ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Thursday, September 18, 2014
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A housing sees uptick in luxury, high costs 2
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
LEFT: Booths at EarthFest handed out apples to students and staff. RIGHT: LSA sophomore Kaitie Benedek pledges to visit the campus farm more often and poses for a picture.
EarthFest unites students in environmental efforts Green groups congregate to display their work By ARIANA ASSAF Daily Staff Reporter
Celebrating and protecting the planet has been promoted by the University for years, but Wednesday, Planet Blue injected
new energy into the spirit of sustainability with its annual EarthFest — a “Party for the Planet” that included food samples, live entertainment and the chance to win an iPad. Music could be heard from beyond the Diag, where about 60 booths were set up to educate passersby about topics ranging from how to make environmentally friendly food purchases to guidelines for proper drug disposal.
To meet sustainability goals, the University promotes creating healthy environment, climate action, community awareness and waste prevention. Barbara Hagan, a sustainability representative with the Office of Campus Sustainability, said student groups, individual University units and outside nonprofit organizations had all come together for the sake of sustainability and to raise awareness at EarthFest.
“The University has goals to reduce our waste, to increase our sustainable food purchases, to reduce the chemicals that we put on the lawns,” Hagan said. “So all this is to bring awareness to that initiative as well as all the cool things we have on campus that are working towards those goals.” Like Festifall and Northfest, students had the opportunity See EARTHFEST, Page 2A
Expensive apartment buildings can charge up to $2,000 per month By HILLARY CRAWFORD Daily Staff Reporter
Traditional college housing — the rickety, aging homes and rarely renovated apartments that smell like Ramen noodles — has had competitors from new luxury apartment buildings near campus. Landmark Apartments, Sterling 411 Lofts, Zaragon Place and Zaragon West have all opened in the past five years, and several new luxury apartment complexes are on the rise. Maggie Ladd, executive director of the South University Area Association, said prior to 2006, the association researched retail business and housing that was offered to students at different universities. Ann Arbor’s offer-
ings, the research found, were subpar. “We felt that Ann Arbor wasn’t filling the demand,” Ladd said. Landmark is one complex erected to meet some of those demands. Its amenities are abundant: a hot tub, sauna, free bagel breakfasts, a built-in fitness center, granite kitchen countertops and more. The catch: monthly rent in some units can exceed $2,000 per person. “We have a very sophisticated student body,” Ladd said. “They are looking for state-of-the-art places to live as opposed to single-family places that have been turned into student apartments.” Other universities seem to be attracting this “sophisticated” populace as well. Newspapers nationwide are commenting on the new amenities colleges and their surrounding towns are offering, matching their higherincome student body. Rick Perlman, founder and president of Zaragon, Inc., said See RENT, Page 2A
DETROIT
FORD SCHOOL TALKS
Pilot program uses texting for data collection
Colombian prof. talks country’s struggles
Researchers survey Detroiters through real-time communication By NEALA BERKOWSKI Daily Staff Reporter
Though texting is generally used as a casual form of communication, University researchers are exploring the medium as a new means of collecting data and interacting with communities. Their pilot participants: lowincome Detroit residents. Dr. Tammy Chang, assistant professor of family medicine at the Medical School, and member of the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, is leading a team of researchers for the pilot. The goal is to collect data on subjects’ medical knowledge, literacy and numeracy. The study focuses on the residents of the Villages at Parkside, a lowincome predominantly AfricanAmerican community in Detroit. Chang said texting is differ-
ent from other forms of collecting information, such as online or physical surveys and phone interviews, because it allows researchers to receive real-time information from the group they are trying to learn more about. She also said cell phone ownership and use has been found to be particularly high within AfricanAmerican communities, making it easy to focus the sampling to that demographic. “You’re not necessarily going to go to a community meeting after working two jobs,” Chang said. “You’re not necessarily going to feel like filling out a fivepage survey and when somebody calls you on the phone, you may not necessarily feel like talking to them about your opinion about x, y, z things. What’s awesome about text messaging for this group is that it’s allowing them to speak to us in a language, in a modality that they’re used to. They can do it on their time when they feel like it.” Zachary Rowe, executive director of Friends of Parkside, a Detroit nonprofit that focuses on the wellSee TEXTING, Page 2A
Speaker discusses violence and new peace initiatives By EMMA KERR
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Daily Staff Reporter
Adam Liptak, a U.S. Supreme Court correspondent for The New York Times, speaks about the Roberts court and constitutional law at South Hall Wednesday.
NYT reporter provides Constitutional analysis Document’s birthday marked with discussion of longevity, progress By TAYLOR WIZNER Daily Staff Reporter
To honor the 227th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution’s signing, Adam Liptak, U.S. Supreme Court correspondent for The New York Times, spoke Wednesday afternoon about
the Roberts court and the Constitution’s role in public policy today. In front of a crowd of about 100 people, consisting mostly of students and Ann Arbor residents, Liptak discussed some of the unique aspects of the Constitution, focusing on its longevity — since the average constitution lasts 19 years — and the short length of the document, which leaves room for ambiguity. One of the more interesting aspects of the Constitution is the Bill of Rights, Liptak said,
because of the argument forwarded by many of the federalist Founding Fathers that it is unnecessary and dangerous. Some argue its existence proves that a few select rights need to be protected, without detailing how they should be enforced and excluding other considered rights. “It’s the Bill of Rights rather than the Constitution’s structural provisions that really capture your imagination,” Liptak said. Liptak said a strong focus of See REPORTER, Page 2A
Wednesday evening, attendees at the Ford School of Public Policy got an expert’s take on violence in Colombia and its government’s inability to keep the peace. Alejandro Castillejo-Cuéllar, associate professor and chair of the Department of Anthropology at the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, stressed the need for leadership and new government strategies for understanding the country’s political conflict and its effect on Colombian communities. Castillejo-Cuéllar emphasized both the potential and shortcomings of Colombia’s controversial 2005 Justice and Peace Law, which provides a path for former paramilitary antigovernment fighters to reintegrate into mainstream society. Right wing paramilitary See POLICY, Page 2A
The Michigan Theater: Examined An in-depth look at the history of Ann Arbor’s first movie theater
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THE TROUBLE WITH CARS
Z U M B AT H O N
AAA rescues pre-law hopeful Having your car break down while wearing high heels in the middle of a weeknight is a less than ideal start to the semester, LSA junior Starr Ford can attest. Running late to an event for her pre-law fraternity, Ford and a few friends hurried to find parking and ran to Angell Hall in their business attire without paying much attention to whether or not they had shut off the car’s hazard lights. Returning to her car after
the meeting, she noticed her car lights “flashing like it was possessed.” “We marked it up to another incident of #StarrProblem,” Starr said. Her calamity still not over, Starr returned all the way home to get her jumper cables, only to be driven back by a friend and find out that the cables were broken — after 30 minutes of trying them. “At this time it was just comical,” she said. She finally resolved to call
RENT From Page 1A the University’s high tuition, which surpasses that of the other universities surrounding his properties, factors into the demand for highrises. “The fact that people are paying that large amount for out-of-state tuition generally shows a higher income per capita per family,” Perlman said. Last year, The Washington Post reported on George Washington University’s “rich kid” stigma. It describes the scene at a rooftop deck at one of the city’s most expensive apartment buildings — surprisingly populated mostly by
AAA, who came to her aid after another hour. Looking back on the night, she said it was “not surprising” that she forgot to turn her hazard lights off, as she received four tickets and had her car towed three times since the beginning of summer. “Parents should really feel at ease knowing that these are the type of drivers that inhabit the roads at a school they pay thousands of dollars for,” Starr said.
students. “The number one thing that makes you popular at GW is money,” one GW student told the Post. Back in Ann Arbor, the housing market reflects income disparity as well. LSA junior Amina Fishburn began her lease at Landmark this September after living in Baits Houses on North Campus her freshman year and a sorority house her sophomore year. “There have been times when I don’t necessarily want to tell people where I live,” Fishburn said. “A little bit of a judgment does pass when you live in Landmark or Zaragon or any of the luxury apartments.” The first high-rise to sprout near Central Campus was Zaragon Place, which Perlman developed in 2009. It
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Ryan Davis, associate director of development for health, participates in a Zumbathon for thyroid cancer in the Union Wednesday.
is located about 1,200 steps from the Diag, Perlman said. Three years later, Perlman opened Zaragon West. Perlman also owns property near the campuses of Western Michigan University and East Carolina University. He said Ann Arbor is an expensive town in terms of real estate. Ann Arbor’s urban setting means less land and thus less area on which to build housing. “There isn’t a bunch of land to build so you’re forced then to build vertically and that kind of construction is much more expensive,” Perlman said. “With much more expensive construction, you have to charge more to rent.” On average, depending on the occupancy of the unit, residents pay
from $1,000 to $1,400 per person each month in Zaragon Place. The International Center approximates that the rent per person at a two-bedroom apartment in Ann Arbor ranges from $400 to $600 per month. Fishburn said the cost is worth it. “When it comes down to it, I don’t think people necessarily realize that for what you’re paying, you’re actually getting a lot,” she said. Ladd said the storefronts in the area are doing better because of the additional business brought in by high-rises such as Zaragon Place, Landmark and the soon to open ArborBLU. “We’re hoping that long-term, students will move out of the neighborhoods and neighborhood houses will revert back to family use.”
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EARTHFEST From Page 1A to connect with groups they might want to get involved with, including exploring volunteer positions with community organizations and joining on-campus clubs. For example, Art and Design junior
TEXTING From Page 1A being of the community’s residents, collaborated with Chang. He also created the program Parkside Connected!– a repository of cell phone numbers of the residents of Parkside. FOP uses this program to send out information such as the time and location of important community events, including food giveaways or health fairs. During Chang’s research project, individu-
REPORTER From Page 1A Chief Justice John Roberts’ court is First Amendment protection. “And it has, without question, ruled for free speech in hard cases,” he said. However, Liptak noted while many view the Roberts court as favoring freedom of speech to the extreme, the court has heard fewer cases than the previous three courts. Recent First Amendment cases focus on laws regarding campaign funds.
Dustin Park recently joined UMBees, a student group that works to raise awareness about the dwindling population of bees — a topic that has garnered national attention. Members also take part in a variety of activities to support healthy bee populations. LSA senior Mary Hirt belongs to the Undergraduate Sustainability Scholars Program, part of the Gra-
ham Sustainability Institute. This learning community for juniors and seniors is a nine-credit course that, upon students’ graduation, grants its members a certificate in sustainability and provides up to $3,000 in funding for field experiences. “I used my money to go study agroecology in Cuba this summer,” Hirt said. She also said she particularly
appreciated the educational diversity within the program. “We come from all different backgrounds,” she said. “We have engineers, people from the English Department, International Studies, so it’s a really great community to get involved with because you get many different perspectives on the issues of sustainability.”
