ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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GOVERNMENT
State’s role in marriage ruling stirs controversy Attorney General Schuette’s defense of ban on same-sex marriage questioned
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Students lined up from the Michigan Union past the Fleming Administration Building Monday night to purchase tickets for President Barack Obama’s speech this Wednesday. The hundreds in line brought tents, couches and mattresses to pass the night outside to wait for tickets to be distributed at 9 a.m.
Students line up in droves for limited Obama tickets President will discuss proposal to raise minimum wage on Wednesday By IAN DILLINGHAM and SHOHAM GEVA Daily News Editor and Daily Staff Reporter
Following one of the warmest days of the year, some students felt inclined to stay outside well into the night with one goal in mind: to secure a spot at President Barack Obama’s address on campus Wednesday. On Monday, the University announced plans to issue a limited number of tickets to attend the address, which will be held at the Intramural Sports Building at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. The University said tickets would
be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to students, prompting many to pack bags for a long, chilly night waiting outside the north doors to the Union. At 5:30 p.m. Monday, almost 16 hours before tickets for Obama’s Wednesday campus address were set to be distributed, LSA freshmen Janie Brown and Sydney Grant, as well as LSA sophomores Olivia Mason and Lizzy Brilliant, were already waiting in line outside the Michigan Union, as the first four in line to get tickets Tuesday morning. By 11 p.m., lines stretched to about 500 students, with more arriving each minute. Planning for a long night, many groups brought tents, food and entertainment. At the front of the line, Brown and Grant said the experience was well worth See TICKETS, Page 3
By SHOHAM GEVA Daily Staff Reporter
Almost immediately after Federal Judge Bernard Friedman’s March 21 ruling that Michigan’s same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette filed for an emergency stay. Saturday, after almost 300 couples married in the state, that stay was granted and later lengthened into a more permanent stay that will last for the duration of the appeals process. While Schuette is not the first attorney general to be put in this position, he is one of the first to fight the appeal of the ban so vigorously and also do so in the midst of a re-election campaign. In several statements to the press, Schuette said his motivation is to defend both the will of the people and Michigan’s Constitution —which has raised questions about what the role of an attorney general is during this situation, given the actions of attorney generals in previous cases. The U.S. Attorney General also issued a directive earlier this year advising state attorney generals not to fight the overturning
THE U.S. MINIMUM WAGE
THE CURRENT THE HIGHEST MINIMUM WAGE IS FEDERAL IN WASHINGTON. MINIMUM WAGE IS $7.25. THE PROPOSED MINIMUM WAGE IS $10.10. IN MICHIGAN,
$9.32
THE LOWEST MINIMUM WAGE IS IN WYOMING AND GEORGIA.
IT IS $7.40
$5.15
In cases where federal and state minimum wage differ, the higher of the two takes precedence.
BY JAKE WELLINS AND CAROLYN GEARIG
CAMPUS LIFE
of gay marriage bans. During similar cases in Kentucky and California, state attorney generals have chosen to allow the case to move through the courts without getting directly involved. Instead, other interested parties, such as the proponents of the original bans, were the ones who filed for the appeal. Law Prof. Samuel Bagenstos said Schuette’s actions appear to have a deeper motivation than what he has stated. Bagenstos added that getting directly involved in the filling for the stay steps out of the requirements of his office. “The way that he has described what he’s doing is that simply that he’s carrying his obligations out as attorney general and I’d say that’s not right,” Bagenstos said. “I think the only justification for him to be doing what he’s doing is that he truly believes that it’s constitutional for a state to prohibit people of the same sex from getting married.” On Monday afternoon, Joy Yearout, the attorney general’s director of communications, reiterated that Schuette’s motivation is to defend the Michigan constitution. She added that, to Schuette, the other state attorneys’ decisions to remain uninvolved in similar cases is wrong. “Attorney generals across the country have a responsibility and a duty to defend the constitution and that’s what we’re doing here See STATE, Page 3
BUSINESS
Ambassador talks changing U.S. diplomacy
Jerusalem Garden to relocate to Seva space
Richard Boucher says social media is important to reach a global audience
Move will be completed by December if all goes according to plan
By ALLANA AKHTAR Daily Staff Reporter
On Monday, Ambassador Richard Boucher delivered a lecture to students at the Ford School of Public Policy Monday, addressing the United States’ changing role as a world leader and how the rise of social networking and new technologies have affected modern diplomacy. Boucher’s tenure as assistant secretary of state for public affairs at the U.S. Department of State was the longest in history. After earning a B.A. from Tufts University and doing graduate work at George Washington University, he worked as an ambassador to Cyprus and U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong. He also served as the spokesman of the Department of State for six secretaries
WEATHER TOMORROW
of state, including Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and Madeleine Albright. In his lecture, Boucher said the power of the Internet has changed the dynamics of international diplomacy. He said the United States wields the most power internationally, not only due to its large army and reach in foreign markets, but also through its global connectivity through branding and culture exporting. “We no longer live in a world of blocks and paths, we live in a world of nodes and connections,” Boucher said. “In our world, everyone’s connected. Countries and teenagers, NGOs and corporations, students in universities and parents. Traditional measures of power don’t capture the changing nature in the power of diplomacy.” For the United States to stay a leader in international relations, Boucher said it must make its actions open to the modern media and accessible for citizens to build credibility around the world because “trust is what turns power into influence.” See AMBASSADOR, Page 3
HI: 49 LO: 29
ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily
By CHRISTY SONG
University President Mary Sue Coleman speaks at a fireside chat Monday in the Michigan Union, where students organized a surprise event to commemorate her work at the University.
Coleman reflects on her tenure during Union event Approximately 120 students came to laud the 13th president’s service By YARDAIN AMRON Daily Staff Reporter
University President Mary Sue Coleman’s final monthly fireside chat was more than a little different this time around as approximately 120 students filled the Michigan Union’s Pendleton room for a surprise.
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While Coleman typically invites a random selection of students for her fireside chats, more than the anticipated amount of students came to applaud Coleman on her service as the University’s 13th president. E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, joined Coleman for the monthly event, which Coleman continued at the beginning of her tenure. During her presidency, Coleman and Harper have organized fireside chats to field students’ questions and concerns in a more intimate set-
NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Students lead march for Tawianese rights MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS
ting. LSA junior Michael Chrzan, the student event coordinator for the surpise, said he aspired to make Coleman’s last fireside chat memorable to honor her commitment to students during her tenure. “We wanted this to be really special because she made hearing students’ voices a priority and that’s not something that comes intrinsically with every president,” Chrzan said. “We wanted to give back in a small way, to say ‘thank you’ for putting themselves on the line and See COLEMAN, Page 3
INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 94 ©2014 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
Daily Staff Reporter
Jerusalem Garden is just a little spot on 5th Avenue now, but by next Christmas, patrons can expect to visit 314 E. Liberty Street instead — which currently houses Seva — to satisfy their cravings for Mediterranean food. Since August 2013, Jerusalem Garden owner Ali Ramlawi considered the moving locations to accommodate for the restaurant’s expansion. “We’ve always needed more room ever since we opened and we expanded every square inch we could possibly expand at our current location,” Ramlawi said. “We also tried to put an addition on with our current space that we couldn’t get through with the landlord.” Due to convenience, space and historical meaning, Ramlawi said she believed the building currently occupied by Seva’s is the best See GARDEN, Page 3
NEWS............................ 2 SUDOKU........................ 2 OPINION.......................4
ARTS............................. 5 CL ASSIFIEDS.................6 SPORTS.........................7
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
2 — Tuesday, April 1, 2014
MONDAY: This Week in History
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers Before You Were Here
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles Profiles
THURSDAY: Alumni CampusProfiles Clubs
NICE TIE
MASTERING BUSINESS
Prof. plans future of education Gautam Ahuja is the Harvey C. Fruehauf Professor of Business Administration and professor of Strategy in the Ross School of Business. He spent 12 years as the chairperson of The Strategy Area at the Business School and is a Ph.D. coordinator. BusinessWeek ranked Professor Ahuja second on their list of “Most Popular Profs at Top Business Schools.” He is currently on a task force for redesigning the MBA program.
our institution be prepared for as they enter the work force and look forward to the next 20 or 30 years. So from that perspective, we’ve gone deep into trying to understand what are precisely the skills required for an MBA, and what are the ways we can use the experience they have at the Ross School of Business to develop those skills. What is the biggest change the MBA program is going to experience?
Could you describe MBA task force you are a part of? We are basically looking at the MBA program and what should the MBA graduates from
As of now, the task force is still working. It’s going to take several months more yet. The way things work, the task force
What is your favorite class to teach? I teach this class on advanced competitive analysis. I think my problem is that, I find, that every morning that I am teaching the class, I am excited. It’s difficult for me to see which one of the elements of the course is more exciting. I tend to like all of them. — MAX RADWIN
THE PODIUM
Obama visits
Birth control
BY JENNIFER CALFAS
BY EMMA MANIERE
It was confirmed Sunday that the president would be coming to Ann Arbor to give a speech about raising the federal minimum wage. He will speak at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Intramural Sports Building on South Campus. Tickets are free to students.
Recent trials, Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Sebelius are ruling on whether Obama’s contraception mandate interferes with the company’s desire not to sell Plan B, Ella and IUD for religious reasons.
SPORTS
THE WIRE
BY MINH DOAN
BY EMILIE PLESSET
Despite a statistically solid performance, the men’s lacrosse team recorded a 15-12 loss against Air Force this weekend. After falling behind early, the Wolverines were unsuccessful in mounting a second half comeback, but showed signs of resilience on the field.
Students marched and sang around campus on Sunday afternoon to raise awarness about Taiwanese rights, after the Chinese government passed an agreement that would jeopardize the island’s future. Read more from these blogs at michigandaily.com
Men’s lacrosse Student march
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ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily
LSA sophomore Ryne Menhennick marches with United Students Against Sweatshops from the Diag to Fleming Administration Building Monday.
