ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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TA I L G AT E T U E S D AY S
CRIME
‘U’ reviews emergency procedures after alert LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
Microbiology lab technician Constance Bahr and Medical School student Matt Foley participate in one of the games offered at the MHealthy Tailgate Tuesday on Ingalls Mall.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Resolution protests police violence in Ferguson, Mo. Proposal also looks at police brutality on college campuses By TANAZ AHMED Daily Staff Reporter
At its weekly meeting Tuesday, Central Student Government introduced a resolution
to stand in solidarity with the people of Ferguson, Mo. against police brutality. The shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson on Aug. 9 has sparked widespread controversy and continued national coverage. Darren Wilson, a white Ferguson police officer, shot and killed Brown, a Black teenager who was allegedly unarmed. In the weeks following the shooting,
Ferguson residents protested racist and violent police actions. The proposal, penned by Rackham student Rae Scevers, a Rackham Graduate School representative, noted other examples of police brutality to illustrate the prevalence of violent police procedures. “The killing of Michael Brown came less than a month after the brutal New York Police killings
by chokehold of an older Black man, Eric Garner and just a week after Los Angeles police beat to death for 10 minutes 37-year-old Latino parent Omar Abrego,” the resolution read. The legislation also discussed the impact of police brutality on college campuses across the country. It noted an incident at the University of California, See FERGUSON, Page 3A
Following false alarm last week, professors evalute preparedness By MAX RADWIN Daily Staff Reporter
Though last Wednesday’s emergency alert notifying students that someone was armed in the Chemistry Building turned out to be a false alarm, the event raised questions regarding the University’s preparedness for situations in which the lives of students, faculty and staff are in danger. Some professors felt that they were adequately prepared for the situation Wednesday and for similar emergencies that might occur in the future. But others had reservations. Scott Campbell, the Constance F. and Arnold C. Pohs professor of telecommunications and an asso-
ciate professor of communication studies, said faculty approach the possibility of a gunman or similar threats with preventative measures, not combative ones. When he was in his office before class Wednesday and received a message about the situation in the Chemistry Building, Campbell said all he could do was pay closer attention to his e-mail to get further instruction from campus security, and to respond to queries from his students about whether there would be class. The reported gunman turned out to be a Navy ROTC student in street clothes who was transporting a rubber model of a practice gun out of its case, which is against protocol. But if Campbell had been teaching a class when a shooter or similar threat presented itself, he said he wasn’t sure what he would do. “We haven’t really had specific sessions or workshops where we get together for specific training See EMERGENCY, Page 3A
ANN ARBOR
ACADEMICS
Schlissel talks town-gown partnership
Global survey places ‘U’ as top public institution
University President aims to have open communication with city’s leaders By EMMA KERR Daily Staff Reporter
As University President Mark Schlissel settles in on campus and in Ann Arbor, he brings with him a new perspective on how the University should interact with the city. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Schlissel said he views Ann Arbor as an asset and an ideal location for the University. But he is also aware of the tension that has existed in past years between the city and the school, aggravated by the University’s land purchases, which results in a loss of property taxes for the city. He said he hopes to see future town-gown interactions characterized by “transparency and open communication” to prevent the deterioration of the relation-
ship between Ann Arbor and the University. “There is a friction but I think some of it is more misunderstanding than friction,” Schlissel said. “We’re not here to be predatory land owners; we have tons of land.” The University owns an estimated 1,719.2 acres of property within the city limits of Ann Arbor, which has a total of 18,272.6 acres according to the city’s environmental coordinator. This estimate does not include the University’s recent purchase of the Edwards Brothers property, but does include property owned by the University for water. While the University currently owns approximately 9.4 percent of Ann Arbor land, Schlissel said he does not expect any large land purchases in the near future. “The University is in a great position because we already have tons of land, and I don’t think we really have to acquire significant amounts of land to do all of the growth that we can afford for quite some time,” he said. See TOWN-GOWN, Page 3A
QS World Rankings ranked Michigan 23rd among all universities By STEPHANIE SHENOUDA Daily News Editor LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
State Rep. Adam Zemke (D-Ann Arbor) speaks during the Washtenaw County Medical Society Forum at the Ann Arbor City Club Tuesday.
County Medical Society hosts hopeful politicians State and national candidates present campaign platforms By STEPHANIE DILWORTH Daily Staff Reporter
The Washtenaw County Medical Society hosted an all-candidate forum Tuesday
night at the Ann Arbor City Club featuring individuals running for state and national level political seats in the upcoming November election. Each candidate gave a presentation followed by an audience Q&A, moderated by Dr. Jim Mitchiner, an emergency physician at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital. He is also a member of the WCMS Executive Council and chair
of its legislative committee. Candidates for the State House, State Senate and U.S. Congress attended the event, including State Reps. Gretchen Driskell (D–Saline), Jeff Irwin (D–Ann Arbor) and Adam Zemke (D–Ann Arbor), State Senate candidate John Hochstetler (R), State Sen. Rebekah Warren (D–Ann Arbor), and U.S. congressioSee POLITICIANS, Page 3A
The University maintained its title as the top U.S. public university as determined by the QS World Rankings.. The same list ranked the University as 23rd among all higher education institutions, moving down one spot from last year. Since 2004, the QS World Rankings have evaluated universities around the world on the basis of academic reputation, employer reputation, student to faculty ratio, citations per faculty and the proportion of international faculty and students. The University was among 14 other U.S. institutions — most of them private schools — to crack the top 30. The QS rankings come just one week after the University ranked 29th in this year’s U.S. News and World Reportsurvey of the nation’s top colleges, falling one spot since the 2014rankings. By their estimaSee SURVEY, Page 3A
Michigan in Space The Statement Magazine explores space research at the University.
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INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 138 ©2014 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A SUDOKU.....................2A OPINION.....................4A
ARTS........................... 5A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A S TAT E M E N T. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 B
News
2A — Wednesday, September 17, 2014
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers
THURSDAY: Alumni Profiles
MSU’s ticket sales make history
LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
Michigan State University’s 2014 football season ticket sales are the second-highest in school history, The State News reported Monday. In total, 61,931 season ticket packages were sold, which makes up 83 percent of Spartan Stadium’s capacity. MSU season ticket sales increased 7 percent this year after the football team won the Big Ten Championship and the Rose Bowl last season. The 61,931 season ticket packages total includes 14,000 student-season packages.
LSA sophomore Stuart Inahuazo along with other brothers of Lambda Theta Phi perform their salute on the Diag Tuesday.
Taehee Hwang, assistant professor of geography at Indiana University, bought a commercial drone he calls Phantom II, The Indiana Daily Student reported Monday. Hwang said he wants to use the drone to survey forests. The drone is capable of taking pictures of land and conducting detailed analyses of its surroundings. Hwang told The Indiana Daily Student the drone will help him give an analysis of an area, rather than just an image.
Indiana University buys commercial drone
Ridesharing services to be reconsidered in Austin
Chris Riley announced his plan to push for the legalizations of ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft, The Daily Texan reported Monday. Riley said he wants to take advantage of this opportunity and work with ridesharing companies to make their service legal and available. To operate legally, ridesharing companies need to operate under transportation services. The Austin Police Department has been issuing citations and impounding ridesharing drivers’ cars for not having a proper permit.
Austin City Councilmember
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
LGBTQ film screening
Animal Club mass meeting
Consulting info session
WHAT: “Gen Silent,” a 2010 documentary, concerns LGBTQ senior citizens who are forced in later life to present themselves as straight. WHO: Queer Social Work Alliance WHEN: Today from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
WHAT: This first meeting will highlight future Animal Club activities. WHO: Student Animals and Society Institute WHEN: Today from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union, Parker Room
WHAT: The Boston Consulting Group is hosting a presentation to discuss the company and their recruitment process. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: Today from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Palmer Commons
Mingle and match event
ArmenianAmerican talk
Birding for Conservation
WHAT: The Innovation in Action team is hosting an opportunity for entrepreneurial-minded students and community members to network and meet with current team members. WHO: School of Public Health WHEN: Today from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. WHERE: SPARK Central, 330 E. Liberty, lower level
WHAT: Artist in Residence Eric Bogosian — best known for his Pulitzer Prizewinnig performance in the play Talk Radio — will give a lecture on the evolution of his life as an artist and Armenian American. WHO: Armenian Studies Program WHEN: Today from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Museum of Art
WHAT: Tom Funke, the conservation director for Michigan Audubon, is teaching students how they can contribute to bird conservation. WHO: Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum WHEN: Today from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. WHERE: Matthaei Botanical Gardens
WHAT: Digital currency enthusiasts will be talking Bitcoin in the city and beyond, including where to place a new Skyhook ATM. WHO: Cryptocurrency Club WHEN: Today from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Michigan League, 3rd Floor, Room A
FRIDAY: Photos of the Week
GOING GREEN(ER)
D IAG DA N C E
Bitcoin in A2
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Earthfest 2014 WHAT: This event aims to engage and educate University students, faculty and staff on sustainabilty. WHO: Public Health Sustainability Initiative WHEN: Today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. WHERE: The Diag CORRECTIONS l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.
—JACK TURMAN
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
Travel company Bruvion Travel will provide clients with social media assistants, ABC News reported yesterday. These assistants will take photos of travelers at scenic spots during their vacation and upload the photos to social media.
2
The Statement magazine investigates the University’s progress in outer space research, changing scientific culture and the development of LSA theme semesters. >> FOR MORE, SEE STATEMENT, PAGE 1B
3
NASA released data that showed this August was the warmest the planet had since records began in 1881, The Huffington Post reported on Sept. 15. The data shows that this has been a series of record-breaking months.
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Top general says US ground Obama calls Ebola outbreak troops may be sent to Iraq a threat to global security If airstrikes fail, new measures may be taken against Islamic State
point where I believe our advisers should accompany Iraqi troops on attacks against specific ISIL targets, I will recommend that to the president,” Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, declared in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee. He referred to the militants by an alternative name. Pressed later by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the panel’s chairman, the four-star general said if Obama’s current approach isn’t enough to prevail, he might “go back to the president and make a recommendation that may include the use of ground forces.” Dempsey’s testimony underscored the dilemma confronting many lawmakers as the House moves through its own debate on authorizing the Pentagon to implement the policy Obama announced last week. In Iraq on Tuesday, the U.S. continued its expanded military campaign,
President pushes for action as health crisis continues
carrying out two airstrikes northwest of Irbil and three southwest of Baghdad. Democrats in Washington spoke of a fear that the United State might inevitably become dragged into yet another ground ATLANTA (AP) — Calling the Ebola outbreak in West Africa a war on the heels of Afghanistan WASHINGTON (AP) — Amerthreat to world security, Presiand Iraq. “We must ... ask ourican ground troops may be needselves if we can truly ‘vet’ these dent Barack Obama on Tuesed to battle Islamic State forces day broadly expanded the U.S. rebel groups beyond their known in the Middle East if President response by ordering thousands affiliations, and ensure we are Barack Obama’s current strategy not arming the next extremof troops to the region along fails, the nation’s top military with an aggressive effort to train ist threat to the region and the officer said Tuesday as Congress health care workers and build world,” said Rep. Pete Visclosky, plunged into an election-year D-Ind. treatment centers. debate of Obama’s plan to expand The same question came up He called on other countries airstrikes and train Syrian rebto quickly supply more helpers, at the Senate hearing, and Hagel els. said the U.S. will monitor closely supplies and money. A White House spokesto ensure that weapons don’t fall “If the outbreak is not stopped man said quickly the president now, we could be looking at huninto the wrong hands. “We have “will not” send ground forces dreds of thousands of people come a long way” in our ability into combat, but Gen. Martin to vet the moderate opposition, affected, with profound ecoDempsey said Obama had pernomic, political and security and the U.S. has learned a lot as sonally told him to come back on implications for all of us,” Obama it has funneled non-lethal aid to a “case by case basis” if the milithe rebels, Dempsey said. declared after briefings at the Sudoku Syndication http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ tary situation changed. Centers for Disease Control and House Republicans said “To be clear, if we reach the Prevention. they worried that Obama was responding tepidly to the curObama acted under pressure from regional leaders and interrent threat by terrorists who have overrun large sections of national aid organizations who Iraq and Syria and beheaded pleaded for a heightened U.S. role in confronting the deadly two American journalists. “If it’s EASY important enough to fight, it’s virus, especially in the hardestimportant enough to win,” said hit countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. At least 2,400 Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., one of the first lawmakers to address people have died, with Liberia bearing the brunt. the subject in several hours of The president described scheduled debate. A vote was expected in the people dying in the streets and health care systems near colHouse on Wednesday, and in lapse from this latest outbreak. the Senate within days. In the Senate, Republican leader Mitch “In West Africa, Ebola is now an epidemic,” Obama said. “It’s McConnell announced he would support the measure and Demospiraling out of control, it is getcratic leader Harry Reid preting worse.” At the same time, he offered dicted bipartisan approval. The timetable was remarkably rapid assurances that the chances by congressional standards, the of an outbreak in the U.S. are result of a strong desire by law“extremely low.” makers in both parties to adjourn The stepped-up U.S. response includes sending 3,000 troops quickly and return home to campaign for re-election. to the region, including medOnly seven weeks before votics and corpsmen for treatment and training, engineers to help ers go to the polls, most Republicans had little stomach to oppose build treatment facilities and Obama on a matter of national logistics specialists to assist in © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com EASING INTO THINGS patient transportation. Troops security, particularly when polls suggest he has the support of would not provide direct care large segments of the public. to Ebola patients, White House Generate and solve Sudoku, Super Sudoku and Godoku puzzles at sudokusyndication.com!
