ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, September 16, 2014
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Regents to consider IM building renovations Board to also approve $168 million South Campus projects MCKENZIE BEREZIN/Daily
LSA junior Kidada Malloy speaks with Rackham student Becky Christensen at the Inclusive Language Kickoff in the Michigan Union Monday.
Campaign aims to show students power of words Inclusive Language campaign serves to improve campus climate By CHARLOTTE JENKINS Daily Staff Reporter
Monday, the University’s Expect Respect initiative officially launched the Inclusive
Language campaign in the Michigan Union. Both the kickoff event and the campaign aim to raise awareness about the power of language in everyday discourse on campus. Amanda McLittle, coordinator of Diversity Education in University Housing, said given incidents like Theta Xi’s “Hood Ratchet” party and the Black Student Union’s #BBUM Twitter campaign last year, the University created the program to
help improve campus climate and understanding. “We don’t talk enough about how our language and the words that we use, and how they impact others,” McLittle said. “Last year’s events showed that this has always been needed.” The campaign aims to educate students about hurtful phrases that are not inclusive and eliminate language that perpetuates hate and prejudice.
The words and phrases included in a pamphlet distributed at the event included statements that were heard on campus. ILC materials referenced phrases like “I want to die,” and “that’s so gay.” The former, according to the pamphlet, belittles those who have selfharmed or attempted suicide by implying that their struggle is laughable or insignificant. Phrases like “that’s so gay” See CAMPAIGN, Page 3
By CLAIRE BRYAN Daily Staff Reporter
At their first meeting of the academic year this Thursday, the University’s Board of Regents is expected to vote on more than $180 million in capital projects related to varsity and intramural athletics. The board will consider the construction of a $168 million South Campus athletic facility and a $18.7 million renovation of the University’s Intramural Sports Building. Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus project begins Pending approval by the regents, the University will construct a 310,000 square-foot space to serve student-athletes involved with the Michigan men and women’s track and field, cross country, soccer, lacrosse, wrestling, tennis, gymnastics and women’s rowing
teams. The facility will include an outdoor track venue fit for 2,000 spectators and an indoor track facility that can accommodate 1,000 fans. An outdoor lacrosse stadium planned for the site is expected to house 3,000 spectators. The facility will include shared performance space, locker rooms, strength and conditioning facilities, meeting space and sports medicine facilities. When completed, the space is expected to host national, regional and local competitions but will be also be available for recreational use. The project is largely funded through a $100 million gift from real estate tycoon Stephen Ross, a University alum, along with Athletic Department Resources. Last fall, Ross donated $200 million to the University’s Athletic Department and the Ross School of Business, giving each unit $100 million. Ross was made the business school’s namesake in 2004 when he donated his first $100 million to help renovate the school’s facilities. The recent $200 million gift is the largest single donation to the University to date, and at their See REGENTS, Page 3
GOVERNMENT
ANN ARBOR
Political parties try to encourage student voting
City Council encourages tax for road maintenance
With midterm elections approaching, groups aim to engage young voters By BEN ATLAS Daily Staff Reporter
As a potential shift in the balance of power in Washington looms with just 50 days until the midterm elections, both Republicans and Democrats have begun ramping up voter mobilization efforts with an eye towards a demographic historically not keen on showing up at the polls: young people. By some estimates, the Democrats are projected to lose control of the Senate and remain the House minority, according to The Rothenberg Political Report, though popular political statistician Nate Silver has noted many Senate races narrowing in Democrats’ favor in recent weeks. Getting young voters to the polls is crucial, as midterm elections tend to attract an older, white and more conservative electorate. To achieve that, Democrats at the national level are emphasizing their interests in youth issues like equal pay, marriage equality and access to contraception. “It’s really critical we underscore how important the contrast (between the parties) is here and
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 67 LO: 45
the choice that young people are going to have,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D–Fla.), the Democratic National Committee chairwoman, said in a conference call last week hosted specifically for college journalists. One decisive issue Democrats will emphasize is student loan refinancing. The Senate is scheduled to vote this week on Bank On Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act, which would allow current borrowers to refinance their student loans at the rates now set for first-time borrowers. Last summer, Congress authorized students taking out new loans to pay a rate of 3.86 percent; this bill would allow all outstanding borrowers — some of whom pay rates higher than 7 percent on their loans — to restructure their payments at this new lower rate. What many proponents of the bill take issue with is the amount that the government profits off its student loan program. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Department of Education is projected to amass $127 billion in profit over the next decade from the program — a surplus that Sen. Chris Murphy (D–Conn.) called on the call “egregious and unjustifiable.” Opponents of this bill take issue with how lowering the borrowing rate would be covered. The current bill, sponSee VOTING, Page 3
Taylor proposes resolution to fund county-wide improvements By EMMA KERR
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Teen author Celeste reflects on her expierences with cancer at the Chronicling Childhood Cancer Reading at Literati Bookstore Monday.
Alum’s book raises money for pediatric cancer care Event at Literati Bookstore examines trials of childhood cancer By EMILIE PLESSET who has this position
Tightly packed between stacks of colorful books, about 50 University students and members of the Ann Arbor community shuffled into Literati Bookstore Monday evening to hear two cancer-surviving authors tell their stories featured in the recently published book Chronicling Childhood Cancer: A Collection of Personal Stories by Children and Teens with Cancer.
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The book was edited and compiled by Medical student Trisha Paul as part of her Honors English thesis last semester as she wrapped up her undergraduate work before applying to medical school. It told the stories of 10 children and teens between the ages of 8 and 18 through narratives, journal entries, lists and personal drawings. Two of these children were Ruben and Celeste, who shared their stories at the event. “At its core, this project has been a way for me to learn more about what humanity is,” Paul said. “To learn more about how we act as people and how to treat other people.” The event honored September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and donat-
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ed 50 percent of the book’s proceeds to the University’s “Block Out Cancer” campaign, and the other 50 percent to the Child and Family Life Program at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Literati co-owner Mike Gustafson, an Ann Arbor resident, said that while the bookstore has held events in the past where portions of the sales were donated to charity, this was the first event where all the proceeds were to be donated. Literati’s owners felt the emotional nature of the book would have a big impact on its readers, and made it a good candidate for a charity event. “The book has a very personal, human aspect to it that See BOOK, Page 3
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Daily Staff Reporter
The Ann Arbor City Council is joining Washtenaw County in expediting the creation of a new revenue stream action to fix the city’s roads. At Monday’s City Council meeting, Councilmember Christopher Taylor (D–Ward 3), the Democratic nominee for mayor, proposed a resolution in support of a county proposal to levy a 0.5-mill tax for the improvement of existing roads and infrastructure. The resolution — essentially a show of support for the county’s proposal — passed with a 10-1 vote, with only Councilmember Jane Lumm (I–Ward 2) dissenting. Five councilmembers co-sponsored the resolution, including Sabra Briere (D–Ward 1), Stephen Kunselman (D–Ward 3), Sally Hart Petersen (D–Ward 2) and Chuck Warpehoski (D– Ward 5), along with Taylor. The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners created a committee in July to analyze the possibility of using Act 283, which permits the county comSee ROAD, Page 3
NEWS............................ 2 SUDOKU........................ 2 OPINION.......................4
ARTS............................. 5 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS.........................7
News
2 — Tuesday, September 16, 2014
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles Profiles
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers Before You Were Here
THURSDAY: CampusProfiles Clubs Alumni
PROFESSOR BETH GENNEÉ
Studying the legacy of Fred Astaire Beth Genneé is a professor of Dance and Art History and specializes in 20th century American and European ballet as well as dance in American cinema. Her upcoming book will focus on the contributions of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly to the evolution of dance in American musical films.
Is there a specific artistic genre that you like to specialize in? Right now I’m writing a book about dance and film musical, specifically on Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. I love the genre of American dance that both Astaire and Kelly do. I think it deserves more careful placement in the history of dance and music. One of my other great interests is the choreographer George Balanchine. He created some of the most extraordinary modern dance; I would call him a modern ballet choreographer. I love all kinds of dance and art.
What inspired you to pursue your field of study? I absolutely adore visual arts and dance and music, as well and film. I just research things I love to look at. I just love my subject, I feel like I’m really lucky to be studying things I really, really love.
michigandaily.com OPINION
Why we need gentle feminism By ALLY WRIGHT Wright argues feminist slam poetry should be cautious of condescending and agressive language. It is at risk of leaving viewers feeling less than motivated.
OPINION
Artists embody womens’ voice By LINDSAY LAIRD Artist Amanda Heng’s exhibit “Missing” highlights voices that are not typically included in mainstream discussions, most specifically the voice of women.
FRIDAY: Photos the Week Week Photos of the
BOOK SMARTS
What projects are you most proud of? I wrote a book on the founder of the Royal Ballet, Ninette de Valois and Bar aux FoliesBergère, it’s called The Making of a Choreographer. I’m very proud of that; she’s not only a remarkable person in all the things she did, she was a key force in the founding of British dance culture in the century but it was also very important to me that she was a woman. I also think I had a hand in making the history of dance more visible in the Academy here at the University. — EMILIE PLESSET
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Professor Petra Kuppers (LEFT) leads a workshop at the opening of The Olimpias Projects: Salamander Exhibit in Lane Hall Monday.
Tuvia Ruebner MHealthy’s Big Tailgate poetry talk
Anniversary Reception
WHAT: The University WHAT: Israeli poet & translator Rachel Tzvia Back community is invited to will give a talk on the poetry enjoy free healthy tailgate and poetics of pre-eminent snacks, games, inflatables Hebrew poet Tuvia Ruebner. and a Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament. WHO: Department of English Language and Lit- WHO: MHealthy WHEN: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. erature WHERE: Ingalls Mall WHEN: 4 p.m. WHERE: 202 S. Thayer
WHAT: CRLT-Engin is celebrating the teaching at the University’s College of Engineering with a wine and cheese reception. WHO: The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching in Engineering WHEN: 4 to 6 p.m. WHERE: Lurie Center
Guest Recital: Anti-fracking Trambonists discussion
Latin@ Kickoff WHAT: Latin@ Studies will celebrate Latina/Latino Heritage Month with reception and a lecture by William Calvo-Quirós. WHO: Department of American Culture WHEN: 4 to 6 p.m. WHERE: Kelsey Museum of Archaeology CORRECTIONS l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
Netflix announced that it will soon launch in France, Quartz reported. The company agreed to make 20 percent of it’s content local to France to secure the launch. Netflix will also launch in five other European countries later this week.
