wagner is doing her part,”
BIG TEN From Page 6A overall ERA of 1.42. Illinois (14-7) The Fighting Illini have only played two ranked teams all season, and lost to both of them. Illinois was clobbered by No. 3 Tennessee 10-0, and was later beat twice by No. 13 South Alabama. Player to watch: Freshman right-hander pitcher Brandi Needham Needham has accounted for nine of the Fighting Illini’s wins and has an ERA of 1.63. Needham has proven to be Illinois’ only accountable pitcher so far this season, and the other two that have seen game action have averages of 3.04 and 4.32. Wisconsin (12-10) The Badgers have just three hitters with averages over .300, but hurting Wisconsin even more is its lack of reliable pitchers. Having played only two pitchers all season, the Badgers’ bullpen has
Hutchins said. “And I think both of the other two can do their part better.” *** Soon, it’s Driesenga back out to the mound in the drill. Before she pitches, she asks for a timeout to talk over the signs. As senior catcher Caitlin Blanchard comes out, Driesenga covers up a smile with her mitt. So again, the competition continues, even when it seems like fun. “I think they’ve done a good job picking each other up,” Hutchins said. “Wouldn’t that be something if they were the dynamic duo?”
an ERA above 3.50. Player to watch: Senior righthanded pitcher Cassandra Darrah. Darrah was named to the AllBig first team in 2013 after posting an ERA of 1.82 that season. So far in 2014, Darrah has been slightly uncharacteristic with an average of 2.59, but if she recovers anytime soon, beware. Ohio State (12-14) The Buckeyes lack the depth in both hitting and pitching to stay afloat in the Big Ten. Ohio State hasn’t found a starting pitcher yet, and it has just two hitters batting above .300. After facing zero ranked opponents all season, the Buckeyes are going to have a tough time in conference play. Player to watch: Junior outfielder Caitlin Conrad Conrad is leading the team in hitting, but she also accounts for five of the Buckeyes’ 13 home runs.
Need more sports coverage? Check MichiganDaily.com throughout the week for updates
STAFF PICKS The Daily softball writers do their best to predict what will happen in the world of college softball this season. Michigan overall record Michigan Big Ten record Michigan MVP Michigan Offensive POY Michigan Freshman of the Year Big Ten regular season champion Big Ten regular season runner-up
Big Ten MVP Big Ten surprise team Michigan’s season ends here
Justin Meyer 45-6 23-0 Haylie Wagner Romero Abby Ramirez Michigan Nebraska Wagner Northwestern WCWS
Kelly Hall 44-7 22-1 Sierra Romero Romero Megan Betsa Michigan Nebraska Romero Wisconsin WCWS
Jake Lourim 42-9 20-3 Romero Romero Ramirez Michigan Nebraska Romero Northwestern WCWS
Max Bultman 43-8 21-2 Romero Romero Betsa Michigan Minnesota Romero Illinois WCWS
Sports
8A — Thursday, March 20, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
‘M’ must beat feisty Penn State With NCAA Tournament on the line, Wolverines face must-win By JEREMY SUMMITT Daily Sports Editor
The team that has given the Michigan hockey team fits all season now stands as its obstacle toward earning an NCAA Tournament berth. The Wolverines (10-8-2 Big Ten, 18-12-4 overall) will begin their quest for a Big Ten Tournament championship and a chance to solidify their NCAA Tournament aspirations with a firstround matchup against Penn State on Thursday. Two of the Nittany Lions’ three conference wins came against Michigan, as the teams split the regular-season series. For weeks, the Wolverines have been in the same desperate position, clawing and fighting each game for a chance to keep their season alive. They can attribute as much to the two losses they suffered to the conference’s bottom feeder. “They’re kind of in the back of my mind, but it’s a reminder that this isn’t going to be an easy game,” said senior defenseman Mac Bennett. “We know that, and everyone in (the locker room) knows that. We’re going to be ready to play come Thursday.” But those same sentiments have been echoed in days leading up to previous games against Penn State (3-16-1, 7-25-2). The results were a 4-0 embarrassment in Happy Valley and a late collapse at home that ended in a 5-4 overtime defeat. A season full of peaks and
valleys now comes down to one game. If Michigan can pull out a victory against the pesky Nittany Lions, it would almost certainly find its way into the national tournament come Selection Sunday on March 23. Like Bennett said, it won’t be easy. In four games against Penn State this season, the WolMichigan vs. verines have surrendered 14 Penn State goals, an aver- Matchup: age of 3.5 per PSU 7-25-2; game. Defen- Mich. 18-12-4 sive woes have When: Thursplagued Michi- day 3 P.M. gan for a good Where: Xcel portion of the Energy Center season, but TV/Radio: heading into BTN the conference tournament, Berenson said this is the best he’s felt about the defensive corps all year. “We’re in the playoffs now; we have to tighten up defensively,” Berenson said. “They can talk all they want about (how) Michigan led the Big Ten in goals for, but we have to make sure we lead the playoffs in goals against or we aren’t going to be playing long.” The Nittany Lions are notorious for high pressure on the forecheck and throwing pucks toward the net at any opportunity, regardless of where the forwards are. Pucks come in from every direction: from the point, the corner and the sideboards. It will be critical for the Wolverines to tighten their defensive assignments and sacrifice bodies for timely blocks. “The blueprint for their team all year has been blue-collar, hard-working, hard-nosed hockey, and getting pucks to the net,” Berenson said. “They might not brag about their skill, but they
can brag about the fact that they outshot most of their opponents.” In Michigan’s two victories against Penn State, it allowed just 56 shots. In the two losses, the Nittany Lions fired 84. “It starts with getting pucks deep in their zone, and forechecking the other team and playing more offensive zone time,” Berenson said. In the Wolverines’ 6-2 win over No. 1 Minnesota last Saturday, much of their success lay in their effective forecheck. Multiple times, sophomore forward Andrew Copp and freshman forward Tyler Motte connected for grade-A scoring chances. For extended minutes, Michigan was able to hold the puck deep to stymie a group of extremely dangerous Golden Gophers forwards. “I think that definitely helped the team’s confidence,” Bennett said. “That was a huge win for us, and we needed to win that game. We did it with authority, too.” At other times that evening, when Minnesota garnered the chances it inevitably would, freshman goaltender Zach Nagelvoort looked brilliant. He made saves Berenson has been looking for his goaltender to make all year, and he stood up as a netminder who could change the outcome of a game by himself. The Wolverines will need sound defense, opportunistic forechecking and rock-solid goaltending to make a run at the Big Ten Tournament title. But for Thursday, they’ll need to execute a game plan and stay focused against a team that has nothing to lose. Michigan doesn’t have much wiggle room either. Another defeat at the hands of Penn State could be enough to nail the door shut on a roller coaster of a season.