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als who were part of Parkside Connected! were recruited to be part of the pilot study. Twenty participants who were familiar with receiving texts from FOP received and answered multiple texts at varying times and days regarding a range of topics. “In our study, we asked them what they would do in different medical scenarios,” Chang said. “Another one we piloted was literacy and numeracy questions where we basically used these validated questions to understand illiteracy and innumeracy of the
community. We were able to get really great information that could potentially be used to tailor interventions.” In one medical scenario, the participants received a text message asking them what they would do if one side of their body became numb and they could not talk. Because many people responded that they would probably stay home, the researchers determined that many residents did not know the signs of a stroke. This finding led to programming to help spread the word in Park-
side about receiving proper medical care and being on watch for health warning signs. “We sent the texts at different times of the day and different days of the week because sometimes their regular doctor’s office would be open and sometimes it wouldn’t,” Chang said. “We would want to know, oh, would they stay home, or would they go to the emergency room.” Karen Daniels, a Parkside resident who participated in the study, said she heard about the study from a text message she
received and decided to participate so she could improve her texting skills. Daniels also said she now prefers texting to other forms of communication. “It’s faster than talking on the phone and you get to the point faster,” Daniels said. “I would definitely answer a text before I would answer a voicemail.” Using texting to gather information also has many implications for nonprofits and community organizations. These
groups could potentially direct questions to members of the communities they are trying to help about how to use the nonprofits’ resources, and about what those communities’ top priorities are. “I don’t want just me to use this technology,” Chang said. “I hope that other people see how easy it can be and then how they may be able to incorporate the opinions and the viewpoints of the people they’re working with as well.”
For example, Justice Antonin Scalia respects the Constitution’s guarantee of free speech, Liptak said, defending it even when it conflicts with his own ideologies. “(Justice Scalia) likes to tell the story of how much it pained him when he voted to strike down a law making flag-burning a crime,” Liptak said. “Here is what he said: ‘If it was up to me, if I were king, I would take the scruffy, bearded, sandal-wearing idiots burning the flag and I would put them in jail.’ They come to the bench not with an agenda, but with a sense of
neutral and dispassionate frame of law.” Liptak also noted that this viewpoint is often an outlier, and politics do make their way into the court. “With the exception of Justice (Stephen) Breyer, who’s really pretty much 50-50, all of the justices were more likely to favor (their party line); the liberal justices were more likely to favor liberal speakers, and conservative justices conservative speakers,” Liptak said. He said while the Roberts court is generally straying away
from sweeping rulings on hotbutton issues such as abortion, gay rights and affirmative action, Liptak said Zivotofsky v. Kerry, a case the court is currently hearing that deals with the stance on listing Jerusalem versus listing Israel as one’s birthplace on U.S. passports, stands to impact U.S. foreign policy. “Whatever the Supreme Court decides, in the matter of American Constitutional law, the Middle Eastern press will report on it in a kind of shorthand, and the Supreme Court decision itself may have an impact on their for-
eign policy,” Liptak said. Liptak said the court will also address whether someone can be prosecuted for issuing threats on Facebook that are quotes from rap lyrics. At the reception, when asked about his opinion of the Constitution’s effectiveness, Liptak said he is behind the document as a legal device. “It’s a work of genius,” Liptak said. “It’s endured for a long time, and we are lucky to have it.” Public Policy junior Julie Sarne said she came to the event because of her interest in the constitution,
and how the current Court interprets it. “I think this event provided a great forum for that because it was more about how we report on the court and how the court has evolved and how that reflects the Constitution today,” she said. Public policy junior Nick Rinehart said he was interested in a reporter’s take on the court. “It was interesting to hear from his unique perspective,” Rinehart said. “He gave pretty candid comments and that’s something you don’t usually get from a reporter.”
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POLICY From Page 1A groups are said to be responsible for a significant amount of this violence, and while the Justice and Peace Law attempts to quantify the disruption and violence within communities, CastillejoCuéllar emphasized Colombia’s need for a strategy that is more sensitive to the individuals and communities at the heart of these conflicts. He described current methods as the “surgical extraction of testimony.” “There exist some forms of violence that are not perceived as such,” Castillejo-Cuéllar said. “We require institutional procedures as well as direct testimonies in order to fully understand, but what happens when testimonials cannot be easily classi-
fied? Extended narratives are not investigated, officials speak in Spanish, not local languages, and we see a domestication of testimonies.” Through anecdotal stories and personal experience, CastillejoCuéllar described the varying kinds of violence and poverty Colombians experience. He implored policy makers and researchers to use methods of analysis that include an understanding of individuals and the histories of their communities in a way that does not disregard the past. To rectify what CastillejoCuéllar said he considers the shortcomings of the Peace and Justice Law, he wants to redesign these short and uninvolved methods of data collection so that they better reflect the experiences of Colombians. “Imagine a different kind of
investigation that includes these kinds of conceptions of harm and violence in a different way,” he said. “There is a need for historical clarification.” Following the lecture, Castillejo-Cuéllar offered a Q&A session with students and attendees. Some of these queries pertained to his take on entering and interacting with communities like those in Colombia, as well as his opinion on the prospects for peace in Colombia. He said with new methods of research and policy-making, Colombia has an opportunity to move forward, though its past is still key in determining its future. “When I say I am from Colombia, everyone knows this means political conflict and drug wars and all of this,” he said. “That term, ‘political conflict,’ is now somehow engraved in our identity.”
While at this point CastillejoCuéllar remains somewhat pessimistic about a peaceful future for Colombia, there remains some hope for his country. The Justice and Peace Law and other policies may give Colombians a sense of false security, of only aesthetic change. Castillejo-Cuéllar hopes to bring this history of violence and the victims of this violence to the forefront of policy-making moving forward. “I think we still lack the political leadership to move the process even further forward. We lack the leadership of someone like Nelson Mandela,” he said. “You live, in my experience, there and you have this sense of everything is cool, everything is fine and moving forward, but you have this sense that underneath there is something wrong, a war going on.”
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I
Defining the Michigan man
n the wake of the Michigan men’s basketball team’s successful season last year, the news of both Mitch McGary’s failed drug test and subsequent decision to leave for the NBA was startling. Failing the NCAA-administered drug test left McGary with a one-year suspension from play, and reportedly forced his hand in his decision to begin preparing for LAUREN a career in the NBA. MCCARTHY The University Athletic Department attempted to appeal the decision in early April, but was ultimately unsuccessful. A cornerstone of the Michigan basketball team, prominent leader and enormous personality was leaving campus — and the students responded. Many defended McGary, claiming that the punishment did not fit the crime. It was argued that McGary had only smoked “just this once,” and countless students and fans maintained that, nonetheless, McGary would forever in their eyes be considered a “Michigan Man”. The definition of a “Michigan Man” is generally understood to be an upstanding, loyal and passionate individual; someone who is not only dedicated to the values of the University but who also embodies those virtues in his everyday actions. Bo Schembechler, the legendary Michigan football coach of 21 remarkable seasons, is universally regarded as a “Michigan Man” and remembered for his superior ethics. However, there are more “Michigan Men” out there who do not coach a sports team, and (sorry Bo) they hail from all over the country and planet. Too often is this term used to describe or commemorate the obvious candidates: the athletes who herald championships or the select few campus leaders who run Central Student Government. The University of Michigan has nearly 30,000 undergraduate students, more than 15,000 graduate students, and yet for years on end those who often lead the discussion about who deserves to be categorized as a “Michigan Man” select from only a small pool of students when crowning whom they believe deserve to be categorized as “Michigan Men”. I can’t comfortably justify Mitch McGary as the epitome of a “Michigan Man”, not when there are countless other students, alumni
and faculty who are far more dedicated to the embodiment of true Michigan values. This campus is littered with unsung heroes and passionate leaders who deserve the recognition of the student body as well as student publications. They may not be lead scorers or team captains, and nonetheless the contributions they make to the University are oftentimes significantly more pertinent than almost winning a national championship. With a trend of personality journalism on the rise, many writers, publishers and producers are all too concerned with their own public image — trolling their social media sites and shamelessly promoting their articles or on-air appearances via their personal, online platforms. This industry is sliding into a worrisome environment of ownership, neglecting to focus on their subjects and their stories and too often inserting themselves into the discourse. In a community as expansively rich as this campus, I view it as wildly irresponsible not to invest the time and energy into seeking out the “Michigan Men”(and women) who I have heard of time and time again: the friend of a friend who has impacted many through his or her unfailing kindness and grace, the boyfriend of a sorority sister who started a revolutionary new student organization or the quiet classmate who subtly mentions their involvement in and utter devotion to social justice on campus. A “Michigan Man” (or woman) is an individual who is rooted in tradition, yet seeks innovation and strives for constant progress. He works within the rules, while also making the rules work for him. A “Michigan Man” takes full advantage of the opportunities provided by the Michigan community, while also lending a hand to those who may be less advantaged. A “Michigan Man” is intent on being a successful, well-educated and fair citizen who invests his time back into the betterment of the University. He takes pride in the institution as a whole, as well as his own personal accomplishments. A “Michigan Man” is a loyal, steadfast and true leader, who rises to the occasion and inspires others to do the same. Please assist me in finding these Michigan men and women on campus (students and faculty alike), and please e-mail me at laurmc@ umich.edu with suggestions. — Lauren McCarthy can be reached at laurmc@umich.edu.
LINDSEY LAIRD | THE PODIUM
Arts as a means for womens issues
In my opinion, art can be an extremely accessible, sensitive and diverse medium. If we are looking in the right places, we can find voices in art that are not typically included in mainstream discussions. One of these is the voice one of women, specifically women from other parts of the world that are operating under different cultural and social norms. The first artist I’m bringing to the forefront is Amanda Heng. Heng is a contemporary artist currently living in Singapore. Her exhibit seen above is entitled “Missing.” The picture isn’t incredibly clear, but the work is a collection of white paper mâché dresses in a black room. Heng created this piece as a memorial for the female victims of infanticide. Female infanticide is the killing of a female child before her first birthday. Selective female fetus abortion is considered female infanticide since it represents the same desire. Currently, female infanticide is a prominent phenomenon in places such as China, India, Taiwan, Korea, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. Though sex-selective abortion is illegal in most places worldwide, it remains a significant issue in countries where the rejection of females and desire for male children is deeply rooted in the cultural fabric. One source of this desire for male children is patrilocality, which is practiced in many of these countries. Patrilocality is the custom by which a woman leaves her birth family to join her husband’s upon marriage. This allows sons to care for their aging parents while daughters aren’t able to offer this security net to their family. Dowry payments upon a daughter’s marriage are another custom that causes strain (though this time economic) on families with daughters. Additionally, the one child policy announced in 1978 in China has drastically increased the number of female infanticide victims. With the possibility, nowadays, to determine the sex of a fetus prior to birth, sex-selective abortion is the most common form of female infanticide. Female infanticide offers us another lens through which to view the common Western and American feminist debate on abortion rights. If one were to enter into a discussion with a feminist living in one of the aforementioned societies, their stance on abortion would probably be influenced by the prevalence of female
infanticide. While not wanting to speak for these women, I speculate that they wouldn’t be as fervent in their advocacy for cheap, widespread access to abortion. Obviously, I’m not suggesting a regression of the progress the pro-choice movement has (or hasn’t…) made in America and other countries. I’m simply suggesting that Western pro-choice movements are limited to their own cultural circumstances. Because of this, I’m advocating for us to incorporate into our stance on abortion the very real, yet different realities of women living in societies and cultures that place greater importance on male children You may be wondering why it is important for us to have these cultural sensitivities when thinking about issues such as abortion in the United States. For one, we need to recognize that our (America’s/the West’s) actions often have far-reaching consequences throughout the global realm. This, in and of itself, may be a problem but is often still the case nonetheless. As an example, one can clearly see the influence of the West even in the origins of feminism in China in the late 19th and early 20th. Liang Qichao’s 1897 essay entitled “On Women’s Education” makes it very clear that much of the early thoughts on and progress made for women in China had to do with the West’s approach to similar issues. An excerpt from his essay states, “If we were to have a small schoolboy from the West walk side by side with our majestic and aged official-scholars, the boy’s varied knowledge and ambitions would certainly exhibit features with which our scholars could not compete” (Liu 194). This quote shows how Chinese scholars of this era were both competing with and trying to mimic the West. (For more essays and information on the beginnings of Chinese feminism reference “The Birth of Chinese Feminism” cited below). This pattern of influence is one to be cautious of even in the 21st century. Secondly, it’s obviously important for us, as students and scholars, to broaden our knowledge of women’s issues globally. This will only strengthen our own feminist movements and studies at home as we attempt to take a more nuanced and culturally aware approach to issues such as abortion. — Lindsay Laird can be reached at lairdlk@umich.edu.