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spokesman Josh Earnest said. A substantial number will be stationed at an intermediate base in Senegal, with others at locations in Liberia, he said. Obama also announced that Maj. Gen. Darryl Williams, head of U.S. Army Africa, will head a military command center based in Liberia. The announcement came the same day the World Health Organization warned that the number of West African Ebola cases could begin doubling every three weeks and that the crisis could end up costing nearly $1 billion to contain. Joanne Liu, president of Doctors Without Borders, said the global response was falling short. “The window of opportunity to contain this outbreak is closing,” Liu told a meeting Tuesday at the United Nations in Geneva. Dr. Margaret Chan, directorgeneral of the WHO, welcomed Obama’s announcement, calling the U.S. offer “precisely the kind of transformational change we need to get a grip on the outbreak and begin to turn it around.” Nearly 5,000 people have become ill from Ebola in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal since it was first recognized in March. WHO says it anticipates the figure could rise to more than 20,000. Obama described task ahead as “daunting” but said what gives him hope is that “the world knows how to fight this disease.” With the addition of military personnel, administration officials said that the new U.S. initiatives aim to: —Train as many as 500 health care workers a week. —Erect 17 heath care facilities in Liberia of 100 beds each. —Set up a joint command headquartered in Monrovia, Liberia, to coordinate U.S. and international relief efforts. —Provide home health care kits to hundreds of thousands, including 50,000 that the U.S. Agency for International Devel-
opment will deliver to Liberia this week. —Carry out a home- and community-based campaign to train local populations on handling exposed patients. Meanwhile, a Senate panel held a hearing on the outbreak in Washington. Expected to testify were Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Kent Brantly, an American physician who contracted Ebola while working in Liberia but recovered after treatment with an experimental drug. Obama met with Brantly at the White House on Tuesday before departing for Atlanta. At the hearing, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, declared, “This outbreak has spread in ways that are potentially catastrophic for the world.” Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said urgent action was needed. “We must take the dangerous, deadly threat of the Ebola epidemic as seriously as we take ISIS,” he said, referring to the extremist group in Syria and Iraq. Separately, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said, “Frankly, I’m a bit surprised the administration hasn’t acted more quickly to address what is a serious threat, not just to Africa but to others across the world.” He predicted action “in the coming weeks” by the executive and legislative branches of government “to look at how do we best contain this very horrible disease.” Obama administration officials said money for the stepped-up effort to combat the disease would come from $500 million in overseas contingency operations, such as the war in Afghanistan, that the Pentagon already has asked Congress to redirect to carry out humanitarian efforts in Iraq and in West Africa. Officials said it would take about two weeks to get U.S. forces on the ground.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News EMERGENCY From Page 1A on this,” he said, though he noted that such meetings could have occurred while he was on leave. “If there’s a gun in my classroom — I will be honest — I don’t know what I would do,” Campbell said. “I think it would be gut instincts.” University Police told The Michigan Daily last week that community outreach volunteers in the police department and hospital security conduct presentations and training sessions upon request for student groups and departments. These presentations address issues of personal safety and how to respond to an active shooter situation. Campbell said faculty members spend more time discussing preventative measures. Including what to look for in students presenting abnormal behavior that could hint at future violence. “When the shooting happened at Virginia Tech, that got us talking about how we handled ourselves,” he said. “In our department meetings, we will talk about who to keep an eye out for or if we have a student that is giving off red flags or is seeming troubled.” Political Science Prof. Nicholas Valentino was teaching his Mass Media and Political Behavior course in the Chemistry Building during the incident last Wednesday and said he felt that his students handled the situation well. One student in ROTC told students to lie down in the aisles and cover their heads
TOWN-GOWN From Page 1A While Schlissel is new to town, Councilmember Christopher Taylor (D–Ward 3), who has spent the last six years on City Council and is currently Ann Arbor’s Democratic nominee for mayor, said he looks forward to bringing his years of experience to the table when addressing University-city relations. “I think that having a new president and a new mayor is an excellent opportunity to increase communication and I am delighted to hear President Schlissel emphasize that and I certainly echo that,” Taylor said. “I know he’s still learning about Ann Arbor and the community and that he is very excited to do so.” Taylor said he intends to fully convey the city’s perspective on the University’s expansion and purchasing of land following the general election on Nov. 4. For his part, Schlissel said he hopes
FERGUSON From Page 1A Berkeley on Nov. 9, 2011 when Berkeley police “attacked and brutalized peaceful student demonstration,” the resolution said. During the meeting, amendments were offered regarding the language of the legislation, including making it more inclusive and representative of more minorities. Clarifications on the content of
to become an active member of the city and to be viewed as a resident, constituent and colleague of the mayor. Both the University and the city are public entities, meaning they receive funding from the state at large, but they each serve two very different groups of the Ann Arbor community with distinct missions and needs. Jim Kosteva, the University’s director of community relations, said despite the occasionally conflicting functions of each entity, the economic and cultural benefits the University provides for Ann Arbor outweigh any negative impact the on the city. “On occasion, our efforts to serve the public at the University will generate a conflict with what the city sees at its mission to serve the community’s general public,” Kosteva said. “Consistently our efforts and our hope is that the activities that the University does undertake end up having a net overall positive impact.” Schlissel also addressed issues
beyond taking land off the city’s tax rolls, including “student noise, dropping red plastic cups and scoreboards that flash.” Residents regularly file complaints in relation to student partying, game day activities and general disruption in residential areas. University and city officials feel they are tasked with responding to the needs of students and residents, which often appear to be in opposition. “We have to talk through these issues and be respectful of the fact that it’s a town with a lot of people living here who aren’t members of the University,” Schlissel said. “I know that the University brings huge economic advantages and cultural advantages to the community, and the community as I said becomes a wonderful place for us to recruit students and faculty to, so I think we just need to be respectful of one another.” Daily News Editor Sam Gringlas and Daily News Reporter Claire Bryan contributed to this report.
the proposal were also discussed during the meeting. “When you say any efforts to militarize the Ann Arbor and U of M campus police, I think that might need to be more specific. Are we saying that we are maybe opposing them getting taser guns?” asked Engineering senior Andy Modell, Engineering representative. The student assembly also voted to pass resolutions regarding the People’s Climate March — a climate and sustainability event
in New York City — and a resolution focused on expanding CSG’s presence outside of the Michigan Union by holding meetings in other University Unions across campus. The proposal to stand in solidarity with the people of Ferguson against police brutality was referred to the resolutions committee. The legislation will be reviewed by the committee and then the assembly will vote on the proposal in the following meeting.
Minnesota cities to take part in pilot for high-risk areas Program aims to minimize impact of extremists’ threats to the United States MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul will participate in a Department of Justice pilot program designed to engage at-risk communities and stop extremists from recruiting Americans to join terror organizations overseas, U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said Tuesday. Luger, who announced the Twin Cities’ participation in an interview with The Associated Press, said the program will bring more national expertise and resources to address terror recruiting in Minnesota to “build what we hope will be a model for the rest of the coun-
try.” The goals, he said, are to engage the community and build trust to put a stop to recruiting. Two other cities will also participate in the pilots, announced a day earlier by Attorney General Eric Holder. Those cities have not been publicly named. Authorities in Minnesota are investigating how a handful of people were recruited to travel to Syria and take up arms with militants. At least one Minnesota man has died, and some families fear their daughters have also gone overseas to take up the cause. Several Somalis have been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury — some as recently as last week. Luger said it would be hard to quantify whether Minnesota is seeing more recruiting than other areas, but he said the state’s large Somali population
is a natural target for recruiters. “The Somali community here deserves to live in peace and security and what is happening with a small number of people within their community is disturbing to them,” he said. “So we in the federal government owe it to our community leaders, our religious leaders, to make every effort to help them combat this.” The pilot program — which brings together prosecutors, religious leaders, local law enforcement and community representatives — is a natural for Minnesota, which has already been held up as an international example for its efforts in reaching out to atrisk communities. Outreach efforts have been a focus for law enforcement since more than 22 men began traveling to Somalia to join the terror
SURVEY From Page 1A tion, the University was the fourth-best public institution, trailing the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Virginia. Their
POLITICIANS From Page 1A nal candidates Terry Bowman (R) and Debbie Dingell (D). The candidates were each given the opportunity to discuss the priorities of their campaigns and express their opinions on pertinent issues, particularly Michigan Senate Bill 2. This legislation would enable advanced practice registered nurses to examine patients and prescribe medication without the signature of a physician. Most candidates did not take a firm position for or against the bill and many stated they did not yet have the information necessary to make an informed decision. However, Warren voiced her her support of the bill. In terms of his own goals for his district, Zemke said greater efforts must be made to attract and retain people in Michigan. He mentioned friends of his who are moving away from the state due to Michigan’s social policies. “They are feeling that Michigan’s not welcoming to everyone,” Zemke said. “So that is a big part of the reason that I ran for legislature. Talent attraction and retention is our number one issue economically. If you can’t have highly educated talent in all shapes and forms then you don’t have a sustainable economy.” Zemke added that his campaign is focused on improving education funding. “We already have excellent higher education in Michigan,”
group al-Shabab years ago. Luger has already participated in regular dinners with imams, one-on-one meetings with community leaders and quarterly discussions with security officials. He said the pilot brings several new elements to the table. Among them, his office now has access to national and international experts on radicalism and recruiting, and can use them to help community members put together public service announcements or other messages — perhaps with the help of the music industry or Hollywood — to counter extremist views that kids may see on social media.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 — 3A while the professor stood and blocked the door. Fabian Neuner, Valentino’s graduate student instructor, said GSIs typically do not receive specific instructions during teacher training about this type of situation. He said GSIs might discuss protocol in “breakout sessions every now and then” and the GSI handbook mentions emergency situations. Despite this, Neuner said he thought the class handled the situation well. Most of what to do, he said, was common sense. “The only concern that I had is that I would have liked for the campus police to come around and reassure everybody about what had happened,” Valentino said. “I take it that they tried to do that but they didn’t for our room — but that may have just been an oversight.” He added: “We were actually very worried about what was happening outside the classroom. There was no way to know if there was a false alarm or not.” University Police said communication during an emergency must occur on multiple platforms to ensure everyone has an opportunity to be informed. An emergency alert is activated when a police commander determines that there is an imminent threat requiring people to take safety measures, as well as confirmation of that threat. Confirmation may come in the form of 911 calls or firsthand observations by a security officer. E-mail is not always the fastest way of communicating a threat to students, University Police said. There may be firewalls or risks that the message
might not go through, especially in the morning when e-mail traffic is much greater. Some reported Wednesday that they received the e-mail saying the threat was a false alarm before they received the initial e-mail that first announced the threat. In addition to e-mail messages, students can register their phone numbers online with University Police to receive crime alerts via text message or phone call. University Police also have their own Twitter feed, and buildings with digital signage read off crime alerts as well. “The primary thing in these incidents is getting emergency responders to the scene to be able to mitigate the threat, and then the alerts are companion pieces to inform people of what’s going on,” University Police said. University Police believe their system works effectively. Eight emergency alerts have been issued in 2014 — two were tests and four were weather-related. The two other alerts were Wednesday’s and another that was issued last Friday. University Police said they didn’t receive any feedback regarding problems the University experienced in receiving them. In the case of the rubber gun, Naval ROTC Captain Joseph Evans said the program is working with University Police to reinforce its policy with a new set of more stringent procedures. “We are very apologetic and we are very aware that there are real threats out there,” Evans said. “We cannot afford for people to not to know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.”
rankings are based on similar criteria, focusing on undergraduate academic reputation, faculty resources, selectivity, alumni giving and financial resources. In an interview with The Michigan Daily Sept. 8 about the U.S. News rankings, University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said ranking systems like these
are not the only factor that prospective students should use to consider their future college choice. “What’s good for one student is not necessarily the best place for the next student,” Fitzgerald said. “There’s just no number one school for everybody, no matter what the rankings say.”
