ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
JOB, PLEASE
ADMINISTRATION
Committee calls for diversity initiatives AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Engineering Graduate student Rohan Puranik speaks with a company representative at the Engineering Career Fair hosted by the Society of Women Engineers and Tau Beta Pi at the Duderstadt Center Monday.
Faculty outline recommendations to better campus climate in report to provost By ALLANA AKHTAR Daily Staff Reporter
SENATE ASSEMBLY
Schlissel talks emergency response at faculty senate President calls for administrative transparency By EMILIE PLESSET Daily Staff Reporter
As he continues to adjust to his new role, University President Mark Schlissel turned to
the faculty and staff in a question and answer session as he addressed the University Senate Assembly on Monday. Before opening the floor for questions, Schlissel expressed his desire for cohesive and transparent leadership among staff and faculty. After the brief gun scare in the Chemistry Building earlier this month when a student in
the NROTC was seen carrying a benign gun-shaped training device, many faculty and staff expressed concerns about gun safety on campus. Schlissel said while a similar situation will probably not happen again, there is always a concern that as a large public center, the University could be a target for outside violence. In response to the incident,
University administrators will take part in an exercise to discuss the chain of command and response procedures during various gun violence scenarios. In a report by The Michigan Daily, several faculty members voiced concern about whether they would be capable to respond to this situation appropriately. See SACUA, Page 3
After the University’s Black Student Union called on the University last year to take steps toward building a more inclusive campus, the Office of the Provost is starting the school year with a new set of recommendations to foster diversity and improve campus climate. The Office of the Provost released reports Sept. 16 from three faculty-led committees, including the Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The report contained 13 recommendations designed to build a more diverse student body and faculty, create a welcoming campus climate for minority students and establish programs to help members of the University community recognize and address
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
OBITUARY
‘U’, A startups foster budding community
Professor remembered for personal engagement
2
University alumni inspired to pursue business ideas as undergrads By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily Staff Reporter
Michigan has been called the Silicon Mitten — and an integral thread of that glove’s stitching is Ann Arbor. Student organizations tout entrepreneurial spirit abound — namely MPowered, optiMize and MHacks — and administrative facilities and programs, like the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovate Blue, foster startup ideas and passion, providing resources that turn those concepts into realities. Even outside the University, startup enthusiasm is everywhere. Incubators and consulting firms like TechArb, Ann Arbor SPARK and Menlo Innovations are in high demand — the former two even partner with the students through Innovate Blue. Further, the introduction of the Desai Family Accelerator in August marked a strengthened effort to cater these valuable services to parties outside the University, expanding both entrepreneurial drive and the University’s influence beyond Washtenaw County. Tom Frank, the executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, wrote in an e-mail
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 74 LO: 45
that Center’s growth in the last six years reflects the growing culture of entrepreneurship in Ann Arbor. He wrote that its location in the Duderstadt Center is twice as big as its original location, and added that these offices are “rapidly” reaching capacity. “We are always looking for more spaces we can use to facilitate student entrepreneurial activity,” Frank wrote. In the past three years, he said the Center for Entrepreneurship has had over 6,800 undergraduates enroll in its entrepreneurship program. In the same time, more than 140 “business concepts” have been identified — and more than 20 of these each year work with TechArb to further develop their ideas. As far as continuing to expand, Frank wrote that the Center has been working with places like Ann Arbor SPARK to provide students with more space to learn and explore. University alum Bill Mayer, SPARK’s vice president of entrepreneur services, said Ann Arbor’s demographics are conducive to the recent boom of innovation. “I really enjoy the fact that not only is Ann Arbor a well-educated city, but it’s a nice-sized town,” Mayer said. He added that many companies headquartered in states more well-known for entrepreneurship, like California, plan to open offices in Ann Arbor to continue See STARTUP, Page 3
instances of discrimination. The committee consists of 11 faculty members from eight schools and colleges, plus one graduate student, one undergraduate student and two staff members. The committee was convened by University Provost Martha Pollack in December 2013, shortly after the BSU launched their #BBUM Twitter campaign. The committee met on weekly basis through last May to gather data and compose a plan to address issues related to diversity. In an announcement in January, Pollack pledged to address several of the BSU’s demands, including the allocation of funds for a renovation of the Trotter Multicultural Center. The committee’s new recommendations include creating a strategic plan for diversity, forming a committee to study the experiences of faculty members of color and forming partnerships with school districts to improve the pipeline of minority students to the University’s freshman class. See DIVERSITY, Page 3
Pierre T. Kabamba passed away Saturday after battle with cancer By STEPHANIE SHENOUDA Daily News Editor AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
LSA senior Cooper Charlton, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president, speaks at the Wolverine Support Network social media launch in the CSG chamber Monday.