2
Despite the surprise drop of their latest album, Beyoncé style, Daily Arts Writer Amelia Zak writes that the album is average on the whole. Sentiment doesn’t make up for being sonically mediocre. >> FOR MORE, SEE ARTS, PAGE 5
3
An independent compensation fund determined that General Motors underreported the number of people who died from faulty ignition switches in their vehicles, the Detroit News reported. The fund has approved claims for 19 deaths.
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WHAT: Craig Brainard will WHAT: Alumni recital discuss the threat fracking featuring University of poses to Michigan’s fresh Arizona trombone professor water. Moisés Paiewonsky and U.S. WHO: Matthaei Botanical Navy Band bass trombonist Gardens and Nichols ArboMichael Brown. retum WHO: School of Music, WHEN: 7:30 to 9 p.m. Theater & Dance WHERE: Matthaei BotaniWHEN: 8 p.m. cal Gardens WHERE: Moore Building
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BUSINESS STAFF Madeline Lacey University Accounts Manager Ailie Steir Classified Manager Simonne Kapadia Local Accounts Manager Lotus An National Accounts Manager Olivia Jones Production Managers Nolan Loh Special Projects Coordinator Jason Anterasian Finance 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.
Detroit bankruptcy trial United States open to talks resumes after settlement with Iran on Islamic State Judge denies bond insurer’s request for further delay DETROIT (AP) — A judge refused to extend a timeout Monday in Detroit’s bankruptcy trial after a deal with a major creditor removed another opponent from the city’s plan to exit the largest Chapter 9 case in U.S. history. A bond insurer, Financial Guaranty Insurance, said it needs more time to craft trial strategy after another insurer ironed out a settlement with Detroit. But Judge Steven Rhodes said Financial Guaranty should have been prepared to lose an ally, and he resumed the trial with testimony from a pension actuary.
The trial was suspended last Wednesday so Detroit and Syncora could reach an agreement. Syncora is getting cash and long-term leases on a parking garage and the tunnel between Detroit and Canada, among other concessions. The settlement will help “return the city to its citizens,” said Detroit attorney David Heiman, adding that Syncora and the city “have laid down their swords.” Syncora and Financial Guaranty have been the most aggressive opponents in Detroit’s bankruptcy, especially because the city is refusing to sell art to pay debts. The judge is hearing evidence to decide whether the overall bankruptcy exit plan is fair to creditors and feasible in the years ahead. Thousands of retir-
ees would see a 4.5 percent cut in their pension. Separately, Syncora lawyers from the Kirkland & Ellis firm in Chicago apologized to two mediators who brokered a deal that prevents the sale of art and improves the city’s pension funds. Syncora had accused Gerald Rosen, a federal judge, and Eugene Driker, a local lawyer, of “naked favoritism.” They were accused of stiffing other creditors in order to help retirees and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Syncora lawyers in a summer court filing had also taken a jab at Driker’s wife, Elaine, who is a former museum trustee. Rhodes called the filing “scandalous and defamatory.” “We are deeply sorry for the mistake we made and for any unfounded aspersions it may have cast on Chief Judge Rosen and the Drikers,” Syncora attorney James Sprayregen said in a filing Monday.
But Secretary Kerry rules out military collaboration PARIS (AP) — As more than two dozen nations pledged Monday to help Iraq fight the Islamic State militants, the United States said it was open to talking to Iran about a role in resolving the crisis, despite Washington’s earlier opposition to Tehran even attending the conference. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry ruled out any military coordination with Iran, which in the end was not invited to Paris. “That doesn’t mean that we are opposed to the idea of communicating to find out if they will come on board, or under what circumstances, or whether there is the possibility of a change,” Kerry told a small group of reporters. France and Iraq see Shiitepowerhouse Iran as an interlocutor who could bring its influence
to bear in the region against the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State group, but some Arab states, like Saudi Arabia, disagree. The U.S. opposed a place for Iran at the conference. But Tehran, which has political and military influence with its neighbor Iraq, still managed to be part of the conversation. The absence of Iran underscored the conflicting sensitivities and complex politics in the region as Western countries seek to battle the Islamic State group, which has taken control of large parts of Iraq and Syria. The meeting of foreign ministers from Asia, the Middle East and the West was a first step toward deciding who does what in a multilayered offensive against the Islamic State group. As envisioned by France and Iraq, the effort would include intensifying airstrikes, cutting off financing, and helping Baghdad cope through humanitarian aid and reconstruction. There would be no combat troops on the ground, however. As the conference began, two French jets took off over Iraq in France’s first reconnaissance missions over the country in a sign of the larger battle ahead. The United States has led airstrikes over Iraq since August. “We are asking for airborne operations to be continued regularly against terrorist sites. We must not allow them to set up sanctuaries. We must pursue them wherever they are,” Iraqi President Fouad Massoum said, an apparent reference to neighboring Syria. Syria, deep in a civil war waged in part by rival extremist groups, was the wellspring for the Islamic State group, with its fighters sweeping across the border into Iraq, overwhelming the military in Sunni-dominated Anbar province and capitalizing on grievances against the Shiite-led government in Baghdad. The fighters went on to conquer Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, with the U.S.-trained military
crumbling, and seized tanks and other military equipment, then steamrolled across northern Iraq. The CIA estimates the group has access to between 20,000 and 31,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria — including foreigners lured to the cause. The recent execution of three Western hostages — British aid worker David Haines and two American journalists — added new urgency to the task of creating a viable strategy to knock out the Islamic State group. “We must cut off their financing. We must bring them to justice and we must stop the fighters in neighboring countries from joining them,” Massoum said at the conference opening. The group brings in more than $3 million a day from oil smuggling, human trafficking, theft and extortion, according to U.S. intelligence officials and private experts. The Paris meeting was a coalition of strange bedfellows, some of whom have allegedly financed extremist groups in Syria and Iraq, and others, like Russia, which backs Syria’s Bashar Assad who is also supported by Iran. Less than a week ago in Baghdad, Kerry was clear about the U.S. position regarding Iran, embroiled in a years-long dispute with the West over concern that Tehran wants nuclear weapons. “The United States does not cooperate, militarily or otherwise, nor does it have any intention in this process of doing so, with Iran,” he had said. France, stressing a pragmatic approach, felt Iran could be an ally against a common enemy if, as President Francois Hollande said, Tehran “abides by principles permitting a sincere and useful conversation.” On Monday, Kerry, in an apparent about face, said he wouldn’t shut the door to talking to Iran about a common enemy. “We’re not coordinating with Iran, but as I said, we’re open to have a conversation at some point in time if there’s a way to find something constructive,” he said.
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NEWS BRIEFS
CAMPAIGN From Page 1
DETROIT
One man arrested in shooting of seven-year-old girl Detroit police say they’ve arrested a 22-year-old man and are seeking a second suspect in the shooting of a 7-year-old Detroit girl who was caught in their crossfire while bike riding. Police said Monday they’re seeking a second man in the Sunday afternoon shooting that critically injured India Williams. India was biking in a northeast Detroit neighborhood when the suspects began shooting at each other from two vehicles. Sgt. Eren Stephens says India was shot as one vehicle followed another car at high speed. Kentice Tucker tells The Detroit News her niece was hit in the shoulder and chest.
WASHINGTON
U.S. airstrikes aid Iraqi fight against ISIS militants U.S. officials said Monday the United States has taken the first step in its planned expanded fight against Islamic State militants, going to the aid of Iraqi security forces near Baghdad who were being attacked by enemy fighters. The U.S. Central Command said it conducted two airstrikes Sunday and Monday in support of the Iraqi forces near Sinjar and southwest of Baghdad. The strikes represent the newly broadened mission authorized by President Barack Obama to go on the offensive against the Islamic State group wherever it is. Previous U.S. airstrikes in Iraq were conducted to protect U.S. interests and personnel, assist Iraqi refugees and secure critical infrastructure. These strikes were in direct support of Iraqi forces fighting the militants.
BANGUI
UN takes over C. African Republic peacekeeping The United Nations took over a regional African peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic on Monday, nine months after sectarian violence erupted that has left at least 5,000 people dead and has forced tens of thousands of Muslims to flee into exile in neighboring countries. About 1,800 additional peacekeepers and police joined the mission as the United Nations took over, along with some 4,800 African troops and 1,000 international police from the previous mission. But the newly combined force is only about 65 percent of what was authorized by the U.N. Security Council in April. The U.N. Security Council, human rights groups and others called for the full and speedy deployment of the nearly 12,000-strong force, which diplomats have said won’t take place until early 2015.