Uncomfortable
There’s half a tube of Fair and Lovely in the bottom drawer of my bathroom. I haven’t used it in years, but I can’t bring myself to throw it out. Scattered elsewhere among the drawers are tubes of Fairever Mantra, Vicco Turmeric Fairness Cream, and Himalaya Fairness Cream, all in various states of usage. Part of me hates that I’ve used these products. I should be above all these superficial notions about ideal complexion by now. But part of me clings to them — clings to the insecurity I’ve had since I was a little girl about the color of my skin, clings to my subsequent obsession with lightening my skin and changing people’s perceptions of me. I am Indian-American, and I am dark-skinned. To be specific, I’m closest to HTML color #A0522D, or what I call a “dull mocha.” They say it’s genetic; but save for my maternal grandfather, I’m the darkest person on both sides of my family. So? It’s just the color of my skin — it’s not who I am. Or at least it shouldn’t be. The societal preference for light skin is no new phenomenon in India. Billboards promoting fair skin are embellished with the face of actress Katrina Kaif — who is in fact half white. Commercials feature girls who’ve used fairness creams getting movie offers from the likes of noted director Rakesh Roshan. Matrimonial ads ubiquitously seek women who are not just smart and talented, but, more importantly, fair-skinned. These unrealistic expectations and their effects on the self-esteem of women in India has been well documented and frequently discussed. But the bias toward light skin isn’t confined to India. It’s traveled across the world to Indian-Americans as well, and has followed me for the 19 years I’ve lived in the U.S. This isn’t a subject I generally feel comfortable discussing because it seems ridiculous that such notions persist in a country as diverse as the U.S. For all the education and awareness about equality found in America, Indian-Americans seem, too often, to still harbor this preference for the fair-skinned. Indians in America are proud to
treat other races with respect, but they often overlook — or in fact perpetuate — the bias that occurs in our own community. Sure, there are plenty of Indian-American youths who proudly decry Fair and Lovely ads and eagerly support looking past skin color. But there are also obvious, unforgettable instances in which I’m reminded of how being dark is a bad thing. I have been told to my face, here in America, that some people will never find me attractive because my skin is too dark. I have heard with my own ears, here in America, that character is the most important factor in assessing a potential Indian groom, but a potential Indian bride must first and foremost be fairskinned, and therefore beautiful. I have seen people right in front of me, here in America, judge a fair-skinned Indian as likely more intelligent and successful than a dark-skinned one. All the self-esteem promotion out there is great to see, to hear, to nod at — but it’s not helpful in a world where people are still judged by their complexion. Young girls are repeatedly told not to idolize what they see in the media, because “no one actually looks like that.” To that end, I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to look like Katrina Kaif or Kareena Kapoor or any other fair-skinned Bollywood celebrity. My insecurity comes from frequently being surrounded by Indian-Americans who are lighter than me and keenly being made aware of that fact. And thus I keep wishing I look more like my fairer peers. Because my skin isn’t glowing against the lights like everyone else’s when I’m on stage. Because I’m the least visible person in that picture taken outside at night. Because I can’t borrow my friend’s makeup, whose colors wouldn’t suit me. These are simply facts that naturally arise from differences in complexion, but I’ve been brainwashed to repeatedly look at them in a negative light. When someone calls me “dark,” I take it as an insult. The problem, I tell myself, isn’t what they’ve said — it’s my reaction. I reassure myself with the copious amounts of research I’ve done, almost obsessively, on the science of complexion (in short: you
can darken your skin, but you can’t lighten it). I look in the mirror and try to accept myself for who I am. And then I hear a joke the next day about me looking “dull” or “invisible.” Cue the incessant water consumption, the herbal remedies, the salon face bleaching, and the use of one of those tubes from my drawers for another week or two. I know I’m so much more than the color of my skin, but somehow that one trait has become one of my primary identifying features over the years — and it’s stuck as something wrong with myself that I can never change. I have dark brown eyes, black hair, long fingers, a birthmark above my left knee, and mediumdark brown skin. That’s what I look like, but it doesn’t define me. I’m a student, a leader, a dancer, a writer, a musician, a daughter and a friend. That’s what defines me, and that’s who I hope people accept me as. But reality is not so simple. No amount of writing, discussing, or convincing will likely make me truly comfortable in my own skin. So for now I turn to the new Himalaya Clarifying Fairness Face Wash on my desk I bought yesterday, knowing fully well that it won’t do anything for my complexion, but hoping anyway. Author’s note: This piece has been nearly three years in the making, but it still rings just as true today as it was when I first wrote it. I had the opportunity to present a version of this piece at this year’s Yoni Ki Baat monologue show — a big step in the long journey toward my self-acceptance. Finally, I am ready to take a giant leap, to be vulnerable in front of the largest audience in the world: the Internet. Although emotions may evolve over time, these words have an impact on me every time I read over them — reminding me that no matter where we go and no matter how we change, we carry our experiences forever in our back pockets. Michigan in Color is the Daily’s opinion section designated as a space for and by students of color at the University of Michigan. To contribute your voice or find out more about MiC, e-mail michiganincolor@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Barry Belmont, David Harris, Rachel John, Nivedita Karki, Jacob Karafa, Jordyn Kay, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Paul Sherman, Allison Raeck, Linh Vu, Meher Walia, Mary Kate Winn, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
I
The power of place
n an intellectual sense, the University isn’t lying when it boasts about diversity on campus. The sheer number of academic programs available puts even Harvard — sorry, the Michigan of ERIC the East — to FERGUSON shame, and creates a vibrant body of students with unique backgrounds and differing viewpoints. The University has its share of excitement as well — it has attracted President Barack Obama here three times since 2010, and a century-old obsession with football turns campus into a madhouse on a regular basis. All of this and more makes this town the most interesting place to live in (and, somehow, the secondbest city in the United States for dating. Go figure). But Ann Arbor isn’t always the best place to be for four full academic years. Study abroad and away programs provide unique opportunities to learn, intern, use language skills and mature on a personal level. These places offer students of all majors new opportunities and a different brand of excitement than the norm, and thanks to copious amounts of scholarship funding, they have become increasingly accessible to students in recent years. In other words, all of us at Michigan face a question: If not Ann Arbor, where? For this American politics and international relationsobsessed Public Policy major,
Washington, D.C. was the only answer. I spent last winter taking classes and interning there through the Michigan in Washington Program, and it was the Holy Grail of off-campus undergraduate experiences. The work experience was interesting and useful, the classes were unique, and living in the heart of D.C. afforded me some of the best access I may ever get to its attractions — from congressional hearings and rallies on the Hill to events hosted by institutions such as the Bipartisan Policy Center and the Atlantic Council. It’s hard to find flaws in the city to which you intend to move after graduation, but D.C. doesn’t have the kinds of spaces good for thinking, reflecting and working without interruption that are spread all over the University’s campus. The tradeoffs, though, more than made up for that particular weak point. In addition to the seats of all three branches of government, famed and historic landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and the National Mall were all accessible on a whim. And in all of their fame and history, these places within a place changed me in ways no internship, book or Mason Hall class could have possibly done. Let me give you an example. One frigid Thursday night late last January, my roommate and I decided to brave the cold and go down to the western end of the Mall. The city was nearly as dead at 11 p.m. as Ann Arbor usually is at 4 a.m., and seemed about as safe. We made our way through the city, down past the long
Reflecting Pool and to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. It was my roommate’s first time there, and he listened to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech while standing where he once stood — a fitting act for a future civil rights lawyer. Afterwards, we moved on to what I wanted to see for the first time: the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Few places in D.C., Ann Arbor or elsewhere compare to this, and entering it that night was one of the most powerful experiences I have ever had. As my roommate and I started walking along the Memorial Wall, it rose from just 8 inches to over 10 feet tall — the height of one American soldier’s name to several, to dozens and then scores of names etched into a sober sea of burnished black granite. It immersed us in the memories of those lost in a war overwhelmingly rejected by a generation of college students, for whom conscription rendered it far too close to home. Even now, back home in Ann Arbor at last for a little while longer, it lingers in my mind as both a memorial and a reminder of how devastating governmental failure can be for nations at war. That night, those thousands of names seared the human costs of war into my mind in a new and very permanent way. I am a better person for it, and will (I hope) make a better policymaker someday as a result of that experience and my time in D.C. That place is my answer. What’s yours? — Eric Ferguson can be reached at ericff@umich.edu.
Sports
4A — Thursday, September 18, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FOOTBALL
With four injured starters, Hoke mum on injuries By GREG GARNO Managing Sports Editor
TERESA MATHEW/Daily
Replacing Nkem Ezurike has been hard, but forward Ani Sarkisian (right) has stepped up with four goals in four games.
Sarkisian shines in Big Ten By SHAWN HEROOR For the Daily
Big Ten coaches watched Nkem Ezurike bully defenses for four years and were glad to see Michigan’s all-time leading scorer graduate. Unfortunately for conference foes, they may have a new headache to deal with on the Michigan women’s soccer team: redshirt freshman forward Ani Sarkisian. Sarkisian, a transfer from Florida State, introduced herself to the Big Ten with three goals in a pair of Wolverine victories last weekend. After netting her first on Friday against Minnesota, Sarkisian added a pair of goals against the ninth-ranked Badgers on Sunday, scoring the decisive goal with only one second left in the match. The red-hot weekend for the freshman helped her garner Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week honors. Following a decorated high
school career, Sarkisian joined the heralded Seminole program, but spent the 2013 season on the bench for a talented Florida State squad. Sarkisian then decided she wanted a change, making the jump to the Wolverines this summer. “I’ve never met a group so family-oriented,” Sarkisian said. “ I came right in and fit right in. … Everything about the program, the teammates, the coaches, the academics, everything was just perfect for me.” After a slow start to the season, in which she failed to register a goal in the first four games, Sarkisian has caught fire during Michigan’s recent four-game winning streak. She scored four times to go along with four assists for the Wolverines (2-0 Big Ten, 6-2 overall). Most of her goals have been simple tap-ins and onetime shots, a result of Sarkisian putting herself in the right spot at the right time. Michigan coach Greg Ryan credits Sarkisian’s poacher mentality as the reason for her
recent outburst. “She’s been making hard runs to the ball, getting herself open in dangerous positions for us to get her the ball,” Ryan said. “She’s really performed well in every game.” Ryan admitted there was a learning curve for the freshman as she transitioned from different schools, teammates and a new system. Sarkisian is one of several new starters the team has introduced after losing the core of last season’s Elite Eight squad. “She is just learning like everyone else,” Ryan said. “We’re so young, we’re just learning the basics of playing with each other. We’re just lacking that chemistry. “For Ani to play so well so early for us is huge for our growth.” Sarkisian’s big weekend helped vault Michigan to the top of the conference standings, where they sit tied with Iowa and Penn State. With the bulk of the Big Ten season remaining, conference opponents will get no reprieve from the Wolverines’ relentless attack.