CSG kicks off new mental health support network New initiative aims to help students maintain mental wellness By TANAZ AHMED Daily Staff Reporter
An array of student leaders gathered in the Michigan Union Monday for the launch of the Wolverine Support Network, a University-wide peer support program designed to improve mental health. The initiative aims to help students work through their issues with WSN student leaders in weekly meetings, which are set to begin in January. In addition to weekly meetings, the network will also host
GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
events on Fridays that will focus on community building and mental health education. The support network was one of the main initiatives that CSG President Bobby Dishell, a Public Policy senior, based his platform on during last year’s student government elections. “The number one place students turn to for a personal issue is their friends,” Dishell said during the launch. “However, there is currently not a space where this is encouraged or facilitated. That’s why we came together to really create this… Our mission statement is that we empower University of Michigan students to create a community to support each other’s mental health.” CSG worked with the University’s Counseling and Psychological Services to create
NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM UMHS to expand surgery department MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS
INDEX
the program. CAPS will train WSN student leaders through a three-day retreat as well as consultations with CAPS staff throughout the semester. Applications for students interested in becoming WSN leaders will be available Oct. 22. “I think it holds a promise of a wonderful idea to help complement all the other things on campus around mental health,” CAPS Director Todd Sevig said. “Some of that is CAPS, some of that is our Department of Psychiatry, some of that is the Depression Center... I really want to promote the idea of peer education, peer support, friends helping friends and I think Wolverine Support Network holds the promise of that.” See CSG, Page 3
Vol. CXXIV, No. 142 ©2014 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
Students and faculty in the aerospace engineering department are mourning the loss of a teacher and colleague after Prof. Pierre T. Kabamba lost his battle with lung cancer Saturday, Sept. 20. He was 59 years old. Kabamba came to the University in 1983 after receiving his undergraduate degree in Belgium and his doctorate from Columbia University. In the winter of 2013, Kabamba visited the doctor for what he thought was pneumonia, only to discover he had stage 4 lung cancer, which forced him to stop teaching. His health was reportedly improving and Kabamba was scheduled to teach two classes this term, before deciding in late August that his health wouldn’t allow it. Kabamba taught Introduction to Aerospace Engineering and an advanced design course involving space and aircrafts. Additionally, he did research in controls design and scheduling operations, and addressed problems associated with spacecraft. Prof. Dan Inman, the Aerospace Engineering department chair, said he worked with Kabamba at the beginning of his career and even offered him his first job at See OBIT, Page 3
NEWS............................ 2 SUDOKU........................ 2 OPINION.....................4
SPORTS......................... 5 CL ASSIFIEDS.................6 ARTS.............................7
News
2 — Tuesday, September 23, 2014
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles Profiles
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers Before You Were Here
THURSDAY: Alumni CampusProfiles Clubs
PROFESSOR SANDRA MOMPER
What inspired you to pursue your field of study? My mother’s side grew up on Bad River Indian Reservation in Wisconsin, and I grew up there as a young child, so that’s what led
me to this area of interest. Describe an interesting or memorable experience from your research. During my dissertation study, there was a study on gambling and families, and it was a mixedmethod study, so I used qualitative and quantitative data. With the quantitative data, there was an interview with 20 women from the Indian reservation. Many of them stated that finally, there were researchers who asked them for their opinion, and that was one of my most memorable moments, recognizing that it was about time that people started
asking Indian people what their opinion is in terms of what sort of services they might need. What project are you proudest of? I think the suicide prevention project because one of the outcomes of that project is that the American Indian community is more aware of the high suicide rates, but they’re also not feeling like it’s such a stigma to talk about mental health and suicide. As a result of the screenings and the training that we’ve done, they’re much more apt to discuss and even say the word suicide. — EMILIE PLESSET
MCKENZIE BEREZIN/Daily
Nobel Peace Prize applicant Dr. Sanduk Ruit speaks about his cataracts surgeries in the Michigan League Monday.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
Career Center workshop
Fall health & wellness fair
Noon lecture series
WHAT: Cas Mudde, associate professor of international affairs at the University of Georgia, will deliver a lecture. WHO: Center for European Studies WHEN: Today at 4 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work Building - 1636.
WHAT: Schedule an appointment to have your resume critiqued in advance of the Career Expo. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: Today from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: The Career Center, 515 E. Jefferson St.
WHAT: The event includes flu shots, a farmer’s market, free massages and chef demonstrations. WHO: MHealthy, Champions of B&F and UM Law School WHEN: Today 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: South Hall
WHAT: Speaker Joseph Lam, director of the Confucius Institute, will deliver a lecture. WHO: Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work Building - Room 1636
Introduction to Birth & death Facebook of mRNAs
Women and the economy
Comics & censorship
WHAT: Three part program will teach you to learn how to securely use Facebook. WHO: Osher Lifelong Learning Institue WHEN: Today from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. WHERE: Turner Senior Resource Center, 2401 Plymouth Rd.
WHAT: Nancy Duff Campbell, co-president of the National Women’s Law Center, will present. WHO: Center for the Education of Women WHEN: Today from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: Rackham Graduate School - 4th Floor Amphitheater
WHAT: Author Jim Ottaviani interviews the creators of noted comics. WHO: University Library WHEN: Today at 4 p.m. WHERE: Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library Room 100
40 Iraqi soldiers killed, 68 captured in Western Anbar BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic State militants disguised in Iraqi army uniforms and driving stolen Humvees killed at least 40 Iraqi soldiers and captured 68 others in western Anbar province, breaking through a deteriorating Iraqi military offensive in an area where the United States recently broadened its airstrike campaign. The wave of suicide bombings dealt a heavy blow to government efforts to rein in the militants, whose rampage has seized much of the country’s north and west — even as the U.S. and its allies began training Iraq’s Kurdish peshmerga fighters to bolster their ability to battle the Sunni extremists. The attacks Sunday targeted troops stationed at Camp Saq-
lawiyah near the town of Sijir, 45 miles (70 kilometers) west of Baghdad. There has been no contact with the 68 captured Iraqi soldiers, who were believed to have been taken to the nearby city of Fallujah, an Islamic State stronghold, said Gen. Rasheed Fleih. After the attacks, the Iraqi military withdrew 700 more troops stationed in the area, he said. Following battlefield successes in both Iraq and neighboring Syria, Islamic State fighters, among them many Iraqi nationals, have re-entered Iraq through Anbar province, engaging in fierce battles with the Iraqi military. In this Sunni-majority territory, the group has quickly capitalized on long-standing grievances against the Shiite-led government in Baghdad, earning support from local populations. Iraq’s new Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement Monday that his government is committed to
CORRECTIONS l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.