PATRICK BARRON/Daily
Michigan coach John Beilein wants to make sure Michigan doesn’t overlook Wofford in the first round of the tournament.
Up first: Wofford Michigan hopes to make another run deep in the NCAA Tournament By NEAL ROTHSCHILD Daily Sports Editor
The last three times the Michigan men’s basketball team played in a tournament, it reached the championship game — never mind the result in those games. A fourth straight would be quite an accomplishment, and that’s what the Wolverines are setting out to do when they begin the NCAA Tournament on Thursday against Wofford as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest region. It’s the highest seed Michigan has attained in the John Beilein era, and while the 15-seed upset is certainly not unprecedented, the Wolverines will have more margin for error than in opening games in prior years. That, however, certainly won’t be an invitation for the team to look ahead to its Saturday game. “I thought this team did a great job of not thinking ahead all year and taking it game by game and preparing the best we can for Wofford,” sophomore forward Glenn Robinson III told reporters Wednesday. For a team that plays its best when it has a source of motivation — a chip on its shoulder — the matchup against the Terriers seems to fall short of providing that. Beilein is doing what he can to talk up Wofford and instill
a sense of urgency. The team seemed to lack that punch in the quarterfinal of the Big Ten Tournament when Illinois nearly sprung an upset with the Wolverines looking lethargic for stretches of play. “It might not be a team that jumps off the paper,” said fifthyear senior center Jordan Morgan. “But somebody that you have to respect and take very seriously.” Added Beilein: “It probably bothers me a little bit (that many Michigan players hadn’t heard of Wofford) because I know how good those teams are, and as I watch NIT scores yesterday … as a guy who came from that territory, I remind them all the time how everyone this time of the year is really good. You got to come ready to play.” While the impetus is there to shrug off the Wofford matchup, working in the Wolverines’ favor is that they lost their previous game, the Big Ten Tournament Final against Michigan State. Michigan has been impressive over the last few years at coming back from losses. It hasn’t lost consecutive games this year and has won games following a loss by an average of 24 points. Maybe it won’t come against Wofford, but the close games may arrive quickly for Michigan, though that may not be a bad thing. The Wolverines are 9-2 in games decided by fewer than five points. Four of those wins have come in the last month, and neither of the losses were in 2014. “We’ve really played well in those last few minutes to seal those games up,” said sophomore guard Nik Stauskas. “So I just think those games have
done a good job of preparing us for this tournament because you’re not going to blow teams out and you’re going to have a lot of games where it comes down to the last few minutes. I think we’re ready for that.” After facing the same teams for the last 11 weeks, Michigan can finally shed its worn-thin Big Ten scouting reports. “I think every university in the country gets excited about playing somebody else they haven’t seen twice, or three times during the year,” Beilein said Sunday. But where Beilein would normally have up to a week to prepare for a team that he knows well in his own conference, the Michigan vs. preparation Wofford timetable shrinks in a Matchup: Wofford hurry. 20-12; Mich. The Wol- 25-8 verines had three days to When: Thursday get ready for 7:10 P.M. the Terriers and will then Where: BMO have only one Harris Bradley Center day to plan for the Saturday TV/Radio: game, should CBS they get by Wofford. Less time for scouting also means less rest. If Michigan makes it to Saturday, it will be playing its fifth game in nine days — something teams rarely, if ever, have to do. The heightened adrenaline of March Madness works to neutralize that fatigue. “It’s a different focus now,” Morgan said. “It’s a different level of intensity when it comes to the game.”