KIEV, Ukraine
Six killed, fifteen wounded in east Ukaine city Shelling killed six people and wounded 15 others in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, the city council said Monday — the worst reported violence since a ceasefire between Russian-backed rebels and Ukrainian troops took effect on Sept. 5. Fighting around the eastern city’s government-held airport has left its northern neighborhoods in the crossfire. Two northern neighborhoods were shelled heavily Sunday, leading to the casualties and damaging both homes and offices, the city council said. Loud blasts could be heard from the direction of the airport all day Monday, and gunfire intermittently rang out downtown in the afternoon. —Compiled from Daily wire reports
imply that those who do not identify as heterosexual are abnormal or wrong. McLittle decided to bring the program to the University after attending a Big Ten Housing Officers Conference session on diversity and inclusion last October. The ILC is modeled after a similar program at the University of Maryland. Students have been involved in the campaign since its inception. McLittle and other staff members held focus groups with a variety of students to determine what the campaign should entail. These groups included Diversity Peer Educators, residence hall staffers, Greek life members and students living in residence halls. “It’s the little things like what people say in class or on the bus that is overheard,” McLittle said. “They’re not so overt, but still affect people on a really deep level.” LSA senior Iqra Nasir, a diversity peer educator, said she most hopes the campaign helps students recognize how their words affect others. “When you actually take the time to stop and think about
BOOK From Page 1 makes it easy to connect and understand in a way that some non-fiction could be off putting,” Gustafson said. Many of the narratives discussed the authors’ feelings of confusion, fear and hope during their treatments. Some of the drawings illustrated the authors’ feelings about losing their hair or the author talking to friends while going through treatment. One particular picture featured the author’s house in one corner of the picture and the hospital in the opposite corner. Between the two buildings was a long and loopy line with no clear direction. The picture’s caption read, “the never ending car ride to the hospital.” The event was emotional and intimate as many of the students and Ann Arbor community members in the audience were friends and family of those involved in the project. After Ruben and Celeste recounted their emotional journeys, the audience was given the opportunity to ask Paul and the authors questions about their experience completing the project and have their copies of the book signed. Assistant Prof. Dr. Rajen Mody supervised and mentored
ROAD From Page 1 missioners to levy taxes without voter approval. The committee’s report is expected to be released Wednesday. The money collected from taxpayers will only repair existing civil infrastructure, and improvements include surface treatments, repaving and a mixture of maintenance treatments for roads. “The county has an opportunity to raise a one year millage from the county and from the city,” Taylor said. “Ann Arbor residents demand better roads. To have better roads, we need more money, and I know the county will be talking about their options but I hope they will decide to provide this extra money.” While the city has no control over the decisions of the Board of Commissioners, Taylor said he hopes to encourage the board, which includes Ann Arbor City Administrator Steve Powers, to pass this millage. Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje said the proposal is a good temporary solution in the absence of action by the state because it only applies to one year of taxes. The board is considering putting this decision on the ballot for referendum in the upcoming Nov. 4 election. If approved, Ann Arbor would receive an additional $2.4 mil-
News what it (a word) means, you can realize that this can actually hurt someone,” Nasir said. The event included food and items including t-shirts and informational pamphlets. Students signed a pledge stating they would strive to always use inclusive language. McLittle said that roughly 400 students signed the pledge at the event and added that a number of University staff had lent their support to the campaign. LSA junior Jeff McAtamney said he hopes students incorporate the message of ILC campaign into their daily activities. “I think it’d be a better community if everyone could talk in a more proper manner,” McAtamney said. McLittle said her long-term goals for the campaign are to keep collaborating with Expect Respect and Change it Up, a bystander intervention training program, to make sure dialogue about this issue continues. McLittle said she hopes to see students in the future taking ownership of their ability to make a positive campus. “I don’t think students realize how much power they have,” McLittle said. LSA freshman Lara Moehlman contributed to the reporting.
Paul throughout the project. He said many of his patients and their families feel like his extended family. “The one thing about pediatric cancer that people normally do not realize is how resilient the kids are,” Mody said. “I tell everyone that kids are my heroes. I learn from them how to deal with adversity.” Though Paul has volunteered at the Mott hospital for the past five years, she said the project had a profound impact on her and allowed her to grow her relationships with the patients. “It’s truly been an honor and a privilege to get to work with these children and adolescents,” Paul said. “Especially by confronting a lot of the personal and intimate components of their experiences with cancer I’ve been able to really grow close to them over the time I’ve spent with them.” Paul said she hopes to continue sharing the project and would like to hold another similar event for the authors who were unable to attend the reading. “It was a very heartfelt and open and honest experience to be a part of,” she said. “It took a lot of bravery and courage for the child and teen authors to stand up there and share their story in front of this large audience.”
lion for road repairs. In a memo to the Council and Hieftje, Powers said street maintenance and repair is a necessity in Ann Arbor. This one-year proposal would apply only to infrastructure maintenance in 2015, and the tax would be levied in December 2014. Councilmember Sabra Briere (D–Ward 1) said the millage is not a long-term solution. “The state enabling constitution allows the county to do this one time, but each year you do it you must specify the roads that will be maintained and the cost of that maintenance,” Briere said. “It is very specific and very directed. If they are able, they could bring it back again next year, but they would have to designate different roads and different costs.” Councilmember Chuck Warpehoski (D–Ward 5) said road maintenance is like changing the oil in a car, meaning the more time that passes without a resolution, the more costly the problem becomes. However, Warpehoski said it is the state’s responsibility to find a long-term solution to repair the roads. Lumm, the only council member to dissent, expressed concerns about raising taxes. “I certainly think we need to fix the roads, but this is about us taking the decision away from voters on taxes without giving them any time to react,” Lumm said. “Voters should decide all tax questions.”
Tuesday, September 16, 2014 — 3
REGENTS From Page 1 October 2013 meeting, the regents voted to name the athletic campus in Ross’ honor as well. In a communication to the regents, University Athletic Director Dave Brandon and Douglas Strong, interim executive vice president and chief financial officer, said the facility will serve two-thirds of the University’s student-athletes. TMP Architecture will begin designing the project immediately, but a construction schedule will not be completed until schematic designs are presented to the board.
VOTERS From Page 1 sored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) proposes to enact the Buffett Rule: no person with an annual salary higher than $1 million should pay a lower effective tax rate than those with smaller incomes. Though some House Republicans have argued the interest rate should rise and fall with the economy, LSA senior Gabe Leaf, chairman of the University’s College Republicans chapter, said lowering interest rates would be a helpful policy for many students. “Student debt is a very troubling thing for a lot of students,” Leaf said. “If we can get those rates down, people will have
IM Building to undergo renovations Thursday, the regents will vote on $18.7 million worth of improvements to the 106,000 square-foot Intramural Sports Building. Originally constructed in 1928, it was the first building across higher education institutions to be devoted primarily to intramural sports. The project will reconfigure the existing space to create a larger cardio workout area, new group exercise rooms, locker rooms, improved racquetball courts and staff offices. The renovation will also improve accessibility and include mechanical, electrical and plumbing work; lighting improvement and gymnasium floor replacement work for the aging building.
Investment proceeds and the Student Life Student Fee for Facility Renewal will fund the initiative. In April 2013, the regents, with support from Central Student Government and LSA Student Government, voted to administer a $65 per-term student fee to fund the renovation of campus unions and recreational sports facilities. The Student Life Student Fee for Facility Renewal includes renovations to the Michigan Union, Pierpont Commons, the North Campus Recreation Building and the Central Campus Recreation Building. Integrated Design Solutions and RDG Planning and Design will head the design of this project, which is expected to begin upon approval of the regents.
more disposable income and stimulate the economy.” Leaf said he opposes Warren’s proposed revenue mechanism, which he sees as a tax increase, but would favor exploring avenues other than taxes to pay for loan restructuring, like a reallocation of funds from other federal departments. The importance of mobilization efforts has spread to groups on campus. Leaf said College Republicans are joining forces with statewide Republican efforts. They will use Facebook to ensure young voters stay informed on pertinent issues, and inform them of voter registration procedures. The College Democrats are also prioritizing get out the vote initiatives, LSA junior Stephen
Culbertson, College Democrats communications director, said. The group plans to maintain a presence on the Diag until the registration deadline to distribute information on registration. Both groups anticipate hosting local politicians. Its members will also go to phone banks and do door-to-door flyering. Aside from the two parties, the University’s Office of the Vice President for Government Relations is involved in educating students on how to register to vote in time for November’s elections. The deadline to register to vote in Michigan is Oct. 6, and the Michigan Secretary of State’s office will be on campus at the Michigan League Monday, Sept. 22 to assist students with their registration needs.
Several cities considered for Obama’s future library Presidential library could be in Chicago, New York or Honolulu WASHINGTON (AP) — Chicago, New York and Honolulu have made the short list to host Barack Obama’s future presidential library. The Barack Obama Foundation, which is developing and raising money for the massive legacy project, announced Monday that it has selected four universitiesto compete for the library, culled from an initial list of 13 applications submitted earlier this year. The University of Hawaii, in Obama’s birthplace Honolulu, made the cut, as did New York’s Columbia University. The University of Chicago, where Obama used to teach, and the University of Illinois at Chicago round out the list. The four institutions will now have until December to submit formal, in-depth proposals detailing their vision for the library. The foundation’s board plans to vet those proposals before presenting their recommendations in early 2015 to the president and first lady Michelle Obama. The Obamas will then make the final decision.
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“These four potential partners have come the farthest in meeting our criteria and have each demonstrated a strong vision for the future Obama Presidential Library,” said Marty Nesbitt, Obama’s longtime friend and the board’s chairman. Who didn’t make the cut? A handful of other Chicago-based groups, including activists in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, a cultural landmark for African-Americans. Another bid from advocates who wanted to build the library at the former U.S. Steel South Works site alongside Lake Michigan. Building the library, which will house the repository for Obama’s presidential records and artifacts, is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and will serve as a permanent monument to Obama’s legacy. If other presidential libraries are a guide, there may be an accompanying presidential center, foundation or policy institute that could help Obama coordinate his post-presidential activities. Susan Sher, Mrs. Obama’s former chief of staff and now a top University of Chicago official, said her institution has already discussed the possibility for collaborating with two of the other institutions that made the short list, although she declined to specify
which ones. She said the university would spend the next few months gathering more input from community and cultural groups. “We’ll be working on making the case for what the South Side would bring to the Obamas, in terms of a library that would help further their legacy and what the library would do for the South Side of Chicago,” Sher said in an interview. In its 18-page request for proposals, released Monday, the foundation asked for detailed proposals that include how the project would be managed and organized, what financial contributions the institutions or their partners can offer, and how much the institution plans to pay any consultants. The foundation also wants to know about opportunities for academic collaboration, diversity goals and potential marketing strategies. Although all of the institutions chosen have already spent months preparing their pitches, their work has only started. The foundation also wants in-depth analyses of potential building sites, including development costs, traffic studies, tax and zoning status, and public transportation options. It’s also asking for specifics about demographics and economic trends within a 5-mile radius of proposed sites.