Masterclass: Percussion
Global Studies talk
WHAT: Houston Symphony percussionist Brian Del Signore will present a clinic on using digital tools and computers to provide an in-depth critique of the students’ playing. WHO: School of Music, Theatre and Dance WHEN: Today at 10:30 a.m. WHERE: Moore Building
WHAT: Associate Professor of global urban studies Xuefei Ren will discuss urban transformations taking place in India and China and its implications on citizenship rights. WHEN: Today at 12 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work Building — Room 1636
Greek Week Singer Carmen Blood Drive Souza WHAT: The annual Red WHAT: Portuguese singer Carmen Souza will be singing at The Ark tonight, with her own twist of jazz, fusion and other contemporary sounds. WHO: Michigan Union Ticket Office WHEN: Tonight at 8 p.m. WHERE: The Ark, 316 S. Main Street
420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com PETER SHAHIN KIRBY VOIGTMAN
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will come up with a draft. That draft will then be reviewed further by the school and faculty, and at some time be voted upon by the faculty. Right now, we’re nowhere near that stage yet.
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
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Cross Blood Drive sponsored by Greek Week. WHO: Office of Greek Week. WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
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CNN reported that the UN has ruled that Japan’s whale hunting in the Southern Ocean is not the scientific program that Tokyo claimed it was. Japan claimed during a three-week hearing that the killing of whales was ecessary, but the court disagreed.
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The Editorial Board of the Daily argues that the University should update its policies for disabled students to create better access to community events and increase safety during evacuations. >> FOR MORE, SEE OPINION, PAGE 4
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According to a report by an Intergovernmental Panel commissioned by the UN, climate change is already taking effect more than previously thought, New York Times reported.
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BUSINESS STAFF Amal Muzaffar Digital Accounts Manager Doug Solomon University Accounts Manager Leah Louis-Prescott Classified Manager Lexi Derasmo Local Accounts Manager Hillary Wang National Accounts Manager Ellen Wolbert and Sophie Greenbaum Production Managers Nolan Loh Special Projects Coordinator Nana Kikuchi Finance Manager Olivia Jones Layout Manager The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.
Challenge aims to boost Virtual reality device allows interest in STEM fields students to look at anatomy Students across several colleges to conduct April event By PAULA FRIEDRICH Daily Staff Reporter
Almost 100 weather balloons across the world will attempt to reach the edge of the atmosphere as part of the Global Space Balloon Challenge in two weeks. The challenge — run by students from the University, Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — aims to excite people about science, technology, engineering and mathematics by introducing them to a hands-on but achievable project. Participants will release Sudoku Syndication their balloons the weekend of April 18. “Balloons are a good middle
Duderstadt Library 3D world brings in-depth learning experience to life
ground of technically challeng- used for a variety of reasons. ing enough to be interesting and The challenge will offer prizes to produce interesting results for highest altitude, best design, and for people to learn some- best photograph and best thing, but not so difficult that experiment. someone who hasn’t done this The challenge sets parambefore couldn’t figure out how eters for what the most basic to do it,” said Stanford student launch should entail, including By KAITLIN ZURDOSKY Robert Jackson, the projects a weather balloon with a paraDaily Staff Reporter team lead for the Stanford Stu- chute and a radar reflector so dent Space Initiative, which that it is detectable by planes, a Inside the Duderstadt started the challenge. camera and a GPS locator. Library is a three-dimensional virtual world open to all departAfter teams launch their bal“And then teams put in other loons, they will send in their things,” Jackson said. “Humidments, including the Michigan data and photographs to be ity sensors, temperature senImmersive Digital Experience judged. The highest altitude sors, altitude sensors, wind Nexus and one of its latest projcategory is straightforward, speed, and then the projects ects — the human cadaver. with the highest altitude win- get exponentially complex from Just one pair of 3D glasses and ning, but best design and exper- there.” a joystick gives users full access to the hologram-like human iment will be judged by industry While organizing GSBC is experts. The photo finalists will a collaborative effort between body. When the user steps onto be judged through social media students at their respective the platform, the image seems to appear within centimeters channels. schools, Engineering graduHigh altitude balloons, or ate student Nathan Hamet, the of their eyes and they are able space balloons, are large weath- project lead for Michigan Balto control and perceive a varier balloons that can rise up to http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ loon Recovery & Satellite Testety of cross-sections within the organs, tissues and bones any120,000 feet into the air. From bed, said it’s also a collaboration there, space balloons can be between every team participatwhere within the body. ing. Organizers have set up a “It seems like it would only forum to let teams talk to each be in movies you could do this, other to work out any kinks in but you are doing science,” said Assistant Dentistry Prof. the process. HARD “Not only are we able to give Alex DaSilva, the director of our knowledge to less expethe Headache & Orofacial Pain Effort lab. “You are learning and rienced people, but the teams that have more experience in, doing research — you are going let’s say, electrical engineering one step further into a learning experience,” may be able to help us out with a problem,” Hamet said. According to DaSilva, the
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though it’s a bunch of still pictures,” said software developer Ted Hall. “It’s a similar idea — if we can switch back and forth between the left and right images fast enough, you can perceive the images in 3D.” The human cadaver is one of many demos used in the MIDEN. Students and professors in the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the mechanical engineering and civil engineering departments within the College of Engineering and the School of Art & Design, among other schools, have also used the MIDEN for a variety of projects. “I would say hardest thing is that we have to deal with very large data sets, in terms of performance and backing up memory,” said software developer Sean Petty said. DaSilva has been working extensively with Eric Maslowski and the other developers. He has high hopes that these types of experiences with real data will be applicable outside of the lab environment and eventually within classrooms and other accessible learning areas. “This notion of these virtual reality ‘caves’ (such as the MIDEN) has been around since the early 1990’s,” Hall said. “For me, it’s sort of the holy grail of virtual reality visualizations.”
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MIDEN is a tool that has helped him to further his research in a way that no other experience has. He brings residents from the School of Dentistry as well as doctoral students to work inside the virtual reality lab. “It’s a creative but effective way to see information,” DaSilva said. “These are real slices of data, and you can enlarge them, rotate them and expand the area in which you are interested. Cuts that you can see here are extremely hard to do in a traditional lab. The slices and ways you can dissect and look at the cadaver is amazing.” According to the software developers, the 3D illusion occurs from a process called active stereo. Two images are projected onto the screens, and the images switch back and forth at about 110 times per second. The lenses on the glasses are liquid crystals that alternate from dark to clear and are synchronized with the images projected on the MIDEN screens, powered by six computers. The glasses are accompanied with trackers, delivering a 3D illusion to the individual’s two eyes at his personal location within the MIDEN. “It’s similar to the way we can make a moving image out of stills because you have persistence of vision — your brain stitches them together into motion even
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WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY’S SEXUAL MISCONDUCT POLICY? COME TO THE MICHIGAN DAILY’S PANEL ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2 AT 4 P.M. IN THE KUENZEL ROOM OF THE MICHIGAN UNION Participants in the discussion include Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones, Director of SAPAC Holly Rider-Milkovich, Director of OSCR Jay Wilgus and Anthony Walesby, the University’s Title IX Coordinator
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News TICKETS From Page 1 it.
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Ambassador Richard Boucher, former Deputy Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, speaks about how diplomacy is functioning in an increasingly global and social world in Weil Hall in the Ford School of Public Policy Monday.
AMBASSADOR From Page 1 The ambassador said the United States can better the world if they “stop trying to be Mr. Fix-It,” and instead give the people of other nations the tools to fix their own countries. During the lecture, he used his iPhone to show the audience an app that monitors air quality in Beijing. By making this information clear and accessible, the United States gave the Chinese citizens the spark they needed to pressure the government into bettering their lives, according to Boucher. “I have to say, I think our best diplomacy is diplomacy where we put the tools in other people’s hands,” Boucher said.
COLEMAN From Page 1 answering students’ questions.” Even though double the number of students attended the event, Chrzan said he was pleased that they managed to maintain a sense of “intimacy,” which he said was important to Coleman during her tenure. Though the event took about twice as long to plan and execute, he said he was pleased with the turnout and result because the crowd was “exceptional.” While student questions hit upon a range of topics and issues concerning student life, a consistent thread focused on Coleman’s own legacy. After one student asked for her most prominent memories from her 12-year tenure as University president, Coleman’s quick list recounted some of the biggest events at the University, both positive and negative over the past decade. Coleman touched on the 2003 landmark Supreme Court cases on affirmative action, which she fought for in Washington D.C. She added that she will remember witnessing University students’ reaction on the Diag to
Public Policy Dean Susan Collins introduced the ambassador, lauding his extensive career and breadth of expertise in his field. In her opening remarks, she said the rise of social media has changed the relationship between the public and the government, but that Boucher is “no stranger” to addressing these influences on in American governmental affairs. “Having somebody with his breadth of experience at the high levels of the tenure, who is now out of office and can be candid, that’s a real opportunity,” Collins said after the talk. Boucher currently teaches two classes at the Ford School through the Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence Program, which brings experts in the field of national or inter-
national policymaking to work with students and University faculty members. Public Policy graduate student Kiana Shelton, who is currently enrolled in a seven-week course taught by the ambassador called “Wielding Economic Power,” said she appreciated Boucher’s wit and extensive knowledge in foreign relations both in class and during the lecture on Monday. “It was very candid and had a bit of humor to it, but it is highlighting something that is extremely important – the world is getting smaller via technology, how we get along with different countries, we’re not sending cables anymore,” Shelton said. “We have the ability to respond and react at anytime no matter what.”