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The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, March 20, 2014
Fallopian tube
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THE VAGINA
[MONOLOGUES] our lips aren’t sealed
See THE VAG, page 4B by Natalie Gadbois, Senior Arts Editor
Design by Shane Achenbach, Ally Hopping and Carolyn Gearig
the v-side
2B — Thursday, March 20, 2014
ARTIST PROFILE
SAC Prof. fulfills his dreams at ‘U’ Burnstein helped establish the Screenwriting department By CARLY KEYES Daily Arts Writer
Jim Burnstein, Hollywood screenwriter and founder of the University’s Screenwriting department, was almost a law yer instead. “I took creative writing and playwriting (at the University), and I did pretty well, but I was going to law school from the time I was ten years old,” he said. A University alumnus, Burnstein developed an affinity for Shakespeare after studying English under Russell Fraser, former English Department Head and a leading expert on the revered playwright. “(Fraser) said, ‘If Shakespeare were alive today, he’d be a screenwriter,’ ” Burnstein recalled. “I knew what a playwright was, but I just didn’t think, ‘Wow, somebody really writes those movies.’ ” After graduation, Burnstein got married and headed to Madison to attend law school at the University of Wisconsin. During the drive there, he realized he really didn’t want to be a law yer. “This is the wrong time to be thinking this,” he said. “I’m driving to law school, and I’m thinking, ‘What do I really want to do?’ So, I got this idea in my head, ‘I want to teach Shakespeare to people who wouldn’t have it if it weren’t for me.’” Burnstein also dreamed of writing his own drama, so he finished off the term and then returned to the University
where he earned a Master’s degree in English in a year. “I thought, ‘Maybe, I’ll get a Ph.D. in English literature, teach Shakespeare, and then I’ll write,” he said. “But nobody then was getting an English Ph.D. and getting a job. The unkindest cut of all was when my Chaucer professor announced on the last day that he was leaving being an English professor and he was going to law school. It was bizarre.” That’s when Burnstein realized he just had to “do it.” Shortly thereafter, he wrote an episode of a half-hour drama that got syndicated to all the various PBS stations. It inspired confidence, and in the meantime, he was still looking to fulfill his other dream of teaching Shakespeare. “I went to a senior citizen place in Birmingham (Michigan) and said, ‘I’d like to teach Shakespeare,’ and they said, ‘Can you teach aerobics?’” Burnstein recalled. “I couldn’t give it away.” Then, a friend who was an admissions counselor at Wayne State informed Burnstein that Selfridge Air National Guard Base was looking for an English teacher. “And I said, ‘Soldiers?’ ” he said. “God has spoken. That’s exactly who I was looking for.” Little did Burnstein know that his experience at Selfridge would eventually fulfill both of his dreams. Burnstein wrote the script for “Renaissance Man,” and after several re-writes under the mentorship of Academyaward winning screenwriter Kurt Luedtke, it was optioned and sold to Touchstone Pictures at Disney. Penny Marshall, just after “A Leag ue of Their Own,” had come out,
signed on to direct, with Danny DeVito in the lead role. “So, they made it,” Burnstein said. “And once they made it, I’ve worked fairly steadily since.” Just after Burnstein had finished penning the third sequel in the beloved Mighty Ducks franchise for Disney, the University called. “They heard that I was still living locally and asked, ‘Why aren’t you teaching for us?’ ” Burnstein said. “First night I got here, the line was out the door and around the block because there was such a demand for screenwriting.” Burnstein was instrumental in expanding the Screen Arts & Cultures Department, known then as Film and Video, which now features a Screenwriting sub-major, several introductory and rewrite courses for both feature film and television, the Donald Hall Collection of scripts, and the James Gindin Visiting Artists Series where each term industry professionals come to the University to speak. Today, Burnstein balances his responsibilities as a professor and a working professional with his writing partner, Garrett K. Schiff, with whom he’s collaborated since the success of their recent film, “Love and Honor,” which was filmed largely in Ann Arbor. “I write every day here, and now because you can just send the file, (Schiff ) works on it, kicks it back. But when I have to go out (to Los Angeles) for meetings, I just try to schedule it when I have a three-day chunk or on a break.” Currently, Burnstein has a few projects in the works including a script he is writing on spec, an animated feature, and another story inspired by Shakespeare.
TRAILER REVIEW This is a great trailer. Almost nothing about Phillip Noyce’s upcoming “The Giver” A seems astonishing or surThe Giver prising, but it Walden Media looks intriguing enough for your curiosity to be considerably aroused. Everything is dealt with in perfect measure and nothing feels like it’s overdone. From the music to the visuals to the quick glimpses of characters, viewers get just the peek they need in order to hit that replay button. It’s so refreshing to come across a trailer that actually ends when it should, without giving away too much of the plot or focusing on the key dramatic moments. With this one, you know what the movie
WALDEN MEDIA
is going to be about, not what’s going to happen. There’s almost an air of nonchalance when Academy Award winners Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart”) and Meryl Streep (“Iron Lady”) appear on the screen as pivotal characters, which is perfect because it doesn’t steal focus from the rest of the trailer. The events are depicted in a near perfect
progression – from calmness, to suspicion and finally conflict. As the music becomes eerier, Brenton Thwaites (TV’s “Home and Away”), who plays Jonah, is abducted by a spaceship and very abruptly, the title of the film appears on screen – bringing the trailer full circle and to a close which leaves you wanting more. —MAYANK MATHUR
EPISODE REVIEW There was a stretch of episodes last fall where there was no stopping “The Good AWife.” This week’s episode The Good differed from that stretch, Wife diverging CBS slightly from the main story to give us insight into Alicia’s past through a series of fascinating flashbacks. The focus of the episode is Alicia’s attempt to write a speech for an American Bar Association conference. Through flashbacks, the writers showed the troubles she dealt with, including being told that she couldn’t be hired because she was the wife of a disgraced politician; they showed how much more confident in her abilities she’s become over the past five seasons. Though the episode did
BOOK REVIEW
‘Last Impact’ tells partial story of Cobain Cross book examines cultural significance of Nirvana lead singer By JAMIE BIRCOLL Daily Film Editor