Opinion
Page 4 — Tuesday, September 16, 2014
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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
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Sit with your differences
don’t like airports. Airports make me uncomfortable. Airports make me really uncomfortable. I worry about forgetting my passport, or tickets, or losing baggage, and planes crashing, and flying into comically bad storms, or having a drunk pilot (thank you for that, Denzel Washington). Mostly, airports make me uncomfortable because it’s a space that makes me HAYA hyper-aware. At any given ALFARHAN moment, I’m worried about looking suspicious, making sure I’m speaking perfect English instead of Arabic, and looking as friendly as possible. Mostly, what makes airports uncomfortable for me is having to try to compose myself in a way that puts strangers at ease. Up until very recently, I used the same strategy in most of my discussion-based classes. Instead of speaking my mind, I would censor myself, make a bland contribution, and leave the class with a mind full of statements I should’ve made instead. Until it finally dawned on me that comfort has no place in the classroom. When a classroom discussion is comfortable, nothing real is being said. In an effort to make students feel included and safe, most professors who teach “challenging” material often shut down discussions in class once one student hints that s/he feels uncomfortable. This practice is detrimental to the learning environment. Race, gender, religion, sexuality and politics should never be comfortable. Students should be able to feel safe to share their narratives and opinions in class. Students should feel respected. Students can even feel insulted. Students should not feel comfortable. Professors need to recognize that there should be a distinction between feeling “safe” and feeling comfortable. Often, people use them interchangeably, and that needs to be stopped if classrooms are aspiring to become progressive spaces. If students are forced out of their comfort zone, they’ll initially feel uncomfortable, but eventually that discomfort will trigger a need for exchange. They’ll start
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attempting to question their discomfort, their opinion, and deconstruct their views, leading to valuable discourse. When safety and comfort are equated, it reinforces pre-existing privilege dynamics. When white students refuse to force themselves to ponder the input of their fellow students of color during discussions on race, it’s because their privilege affords them that comfort. When male students proclaim that their female classmates are exaggerating, it’s because they’re not ready to acknowledge a narrative that questions their privilege. When privileged individuals are unwilling to interrogate their internalized biases because it makes them uncomfortable, it forces students with marginalized identities to trigger themselves emotionally to make a point. Privileged comfort comes at the cost of triggering marginalized students. Students who trigger themselves do so because these topics consume their lives and a lack of discourse in class is genuinely painful for them. These are often topics that they’re constantly thinking, analyzing and being plagued by. Yes, professors should be able to facilitate their class discussions better, but it’s also students’ responsibility to engage wholeheartedly. They should be receptive to narratives that threaten their view of the world. They should welcome it. They should sit with their discomfort. It’s in spaces that trigger discomfort for me that I’ve learned deeper truths about myself. It’s in those spaces I’ve come to understand the struggles of others and worked to understand my role in the equation. It’s in uncomfortable exchanges and conversations that I’ve been able to evolve as a person. Discomfort is not fun, but it will make you a less shitty person. It will make you relearn things, teach you compassion, and yes, it might even make you realize some pretty painful truths. When you make the choice to be comfortable, you’re making the choice to accept what you’ve been taught about yourself and your role in the world with no questions. —Haya Alfarhan can be reached at hsf@umich.edu.
The esquina caliente
f you’re a kid or an unemployed twentysomething living in Havana, to you the corner of 23rd and G Street is the “esquina caliente,” or the hot corner. It’s populated by skaters using second hand boards brought over by Canadians, drug dealers selling tiny bags of marijuana tied up with floss, kids, young and old, looking to befriend tourists and foreign stu- ABBY dents. The corner is a meetTASKIER ing spot, an important site for creative expression, and yet, the corner is a microcosm of Cuba — a nation from which its citizens can’t escape. As a foreign student at the University of Havana, I elected to take a class on the political economy of socialism. My Cuban friend said he’d teach me everything I’d need to know about Cuba’s political economy — it’s “nada mas, y nada menos que tremenda mierda.” Nothing more and nothing less than tremendous shit. Those born after the Cuban Revolution ended in 1959 didn’t choose for their livelihoods to be dictated by the transition towards perfect socialism, a false concept. Or that the word transition, a word the Cubans are governed by, is merely a justification for forcing their contribution to an economy that leaves only the tourists they’re swindling happy. They’re trapped in an experiment they never wished to be a part of, one drawn up in the philosopher Karl Marx’s mind. The Cubans feast on the funds that trickle in from foreign pockets as a result of persistent economic instability and social immobility. Through the tourist and sex tourist industries, Cuba’s economy makes a significant portion of its revenue, not including the money that’s absorbed by the Cuban sharks. The men and women alike who prey on the naiveté of dopey foreigners are called sharks or “tiburones.” Living there for a significant amount of time, I learned to mine through the clumps of salsa dancing tiburones, though I’d been assured that there weren’t many diamonds in the rough. However, with little time, it became obvious that being overly skeptical leads to dull results, and within a matter of days I found my own tiburón, as so many foreign students do in their efforts for cultural immersion. Alberto, el diablo of Cuba, as he was proclaimed, was my Cuban boyfriend and way in to Cuban society. “El Diablo” was written on the
top of his left forearm in thick, inky, black letters, re-affirming his nickname for the general public. He walked with a lack of urgency, and sported the same t-shirt almost every day — black with a picture of white skeleton bones. In exchange for a deepened cultural experience, it was expected that I’d pay for his food, drinks and sometimes even household items he and his family couldn’t afford. He’d beg me to lend him money for something “urgent,” the only time urgency meant anything to him, and would return the next day with no money and a brand new material possession, in one instance, a gold watch. In return for my coin, I was plunged into the depths of society — taken to underground art events that protested against the Castros, late night discussions with counterrevolutionaries over Cuban tobacco. As time rolled on our feelings further developed, despite my inner reserve, into much deeper sense of caring. Paradoxically, the amount we mutually exploited each other deepened as well. We became entangled within a power dynamic I never could have imagined being a part of, one that left me with constant pangs of that American, white guilt. If I felt uncomfortable providing him with more money, he’d tell me the story of his father’s abandonment when he fled to the U.S. All of his grievances were worthy of complaints. He was minimally educated, practically imprisoned on this island of desperation and regardless of my nominal financial help continued to be stuck in a system that cared little about his individual needs. But did that warrant his manipulation of me? And at the end of the semester, when he ran off with my phone and no goodbye, were his theft and deception justifiable? It’s an incredibly difficult question to answer, whether or not someone’s situation can justify morally corrupt actions. But what I believe to be important in answering this is whether or not I as a privileged American can impose judgment on a poor and oppressed Cuban. The imposition of judgment is dangerous, as people from different backgrounds and opportunities tend to impose their judgment on those who have committed crimes, both petty and serious. Maybe it’s a system that causes someone to defy your morally acceptable chart. Or maybe it’s something else less obvious: a destructive family situation, mental illness, etc. Regardless, while Alberto continues to linger on the esquina caliente waiting for new foreigners and their phones, I’ll try hard not to blame him. —Abby Taskier can be reached at ataskier@umich.edu.
M
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Creating a new CAPS
y freshman year, I was depressed about life and in a situation that required immediate psychological services. Now, don’t ask me why I wasn’t happy. I guess I, like many students, take off my Supergirl “M” DEVIN costume when EGGERT I get home and return not to my alter ego, Kara Zor-El, but back to a nerdy school girl who forgets she can fly. Regardless, after a long delay of procrastination due to stigma and fear, I had finally buckled down the courage to make an appointment at the University’s Counseling and Psychological Services, also known as CAPS. The CAPS receptionist gave me two pathway options. I was faced with a decision: Become a crisis — a psychiatric emergency, with loud police sirens and a bill high enough to match my instability. Or wait a month for an appointment. Was this a joke? I can’t deal with a go left sign if you’re Van Gogh and go right if you’re Blair Waldorf and your date turned you down last Saturday. I can’t wait until the end of the month. I can’t even make it through the day. But, I’m not at the point where I need to be on “Grey’s Anatomy” or talk to Doctor Who in the ER about why I’m feeling like I’m dying. So instead of picking a side, I hid in my dorm room between classes and cried miserably. But, tears can fuel your drive sometimes, if you can learn to turn the switch. And that’s what I did. Being a powerhouse, I didn’t give up. I self-proclaimed my own solution to the problem of backed-up psychological appointments. “There will be a CAPS on North Campus. Not only will there be a CAPS, there will be a CAPS, SAPAC and Trottertype building all in Pierpont.” Come, victimized people of the North, we shall lead a rebellion riding our slowerthan-snails buses down the streets of Central Campus Ann Arbor! I don’t want one person on
campus to be alone like I was. Of course, this movement didn’t come in the form of caped crusaders or a medieval army shouting QUEEN OF THE NORTH! It came in the form of long comment cards and advocacy meetings with grinning bureaucrats graciously answering, “That sounds like an excellent idea — let me do absolutely nothing about it.” Four years later, no longer a freshman but a budding Daily columnist, I secured an interview with the CAPS Director Todd Sevig, for Student Suicide Awareness week. I had finally leveraged myself for my one-minute elevator pitch to change CAPS as we know it. I waited in the same CAPS front room I had been in many times before filling out bubbled evaluation sheets to test my sanity. I nervously smoothed out my button-down shirt and checked to make sure my voice recorder worked. Meanwhile, a dark-haired, quiet guy, whom I had already projected my own story on, entered the CAPS waiting room. Knowing how the journey of CAPS had gone for so many of my friends and me, I listened closer, waiting for the warm and smiling receptionist to unintentionally turn away his hesitant request for help … “OK, I’ll go ahead and set you up with a consultation appointment,” the receptionist replied. “I’ll get you a meeting within the next one to three days.” What? My head turned around. “How’s tomorrow?” What kind of world am I living in? Just then, the director of CAPS came into the waiting room to shake my hand and lead me to his office. “The wait time used to fluctuate from one to three weeks and that was what was uncomfortable,” Sevig explained. “And to be honest, it was uncomfortable for staff as well. We’re abolishing that whole concept. When
a student comes in asking for an appointment, they will get an initial consultation appointment within one to three days. Now, our crisis option for students will still be available, but the reality is, we’ve listened to students and most prefer setting up an appointment.” What? A department on campus that is actually receptive to student feedback? “What we, as a staff, listened to was this critique that the wait for CAPS was too long. We overhauled the old system in response. We had to completely change our mindset,” Sevig said. Sevig talked about a promotion of centralized efficiency, small changes adding up to suitable big changes and went over a newly created “draft” flowchart with me. Centralized efficiency? He had found my kryptonite ... And a flow chart? OMG it was too much to handle. In response to my North Campus woes, Sevig agreed. “CAPS has just initiated a new embedded counseling system this year within the school systems on North Campus,” Sevig said. “Currently we have a staff member in every school on North. It’s too early to tell, but so far it has been wellreceived.” Well, let me tell you, after fighting an uphill battle in terms of getting prompt psychological services for my fellow students, I could not be more pleased with the CAPS team’s response to the need for faster services. The director of CAPS asked me to encourage anyone who does utilize any type of service at CAPS to give feedback, because it has been invaluable in the process. I feel like I can hang my cape on this issue, though. Congrats, CAPS, that was a big win for you in my comic book.