he said. “We need affordable higher education in Michigan, which it’s not.” Lastly, Zemke emphasized the need for and his previous work on transit options such as a commuter rail in Michigan and the need to work beyond partisan divides, especially through the Michigan House Appropriations Committee, which he sits on. Bowman, president and founder of Union Conservatives and has worked for 18 years at the Ford Rawsonville Plant in Ypsilanti, is competing against Debbie Dingell, chair of the Wayne State University Board of Governors, for the seat being vacated by Rep. John Dingell (D–12). This seat is without an incumbent for the first time since 1955, when Dingell was first elected to Congress. Bowman also criticized the Affordable Care Act, which he said took power away from employees and gave it to employers. “I’m telling (union members) that what Obamacare has done is give your employers the biggest bargaining chip imaginable when your contracts expired, because the company can hold all the cards then against your unions,” Bowman said. Bowman added that people in the 12th district have expressed frustration with what they see as the negative consequences of the ACA, including some people losing their longtime doctors. “It has not kept its promises,” Bowman said. “People in the district are telling me that their
premiums are increasing and their deductibles are going up. (The ACA is) not sustainable in a middle-income household and that is a shame.” His opponent, Debbie Dingell, emphasized the need for bipartisanship in government. As Rep. Dingell’s wife, she said she has hosted bipartisan dinners so that House and Senate members of both parties could develop better working relationships. “We’ve got to stop fighting. We’ve got to work across the aisle,” Debbie Dingell said. “I think the American people are tired of partisan bickering in Washington. They want to see us work together to find solutions.” While the WCMS Executive Council has hosted this speaker series for nearly 40 years, last year was the first in which the group transitioned its forum from one dominated by a medical focus to a discussion of issues of interest to the general electorate. These general sessions are held four times per year, with candidates invited to two of the events. Event organizer Belinda Chandler, WCMS executive director, said she wanted to add more variety to the sessions that were originally dominated by medical questions and answers. “We are trying to open it up more. It used to be just doctors that would come and it was all medical topics,” Chandler said. “We would like to have people come, ask questions and give us input for topics.”
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Page 4A —Wednesday, September 17, 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.
FROM THE DAILY
“Yes means yes” New policy and legislation can prevent future sexual assaults
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exual assaults on college campuses have become a growing concern as 78 colleges and universities — including our own campus — are under Title IX investigation. States are trying to remedy the problem by implementing legislation to prevent sexual assault and support survivors. In particular, the California state government has shifted the language regarding consent from “no means no” to “yes means yes,” and requires certain guidelines for survivor support and awareness. Given the surge of sexual assault cases, the state of Michigan and the University should review their current policies on sexual assault and implement elements of California’s legislation in order to create a safer campus environments across the state. Passed in the state Senate in August, California State Bill 967 will require all post-secondary institutions that receive state-financed student aid in California to redefine consent within their sexual assault policies. The core message that the state is trying to spread is that giving consent means a person has verbally consented to sexual activity and has the full ability to do so — which requires that they must not be inebriated or under the influence of a substance that alters the decision-making process. The bill is unique in that it ties state aid to colleges’ and universities’ sexual assault policies, forcing school administrators to update their policies in order to continue receiving funding. Not only does this bill safeguard students’ safety, but it goes on to require that schools have effective systems in place to address the issues of sexual assault that do arise. Other provisions in the bill require colleges and universities to create comprehensive prevention programs and survivor-centered sexual assault policies that ensure colleges help sexual assault survivors seek medical care, counseling, legal assistance or any other service requested. Unfortunately, the Michigan state legislature has yet to implement a similar policy or consider analogous legislation. Furthermore, the state doesn’t clearly define anything regarding consent. Defining consent is imperative, as doing so gives the judicial system a clear and defined way to deal with such cases. About 60 percent of rape cases go unreported, indicating that the
majority of offenders receive no punishment. It’s crucial that the University act proactively by implementing policies and strengthening resources available to survivors. One way to do so is by hiring a sexual assault nurse examiner at University Health Service, a trained professional who has the proper experience and knowledge to help survivors. Currently, the only SANEs in Ann Arbor are at the University Hospital and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. The University should offer a SANE during normal business hours to ensure a continuation of the healing process for survivors. The University should also continue its sexual health and assault education of students past freshman year. The Relationship Remix program required of new students educates students on proper sexual conduct, including defining consent, but it only reaches students in their freshman year. Continuing the conversation and education on campus is important for raising awareness of and preventing sexual assault, and can be done easily through methods such as reminding students at athletic events or flyering on the Diag. Both the state of Michigan and the University should implement legislation similar to California’s “Yes Means Yes” legislation. Not only does this legislation change the language of consent, but it also enforces support for survivors and awareness through funding. In order to make a lasting change in preventing sexual assault, it is essential to create a culture of awareness.
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Welcome week quickly fades to a blurred reel of cheesy snapshots as August transitions to September: dresses and sandals, warm laughter, red cups, porch hangouts and extended coffee dates. For some of my friends and me, this also meant using the warm air and free time to dance a weeknight away at the (in) famous Rick’s American Cafe. On our way we picked up some friends, and as the night unfolded we danced and hugged bodies with familiar faces, jovial and intoxicated, celebrating life as 21-year-old University kids. Friends came and went, kissing our cheeks as they scampered out the door. As the night came to its organic closure, I was left with my two girlfriends — one of whom was off talking to someone near the bar. Marching through the club to the dance floor with one friend’s hand in mine, my friend stopped to yell at a boy we had just passed. Red and flustered, she explained to me that he grabbed her ass as we walked by. Unnerved by aggressive male attention, we walked quickly toward the exit so she could take a deep breath outside. As soon as we exited the doors, we realized that we had left our last lingering girlfriend in the club, intoxicated and alone, without trusted bodies to walk her home. Immediately we turned back to the two boys guarding the doors and asked if we could quickly run in and grab our friend who had been left alone in the basement of Rick’s. They denied our access explaining that they were no longer offering admission to the club, and that they were trying to get people out at this hour of the night. We were completely taken aback. Our friend was alone in a dark club full of aggressive men, and we were raised with the attitude that you never leave a girlfriend alone. We were taught that we could leave our male friends alone if they like. Women are constantly told to watch our drinks, carry mace, wear nail polish to test our drinks for roofies, learn self-defense, never walk home alone, not trust strangers and not get too drunk. We persisted and continued to argue that we would just be a moment; we had to retrieve our female friend who was alone in a packed club and had no one to walk home with. My friend explained to the male guards that it is all too
common for a woman to be sexually assaulted on the streets of a dark city, even Ann Arbor, where there have been many reported and unreported sexual assaults. However, despite our pleas to grab our abandoned friend, the guard boys persisted that we could not re-enter. A minute or two into our confrontation with the guard boys, another boy who had been in the club that night ran up to the door and asked if he could run in to grab his debit card — he was immediately re-admitted. This made us fume with rage. I wondered aloud, “Is a piece of plastic so much more important than a PERSON??” The boy countered: “It’s a debit card.” Frustrated by our decision to fight back, one of the guards sassily told us that we could “take it up with the manager” if we wanted to re-enter. His tone suggested that we would make a fool of ourselves asking, because the manager would never let us in. After more futile attempts to reason with the boys, we approached the manager of the club who was talking to some policemen on the sidewalk, and because he was a fair man — or maybe because the cops were watching — he immediately required his guard boys to let us in to retrieve our friend. That night I felt like a victim. I felt completely powerless as a woman trying to protect my girlfriends. These buff white boys at the door could have easily stopped me had I tried to fight my way through them to my friend. They were in control of her safety, of my power and of my ability to follow my overwhelmingly strong instincts to retrieve and protect my friend. It seems like every day I read articles in the paper about the movement to create justice for rape victims on campuses, to launch movements to teach men not to assault women. I get UHS alerts regularly about the latest woman assaulted on the street at night. I console friends about their traumatizing experiences and build rage-filled calluses for the continuing subjugation of women in our contemporary society. We need to learn. We need to fight. We need to protect our women. She was left to fend for herself. A boy’s credit card was quickly retrieved. Hey, it was important. It was his debit card. Maris Harmon is an LSA senior.
Diversity divide
o jog all our beach- and beerfried brains and brief the freshmen and others now joining us: The Diversity Debate is not resolved. Summer vacation may have paused last year’s heated emotions YARDAIN and tempered AMRON discussions, but we still have much work to do. All of us. The quick synopsis goes like this: In November, students of the Black Student Union, freshly incited by a racist “Hood Ratchet”themed frat party, organized a Twitter campaign dubbed #BBUM — Being Black at the University of Michigan. It went viral, and three months later, after more BSU protests, sit-ins and meetings with the administration, our University was typified in a front page New York Times article headlined, “Colorblind Notions Aside, Colleges Grapple With Racial Tension.” I reported on the first BSU protest for The Michigan Daily (back on MLK Day), and the scene is seared in my memory: About 15 Black students on the steps of Hill Auditorium — faces discontent but determined, voices exasperated but forceful — making deep-rooted demands of the administration before a small crowd of mostly every-other-color spectators snapping cellphone pics with flippant flash. On one level, this bisected protestor-spectator dynamic makes total sense: The BSU’s primary concern (and justifiably so) is Black Student Welfare; and while idealists might wish otherwise, we often care most about problems related to our own identities. But on a more complex level, the spectator sofa that much of the student body and I have cozied onto is inexcusable: 2014 is not 1968. Today, the fight is not against segregation, nor solely for Black Student Welfare, but for all-
encompassing “Diversity,” as our University frames it (and as most other colleges and universities do, for that matter). The word is big, vague, wondrous and sure feels far away, but two things about the Diversity problem are certain: We’re all implicated in the problem and we each can do something about it today. First, We (the administration, faculty and students) should cease our paralyzing obsession with minority enrollment numbers. Black student enrollment has been stuck at around 5 percent for years, and the 2006 ban on affirmative action, which is partly to blame for the abysmal number, was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court just this year. Reversing the ban and boosting minority enrollment would surely improve the landscape, but it would be a Band-Aid on a wound as deep as the Middle Passage. We should stop muddling the concepts of Affirmative Action and Diversity. Racial Diversity is semisuperficial, and I’ve yet to hear of a statistical formula proven to create Diversity. Real Diversity is more personal, more interpersonal, more challenging, than cold numbers. It demands we change ourselves and consciously rethink and relearn the ways we perceive, act and interact with each other across all color and cultural borders. I’m confident the large majority of us want Real Diversity, which is noble. I just don’t see enough of us confronting the problem. Take my own pale ass: Most of my friends are white — check; a majority are probably middle-class — check; and yeah, a lot of them are Jewish — check. We all do it to an extent — surround ourselves with people like us, that look, think and like like us — and that’s more than OK. But is it taboo to say that I want the opposite of our blatantly segregated Greek Life System? That I want my pool of friends to be Muslim, Black, poor, White, gay, Asian, disabled, Hindu, Hispanic, transgender, rich and everything in between, so that our distinct
cauldrons of ideas and experiences can bubble, blend and congeal into wonderful new creations? Race is just one piece of the cake. That’s why the racial archipelago we call our University community deeply troubles me. Take the Trotter Multicultural Center, which I visited a few weeks ago to interview new director Jackie Simpson . First established in 1971 fresh off the Civil Rights Movement, the “Trotter House” was originally envisioned as a safe space for Black students. But a decade later Trotter rebranded as a “Multicultural Center,” to both distance itself from segregational undertones that are no longer socially acceptable, and attempt an all-student inclusionary approach. But more than 30 years later, Simpson admitted that a “disconnect” between the Center’s new multicultural mission and historical Black haven mission, persists. “Some students just don’t believe Trotter is a place for them,” Simpson said. But there’s also good news, and we should thank the BSU for catalyzing much of this. First, we now have Michigan in Color, the Daily’s new space for students of color to express their identities. And thanks to another BSU demand, plans to move Trotter to a more centrally located lot are already in motion, and monthly public focus groups will be offered by the University through November to gather students’ opinions about what a new Trotter should be. Simpson and I agreed that who shows up to those focus groups will be telling. If it’s just Black students, Trotter will likely remain a Black haven. But if it’s all colors, cultures, identities, and “standing room only,” as Simpson and I hope, we will have seized a golden opportunity to create a multicultural haven for Diversity. The first focus group will meet on Sep. 25. I’ll be there. — Yardain Amron can be reached at amron@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
MARIS HARMON | VIEWPOINT
A Rick’s night gone wrong
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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The lady with the dog
his is how you tell the true story of the dead dog in the suitcase: “So, this girl a friend of mine met in New York over the summer —” You begin that way, even though it isn’t strictly factual. AVERY This friend of DIUBALDO yours never met the girl, though she did once meet this girl’s cousin at an art gallery opening. But you can’t say so; your listener has played childhood games of Telephone and is dubious of any story with more than two degrees of separation between its source and its teller. “… this girl, she knew this wealthy couple in Midtown, and they offered to pay her to apartment-sit for them while they went away for a week on business in Chicago —” Any city will do, but Chicago is best. “… and to take care of their dog while they were away. But the dog, they said, was old, and sick, and in the event that it die during their trip, she had been provided with the number of their personal veterinarian. “So, she takes the job. About three days in, she comes back to the apartment to spend another night, and the dog is dead.” No surprise. “She calls the vet, but they’re closed, and she waits ‘til morning. She calls again, and the vet says that of course he’ll take care of the body, but he can’t pick it up himself. She has to go to his office, in the Upper East Side, and make the delivery personally. But she doesn’t have a car, so her only option is to take the subway.” Notice the implication that she
spent the night in the apartment with the dead dog; these grim details are what keep the story humming in the listener’s ear long after the telling has ended. “She takes the dog and stuffs it into a suitcase.” Take a moment to encourage the listener to perform his own imaginative detective work in determining both the size of the suitcase and the breed of the dog. I picture a Border Collie crammed into a briefcase, the kind a lawyer might carry, with the tail curled around the inside edges to make room. But most people seem to assume it’s a Black Lab, zipped into one of those travel suitcases with wheels. “She’s on the subway, early in the morning, on an empty car. After a while, a guy in a suit gets on and sits across from her, and they ride in silence.” It really is best if you have him in a suit. “Eventually he strikes up a casual conversation: where she’s from, where she’s going, that kind of thing. Finally he asks, what’s in the suitcase? They’re still alone on this subway car, and she doesn’t want to say a dead dog, for obvious reasons. So, she panics, and says the first thing out of her mouth, which is, for some reason, ‘computer parts.’ “‘Computer parts?’ the guy says, as the train is pulling into the station. ‘That’s right,’ the girl says. ‘That’s interesting,’ he replies, and just as the doors open, he punches her in the face, he grabs the bag, he runs onto the platform, the doors close, and the train takes off, with her in it, standing there,
empty-handed.” And that’s it. That’s the end of the story. Here you can say “and that’s the end of the story,” but it won’t stop your listener from asking, “What happened then?” and “Was she OK?” and “Why didn’t she just take a taxi?” You could answer these questions. But it would be a disservice, I think, to the tale you’ve told. It’s best to answer, truthfully, that you don’t know, that there the story ends, its characters obscured by the fog of history. The listener must wonder alone in the moments and days to follow, turning the events over in her head, and then relate them aloud to others, making her own sense of them, becoming the storyteller herself. The particulars change with each telling, as they have changed: The apartment in Midtown becomes a house in the suburbs; the lonely morning subway car now departs at night. But the truth is not made of particulars, nor is it on particulars that this “true” story depends. Only a few images must remain constant, shrouded and striking-sharp as the stalagmites rising up from the dark mouth of a cave: a girl, standing motionless on a train car, her nose just beginning to trickle with blood; a veterinarian waiting on a client who no longer needs to arrive, who will never arrive; a thief in a suit with his thumbs on the latches of a suitcase, bent-over and coiled, expecting riches. Special thanks to Taylor Norton, a friend of mine who, perhaps, met this girl in New York over the summer--
But the truth is not made of particulars, nor is it on particulars that this “true” story depends.