Charles R. Cross’s “Here We Are Now: The Lasting Impact of Kurt Cobain” comes to bookshelves 25 years after B Nirvana’s debut Here We Are album Now: The “Bleach,” less than Lasting Impact a month of Kurt Cobain before the band’s Charles R. Cross inducHarper Collins tion into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and 20 years, almost to the date, since Kurt Cobain’s suicide. It certainly seems that his death is better remembered than his life, and his music will always be marked by the circumstances of its abrupt end. Kurt Cobain’s life was a troubled and interesting one, but perhaps most importantly it was an impactful life, one that has left its mark on fashion, cultural trends, substance abuse and, obviously, music. To think that everything about rock and roll culture changed with four little power chords … Cross, a best-selling author who has written about other Seattle-based rockers, including Hendrix and the band Heart, previously wrote a biography of Cobain. With “Here We Are Now,” who’s title comes from lyrics of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” he opts not to examine the life of this tortured man, but rather explore the impact of his life and death on society. It is not a biography, and one would have difficulty to call it a history; it’s more a social commentary on the origins of some of the American cultural phenomena that began in the mid-90s. The author makes clear in his preface
that this book is comprised assertions, most notably in of his own thoughts and that Cobain’s impact on Grunge he draws his own conclusions culture, a term he detested, and in trying to quantif y Cobain’s the response to heroin abuse life beyond treatment in album sales; the years folhe does so lowing his with moderdeath. Cross ate success. has some The book noteworthy begins with points to offer Cross’s the reader experience as he examon April 8, ines Cobain’s 1994, the day feminist and of Cobain’s pro-gay rights death, or activism and rather the his tearing discovery down of clasof his body. sical genHaving der roles in HARPER COLLINS worked as rock music. a journalist Towards the at Seattle-based The Rocket end of the book, Cross looks at magazine, one of the first trends in young adult suicide media outlets to really cover rates and their small but surthe Grunge era of the early prising decrease in the weeks, ’90s, Cross interacted with months and years following Cobain on several occasions, Cobain’s death. and his duties as a journal“Here We Are Now” serves ist often conf licted with his best the reader who has yet to sentiments as a fan — no more be indoctrinated into the histoso than on that day in April. ry of Nirvana or Grunge music Cross documents his experi- as a whole; it is best read as ence in reporting the news an introduction to Cobain and of the loss of a rock icon, his music by presenting some which ultimately culminated of its greatest lasting legacies, in Cross’s sudden appearance and, hopefully, will encourage on Larry King ’s radio show, the reader to pick up a record where he was asked, “Why or download an MP3. To the did Kurt Cobain matter?” It is diehards, though, there is less the brief anecdotes like these appeal — we know why Kurt that have the most to offer the Cobain was important; we can reader since they rely not on hear his inf luence on nearly speculation but on personal every song on the radio and see experience and sentiments. his inf luence in countless areas But the book is mostly com- of society like the rise in thrift prised of conjectures and store culture. The book doesn’t commentary, often without delve into the psyche of the the backing of documentation man behind the music or the or sources. Indeed, several of movements, which might be Cross’s examples, such as the more interesting to some. rise of heroin-chic fashion in But Cross’s main point, the late ’90s, seem more like which he is careful to stress, is retrospective tabloid con- that Cobain never conformed tent than true observations. to society’s standards even as Cobain’s drug use is well docu- society tried to morph those mented, but the face of heroin standards around him. He was he was not, and the assigning a free spirit trapped by his own him to a controversial style demons, but who very much that is rooted in culture rather lived by his lyrics, “come as you than a single man disservices are, as you were.” His music the two and comes off as super- is his legacy, but his lasting fanaticism by the author. impact stems from the subtext On the whole, however, the of his life: be yourself, live book is solid in its cultural fully, love everyone.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR THE UNIVERSITY’S MOST TALENTED WRITERS. PROVE TO US THAT YOU’RE ONE OF THEM. E-mail jplyn@umich.edu to request an application to the Daily Arts section.
MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW
CBS
interrupt the major story arc, it didn’t completely ignore the ongoing arc of this half-season involving the Office of Public Integrity investigating Peter Florrick’s voter fraud. This week, they went after Will as a co-conspirator in the action. This also served as the return of Carrie Preston (“True Blood”), the show’s best recurring guest star, as the quirky lawyer Elsbeth Tascioni who Will enlists to represent him. Preston perfectly captures the eccentrici-
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ties of the character, creating some brilliantly funny moments in each of the episodes she’s in. This episode was no exception. With 22 episodes to fill, broadcast network series like “The Good Wife” sometimes need filler episodes in order to not stretch their main arc too thin. The episode’s captivating flashbacks provided some great insights into Alicia’s past, and the return of Preston added some much needed fun. —ALEX INTNER
In the last year, Zedd has gone from little-known electro house producer to C+ a bonafide mainstream “Find You” pop star. Best known for Zedd his smash Interscope singles “Clarity” and “Stay the Night,” the German EDM artist churns out radiofriendly fare at an alarming clip. His latest track, “Find You,” is the lead single off of the “Divergent” soundtrack, a young-adult blockbuster released this week. Like Zedd’s previous singles, “Find You” is dancefloor-ready, but its lack of originality makes it ultimately an unmemorable listen. “Find You” features vocals from two mostly anonymous singers, Matthew Koma and Miriam Bryant. What the
INTERSCOPE
track lacks in star power, it attempts to make up for in a catchy hook and an elaborate video. The music video opens with a typical club scene, but quickly changes direction by including a Hitchcock-esque bird chase and a cinematically gorgeous motorcycle excursion. The nonsensical plot moves to a snowy forest, which is never described, but a cohesive script is clearly not
the director’s goal. The video features goodlooking young people and colorful backdrops that nicely accompany the soaring vocals of the chorus. “Find You” may not have achieved the mainstream popularity that Zedd’s previous singles have, but it succeeds as an accessible song that fits in on pop radio while maintaining EDM credibility. —JOSHUA FRAZIER
the v-side
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Thursday, March 20, 2014 — 3B
was written over 50 years ago, the direction and acting choices consciously highlight timeless themes.