HOCKEY
Brady Hoke continues to deflect questions regarding the Michigan football team’s injuries. But today, NOTEBOOK reporters didn’t even have to ask to get the response. It took all of 37 seconds before he reiterated his stance in his opening statement at his Wednesday press conference. “We’re not going to talk about injuries, and I might as well bring that up now,” Hoke said. “And some of that is because you can say something and then you’re wrong. Everybody heals a bit differently. And then the other thing is, for our kids, I want to make sure that we’re doing a good job protecting them.” Hoke offered up little about who would fill in for his four injured starters, including three on a depleted defense that will face a potent passing offense against Utah this weekend. Cornerback Raymon Taylor, safety Jarrod Wilson and linebacker Desmond Morgan all missed last weekend’s game vs. Miami (Ohio). Taylor and Wilson both bring experience that will be essential to stopping Utah quarterback Travis Wilson — currently ranked second in the country in passing efficiency. Hoke pointed to his depth chart for who would replace the duo, though the depth chart currently lists the pair at the top of their respective positions. Should Taylor and Wilson be unable to play though, it’s likely
that freshman cornerback Jabrill Peppers and redshirt sophomore safety Jeremy Clark, who both saw time against the RedHawks, would figure to fill in. And Hoke hasn’t elaborated on the status of junior wide receiver Devin Funchess since he said, “we’ll see” following Saturday’s game. Funchess was seen walking without a boot earlier this week. TEXAS-SIZED MATCHUP: Keeping with the pattern of scheduling games a decade in advance, Michigan announced it will play a homeand-home with Texas in 2024 and 2027 on Wednesday. The Wolverines are set to host the first game in 2024 and then will travel to Austin, Texas. Discussions regarding the matchup were first reported a week ago by orangebloods.com. “A matchup of this magnitude doesn’t come along all that often, and when it does it’s special for both programs and the great fans that support each institution,” Hoke said in a statement. “This also is a special series for all fans of college football, and I anticipate great games just like the first contest played between the two programs.” The teams have met only once, last in the 2005 Rose Bowl, which Texas won on a
last-second field goal, 38-37. Michigan has also scheduled home-and-homes with Washington and Virginia Tech in 2020-21, UCLA in 2022-23 and Oklahoma in 2025-26. APPEAL DENIED: The NCAA has denied running back Ty Isaac’s appeal to play football this fall, according to Hoke. Isaac, who transferred from USC to be closer to his ailing mother, attempted to use the NCAA’s hardship waiver to play immediately this season. Under the rule, Isaac needed to attend a school within a 100-mile radius of his home in Shorewood, Illinois. The Wolverines appealed the original request in August, but Hoke said, “it didn’t go through” this month. That leaves Isaac, a former fivestar recruit, with three years of eligibility beginning next season. Last season he rushed for 236 yards in 14 games, and is now being used on the scout team, according to Hoke. “He’s handled it great,” Hoke said. “He had a great day yesterday. I think from an attitude standpoint and everything he’s been awesome.”
“I want to make sure we’re doing a good job protecting (players).”
We’re always sportsing Check MichiganDaily.com to see what other verbs we make up
MEN’S SOCCER
Freshmen, defense adjust Wolverines look to By JEREMY SUMMITT Daily Sports Editor
The games may have finished, but hockey never truly left Ann Arbor. While many students moved out of residence halls and apartments, for the returning NOTEBOOK players and incoming freshmen of the Michigan hockey team, Yost Ice Arena remained a second home during the offseason months. “A lot of our guys stayed around for the summer, so we not only got some good workouts in but developed some team cohesion early on,” said junior forward Andrew Copp. “I think all of the freshmen were here at some point this summer.” Copp, who was voted team captain by his teammates and coaches at the conclusion of last season has helped lead summer and preseason workouts alongside assistant captains, senior forward Zach Hyman and sophomore forward JT Compher. Due to NCAA regulations, Michigan coach Red Berenson and the rest of his coaching staff are unable to be on the ice with the team for more than 30 minutes during each practice until Oct. 3, only one day before Michigan’s first regularseason game. That’s left much of the responsibility to the trio of captains. Amidst the role of mentoring another large recruiting class, Copp, Hyman, and Compher had the added pressure of guiding Michigan back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. “Andrew’s been through it before as an assistant captain and I think he has a good feel for the team,” Berenson said. “Zach Hyman is a really good role model for this team, and then JT is the young blood on that group and he’s obviously a good young role model and he’s into it big time.” Freshmen Frenzy: After the Wolverine coaching staff brought in a nine-member freshman class last season, it nearly replicated
that mark with an eight-player class for the upcoming campaign. The notable freshmen that Berenson expects to make an immediate impact include forward Dylan Larkin and defenseman Zach Werenski. Larkin and Werenski are roommates this year, and Werenski claims “their basically the same person.” In some sense, he’s correct. Both were the two most highly sought-after recruits. Larkin produced a standout season in 2013-14 with the U-18 United States National Team Development Program, recording 56 points (31 goals, 25 assists). He was drafted 15th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in this summer’s NHL draft. “Dylan Larkin is really good,” Copp said with a wide grin. “He’s got great hockey instincts, he’s good with the puck and he’s got some speed.” Meanwhile, 2014 has already been a busy year for Werenski. As a 17-year old, he spent his summer in school taking five classes so he could graduate a year early after committing to Michigan. As a member of the U-17 U.S. NTDP, Werenski finished with 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) in 47 games last year. According to the 2014-15 NHL CSS Futures North American List, he’s considered one of the top draft-eligible defensemen for the upcoming NHL draft. “He bit off a lot when he made the decision to come in early,” Berenson said. “He just turned 17 around April or May, and he’s a lot more mature than his age would indicate. He’s catching up quick. He’s not out of place in any of the workouts.” Unknown D-Zone: Werenski has made such great strides in minimal time that Berenson has firmly stated the youngster should
find his way into the top-two defensive pairings this season. Sophomores Michael Downing and Kevin Lohan figure to place among the top-four defensemen, as well. Similar to the beginning of last season, Berenson has expressed his pleasure with the depth of his defensive corps. But, then again, by the end of the 2013-14 season, the Wolverines’ defense had surrendered an average of 2.54 goals per game, much to the disappointment of Berenson and his staff. So whether or not his assessment will hold true remains to be seen. “Last year, I thought we were deep on defense and that didn’t hold up,” Berenson said. “The team didn’t live up to some of our expectations. Defensively, I can go, ‘Oh we were better,’ but defensively, we were still short.” With a full season under the belts of Downing and Lohan, Berenson’s optimism isn’t a surprise. More so, last year’s promising play of senior Andrew Sinelli should provide a necessary boost to what became a depleted defensive unit. Berenson confirmed Tuesday that Sinelli has officially made the full transition from his natural forward position to a starting defenseman. “Sinelli, the way he played at the end of last year, he’s going to help our defense,” Berenson said. “He’s the guy that can hopefully replace some of Mac Bennett’s puck carrying and speed on D.” If Sinelli can fill such big skates, especially in both ends of the rink, the defense should be close to where it was last season. And if 17-year old phenom Werenski can show flashes of greatness and provide a reliable option on the top-two defensive pairings, Berenson’s defensive core will likely be upgraded.
“He’s a lot more mature than his age would indicate.”
regain focus after loss By JASON STEINMAN For the Daily
The Michigan men’s soccer team may have lost its focus in a 1-0 loss to Bowling Green (5-1 ) on Tuesday, overlooking a team that dropped its first game last week. Now, the Wolverines will have to regain that focus before they play a team that also suffered its first loss of the season last week when it travels to Northwestern. “Sometimes you think about things a little bit too much,” said Michigan coach Chaka Daley, “and you might put yourself ahead of where you are.” The season is still young, but as Michigan sits fifth in the conference (0-1 Big Ten, 1-3-1 overall), this weekend’s game could prove to be pivotal. It marks Michigan’s second away game and second Big Ten matchup of the season. “There’s still plenty to play for, both out of conference and in the Big Ten,” Daley said. “It’s not the end of the season. … I think we’ve demonstrated that we can compete against some of the better teams and I think we’ve demonstrated that sometimes we’re inconsistent.” Contributing to the slow start could be the great deal of change the team has undergone. The Wolverines have six new freshmen, made a tactical switch to a 4-4-2 formation in place of the old 4-3-3, and more recently, an intriguing goalkeeping battle has been brewing. Freshman goalie Evan Louro got the nod over fifth-year senior Adam Grinwis for his third start of the season against the Falcons. Though his team lost, Louro let up only one goal and made some exceptional saves to keep the Wolverines in the game.
Daley was unwilling to name a starter for the Northwestern game, but his decision may not have big implications for the rest of the season. “We have two excellent goalkeepers,” Daley said. “Whichever goalkeeper we feel is best for a particular game, they’re both going to be ready, so we’ll see how that goes.” The final result wasn’t representative of the game, though, as Michigan outplayed Bowling Green for most of the match. Despite outshooting their opponents, 20-10, dominating possession and ceding very few quality chances, the Wolverines couldn’t stick one in the back of the net. It cost them dearly,
as Bowling Green was able to capitalize on a counterattack in the 17th minute, which ultimately proved to be the deciding goal. Even in the face of this difficult loss, Daley held steadfast to his belief that chemistry and victories will come with time. “This is a program that we’re building for the long term. It’s not just for tomorrow or just for today versus Bowling Green,” Daley said. “We have to continue to work, be positive and continue to find solutions.” The Wolverines have five days to do just that, and on Sunday, Daley will find out just how resilient his Michigan team is.
Weekend Roundup
5A — Thursday, September 18, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Event Spotlight: 2014 Parents’ Weekend CAMPUS featuring guest speaker John U. Bacon EVENTS By BRAD WHIPPLE Weekend Roundup Editor
This Saturday, 100,000-plus people will file into the Big House for a college football tradition like none other. Some will be students, others alumni and 25 percent will not have even attended the University. But according to John U. Bacon, a renowned sports journalist and a University lecturer, it won’t matter what background you come from. If you put your hand in the air and say, “Hail,” you’re welcome. These are traditions that define college football programs, each with rich cultures and histories surrounding them for future generations to discover and become a part of. That is why the preservation of the sport’s integrity is now more important than ever. Friday at 4 p.m., Bacon will address his concerns about the future of college football in his event “The Fight for the Soul of College Football: Who’s Winning and Why it Matters.” The event is a University Parents Weekend Open House
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
held by the LSA Honors Program for honors students and their parents, but the event will likely be more inclusive. Bacon will make his speech in conjunction with his most recent book, “Fourth and Long: The Fight for the Soul of College Football.” For those who attend his lecture Friday or plan to
read his book, Bacon has one big takeaway in mind. “I want people to have a deeper understanding of why college athletics can be so important and so valuable,” Bacon said, “and also why it needs to be taken care of or else we’re going to lose it.” Historian Tyran Steward interviewed Bacon in an author’s
forum Wednesday, and Bacon cautioned viewers about the downfall of college football, which is his central talking point this Friday. Bacon believes college football is one of the remaining staples keeping us together, and our intense passion for our favorite teams is intertwined with their
THINGS TO DO By EMILIE PLESSET Weekend Roundup Editor Parent’s weekend for many students is an opportunity to show the couple-in-charge just how awesome and independent you now are in college. However, others may cringe at the thought of having to entertain their family for an entire weekend. Don’t worry, though, because we’ve planned your whole weekend for you. SHOW THEM YOUR ROOM Pretty standard, but you can probably expect your parents are going to want to see your room. Before you show them
the luxurious 12 by 14 cell you’ve been living in the past three weeks, you might want to clean up a bit. Do your laundry, close your drawers, maybe spray some Febreeze and change your sheets. Part of Parent’s Weekend is reassuring your parents just how well you are able to take care of yourself. GO OUT TO DINNER With parents in town, this is your opportunity to skip the dining hall and enjoy a great meal that isn’t necessarily college student affordable. Parents may enjoy many of the restaurants along Main Street like Gratzi or the Prickly Pear.