reinforcing military and police forces in Anbar and will increase airstrikes to target the pockets of militant fighters across the province. Last week, he declared an end to the shelling of towns where militants are suspected of hiding, so as not to rile the local populations. Meanwhile, the U.S. military said Monday that airstrikes on Islamic State targets southwest of the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk destroyed two military vehicles and a tank and damaged a Humvee, bringing the total U.S. strikes on the militants to 190 since the aerial campaign began on Aug. 8. Backed by the U.S. airstrikes, Iraqi and Kurdish security forces have retaken the strategic Mosul Dam and several small towns. However, serious challenges remain since many Islamic State fighters are operating from cities with large civilian populations, such as Fallujah and Mosul. In northern Iraq, meanwhile, the U.S. and its allies began training Kurdish peshmerga forces to enhance their ability to fight the Sunni extremists. Helgurd Hikmet, general director of the ministry overseeing the Kurdish forces, said that France, Italy and Germany were among countries providing training in the use of the new machine guns, mortars, rockets and demining robots the Kurdish fighters have received. The U.S. forces are part of the advise-and-assist teams that have been in Irbil, the provincial capital of the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region, for several weeks. The U.S. has also provided equipment against roadside bombs and other sophisticated artillery to the Kurdish fighters. Last week, the French joined in the aerial campaign, and a number of European countries have committed to arming the Kurds and providing humanitarian support for more than a million people displaced by the onslaught of the Islamic State group.
Editor in Chief 734-418-4115 ext. 1251 pjshahin@michigandaily.com
Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 dougsolo@michigandaily.com
Newsroom
News Tips
734-418-4115 opt. 3
news@michigandaily.com
Corrections
Letters to the Editor
corrections@michigandaily.com
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
Arts Section
Editorial Page
arts@michigandaily.com
opinion@michigandaily.com
Sports Section
Photography Section
sports@michigandaily.com
photo@michigandaily.com
Display Sales
Classified Sales
dailydisplay@gmail.com
classified@michigandaily.com
Online Sales
Finance
onlineads@michigandaily.com
finance@michigandaily.com
Katie Burke Managing Editor Jennifer Calfas Managing News Editor
European Union lecture
Disguised Islamic State militants kill Iraqi troops
420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com PETER SHAHIN DOUGLAS SOLOMON
EDITORIAL STAFF
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
WHAT: Dr. William Marzluff, of the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, will present a seminar. WHO: Biological Chemistry WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: Medical Science Unit II - North Lecture Hall
FRIDAY: Photos Photos of the the Week Week
SIGHT SPEECH
Studying tribal communities Sandra Momper, associate professor of social work, specializes in research on gambling, substance abuse and mental health in the American Indian community. Momper’s research from the past few years centers on OxyContin abuse and its effects on the tribal community, healthcare access, and the association of gambling with substance abuse, depression and criminal history.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
1
A man jumped the White House fence Saturday, the Daily Beast reported. The man had over 800 rounds of ammunition in his car. According to relatives, he is a kind, gentle war-vet who is suffering from war trauma.
kgburke@michigandaily.com jcalfas@michigandaily.com
SENIOR NEWS EDITORS: Ian Dillingham, Sam Gringlas, Will Greenberg, Rachel Premack and Stephanie Shenouda ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Allana Akhtar, Neala Berkowski, Claire Bryan, Shoham Geva, Amabel Karoub, Emma Kerr, Thomas McBrien, Emilie Plesset, Michael Sugerman and Jack Turman
Megan McDonald and Daniel Wang Editorial Page Editors
opinioneditors@michigandaily.com
SENIOR EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Aarica Marsh and Victoria Noble ASSISTANT EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Matthew Seligman and David Harris
Greg Garno and Alejandro Zúñiga
Managing Sports Editors sportseditors@michigandaily.com
SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS: Max Cohen, Alexa Dettelbach, Lev Facher, Rajat Khare, Jake Lourim and Jeremy Summitt ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Max Bultman, Minh Doan, Daniel Feldman, Simon Kaufman, Erin Lennon, Jake Lourim and Jason Rubinstein
John Lynch and Akshay Seth Managing Arts Editors
jplynch@michigandaily.com akse@michigandaily.com
SENIOR ARTS EDITORS: Giancarlo Buonomo, Natalie Gadbois, Erika Harwood and Alec Stern ASSISTANT ARTS EDITORS: Jamie Bircoll, Jackson Howard, Gillian Jakab and Maddie Thomas
Teresa Mathew and Paul Sherman Managing Photo Editors
photo@michigandaily.com
SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS: Allison Farrand and Ruby Wallau ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS: Katherine Pekela, Virginia Lozano, James Coller, McKenzie Berezin, and Nicholas Williams
Carolyn Gearig and Gabriela Vasquez Managing Design Editors
design@michigandaily.com
SENIOR DESIGN EDITORS: Amy Mackens and Alicia Kovalcheck
Carlina Duan Magazine Editor
2
Catcalling and slutshaming is an issue that needs to be addressed by both men and women, argues columnist Tyler Scott. Read more about the implicatoins of men’s actions. >> FOR MORE, SEE OPINION, PAGE 4
3
Yesterday thousands protested on Wall Street about the financial sector’s role in promoting investments in industries polluting the planet, the Daily Beast reported. It came a day after the march for action on climate change in New York.