— Avery DiUbaldo can be reached at diubaldo@umich.edu.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
EVENT PREVIEW
Pussy Riot to speak at Michigan Theater Russian protest group to participate in Penny Stamps Lecture Series By GILLIAN JAKAB Daily Community & Culture Editor
Patriarch Gundyay believes in Putin / Would be better, the bastard, if he believed in God! / The Virgin’s belt won’t “Punk Prayer” replace Penny Stamps political gatherings / Lecture Series The eternal Pussy Riot/Zona Prava Virgin Mary is with us in Thursday September our protests! 18, 5:10 pm These The Michigan Theater are some of the lyrics Free from Pussy Riot’s “Punk Prayer,” performed by five masked faces in Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow in March 2012. They criticize, among other things, the lack of separation between the Russian Orthodox Church and Putin’s increasingly totalitarian government. The Pussy Riot members brought their message of rights for Russia’s marginalized — women, LGBTQ, youth — up from Moscow’s underground scene and into view of the world. But they did so at a price. Nadezhda (Nadya) Tolokonnikova and Maria (Masha) Alyokhina, two of Pussy Riot’s members, were among those arrested for the performance and were sentenced to two years of prison on charges of “hooliganism” and disrupting public order with a religious hate crime. Amnesty International and many other human rights organizations decried the prosecution as suppression of free speech and politically motivated. The women’s trial and imprisonment under harsh conditions gained international attention and an outpouring of sympathy from artists around the world. Vigilance and pressure from the international community may have contributed to the Pussy Riot members’ early release in December 2013, though some said it was because the expiration of their terms would have coincided with the Winter Olympics in Russia. Having endured the horrors of Russia’s prisons and legal system, Masha and Nadya have founded Zona Prava (Justice Zone), a prisoner’s rights NGO that offers advocacy and aid to prisoners, and MediaZona, a media forum that reports on issues of prisons and
legal systems worldwide. The rockers-turned-revolutionaries are publicizing their experiences and aims in a world tour that includes a stop in Ann Arbor. This Thursday evening in the Michigan Theater, University organizations The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series and the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies are co-presenting the Pussy Riot/ Zona Prava members’ lecture “Punk Prayer.” In curating the Stamps series, Chrisstina Hamilton — director of visitor’s programs at the Penny Stamps School of Art and Design — tries to choose speakers that reflect the issues of concerns and interest on campus and in the classroom. The lineup is created via nominations from throughout the University, but the particular invitation to Pussy Riot and Zona Prava members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, was a whim of Hamilton’s own. Hamilton was in New York this past spring when the two Pussy Riot members gave a public interview on Randall’s Island organized by London’s Frieze Festival. The interview was conducted in a room that allowed only 100 seats and left many disgruntled feminist punk enthusiasts on the outs. “When I was there, I said to the organizers: please put me in touch with them because I actually have a 1,700 seat theater,” Hamilton said. “Obviously they want to speak to people about what they’re doing; I can give them a much more public voice and venue in order to do that.” The Michigan Theater is an icon in a city steeped in the history of political activism and influential artist communities. Though the scale and methods of protest at the University have shifted since the 1960s, students today grapple with issues of identity through publications such as The Michigan Daily’s “Michigan in Color” series and “What the F,” and voice their passions for social, economic and political justice locally and globally. Pussy Riot’s words, their credibility rooted in deeds, will find a warm reception here. “Russia’s in the news constantly right now,” Hamilton said. “The fact that these young women were able to stand up to Putin, be in prison, and … have garnered this international attention, gives them a lot of power.” Masha and Nadya are harnessing this power to shed light on the oppression of feminist and LGBTQ communities in Russia, the consequences of dissent, and the brutal Russian penal system. “A lot of the people who are
going to come obviously know something of the story of what’s happened to them up to this point, but I think it will be very excited to hear about what their plans are now that they’ve captured the world stage, what are they going to do with it?” Though they are rock stars on the metaphorical stage of world politics and media, they will not be performing in the musical sense on the stage of the Michigan Theater. Right before coming to Ann Arbor, Pussy Riot joined many punk bands at Riot Fest Chicago, not on the lineup to play a concert, but to give a panel discussion. “They won’t actually be performing,” Hamilton said. “I asked them about it when we were discussing the whole thing and their response was: they don’t perform … they’re activists. They would perform if there were a reason to, as they have done.” “I’m looking at it more as the context of the moment that they’re performing in, which in some ways makes it more punk rock than any punk rock,” she added. In the field of performance studies, some scholars would disagree with this distinction and tend to define performance as a public practice, analyzing “performances” spanning the spectrum from religious rituals to Shakespeare on a proscenium stage. Though Pussy Riot did not achieve its fame by merit of their music and performance art, the group’s genre of conceptual art amplifies and articulates its political message. In their interview on the Colbert Report, Nadya and Masha say they’ve come to America to “look at American prisons, to talk to human rights activists, and to learn from their experience.” They explain that it presents a middle ground between the inhumane prison system in Russia and the mostly pleasant conditions of the prisons they visited in the Netherlands. On campus, Nadya and Masha will get to learn more about the American prison system when they meet with Lisa Greco, the Prison Creative Arts (PCAP) events coordinator and Washtenaw County Youth Center Director, as well as Carol Morris, a local artist who works with women in prison and youth in detention and treatment. They will tour the facility and discuss the work of PCAP. “Performing” or not, the only way to experience the power of Pussy Riot is live, and this Thursday’s Penny Stamps lecture is one of a select few opportunities in the U.S. to do so.
TV REVIEW
Potential in ‘Red Band’ FOX’s newest show centers around terminally-ill teens By EMILY BODDEN Daily Arts Writer
“Skeptical” may be an understatement for how I felt going into FOX’s newest show, “Red Band Society.” Riding the wave Afrom summer hit “The Fault Red Band in Our Stars,” Society “Red Band Society” cen- Wednesdays ters around at 9 p.m terminally-ill FOX teens who live in a hospital during long-term treatment. According to the show’s producers, the series is reminiscent of cult-classic “The Breakfast Club,” following kids at pivotal points in their lives who create unique bonds in an unlikely place. The decision to use Charlie (Griffin Gluck, “Private Practice”), a young boy in a coma, as the narrator is an interesting choice, though not entirely convincing in the premiere. While it’s definitely
a bold decision by the producers, having a narrator in and of itself seems outdated, as it was a key technique used in ’90s sitcoms. With time, however, the perspective of an omniscient narrator in a story with so many intertwining plots may provide more fluid storytelling. But the producers will need to utilize his position with certainty and decisiveness early on in the show. “Red Band Society” ’s commitment to delivering inspirational moments is reminiscent of the once great, early seasons of FOX’s “Glee.” The series negotiates the line between sweet and cheesy with finesse, and even when it uses Coldplay as the background music for a montage of touching moments, it did not come off as cloying. That is saying something. The attachment to characters and the effective editing allows viewers to overlook such a clichéd music choice. With Octavia Spencer (“The Help”) starring as Nurse Jackson (or as her coffee cup proclaims, “Scary Bitch”), coupled with the producing power of Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television, “Red Band Society” is full of promise. Or at the very least, the star presence gives weight to the series.
While some moments produced actual laughs, some of the one-liners in the first episode elicit groans. But as is common with many new shows, the first few episodes are about finding chemistry and working out the kinks. With a show trying to strike a balance between being sincere and entertaining, this may take some time. But if the series can continue to channel “Glee” in its prime, a hit could be born. With new episodes, “Red Band Society” will hopefully continue to look at the idea of the “true self.” In a monologue, Leo (Charlie Rowe, “Pirate Radio”) talks about how sickness makes you even more yourself than before. This idea of body detachment from soul and personality is not one often touched on by mainstream television. The concept of self over physical body has the potential to contrast with the many image-based messages that American society is bombarded with. “Red Band Society” revisits a lot of elements from proven hit shows, but if it remains true to its original components, there lies tremendous potential for a touching yet entertaining show.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 — 5A
TV NOTEBOOK
COURTESY OF OPRAH
Oprah poses for a picture with fans outside of the Palace in Auburn Hills.
Oprah hosts weekend event in Auburn Hills By EMILY BODDEN Daily Arts Writer
Last Friday, I found myself stuck in afternoon traffic and swearing loudly while driving to “Oprah’s ‘Live Your Best Life’ Weekend” at the Palace of Auburn Hills with my mom. I had gotten distracted after my only Friday class and left campus an hour later than I intended. My mom had already called, telling me in a sharp tone to hurry up. I was not overly enthused to be there, and after we finally arrived at the Palace (and paid a steep $15 for parking), I trailed after my speed-walking mom to the entrance of O Town. Every attendee was sent a QR code connected to their names, seat numbers and e-mail addresses. Once the code was scanned, the information was transferred to a wristband you wore for the entire weekend. As we visited the sponsor booths and participated in activities, staff members tapped our wristbands, allowing them to instantly transmit pictures, coupons and information sent to our email. The technology and helped optimize the attendee interactions all weekend — an ingenious way to facilitate engagement in real time. Additionally, the wristbands were programmed to flash various LED colors throughout the event, including when the DJ started an arena-wide dance party, and when SoulCycle held a 15-minute arenawide workout. Very, very cool. To fit into the Oprah-loving demographic, I wore my best “momfit.” A momfit is exactly what it sounds like, any outfit that you could easily imagine at a local PTO meeting. Surprisingly, my assumptions were a bit off. The
crowd at the event did consist primarily of middle-aged women, but many older and younger women were in attendance as well. Over the course of the two days, several jokes were made at the expense of the small number of male significant others in attendance. Oprah is intelligent, funny and warm in person. Along with what I loosely estimated as 9,000 other people in attendance, I felt like I could easily become Oprah’s new best friend. Even from the top balcony (my mom evidently does not love me enough to buy me $500 floor seats), I could tell that O is caring and genuine, with a unique ability to empathize and connect with her audience.