the passage of Proposal 2, which eliminated the use of race-based admissions process in the state. Coleman also cited the loss of a University transplant team in a plane crash, which she said she will “remember forever.” Coleman answered questions from the edge of her seat, trying to squeeze in as many questions in as possible in the one-hour chat. Another student in the front row asked about the University’s green initiatives. Coleman said while the University has always stressed sustainability, remaining realistic is important. “What I have always tried to do is to challenge us, hold us accountable, but not be unrealistic,” Coleman said. “I don’t see a way, unless there are huge changes in technology, that we can become carbon neutral in the next 20 years. I just can’t get there, and I don’t want to pretend that we can do something we can’t.” On a lighter note, one student asked Coleman what’s next for her and husband Ken Coleman. Coleman said she plans keep busy during her retirement. “I’ll be able to say no if I really don’t want to do something,” Coleman said as the room responded with laughter. “But we have a place in Ann Arbor; we
bought a condo a few years ago, so we’ll be here for part of the year and in Colorado for part of the year. I’ve joined two foundation boards — these are places that give money away rather than asking for money. I love asking for money, but now that I’m on these foundation boards, I’ll be able to give money away.” More laughs from the students followed. As a student coordinator, Chrzan has attended most of the fireside chats this year, and said he believes he has seen firsthand how an effective leader interacts with others, adding that Coleman “leads by example” and that her impact on students is evident as a result. There are just over three months until University President-elect Mark Schlissel takes over Coleman’s office in the Fleming Building in July. In light of the upcoming administrative change, many students asked what the 13th president’s legacy will be. Coleman said she was proud of her work. “I think legacies are best determined by others, rather than by me,” Coleman said. “But I hope that when people look back, they will believe that I left the University a better place than I found it. It’s been the most wonderful experience of my life.”
Washington calls for federal aid with mudslide clean-up Death toll rises to 24 as recovery efforts continue DARRINGTON, Wash. (AP) — Estimated financial losses from the deadly Washington mudslide that has killed at least 24 people have reached $10 million, Gov. Jay Inslee said Monday in a letter asking the federal government for a major disaster declaration. In seeking additional federal help following one of the deadliest landslides in U.S. history, Inslee said about 30 families need assistance with housing, along with personal and household goods. The estimated losses include nearly $7 million in structures and more than $3 million in their contents, Inslee’s letter said. The Snohomish County medical examiner’s office said Monday afternoon that it has received a total of 24 victims, and 18 of those have been publicly identified. Previously, the official death toll was 21, with 15 victims identified.
The remains of three additional victims were found Monday, but they have not yet been included in the medical examiner’s official numbers, Snohomish County Executive Director Gary Haakenson told reporters at a Monday evening briefing. The county sheriff’s office released a list of 22 people believed missing following the March 22 slide that destroyed a rural mountainside community northeast of Seattle. That’s down from the 30 people officials previously considered missing. “There’s been an exhaustive effort by the detectives to narrow the list down to one that they feel comfortable releasing,” Haakenson said. “These are 22 people whose loved ones are grieving,” he said. “We want to do all we can to find them and put some closure in place for their families.” He said there could be some overlap between the list of missing and the handful of victims who have not been positively identified by the medical examiner.
Steve Harris, a division supervisor for the search effort, said Monday that search teams have been learning more about the force of the slide, helping them better locate victims in a debris field that is 70 feet deep in places. “There’s a tremendous amount of force and energy behind this,” Harris said of the slide. Harris said search dogs are the primary tool for finding victims, and searchers are finding human remains four to six times per day. Sometimes crews only find partial remains, which makes the identification process harder. Inslee’s request Monday also seeks federal help with funeral expenses, and mental health care programs for survivors, volunteers, community members and first responders. He also is asking for access to disaster housing, disaster grants, disaster-related unemployment insurance and crisis counseling programs for those in Snohomish County and for the Stillaguamish, Sauk-Suiattle and Tulalip Indian tribes.
“I’ve always wanted to see President Obama in person and I figured this may be my only chance — or hopefully the first of many — but if not, I figured I might as well jump on this,” Brown said. “I’m done with class for the day, it’s beautiful outside, so I figured might as well, I’m not doing anything else.” Grant agreed, adding that she’s not sure she’ll have the opportunity to witness such an event in the future. “I’ve always been told by relatives that college is a really good time to seize opportunities like this, because you’re not going to get the chance afterwards,” she said. Obama will come to Ann Arbor to advocate for a proposed increase in the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour. In February, the president signed an executive order raising the minimum wage for
STATE From Page 1 in Michigan,” Yearout said. Peter Sprigg, senior fellow for policy studies at the Family Research Council, wrote in a statement there are certain narrow exceptions in which an attorney general would be justified in not defending a state law, but that this case isn’t one of them. “Such a decision should only be made when the state law violates a clear and explicit provision of the constitution or violates a clear precedent of the U.S. Supreme Court,” he wrote. “No provision of the U.S. Constitution refers to marriage (or for that matter to “sexual orientation”) and no Supreme Court decision has ever stated that states cannot define
GARDEN From Page 1 option. Other considerations involved in the decision included its status as a freestanding building without any connections to a high-rise, easy accessibility to University students and a location in the downtown area. The six to seven month negotiations concluded Sunday and Ramlawi announced his plans publicly on Sunday night. Many structural changes
Tuesday, April 1, 2014 — 3 federal workers, but has now moved onto the more difficult task of convincing Congress to implement a similar change for all U.S. workers. LSA sophomore Stephen Culbertson, communications director for the College Democrats, said he grew interested in politics during the 2012 presidential campaigns, when he and other members of the College Democrats worked for local chapters of Obama’s campaign. “As a Michigan resident, I feel it’s important that we support our low-wage workers,” Culbertson said. “I think an increase in the minimum wage is long overdue.” Members of the College Democrats also used the time waiting to distribute petitions in an effort to place gubernatorial candidate Mark Schauer and senate candidate Gary Peters on the ballot for upcoming elections in November. As the line grew in the late evening, students implemented an unofficial numbering system that allowed individuals to solidify their position. Several students
said the system was beneficial because it permitted individuals in line to leave for short periods of time and still maintain their standing. Late Monday night, University Police said they could not comment on specific security measures, but said they were aware of the situation and were monitoring for potential hazards. Culbertson said students he had observed had been well-behaved and respectful. “I think it’s a generally positive environment,” Culbertson said. “With the numbers — students decided they wanted to make it more of a safe and healthy environment.” LSA freshman Austin Delsi, number 319 in line, said he heard about the event through an Instagram post by The Michigan Daily and was later alerted about the growing line by a friend who arrived earlier. “Graduating from college in a couple years, the minimum wage is something that’s really relevant to me — especially with summer jobs and internships,” he said.
marriage as the union of a man and a woman, so those exceptions do not apply here.” In context of Schuette’s previous actions as attorney general, his unprecedented direct involvement does not come as a surprise. Schuette has been the attorney general since 2011. Before that, he sat on Michigan’s Fourth District Court of Appeals, was a state senator and U.S. representative and ran the state’s agricultural department under former Governor John Engler. For all of the elected positions he’s held, including attorney general, he has run as a Republican. Schuette has taken conservative stances in previous cases as well. In 2012, following the Obama administration’s mandate that birth control be included in
the health care plans of a large number of religious organizations, he called himself a leader in a nationwide effort by attorney generals to repeal the mandate. In 2011, he spoke out against medical marijuana use, leading to a brief recall effort against him that was ultimately unsuccessful. Bagenstos said that most attorney generals generally do not consider themselves apolitical, with Schuette not being an exception to that rule. “He’s obviously conservative. His positions line up much more with conservative politics than with some clear objective sense of the role of an attorney general independent of politics, “ Bagenstos said. “So I don’t think it’s much of a surprise that he’s taken positions that align with conservative politics.”
will take place at Seva’s previous location before Jerusalem Garden opens its new doors. The heating and cooling system, electrical system, floor plan, kitchen equipment and kitchen ventilation will be renovated and the color scheme will stay true to the original Jerusalem Garden location. Ramlawi said he hopes to keep the layout convenient for both take-out and dine-in customers. He said he also plans to increase access to catering and accommodate more student customers.
Jerusalem Garden’s menu will expand as well, and will potentially include chicken kebabs, French fries, additional lamb dishes, juices and smoothies. Ramlawi said he foresees more authentic fare and homecooked dishes, while keeping the original flavors and dishes of the menu. Public support is already positive, as the Facebook post sig ned by “The Ramlawi Family” announcing the move received more than 1,000 likes within a 24 hour period.
Opinion
4 — Tuesday, April 1, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
BOGDAN BELEI | VIEWPOINT Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com PETER SHAHIN EDITOR IN CHIEF
MEGAN MCDONALD and DANIEL WANG EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
KATIE BURKE MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FROM THE DAILY
Enabling campus The ‘U’ should provide more resources and information on disabilities
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ast year, nearly 5 percent of students at the University were registered as having a disability with the Services for Students with Disabilities. Michigan ranks second-highest in SSD registered students among Big Ten schools. Students and staff came together Wednesday to spread disabilities awareness at speakABLE, an event presented by the SSD Senior Advisory Board. The event featured testimonials from disabled students on campus who praised the University’s efforts and called for change in University policy and atmosphere. Though the University has taken positive measures to accommodate students with disabilities, additional resources and information should be provided to reach equality for these students. SpeakABLE was part of a series of events for SSD’s 40th anniversary. The event featured a panel of students who shared personal stories regarding disability at the University. One student addressed the lack of clear emergency evacuation procedures for physically disabled students in residence halls, particularly calling attention to “deplorable” protocols during a fire drill. Other topics of discussion centered on the challenge deaf students face during large lecture events and the “otherness” of disabled individuals in the campus community. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the University is required to provide reasonable public accommodations, and seems to work hard to do so. However, emergency evacuation procedures must also be updated to better address the needs of disabled students. Clear plans should be set for evacuating disabled students from residence halls in the case of an emergency. These should be included in an updated version of the Office of Institutional Equity’s Emergency Evacuation for Persons on Campus with Disabilities protocol. Though SSD provides positive aid for disabled students, the University should increase awareness and accessibility of this resource. To inform all new students of its available programming and services, and raise awareness about disability on campus in general, the SSD office should be included in orientation tours. It should further increase transparency by clarifying the registration process.