statement@michigandaily.com
DEPUTY MAGAZINE EDITORS: Max Radwin and Amrutha Sivakumar STATEMENT PHOTO EDITOR: Ruby Wallau STATEMENT LEAD DESIGNER: Amy Mackens
Mark Ossolinski and Meaghan Thompson Managing Copy Editors
copydesk@michigandaily.com
SENIOR COPY EDITORS: Mariam Sheikh and Alisha Qiu
Austen Hufford
Online Editor
ahufford@michigandaily.com
VIDEO EDITORS: Paula Friedrich and James Reslier-Wells SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR: Brianne Johnson
BUSINESS STAFF Madeline Lacey University Accounts Manager Ailie Steir Classified Manager Simonne Kapadia Local Accounts Manager Lotus An National Accounts Manager Olivia Jones Production Managers Nolan Loh Special Projects Coordinator Jason Anterasian Finance Manager The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.
Voter Guide: Adam Zemke aims to hold on to senate seat Democratic incumbent faces Republican Leonard Burk in Nov. election By STEPHANIE DILWORTH Daily Staff Reporter
Voter guides will provide insight on individual elections, explaining the seat and candidates’ views. Two candidates are vying for a state representative seat in Lansing. The Democratic incumbent, Rep. Adam Zemke (D–Ann Arbor), is running for reelection against Saline resident Leonard Burk (R–Ann Arbor). The 55th congressional district comprises the northern part of the city of Ann Arbor and a portion of the city of Milan as well as the townships of Ann Arbor, Augusta, Pittsfield and York. A term in the Michigan House of Representatives is two years and has a three-term limit. Since 2011, the Michigan House has been dominated by Republicans. A Republican majority is the typical House make-up: since 1999, only between 2007 and 2010 have Democrats held a majority. The general election will take place Nov. 4, 2014. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 6. No information could be found regarding Leonard Burk’s views or campaign. After repeated phone calls to Burk and various Republican party representatives, he could not be reached for comment. No information is available online about his positions. Rep. Adam Zemke (D–Ann Arbor) Zemke earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Engineering at Michigan State University. He has worked as an engineer in aerospace, defense and automotive industries. LGBTQ Rights: Zemke is a strong advocate of the LGBTQ
community and supports samesex marriage. He co-introduced legislation that would amend the state’s Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1976 to include protections for LGBTQ individuals. The current act protects individuals on the basis of religion, race, color, national origin and other criteria, but sexuality is not included. While the proposed amendment did not pass, he is currently working on similar legislation to help prevent discrimination of the LGBTQ community. “If you compare the LGBTQ community to the heterosexual community, you have significantly different rights that are afforded to that community, significantly fewer rights and those rights are civil rights, they are protection from discrimination,” Zemke said. “That is a pretty basic right. You can’t be hired or fired for who you are. We have it for age, we have it for gender, and race, why don’t we have it for sexual orientation?” Zemke introduced a bill July 2014 to ban conversion therapy in Michigan. Conversion therapy aims to change an individual’s sexual orientation but has been strongly criticized by mental health organizations and has questionable efficiency. Education: Zemke supports increasing funding for higher education. He is a member of a task force created in 2013 that aims to improve the quality of education in Michigan, which investigates the methods and results of education reform in other states. He said it is necessary to ensure that college graduates can participate in the state’s consumer economy rather than using their income only to pay off student debt. “We are prioritizing the wrong things,” Zemke said. “We are prioritizing large expense items that have little economic return. If we prioritize less expensive items that promote kids to get a good education in our K-12 education and in
Michigan after they go to one of our public universities than you can make better economic decisions.” Zemke was appointed to the Society of Automotive Engineers’ Board of Trustees January 2014, which aims to increase the number of students in STEM fields. He also sponsored a bill in June that will ease the formation of district libraries. “Don’t let anybody ever tell you that there’s not money for something, because there is always money,” he said. “It’s just that somebody wants to spend it on something else.” Right to work: He is against the right to work legislation that passed in 2012, which outlawed the requirement of union membership in jobs that once required it. “That is essentially creating an uneven playing field,” Zemke said. “You are telling people that it is okay for them not to pay for services from an organization but yet that organization still has to provide the services to you. That is baffling.” Women’s rights: He is prochoice and supports equal pay. “Allowing pay discrimination in Michigan is going against talent attraction and retention,” Zemke said. “By not supporting those policies, basically they are deterring folks from coming here, which makes no sense to me at all. In May 2013, Zemke supported a package of bills that would promote women’s health. Included in this package were bills promoting prevention, treatment and research of women’s diseases, a requirement that all health facilities offer emergency contraception to rape survivors and additional efforts to improve sexual education in public schools. Where he wants to invest: Transportation, Medicare, autism and mental health treatment, green industry, urban revitalization, and education.
News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NEWS BRIEFS HOUGHTON, Mich.
Ex-convict charged with woman’s death, girl’s injury An ex-con has been charged with murder and attempted murder on accusations that he fatally stabbed a 48-year-old woman and wounded her 14-year-old daughter at an Upper Peninsula home. The Daily Mining Gazette says that 42-year-old Paul Moilanen was arraigned Monday in Houghton district court. Judge Mark Wisti set his bond at $2.5 million and scheduled a probable cause hearing Oct. 6. Moilanen is getting a courtappointed lawyer. The Hubbell resident left prison in 2012 after serving eight years for slashing the throat of a 92-year-old man during a 2004 robbery.
MIDDLETOWN, Conn.