A community striving for selfacceptance, life empowerment. It was an overwhelmingly friendly crowd, and the women in attendance seemed to bond freely with those around them. The event had a hashtag, #LifeYouWantDET, that was aggregated on a mobile app, and chosen tweets and pictures were projected on the screens in the arena. Let me be the first to say that I was surprised not only that so many middle-aged women have Twitter accounts, but that so many middle-aged women seem proficient using said accounts — my mom was positively giddy after a picture she made me tweet flashed on the arena screens.
One group of note were the women who tailgated in the parking lot with mimosas at 7 a.m the second morning. Oprah read their tweet on the screens, gave them a shout out for their enthusiasm and then actually joined them in the parking lot for lunch. A message of female empowerment was woven through the entire event and the speakers were chosen by the positivity of their messages. Elizabeth Gilbert (author of the New York Times bestseller “Eat Pray Love”) went on an extended rant about how the fact that epics are male-centered is bullshit — women are worthy of starring in epics, too. Author and motivational speaker Iyanla Vanzant was fabulous while explaining how we need to learn to be honest in examining our life stories and be proactive about not feeling like, or speaking like, victims. The resounding message was that women are stronger, more capable and more deserving of self-love than they usually give themselves credit for. And throughout everything, Oprah continued to promote her message that “you can.” Aside from the incredible speakers, this community of thousands of women striving for self-acceptance, mental and physical betterment and life empowerment was incredible. Oprah has built an empire because she understands the importance of making everyone feel like they are heard, they matter, and they are a part of something bigger than themselves — even the grumpy college kid trying to blend into the crowd with her momfit. Sadly, however, no one won a car.
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6A — Wednesday, September 17, 2014
MUSIC NOTEBOOK
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MUSIC REVIEW
CAPITOL
A subtle mutiny.
An outsider’s guide to country music Cannibal Corpse’s new
METAL BLADE
Long hurr, don’t curr.
By JOSH FRAZIER Daily Arts Writer
I grew up hating country music for no real reason. I was raised on a steady diet of classic rock, and as I grew older, I began to love the wordplay of hip hop and the experimental nature of alternative music. When I came to the University, I gained a greater appreciation for the primal nature of stadium-ready EDM, and my exposure to people from different backgrounds has led me to love just about all types of music. Except for country. This summer, I moved down south to Fayetteville, Arkansas, where loving country music is as natural as breathing air. My experience there has led me to at least begrudgingly tolerate country music, and to come to like (and even love) a few songs. Here is an outsider’s guide to learning to love country music — based on the music you already like: Classic Rock Essential Song: “Springsteen” — Eric Church Fans of guitar-based rock’n’roll should make a relatively easy transition to a country radio station. Established acts like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young clearly influence many current southern musi-
cians. Blues-influenced guitar licks and tales of Americana are prevalent throughout popular acts like Joe Nichols, Eric Church and George Strait.
Pop Essential Song: “Play It Again” — Luke Bryan Several mainstream country musicians have crossed-over to Top 40 chart in recent years. Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood are two female vocalists who have become undeniable superstars. Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” featured a halfsung, half-rapped style and a Nelly guest verse. The lines are blurred between these two seemingly very different genres due to the feel-good, party nature of many songs, and the ensuing fan-base made up of teenage girls. Rap Essential Song: “Praying Man” — Big K.R.I.T. and B.B. King Southern rappers like Ludacris, Yelawolf and Big K.R.I.T. have touted their country roots for years, priding themselves on their unique Southern heritage. Seminal rap artists like UGK, Scarface and Three 6 Mafia have instantly recognizable voices influenced by Southern drawls. Rap fans may not find a lot to like in modern
country hits but should enjoy the thumping basslines of blues legends. The go-to track is the highlight of Big K.R.I.T.’s 2012 debut, Live from the Underground, which marries Southern blues rock and lyrical hip hop on “Praying Man,” featuring the legendary B.B. King.
EDM Essential Song: “Drunk on a Plane” — Dierks Bentley Contemporary country radio hits often feature up-tempo, danceable beats, but many of these songs are derided by classical country fans and objective listeners alike as shameless attempts to cash in on a popular trend. Dance music fans should embrace the rhythmic nature of country hits, which often experiment with unconventional time schemes. The stereotypical, party-driven nature that inf luences many popular electronic songs is prevalent in many country hits. Beer and women are two of the most common tropes found in country music, and there is no better example of that than Dierks Bentley’s riotous ode to drinking, “Drunk on a Plane.” And for electronic music purists who can’t tolerate music made with guitars, banjos and fiddles, well, at least country makes for good pre-game music.
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
‘Domain’ a brutal ride By KEN SELANDER Daily Arts Writer
Cannibal Corpse’s 13th studio album, A Skeletal Domain, combines brutality, evil, pure genius and more evil. D Upon listening to the A Skeletal record for the first time, I Domain felt that more Cannibal work went Corpse into creating diabolical Metal Blade titles for each track than the lyrics of the songs themselves, but upon a second listening I discovered I was dead wrong and brain-dead. As I listened to the first few songs on A Skeletal Domain, I began to feel there was a distinct possibility that someone might barge into my room while I was lost amidst the music, not paying attention to my surroundings and brutally murder me with a chainsaw. Nowhere on the record did this seem like more of a reality then on the third track, “Kill or Become,” which includes thoughtful lyrics like “Fire up the chainsaw /
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Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Expensive 5 GUM rival 10 Conference with UVA and UNC 13 Guthrie at Woodstock 14 “__ Unchained”: 2012 Tarantino film 15 Arctic explorer John 16 *Butcher’s appliance 18 Not just some 19 Square peg, socially speaking 20 Sharp-eyed hunter 22 Time for fools? 24 *Prankster’s balloon 28 Ride the wind 29 Lip applications 30 Persons 31 Ready to be driven 33 “Cagney and __”: ’80s cop show 35 Newspaper filler 36 Fruit that can be the source of the starts of the answers to starred clues 38 “No more details, please!” 41 “Right?!” 42 Ruined, as hopes 44 Picture on a screen 47 Fast food package deal 49 Sock part 50 *Allowance for the cafeteria 52 “A Change Is Gonna Come” singer/songwriter Sam 53 Catch on the range 54 Time to attack 56 Bass brew 57 *Monet work 63 Pewter component 64 Sings like Rudy Vallee 65 Biblical reformer 66 Hazardous curve 67 More than unpopular 68 Start a hand
DOWN 1 Amateur radio operator 2 Fury 3 Nice duds 4 Start the wrong way? 5 “The Song of Hiawatha” tribe 6 Operated 7 “Your point is ...?” 8 T size 9 Tree-damaging insect 10 Catherine’s home 11 “I hope to hear from you” 12 People people 14 Dr. with Grammys 17 Salon supply 21 “About __”: Hugh Grant film 22 Oman locale 23 Fishing spot 25 “It’d be my pleasure” 26 Eliot Ness, e.g. 27 Pre-euro Iberian coin 29 Rodeo horse 32 Comic strip cry 34 Greek vowel 37 Ring-tailed scavenger, to Crockett
38 Formulate a possible explanation 39 Overly compliant 40 Doing nothing 41 Cartoonist’s supply 43 Called out 44 Behind-schedule comment 45 Viagra alternative 46 “Full House” twins
48 Manually 51 Freeloader 52 Put one over on 55 “__ Master’s Voice” 58 Nest egg item, for short 59 Auction unit 60 Mystery master 61 Piece corps, briefly? 62 Hoedown participant
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Cut their fucking heads off.” Musically speaking, “Kill or Become” starts off slowly, but quickly gains pace. The track consists of simple riffs that are made more complex by the random notes chosen in between mute-note strums. A very metallic-sounding twang on each note via the low B-string from the bass guitar drives the song behind the screams of their lead vocalist, George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher. A bouncy, growling bass riff also guides the chorus on the album’s first song, “High Velocity Impact Spatter.” The track sets a tone of despair and evil for the rest of the record, with an eerie 40-second intro that forces the listener to imagine moving at a high velocity, soon to become impact spatter. The initial noise is then cut off by blast beats from the beast that is their drummer, Paul Mazurkiewicz, and hard chugging by lead guitarist Patrick O’Brien. “Vector of Cruelty” is a fantastic example of Cannibal Corpse’s overall approach to music. While some metal bands decide to use more intricate, complex guitar solos and riffs to match grueling blast beats, Cannibal Corpse decides to go for a purely angry sound with mute-note strumming for almost the entirety of the song, with a 10 to 30 second burst of fast notes to compose “Vector of Cruelty’s” solo. This way, they can much more easily focus on being angry and evil without having to worry about trying to make their music too difficult to play. “Vector of Cruelty” might be the most typical Cannibal Corpse song on A Skeletal Domain, but “Funeral Cremation” is the record’s best track. Mazurkiewicz flaunts his stamina by holding a constant blast beat on the bass drum for nearly the entire song, with slower beats on the crash and snare to offset the rapidity of the bass drum beats. “Funeral Cremation’s” main falter lies in the fact that its solo is no longer than 30 seconds. Overall, Cannibal Corpse’s sound would be significantly improved if the brief guitar solo was extended. This would further prove O’Brien’s skills and thoughtfulness in his ability to play something other than chugging, and simultaneously give the listener a longer break to recover from Corpsegrinder’s mind-melting grunts. Many writers criticize death
metal for lacking variety. To some extent, I agree: Corpsegrinder’s screams on A Skeletal Domain are highly monotonous. Consistency in screaming might please some listeners, but it also makes the songs less interesting. Instead of constant soulcrushing, low pitch grunts, Corpsegrinder could expand his screaming range to higher screams so as to provide more emotional ties for listeners. Aside from the monotone screams, A Skeletal Domain easily separates itself from other death-metal albums. “A Skeletal Domain” and “Headlong into Carnage,” for example, are the fourth and fifth tracks of the record, but pose a beautiful juxtaposition. The vocals in “Headlong into Carnage” are more distained and hateful, and express concern for the massive amounts of blood and guts spurting out everywhere. Conversely, the screams in “Skeletal Domain” are more evil and sinful, providing imagery of people dying rather than what their remains might look like. If you haven’t already impaled yourself with the largest knife in your kitchen before the final song of the album, then “Hollowed Bodies” is sure to be the final nail in your forehead. The song begs the listener for an answer to the question “will the truth ever be told,” to which most probably answer “I have no idea; that’s the only vaguely audible line in the song.” While this may be true, I think “Hollowed Bodies” offers far more insight than merely lyrics about dead bodies: it offers a window into the expression of a tortured being’s soul. The song paints a portrait of the human condition, making it so much more than the surface screams about blood and guts. At the conclusion of A Skeletal Domain, the record still leaves many questions unanswered for listeners; “Who were the parents who allowed ‘Cannibal Corpse’ to practice in their garage and/or basement?,” “Who would pay money for this CD?” and many more. Despite the unanswered questions, this masterpiece of an album surely will go down in history as one of the more memorable death metal albums ... of this month. I’m sure the many lasting cover bands of Cannibal Corpse in the future will be inclined to add at least a few tracks from this album to their set.
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Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 — 7A
Michigan blanked, early goal decisive By WESLEY ROMAN For the Daily
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Freshman corner Jabrill Peppers was targeted by Miami (Ohio) on Saturday, but he impressed in his first game back since suffering an ankle injury in week one.