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Prescheduling for accommodation at student events, like mass meetings and speaker events, another concern raised at the panel, should be simplified. Further, the existence of any and all resources should be clarified and publicized by the University so students can utilize them. To generate a comprehensive understanding of disabilities across campus, the University should create a disabilities studies concentration. At the very least, the University should offer more relevant classes pertaining to historical treatment, political initiatives and social power dynamics of physical and mental ability in society and academia. While the University offers courses on many different groups, it lacks undergraduate academic curricula in disabilities studies. Such a program has been proposed in the past and should be implemented to fully represent diverse groups in University coursework. This program would create greater acceptance of disabilities, bridging the gap between able-bodied and disabled individuals on campus. While the University has created positive resources to accommodate disabled students, certain changes should be implemented to help those who could benefit from them. Increased information about SSD registration process and resources would aid all disabled students, and a disabilities studies program would promote greater acceptance. Every individual at the University should have an equal opportunity to succeed, and disabled students are no exception.
Snyder the wimp
hen Rick Snyder was running for governor and became the lovable “nerd” who won the votes of most Michiganders, many saw hope for a new breed of Republican in him. People saw his business background and conservatism as the perfect medicine for the downtrodden economy, and many believed his stance on social issues were far from the Tea Party PATRICK extremism found in the MAILLET state legislature. During his campaign, whenever he was asked about social issues ranging from women’s health to LGBTQ rights, Snyder simply stated that those issues were not on his agenda and that fixing the economy was his main concern. Most people believed this meant that Snyder was going to focus on the economy and not worry about archaic social issues that only the religious right fights against. Oh how wrong we were … What we have come to learn these last few years is that Snyder is undoubtedly focused primarily on economics, but when it comes to social issues he has essentially let the radical members of his party take control and pass whatever legislation they see fit. During his tenure as governor, Snyder has signed countless laws that severely limit women’s right to choose and diminished the rights of the LGBTQ community. As state Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) said in a phone interview last week, “Governor Snyder consistently avoids taking a side on social issues. When he was first elected, we all thought that maybe he would be a different type of Republican. Instead, he has demonstrated that it’s not that he opposes these social topics, it’s just that he only cares about economic issues.” Irwin went on to say, “These issues: women’s rights, LGBT equality … they’re just not on his radar screen.” Michiganders were painfully reminded of this trend last week when U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman ruled Michigan’s same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. The very next day, more than 300 same-sex couples were married before a federal appeals court issued a stay, preventing more marriages until the case is heard by a higher court. In response to these marriages, Governor Snyder said that the unions were “legal” and “valid,” but that the state will not recognize them nor offer them the same benefits given to heterosexual couples.
Just when we thought Michigan would be a forward-thinking state, we were painfully reminded that our state government is controlled by radical members of the religious right. Snyder’s stance on these 300 marriages is just the newest example of his inability to actually take a stand on a social issue. Critics throughout the country have criticized Snyder’s ‘legal, but not that legal’ statement, and most attorneys on either side of the aisle are acknowledging that Snyder is probably in the wrong. As Ken Mogill, one of the lawyers challenging the same-sex marriage ban, stated last week, “I would not want to be one of the Governor’s lawyers trying to defend that position in court. It’s kind of a head-spinning position.” Irwin also commented on Snyder’s statement, saying, “I have to be honest, I don’t understand his position because it makes no sense.” I understand where Snyder is coming from politically. He has to appeal to his radical base and come out and oppose same-sex marriage. But instead of coming out and openly saying that he opposes this court ruling, Snyder — like always — is trying to have it both ways. He wants to appear against same-sex marriage to appeal to religious voters, yet also wants to attract independents by claiming indifference and stating that he’s simply upholding the law. “He’s just trying to make it less obvious that he’s on the wrong side of history,” Irwin said in reaction to Snyder’s remarks. Though Snyder and Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette have a duty to defend the Michigan Constitution, they have also sworn an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution. With the Supreme Court’s ruling last summer striking down the Defense of Marriage Act and a recent ABC News-Washington Post poll showing that 59 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage, one can’t help but see the writing on the wall. Snyder loves to refer to himself as “one tough nerd.” I have no doubt that Snyder is an intelligent man, but over these past couple of years he has shown that he is nothing more than a number-cruncher who doesn’t care about current social issues that leave Michigan years behind most of the country. The Governor has repeatedly refused to stand up to the Tea Party radicals within the state legislature. He may see himself as a nerd, but I see little more than a wimp. — Patrick Maillet can be reached at maillet@umich.edu.
Weeding out oppression On March 12, The Michigan Daily published a column titled “Marijuana Misconceptions,” in which the author expressed an alarmed position to many Americans’ perceptions of marijuana as a “benign” substance. The article claimed that the federally classified Schedule I drug poses significant and permanent health concerns that should dissuade any further legalization of the dangerous drug. What the article failed to mention is that the classification of marijuana as a drug equivalent, in public health concern, to heroin as Schedule I drugs occurred in the Controlled Substance Act of 1970. Over the past four decades, the impact of marijuana’s harsh classification has led to a halt in health research, an extremely costly war on drugs and the further deepening of racial divides. In recent years, the public attitude toward marijuana has provided many Americans with the hope of future reform. With both Colorado and Washington passing referendums to legalize marijuana throughout most of their state boundaries, some believe that the nation has reached a social tipping point of the drug’s acceptance. Despite the fact that the 1970s have been commonly referenced for its carefree, drug-induced attitudes — public opinion polls in 2013 showed that for the first time, Americans favored marijuana legalization. With 58 percent in favor, the results exhibit more than double the support reported in 1977 and signify a 14-percent increase in support just in the past two years. These recent developments in legislation and social attitudes, along with a rapidly increasing marijuana lobby group, lead to speculation that the trend towards state legalization of marijuana will continue. Though there has been relatively limited research on the long-term consequences, marijuana has been proven to have only mildly negative health effects, at worst compared to other vices such as cigarettes and alcohol. The reason research has been limited is largely because of the convoluted
and restricting bureaucratic approach the government takes on marijuana. As Dr. Sanjay Gupta mentioned last year in a public address on the health benefits of marijuana, progress in marijuana studies continues to be a challenge due to the unavailability of the drug for research, and due to the fact that the organization approving marijuana research — the National Institute on Drug Abuse — is inherently focused on abuse rather than the benefits. Despite this, there are thousands of individuals serving extensive sentences — in some cases, life sentences — for non-violent and petty drug convictions involving marijuana. In a country with a racially disproportionate legal system, where the African American population in the United States is 18.4 percent, but 40 percent in its jails and prisons, the war on drugs has created a racially institutionalized system of oppression. The implication of the institutionalized targeting of low-income areas has led to the creation of an entire population segment of minority offenders, who are discriminated against, disenfranchised and socially isolated. This has persisted for more than 40 years, decimating multiple generations and further creating racial divides which will require mending and reconciliation. In a recent article, Michelle Alexander, author of New York Times bestseller “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” emphasized the importance of a conscience transition from incarcerating millions of Black men for minor marijuana offenses to allowing small groups of white men to make millions once the drug is deemed legal. Comparing the transition to the end of the apartheid in South Africa, Alexander said, “You can’t just destroy a people and then say ‘It’s over, we’re stopping now.’ You have to be willing to deal with the truth, deal with the history openly and honestly.” Indeed, it is not permissible to accept the reality of the past several decades allowing poor,
underprivileged minorities to suffer from a disproportionately discriminatory system, and then simply decide that someone else will profit off of their burden. For decades, it has been proven that marijuana use has been equal or even higher among whites when compared to minorities, but the privilege of living in suburbs and on college campuses has provided a sense of security and a double standard for offenders of the exact same crimes. With the recent realization of the disparity among race and class throughout the War on Drugs, it is necessary for lawmakers to take advantage of current public support and eliminate crippling and unproductive drug laws. The U.S. prison system is overcrowded. In a country composing only 5 percent of the world’s population, the criminal justice system houses 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. Not only has the War on Drugs proven to be costly and an issue of economic feasibility, it has prolonged the history of racial injustice. The mass incarceration of minorities has only further impoverished the status and social capital of America’s diversity. Historians will view the War on Drugs as the third era of oppression, following the Jim Crow laws of the 1870s and the African slave system dating back to before the conception of the U.S. The decriminalization of marijuana — a non-lethal substance — must be supported as a practical solution to unnecessary persisting problems in the U.S. legal system. For most, marijuana will continue to be a vice, a bad habit. For others, it will prove to be effective medicine. Regardless of its use, the stakes for continuing its current discrimination are too high and too costly. As Michelle Alexander reasonably states, “I can tell you that I’m far more worried about my kids needlessly going to jail and being relegated to a permanent secondclass status than getting high.” Bogdan Belei is an LSA junior.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Barry Belmont, Edvinas Berzanskis, Rachel John, 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 AARON SCHAER | VIEWPOINT