The Week in Review: 9/11-9/17 By BRAD WHIPPLE Weekend Roundup Editor Ann Arbor named most educated city in America Tuesday, WalletHub.com named Ann Arbor the most educated city in the United States. WalletHub analyzed 150 of the largest metropolitan cities across the country, with rankings determined by two key metrics: “education level” and “quality of education.” The number one ranking came two days after the city earned the number 13 spot in Livability.com’s Top 100 Best Places to Live. University awarded grant to study algal blooms Wednesday, state officials announced that University researchers will be awarded a $653,097 federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. According to Sen. Carl Levin (D– Mich.) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D–Mich.), researchers will use the grant to create tools that will predict water quality and harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes. Domestic violence crackdown in National Football League On Sept. 8, video footage was released of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking out his then-fiancé in a domestic violence incident, which led to his indefinite suspension by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Back in July, the NFL suspended Rice for the first two games of the season. But with the new evidence, Goodell enforced a harsher punishment and Rice, represented by the NFL Player’s Association,
appealed the decision Tuesday. On top of the Rice incident, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was indicted on charges of beating his 4-year-old son with a tree branch. Peterson was benched Sunday against the New England Patriots, but reinstated Monday. After the Vikings’ decision was met with criticism of being insensitive to child abuse, the team banned Peterson from all team activities on Wednesday morning. Wednesday night, Arizona Cardinals deactivated their backup running back Jonathan Dwyer, after he was arrested for domestic abuse allegations. A report filed to the Phoenix Police Department last week cited consecutive days in July when the incidents occurred. Police said the alleged victims include a 27-year-old female and an 18-month-old child. Scotland to vote on separation from United Kingdom Thursday, Scotland could become the 31st country to be formed since World War II. The Scottish National Party is staging a referendum on whether or not Scotland should become independent from the United Kingdom, which would end a 300-year history of unification. Eligible voters include Scottish residents aged 16 and older. The issue has stirred mass controversy on both sides of the debate. Alex Salmond, first minister of Scotland, said it is time for the country to be free from the “shackles” of the London-based U.K. Parliament, but British Prime Minister David Cameron, in his final visit to Scotland, pleaded against the initiative, saying the separation would be a “painful divorce.” Voting results will likely be released on Friday, September 19th.
But with so many parents in town, many restaurants will be busy, and you might want to make a reservation ahead of time. ATTEND A MUSICAL PERFORMANCE If you’re looking for after dinner entertainment, many of the University’s musical and dance groups are performing this weekend. Friday, the University’s Grammy Award winning Symphony Orchestra is performing a free concert in Hill Auditorium. Also, the G-Men are hosting their third G-FEST, which will include performances by many student
histories. According to Bacon, NFL teams “have no cultures,” and players go to the highest bidder rather than a senior in high school who chooses the school they love. Another example is how the Wisconsin Badgers’ current football stadium, Camp Randall Stadium, was a Union Army training camp during the Civil War. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions have changed stadiums three times in the last 76 years, so their field lacks sentimental value. One of Bacon’s main talking points this Friday will be his distress over the commercialization of college football. “The biggest scandal is greed,” Bacon said. “If there’s anything that’s going to bring it down, it’s not going to be a student athlete and it’s not going to be the fans; it’s going to be the greed of those who realized how much money is to be made from this institution.” Friday’s lecture will be held in Auditorium A of Angell Hall and is part of LSA’s Theme Semester, “Sport and the University.”
when your parents visit
groups. CELEBRATE FOOTBALL SATURDAY Before impressing your parents with the enormity of the Big House as the Wolverines take on the Utes, show your parents a real Michigan Football Saturday experience by taking them to a tailgate. If you don’t think your parents would appreciate dancing on an elevated surface with you and your friends, the University is hosting its annual Parents and Family Weekend Pre-Game Tailgate. In addition to food and games, the Family Weekend Tailgate
will include performances by the University Cheerleaders, Dance Team and the Marching Band along with many other student groups. GO OUT FOR BRUNCH To conclude a hectic weekend of proving to your parents that you’re doing just fine, there is no better way to reward yourself than with a brunch. Before you say your goodbyes, make sure you stop by one of the many famous brunch restaurants in Ann Arbor, including Afternoon Delight, Sava’s Café Zola and Angelo’s.
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Thursday, September 18, 2014
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Thursday, 9/18 Farmers’ Market Hosted by CSG 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Duderstadt Center College Night Takeover
9 p.m. Necto
Friday, 9/19 Nick Swardson: Taste It Tour
8 p.m. Michigan Theater University Symphony Orchestra
8 p.m. Hill Auditorium
2014 Parent Weekend Speaker: John U. Bacon
4 p.m. Angell Hall, Aud. A
Autism Speaks Benefit 6 p.m. World of Beer
Saturday, 9/20 Michigan Football vs. Utah
3:30 p.m. The Big House
Harvest Festival
6 p.m. Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery Midnight Showing: Space Jam
11:59 p.m. State Theater
Sunday, 9/21 Homecoming Hustle 5K
4-6 p.m. Nichols Arboretum
DMUM Ben & Jerry’s Fundraiser
6-9 p.m. Ben & Jerry’s
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PARKING
INTERNSHIPS
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Scavenging seabird 4 “You gotta be kidding me!” 9 “Cast Away” star 14 With 12-Down, Rodin sculpture 15 “__ the big deal?” 16 Bustling 17 Sound that may be averted by holding one’s breath 18 “Take your time” 20 Machu Picchu dweller 22 Mashed taro, mostly 23 Promising words 24 1993 film loosely based on the Jamaican bobsled team 27 Cry 28 Graphic beginning? 29 Sass 32 Watch carefully 34 Equipped 36 __ wave 37 Beginning auspiciously ... like 18-, 24-, 46and 55-Across? 40 Works on, as homework 41 Vocalist Vannelli 42 Heavy reading? 43 Ukr., once 44 Disney World visitor’s airport, on bag tags 45 Bluish hue 46 NCAA regional semifinals, familiarly 51 Acadia National Park locale 53 Word with game or room 54 Like lingerie models 55 Green-skinned movie villain 58 __City: computer game 59 Bull on a glue container 60 Beaufort __ 61 World Cup cheer 62 Anoint 63 Celebrated 2014 sports retiree 64 Site site
DOWN 1 Moral code 2 Safari sight 3 Colorful candy since 1847 4 Grass bristle 5 Throw together 6 Georgia’s __Bibb County 7 Enjoyed some home cooking 8 Codebreaker’s org. 9 Tried one’s hand 10 Provides inside information for, say 11 2014 Russell Crowe title role 12 See 14-Across 13 Foxy 19 “You don’t have to” 21 They may be red 25 More than modify 26 Dome-shaped abode 29 “Love Actually” co-star 30 Memo words 31 Chinchillas, at times
32 “American __”: Neil Gaiman novel 33 Sci-fi staples 34 Like acrobats 35 “__ appétit!” 36 Weasel kin 38 “It’s a deal!” 39 Charon’s river 44 Title holders 45 Group with a common bond 46 “Oliver Twist” bad guy
47 Double 48 Grabbed a stool next to 49 Banishment 50 Queens athlete, for short 51 Flour producer 52 Peak 55 Site site 56 Paper with NYSE news 57 Part of HRH
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6A — Thursday, September 18, 2014
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The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, September 18, 2014
I
magine you’re a student living in Ann Arbor in the 1930s. You and your friends have finished all your schoolwork and don’t have much going on this evening. What do you do? Well, you could listen to the radio, I suppose, but if you really want any kind of lengthy entertainment, you’d go to the movies, or — more specifically — you’d go to the Michigan Theater. Today, movies aren’t the brand-new cuttingedge black-and-white motion pictures that dominated pop culture in the ’30s and ’40s, but after all these decades, they still occupy an enormous place in American entertainment. Even as television, VCRs and the Internet have all at some point threatened to kill the medium, movies still stand. “Going out to movies at a movie theater, it’s not for everybody, but it’s for a lot of people,” said Michigan Theater CEO Russ Collins. “It’s for people who are passionate about movies and want to see it on the big screen in a darkened room full of strangers.” Few cities have anything resembling the historic monument to art and entertainment that is the Michigan Theater. Opened on East Liberty in early 1928, the theater originally hosted to vaudeville shows and silent films until “talkies” became in vogue at the beginning of the ’30s. Through the ’40s, the film industry boomed and The Michigan Theater enjoyed plenty of success by screening movies and also putting on live shows, both Broadway productions and concerts by legends ranging from Duke Ellington to Ozzie Nelson. The theater was also remodeled extensively in 1956 in an attempt to replace the “oldfashioned” ’20s look with a more stylized modern one. However, the popularization of television caused a huge decline at the box office. The number of patrons per week was cut nearly in half from 100 million to 52 million. People didn’t need to leave their houses anymore to find entertainment. While the attendance drop was initially a shockwave, this established a “new role” for the movie business, Russ Collins said. Back in the day, people didn’t go to movies to necessarily see a particular show; they would just watch whatever film was playing. See MICHIGAN, Page 3B
DESIGN BY SHANE ACHENBACH PHOTO BY NICHOLAS WILLIAMS
the b-side
2B — Thursday, September 18, 2014
FOOD COLUMN
The whole ‘No ketchup on a hot dog’ thing I
f you go to Amer’s Deli on State Street, you’ll see a poster on the wall that seems to advertise a movie about hot dogs. At the bottom of said poster is a little box, where you would expect the MPAA rating to go. But instead of reading GIANCARLO “Rated R, for BUONOMO language and brief nudity,” it says “NK17 — No ketchup unless under 17.” No matter how hard you try, you can never escape the most pervasive rule about food in the United States: No ketchup on a hot dog. Ever. Now, there are innumerable “rules” concerning certain dishes, but these are usually a reflection of regional traditions and tastes. Texas chili is beanless. Chicago pizza is deep dish. Most Philadelphia purists will insist that a cheesesteak be made with Cheez Whiz. The list goes on and on. In fact, hot dogs are probably the most region-specific food in our country. A hot dog from a cart in Manhattan will be a Sabrettbrand frank with brown mustard, stewed onions and tomatoes, and sauerkraut. In Chicago, it will be an all-beef Vienna dog in a poppy seed bun with yellow mustard, chopped onion, green relish, pickle spears, sliced tomatoes, hot peppers and celery salt. Right here in Michigan, we have Coney Islands (ground beef chili, yellow mustard, onions), the combination which, funny enough, is called in upstate New York a “Michigan,” and in Rhode Island a “New York System.” Whether it be chili or pizza or hot dogs, the specifics for these specialties are often more positive than negative. In other words, a certain preparation is demanded, certain ingredients must be used, and it must be eaten in a certain way. Yes, the differences can seem petty and even unappetizing — it took me a solid year to transition from kosher hot dogs with brown mustard to Coney Islands — but food is one of the most powerful sources of regional identity, and
to literally taste that identity is a potent experience indeed. Given all of this regional specificity, the whole “no ketchup on a hot dog” thing becomes quite puzzling. Why? Because “no ketchup on a hot dog” isn’t a regional taste, but rather a universal condemnation. One of the heads of Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs in NYC referred to putting ketchup on a hot dog as a sign of a “less sophisticated” palate. Superdawg in Chicago is so antiketchup that they refuse to put it on their dawgs — if you must violate one of their famous franks with the goopy red stuff, they’ll give you a packet of it and you can apply it yourself. Now if New York and Chicago, whose hot dog rivalry is the stuff of legends, independently issue damning indictments of ketchup, then that should be a pretty good indicator of how universally hated ketchup is by wiener enthusiasts. But this universal hatred is precisely what is so weird about ketchup-phobia. When some variation of a common food is disliked in one region, it’s usually chalked up to differences with other regions, a sort of “we don’t do ‘x,’ that’s what those other people do.” But as far as I know, no one puts ketchup on a hot dog, or should I say, no region prescribes it. It’s as if people in Boston, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and pretty much everywhere else have created this imaginary region where everyone slathers their poor, innocent hot dogs with evil ketchup. And since I’m pretty sure that this Democratic Republic of Ketchup doesn’t exist, we’re left to assume that ketchup on a hot dog is hated because it’s an intuitively disgusting food pairing, like cinnamon in spaghetti sauce or blue cheese with chocolate syrup. But is it really that intuitive? Look at the ingredients of the typical hot dog: ground beef, water, spices and some preservatives. Look at the ingredients of ketchup: tomato, vinegar, sugar and spices. Does that really sound like such a bad combination? If it does, then hamburgers with ketchup should be disgusting, not to mention stewed tomatoes and