But, tears can fuel your drive sometimes, if you can learn to turn the switch.
—Devin Eggert can be reached at deeggert@umich.edu.
MEKAREM ELJAMAL | MICHIGAN IN COLOR
Identity as a Michigan student People spend the whole summer preparing for their first days at Michigan. They’ve got everything for their dorm, books for their classes, plenty of nerves in their stomachs and the words of tour guides, old friends and University administrators running through their minds. But quite often there are some lessons that they’ve never been told. Last year, I was the student lugging all those unneeded books up to my dorm. My heart filled with the excitement of the unknown that was college. People told me what to bring for the dorm and what books I would actually need to buy, but no one ever said a word about the mindset I would need to bring to get through this year. It is perfectly okay not to be proud of this school It’s great that people are able to love this school as much as they do, but it is not a requirement to have that same enthusiasm. My freshman year put me firmly in the category of students who bleed red, not maize and blue. And I am quite okay with that. I go to the University of Michigan, which is very different from being a Michigan Wolverine. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Michigan has a long way to go before I will ever claim the identity of a Michigan Wolverine without it dripping in sarcasm. While I’m now comfortable with being a student at Michigan without that enthusiastic Michigan pride, I spent my first semester here either making up excuse after excuse for why I don’t feel like part of the Michigan community everyone speaks so highly of, or pretending that my love for this school runs just as deep as “everyone else.” Those first four months of school were consumed by telling myself these feelings of isolation were not due to the multitude of
issues that plague this institution; no, it was my fault, I wasn’t doing college “right.” It took me too long to realize that it wasn’t me doing college “wrong” that made me stand on the outside as everyone else cheered themselves hoarse with each “It’s great to be a Michigan Wolverine.” My experiences led me to this conclusion, and that conclusion is perfectly fine. Your experiences will bring you to your own conclusions. Maybe you will bleed maize and blue, maybe not. The only thing you need to do is honor whatever conclusion you come to. Question your professors I remember coming into orientation with people having told me that Professor X was just brilliant, and to listen to and absorb every word that came out of his mouth. Don’t get me wrong, Michigan has talented professors, but none of them are gods. Professors say some messed up things and need to be held accountable for it. So even though your friend said to bask in the glory of this professor’s brilliance, take your time and actually listen to what is being said. You aren’t at this school to regurgitate what your professors say; you’re here to learn how to think critically and draw your own conclusions. So start with your professors. Why did they choose to start the semester rattling off their many degrees or showing you a clip of themselves on MSNBC? Just as they ask you for an explanation of your opinions, be critical of what they say, how they say it, who is saying it, etc. Forget a significant amount of what you learned on tours and at orientation Once second semester came around and navigating my way around tour groups started to become part of my daily routine, I
couldn’t help but roll my eyes and recall how the University I was told about at orientation and on tours is vastly different from the one I experienced. Just remember the intention behind orientation and campus tours; they are meant to get you onto campus and then keep you here for the next four years. Respect the changes that come from this year I am far from the same person I was last September. And I have lost many friends because of it. These changes aren’t to be feared. Embrace them. Critique them. In the same sense that your experiences will bring about changes in yourself, don’t expect your friends to return home the same. Allow yourself to ignore what you “should” be doing and instead do what you want. Some of the best memories I have are from days when I put college as a distant second to the people who have supported me. Forget the paper due in two days and go to a friend’s event; stay up until 6 a.m. talking, dancing, eating; then repeat this the next day with late night runs to sweet shops and philosophical discussions lasting until 4 a.m. We all need these moments to just be and enjoy the people we have found. College is stressful. The deadlines, expectations and stupidity of people will get to you, so these moments when you completely ignore your “responsibilities” will not only serve you well, but will also fulfill your responsibility to yourself as an individual. Michigan in Color is the Daily’s opinion section designated as a space for and by students of color at the University of Michigan. To contribute your voice or find out more about MiC, e-mail michiganincolor@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Barry Belmont, David Harris, Rachel John, Nivedita Karki, Jacob Karafa, Jordyn Kay, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Paul Sherman, Allison Raeck, Linh Vu, Meher Walia, Mary Kate Winn, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts MUSIC COLUMN
ALBUM ALBUMREVIEW REVIEW
When live albums come alive
ISLAND
This picture is now on your iPhone.
U2 gets personal with mixed results Surprise album not up to band’s high standard By AMELIA ZAK For The Daily
Last year, Beyoncé surprised the world when she unexpectedly released the super-sensual, highly feminist BEYONB CÉ. Dismissing Songs of the retailing schemes Innocence and periodic U2 single releasIsland es typically leading up to an album’s debut, music’s best marketing strategy (for an international superstar at least) was realized: release your album with no warning. This ambitious and ultimately highly fruitful decision, however, had one important variable: this was Beyoncé. With a fan base as vehement as that of Ms. Knowles, the platform of any album would have mattered little. In releasing their unexpected Songs of Innocence, U2 has “Beyoncé’d” a well-written, nostalgic and at times powerful album. Appropriately named after William Blake’s 1789 collection of transcendence poems, this surprise album contains all the elements intrinsic to a U2 album: undertones of righteousness, Bono’s unwavering vocal abilities and awesome guitar jolts via the Gang of Four vintage guitar of The Edge. With this album, however, the band has prioritized variety. Songs of Innocence is an investigation of their past influences, whether personal or musical,
Tuesday, September 16, 2015 — 5
in a nostalgic storytelling format. The lyrics are direct and threaded with references to the past, heightening the experience for the listener where the song may have otherwise suffered. Written through the eyes of 50-year-old men as they look back, the album describes the process of reanalyzing one’s adolescence in an empathetic and understanding light. “Song for Someone,” for example, tells some of the life-long love story of Bono and his wife, Ali, and is threaded with personal references. Bono sings of an album they once shared, Kraftwerk’s The Man-Machine, singing “But it was you who made me your man/Machine.” Other songs, like the technically mediocre “Cedarwood Rood” and “Iris (Hold Me Close),” similarly draw in listeners with emotionally raw lyrics that share memories of a lost childhood by the early death of a mother. Songs with little sonic value are made interesting by sprinkles of highly personal and therefore fascinating reflections to a previously unmentioned past. The album is also used to pay homage to U2’s vast spectrum of influences, ranging from Joe Strummer to The Beach Boys to The Ramones. The heavy influence of The Ramones is even outrightly declared on the opening track of the album through Bono’s effusive lyricism, describing them as “the most beautiful sound I ever heard.” Together the tracks could create the preface to their musical anthology, working to make a sound that pays homage to the bands U2 has recognized as their glorious influencers. Sonically, the album is uninteresting. Songs of Innocence
is similar to Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto in that they both mix synthesizers and industrial electronics in hopes of familiarizing their classic sound to the 21st century. By attempting to make their music more relatable to the kids these days, both bands lost the intrinsic elements of what once made their sound cool. The addition of contemporary artist Lykke Li to the album’s final song, “Troubles,” wasn’t a bad decision, but perhaps the influence of youthful producers like Danger Mouse and One Republic’s Ryan Tedder molded the music too much to please another generation of music listeners. However emotional and personal the album may be, it feels over-processed and forced on too many occasions. The unforeseen success of Beyoncé’s most recent album was impressive and inspiring, but unsurprising when considering the passion of her fan base. U2’s surprise release succeeds in accomplishing its purpose: to act as a sonic time capsule for the band’s past and the influences and anecdotes they garnered along the way. U2 and even Bono personally have experienced decades worth of stardom, yet the age group they tried to access in their album’s release has less passionate connections to U2. Adamant followers of U2 are generally more likely to buy a material CD of this album and less likely to attempt to update their iTunes account. An instantly downloaded album is an exciting prospect for future popular artists, but is realized here as another mistake collected in attempting to amass appreciation from the uninterested millennials running the Internet.