Frosh focus: Key contributions Peppers most hyped, but Cole and Mone earning significant time By ALEXA DETTELBACH Daily Sports Editor
Since fall camp started in August, both the media and the fans have been clamoring for a look at freshman cornerback Jabrill Peppers. A top-three prospect out of high school, comparisons to Charles Woodson were placed on Peppers’ shoulders by the legendary cornerback himself before Peppers even stepped foot onto the field. So when the starters were announced Saturday against Miami (Ohio), Peppers unsurprisingly received one of the loudest cheers from the Big House crowd. And yet, he’s just one of four true freshmen receiving significant playing time months out of high school. Left tackle Mason Cole has started at the offensive line’s most important position in all three games, protecting fifth-year quarterback Devin Gardner’s blind side. Against Appalachian State, he became the first true freshman to start a season opener at left tackle and just the sixth to start any game on the line in program history. “I’ve been very impressed with Mason since he first came in,” junior center Jack Miller said Monday. “The poise he has for an 18-year-old kid playing offensive line is pretty remarkable. He’s got maybe the best attribution to have in
an offensive lineman, which is being consistent, play in and play out.” It’s often said that an offensive lineman does his job when you don’t hear his name. And with Cole, that has often been the case. After giving up a sack against the Mountaineers in week one, Cole has kept Gardner’s jersey clean. He was one of the few highlights in the Wolverines’ shutout loss to Notre Dame, and aside from getting beaten once against the RedHawks, Cole has continued to shine. Opposite Cole is defensive tackle Bryan Mone, who has surprised many in his surge up the depth chart. In arguably Michigan’s strongest unit, Mone has found early playing time on the defensive line. “(Mone) has a great attitude and (is) a great talent,” said defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. “The sky’s the limit for him. You don’t think he’s the youngest of all of them. “And he’s another one that every day gets a little better and it’s not big for him. I have a feeling (Utah) is going to be a big ballgame for him.” In the season opener, the Utah native was second on the depth chart at his position, splitting reps with junior Ondre Pipkins, but the latter received most of the snaps behind starter Ryan Glasgow. However, Mattison shuffled the playing time up against the Fighting Irish, and
Mone received the second-most reps after Glasgow. Mone made his presence felt in South Bend, with the most memorable play coming in the third quarter when he was left unblocked and got to quarterback Everett Golson, forcing him to make a bad throw that fell incomplete. “Coach Mattison always compares me to (Baltimore Ravens nose tackle) Haloti Ngata when he was my age,” Mone said. “I have to keep that up … (but) I have to work on my moves to get there.” The fourth true freshman seeing time this season is wide receiver Freddy Canteen. After a strong spring camp, Canteen received the praise of his coaches and quarterbacks, but a poor showing during fall camp led to limited snaps against Appalachian State. Hoke said in his postgame conference after the Miami game that Canteen made strides back to where he was in the spring. Through three games, Canteen has two receptions for five yards. And of course there’s Peppers, the crown jewel of Hoke’s freshman class. He started as the team’s nickel corner against Appalachian State and Miami, only missing the Notre Dame game because of injury. And his instinct and uncanny athleticism has given him the opportunity to play with the starters on the outside, moving starting cornerback
“The sky’s the limit for (Mone). You don’t think he’s the youngest.”
MEN’S SOCCER
Mellors-Blair impresses in loss By FREDDY KASTEN Daily Sports Writer
Despite losing 1-0 to Bowling Green on Tuesday, not all was amiss for the Michigan men’s soccer team. In a game full of missed opportunities, junior forward William Mellors-Blair had a strong game, contributing four crosses and generating the Wolverines’ best scoring chance. In the 11th minute of the contest, Mellors-Blair sparked the offensive attack. After obtaining the ball on the right wing from fifth-year senior midfielder Tyler Arnone, Mellors-Blair crossed it into the box to redshirt junior midfielder Colin McAtee. However, the chance was squashed by Falcons’ goalkeeper Nick Landsberger, who fisted the ball out. Due to a Michigan defensive lapse, Bowling Green (0-0 Mid-American Conference, 5-1 overall) scored in the 16th minute off the foot of sophomore forward Pat Flynn, who struck the ball nicely to beat freshman goalkeeper Evan Louro. “We worked on the commitment level,” Daley said. “I think they scored against the
run of it for sure. They had one chance, one goal.” Mellors-Blair once again commenced the attack in the 20th minute from the right side. He received the ball, finessed around a defender and then put an efficient cross into the box, setting up McAtee with a prime scoring opportunity. But, McAtee wasn’t able to finish, heading the ball just over the crossbar in between two defenders. Just three minutes later, Mellors-Blair struck for a third time, hitting the ball off the side of the net while one-onone with Landsberger. The speedy forward didn’t need any help as he produced his own chance in space and chipped the ball to himself around a Falcon defender. But once again, Landsberger made a great play, cutting down the angle well. Mellors-Blair was the focal point of the Wolverines’ last offensive chance of the first half in the 40th minute, too. Off a through ball from junior forward James Murphy in the attacking half, MellorsBlair was chased down by two Bowling Green defenders on the left side of the field. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, he
shook them off with a fake shot, producing an audible gasp from the crowd. History repeated itself, though, as the two Michigan forwards in the box weren’t able to connect and the cross went wide for a Bowling Green goal kick. Because of all of the Wolverines’ (0-0-1 Big Ten, 1-3-1 overall) squandered opportunities in the match’s first 45 minutes, Daley wanted his squad to convert on more chances and be more offensive. The second half didn’t include any goals, even though Michigan controlled possession for most of the final 45. Mellors-Blair attempted to make one last promising run for Michigan in the 75th minute, but it wound up amounting to nothing. He crossed the ball into the box for Arnone, who took one step in and fired it off of a Falcon defender, ricocheting out of play. “We really didn’t have enough in us to stick one away,” Daley said. “College soccer is certainly a challenge with a lot of parity, but it’s not the end of the season. We have to pick ourselves up and go to work again tomorrow. There’s still plenty to play for.”
Blake Countess at nickel on select plays. “I thought Jabrill held up pretty well,” Hoke said of Peppers’ performance at corner against the RedHawks. “I think it’s a learning process every time he goes out. “Every time he plays, he’ll get better. He’s very instinctive, which is a plus.” Hoke has excelled at recruiting and bringing in highly ranked classes. And given Michigan’s lackluster start to 2014, how the trust freshmen progress could play a major role in returning the program back to the national conversation.
For updates from today’s Hoke press conference Check MichiganDaily.com or follow us @theblockm
Less than a week after conceding a late equalizer in a draw with Maryland, the Michigan men’s soccer team was unable to get one of 1 BGSU 0 MICHIGAN its own as it suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Bowling Green on Tuesday night at the U-M Soccer Stadium. The decisive goal came early, in the 17th minute, at a time when the Wolverines appeared to be bossing the game. After another Michigan attack broke down, Bowling Green midfielder Joe Sullivan found a bit of space on the edge of the 18-yard box and slid an enticing ball to forward Pat Flynn, who delivered a composed finish into the far corner to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead. For the most part, the Wolverines enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, and the ball seemed to spend most of the time in their attacking third. But on the whole, the incisive attacking play that everyone envisioned was lacking, despite the switch this season to the 4-3-3 formation. The home team undeniably created the majority of the chances, but again and again its attackers could not finish. Still, it was hard for the hosts not to feel like they deserved at least a point. While this midweek fixture did come at an awkward time for the Wolverines — in between two important conference matches — Michigan coach Chaka Daley was unwilling to use the timing as an excuse. Rather, he stressed that his team’s performance didn’t necessarily deserve the result. “I think we carried a lot of the game,” Daley said. “(We)
certainly were, I think, unfortunate to get ourselves this result.” Realizing that they would not be on the ball too much, the Falcons seemed more than content to sit back defensively. But while the Wolverines struggled to create good chances, Bowling Green had great success hitting on the counterattack. Despite conceding early, the Wolverines continued to dominate possession. Throughout the first half, they found success on the wings. Junior winger William MellorsBlair was particularly influential on the left side by utilizing his pace to beat defenders, but too often his searching crosses found the opposing orange shirts. Despite numerous unsuccessful crosses, Michigan didn’t appear to have too many other ideas of how to unlock the stingy Falcon defense. The visitors frequently packed the box with numbers, which gave the Wolverines all kinds of difficulties. Daley tried numerous substitutions — including the collegiate debut of freshman forward Nate Kohl — but the creative play that his team so desperately needed was nowhere to be found. Michigan survived a scare just before the halftime whistle when freshman goalie Evan Louro tipped a dangerous header over the bar to keep the deficit at one. The second half proved to be a near carbon copy of the first, as Michigan once again controlled the possession but was unable to find the equalizer. “It’s one game, one loss,” a visibly frustrated Daley said. “At the end of the day we’ve got to pick ourselves up and go to work again.”
BY THE NUMBERS Michigan freshmen
2
Games played by Peppers. He has been nursing an ankle injury.
0
Besides Cole, number of true freshmen to start a season opener on the OL.
4.43
Canteen’s listed 40-yard dash time in seconds.
31
Rivals ranking of Michigan’s 2014 class, which was just 16 players.
LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
William Mellors-Blair was one of Michigan’s bright spots in Tuesday’s loss.
8A — Wednesday, September 17, 2014
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T H E S PA C E R A C E
statement THE MICHIGAN DAILY SE P TEM B E R 17, 2014
2B
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 // The Statement
THE
list | B
uzzfeed, but better
5 simple ways to slow down the day We know what you’re thinking: only three weeks into school, and things are just a little too overwhelming to be true. Thankfully enough, Ann Arbor days don’t have to be all fast paced. Here are five simple ways you can calm down your busy schedule:
1. Pick up a book
Grab a cup of coffee, turn off your technology, and glue your eyes to an addictive read. Slow, calming reading is proven to have innumerous benefits — including increasing your concentration and focus and improving your ability to empathize.
2. Cardio and weights While yoga and pilates are the stereotypical stress relieving
exercises, that’s not to say that other forms of exercise don’t have the same effect. Do something for yourself for a change, and use the gym as a positive outlet.
3. Organization Not only does organizing make day-to-day tasks easier, but
it gives you a mental break from the rapidity of your day.
4. Art Arts & crafts always had its place outside elementary
school classrooms. Whether that means making Festifall and mass meeting triboards or penning poetry, art has a way of refocusing your concentration on a less taxing way of thinking.
Pinching pennies: Reign in your spending When was the last time you said, “Lunch is on me?” and really knew what you were getting yourself into? Budgeting isn’t rocket science, but it sure is math. And there’s something about math that seems too time-consuming to have a place in most of our schedules. Many of us struggle to find satisfaction with the way we’re spending money, and coupled with tuition and rent, the woes snowball into heart-wrenching Visa bills and empty bank accounts. Here’s the deal: you can’t be upset about something that’s completely in your control. You have full authority on the purchasing decisions you make. Like any project, the first step is research. Track your pennies for a month — either by notebook, a spreadsheet or a smartphone application — and calculate where your cash seems to fly. Catego-
5. Volunteer
Do something for someone else, selflessly, and see how you feel afterwards. Chances are, it will be better.
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rize your costs and tally up your income. Check yourself to see whether you’re breaking even on your income, making a positive gain in your account or losing money with each bank statement. Take some time to really understand where your money goes and what you spend it on. In their book, “All Your Worth:
THE
by amrutha sivakumar
The Ultimate Lifetime Money to understand whether being in a Plan,” authors Elizabeth Warren static balance is even an option. — now a Democratic senator from Chances are, it’s not. I spend sigMassachusetts — and Amelia nificantly more during Spring Warren Tyagi propose a budgeting method that involves dividing all your spending into wants, savings and needs. According to their vision of the ideal budget, no more than 50 percent of net income should be spent on needs, 30 percent on wants and at least 20 percent on savings. What? Savings? Yes, savings. A 2013 study by Demos found that the average family’s burden of $53,000 in student debt can lead to an average of $208,000 loss in wealth over a lifetime, ILLUSTRATIONS BY MEGAN MULHOLLAND calculated in present day values. Assuming that the interest rate for a direct unsubsidized Break on travel expenses, food loans is approximately 5 percent, and gifts and the beginning of that would be like paying off the each semester on textbooks and $208,000 in lost income with supplies than during other parts approximately $2,660 of loans of the year. When I’m traveling every month for 10 years. home for the holidays, the spendThat’s over $31,000 paid in ing gets cut in half, since mom and student loans every year by dad foot the food bills. a family — a little less than a Zero-Based Budgeting, tradithird of the average American tionally used in the public and family’s income and over half corporate sectors, might just be of the average starting income the solution. Rather than setting of a University of Michigan a fixed amount each semester to undergraduate engineering be used on food-related expensgraduate. es, Zero-Based Budgeting would OK. Breathe. have you look at that total amount It’s not all bad news. If you of income you’re projected to have include savings into your in the month, and then allocating semester budget, you can cut your money accordingly. down on the expenses you’ll have It’s simple: Keep aside at least to incur several years down the 20 percent for savings, and balroad. It will also mentally prepare ance out your wants and your you for when remunerating stu- needs. Look at your spending dent loans becomes a significant history to predict what you’ll be part of your paycheck. spending, and be realistic with Warren and Tyagi envision the your needs. perfect budget as a balance. But Sometimes it really does feel the first step to creating a budget- like cash has feet. But it’s just ing method that works for you is paper, after all.
rules TMD’
s weekly survival guide
No. 555:
No. 556:
No. 557:
Welcome week is over, syllabus week is over, so are you sure we have to start school now?