onions on a hot dog, à la NYC. Now, I should probably mention at this point that I don’t put ketchup on my hot dogs. However, I don’t put ketchup on anything, because I hate the taste of ketchup. I don’t put it on burgers, fries, eggs, cornedbeef hash or anything else. I just think that in the interest of honesty, the irrational prohibition against ketchup on hot dogs should be exposed for what it is: an invented rule, proclaimed for so long, by so many people that it has become an unimpeachable fact. It’s as if in Leviticus, in between the prohibitions against cloven hooves and mixing fibers, there is a passage which states “Thou shalt not put ketchup on thine frankfurter, for it is an abomination.” So if the “no ketchup on a hot dog” thing is a fabricated rule, why was it fabricated in the first place? Why does Dirty Harry in “Sudden Impact” tell a detective that it’s not the rampant crime and corruption that get to him, it’s really “watching you stuff your face with those hot dogs. Nobody, I mean NOBODY puts ketchup on a hot dog.”? Why does Anthony Bourdain, when guiding a reader to Papaya King in Manhattan, warn that “if you put ketchup on your hot dog I will fucking kill you.”? It’s all a sort of elitism. Having defined dislikes is often considered a sign of one’s depth of knowledge. By stating that you hate country music, you give off the impression that you know enough about music to know what you do and don’t like. It’s the same with ketchup. By stating that putting it on a hot dog is wrong, you place yourself in this imaginary in-group of people who know so much about food that they are the protectors of all things proper. But when you really examine this unquestioned rule, you’ll realize that not only does it not make any sense, but that it also requires zero knowledge or passion to adopt. So if you want to, put ketchup on your hot dog. Deep down, no one really cares. Buonomo is chowing down on a Hebrew National. To join him, e-mail gbuonomo@umich.edu.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CLICK “FOLLOW.” @MICHIGANDAILY
SHORT FILM REVIEW It’s been over 10 years since Beyoncé and Jay Z started messing around with Bonnie & Clyde imagery, B+ but they Bang Bang seem to have gotPart 1 ten even Beyonce & JAY-Z more Directed by Dikayl enamored Rimmasch with it these last few months. First the On the Run Tour, then Bey singing “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” in the HBO special trailer, and now this short film (inexplicably scrubbed from the Internet not long after its release) that includes every outlaw cliché in the book. Beyoncé looks fabulous, made-up and dressed like a prohibition era jazz singer, while Hov is still rocking his Reasonable Doubt look two
ARTIST AVANT GARDE IN
NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily
Anya Klapischak goes through the motions of meditation.
By ALEC STERN Senior Arts Editor
For Interarts Performance senior Anya Klapischak, art isn’t just her major. Rather, her work reflects a true passion and dedication, one that’s evolved since she arrived in Ann Arbor for the first time. “When I first started out doing performance (art), most of my work was about my problems or about my illnesses, insecurities and weaknesses,” Klapischak said. “(But) it wasn’t actually solving any of those problems because I was still giving enough power to those problems to make work about it … instead of channeling my energy into something new and something I would consider to be a strength or a positive thing.” The progression of Klapischak’s art is a reflection of the positive experiences she’s shared with her peers, though that is not to say she hasn’t challenged the rigidity of a university program. “I have a hard time with the culture of any program in which it’s all focused on this individualistic aspect of the art where you hole yourself away in the studio and you paint furiously or you sculpt furiously and it’s all coming from you,” Klapischak said. “The solitude and the real loneliness of it is going to prevail the artwork. Which is why I don’t think I’ll ever be a solo performer.” Instead, Klapischak is focused on continuing to work with others, which is something that has remained consistent throughout her career. She thrives when collaborating with as many as 15 other people who are equally as committed to the final product as she is. “Working in collectives and working in art groups, any sort of work with other theater individuals, that’s prime for me and I think that’s where — if there is a self — that’s where I started to
discover my sense of self.” Klapischak was interested in discussing her experience at the University, but when asked about her current project, it was as if the true passion within the artist was unleashed. In her words, she “did a little experiment,” directing me to close my eyes and hold a small, clear crystal. In doing so, I was assisting her in a key piece of research for her Integrative Project. “The way that I put it into words currently is, I’m exploring the appearance of spirituality for our generation; what it looks like when we practice spirituality or commit ourselves to some sort of seeking,” Klapischak said. “I’m really interested in finding out what ties our generation together in terms of that journey, towards some sort of enlightenment. And my hypothesis is that it is the tie that binds all of us as we walk and live and breath.” Spirituality is an integral part of Klapischak’s research and something she connects with very personally. But there is another component that has fueled the development of her senior project. “They have a saying about ayahuasca: ‘You don’t find ayahuasca, ayahuasca finds you.’ And I found that to be really true last year … when suddenly I just came to this point where I thought the best thing I can do right now is go down to the jungle, drink some ayahuasca and talk to the Devil. And that’s what I did.” Ayahuasca is a psychedelic brew made from a South American jungle vine and a variety of other plants. It releases a large amount of DMT in your brain, which for Klapischak resulted in “absolutely illogical and irrational visions” (her ayahuasca “fireworks”). “That had a really profound impact on what I was thinking about,” Klapischak said. Despite the fact that spirituality and her unique experiences, like
the one with ayahuasca, were so integral to Klapischak’s life and what she does, it took time before she was ready to integrate the two in her art. “When my Integrative Project professors came at us with the question of ‘What is it you care about most?’ … it took so many mental leaps for me to say, ‘OK, if this is the thing I care about most, what’s keeping me from making work about it?’ ” Klapischak’s exploration with the drug also forced her to question other aspects of society back home, which too has inspired aspects of her project. “I also found myself the entire time having a sideways glance at the entire experience, where I was surrounded by 14 other white people from the Western World and I was asking myself, ‘What is happening in where we live respectively? What are we not getting from our daily lives that makes all of us white people come down here to the jungle to pay for this spiritual experience?’” Klapischak views her work as a series of questions, rather than a search for definitive answers. And her experiences, at both the University and in the jungle, have informed and guided her throughout the completion of her Integrative Project. “I think that’s where this whole project is going to find its home … in this balance between the serious nature of it, the part of it that I take so seriously and will commit my life to, and also the comedic nature of it, where it’s like, you know, a bunch of fucking hipsters from Brooklyn,” Klapischak said. “Ideally, the comedy of the entire situation and the comedy of this entire life will come to fruition and will be relevant in this piece.” If you would like to contribute to Klapischak’s research, e-mail anya.klapischak@gmail.com
SINGLE REVIEW
ROC NATION
decades later. They drive on a desert road, Jay shoots out a mailbox and later puts out his cigar on a dude’s hamburger, and then there’s some sexiness while the credits roll. Instead of dialogue, we get music from the “For A Few Dollars More” soundtrack. The black-and-white short film is apparently part one of three, compiled from foot-
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
age shot during the couple’s last tour. You won’t watch it for the plot, and there aren’t any Jay Z or Beyoncé songs, but sometimes looking stylish is enough for a short video. Maybe it doesn’t merit multiple views, but Hov and Yoncé look amazingly cool, which is more than enough to entertain you and hold your interest for three minutes. —ADAM THEISEN
Big K.R.I.T.’s latest single, “Drinkers Club” featuring Juicy J, A$AP Ferg and Rittz, is exactly what you might B imagine Drinker’s Club it would be. The Big K.R.I.T. track starts Def Jam off with samples of bottles being popped and what the listener can only imagine as overflowing glassware, a sample which continues in the background with a crisp vibrancy throughout the record. Immediately following this imagined club scene is Big K.R.I.T on the chorus, casually welcoming listeners “to the drinkers club,” which smoothly transitions into his verse. Continuing to keep things relatively slow, Big K.R.I.T.’s verse is nothing special, with lines about hoes at his door and rims spinning on his whip. Juicy J’s voice is instantly rec-
DEF JAM
ognizable on the song’s second verse. Juicy J keeps true to himself, rapping about the lean in his cup and the shawty that wants to engage in coitus with him. I swear there are at least a couple recycled lines. The verse might be nothing new for Juicy J, but it fits well into the slow, Southern style track. Rittz provides the standout verse on the record, with an aggressive, fast flow that gets your head bumping to the beat. Talk of crushed up Xanax bars and shots of liquor straight out of the bottle ensue, with some clev-
er lines about being far too turnt to be a designated driver for some fine ladies thrown in the mix. A$AP Ferg closes out the song with a recognizable, sing-song verse that is essentially a lyrical cat-call. At the closing of the song, I was surprised that it was a whole four minutes long: it felt more like two. The verses themselves all felt a little brief, which might be the result of having relatively little substance. Regardless, however, it is still a smooth, pleasurable song to listen. —KEN SELANDER
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
LITERARY COLUMN
Literacy missions are vital By GRACE PROSNIEWSKI Daily Literary Columnist
L
ast Monday was significant for quite a few reasons. For many of us it marked our first Monday classes of the semester. For some of us it may also have marked the first classes of the year we attended hungover. No judgment, it was a rough weekend to be a Wolverine. And for others, including myself, we went to check our Tumblr and learned that Monday also marked the UN’s annual International Literacy Day. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization first proclaimed Sept. 8 as International Literacy Day in 1965. Since then, UNESCO and other partners have worked together to advocate globally for the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and society as a whole. The critical point of UNESCO’s mission with International Literacy Day is that literacy is a human right and a basis of education. According to UNESCO, some 781 million adults are illiterate. That’s nearly 16 percent of the world’s population. Women make up 64 percent of the adult illiterate population, and those living in conf lict-affected areas face even greater barriers to education. Poor literacy rates are directly connected with increased levels of severe poverty, poor health outcomes and prejudice against women. Even within the United States the numbers don’t look good. According to a 2013 study by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, 32 million adults in the United States, or 14 percent of the population, demonstrate a “below basic” literacy level. Internationally and domestically, the benefits of literacy are vast. For example, literate individuals are more likely to participate in the democratic process, contribute to sustainable economies and advocate for better healthcare and education opportunities for themselves and their children. While the numbers paint a disturbingly clear picture of just how much is at stake, they don’t quite express the heart of the issue. To be illiterate is to be disenfranchised from one of the most powerful forms of imagination. It is to
be denied the critical thinking and comprehension skills that enable one to make sense of the world and one’s place within it. It makes lang uage a prison when it should in fact be a site of transformation, of transcendence. In “A Dance With Dragons,” George R.R. Martin writes, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” Books can fill our lives with so much more: more time, more color, more intensity. Think of your favorite book. Think of the places, the characters and the emotions. Now imagine that you had never read that book, that you couldn’t read that book. It’s like a piece of you would be missing. Who would I be if I never fought against the Dark Lord with Harry? How else could I take a turn about a regency ballroom and trade witty barbs with a handsome gentleman? How would I know about the rolling green hill of Hobbiton, the underground Dwarven city of Moria, or the white city of Minas Tirith? Shakespeare, Dickens, Tolstoy… the list goes on and on with authors and works that have not only delighted and entertained me, but challenged me and profoundly informed who I am today. I can’t imagine my life without being able to read a good book and I don’t think anyone else should have to live without being able to either. And I’m not alone. Countless writers, including Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison and Amy Tan, have all contributed to UNESCO’s literary mission to promote the importance of the written word and the power of a literate society. International Literacy Day may have already passed this year, but there’s still plenty you can do to make a difference. I encourage you to donate your time or your money to literacy outreach programs, like the Residential College’s partnership with Telling It, a children’s literacy community service program. You can be sure that your efforts will go toward improving someone’s quality of life. And remember just how lucky you are the next time you crack open a book. Prosniewski is thankful for books. E-mail gpros@umich.edu and tell her about your favorite novel.