TAKE THAT, ROSS
“Without Really Trying”
NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily
Music, Theater & Dance senior Karl Skyler Urban plays J. Pierrepont Finch, a conniving manipulator.
MUSKET shows us ‘How to Succeed’ Student-run theater to perform Broadway musical By MADDIE THOMAS Daily TV/New Media Editor
On a cold and dreary Michigan night, hitching a bus ride to the very last stop on Commuter South wouldn’t seem like the best way to lift your spirits. Hop off the bus and you’re alone in a desolate asphalt nowhere (and only wakes from its slumber to the caffeine injection of a Football Saturday in September or the sporadic basketball game). If you’re lucky, though, you’ll notice a faint glimmer peeking out of the dark. The non-descript Student Theatre Arts Complex (or STAC) is a beacon in the snowy quietude of South Campus, holding within it a secret treasure: A buzzing ecosys-
tem of performers, designers, producers and directors, aglow with the palpable energy of MUSKET’s “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” Each semester, the University’s entirely student-run theater company, MUSKET, pulls talent from all walks of campus to put on a show. This weekend, the group is tackling its second musical of the 2013-2014 season — the classic “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” Most will recognize the “Mad Men”-era satirical comedy for its recent revival on Broadway, which starred big-name actors like Daniel Radcliffe and the University’s own Darren Criss, but it originally rose to mainstream popularity in 1962, when it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The laugh-out-loud Broadway musical is a 180-degree flip from MUSKET’s fall show, “Rent,” a contemporary rock-opera about
HIV/AIDS. “When we make up a season we try to choose two shows that are contrasting so that we bring some diversity to the organization,” said Music, Theater & Dance senior Hannah Rosenthal, the show’s producer. “We thought ‘How to Succeed’ would be a great choice for this semester and a great fit for this season because we wanted to try something that was a little more of a dated comedy. We thought, ‘Let’s do something different’ ” The potential to do “something different” is what makes bringing this lesser-known musical to the University so much fun — there’s room to interpret the script through the lens of a college student mentality and find parallels between storylines and our lives today, without the pressure of everyone in the audience already knowing and loving every single song. Even for a show that
SINGLE REVIEW The last time the Wu-Tang Clan released a studio album? 2007. So this week, they surprised fans by dropA ping “Keep Watch,” Keep Watch a song Wu-Tang Clan from their feat. Nathaniel upcomSoul Temple ing album A Better Tomorrow. The track looks back to hip-hop’s golden age as much as it looks forward to the future of rap. “Keep Watch” features a retro, soulful vocal background backing a smooth hook performed by singer Nathaniel. As much as it synthesizes both the present trends and the vintage old school sounds, “Keep Watch” celebrates the group’s chemistry — seemingly, rap groups are a thing of the past, but WuTang Clan has managed to keep
SOUL TEMPLE
the concept relatively fresh by showcasing their individual and undeniable rap talent (can anyone start a verse as smoothly as Method Man?). Lyrically, the song is a throwback, alluding to early hip-hop culture (“b-boys” references to Trouble T. Roy and Heavy D, etc.). But isn’t there some rule about past trends always cycling back? If so, the WuTang Clan has hit the nail on the head: Old School feels so foreign, exotic and, as a result, cool. Aside for a few standout rap groups like Odd Future and G.O.O.D Music, the indi-
vidual rapper has generally become the fan favorite of the two. And while Wu-Tang Clan may not be looking to make waves with “Keep Watch,” they’re proving that hip-hop groups can still be done successfully. Their upcoming album is expected to be released in the coming months, commemorating the Wu-Tang Clan’s 20th anniversary. If “Keep Watch” is any indication of how the album, A Better Tomorrow, will turn out, then fans should expect an exciting release. —HANNAH WEINER
“How to Succeed” is the story of J. Pierrepont Finch, a window washer who, through following the instructions outlined in the eponymous book, quickly rises in the ranks of the World Wide Wicket Company. The director of the show, Music, Theater & Dance junior Eleanor Todd explained, “It’s definitely a satire to the nth degree about big business and the idea of success. There is no manual that gives you every single step to succeeding, and that’s what the whole show is about — that fictional manual and how it critiques big business, which is still very much pertinent today.” The show’s satire rests on the shoulders of the characters, particularly J. Pierrepont Finch, who is simultaneously a conniving manipulator and an empathetic protagonist. Music, Theater & Dance senior Karl Skyler Urban, who plays Finch in this production, describes this dichotomy as the most interesting part of bringing the role to the stage. “The show is called ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.’ Finch uses every little clue he can pick up to step on people and get ahead in the game, and that’s been a really cool exploration. It’s fun to find a leading character like this who the audience has to root for or wants to root for but actually is ill intentioned and he still gets away with it,” Urban said. Todd hopes that Finch’s unique brand of lazy ambition will strike a chord with millennials, who have grown up surrounded by that same kind of dumb luck success. “The satirical ‘without really trying’ aspect pertains to today even more than it did back in the ’60s when more often people were putting in those 70 hour work weeks,” Todd said. “Finch kind of epitomizes the lazy people within us who would love to find this magic little book that gives us the key to success without breaking a sweat.” “I think especially college students have these big ideas and these big dreams and they want to accomplish them right away — like Finch, they want to succeed right away and figure out who they need to know, how to get to the right meetings, and who to follow down a hallway to get where they wanna be,” Rosenthal said.