Take peace seriously Enough. Enough of the divisive rhetoric. Enough of the unequal coverage. Enough of the half-truths that have dominated the conversation. Enough of sitting quietly on the sideline, waiting for the facts to win the day — that clearly is not happening. I am a Zionist. I support the existence of Israel. I believe in a two-state solution, where Israel remains a majority Jewish state. And after millennia of persecution, diasporas and attempted genocides, I am not going to apologize for the way I feel. I am not going to forget that Israel was born in the aftermath of the Holocaust. And I am not going to dismiss the fact that Israel’s boundaries exist in their current form because all of her neighbors have tried to wipe her off of the map, repeatedly. The conversation on campus these past two weeks about divesting from companies doing business in Israel has been hurtful, it has been filled with inaccuracies and it has done nothing to support peace or reconciliation between the opposing sides. Students Allied for Freedom and Equality has vilified the Central Student Government, slurred the students that oppose its resolution, and misrepresented its own agenda. It’s time the truth is told. To begin, SAFE’s voice was not “silenced.” SAFE has now presented its proposal twice to CSG, and twice our student government voted “no.” I understand a group may be frustrated that its proposal did not pass. But when a group’s proposal (twice) does not pass a democratically elected representative student body, which (twice) acted firmly in line with its rules of procedure, the group has not been silenced. It has been heard (twice). And in this case, it has been heard louder and clearer than most groups ever are. Second, the CSG was right to vote the way it did. One of the three requirements for divestment is that the view must be “broadly and consistently held on campus over time,” and reflect “a broad
campus consensus.” SAFE asked CSG to affirm that its resolution possessed this type of support. This is something the CSG could not do, because this type of support does not exist. In its resolution, SAFE offered zero legitimate evidence that its proposal enjoyed a consensus. The only support it provided were citations to three Michigan Daily pieces — pieces members of SAFE authored — that showed nothing in the way of campus consensus for its view. In stark contrast, two weeks of a divided campus and six and a half hours of divided debate point in the opposite direction. Third, SAFE’s resolution is not about human rights. It is about delegitimizing and weakening the State of Israel. If SAFE cared only about human rights, then it is beyond suspect that it only pushed for divestiture from companies having dealings with Israel. If SAFE cared only about human rights, it would have included companies doing business with tens, if not hundreds, of other countries. China is an obvious example. So is Israel’s neighbor, Syria, who has killed more than 100,000 civilians since the start of its civil war. And so are the Palestinian extremisits, who shoot rockets daily at Israeli civilians. But these offenders are notably absent from SAFE’s resolution on human rights. I am not saying Israel has not violated human rights laws. To the contrary, I am sure that she has — as is true with every nation (see: waterboarding, United States). But Israel is a true and functioning democracy, the only one in a region that is largely hostile to its right even to exist. One does not need to be an expert in international affairs to know that Israel’s record on human rights is not even in the same ballpark as many of the countries to which the University’s, as well as all other universities’, investments are linked. Claiming that this resolution is strictly for human rights, under the dubious pretense that “you need to start somewhere,” is as offensive
as it is calculated. If this resolution were for any company operating in a country that violates human rights, then I would support it. But it is not. And that omission is not innocent. Fourth, SAFE’s strategy is not one that encourages peace or reconciliation between the opposing sides. Rather, it is one that has further divided our campus, made students on all sides feel uncomfortable and intimidated and led to threats aimed at members of the CSG. It is a strategy that calls one side a villain and ignores any of its own culpability for the sorry state of current affairs. If SAFE was interested in peace and ending the occupation, a much more prudent strategy would have been to reach out to the opposing side and discuss a bilateral action. Both sides want human rights to be respected. Both sides could make steps towards peace. But proposing a divisive resolution, which could not have passed CSG no matter who presented it, and which paints a complex story in black and white, is not a strategy interested in peace. I was at the CSG meeting this past Tuesday.I heard the speeches from both sides. If any of the students who spoke can be taken at their word, this campus is ready to sit down and discuss real solutions. I know for a fact that pro-Israel students are currently trying to meet with SAFE and open a dialogue with the goal of producing real, viable results. If SAFE is serious about peace — which would go a long way toward protecting the human rights of both sides — I would expect them to agree to this. But continuing to lob uneven rhetoric and insults is not a genuine path towards peace. And as long as SAFE continues to push a resolution that singles out Israel, thinly veiled under the banner of human rights, peace will not be achieved. Not on this campus. And not in this conflict. And that is the truth. Aaron Schaer is a second year law student.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
TV REVIEW
MUSIC COLUMN
Learning to love music
COMEDY CENTRAL
Two girls, one Kroll
‘Kroll Show’ kills in creative finale Nick Kroll delivers in absurd, hilarious season two By DREW MARON Daily Arts Writer
There are many criteria upon which a comedy can be judged: wit, relevance, satirical bite. But all of those pale in Acomparison to the one golden Kroll Show question of Tuesday nights every comedy: at 9:30 p.m. did it get laughs? In the case of Comedy Central “Kroll Show,” the answer is a definite yes. “Kroll Show” follows Comedy Central’s model of basing a show around a comedian with creativity and talent beyond the stage — a model that gave us gems like “Important Things with Demetri Martin” … and other times it gave us “Mind of Mencia” (I still have nightmares). But if “Kroll Show” is any indication, Comedy Central has accepted that talent and creativity beat out generic shock
Tuesday, April 1, 2014 — 5
humor every time. “Kroll Show” isn’t like other sketch shows. Instead of having a bunch of random jokes back to back, Kroll has instead created a twisted, anarchic world filled with reality TV-insanity and hysterically over-the-top characters. One of the most interesting things about the show is that all of the characters interact and intersect in some broader story. In the case of the season finale, that involved one of my personal favorite sketches, PubLIZity, a fake reality show about two best friends (each named Liz, of course) who run a public relations firm based on their names (because they’re both named Liz, get it?). The story this week follows the duo repairing the image of Blisteritos, a snack company whose products are so loaded with flavor, they’re literally blowing the minds of those who eat them — causing around 400 fatalities in the process. “There’s no such thing as bad press,” says Liz (played by Nick Kroll). The Blisteritos executive (guest star Seth Rogen) responds, “No this is universally terrible press.” The story also includes C-Czar
(also played by Nick Kroll), the star of “Dad Academy,” a show he wants to win so he can see his baby mama. In a twist, Nick Kroll and Jenny Slate (who also plays one half of the PubLIZity Duo) directly address the viewers out of character to talk about their roles and why they love them or where they came from. It’s here that we find out C-Czar’s baby mama is … Liz (Jenny Slate’s Liz that is)! If the story doesn’t make any sense, well that’s kind of the point. The world Kroll has created is one that is just absolutely bonkers. The scene where Liz (Nick Kroll) gets a condition known as “Blisteritos Lips” was particularly surreal. Good sketch shows are very difficult to come by. Done poorly, they can be annoyingly self-indulgent and (the very worst insult you can give to a comedian) boring. But done well, and we get “Monty Python” s and Stephen Frys. Behind the vulgarity of “Kroll Show” lies a pretty creative mind: Nick Kroll. The guy has always had talent but this series might just be his crowning achievement. It’s over-the-top, nonsensical and possibly genius for a sketch comedy featuring a character named C-Czar.
TV REVIEW
I like to say that my first concert came in 9th grade because, well, I was young enough to need ear plugs for my actual first concert. I don’t remember my age, specifically, but I do recall the trip to some bar downtown, where my dad hoisted me on his shoulder and we watched ELLIOT a ’90s staple ALPERN called The Cardigans rock out onstage. I think I liked one of their songs at the time; the rest is a blur from so many years ago. But the show I like to imagine as my real first show came in the spring of my freshman year of high school, well before I could drive myself to downtown Pittsburgh and catch something at Mellon Arena (where the Penguins used to play, f.y.i.). One weekend, my father once again surprised me with tickets to a concert — perhaps my favorite band at the time, Wolfmother. There was just one complication: We would have to drive to Cleveland and back, two hours each way, on a Sunday night. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be a problem. But, as this was beginning of my formative years in high school, I had a lot on my plate. The day after that Sunday, I was to begin conditioning practice on the high school lacrosse team — sure to be an absolute mire after a night spent driving to see a rock and roll band. I wouldn’t be stopped, though. This was Wolfmother before they broke up, right after they’d released that spectacular debut album. It’s one I haven’t listened to in far too long, a blend of new-
‘Jack’ going to survive By JOE REINHARD Daily Arts Writer
At the pilot stage, it can be difficult for a show to establish a clear direction. Of course, this is one of the most, if not the most, impor- B+ tant objectives of a good pilot, Surviving which is why Jack so many end up falling short. Thursdays at Even a qual- 9:30 p.m. ity premiere can have a harder FOX time attracting an audience if the people watching aren’t sure what to expect from it moving forward. In this regard, FOX’s “Surviving Jack” won’t have that issue. The episode itself isn’t without its problems, but “Surviving Jack” secures a sense of identity with its pilot. It also manages to be pretty darn funny along the way, which doesn’t hurt matters. The show may know what it wants to be, but meanwhile its main character Frankie Dunlevy (Conner Buckley, “The Abduction of Zack Butterfield”) is still struggling in that regard. This can be expected, as he is a teenage boy dealing with the problems teenage boys have: meeting girls, going
through puberty and fitting in. The show exploits the humor that can be derived from this sort of experience, but with an additional factor that proves to be the best part of the show: Frankie’s father Jack Dunlevy.
’90s alive and kicking in new FOX comedy series. Played by Christopher Meloni (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), Jack takes a strict, military-esque approach to parenting, something that doesn’t always go over well with Frankie. Still, Meloni’s character is not only at the show’s comedic backbone (the show would be tough to watch without him), but also its emotional core. Jack isn’t one for emotions himself, but his attempts at trying to help his son transition into adulthood (funny as they may be) are also well-intentioned. It’s this balance between comedy and wholesome family drama that
really defines what “Surviving Jack” is about. Outside of the father-son relationship, the next aspect of the show worth noting is its ’90s setting. The show flounders a bit here, but not because it fails to capture the time period. In fact, it’s perhaps too riddled with ’90s pop culture references. The setting helps define the show’s direction further (and it makes for some funny scenes, as Frankie and his friends try to steal porn from hobos because there’s no Internet), but it’s so obsessed with the decade that it becomes distracting, taking away from the humor. If the it managed to be a bit subtler with this element in particular, the jokes surrounding it would seem less forced and go over better. Despite being indulgent with its ’90s homages, “Surviving Jack” is a show with a certain universal appeal that’s hard to replicate in any age. It presents a nice mix of comedy and relatable — if exaggerated — family drama, so that during its weaker moments (such as when Meloni isn’t on screen), it’s still worth watching. When the show’s funny, it’s really funny, and even the strict Jack Dunlevy himself (who was angry over how “Jurassic Park” was too unrealistic) would approve.