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Thursday, September 18, 2014 — 3B
MICHIGAN From Page 1B “(By 1964), people said ‘I like this director, I like this star, I like this type of movie, I’m going to go to that movie,’ ” he said. Intense competition from other Ann Arbor theaters, though — along with a declining quality in Hollywood films — meant that by the ’70s the Michigan Theater was struggling. With the building itself also needing some serious repair, and the Power Center less than 10 years old, many were advocating tearing it down and replacing it with a food court or a shopping mall. “When things get to be 30 years old, they don’t tend to be thought of as historic, they’re just thought of as old.” Collins said. Despite a downturn in the economy, a group of Ann Arborites including Henry Aldridge, then-mayor Lou Belcher and key donor Margaret D. Towsley helped gather support for the nonprofit Michigan Theater Foundation. But while they were able to save the Theater, they still needed somebody to run it. Enter Russ Collins in 1982. At just 26 years old, the Ann Arbor native was fresh out of graduate school at the University with a Master’s in Theater Management (a program that no longer exists at the University). Back in the baby-boomer decades, there was a vibrant film culture on the University’s campus, where student film clubs would host screenings of a diverse selection of movies for other students to enjoy. “It seemed like you’d go watch a movie at every building at some point during the semester,” said Scott Bultman, a Film/Video and Music composition double major who attended the University in the ’80s. The success of screenwriter and University graduate Lawrence Kasdan told students that Hollywood success was possible, but at the same time, a culture of experimental films also thrived. “We all had Super 8 cameras and went out and did a lot of experimental work and then come back to wind them up into the projector and watch them,” Bultman said. “A lot of people were doing some really interesting kinds of things, drawing on film and stopmotion animation. You were at a big university and there were obviously Hollywood connections, but at the same time you really felt like you were doing these really low-level film projects.” “It was a real postwar passion of students,” Collins said. “It was before the Internet, and these foreign films, documentary films and classic films were considered alternative media. In much the way that students are passionate about the alternative media they can get over the Internet, students back in the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and into the ’80s were passionate about cinema.” This pre-Internet, intense film culture was centered on hard-to-get, non-commercial movies. Out of 50 people who applied for the CEO job in 1982, it was Collins who was hired and faced the difficult task of piloting the nonprofit into a new era. “It was exciting and daunting. I was 26 years old, so on one level I knew everything in the world,” he laughed. “But in reality I had a lot to learn. So that was scary, but in a good way.” *** It’s Friday, Aug. 1, 2014. “Boyhood” is playing at the Michigan Theater on its opening night in Ann Arbor. The 7:00 showing is sold out (probably because it’s in the smaller, newer screening room instead of the main theater), but there are still seats available in the regular theater for the 8:00 show. The audience is pure Ann Arbor — a well-dressed collection of people from all age groups, who look like they spend their days listening to NPR and chatting about literature in coffee shops. Not only the main floor, but even the balcony has a fair share of excited moviegoers. They listen to a young man on stage talk about the theater and thank them for coming, discuss among themselves which of the
NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily
‘U’ alumn Russ Collins took over as CEO of The Michigan Theater in 1982.
previews seem worth seeing, and then they sit back in their chairs as the opening chords of Coldplay’s “Yellow” plays over a blue-sky backdrop, signaling the start of the film. The incredible, nostalgic movie — potentially one that will join the ranks of many now-classic films to have had their main Ann Arbor runs at the Michigan — is in part about noticing the subtle changes as things get older, but the Michigan Theater today looks as pristine as it did in 1930. Bathed in the golden glow of the walls and ceiling, everything from the concession stand to the drinking fountains seems to take on a greater historical importance. Everything from the towering staircases that lead up to the balcony to the ticket booth out front has been designed to meet pre-remodeling specifications. According to the book “The Michigan Theater” by Henry Aldridge, the much more modern-looking Screening Room in the annex was added in 1999. When production companies like Miramax became frustrated at live events interrupting the runs of popular independent movies, generous gifts, grants and a fiftycent surcharge on tickets helped fund the new room. In addition to first-run art house movies, the Michigan Theater is the setting for yearround live events and special film series. For the theater’s entire history, even before the renovations, the place has attracted top national talent — particularly the ones with large followings in college towns. Iggy Pop, Journey, The Replacements, Gil Scott-Heron, R.E.M., The Police and King Sunny Adé all played here, as well as current indie acts like Death Cab for Cutie and Bright Eyes, and experienced, respected legends like Elvis Costello and David Byrne. While the 1,700-seat theater doesn’t have a bar and can’t accommodate standing general admission like Detroit venues such as The Fillmore, it’s still an attractive place for artists in between the club- and arenashow levels. “Artists like playing (in Ann Arbor) because the audiences are very receptive and smart about what they see,” Collins said. “They tend to be better informed than your average audiences and more appreciative of artists of a certain caliber. And that can be old-fashioned classical artists, or it can be contemporary artists.” Besides the musical acts, the theater also has run regular film series, which deal with a wide variety of topics from live music accompanying silent films to Hitchcock to Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema and the Science on Screen series. It even had a Valentine’s Day sing-along presentation of R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet” hiphopera. Events unique to the Ann Arbor community populate the schedule, as the Michigan Theater is home to the Ann Arbor Film Festival, which is the longest-running experimental film festival in the country. Because there’s no international film festival in Detroit, the theater also worked with the DIA, the University and other partners to put on the Cinetopia festival. This summer, the third
year of the festival, saw a 25th anniversary screening of “Do the Right Thing,” hosted by Spike Lee himself. On top of all of this, the Michigan runs a national conference for art houses in association with the Sundance Institute called the Art House Convergence, cementing its reputation as a top-notch cinema and creating a nationwide network of cuttingedge art house theaters that can exchange ideas. *** The next step for the Michigan Theater actually involves the theater across the street. Last summer, the Michigan Theater Foundation purchased the State Theatre, which lies just a few steps away on State Street. The closing of the Ann Arbor Forum — previously the top art house in the city — when its owners built Quality 16 in 1998 left the State and the Michigan as the only two theaters in downtown Ann Arbor. The main floor of the State, which has been around nearly as long as the Michigan Theater, was turned into Urban Outfitters by Tom Borders in 1989, but the former balcony remains as a two-screen theater. While the Michigan has partnered with the State in selecting and marketing films since 1999, now there’s a chance to make real improvements to a theater that isn’t even handicapped-accessible yet. No immediate improvements will be made without approval from the community, but Collins hopes that the remodeling work will be done in time to celebrate the State’s 75th anniversary in March 2017. Despite media articles that constantly depict the movie industry as one on the edge of a cliff, ready to free fall, Collins is adamant that the business he’s in is a stable one. Since TV became ubiquitous in the ’60s, movie attendance has been trending slightly upwards. There are ups and downs, and in 1988, when everybody bought a VCR, Collins said “business went to hell,” but in ’89 and ’90 the receipts rebounded. Online streaming doesn’t worry him either, and he said that increased accessibility in the Internet age has actually made for more informed movie watchers, and even though everything is available at home nowadays, people still enjoy the experience of going out to the cinema. The theater also has something unique to offer at many of its evening movies: the Historic Barton Theatre Pipe Organ, which has been at the Michigan since its 1927 and is today one of the few of its kind still in its original location. Still in excellent condition (though at the moment undergoing maintenance), talented organists entertain Ann Arbor audiences before films and give them a rare taste of what going to the movies was like when the pictures were still black and white. Credit the passionate work of Henry Aldridge and a group of organ enthusiasts for repairing the organ and saving it from destruction in the ’70s. “In 1970, about half of (the organ) didn’t work,” said Aldridge, organ curator and recently-retired film studies professor at Eastern Michigan University. “So we got a bunch
of people together, and we would meet down there on Sunday mornings, and we took everything apart and cleaned it up and resoldered wires and put things back together, and got it going in about a year.” The organ was originally meant to accompany silent films, but was played regularly until 1950. After the restoration and repair, the organ has been played regularly before evening films and lectures, with four different organists on staff to play the demanding instrument. The Barton Organ is a special attraction that always impresses theatergoers. “The fact that we have this beautiful instrument and the fact that people are playing it regularly tells patrons that somebody really cares about the Michigan Theater,” Aldridge said. The theater also receives financial help from its donors — a base of 4,000 members who (including their families) Collins said represent around 10,000 people. 40 percent of its budget, the part that doesn’t come from ticket sales, comes from these donors. When fundraising, Collins said, “you not only have to ask in a compelling way, but you also have to prove that what you’re doing is valuable.” Under his tenure, the theater has striven to showcase its connection and value to the community, and Ann Arborites have responded with contributions that have led to impressive tangible results. When you’re confident and have a good relationship with the community, “it’s really kind of magical the way people will support you.” *** “The Michigan was not built for today only,” a booklet available at the Bentley Historical Library commemorating the theater’s opening reads, “but constructed in the hopes that it might be a monument for years to come and a credit to the community even when the city is many times its present size.” Back in 1928, it was easy to read those words as empty rhetoric, but today, they seem oddly prescient. While it has undergone changes over time, 80 years later the Michigan Theater still fulfills its intended purpose, and then some. The famous pipe organ remains in its original location, the movies are still shown in a gorgeous setting and the community supports the programs that the nonprofit coordinates. Collins attributes the popularity of the many programs offered and the continued resilience of the Michigan to the tastes of the town. “(Ann Arbor) is a town that’s genuinely interested in the arts, and whether it’s cinema or whether it’s music, or theater or dance, there’s a genuine interest in the population,” he said. “So consequently, you’re always pushed ... the very smart people that are attracted to this town, they’re always pushing you to say ‘What about this? What about this? What new interesting programs are you going to do next? I like this one but what are you going to do next?’ ”
the b-side
4B — Thursday, September 18, 2014
CALL ME BACK
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
LSA junior De’Mario Longmire is the Co-Music Director of the Angels on Call a cappella group.