der gap in wages and all of those things that you see in this show that are satirized through characters like Rosemary and the female secretaries who literally sing a song about how they’re not toys,” Todd said. She and LSA junior Kimberly Hay, who portrays Rosemary, put a lot of thought into the implications of the character in preparation for the show. “This whole show is meant to bring to light things that we sort of take for granted like the follies of the corporate world and gender inequality,” Hay said. “Back then it was obviously much more blatant, but it’s still really relevant today. The only thing Rosemary really knows how to be ambitious for is to find a man and not have to work and settle down.” The show’s other leading female character, Hedy LaRue, described by Todd as “the quintessential vamp of the show,” acts as a foil to the sweet and slightly naïve Rosemary. Hedy is the mistress of the company’s president, J.B. Biggley, and is often portrayed as a ditzy dumb blonde archetype, but Todd read her as more street smart. “Hedy manipulates men really brilliantly because she understands as a woman that she really only has one weapon and it’s sex,” Todd said. In an interesting twist on the classic show, this production of “How to Succeed” stars a man in the role of Hedy LaRue — a choice that came about by chance, but ended up having significant meaning. “We hadn’t intended on using a man at all but Ross came in and gave this great audition, and I was really thinking about it and I was like, ‘isn’t it even more poignant if Hedy LaRue, who is the one female who actually has some power in the show, is played by a man?’ ” Todd said. “In casting it’s important to make sure that a big show like this is funny, but everything also has deeper meaning underneath it.” MUSKET’s Business Much like an actual business, MUSKET runs on creativity, innovation and collaboration. Unlike the characters in the show, though, the team behind “How
to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” is putting significant effort into the production. Rehearsals run from 7-11 p.m. every night of the week except for Sundays. When they’re not in the scene that’s being rehearsed, cast members hustle through the halls of the STAC, mumbling lines and doing vocal warm-ups or completing homework for the following day. Because it’s a student-run group with open auditions, MUSKET attracts students from across the University, and that’s what makes it a fun organization to be involved with. “It’s the best way to participate in musical theater on campus while still studying, like, engineering, and meet people from all other majors who are doing the same thing as you are. You get to meet new people and different people while still being able to maintain a different study,” said Engineering sophomore Addison Thalhamer. Music, Theater & Dance junior Elias Wygodney likens the experience of working with MUSKET to the themes of the show, which he reads in a more positive light. “The story itself shows that if you have a passion for something, you should trust in yourself and believe that you yourself can take you there,” Wygodney said. “Finch doesn’t really depend on others to take himself where he wants to go and neither does Biggley. That’s what made them so successful. It should give students the confidence to take themselves wherever they need to go.” “We all work together throughout the process to make sure that what’s happening in the rehearsal room is working toward our vision,” Rosenthal said. “We make sure it gets executed from the very first rehearsal to the last promotional poster that is hung on campus for the show.” The ebullient cast of “How to Succeed” achieves their version of success by working long hours and late nights, honing their material and their skills right up until opening night. The members of MUSKET are dedicated to their business of putting on a show, and they don’t need an instruction manual to tell them how to do it.
Gender Roles in the Workforce As Finch rises in at the World Wide Wicket Company, he attracts the attention of Rosemary, a secretary who dreams of marrying a successful businessman and living in a house in the suburbs. Her big solo, “Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm,” features lyrics like “Oh, to be loved by a man I respect; to bask in the glow of his perfectly understandable neglect,” offering a blatant and scathing satirical criticism of gender roles in the workforce — an issue that has improved since the era of the musical’s composition, but still persists to this day. “There’s still sexism in the workforce, there’s still a huge gen-
THE D’ART BOARD Each week we take shots at the biggest developments in the entertainment world. Here’s what hit (and missed) this week.
NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily
Urban’s character Finch succeeds in business by relying only on himself.
“All Apologies” jk “Nevermind.” Nirvana inducted into Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, sans original drummer.
S & Em Speaking of Nirvana... Courtney Love claims to know where Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is.
#FreeKanye
Rihanna and Eminem announce joint summer “Monster Tour.”
Kanye West gets 2 years of probation and mandated anger management for punching a paparazzo.