Wesleyan orders fraternities to become coed Wesleyan University in Connecticut on Monday ordered its fraternities with houses on campus to become coeducational within three years, a move it says is not just about bad behavior but also equality. Wesleyan follows Trinity College in Hartford, which made the transition starting in 2012, citing problems with drinking and drug use in Greek organizations. It also comes less than a month after Wesleyan closed the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house following an accident in which a woman fell from a third-story window. But school spokeswoman Kate Carlisle said the changes are not a response to any one incident. “This has been the subject of ongoing concern and discussion among the people in the administration, the school community, the alumni community and so forth for a number of years,” she said.
SACUA From Page 1 “What we learned from this particular episode is that most of what has to work did,” Schlissel said. “We have to communicate better with people the nature of security risks.” Schlissel also addressed the University’s relationship with the city of Detroit. Schlissel said while many groups and organizations on campus have reached out to Detroit, the University has yet to reach out in a combined interaction. “We’re doing quite a bit in Detroit,” Schlissel said. “Like many things here at the University, there isn’t optimal coherence in what we’re doing. Things are happening all over the place, but not taking advantage of one another,
DIVERSITY From Page 1 The report also calls for the launch of a public campaign headed by the provost and University president to affirm the University’s commitment to diversity, as well as renewed efforts to publicize University resources tailored to supporting minority students and the creation of taskforces to evaluate admissions criteria and hiring processes. In addition, the report considered several challenges associated with previous University attempts to promote diversity on campus. The report found there is no criteria used to evaluate the success or failure of existing University diversity programs. There is also widespread confusion about what strategies the University can employ to increase minority enrollment while still adhering to Proposal 2, the 2006 initiative that banned the use of race — among other factors — as a consideration in public higher education admissions.
not serving a positive, uplifting PR role. If we added together all these educational and research-focused investments on Detroit, it would be quite substantial.” In his first Presidential Advisory Group meeting of donors and advisors next month, Schlissel hopes to further discuss the University’s current outreach to Detroit and how it can continue to improve its relationship with the city. “There are plenty of ways I can imagine where we do good scholarship and teaching and work on some of our diversity issues, we do some engaged learning that also serves Detroit,” Schlissel said. He also voiced his thoughts on the University’s relationship with its Flint and Dearborn campuses. He said he hopes to address the three campuses as different components of a single university.
The ban was upheld last spring by the U.S. Supreme Court. The committee also cited a lack of coordination between the University’s schools and colleges, as well as the institution’s decentralized nature, as key reasons minority students find it difficult to access support services or groups. Psychology Prof. Robert Sellers, the committee’s chair, said the report outlines several ideas to help the University achieve a diverse student body and an inclusive campus climate. Though Sellers noted the University’s previous efforts to combat discrimination and ensure diversity, he said the institution could do more. “We can be better, and we need to do better,” he said. “I believe that we will do better.” Sellers said some goals may have an impact sooner than others and noted that striving for a more diverse campus is still a long-term initiative. “Issues of inequity don’t happen overnight, and don’t get broken down overnight,” he said.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Biden to Hispanics: Obama will act on immigration Vice President Joe Biden told frustrated Hispanic leaders Monday President Barack Obama is “absolutely committed to moving forward” on comprehensive immigration reforms “and he’s going to do an awful lot.” Biden said Obama was determined to move ahead “with or without” Congress and “if they don’t get something done by the end of this year, the president’s going to do it.” Biden’s remarks came as he and his wife, Jill, hosted a Hispanic Heritage Month reception Monday at their Naval Observatory residence. He honored Hispanic education administrators and counselors, calling them “heroes in the classroom and community.”
CSG From Page 1 Karin Arizala, a CAPS staff psychologist who previously worked with students on mental health training at the University California, Santa Barbara, said she plans to work with WCN student leaders during their training. “I think that’s one of the really profound parts of this style of service is that it’s driven by students and students know students best,” Arizala said. Leaders from approximately 17 student organizations attended the launch, including the South Asian Awareness Network, LSA Student Government, MHacks and TedXUofM. “This is something that affects a large student population on campus and as a governing body of one of the largest student organizations, I hope
to raise awareness about mental health,” LSA SG President Natasha Dabrowski, a LSA senior, said during the launch event. LSA junior Hannah Lee, a community assistant at Alice Lloyd Residence Hall, said WCN will be beneficial for students. “Students will get a lot out of it,” she said. “They’re not going to want to talk to an adult about issues that they are facing currently. It would be less like a therapy session and more like a peer-on-peer discussion.” However, some students are slightly more wary of the program. “I would be skeptical about sending my residents to a pilot program over CAPS,” said Rackham student Akshay Kini, a resident adviser. “I think members of Res Staff have the training and the experience to offer the first level of support that this network seems to provide.”
ALGIERS, Algeria
Islamist group kidnaps French citizen in Algeria A splinter group from al-Qaida’s North African branch kidnapped a French citizen and said Monday that it would kill him unless France halts it airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq. In a video that appeared on social media, a masked member of a group calling itself Jund al-Khilafah, or Soldiers of the Caliphate, addressed the threat to French President Francois Hollande and said the hostage would be killed unless the airstrikes were halted within 24 hours. The group said it was answering a call by Islamic State spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani to attack Americans and Europeans. The French Foreign Ministry confirmed the authenticity of the video and identified the hostage as 55-year-old Herve Gourdel. —Compiled from Daily wire reports
OBIT From Page 1 another institution. Inman also interacted with Kabamba after coming to the University three years ago. He described Kabamba as a dedicated teacher and respected scholar. “He was a very kind and generous person,” Inman said. “His students were always at the center of his attention, and he was a very graceful human being.” He said one of his fondest memories of Kabamba was from when he challenged a student to an arm wrestling contest and posted the video on Youtube. Engineering junior Sam Reed took Kabamba’s Introduction to Aerospace class during his sophomore year, and said Kabamba’s passion for teaching was apparent in his lectures. “He was always really energetic and excited about what he was doing and made sure that
we understood how everything worked,” Reed said. “He did a good job covering the building blocks of aero (space engineering) and you could tell he was really passionate about teaching.” Though he had already set his sights on an aerospace major, Reed said Kabamba’s class gave him his first glimpse at what his life as an aerospace engineer would look like. “With just a few equations you can plot an entire journey of an aircraft, and I’ve always thought that was really cool,” he said. “His class kind of showed me the first steps of what I want to do with my life.” Kabamba is survived by his wife and three children. There will be a visitation today at the Nie Funeral Home at 3767 W. Liberty Road in Ann Arbor. Friends, colleagues and students are invited to come and share their memories of Kabamba, with a sharing starting at 6 p.m.