There are only a couple of live albums that, in full, I would put in that special pantheon of Music That Has Truly Affected Me. One is by Van Morrison, one of the most legendary singersongwriters of all time. The other is by a one-hit-wonder ska-punk band. Let’s start ADAM with that THEISEN second one. I happened upon Our Live Album Is Better than Your Live Album by Reel Big Fish when I was in middle school, an age at which it seems any boy who discovers ska music will inexplicably fall in love with it. Unless you also had a ska phase, though, you’ve probably only encountered Reel Big Fish if you’ve seen the movie “BASEketball” or have heard the Michigan pep band play “Sell Out” (the group’s only charting single, released in 1997). I don’t necessarily recommend that you go listen to all two hours of Our Live Album … right now, but I will say that I played the crap out of that CD set. I’ll still go back to it nowadays every once in a while when I’m feeling nostalgic. It’s filled with juvenile, annoying jokes, but there’s still some fun to be had, with ’80s songs like “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Take on Me” covered and the genre experimentations that accompany that 10-minute version of “S.R.” The banter and the playfulness of the album helped me feel like I was building a relationship with the band as I was listening. Live albums, when they’re not just greatest hits collections with cheering placed in between the tracks or cashgrabs from bands who don’t really have much to offer in concert, can make you feel like you’re experiencing an artist for real. Even if I never actually saw Reel Big Fish in person, I kind of felt like I had met them and gotten to know them, just from how accessible, inviting and well-puttogether its live record was. But what about Van? I’ll never feel like I can truly know Van Morrison. His music is amazing because it always sounds like he’s on a higher spiritual plane than all of us. It’s Too Late to Stop Now, a live record released in 1974, still stands up today as one of the most beautiful, fun and astounding albums ever recorded. Anyone who has listened to masterpieces like Astral Weeks or Moondance
and loved them as much as I have needs to check this record out. It’s Too Late to Stop Now is Van Morrison at his jazzy, hyped-up, transcendent best. He has more light-up-the-room energy than he does on Astral Weeks (though slightly less mysticism), and he’s more fascinating, confident and riskier than he is on Moondance. From the opening jauntiness of the Bobby Bland cover “There Ain’t Nothin’ You Can Do” to the saxophone that blows like a foghorn on “Into the Mystic,” through the other soul covers, Them songs and Celtic ecstasies, Van dominates your consciousness and fills your heart.
Recording genius for posterity. If this sounds like hyperbole, listen to the album’s closer, “Cyprus Avenue.” The very-prettybut-not-overpowered centerpiece of Astral Weeks is turned here into a true roller coaster of a song if there ever was one. Everything is familiar and chilled out in the beginning, but gradually the incline starts to get steeper. The drumbeat, like your heart, starts to pound a little harder, and you get that twinge of discomfort as Van slows it down as much as he can, and you’re just anticipating exactly what’s to come. Finally, when you can’t take it anymore, when you’re at the peak, Van unexpectedly screams “IT’S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW!” and all of a sudden you’re rushing downhill as the horns in the song’s climax whip through your hair and you can’t seem to close your mouth or comprehend what exactly is happening and before you can form a coherent thought again it’s all over and, stunned, you get off the ride and start thinking about getting back in line/cuing up the record again to attempt to recapture that experience. Listen to the live version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Rosalita” from The E Street Band’s Live 1975–85 record and you’ll feel that same kind of energy. “Rosalita” in the studio is a classic, but the band tops it whenever it plays the track in concert. There’s an even tougher snarl in Bruce’s voice, and the E Street Band as a whole — freed from the confines of the studio — has an even more palpable, irreplicable chemistry. But the clincher
is when Bruce introduces his saxophonist, Clarence Clemons, who passed away in 2011. “AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST,” Bruce yells at the crowd, “DO I HAVE TO SAY HIS NAME? (No!) DO I HAVE TO SPEAK HIS NAME? (No!) DO I HAVE TO SAY HIS NAME? (No!) IN THIS CORNER, KING OF THE WORLD, MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE, WEIGHING IN AT TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY POUNDS … THE BIG MAN! CLARENCE CLEMONS!” In that moment, moreso than on any of his wonderful studio solos, Clemons feels absolutely immortal to me. These moments can be produced in a recording studio under the right circumstances, but a crowd just makes everything more powerful. There have been multitudes of legendary concerts: Dylan’s infamous electric tour in ’66, Nirvana on “MTV Unplugged,” Kanye and Jay-Z’s Watch the Throne Tour when they’d close by playing “Niggas in Paris” nine times in a row. But there’s a disconnect between many firsthand accounts of these shows and the footage that remains. I read them and then listen to the concert itself and I always get the feeling that I’m not quite getting something. The Beatles at Shea Stadium, I’m sure, was an amazing, formative experience for all the kids who were lucky enough to see it, but the videos that remain simply sound like Beatles classics played with ugly sound quality. I mean, it’s still great because The Beatles are legendary have tremendous charisma and the crowd is astoundingly large, but it’s much cooler as a historical document than as something I would actually listen to regularly and enjoy. It’s Too Late to Stop Now and the few albums it can be compared to are unlike anything else because it takes the greatness that I expect from someone like Van Morrison and puts it in front of a crowd, without any decline in the “wow” factor. Studio albums certainly have a better hit-tomiss ratio, and that’s where most songs are best heard, but the mind-blowing quality of some live albums that not only proves that transcendent musical works of art can be replicated in a place where plenty of people can share it in, but also records that experience for the enjoyment of posterity, makes them essential, unrivaled achievements. Theisen is revisiting his ska phase. To boogie with him, e-mail ajtheis@umich.edu.
FILM NOTEBOOK
Animation fuels modern cinema of attractions By CONRAD FOREMAN Daily Arts Writer
When I talk to people about films (a go-to topic when I feel the social awkwardness closing in on me), I find a majority of people tend to focus on the plot — whether the characters’ actions were believable, the ending fulfilling enough or the climax sufficiently exciting. Being a film nerd, I often focus on visual elements that seem to go unnoticed and/or unappreciated by many of my fellow viewers (or maybe just appreciated in different ways). Don’t get me wrong — I believe that film (and serial TV) is the most powerful platform for telling stories that we’ve ever seen (sorry, books). But film is so much more than just a story-telling medium. This idea hearkens me back to my SAC teachings at the University, specifically regarding the cinema of attractions. For those who don’t know (and probably don’t care), the term ‘cinema of attractions’ refers to films that appeal to viewers not for their stories, but for their trick photography, unique camera work and the ability to show viewers things they have never seen before. Most often the cinema of attractions refers to a period of early film history around the turn of the century (remember the old filmmaker from “Hugo?” — he was a real guy named George Méliès who spe-
cialized in cinema of attractions), during which the cinema of attractions had its glory days. Narrative cinema coexisted with its more avant-garde counterpart, but as films in general became more commonplace, trick photography wowed audiences less and less, and the psyche of the audience shifted: the story became more important that ever before. There are a number of reasons that narrative cinema won out over the cinema of attractions. Some are obvious, others more obscure (studios perhaps wanted productions that were easier to mass-produce). Regardless, the apparent truth is that classical Hollywood narrative films are far more popular than films that appeal to us visually. But are they? The top grossing film of all time is “Avatar,” and the new “Transformers” film (which I haven’t seen, but by all accounts is a junkyard come to life) has already earned over a billion dollars. I can’t speak to the storyline of “Transformers,” but I will say, as many have, that the plot of “Avatar” is nothing special; we’d already been told the same story in “Dances With Wolves,” “Pocahontas” and others. So why was “Avatar” still so successful despite telling an unoriginal story? Because it is classic cinema of attractions. The stunning animation and innovative 3D experience made “Avatar” a
phenomenon because people still want to be visually amazed. Unfortunately, creative editing and beautiful direction don’t amaze most viewers (only people like us nerds in the film section). That’s why, to me, the cinema of attractions lives on most vibrantly in the world of contemporary animation. And unsurprisingly, Pixar leads the way.
Watch ‘Kung Fu Panda’
ing — it beat out “Monsters, Inc.”). In 2009, the Academy further recognized the power of animation by awarding “Up” with a nomination for Best Picture. You want to talk cinema of attractions — it’s a freaking house being carried by balloons! On the flip side, “Up” also tells an amazing, unique story (not to mention the first ten minutes would make the saddest short film of all time). Still, the success of the film seems to hinge on the quirky things that can only be done through animation (dogs speaking and flying planes, a floating house, a boy who defies racial classification); were this simply the story of an old, lonely man connecting with
“The Little Mermaid” took us under the sea, “Aladdin” showed us a whole new world, but the two-dimensionality of the animation doesn’t hold a candle (or a “Lumière,” if you will) to “Toy Story,” released only three years after “Aladdin.” Computer animation offers opportunity to create entire universes separate from our own, where gravity works backwards, animals speak English and everybody walks around doing handstands. The leap forward in animation technology even prompted the Academy to create a specific Oscar honoring the year’s Best Animated Feature, first awarded at the 2002 ceremony (won by “Shrek,” if you’re wonder- Up? More like DOWN.
a young, boisterous boy, the film’s magic (at least in the visual sense) would be gone. In 2010 perhaps the best animated argument for the continued success of the cinema of attraction hit theaters — “How to Train Your Dragon.” The story of the film is nice enough, but the supporting characters aren’t as funny as they’d like to be; the real magic of the film is every scene in which Hiccup flies with his dragon, Toothless. I found myself somewhat uninterested in the plot, yet the flying sequences never cease to take my breath away. The follow-up to this film mirrors its predecessor in this way, and the culmination of the
trilogy in a few years will be remiss if it doesn’t show some major love to the flight sequences. I’ve listed only a few examples and I’m not really sure if there’s an argument here, or even a coherent train of thought. I suppose I’m mostly trying to say that I love animation and offer a semi-academic justification for why I see more children’s films than adult films in theaters. The cinema of attractions can survive nowhere if not the big screen. Take your “Transformers,” I’d rather punt all pretense of reality and be swallowed by the separate universe of animation. By the way, watch “Kung Fu Panda.”
PIXAR
Arts
6 — Tuesday, September 16, 2014
TV INTERVIEW
Octavia Spencer talks new FOX role Medical dramedy to premiere this Wednesday By ALEX INTNER Daily Arts Writer
When Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer (“The Help”) was asked about her decision to go into TV during a conference call in which The Michigan Daily participated, she noted the opportunities the medium can provide. “I’m an actor and I am looking for roles where I can continue to evolve, and things that are challenging ... It was the fact that, for me, the most interesting roles have been television.” Spencer’s new series “Red Band Society” follows a group of teenagers in a hospital’s pediatric ward, and the doctors and nurses who care for them. For the actress, it was an easy decision to commit to the FOX dramedy. “(I) absolutely, positively loved the show. Everything that you experienced as a viewer, I experienced as an actor reading the material. It’s on the page.” Another reason Spencer was drawn into the project was the level of talent behind the camera, as the show comes from Amblin Television, the production company of Steven Spielberg. “(He’s) my favorite director. So, when his name is on anything, of course I’m going to take it seriously.” “Red Band Society” has been described as “Glee” meets “The Fault in Our Stars,” and Spencer found the series’ tonal ambiguity fascinating. “Everyone has a different path that they walk in life ... The circumstances are definitely funny within this very serious situation. I was in awe when I read and I cried and I laughed a lot ... I think people will just run a gamut of emotions actually.” Spencer had nothing but nice things to say about the kids she works with on the show. “They’re really brilliant, very hard working, very, very intuitive young actors.”