A Big quesa-deal-a! Applebee’s introduces The Quesadilla Burger. Design by Jake Wellins
the v-side
4B — Thursday, March 20, 2014
THE VAG From Page 1B When TeRaye Walker told members of her church that she was acting in “The Vagina Monologues,” someone joked “Your vagina can talk?” The recent School of Social Work graduate laughed it off, but doesn’t deny the sense of fear, and shame, that surrounds the scary V-word. LSA sophomore Irene Suh — who is a member of Students for Choice and proudly wears a T-shirt emblazoned with the reproductive rights slogan “My kitty, my choice” — has yet to tell her parents about her role in the show because she worries about their reaction. “Until I got to college, I was brought up in the household where it was not OK to talk about sex, or vaginas or reproductive health, so being able to talk about this is really liberating for me,” Suh said. Fear, shame, ignorance: symptoms of a culture focused on sex rather than sexuality, objectification rather than understanding. “The Vagina Monologues” is an effort to recreate what we think about the female reproductive organ — and about women themselves. “This is kind of stuff that’s still so taboo to talk about,” said LSA senior Suzanne Maclaren, cast member, “Sex in general is kind of taboo to talk about, but sex in women and the ‘power of the vagina’ — it’s still something that people are afraid to talk about.” Performance with a purpose “The Vagina Monologues” was first written in 1996 by Eve Ensler, who conducted over 200 interviews with women of all ages and backgrounds to write a series of monologues ostensibly about one thing: the vagina. Now the show is performed by groups around the country, with the proceeds going to support a non-profit of their choice along with V-Day, the organization started by Ensler that strives to end violence against women. The show was brought back to the University last year by Students for Choice, an organization that promotes reproductive rights on campus. “(Students for Choice) brought ‘Vagina Monologues’ because we are a feminist organization and women’s empowerment is very closely tied with reproductive rights,” said LSA junior Sophia Kotov, co-president of the organization. “When female bodies are mentioned in the media, this is almost always deeply problematic, offensive and oppressive. ‘The Vagina Monologues,’ on the other hand, provides an experience for people of all genders to hear frank talk and true stories about women and women’s bodies coming from these same people.” This year the show is going to be performed in the Rackham Auditorium on Thursday, March 21. In the Rackham lobby during the half hour leading up to
the performance, Students for Choice will host representatives from different activist groups on campus, many promoting sexual health and providing resources to students. Unlike many other performance groups on campus, “The Vagina Monologues” is not affiliated with the theater program, nor does it have a plot or staging like other scripts. The show is essentially a series of snapshots into women’s lives rather than a cohesive tale. “An absolute, overwhelming majority of the cast is not pursuing theater as a career or major,” said LSA sophomore Madeline Parkinson, the show’s producer. “It’s a lot of women who have a passion for this subject, who were interested, and who rocked it out in try-outs.” This passion is well-placed, as 90 percent of the proceeds of the show go to support the SafeHouse Center, a domestic violence shelter in Washtenaw County. This shelter serves as a transitional housing center for those fleeing domestic violence, and it offers a host of programs to assist mothers and children while they are living there and in the years and months after they have left. “They have a 40 bed shelter open to men, women and children, anyone who needs a safe space to be,” Parkinson, who is a volunteer in one of the center’s teen outreach programs, said. “They also have a first responders unit, so if there is a call to the police about a domestic situation then SafeHouse is also contacted and they send representatives over to help the survivor.” The services of the center link directly to the more sobering themes of “The Vagina Monologues,” which may surprise those who think of the show as just “that play about vaginas.” While the show does use humor and brutal honesty to bring attention to the vagina itself — with monologues about pubic hair, horseback-riding induced orgasms and hand mirror selfdiscoveries, Ensler sought to dispel stigmas surrounding the organ with humor and relatability; the script tackles more debilitating issues as well. Women can relate to the whole range of these issues, whether it be the confusion of self-discovery or the vulnerability in remembering past pain. One monologue follows the bittersweet thoughts of an older woman who felt too much shame to ever fully examine her sexuality. Another, titled “My Vagina Was My Village,” discusses the survivors of rape during the war in Bosnia. Irene Suh, a survivor of sexual assault herself and now an advocate for other survivors, connects strongly with “My Vagina Was My Village.” “Seeing (sexual assault) in a theater practice — it’s vulnerable and powerful, taking that voice back from the oppressors who have very much tried to erase it
NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily
LSA sophomore Miriam Dow rehearses at Hillel.
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FOOD COLUMN
Frita Batidos is worth the trek NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily
LSA freshman Celeste Goedert at ‘Monologue’ rehearsals.
from history,” Suh said. Not just feminist, but “humanist” While “The Vagina Monologues” has proven to appeal to any audience with an open mind, its value at the University is all the more significant considering rising concerns about sexual assault and gendered violence on campus. “On college campuses, violence against women is so prevalent that it’s so important to have the show, especially for the college community,” said School of Social Work doctoral candidate Kylee Smith. “The show demands an end to gendered violence and violence against women, and in that way, it does demand equality.” There is a growing movement toward highlighting violence against women not as a woman’s issue, but as a human issue. “The Vagina Monologues” takes this idea one step forward, asserting that women’s health, sexuality and experiences can be celebrated and understood by all, as long as people are open to listening. “This is a show that will ring true for a lot of people no matter your gender or your sexuality,” said LSA senior Suzanne Maclaren. “It’s something that is framed as ‘The Vagina Monologues’ but it really does just speak about essential parts of humanity, like sexuality or just trying to find your own identity.” The show is often judged as a negative product of modern feminism, reduced to nothing more than a gaggle of women getting together to hate men and burn bras. “People that have never seen this show think, ‘Oh that’s just a bunch of women saying ‘Power to the pussy!’ but to be in it, or to hear it, or to see it — it is deeper than that,” Walker said. “So even if you are not a feminist you can relate to this show.” These women reject the myth that feminism is all about anger and hate; rather, the show focuses on reclaiming womanhood instead of “emasculating” manhood. Though women make up a majority of the audience, Parkinson said last year men comprised approximately 30-40 percent of the audience. She contributes this high representation to the universal themes of the show. “I know a lot of men who came up to me after the show last year, who had gone with their mothers or sisters or girlfriends,” Parkinson said. “They had things they related to as well, like coming of age and finding yourself.” Expanding the reach of the show not only promotes education about parts usually ignored — as Smith says, “No one ever asks you about your vagina”— but it deconstructs centuries-old stigmas about female genitalia. “It’s all about starting conversations,” Smith said. “Hopefully
it gets people more comfortable talking about their vagina, talking about their stories.” Vulnerability and Empowerment Think about the last television commercials you watched. How many included women? Probably most. How many featured “sexy” women — those dressed scantily, those wearing excessive makeup, those in unnatural and hyper-sexualized poses? Now, how many of these women had names? How many had stories? How many spoke? Women often have two options: to be silent and overlooked, or to speak and be labeled “radical.” “The Vagina Monologues” attempts to give women a voice while still valuing every woman’s spectrum of sexuality; it focuses on collective representation over blind definition. Many cast members repeatedly brought up the show’s emphasis on vulnerability. “It’s realizing that sexuality and expressions of sexuality don’t have to be a source of anxiety,” Maclaren said. “You can find comfort whether through other people or by yourself. To trust yourself isn’t a foolish thing to do.” This vein of empowerment is central to the program, for both cast members and audiences. However, unlike many representations of the word, this empowerment comes from selfawareness and acceptance, rather than an outside force. “The Vagina Monologues” only hopes to be a catalyst in helping people discover themselves. “It’s women empowering women and supporting each other. Even for me it seems like it’s duplicitous,” said Sam Wellman, a recent graduate of the School of Social Work. “Like how can you be both angry and vulnerable? How can you be both sexual and innocent? But you can be and nobody can take that from you, and that’s not you being complicated or crazy, that’s you being a human being.” Though each part has been reimagined and individualized as the actresses shape their characters, it’s valuable to recall that these monologues are based on interviews with real women — these are not scenes in a fictional play, but representations of real people’s deepest pains and struggles. The hundreds of women interviewed had to bare much of who they were to contribute to the monologues, revealing their many human strengths and human weaknesses. “My biggest concern, worry, struggle is making sure that I am doing justice to this story,” Wellman said. “Knowing that this not only was from an interview with a real woman with this actual experience, but knowing that it struck a chord with me so it’s going to strike a chord with other people … I want to present it in a way that honors that.”