The venue itself consisted of a small section of tables and chairs in the back, and two paths to make it down to the main floor. Nobody had VIP tickets or anything special — it was a mad dash, shoving the weak out of the way in order to secure a place near the stage. Unfortunately, I was one of those weak ones, but nonetheless my father and I pushed our way to the third row, and from there, I watched my first show. As you might expect, this was also the first time I’d ever witnessed someone do drugs. The show was rowdy, albeit not too dangerous, and when I turned to avoid a cup of beer thrown from the first row, I saw the man standing behind me. He held
Alpern is looking for his Wolfmama. If found, e-mail ealpern@umich.edu.
Mobb Deep returns to its roots on ‘Infamous’ Daily Arts Writer
FOX
Wolfmother started it all.
a joint in his mouth and was drawing from it when we made eye contact. I can’t imagine the paranoia he must have felt — first seeing the 15-year-old watching him smoke weed, and then noticing the much larger father to the right. Luckily for him, I kept the secret, due in no small part to my obliviousness. I figured it was a cigarette at the time — only in my retrospection have I realized my mistake. But the show turned out to be a blast, my favorite long past I’d seen other shows (broken only when I saw Foo Fighters during a downpour at Lollapalooza). And, exactly as I’d anticipated, we got home near 2 in the morning, exhausted. The next morning, I pleaded with my father to let me sleep in, but — as expected — I was forced to make the bus on time, usually at a cool 7:20 a.m. When I got home that afternoon, with a couple hours left until my first practice, I spent them sleeping, so much that I woke up with a scant 15 minutes left. All of this is a long way of explaining that, unfortunately, my coach was not a happy man when I showed up to the first conditioning a few minutes past the start time. But even as we ran sprints for every minute I was late, I had that concert fresh in my mind, and when I got home that night, sore and almost delirious with exhaustion, I knew that music had become the focus of my passion. Four years later, and I applied to write for the Music beat over the Sports section — and it all began with that crazed sprint to the front of the stage.
ALBUM REVIEW
By JOSH FRAZIER
“Watch it, you ‘Jack’-off!!!”
wave Zepplin and pure psychedelic rock — figure that my favorite song is called “Joker & The Thief.” Enough said? Regardless, we still made the trip, even though my father was notoriously against me missing school — even if it meant just a few hours sleep before that first day of conditioning. And still, to this day, I haven’t had an experience that compares, even after multiple festivals and countless shows covered for The Michigan Daily and otherwise. We arrived at the club an hour beforehand and, luckily, got a spot fairly close to the front of the line. Doors opened at 7 p.m. and, after a wait full of anticipation and some small amount of nerves, they let us through to the main room. No order, no reason, just pandemonium.
Hip Hop loves being nostalgic. Many of today’s biggest artists pepper their music with callbacks and shout-outs to an earlier B era. Everyone, it seems, longs The for the feel of Infamous New York City in the mid-’90s. Mobb Deep In that spirit, the Mobb Deep new album from Mobb Deep is a Infamous Records throwback to the sound that made them famous. The Infamous Mobb Deep comes 19 years after the duo’s greatest work, 1995’s The Infamous. It’s easy to see the connection that Havoc and Prodigy are trying to make here; this album is the spiritual sequel to a street-rap masterpiece. The record has a gritty, throwback feel, and the two rappers trade bars over strippeddown beats that evoke modernity and a classic feel at the same time. Song titles like “Timeless” and “Legendary” make it clear that the pair of Queens-bred rhymers have not lost a step. It is difficult to stay relevant after two decades of making music, yet the veteran emcees are on their eighth studio album — no small feat by any means. The 17-song project is a celebration of this accomplishment, and the lengthy tracklist takes the listener on a tour of NYC Hip Hop from past to present. Nas and Busta Rhymes, two of the East Coast’s all-time greats, are featured, and both deliver stand-out verses that prove once again why they are among New York’s finest. There is the requisite French Montana feature, an indictment of the present-day state of New York rap. “All A Dream” features all three members of The LOX and a prominent sample of “Juicy,” one of the most famous rap songs of all time. It is clear that Havoc and Prodigy want to associate themselves with elite company. In addition to interpolating The Notorious B.I.G., The Infamous Mobb Deep has guest verses from Snoop Dogg, Bun B and Juicy J,
all bonafide rap legends. While The Infamous Mobb Deep is not a classic by any means – it’s too long and too predictable – Havoc and Prodigy deliver a competent album that regales the listener with everything you would expect: boasts of beating cases, lots of talk about wealth and multiple “Scarface” references. In a way, the lack of inventiveness on The Infamous Mobb Deep is refreshing. Mobb Deep knows their strengths and have once again painted the picture of street wealth. The production is catchy yet sparse, and the oft-menacing beats perfectly accompany tales of drug dealing and murder. Other tracks focus on success and opulence over expensive-sounding beats, provided by Havoc himself, Boi-1da, Illmind and The Alchemist. “Whole life, we grinding for the dough / and leave behind a legacy,” Prodigy raps on “Legendary,” discussing how he and Havoc will be remembered. Mobb Deep will never be as successful as Jay Z, as critically
revered as Nas or as iconic as Biggie. There are countless New York rap legends who have entered the public conscious. The Wu-Tang Clan, Puff Daddy, Big Pun, Big Daddy Kane, Black Star, Pete Rock, A Tribe Called Quest and countless others helped make NYC the hip-hop capital of the world. Still, Prodigy and Havoc deserve to be considered members of that elite fraternity of pivotal members in New York rap history. The Infamous Mobb Deep is not a great album, but it is a serviceable reminder that Mobb Deep was once among the hardest groups in rap. There is no “Shook Ones Part II” on their new album, but Havoc and Prodigy are as grimy and threatening as they have ever been. “Guts spill, have you praying to the Lord” is a pretty terrifying line, and it is delivered with complete conviction. This is the perfect soundtrack to an empty street corner at night. Even after 20 years in the rap game, The Infamous Mobb Deep sees the duo sounding as fresh and as menacing as ever.
News
6 — Tuesday, April 1, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
U.S. and Israel discuss release of spy prisoner Jonathan Pollard may be freed to advance peace talks in the Middle East JERUSALEM (AP) — The United States is talking with Israel about releasing convicted spy Jonathan Pollard early from his life sentence as an incentive to the Israelis in the troubled Mideast peace negotiations, people familiar with the talks said Monday. Releasing Pollard, a thorn in U.S.-Israeli relations for three decades, would be an extraordinary step underscoring the urgency of U.S. peace efforts. Two people describing the talks cautioned that such a release — which would be a dramatic turnaround from previous refusals — was far from certain and that discussions with Israel on the matter were continuing. Both spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks on the record. In return for the release, the people close to the talks said, Israel would have to undertake significant concessions to the Palestinians in Middle East negotiations. Such concessions could include some kind of freeze on Israeli settlements in disputed territory, the release of Palestinian prisoners beyond those Israel has already agreed to free and a guarantee that Israel would stay at the negotiating table beyond an end-of-April deadline. Secretary of State John Kerry met for several hours late Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before sitting down with chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and another Palestinian official. Kerry was expected to meet again Tuesday morning with Netanyahu before flying to Brussels for NATO talks on Ukraine. U.S. defense and intelligence officials have consistently argued against releasing Pollard. Pollard, an American Jew, was a civilian intelligence analyst for the U.S. Navy when he
gave thousands of classified documents to his Israeli handlers. The Israelis recruited him to pass along U.S. secrets including satellite photos and data on Soviet weaponry in the 1980s. He was arrested by FBI agents in Washington in 1985 after unsuccessfully seeking refuge at the Israeli Embassy in Washington. He pleaded guilty to leaking classified documents to Israel and received a life sentence. President Barack Obama and his predecessors have refused to release Pollard despite pleas from Israeli leaders. Apart from any negotiations in the meantime, Pollard could be released from prison on Nov. 21, 2015 — 30 years after his arrest. He has been serving his sentence at a federal facility in Butner, N.C. White House spokesman Jay Carney on Monday declined to discuss any possible deal. “He is a person who is convicted of espionage and is serving his sentence. I don’t have any updates on his situation,” Carney told reporters at the White House. Ahead of his trip to the Middle East last March, Obama told Israeli television station Channel 2 that Pollard “is an individual who committed a very serious crime here in the United States.” “He’s been serving his time,” Obama said. “I have no plans for releasing Jonathan Pollard immediately but what I am going to be doing is to make sure that he, like every other American who’s been sentenced, is accorded the same kinds of review and the same examination of the equities that any other individual would provide.” The president said at the time that he recognized the emotions involved in the situation. But he added, “As the president, my first obligation is to observe the law here in the United States and to make sure that it’s applied consistently.” Various suggestions for deals for Pollard’s release have been floated over the years, and they were raised again last week in the Israeli press. The long-running Middle
Classifieds
East peace negotiations are snagged over several issues, including wither Israel will agree to release more than two dozen prisoners. They include 14 Arab Israelis whom Palestinian authorities consider to be heroes and freedom fighters. Israel considers them terrorists. Israel has already released three other groups of prisoners as part of the peace negotiations that began last July. All had served lengthy terms for involvement in attacks on Israelis, and scenes of them returning to jubilant celebrations have angered the Israeli public. A fourth batch was scheduled to be released on March 29, and the delay has prompted Palestinian authorities to threaten to end the negotiations. Netanyahu has said he would present any additional release recommendations to his Cabinet — where approval is not guaranteed. Netanyahu’s coalition is dominated by hard-liners who have been extremely critical of the previous releases. The final release is especially contentious because it is expected to include convicted murderers and Arab citizens of Israel. Carney declined to offer details when asked about that prisoner release. “This is a complicated issue that is being worked through with the parties,” he said. Pollard is said to be in poor health. His case has become a rallying cry in Israel, where leaders say his nearly three decades in U.S. prison amounts to excessive punishment. Pollard enjoys widespread sympathy among Israelis, and Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have routinely pressed Obama and other U.S. presidents for his pardon or release. Stiff opposition from the American military and intelligence community has deterred the White House. Intelligence officials have argued that his release would harm national security and that the U.S. must maintain a strong deterrent to allies by warning them of the consequences of spying on American soil.