She added, “I feel very blessed because I feel, even though I’m the oldest person on this show … I feel very lucky because it’s a very familial atmosphere. We are a very good unit. I feel lucky that I get to work with these guys every day.” What does she learn from working with the younger actors? “To continue to enjoy the process and have that free spirit about approaching the work and to not be so rigid.” The upcoming television season will feature an increase in the diversity on network television, with shows led by minority actors such as “Cristela” and Viola Davis’s “How to Get Away with Murder.” There’s also an expansion in the diversity of ensembles, including “Red Band Society.” Spencer thought the increase in diversity on her show was worthy of celebration. “I think that’s wonderful because it’s representative of the world that we live in. But I think diversity comes in the fact that you have an overweight beauty like myself being the lead of a show with Latin, Asian, African-American, gay (and) Jewish people. The hospital is one of the most diverse atmospheres that you could ever be a part of. So, I’m glad that all the creatives wanted to be truthful to that.”
She also had a lot to say about the strength behind her character, a nurse in the hospital. “You want to know why this woman is the way she is and why she chose to be a caregiver ... I think some of the strongest people are people who are quiet and not so brazen with their emotion,” she said. “What’s interesting about Nurse Jackson is I think her strength comes a lot of times in just her quiet moments. So, that’s what I like that you get to see a whole person and that I’ll get to grow with her as an actor.” Spencer also alluded to what viewers can expect from her character’s journey throughout the season. “I think that Nurse Jackson being a woman who is taking care of people who have, some of them, very serious illnesses ... There’s a lot that you have to do and she maintains that type of bravado, especially with the patients because you can’t give an inch sometimes, because people will probably likely try to take a mile.” She added, “But I think what you’ll learn about her as the season progresses is why she chose this line of work. You will determine whether or not she has a heart of gold or if she has a cold, cold heart.” “Red Band Society” premieres this Wednesday at 9 p.m. on FOX.
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MUSIC NOTEBOOK
MERGE
‘Smells like teen spirit.’
AF’s ‘Funeral’ turns 10 By BRIAN BURLAGE Daily Arts Writer
When I was a sophomore in high school, I used to think that in order to truly connect with a song, the volume on the radio had to be turned up to its maximum level (or somewhere close to it). Songs would blare through my speakers and fill the car with the very substance of their noise. Physics classes had taught me that songs and sounds travel in wavelengths and that wavelengths impose a kind of physicality on the surfaces they strike. To connect with a song meant to feel it approach your ears, to imagine its invisible rockets of sound ricochet off the walls or to let the wiry limbs of its instruments tangle and untangle around you like wind-blown balloon strings. Along with most other things in high school, that belief turned out to be more of a passing phase than a soulful commitment. I reveled in the senselessness of my personal ethos. When schoolwork, family or relationships clouded my mind, I would chase them out with sound. The bands blasting through the radio could do all the negotiating for me. I believed that volume, above all, could douse a song with gasoline and toss a match shamelessly in its direction — that in the warm hum of that sonic blaze, music found its heaviest and most potent frequency. Arcade Fire’s Funeral obliter-
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Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Fraternal title for a fictional fox 5 Easily bamboozled sort 10 Former Mach 2 fliers, briefly 14 Top-rated 15 Hawaii hello 16 Butterlike spread 17 Steak cut 18 U.S.-Canada defense letters 19 With 54-Down, longtime Jeep competitor 20 Hockey player’s blade cover 22 __ Place: Butch and Sundance companion 23 Music rights gp. 24 Wonderland cake words 26 Bolivian capital 30 Ticked off 33 www help pages 36 Old vendor of cold blocks 39 French king 40 Sch. in Columbus 41 Regain, and hint to a hidden letter arrangement in 20- and 59Across and 11and 35-Down 42 Sound system part 43 Xbox 360 competitor 44 Log-on requirement 45 Work on a keyboard 46 Mechanic on TV’s “Taxi” 48 Foil maker 50 Sinclair Lewis’ “__ Gantry” 53 Swampy areas 57 Senate gofer 59 Meticulous, as premium service 63 Swine’s supper 64 No longer squeaking 65 Fifty-fifty 66 Get a glimpse of 67 Do a bakery job 68 Socially awkward type 69 Bustle 70 “My apologies” 71 Prohibitionists
DOWN 1 Lightweight wood 2 Corner chessmen 3 Room-size computer unveiled in 1946 4 U-Haul vans, e.g. 5 Sign of hunger 6 Baseball family name 7 Afghanistan’s __ Bora 8 Divvy up 9 When tripled, “and so on” 10 Serious 11 Roofing color 12 No-frills shelter 13 Fountain drink 21 Org. concerned with greenhouse gases 25 Gas holder 27 Bakery array 28 French play part 29 Striped equine 31 One-sided win 32 “Holy cow!” 33 Pheasant or turkey 34 Sri Lanka setting 35 Rather nice 37 Letters in a box
38 Electrical adapter letters 41 Largest of the Mariana Islands 45 Final part 47 Compulsive thief, for short 49 Texter’s “Zounds!” 51 Furry “Star Wars” creatures 52 Thick-skinned beast
54 See 19-Across 55 All-inclusive adjective 56 Ships 57 Subtle “Over here!” 58 Kibbles ’n Bits alternative 60 Robert of “The Sopranos” 61 Fabric mishap 62 Whirling current
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HAPPY
ated that approach for me. Listening to the album on the way home from school — in the winter, summer, sun, snow or rain — alone in my car catapulted me from that phase of my life into the next, the phase I’m currently living within, the one that I very much hope I never grow out of. The great strength of Funeral exists now as it did 10 years ago because it finds its voice not in volume or decibel, but rather in the sensory experience of the listener. You can listen to Funeral on the lowest volume level or the highest and be fully impacted by its emotional sprawl. The album takes a part of you and uses it like tinder, flinging it repeatedly against the coarseness of its own battered body to produce a mutual flame. No matter your origin, your musical tastes, appreciations or preferences, Funeral takes and adopts your perspective. You just have to listen. Arcade Fire recorded the album in Montreal and split the production time between two different seasons — first in August of 2003,
Beloved debut holds up decade later. then in the late months of winter in 2004. In doing so, the band was able to haul in the blissful surge of summer warmth and iron it over with ice and wintry winds. The ugly beauty of Funeral is marked by this duality of season; rather, through constant turn of atmosphere, the album becomes season-less. Win Butler’s bittersweet falsetto often teeters between rising and falling inflection. His moody vocal reach strains into ethereal sadness and yet, in Funeral’s few quieter stretches, it maintains a supercharged positivity. The energy evokes a sense of inward collision about the album. Bright string sections clash with the fuzzy synths, while horns and harps vie for background space. We hear a range of instruments tweaking each other’s sound: a xylophone, glockenspiel, mandolin, viola, 12-string guitar, accordion and a hurdy-gurdy. It takes four “Neighborhood” tracks — almost consecutively — for Arcade Fire to fully hammer out the message behind them: death, heartbreak, loss, regret are each uniquely devastating, tragic even, but they can be overcome. All it takes is time. Part of what generated the band’s incredible buzz in 2004 was the way they seemed to effortlessly stitch and sew together the Canadian indie aesthetic. In the early 2000s, Canadian artists like Sarah Harmer, k-os, the Constantines, Feist and Joel Plaskett Emergency were salvaging bits and pieces of their genres from the scatter-brained flux of the ’90s. British Columbia was bringing forth fiery, autonomous artists at an impressive rate. Quebec and the rest of French Canada absorbed subtle American and European influences, which were seen earlier in the blues-rock of Jean-Pierre Ferland and in Harmonium’s careful prog-rock. Nova Scotia ushered the Thrush Hermits onto the alternative/indie scene just before the millennium, and Toronto produced post-rock knockouts Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Meanwhile, artists like Simple Plan and Billy Talent
were breaching Billboard charts with their boiled down, politically feeble punk. As much as it was a time of musical disunion, Arcade Fire saw their opportunity to reinvent the national aesthetic. In Funeral we hear the long tradition of indie rock laid out in 10 anthemic tracks — gritty, visceral, strange, sublime. We hear art rock, baroque pop, dancerock, post-punk and experimentalism, due in part to Arcade Fire’s irrepressible emotional response to the deaths of several beloved ones, a collective pain that could not be purged through one or two or five genre aesthetics. The telekinesis of marriage (Win Butler with Régine Chassagne) and sibling relationships (Win and William Butler) both electrifies and ordains the band’s otherwise ordinary indie drama. These are genuine reactions to real tragedies, shared by family members and friends, captured in their microcosm of songful expression. If Funeral was conceived of catharsis and grief, it was made immortal by an equally abounding hope. Josh Deu, who co-founded the band with Win while they were students at Concordia University, meanwhile expanded and stressed their visual side. He handled much of the band’s early promotional stuff and dabbled with their initial web content. One of his most impactful contributions — it continues to follow the band — was his directorial work with the music video for their first single “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels).” The video’s spooky shoebox caricatures are interspersed with old-timey sequences of the band members, as they rock and bop to the upswing of their indestructible beat. But it’s a haunting video. At the time of the its release, Arcade Fire seemed like the kind of band that would play live for free in the front yard of the neighborhood’s local haunted house. The track’s wispy piano paces the sky like a ghost in the midst of heartbreak, its lonely shriek reified in the backing vocalists’ chilling midnight howl. To some degree, the synergy between the music and the visuals inspired talk about Arcade Fire finally being the band that could project Generation Y’s millennial drama — however vain — into a watchable, listenable realm. The simple images that Funeral transposes are both deliberate and universal. Funerals themselves are common to every culture, at least in some form. In the instance of someone’s passing, family members and friends come together to honor that person’s life. Things of temporal nature — achievements, failures, job promotions, academics, accidents, adventures, misfortunes — matter very little when remembering someone and who they were as a human being. A few lines from Arcade Fire’s first song on its first EP come to mind as apt description of this funereal celebration: “Your eyes are fluttering/Such pretty wings/A moth flying into me/The same old flame again/It never ends.” Funerals have always been, for me at least, a time for loved ones to pinpoint that “old flame” in someone gone, and to kindle it with the care of an aching heart. Arcade Fire’s Funeral reminds us that from generation to generation we pass the old flame forward, living by its radiance, sharing it with others, knowing truly that if we do these things, its light will never end.