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he trek is an investment of time, and even more so today as the smooth ice covering the cracked concrete sidewalks slows our pace. We’re bundled in scarves and earmuffs, complaining relentlessly about the blistering wind NATE attacking WOOD our face with its frigid needles. But it’s worth it, without a doubt. You see, before the real world cruelly sucked away my graduating friends, this was a reg ular occurrence. Our pot of gold at the end of the wintery weather rainbow? Frita Batidos. I let my inner self explore the corners of my memory as we navigate back to this Cuban burger promised land. There was the first time I’d tried Frita Batidos: A very confused freshman, I was entirely distracted by the nets full of limes hanging next to the condiments at each table. Were they décor, air fresheners or just waiting to be juiced by citrus-seeking customers? I remember the time that my fellow R As and I crammed around the picnic tables outside to celebrate/commemorate the closing of South Quad. Only when Mother Nature began pouring down rain were we forced to leave. And finally, I remember the Fritas lunch a close friend and I shared on her last day in Ann Arbor. A casualty to graduate school, she was moving out-of-state and on to bigger and better things. The easiest way for us to say “see you later” was over a burger and milkshake. And as much as it didn’t feel like it at the time, it really was only a “see you later.” Flashforward seven months, and here we are again — the same group of friends walking the same blocks in search of the same sandwich. What better way to end the perfect reunion weekend than at our standby rendezvous? With bright red noses, cheeks and ears, we arrive happy to finally be back in the warmth. Drinks are first, with everyone ordering the usual. The health nut, Sean, asks for “the lighter batido,” which is made with mango and pineapple juice. Neha sips on a mango soda, which she calls “the nectar of the gods,” and Emily and I enjoy our rum-spiked coconut cream batidos (it’s never too cold for a tropical milkshake, ironically). The fritas — essentially Cuban burgers with fries stacked between the buns — are next. Again, no surprises here: chicken for Sean and Neha, black bean for Emily and chorizo for me. I’ve elected to add avocado spread, Muenster cheese and an over-easy egg to my frita, which always sounds better in theory than it ends
up being in reality. Ketchup and avocado force themselves out from between the two halves of the brioche bun as my incisors tear through each layer. Runny egg yolk drips down the back of my hand, and chunks of chorizo drop to the bottom of the basket in which the mess of the meal is served. “Oh, that’s what this fork is for,” I think. The food here is always impeccable, and the company is even better. My friends and I nosh and chat for the next 30, 60, 90 minutes, feeling “just like the old times” as we reminisce about the year before: how annoyingly unavailable Neha had been during internship recruiting season, how Sean had somehow convinced himself to become a vegetarian, how we had to stage a “How I Met Your Mother”-style intervention for Emily — who slept on her couch for weeks to avoid putting fitted sheets on her bunk bed — and how I became embarrassingly depressed one night by watching “Hoarding: Buried Alive.” It felt so casually normal, as if only a matter of days had passed since our last Fritas visit.
Take advantage of your time in A2. I tried to harness this feeling as I worked to console myself of the fact that it would likely be another seven months before this would happen again … if we were lucky. The plane back to reality was on its way to transport Emily — in the same way that it had Chris and Rebecca the day prior (who sadly missed out on our Fritas excursion) — to what seemed like thousands of miles away. Of course, they would actually be many hours closer than that, but still far enough away that trips to Frita Batidos were relegated to being an occasional treat. The real world sucks. But we make due. Texting groups, Google hangouts and social media keep us all connected. Life updates don’t go unshared, and futons and foldout beds don’t go unused. And every once and awhile, when the stars align, a weekend of fraternizing and Frita Batidos in Ann Arbor recharges our spirits and reminds us of the enduring power of true friendship. To all the bright-eyed freshmen reading this, enjoy this rare time in your life when you live within walking distance of all of your friends. To the alumni and staff, consider reaching out to that college friend you’ve not contacted nearly recently enough. And to Sean, Neha, Rebecca, Chris and Emily, I’ll see you at Fritas. You can contact Wood at Fritas on a nightly basis or at nisaacw@umich.edu.
WE’RE REALLY STARTING TO GET THE HANG OF THIS SOCIAL MEDIA THING.
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