Rush week is starting up, which means freshman guys should start getting ready to be abducted. #totallynormal
Is it too early in the semester to be sleeping through lecture? ..Nah, it’s totally fine. The slides are online anyway.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 // The Statement 3B
the thought bubble
“
on the record
“The customer is highly overrated. Steve Jobs, the foremost entrepreneur of our generation, consistently believed he knew more than the customer did.” – VINAY GUPTA, founder of two companies and CEO of outsourcing relationship management company Janeeva, at Entrepalooza this week.
“If they’re truly fans, they’ll believe in these kids and what they’ve done and the hard work they’ve put in. If they’re not, they won’t.” – BRADY HOKE, Football coach
“In some ways, jokes are like a language. They’re like a way that people communicate with other people who have a good sense of humor. In some ways, my shows are kind of like a series of inside jokes between me and the audience.”
PHOTO BY RUBY WALLAU
“…You need that drive. But at the same time, the study of (vocal performance) kind of legitimizes it in a way. Because a lot of people think, ‘You’re a voice major; that’s so cool. You just sing.’ Well, it’s more than that. The whole point of the (vocal performance) art is to make it look effortless … Even though there are the hours and hours of study and practice that go behind it. It’s neat for me to be in that world now. To come from a place where this was something I once did for fun, and now it’s like, this is my life.”
– Comedian MIKE BIRBIGLIA in an interview with The Daily about his upcoming performance at Michigan.
–SMT&D senior DAN KINTZMAN
Alibaba Group Holding Itd., the Chinese e-commerce giant, will begin trading shares of its stock on Friday in New York. Currently, shares are to be priced from $66-68 per piece and could raise $21.8 billion for the firm.
trending #Netflix #UkraineAndEU #NFLAdrianPeterson
SLATE.COM
On Monday, Netflix began rolling out its online product in France. The question remains: will the company will be able to compete against Europe’s uneasiness toward U.S. giants?
NBCNEWS.COM
#AskMBM24 #AlibabaIPO #FixIMSB #HelpEbola #BoeingSpaceX
RECSPORTS.UMICH
This Thursday, the University’s board of regents will vote on whether to approve $18.7 million renovations to the Intramural Sports Building.
NASA awarded Boeing a $4.2 billion contract and SpaceX a $2.4 billion contract to test space taxis that would eventually transport U.S. astronauts into outer space. SEATTLEPI.COM
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Wednesday, September 17, 2014 // The Statement
L
ike many kids growing up in the 1960s, Christopher Ruf wanted to be an astronaut. His room was covered in posters of U.S. astronauts. Models of the spacecraft from Projects Mercury, Gemini and Apollo lined his shelves. On the afternoon of July 20, 1969, he listened to the radio broadcast as Apollo 11 touched down safely on the surface of the moon. Later that evening, he watched on TV as Neil Armstrong hopped out of the lunar module. “I was only 11 then,” Ruf said, “so maybe I was too young to understand how special the whole thing was. But I’ve never forgotten that day.” On the University’s North Campus, Ruf now serves as director of the Space Physics Research Lab. His second-floor corner office overlooks the ongoing expansions across the other engineering departments, the medical campus and various other nearby labs. The SPRL has undergone several expansions since its construction at the height of the Space Race — a period of rapid scientific innovation spanning from the mid-1950s to early-1970s that saw the two Cold War superpowers — the U.S. and the Soviet Union — battle for supremacy in all matters of space research and exploration. However, the building’s key characteristics have remained largely intact — in many ways a time capsule
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 // The Statement
from a bygone era. Covering the walls of each cinderblock corridor are faded black and white photos — scenes of students huddled around miniature rockets or typing away on now-outdated computer consoles. They are glimpses of an era quickly fading from memory as the SPRL copes with the changing scientific priorities. That time we went to the moon Forty-five years after Armstrong’s fateful steps, the face of American space research is changing. As the generation inspired by man’s capacity to explore the universe approaches retirement, questions linger about what the future holds for the nation’s once-powerful research enterprise. In the last 20 years, NASA has been targeted by policymakers looking to cut spending, resulting in an essentially stagnant budget. Beyond financial concerns, the U.S. space program has suffered from a shift in the culture value of scientific discovery. “I was 14 when Sputnik went up — it was 1957,” said Lennard Fisk, the Thomas M. Donahue Distinguished University Professor of Space Science, sitting in his office in the SPRL. “You almost had to be alive then to know the impact that had on science education and scientific careers in that time. There was quite a fervor in the country over the fact that the Soviets had launched the first satellite.” In a very real sense, Fisk has been part of the space programs since the beginning. After a decades-long career — during which he served as the associate administrator for space science and applications at NASA, vice president for research and financial affairs at the University of New Hampshire and, most recently, as president of the international Committee on Space Research, among numerous other positions — Fisk has experienced the full spectrum of U.S. space research policies and priorities. Like many of the 400,000 scientists, machinists, engineers and crew who worked for the U.S. Apollo program at its peak in the late 1960s, Fisk was motivated by a sense of national urgency generated after the Soviet Union successfully launched the first manmade space satellite — Sputnik — in 1957. “It very much alarmed people that somehow Communist society was beating us in technological ability — the country went ballistic on the subject,” said Fisk. In 1958, Congress passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act “to provide for research into problems of flight within and outside the earth’s atmosphere, and for other purposes,” according to the original text.
For Fisk and his fellow researchers, this call to arms was a blank check allowing them an unparalleled level of scientific freedom. As control of space became a matter of national security, scientists were encouraged to take risks without fear of funding shortages. Universities also reaped the rewards, as NASA began funding research labs across the nation. For institutions that were willing to cooperate with NASA, any and all areas of scientific inquiry were open for exploration. “We basically said our technological prowess as a nation was being threatened and we have to build our technological capability,” said Fisk. “You really get the birth of the research university at that point.” North of campus The University entered the space science field in the late 1940s through two departments. Following the capture of hundreds of V-2 rockets from the Germans at the end of WWII, two University researchers were awarded grants from the Air Force to develop and mount scientific instruments to be launched into the upper atmosphere — marking the beginning of the University’s commitment to space sciences. William Dow served as the founder and original director of the SPRL, which grew out of the electrical engineering department. In a parallel effort, Emerson Conlon founded the High Altitude Engineering Laboratory out of the aeronautical engineering department. Each lab employed unique approaches to study similar atmospheric phenomenon, leading to competition between scientists within the college. Around 1950, when Les Jones and Nelson Spencer took over at the HAEL and SPRL, respectively, the two labs were already locked in their own pseudo space race. “(They) were almost enemies of each other, both competing to make Michigan a star in the space program,” said Engineering Prof. George Carignan, who served as director of the SPRL from 1962 to 1984. The two labs functioned in tandem until Jones stepped down in 1968 due to a battle with leukemia. After that, Cargnan said the HAEL slowly decayed while the SPRL flourished. By 1964, the University was granted federal funds to build a new home for the SPRL. The facility, still located at its original location on Hayward Street, was one of the University’s first facilities on the fledgling North Campus — set apart from other departments to ensure the security of its projects, many of which were highly classified at the time. Today, the lab still houses an array
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of specialized infrastructure, designed to allow researchers to prototype and test instrumentation to be placed on satellites. Shaker tables simulate the violent forces placed on items during launch into orbit. Specialized vacuum chambers subject instruments to the harsh environment they will experience in space. Clean rooms prevent even a single dust particle from entering, and potentially ruining, the myriad of sensors and electronics placed on these devices. In addition to satellites, the University has historically had strong research relationships with NASA — and its renowned Goddard Space Flight Center — Caltech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a small group of similar research universities. Over the course of the manned space program, eight astronauts were University alums. Notably, the entire crew of the Apollo 15 lunar mission — James Irwin, David Scott and Alfred Worden — were University graduates. Despite its historical roots in space research and exploration, the University has been subject to the same challenges facing all facets of the U.S. space research enterprise, which could result in lasting damage to the infrastructure so carefully built up over the last five decades. Down the drain “There are no bold initiatives,” Fisk said. “We stopped being bold in 1972.” Two high-profile shuttle disasters — Challenger and Columbia — and the exorbitant cost of the International Space Station — estimated at about $150 billion to date — have led to the deterioration of public support for space research in recent years. Both the shuttle program and the space station have received criticism from members of the scientific community. Combined with the effects of the federal sequestration, NASA’s proposed $17.5 billion budget — .05 percent of the federal budget — for 2015 represents a one percent decrease from members of the previous year, a serious blow to universities that rely heavily on those funds for their research efforts. In comparison, 4.5 percent of the HISTORICAL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY’S SPACE PHYSICS RESEARCH LAB 1966 federal budget — which would Top Photo: George Carignan and Andy Nagy (bottom row second and fourth from left) pose at Fort Churchill, Nevada in November 1964. today amount to $167 billion — was allocated to NASA. Today, it’s less than War. “There’s a huge loss of capability,” of scientific value, most space research0.5 percent. “It didn’t have a mission,” Fisk said. said Fisk. “No one can build the Saturn ers agree that unmanned crafts deliver After the last Apollo moon mission “It kept looking for a mission. When V today, we lost the keys.” a greater ‘bang for the buck.’ in 1972, NASA began the process of the President says, ‘Go to the moon and Even among the scientific commuEngineering Prof. Tamas Gombosi, downsizing its workforce from about bring them back in ten years,’ you have nity, there is a push to move away from who researches planetary weather 30,000 civil servants to fewer than a very clear mission.” manned spaceflight. While the Apollo and heliospheric physics, said NASA 20,000, according to Fisk. In simple As the skilled workforce was forced moon missions were a key national and the space research community has terms, the administration ran out of to find jobs in other industries, they interest, many prominent researchers, always wanted to do more research things to do after reaching the moon, took with them the knowledge nec- including Fisk, question the need for than there are funds available. He said and the country shifted its focus to essary to maintain NASA’s advanced continued use of the shuttle and Inter- the pool of scientists seeking funds has other priorities, such as the Vietnam space programs. national Space Station. In terms See SPACE, Page 8B
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Wednesday, September 17, 2014 // The Statement
How theme semesters are shaping the way you learn by Tanaz Ahmed For more than 20 years, theme semesters have played an integral part in anchoring the LSA curriculum. Through theme semesters, LSA works to provide courses and events related to a specific topic each term. Though they were first implemented in the 1980s, theme semesters became more established in the ‘90s under former LSA Dean Edie Goldenberg. Faculty and administration recognized the potential of theme semesters to foster thought-provoking conversations on campus and in the broader Ann Arbor community, said Marjorie Horton, the assistant dean for undergraduate education. “The purpose of theme semesters is to involve the community in learning about, thinking about a complex subject matter together and from many different perspectives,” she explained. Topics that are relevant on campus and but also have a national impact are chosen. Brown v. the Board of Education was elected as a theme in winter 2004 during the 50th anniversary of the landmark case. Past theme semesters have also included “India in the World,” “Understanding Race,” and “Genders, Bodies, Borders.” The subject matter for each semester is carefully chosen. Preliminary proposals from departments, faculty and staff are expected to be brief, two-page documents with an explanation of the theme, lists of potential collaborating departments or programs, ways to involve students, proposed courses and community events. After the preliminary proposals are returned with feedback, a full proposal is developed. The theme for Fall 2014 is “Sport in the University.” The recent media focus on collegiate athletics coupled with the passion for sports on Ann Arbor’s campus makes “Sport in the University” a timely subject, Anne Curzan, professor of English Language and Literature, said. “We thought it would be fun and interesting to capitalize on the widespread and often passionate interest in sport on campus,” wrote Curzan, who is spearheading this semester’s theme, in an e-mail interview. “We wanted to highlight the ways in which sport intersects with questions and research we pursue across a wide range of disciplines at the University, from psychology to physics to literature to engineering, from race to gender to economics to medicine.” Once a theme is selected, the dean’s office provides a large portion of the financial resources needed to plan events and
programs. According to Evans Young, LSA assistant dean for undergraduate education, the office provides approximately $25,000 to $30,000 to the steering committee, comprised of faculty and staff, in charge of organizing the theme semester. Specific LSA departments with an interest in the specific theme semester provide additional funding. Occasionally, other University schools and colleges, such as the School of Art and Design or the School of Music, Theatre & Dance will also contribute to the funding if the theme is relevant to their cur-
riculums. There have also been instances where themes have been funded by organizations outside of the University — such as from the Ford Motor Company for the “Detroit 300” semester. The English Department and Physics Department are some of the other departments contributing to this semester’s budget. The money goes toward the multitude of events organized for theme semesters as well as staff support. Events — most of which are open to the general public — usually include speakers, movies, panels, performances, concerts, student essay and video contests. Over the years, theme semesters have made a significant impact on academics at the University. For instance, in the Fall of 2012, the “Translations” semester led to the creation of the translations minor under the Comparative Literature Department. Although housed under the Comparative Literature Department, the minor stays true to its theme semester roots through its interdisciplinary approach. The Environmental Semester, the theme in Winter of 1998, was a catalyst in creating the University’s Program in the Environ-
ment (PitE). John Knott, a current professor emeritus in the English department, was able to further pursue his interests in literature and the environment while a part of the ‘98 theme semester steering committee. He was later one of the key figures in implementing PitE. Knott is not the only professor who has been given the opportunity to further explore his or her research interests and passions through theme semesters. For Scott Ellsworth, a lecturer in the Department of Afroamerican and African
To kick off the semester, “Sport in the University” hosted a panel titled “Game Plan: Achieving Success at Michigan and Beyond.” Michigan Basketball Coach John Beilein and Women’s Gymnastics Coach Bev Plocki — along with Phil Deloria, LSA associate dean of undergraduate education, University professors Rob Sellers, professor of Psychology, and Robin Queen, chair of the Linguistics department — were panel speakers. Other events include a concert held in honor of the “Star Spangled Banner,” a History of Women’s Athletics gallery exhibit at the University of Michigan in Hatcher Graduate Library and a performance of “Good Kids” by the Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Center (SAPAC) at the Arthur Miller Theatre. Lectures given by speakers Philip Veliz, a professor at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender, and University alum Tarkington Newman, will take place as well. There will also be screenings of films. “A League of Their Own” will be shown on Sept. 21 with an introduction given by Carol Hutchins, women’s softball coach. “Afghan Muscles” and “A City of Fire: The Story of ‘68 Detroit Tigers” will be screened on Sept. 26 and Oct. 1, respectively. “Playing Unfair: The Media Image of the Female Athlete” and “MiraRUBY WALLAU/Daily cle” are some of the films which will also be shown. Studies, this semester’s theme, “Sport in the While LSA junior Ayesha Mehrotra said University” is the perfect opportunity for she found theme semester courses to be him to incorporate the teachings from his unadvertised to students who did not seem book, “The Secret Game: A Basketball Story to belong to a department sponsoring these in Black and White” into a class on race and courses, other students who had taken past basketball in America. theme semester courses or attended related “There’s a core group of faculty that events were intrigued by the selected topics. works on sports from various disciplines but “I did not feel like I was an expert in any don’t often get a chance to talk with one and of these topics before but I’m always lookanother, so I’m hoping this theme semester ing for opportunities to learn more about helps us get to know one and another better my culture,” said LSA junior Sunny Dharod, and share research,” said Santiago Colas, an explaining why he was motivated to enroll associate professor of comparative litera- in two theme semester courses as part of the ture, who is also teaching a course of global “India in the World” semester last winter. sports cultures this fall. LSA senior Loritta Chan became a part of For Tyran Steward, a lecturer in the His- the student advisory board for “India in the tory Department, this year’s theme semester World” and took a theme semester course gives him the opportunity to teach a subject because she felt as though they enriched hers that is generally disregarded in American and other students’ learning experiences. academia. “The diversified learning approach which “The reality is that many of the themes to theme semester courses offer fosters a stube pursued, such as sport, have been under- dent’s interest in the subject,” she added. “It studied by scholars and/or undervalued in gives students room to explore the multiple our classrooms despite their popularity in facets of Indian culture not taught in class, mainstream American life or their need for such as music or the arts. When one draws greater intellectual scrutiny,” wrote Stew- links between such events and issues taught ard, who is teaching two courses related to in class, the course becomes much more “Sport in the University” this semester. dynamic, applicable and closer to real life.”