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE! WWW.MICHIGANDAILY.COM
Tuesday, September 23, 2014 — 3
STARTUP From Page 1 development. “It’s just the right size pool that, as a startup, you’re not one of 10,000,” Mayer said. “You’re one of 1,000. And you can actually connect with resources … there’s all these elements available. You get to know everyone. It’s just a more manageable, smaller community.” The reach of this movement, Mayer said, goes beyond the University, though its strong ties to the city are undeniable. He said 35 percent of the groups SPARK works with are student companies. The rest are local entrepreneurs. A2B Bikeshare, a company co-founded by University alums Ansgar Strother and Keith Porter, is one of those success stories. An entrepreneurship class at the University sparked their desire to create cheaper bike-sharing systems, CEO Strother said. Their program was adopted in Lansing in September 2013, becoming the first modern bike share system in the state of Michigan. Now, it’s set to roll out in Fairbanks, Alaska. While he was still a student, Strother said the startup worked with TechArb in the development phase, in addition to the Center for Entrepreneurship. Since graduating, A2B has also worked with SPARK as it grows into what Strother calls a “real company, not just a University enterprise.” Another Ann Arbor venture is TurtleCell, an iPhone case that
comes with retractable headphones to prevent tangling. The company is mass-producing the case, and it hopes to sell 130,000 by winter. The company was founded by University alumni Paul Schrems and Nick Turnbull and Michigan State University alum Jeremy Lindlbauer. As students, they joined TechArb, and later moved on to Ann Arbor SPARK’s incubator space. Lindlbauer said SPARK was vital in providing the financial help to grow their business in their growth stage. Through SPARK’s business accelerator grant, TurtleCell received $50,000. The company used this money to conduct design testing, undergo product verification, buy equipment and even make an e-commerce website. “We originally thought that we were going to do it all ourselves,” Schrems said. “We were engineers. We didn’t really know how to sell hundreds of thousands of products, and the distribution deal really allowed us to do that.” As companies continue to grow in Ann Arbor, the excitement is propagating. The University is sending students on entrepreneurial “treks” to experience other hubs of innovation and spread the wealth of ideas. Through a program called MEngage, the Center for Entrepreneurship has sent students to visit companies in the San Francisco area, where they tour companies like Yahoo! and Google, talk to executives and even pitch business ideas in front of local entrepreneurs and University alumni.
This year, the Center has created a similar, more localized trip to Grand Rapids. In addition, it is in the process of formalizing a “D Trek,” or an organized entrepreneurship connection event in Detroit, which will likely happen in summer 2015. While the Center for Entrepreneurship is sending students to discover the realm of entrepreneurship outside Ann Arbor, other outside groups are targeting University students in their search for capable employees. Another is the story of Tivvi, a mobile application that serves as a collaborative media platform for users to easily share photo and video content. The app aggregates that content with “tiles” (i.e. the “foodie tile”) and subsequently allows users to scroll through hundreds of submissions with the same label. The startup was co-founded by two Wayne State University students, Ishpinder Sahni and Martin Hermez. Hermez, now a junior, said he was exposed to the University as a high school student — his sister went to Michigan. “I sat in on lots of lectures, I talked to a lot of professors … and I just knew that was kind of the hub for engineers,” Hermez said. Each of the application’s four developers is or was a University student. Alumni include Gurminder Randhawa and Jackson Jessup; current students include Engineering senior Roy Chou and Engineering junior Jesus Morales. “When I started this project, I thought, ‘Hey, I need motivated programmers.’ The best place to go was Ann Arbor.”
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! @MICHIGANDAILY FOR BREAKING NEWS UPDATES, COOL STORIES AND WITTY TWEETS!