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RECRUITING
Future Wolverines have quiet weekend By JASON RUBINSTEIN Daily Sports Writer
The 2015 Michigan football recruiting class is ranked 20th in the nation by ESPN. Wolverine commits had an eventful weekend that included a suspension, a masterful passing performance and more. Here’s a rundown: Chris Clark, tight end: Avon Old Farms (Conn.) Ranking: ESPN (109) Scout (26) Avon Old Farms has yet to start its football season. Brian Cole, athlete: Saginaw Heritage (Mich.) at Midland Dow (Mich.) Ranking: ESPN (139) Scout (40) Cole had a forgetful weekend in Heritage’s 56-6 loss on Friday. Cole didn’t see the field in the first quarter due to disciplinary reasons and received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the second quarter which led to his ejection and a one-game suspension. Michael Weber, running back: Cass Tech (Mich.) vs. Detroit Southeastern (Mich.) Ranking: ESPN (169) Scout (104) For the second straight week, Weber’s stats were limited because Cass Tech got out to an early lead against a much weaker opponent. Cass Tech won 48-0. Tyree Kinnel, safety: Wayne (Ohio) vs. Lakota West (Ohio) Ranking: ESPN (192) Scout (152) Kinnel played offense for the first time this season, scoring two touchdowns on three carries and playing lockdown defense in Wayne’s 34-29 win. Grant Newsome, offensive
tackle: The Lawrenceville School (N.J.) Ranking: ESPN (242) Scout (215) Lawrenceville didn’t play this week and the first regular season game is on Friday. Darrin Kirkland Jr., linebacker: Lawrence Central (Ind.) at Warren Central (Ind.) Ranking: ESPN (266) Scout (114) Kirkland had his first quiet outing in Lawrence Central’s 41-22 loss. Warren Central racked up 334 yards rushing against Kirkland’s defense. Alex Malzone, quarterback: Brother Rice (Mich.) vs. Pickerington North (Ohio) Ranking: ESPN (NR) Scout (184) Malzone continued his strong senior campaign by throwing four touchdowns, upping his total to 10 on the season in three games. Jon Runyan Jr., offensive lineman: St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.) at St. Ignatius (Ohio) Ranking: (NR) Runyan played well, but his team couldn’t grind out a win against the nation’s fourth-best team, losing 42-34. Andrew David, kicker: Washington (Ohio) vs. Warren Harding (Ohio) Ranking: (NR) David was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts from 21 and 38 yards, respectively, and helped lead his team to a 46-24 win. Garrett Taylor, cornerback: St. Christopher’s (Va.) Ranking: ESPN (111) Scout (268) Taylor is out for his senior season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during offseason practice.
Sports
‘M’ preps for up-tempo Utes By ALEJANDRO ZÚÑIGA Managing Sports Editor
Having faced the new-look offense run by coordinator Doug Nussmeier in practices and scrimmages, the Michigan NOTEBOOK football team’s defense feels prepared for an up-tempo attack. But the Wolverines’ version of up-tempo might not compare to what they’ll encounter Saturday when they host Utah. The Utes have averaged nearly a point per minute through their first two games and boast the third-best scoring offense in the country. They get to the line quickly, making it difficult to complete defensive substitutions, and they spread the field with three- and four-receiver sets. As Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said Monday, Utah’s offense resembles that of Indiana. And last year, the Hoosiers burned his unit for 47 points and 572 total yards. “You’re going to have to really be on your game to make sure you’re disciplined, that you get lined up, that you’re not lazy in getting set, and all those kinds of things,” Mattison said. Mattison mentioned a drill in which Michigan’s offense operated with “a whole wave of guys,” running plays against the defense. But containing that tempo for an entire game — particularly if the Wolverines have a negative turnover margin again — could prove difficult. “I don’t know if it’s a measuring stick, but it’s a big game,” Mattison said. Michigan does have significant depth defensively, enough so that coach Brady Hoke said injuries didn’t affect the unit last Saturday against Miami (Ohio). And that could
Q&A: Zack Novak By SIMON KAUFMAN Daily Sports Writer
Former Michigan men’s basketball player Zack Novak was in Ann Arbor last week, but it wasn’t for basketball. Novak played for Michigan from 2008-2012 playing in 134 career games and starting in 122 games — both tied for third all-time in program history. His 4,537 minutes rank first all-time in program history. On campus to participate in Entrepalooza, an event put on by the Business School promoting entrepreneurship, Novak’s focus has shifted off the hardwood to the board room. The Michigan Daily: It looks like you’ve traded in the jersey for business attire. What have you been doing since getting back from playing overseas? Zack Novak: It’s been really exciting. You spend time in college building these skills and everyone says they’re going to translate into business, they’re going to translate into the next phase of life. And when it’s actually time to go execute that, it’s exciting. I think for now for me, it’s just getting that base of experience. Because when you’re playing you don’t even have the time to do the internships and everything that the typical student has time to do. So now it’s so interesting, the things that I’m doing, the company that I’m working with, it’s just really fun.
I still talk to those guys that I played with. One of them texted me the other day. He’s like ‘You’re one of two Americans that I ever played with that I still stay in touch with.’ My attitude going into that was I am going to experience playing in Europe. I did anything that I could do. I had a good time. It was pretty incredible. TMD: What’s it been like to see the jump the Michigan basketball team has taken? ZN: It’s really incredible. When we got here the student section was standing on wooden bleachers and we had, like, 500 people at a game, and it’s just skyrocketed. It’s unbelievable. I think when we left everyone talked about the impact that our teams had had. For me, you give the credit to that next wave of guys, the Trey Burkes, the Tim Hardaways, the Mitch McGarys, the Nik Stauskases, the Glenn Robinsons, the Caris LeVerts, the Spike Albrechts. They took it to the next level. Whereas they easily could’ve just been content with where it was at and had a good program — we would’ve done well.
You know, I’m pulling up an ESPN article the other day and we’re the 10th-best program, according to all their experts, in the country. And that’s unbelievable. We weren’t the 10th-best program in the state when we started. TMD: What are your predictions for the team for the upcoming season? ZN: Let me tell you this: We won a share of a Big Ten championship with Stu Douglass and I playing 30 minutes a game. I think they’ll be all right. TMD: Where is Zack Novak 10 years from now: still doing business or back in the basketball world? ZN: (Laughs) I wish I knew. I don’t know. Right now, I’m doing the business thing. The same things that I did as a player — you know it’s one day at a time and being as good as I can be right now. I would say this: When I was done playing, I was pretty opposed to the coaching thing. The door has opened a little bit more. I would consider it if the right opportunity came up.
TMD: What was life like playing in Europe? ZN: I think it was a great life experience. Going from Michigan, where everything is taken care of for you and it’s just top notch, to going overseas, I think it was a great transition for me going into business. Because you had to grow up a little bit, and I think I went through that. I had a little growing pain when I first got there, but it was awesome. It was an experience I would never trade in for anything.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014 — 7
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Zack Novak helped the Wolverines to their first Big Ten title in 26 years in 2012.
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Michigan will have its hands full with Utah, which is averaging 57.5 points per game and has had extra time to prepare.
prove crucial if fatigue becomes a factor late in the game. Where Michigan might disrupt Utah most is with its defensive line and linebackers. The Wolverines have allowed fewer than 100 rushing yards in their last two games combined. And given the Utes thrived on a balanced attack against Fresno State in their last game — accumulating 268 passing yards and 258 on the ground — a combination of stifling the run and pressuring quarterback Travis Wilson could cripple Utah’s attack. “We’ve got so much that we want to accomplish on defense, and this is the next game,” he said. “It happens to be against an offense that, ranking-wise, is one of the top in the country. “That’s what makes it a special game and a big game for our defense.” MR. POPULAR: Sophomore quarterback Shane Morris has
yet to throw a touchdown in his collegiate career, but some people still wish he’d earn the starting job over Devin Gardner. The fifth-year senior’s four turnovers against Notre Dame and subsequent inaccuracy against the RedHawks certainly haven’t helped matters. And Nussmeier isn’t surprised some fans hopped on the Morris bandwagon. “The backup quarterback is always the most popular guy in town,” Nussmeier said. “Shane has done a tremendous job. … (He) continues to really get better and better. I believe Devin is, too.” In garbage time against Miami, Morris went 0-for-2 but moved the offense into RedHawks territory with a 27-yard run. And his incompletions weren’t ugly, either. On both pass attempts, the sophomore rolled left and threw catchable balls. The first was dropped, and the second
fell to the turf when redshirt sophomore receiver Jehu Chesson couldn’t secure it. Meanwhile, Nussmeier noted that Gardner’s interception against Miami was tipped at the line of scrimmage, and the coach blamed himself for some of the struggles. “I think it’s unfair to say that this guy or that guy is the problem,” Nussmeier said. INJURY NON-UPDATE: Hoke gave no update when explicitly asked about statuses of Desmond Morgan, Devin Funchess and Khalid Hill. “We’re not going to talk about any of those guys who didn’t play,” Hoke said. Why not? “Because I don’t feel like it,” the coach explained. Funchess walked through campus without a noticeable limp and wasn’t wearing a boot as of late Monday afternoon, per the Daily’s Max Cohen.
8 — Tuesday, September 16, 2014
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com