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
FOR RENT
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Bart’s mom 6 Pooch in whodunits 10 Super-fast fliers, briefly 14 Multiple choice options 15 Tater 16 Poi base 17 City on Spain’s Southwestern coast 18 School semester 19 Some Neruda poems 20 Collegian’s specialty 23 Take home the trophy 24 ’70s-’80s TV role for Robin Williams 25 Bawl out 28 Make illegal 29 “Love __ Madly”: Doors hit 30 Actor Wallach 31 “I __ sorry” 34 TV athletic award 37 Surgical beam 39 Retire 42 Practical joke 43 Prince William’s alma mater 44 Chooses, with “for” 45 Escape 46 Sound system part 48 Lid for a lad 50 Rio Grande city 52 City north of Pittsburgh 54 Tank or tee 57 Kitchen appliance 60 Turn over 62 Reagan secretary of state 63 Megastars 64 In excess of 65 Footwear insert 66 Former midsize Pontiac named for a native Mexican 67 Cancún cash 68 Tiff 69 Skeptical
DOWN 1 Colorful parrot 2 Counters with beads 3 Flying ’50s film monster 4 Graph paper design 5 Itchy skin inflammation 6 Up and about 7 Bit of dust 8 Gang land 9 Look up to 10 Casual vodka order 11 Prepares for the cattle drive 12 Three, in Turin 13 Distress letters 21 “Water Lilies” painter Claude 22 Ranks below marquises 26 Fully attentive 27 Loses energy 28 Timely benefit 29 Source of a shot 31 Orchard tree 32 Work on a wall 33 Cattle drive concerns 35 Ladder lead-in
36 Greenhouse container 38 Physics particle 40 Decree in imperial Russia 41 Practical joke 47 Coffeehouse orders 49 Old reception aid 51 Last Olds made 52 Writer Jong 53 “Correctomundo!”
54 Govt. security 55 One with an unsettling look 56 Irritating 58 One may be on a woodpile 59 Wood-shaping tool 60 Badge bearer 61 One who succumbed to a serpent
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
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In this aerial photo, the Williams Northwest Pipeline plant is seen after a natural gas pipeline ruptured at the plant in Plymouth, Wash., Monday.
Gas plant explodes near Oregon-Washington border 400 citizens forced to evacuate area in wake of disaster GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — A large explosion rocked a natural gas processing plant on the Washington-Oregon border Monday, injuring four workers, causing about 400 people to evacuate from nearby farms and homes, and emitting a mushroom cloud of black smoke that was visible for more than a mile. The 8:20 a.m. blast at the Williams Northwest Pipeline facility near the Washington town of Plymouth, along the Columbia River, sparked a fire and punctured one of the facility’s two giant storage tanks for liquefied natural gas. Benton County Sheriff Steven Keane said a relatively small amount of gas leaked from the tank to the ground in a moat-like containment area. But it then evaporated, blowing away to the northeast, he said. “I think if one of those huge tanks had exploded, it might have been a different story,” Keane said. The fire at the facility about 4 miles west of Plymouth was extinguished within a couple of hours. One of the four injured workers was transported to a Port-
land, Ore., hospital specializing in burns, he said. The other three were taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston, Ore., where spokesman Mark Ettesvold said they were treated in the emergency room for injuries that did not appear to be lifethreatening. More than a mile away across the Columbia River, the explosion shook Cindi Stefani’s home. “It was just a very loud boom,” she said. “I looked across the river and saw a giant mushroom cloud and flames at least a couple hundred feet high.” Animals on neighboring farms were running around, she added. “At that point we were pretty scared. I was thinking, ‘We need to get out of here.’” Deputies went door to door to homes and farms within a 2-mile radius, evacuating about 400 residents as a precaution. Buses were provided for those without cars, and a shelter was set up across the river in Oregon at the Umatilla County Fairgrounds. As part of the evacuation, Highway 14 and railroad tracks were shut down. Deputy Joe Lusignan said the voluntary evacuation could last overnight. No one was being prevented from returning to the evacuation area, which was calculated based on the damage expected if
one of the two storage tanks blew up. The facility provides supplemental gas during times of high demand for a 4,000-mile pipeline stretching from the Canadian border to southern Utah. Its two storage tanks for liquefied natural gas each have a capacity of 1.2 billion cubic feet, Williams spokeswoman Michele Swaner said. The one that punctured was about a third of the way full. Swaner said the 14 employees working at the time were all evacuated and accounted for. A total of 17 or 18 people work at the facility. She added it was too early to determine the extent of the damage or the cause of the explosion. The pipeline was shut down in the area of the storage facility, but was still carrying gas on other stretches. Video taken by a Washington State Patrol bomb squad robot was being evaluated, and plans were being developed to send up a helicopter for an aerial assessment of the facility, authorities said. A pipeline engineer with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission will investigate the cause of the explosion and communicate with the western region of the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the commission said.
Russia pulls back a battalion from the Ukrainian border Thousands of troops leave Crimea, but many remain in place
SIMFEROPOL, Crimea (AP) — Russia said Monday it was pulling a battalion of several hundred troops away from the Ukrainian border but kept tens of thousands in place, prompting a worried response from the Kiev government about what the U.S. warned was still a “tremendous buildup.” Russia moved quickly to strengthen its economic hold on Crimea, with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev arriving in the newly annexed peninsula with promises of funds for improved power supplies, water lines, education and pensions for the elderly. Russia’s takeover of the strategic Black Sea region, its troop buildup near Ukraine’s border and its attempts to compel constitutional changes in Ukraine have markedly raised tensions with the West and prompted fears that Moscow intends to invade other areas of its neighbor. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin told German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a phone call Monday that some troops were being withdrawn from the Ukraine border, Merkel’s office said. The withdrawal involved a battalion of about 500 troops, Russian news reports said. The U.S. reacted cautiously to the Russian troop movement, with Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel saying that “tens of thousands” of Russian forces still remained along the Ukrainian border, a situation he called “a tremendous buildup.” The new government in
Ukraine said the action only increased its uneasiness about Russia’s intentions. “We have information that Russia is carrying out incomprehensible maneuvers on the border with Ukraine,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Yevgen Perebyinis said. “Troops in some places are moving backward, some of them are moving forward. Which is why, obviously, we are worried by these movements of armed forces. We have no clear explanation from the Russian side about the aim of these movements.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also discussed Ukraine by phone Monday, a day after holding talks in Paris, the Russian foreign ministry said. A senior U.S. official said Lavrov had promised Kerry that a division of Russian troops would be pulled back; a division generally consists of thousands of troops. “Now there have been reports of possible drawdowns of Russian military forces from the border. We haven’t seen that yet, but if they turn out to be accurate, that would be a good thing,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said. Concerns of a possible invasion of eastern Ukraine — home to many ethnic Russians — were stoked by the large numbers of troops Russia had along the Ukrainian border for what Moscow said were military exercises. One Russian battalion — about 500 troops — that had been sent to the Rostov region next to Ukraine was being withdrawn to its permanent base in the central Samara region, Russian news agencies quoted the Defense Ministry as saying Monday. Alexander Rozmaznin, deputy chief of the Ukrainian armed
forces command center, also confirmed a drop in Russian troop numbers along the border. In Kiev, meanwhile, Ukraine’s acting president flatly rejected escalating Russian pressure to turn Ukraine into a loose federation. “Russia’s leadership should deal with problems in the Russian Federation, and not with Ukraine’s problems,” Ukraine’s acting president Oleksandr Turchinov said. “It is Ukrainians that should dictate the form of the new constitution and how the country is structured.” Medvedev, who led a delegation of Cabinet ministers on a surprise visit to Crimea, pledged that Russia would quickly boost salaries and pensions and pour in resources to improve education, health care and local infrastructure. But making no mistake about Russia’s view of the peninsula, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin tweeted a photo of himself upon arrival with the words “Crimea is ours, and that’s that.” Russia’s defense minister, meanwhile, announced that all Crimean men of conscription age will get a deferral from the draft for one year. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March after a hastily called referendum just two weeks after Russian forces took control of the Black Sea region. Ukraine and the West have rejected the vote. The annexation came after Ukraine’s president, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted in February and fled to Russia following months of protests. Russia claims the ouster was a coup and that the new Ukrainian authorities are nationalist fascists who will abuse Ukraine’s large ethnic Russian population.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Tuesday, April 1, 2014 — 7
SOFTBALL
Wagner stays focused after flirting with perfection By KELLY HALL Daily Sports Writer
TERESA MATHEW/Daily
Freshman forward Zak Irvin and the Michigan men’s basketball team came just seconds away from the Final Four.