Opinion
Page 4 — Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com PETER SHAHIN EDITOR IN CHIEF
MEGAN MCDONALD and DANIEL WANG EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
KATIE BURKE MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FROM THE DAILY
L
It’s on all of us
The sexual assault epidemic has persisted for far too long
ast week President Barack Obama launched his “It’s On Us” initiative to combat collegiate sexual assault, thus reminding the general public of the shameful epidemic flourishing in the dark corners of college campuses across the country. In recent years, reports of sexual offenses reported at colleges have risen; and in some schools this rise has been stunning. For example, between 2010 and 2012, the number of alleged forcible sex offenses has more than doubled at the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus — from 16 to 34. In fact, among all four-year colleges and universities with at least 1,000 enrolled students in 2012, the University of Michigan was second in total number of alleged forcible sex offenses, it ranked only behind the outlying Penn State University, whose total was affected by the horrifying actions of Jerry Sandusky. Sexual assault at colleges has been a chronic problem that is finally receiving significant attention. Given its complexity, no single institution or organization will be able to end all sexual offense, but it is high time for something to be done. Hoping to discover pieces of an eventual solution, The Michigan Daily Editorial Board will be devoting a series of editorials exploring the web of factors that allow for sexual assault to occur at college. The purpose of this editorial is to provide an overview of the current situation. In 2012, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control reported that 18.3 percent of women and 1.4 percent of men say that they were raped at some point in their lives. In April 2014, the White House’s sexual assault task force found that one in five women is sexually assaulted at college. This number has been widely debated, but even one sexual assault is too many. One of the reasons the actual number of sexual assaults is unknown is because so many sexual assaults are not reported. In a paper published in 2001 (the unavailability of more recent studies on this topic suggest an apathy toward sexual violence), the National Institute of Justice found that less than 5 percent of college women report sexual assaults. There are many understandable reasons why a survivor would not report a sexual assault, one being the frustrating mishandling of sexual assault allegations at numerous universities. In part, college sexual assault has become so widespread because universities are not prepared to deal with allegations. Not only does this create opportunities for sexual crimes to go unpunished, but it is a serious deterrent to reporting offenses. To gain the trust of their students, colleges need to exhibit the ability to thoroughly investigate allegations and fairly discipline those found guilty while undeniably protecting the desired confidentiality of survivors. So far, few schools have been able to demonstrate this level of competence. According to a report in the Huffington Post, as of Aug 13, the Department of Education has been investigating 76 colleges that may have violated Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 in their handling of alleged sexual assault cases on campus — up from the May 1 number of 55 schools. The University of Michigan is one of the schools under investigation in part for its management of the allegations against former football kicker Brendan Gibbons. Recently, an
additional complaint has been filed with the Office of Civil Rights in which a residential advisor alleges he was threatened with rape by another student. Instead of protecting the RA, he says the University fired him. Though most schools purport to have a comprehensive plan that has the survivor’s best interests at heart, when presented with an opportunity to demonstrate this concern for student safety, many colleges fail. As frustrating as it is to have such low reporting numbers of sexual assaults, it is easy to see why this is the case. As a result, lack of reporting or mishandling of these allegations means no investigation, no consequences and no end to the assaults. Colleges are not prepared. Despite a clear inability to appropriately aid survivors, university officials still promote a damaging culture of victim-blaming. Campus culture is a serious contributor in the sexual assault epidemic at colleges. Harvard University is one of the schools under federal investigation for violating Title IX and has the third-highest number of alleged forcible sex offenses. This is the school that has produced anecdotes such as “Dear Harvard: You Win,” where a survivor describes the inaction of university administrators in student-run newspaper, The Harvard Crimson. With questions of the school’s competence, a reasonable survivor might decide that Harvard administrators cannot be trusted to handle a sexual assault allegation appropriately. It should be painfully obvious to the objective viewer why a survivor would not want to report a sexual offense. And yet, Harvard Spokesman Jeff Neal was happy to shift the burden of responsibility to survivors when he said, “We firmly believe that more robust reporting of sexual assaults by victims is an important component of our efforts to prevent these crimes and to ensure that those affected get the support that they need.” Victim-blaming is just one aspect of many when discussing campus culture on sexual assault: general ignorance, consent definitions, gender norms, etc. are all contributing factors that must be addressed. The culture surrounding sexual assault on college campuses is a complicated issue that has deeply rooted ties to a general culture of male hegemony in a patriarchal society, but there are ways to address it by educating students and faculty. Currently, university policies across the nation are a mess, but they can be improved by prioritizing survivors and implementing a clearly defined procedure that investigates all potential allegations. As President Obama begins to combat sexual assault from a national level, it is important to remember that everyone can and should help. This is a crisis that has persisted for too long, and it’s on all of us.
KATHERINE PAK | VIEWPOINT
Committing to a belief in change
Our generation has much to care about. Climate change, rising tuition costs, the protection of our rights and those of others and the kind of economy we will face upon graduation are just a few issues that have been handed down to us by older generations who now face different — yet equally important — political problems of their own. Millennials make up 25 percent of the voting population. And yet, our voices are strangely absent from the policy-making table. It’s true the Millennial generation is perhaps the most disillusioned with our government than any other demographic, but if we want to create actual change and address the problems important to us, the solution is not to protest by abstaining, but rather the opposite — it’s as simple as casting a ballot this November. Voting is important. It is a privilege to live in a country where certain rights are held inalienable; where each citizen has a legitimate voice in how things affect them and how their interests are represented in all levels of government. Additionally, a nation of voters fosters a nation of politically informed citizens, which encourages the democratic process even more. The problem is that Millennials aren’t even engaging in this process. A national poll conducted by Harvard’s Institute of Politics in early 2014 revealed that only 23 percent of adults aged 18 to 24 plan to vote in the 2014 midterm elections. That’s only just more than 8 percent of the population — a far cry from the 25 percent-
strong we could be. According to Trey Grayson, former director of the Harvard Institute of Politics, “The Institute’s spring poll shows 18 to 29 year olds’ trust in public institutions at a five-year low — and their cynicism toward the political process has never been higher.” Why are Millennials so cynical? It is a commonly held belief that those who have the most say in policy-making are “old, rich, white people.” However, this is not a reflection of a broken system, but one that is actually working exactly the way it is supposed to. According to exit polls conducted by the Roper Center Public Opinion Archives, the highest percentage of voters in the 2008 Presidential election were white (74 percent), aged 45 and over (53 percent) and listing an income $100,000 and above (26 percent). It’s no wonder, then, that decisions being made in Washington reflect the interests of this demographic at the expense of others — most people voting are old, rich, white people. The easiest and perhaps most meaningful way to fight for generational equity — having our voices equally represented with the other demographics at the policy-making table — is by exercising our civil rights and voting. This November, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives as well as 36 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate will be contested — and local races are taking place at all levels across the country. Katherine Pak is an LSA junior.