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 // The Statement
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Personal Statement: Life’s too ‘short’ By Michael Sugerman
ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN MULHOLLAND
On my 16th birthday checkup, my pediatrician told me that I was done growing. When I was younger, my goal was to be 5-foot-6, and according to my calculations via a fancy algorithm in National Geographic Kids magazine when I was around 8 years old (I’d later realize I was just averaging my parents’ heights), this wasn’t terribly unrealistic. I had always been pretty short — and as a result, I had periodically undergone different kinds of growth tests to ensure that I was on track. There had been bone ages — X-rays that track the fusion of bones and subsequently, where in the growth process a patient is. My testosterone and growth hormone levels were checked when I was 14 and they both came back fine. So when I learned that I’d be 5 feet 2 inches for the rest of my life, I was disappointed but not entirely surprised. By that point, I was used to being short. Did it sometimes prevent me from reaching top shelves? Sure. But otherwise, I was (and am) pretty confident. Height wasn’t an object. What made me upset, then, was what the doctor said in
response to that news: “I’m sorry.” He apologized to me, as if my final measurement was some type of pitiable misfortune. And I hated it. Two summers ago, I — in my patchy-bearded, 17-year-old prime — was offered a kids menu at a restaurant in Hawaii. Angling my uneven scruff into the sunlight, I looked up at the waitress, and in the lowest baritone register I could muster, asked for the regular menu. Embarrassed, she apologized and hurried off. Four months ago, I was in the middle of an intramural basketball game, guarding a guy off an inbound who was drastically taller than me. As I hopped up to try and block him from making a pass, he scoffed at me: “C’mon man, you’re too short for that.” This July, as an intern for The Hollywood Reporter, I was sent to cover the premiere of Let’s Be Cops. While on the red carpet, I interviewed the film’s director, screenwriters and stars. I was stunned at just how tall they all were. One actor, James D’Arcy (who played the film’s villain, Mossi) is 6-foot-3. As I interviewed him, I held my recorder nearly at full length above my head, to get the best quality of audio for his responses. He
seemed amused, and I couldn’t blame him. While visiting a friend this summer, her younger brother
Aside from the more recent stories above, this one guy who I knew in elementary school — with whom I’ve kept in touch because we attend the same temple back home — has historically made it a point to greet me by observing, “Wow, you’re still that short.” Here’s the thing: I have been short for my entire life, but I have never felt small. The dictionary clarifies that to be small is to be “less than normal or usual,” or “not great in strength or power.” I’ve always been concerned about that, because I don’t want my height to limit me — to make me something weak or lesser. I’m someone who believes that self-confidence is just that: derived from the self. So, a long time ago, I decided that I didn’t care about being short. But it’s still something about which I’ve harbored a great deal of insecurity. I know, it sounds shallow. But we live in a world where like, “Sorry shorties, tall dudes have their pick of the dating pool,” exist in mainstream media;
Being short is not an issue; it’s not a challenge; it’s not a disease; it’s not something to be “sorry” about.
came out to say hello. He’s entering the third grade, and doesn’t really have a verbal filter yet. He asked me, “You’re really 19? Aren’t you small to be 19? I’m almost as tall as you are!” Yes, I stand proudly at 5 feet and 2 inches, maybe 3 inches with the right combination of shoes and posture — and naturally, short jokes come with the territory. I’ve gotten them for as long as I can remember.
where the phrase “bigger is better” is universally known; where voters see politicians as “better suited for leadership.” I recently asked a few friends to describe me honestly, in one word. Responses included “thoughtful,” “energetic,” “dedicated,” “loyal” and “unfaltering.” Notice that not one of those adjectives hint at stature. What I’m asking you to understand here is that I do not personally feel hindered by my height as much as I feel that society tells me I should. And that’s why, so often, I’m angry about height. Some people call it being “vertically challenged,” as if it’s more sensitive. But why should sensitivity be necessary? Being short is not an issue; it’s not a challenge; it’s not a disease; it’s not something to be “sorry” about. It’s just another trait. There’s no denying that being short has contributed to my development, to my personality and to the way I see the world (both literally and figuratively). That said, it does not define me as a person — not any more than the color of my eyes. At the end of the day, I really don’t mind being short. In fact, the view’s pretty good from down here.
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Wednesday, September 17, 2014 // The Statement
SPACE From Page 5B said the pool of scientists seeking funds has increased steadily over the last 30 years, while research funding has remained essentially stagnant. “When I started in the U.S. about 30 years ago, the funding (acceptance) rate was about 1-in-2 or 1-in3,” Gombosi said. “Today it’s 1-in-8, 1-in-10, so it’s much more difficult to get funding.” Gombosi added the trend over the past several decades has been to shift research dollars away from universities. For years, there was an unspoken agreement that NASA would build the spacecraft and rely on the universities for instruments, but as funding becomes tighter, NASA has elected to keep more projects in-house to save money. The funding shortfalls contribute to a cyclical decline in the research enterprise as it becomes harder for new researchers to get the needed funding and experience. While the SPRL has not seen any decline in the number of students, most professors acknowledge that the focus has shifted, for better or worse. The next generation The 1960s saw a major transformation in STEM education across
the country. In addition to unprecedented levels of scientific funding at universities, both the primary and secondary education systems were overhauled to prepare as many students as possible for careers in scientific fields. During their education, Fisk and many of his colleagues were witness to the seminal events in U.S. space exploration. However, the current generation of young space science graduate and undergraduate trainees were several decades from birth the last time a man walked on the moon. Yet students continue to pursue space sciences. More graduate students are working in the lab now than during the 1950s and ’60s, and they are coming from all over the nation and the world. “Space research in general and the visuals that go with it are still a stimulus for those who want to go into science and engineering,” Fisk said. At the SPRL, Ruf, the director of the Space Physics Research Lab, said he has observed significant changes in the students entering the field over his 25 years of teaching experience. According to Ruf, students com-
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
A researcher at the Space Physics Research Lab tests a satellite prototype using a vacuum chamber and other instruments.
ing to the University used to enter with a base set of mechanical skills, whereas current applicants more often have developed skills in computer programming. Tinkering projects, such as car tune-ups, ham radios and model airplanes, were valuable in teaching students basic skills that were applicable once they reached a laboratory setting. “It’s still necessary,” Ruf said. “When you build real stuff you’ve got to get your hands on it and you’ve got to know how to use tools.” Today, screws and soldering irons have been replaced with laptops and smartphones. Ruf said several of his students played around with coding smartphone apps in high school, building skills in computer science that can sometimes be helpful around the lab. But he said the “shift in culture” has also forced him to change his teaching methods. “Almost none of them know how to use a screwdriver,” Ruf said. The beginning of the end, or just the beginning? In 2012, the NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory successfully landed Curiosity, a unmanned scientific rover, on the surface of Mars to perform a slew of experiments, in part to determine potential for human settlement of the planet and continue the search for life in the solar system. The mission is estimated to cost about $2.5 billion. If manned exploration and settlement of the planet was ever pursued, the cost would be significantly higher — potentially $1
trillion, according to Gombosi. But scientists — ever the pragmatists when concerned with funding cuts — will continue to support such efforts as long as the government keeps funding them. “That’s the kind of stuff that catches public attention and sometimes we scientists prostitute ourselves by jumping on things which sell, but it gets you into trouble,” said Engineering Professor Emeritus Andrew Nagy. While a manned Mars mission may fulfill the human desire to explore, Nagy said there are plenty of unanswered questions in the field that could be accomplished for less money. “A lot of stuff that we want to do can’t be done,” Nagy said. “Things are getting more expensive. The easy things have been done. There’s a lot of research that one wants to do … there’s no resources to do it.” Nagy also noted that some discoveries, such as the transistor, were invented through research that emphasized “science for the sake of science,” asserting that researchers not lose sight of the possibility for real discovery. But on the other side of the SPRL, it appears that pragmatism might be the decision maker, at least for the time being. In 2012, Ruf — along with two other University researchers — wereawarded $151.7 million to fund the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System — eight satellites that, when launched into orbit, will assist in the process of forecasting and monitoring hurricanes. “These days there’s a lot more emphasis on practical, useful types
of space science and less on answering the big questions just for the sake of answering them,” Ruf said. “I think it’s a good thing to spend significant money on trying to understand what makes the universe tick — those are important questions,” he added. “But they don’t practically improve the day-to-day quality of life of anybody other than the scientists working on them.” With advances in smartphones and miniaturization of electronic components, Ruf said space scientists have started to explore the idea of smaller satellites. Instead of launching a single $2 billion satellite each year, researchers are attempting to build a series of smaller $5 to $50 billion dollar satellites that could be launched by a smaller institution, such as a university, which historically have not played a large role in the development and construction of entire space systems. The CGNSS could provide more accurate weather data, and in general provide “more science per dollar,” according to Ruf. At present, it appears policymakers are in support of this pragmatic approach, giving Ruf confidence that his research will continue for the foreseeable future. But he also recognized that research funding is ultimately dictated by public opinion, which is always subject to change. “I think there’s a mood in general in Washington that they’re trying to focus science research funds to more practical things,” Ruf said. “This is where the emphasis is going these days. But who knows, maybe it will swing back five or 10 years from now and I’ll be scrabbling for funding.”