An unfair season for ‘M’ I NDIANAPOLIS — It’s been 20 minutes since the Michigan men’s basketball team lost to Kentucky, 75-72, in the Regional Semifinals — 20 minutes since it was four points from a second straight Final Four appearance. A 6-foot-8 fifth-year senior is doing everything he can to hold back tears after his final SIMON college KAUFMAN basketball game — and failing to do so. Three sophomores are answering questions about their futures — whether they’ll stay another year or not. A senior team manager in khakis and a maize polo is sitting on a water cooler with his head down, trying to hide puffy red eyes. He didn’t play, but it was his last game, too. It’s easy to say they’re looking forward to next year. Easy to say how proud they were of this past season. Easy to praise Jordan Morgan, the lone player graduating. It’s easy to reflect, easy to compliment the opponent and to try, no matter how hard, to keep their heads up and their emotions back. This isn’t your YMCA youth basketball league and not everyone gets a trophy. And that’s not easy to accept, because after the year Michigan had, it doesn’t seem fair it will leave emptyhanded. It’s not easy and maybe it’s not fair, either. Maybe it’s not fair to ask a team that started the season 6-4 to compete for a National Championship. Not fair to
expect that a team that lost two starters to the NBA and an AllAmerican to an injury would win the Big Ten title by three games. Not fair to tell a sophomore who still wears braces that he should’ve played better defense on that last play. Maybe everyone was caught up in the lure of last year. Still replaying Trey’s shot, trying to forget Harrison’s. Maybe the expectations weren’t fair. But, as is said, life is not fair, not easy. And if ever there was a microcosm to emphasize that fact it would be sports. It would be college sports. And it would be March Madness. Because in real life, 18-yearold kids aren’t asked to be perfect or be forgotten. But that happens in college basketball, and it happens every March. And that’s OK. It’s what makes a stadium of 35,551 explode when a Wildcat guard hits a deep 3-pointer with two seconds left, and it’s what makes a six-year-old boy wearing a maize Michigan jersey grab his dad’s leg and cry when a Nik Stauskas heave misses a minute later. It’s the reason Caris LeVert is sitting in a chair in the locker room with his legs sprawled out and his arms crossed. He doesn’t look like the player that carried the team many times this season. He looks like a little boy who’s been put in timeout by his mom and told to think about his bad behavior. The sophomore bops his head every couple of seconds, not like he’s singing a song but more like he’s replaying the previous 40 minutes — thinking about every play, what he could’ve done differently so that he wasn’t sitting dejected and expressionless after the game. He doesn’t deserve that feeling
— certainly not after the season he had. But just down the hallway from Michigan’s locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium there’s a room full of Kentucky players who don’t deserve that agony either. And yet that’s the reality of it. It’s the best time of the year because anyone can take the spotlight and any star can become an afterthought. It’s Bowl Week, the Frozen Four and Opening Day all wrapped into one spectacular month. And in reality, it’s probably too much emotion squeezed into a four-week stretch highlighted by 40-minute contests than is healthy for us. But we still prescribe it to ourselves. Because no matter how hard, how unfair, that’s the fun of it. And just like each champion holds the title temporarily, so too, each loss fades away. Across the locker room from LeVert, Jon Horford playfully flips Max Biefeldt the bird, disapproving of a quip Bielfeldt made. They both laugh. Morgan talks with family on his way out of the stadium. One fan tells him that she watched every game. He smiles. With a swarm of reporters around him, Michigan coach John Beilein is level-headed. It’s hard to tell if his team just lost in the NCAA Tournament or in a preseason exhibition game. He praises, reflects and looks forward. That’s the easy part. Taking a team that had no business having such high expectations after roster changes, and bringing it so close to another Final Four, that’s the hard part. Kaufman can be reached at sjkauf@umich.edu or on Twitter @sjkauf.
Haylie Wagner didn’t realize she had a perfect game going. The junior left-hander had thrown six perfect innings and was two outs away from the elusive milestone. But someone had to tell her that in the aftermath. Wagner’s one-hitter was the third of her career. It would’ve been the first seven-inning perfect game in Michigan program history since Sara Griffin in 1996. It’s not something that happens very often. So how did she not notice? “My whole warm-up preparation, I was very focused and locked in,” Wagner said. “I was focusing on the little things. In the past few weeks, that’s been a problem — I just haven’t been very sharp.” Wagner collected four strikeouts and retired 19 batters in a row before she ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out in the seventh, Wagner hit Penn State’s Kasie Hatfield. Up until that point, Wagner’s unwavering confidence had allowed her to stay consistent. After she hit Hatfield, though, she allowed a single that consequently ended her no-hitter. Her steadiness had wavered.
That’s not to say she can easily be rattled. Pitchers like Wagner have to stay calm in any situation that crops up, and Wagner’s steadfast concentration was only paused in the seventh when she hit a batter. “I have many pitches that are my strengths, and I also think it’s me being able to have a short memory,” Wagner said. “If something goes wrong, I’m able to go out there and just forget about it because it’s in the past. If I walk a batter or hit a batter or something, I forget about that one and go onto the next because there’s nothing I can do about it.” Wagner displayed her ability to quickly regain focus with a pair of strikeouts to end the contest, holding the two baserunners from advancing. The lefty has practiced staying relaxed on the mound, and it paid off. On Saturday, Wagner had the chance to face the Nittany Lions once again (0-6 Big Ten, 6-21 Overall) when she started the final game of the series instead of freshman right-hander Megan Betsa — and again, she
flirted with a no-hitter deep into the game. But, Karlie Habitz, the same batter who ended Wagner’s no-hitter the day before, singled through the left side for an RBI to not only break up the no-hitter but also the shutout. Habitz’s single jump-started Penn State and sparked a fourrun inning, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the mercy rule from being enacted. The Wolverines won their final game of the series 12-4. Wagner’s one poor inning out of 12 didn’t worry Michigan coach Carol Hutchins at all though. “Haylie pitches to her strengths, and her pitching coach calls to her strengths,” Hutchins said. “It’s not always strikeouts, but the goal is to jam them up and work them on the other side on the plate and mix it up. A good pitcher takes away the batter’s (timing). She just does what she does — nothing more, nothing less.” Wagner now boasts a 17-0 record. If that doesn’t scream consistency, it’s tough to find something that does.
“She just does what she does — nothing more, nothing less.”
MICHIGAN BASKETBALL IS HEADED TO THE FINAL FOUR! April Fools
8 — Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
BASEBALL
Five Things We Learned: ‘M’ takes 2-of-3 from Iowa By BRAD WHIPPLE Daily Sports Writer
1. When the Wolverines are good, they’re elite. The Michigan baseball team had a successful week. The Wolverines have won four of their last five games, including three in the Big Ten and two by one run. Wednesday, they toppled Western Michigan in a 12-4 blowout, but before Iowa this weekend, questions remained if they were just lucky or have serious potential. The latter was on display when Michigan (3-3 Big Ten, 12-15-1 overall) won the series against the Hawkeyes, 2-1, and remained tied for fourth in the conference. The two wins proved the Wolverines can beat almost any team behind a defense that showed its bright spots and an aggressive offense that decides to appear at the plate when it needs to. “When we’re pitching to contact and letting the defense work, we’re going to be pretty good,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “Our defense is pretty good and fundamentally sound. Combine that with clutch hitting and that’s post-season baseball — pitching to contact, making the routine plays and getting timely hits. “We’ll be playing in June if we can continue to do those things at a high rate.” 2. Defense is (nearly) seamless. In the three games against Iowa (3-3, 15-9), Michigan made only one error. “We can play defense with anyone,” said junior center fielder Jackson Glines. With the fourth-best fielding percentage in the Big Ten, the Wolverines held the Hawkeyes
to just two stolen bases despite Iowa being the second-best basestealing team in the conference — Michigan, though, is first. Meanwhile, right fielder Jackson Lamb pulled off a second full-extension catch this season in the ninth inning of Saturday’s 4-2 win, earning the freshman the limelight in SportsCenter’s Top 10. “Defensively, we’ve shown at times not only to make the routine plays, but the highlightreel catches,” Bakich said. 3. For Michigan, no lead is safe. Sunday, the Wolverines learned this the hard way and it almost cost them a win. They jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, and later scored four in the fifth inning. Then in the eighth, junior left-hander Trent Szkutnik exited after pitching seven innings and allowing just four hits. During relief, senior righthander Alex Lakatos’ first batter singled and he walked the next. With no outs, freshman right-hander Keith Lehmann replaced Lakatos, but even a second reliever couldn’t do much — he allowed a hit and a walk to give the Hawkeyes one run. It took Michigan two more pitchers to get out of an inning that lasted 45 minutes and gave Iowa five runs to tie the game. The Wolverines retired the ninth after five batters and Glines’ walk-off single ended the game, but that didn’t change the fact that the bullpen has proven anything can happen and a lead is never safe. “We didn’t have the relief pitching we wanted today,” Bakich said. “Too many free passes and uncompetitive pitchers from our relievers.”
4. The Wolverines are more disciplined at the plate. Just because they’re disciplined doesn’t mean they’re afraid to hit, though. Sunday, Michigan made contact on the first two pitches of the game. These batters didn’t get on base, but swinging at the ball is exactly what the Wolverines, ranked first in the Big Ten for strikeouts, needed to start doing. Getting the bat on the ball is dependent upon plate discipline, something Michigan has improved. The players swung more aggressively, particularly at the fastball, and even generated some runs with two outs. The Wolverines’ at-bat patience was best shown during the fifth inning Sunday, when they took five straight walks and scored five runs. But Bakich still thinks his team can do a better job of laying off the breaking pitch in the dirt or the off-speed pitch out of the zone, and has given his players a simple two-step approach at the plate. “First, (we have to swing) at good pitches early,” Glines said. “Second off, hold the zone.” 5. Romano is out. Friday, a runner stealing slid into third baseman Ramsey Romano’s left hand, breaking two of the freshman’s bones. Romano was slow to get up to go to the locker room, and later returned to the dugout with a sling. Sunday, Bakich predicted Romano might be out six to eight weeks, saying it’s a situation where he could be back for the postseason or receive a medical redshirt. Romano visited the doctor Monday. “It’s going to have to be determined if the bones will set or if he needs a screw,” Bakich said.