Auditioning for the Angels on Call ‘U’ students try out for prestigious a cappella group By CHLOE GILKE Daily Music Editor
At the Michigan Union on a Friday night in September, one is bombarded by the sights and sounds of audition week. Colorful posters direct interested students through a hallway of a cappella and dance team audition rooms, all comically situated in a row and ready for the auditioners’ a ca-shopping. Countless clashing music samples fight for attention with the smell of Subway bread that seems to waft through the walls and up to the main floor. At an unassuming table next to Au Bon Pain, a dark-haired girl waits, smiling and holding a
stack of papers. The University boasts 16 prestigious a cappella groups. Every year, the Michigan A Cappella Council’s “Aca Rush” gives each group a spot in the Michigan League’s Ballroom. But one group is set apart — Angels on Call is the only a cappella group that identifies as non-competitive and focuses primarily on philanthropy and community service. The Angels wear their charity-focus like a badge of honor, proudly advertising their success in fundraising and experience sharing their voices with hospitals to try and attract Aca Rush attendees. For good reason, too — their philanthropy is what attracted many current Angels to the group in the first place. “There are a lot of different a cappella groups, and I myself auditioned for a lot of them last year, but this one stood out as being not
only very friendly and kind people, but people who wanted to give back to their community,” Engineering sophomore Leora GoldbloomHelzner, an Angels board member said. As a philanthropic organization, the audition process for Angels on Call differs significantly from those of other a cappella groups. Equal weight is given to singing ability, the individual’s fit with the group and their dedication to charity work. Would-be Angels must specify in their application an organization that they would like to give money to, and board members use the auditioner’s choice as a tool for evaluating them. “There are a lot of good singers out there, but … it’s important that (potential members) are really interested in philanthropy,” LSA junior Jessica Leung, Angels on Call president said. Since members
should expect to sing for hospital patients as often as for undergrad crowds, it’s crucial that they are in it for more than just a chance to sing. During the first round of auditions, prospective members are asked to sing scales — working their way to their highest and lowest notes so the board can determine range. Then, they sight-read a piece of music and sing a verse and chorus of the song of their choosing. This is standard procedure for many seasoned singers, but the Angels also encourage unscheduled walkin auditions from performers who might not have as much formal experience. LSA sophomore Augusto Costa walked by the sign-in table, guitar in hand after an impromptu performance with friends, when he was asked if he knew how to sing. Costa had been planning to rush a few a cappella groups, but the Angels weren’t really on his radar until he walked by Au Bon Pain and just “took the opportunity.” Though he didn’t have a chance to prepare for his audition and confesses that his sight-reading skills aren’t strong, Costa isn’t nervous about how his audition went. “So what if they didn’t like me?” he shrugs. “So that’s it.” Another auditioner, Engineering freshman Sophia Sproul, said the thing that stands out most about Angels on Call to her is the group’s community service work (or as she so beautifully stated it, “the opportunity to fill people’s hearts with joy.”) Angels on Call is her favorite of the eight a cappella groups she’s auditioning for, but she didn’t let her nerves get in the way of showcasing her talent. “I’m a freshman, I have room to fail, time to try again, so I’m not too worried,” she said. Sproul also cited the refreshingly friendly attitude of the group for a successful audition (And the admiration must have been mutual, because Sproul was called back for a second audition a few days later). Music, Theatre & Dance freshman Hanna Rumora is also enthusiastic about her chance to join Angels on Call, and says that she’s “really into the outreach side of music.” A trained cellist, Rumora has done many auditions before, but said that her experience with Angels has been one of her more
EPISODE REVIEW Now in its fifth season, “MasterChef” is a well-oiled machine. When it reaches the end of each season, the FOX realB+ ity series is MasterChef always at its best; they’ve Returns Next narrowed Summer down an FOX entirelytoo-large contestant pool to only the great chefs. In the season finale, the judges are familiar enough with the contestants’ cooking that their criticisms are sharper than ever. Concurrently, the contestants’ dishes are at their most complicated and delicious. “MasterChef” ’s biggest problem however presents in the
series’ editing. There’s deliberate work being done to draw out every moment. Each time host Gordon Ramsay speaks, it seems like he’s pausing after every word. In this week’s episode, the camera cuts to several people for about 30 seconds in between Ramsay saying “the winner is” and actually revealing that Courtney, a former stripper who makes some beautiful food, had in fact won. It’s a shame that’s the case, because the actual “cooking competition” component of the show is actually quite delightful. Each person in the final three were excellent home cooks, and the series displayed each of their personalities well enough that any winner would have made for
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com easygoing audition experiences. The hardest part for her was picking a song to showcase her talent (she went with “King of Anything” by Sara Bareilles). Though Rumora humbly described her performance as having gone “fairly well,” she wowed the board enough to earn a callback spot. Her goals in joining an a cappella group, whether or not she eventually decides to heed the call of the Angels, are to “go enjoy (herself), and maybe make some friends, too.” Though it isn’t advertised on their website or written on a club manifesto, another crucial aspect of the Angels’ DNA is their tightknit and supportive community. While the first round of auditions is primarily used to judge singing ability, the callback phase is crucial to determining whether an auditioner’s personality meshes well with the Angels as a whole. LSA junior De’Mario Longmire, another Angels board member, boils the criteria down to “people who love to sing, but also love to do charity work, but also are chill and relaxed and know how to have fun.” At callbacks, potential Angels were split into sectionals, in which they worked with other singers in their category (e.g., altos). Board members watch especially closely for good teamwork skills, as these groups would be the ones with which Angels spend much of their time rehearsing. At the end, the entire group reconvened to sing “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat, and auditioners’ ability to harmonize with their peers was put to the test. This was also an opportunity for the board to see if auditioners are “musical people,” as Leung put it, and can do something unique with the sample piece of music they’re given. The Angel newbies “lucky” enough to be called back already possessed that characteristic Angels camaraderie. Before callbacks officially began, Sproul and the 11 other auditioners relaxed in a hallway in the Union. They asked each other their majors and years in school, making small talk and engaging with the competition. Though the auditioners were competing for the same spots, there’s no bad blood. Sproul reiterated that the group is “so friendly and welcoming,” but she
might as well be talking about the little community that’s begun to form outside the callback room, all smiles and shaking hands and borrowed pens. The current members of Angels on Call take extra care to make sure the whole process is easy on those who apply. An estimated 100 people auditioned to join Angels on Call, but only 15 were called back, and likely only 10 of those will actually be offered a spot in the group. The competition is tough, but the applicants aren’t feeling the pressure. Music, Theatre & Dance freshman Kat Ward is auditioning for six other a cappella groups, but appreciated that the Angels in particular handled the inevitable competition with grace: “I believe that they just really want you to do well.” LSA sophomore Sarrah Hakim confesses that this is “really (her) first audition, since (she hasn’t) done these kind of things before.” Hakim was anxious prior to her walk-in audition, but her nerves quickly dissipated with the Angels’ smiles and warm reception. “It’s been really nice. I don’t feel as nervous as I thought I would,” she said as she walked away — visibly relieved and proud of her accomplishment. Though Angels on Call doesn’t decide which auditioners will be offered spots in their group until later this week (and potential Angels are given a grace period to decide whether they’d like to join a different a cappella group), the hardest part of the deliberation is over. The remaining contenders all have the singing chops and philanthropic goals to be Angels in full, and all it comes down to is the politics of how well the auditioners fit into their respective sections. But ultimately, Angels on Call isn’t just a club — it’s a community of warmhearted and charitable people who love to “sing good and do good,” as Longmire so aptly puts it. Even those potential Angels who didn’t get their wings and auditioners who weren’t called back don’t leave empty-handed, as they have had the invaluable experience of putting themselves out there and trying something scary. Auditions don’t always end in acceptance, but the simple hope of joining something special is enough to keep these Angels singing.
TRAILER REVIEW
FOX
a satisfying conclusion. It’s a shame that the producers of shows like “MasterChef” feel the need to over-edit the big moments. If they were willing to change that, the aging series could be reinvigorated in a great way. For now though, it’s still fairly entertaining, and ultimately that’s all that matters. —ALEX INTNER
“Listen Up Philip” is director Alex Ross Perry’s third film, and it arrives as one of the year’s first – and most promising A– characterListen Up based films. Philip (Jason Philip SchwartzSailor Bear man, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”) is a self-absorbed writer awaiting the publication of his second novel. He is very sure of himself and his work, and everyone he encounters knows this about him (if they didn’t already). But as his popularity grows, and as the professional/social/spiritual demands of his work increasingly fog his mind, he becomes angrier
THE D’ART BOART
and more bitter, until he nearly destroys the few relationships he has with people. When his literary idol Ike Zimmerman (Jonathan Pryce, “Pirates of the Caribbean”) invites him to spend some time away from the frantic rush of things, Philip forces himself to look at who he’s become and determine where he’d like to go – both as a writer and as a human being. It’s no coincidence that Perry’s writing style hearkens back to that of Phillip Roth, Jerry Lewis and Thomas Pynchon. Perry is a lifelong student of those authors, and a dedicated fan who has spent countless hours poring over their methods. Their same genuine, ordinary tone and bittersweet
SAILOR BEAR
sense of reality are essentially transposed into “Listen Up Philip”, as the characters banter with honesty, crack witticisms frequently and express an inner melancholy that never quite festers into despair. This film looks to be every bit as smart, engaging and funny as the people who produced it. —BRIAN BURLAGE
Design by Jake Wellins
If you like it then you better put another ring on it
Each week we take shots at the biggest developments in the entertainment world. Here’s what hit (and missed) this week.
Beyoncé and Jay Z renew their wedding vows in Corsica amid divorce rumors. We woke up in the kitchen(s) Beyoncé and Jay Z eyeing $85 million Beverly Hills estate for their growing (?) family.
HBeyO 3-hour On The Run Tour concert movie to premiere this Saturday on HBO. Hungover in love Beyoncé and Jay Z reportedly collaborating on new album.
Destiny’s Child Beyonce rumored to be pregnant with baby #2