M
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
A house divided
eeting new roommates for the first time is incredibly intimidating. At the University of Michigan the rules specify that if you’re “going in blind” you don’t fill out a questionnaire. This was done to “increase diversity” and make sure that MAURA people live with LEVINE others who aren’t like them. This also means you may end up with someone totally opposite from you. In other words, your anxiety is warranted. In D.C., however, the Michigan in Washington program allows us to either pick roommates or fill out a questionnaire about living habits to make sure our roommates have similar routines as us. This took a lot of the guesswork out as we moved in and were relieved to find that our roommates had similar living customs and bedtimes. After all, living with three other people, one bathroom and a brand new city carries enough anxiety with it as it is, so this knowledge added a cushion and made us feel better. What we quickly came to realize, however, was that our room was extraordinarily diverse. All four of us are of different religions and come from different backgrounds. Layan is from Lebanon, Brie is from downtown Detroit, my family is Russian-Jewish and Katie is Catholic. At first we tenderly danced around these obvious differences, finding out everything we had in common and bonding over similar shopping habits and our collective obsession with fro-yo. But after we became more comfortable, we started willingly talking about our differences, opening up a dialogue about diversity that I have never been able to have on campus in Ann Arbor. The truth is, MIW is much more diverse than the rest of our Ann Arbor campus, and this program truly fulfills the Michigan promise of diversity. Ironically, we are off campus and finally having a positive dialogue about cultural and race issues. While we may be
uniquely positioned, it is apparent to us that on-campus students are more polarized, often hanging out only with their own cultural groups and therefore stifling a positive cultural exchange like the one we have in D.C. The difference about MIW is that we are placed here, all alone, without our other friends from similar religions and backgrounds. We fend for ourselves here and find that we have grown together despite our differences, opening our minds to new ideas and issues. On campus I participate in Hillel, the Jewish student organization that provides a home away from home for Jewish students. We have a place to go for Shabbat each Friday night, have Jewish extracurricular activities and community service groups to participate in and social events, too. I am appreciative for this community because there I feel like people understand me. Most on-campus cultures/religions/ ethnicities have a similar haven, a place where they can find others just like them and feel the comfort of the community they know. Granted, there are many other opportunities on campus that are diversified, where people of all races and religions can join, but I find that often, minorities tend to stick together. When the on-campus divestment debate came up last spring, campus felt more polarized than ever to me. From students shouting at each other at a rally to alleged writing on people’s dorm doors, tensions were high. ProIsrael students and pro-Palestinian students alike came out to a heated rally, and even some professors expressed a stake in the debate’s outcome. This polarization scared me, making me feel uncomfortable and sad. While I too had opinions, it was hard to see a campus divided. I have never had pro-Palestinian friends. At Michigan and even before I was in college, the ArabIsraeli conflict prohibited me from the possibility of open dialogue about these issues. But when I met Layan in D.C., we were already friends on a different basis. Our family backgrounds and views on the debate were secondary to our growing friendship, and eventually we started talking about the
elephant in the room: the ArabIsraeli conflict. We vowed to each other that we would always be open to answering questions the other person had about our respective religions and viewpoints, and we wished for a better world for our children where this debate will be null and void and replaced with peace. Hearing her perspective after becoming good friends with her changed not only my whole view on the conflict, but also the importance of diversity on campus. Layan has shared with me her cultural norms by cooking a traditional Lebanese breakfast and letting me watch her pray. I’ve told her about the Jewish high holidays that are coming up and explained what keeping Kosher is like. We’re learning so much not only about each other’s religions but also about each other as people. It is unclear how this kind of positive dialogue could be fostered on campus. Here in D.C., Layan and I have left our respective cultural groups that foster the homogenous thoughts and encourage a sense of group dynamic that make you part of one side or the other. Here we are just people, interested in political science and living together. Here we are roommates and foremost friends, which is what makes it possible for us to talk so frankly about such heavy issues. This puts us in a unique situation that Michigan strives for but is only achieving minimally on campus. It is rare to find friends from polar opposite groups like those with opposing stakes in the Arab-Israeli conflict. While Michigan can’t prohibit people from finding and supporting groups of their choice on campus, something should be done about the polarization between different groups that has obviously cropped up. The first step to recovery is realizing there is a problem. If we keep allowing ourselves to join groups that foster a cohesive group dynamic and we don’t meet other people on the opposite side, issues like the Arab-Israeli conflict will never be solved because polarization will continue to thrive. Maura Levine can be reached at mtoval@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
It’s our problem too
A
lot is being written about gender inequality. Articles, tweets and ad campaigns are cast into the public light every day, all circling the same general theme: Women in our society are being neglected. Sexism is alive TYLER and well. SCOTT They’ve certainly had an impact, but not necessarily the intended one. Like everything else, the social media machine has taken hold of this most recent wave of feminism and changed how the issue is presented to society. And it’s made the message stronger. Thousands of stories flood the internet, and when something like Buzzfeed’s “What Men Are Really Saying When Catcalling Women” pops up on my Facebook timeline, I usually don’t recognize the creator or author. In the digital age, it’s hard to become the face of a social movement. Except when the faces are familiar. On Facebook and Twitter, it’s the women I know that have the impact. When close friends do the “sharing,” it’s different. That’s when feminism becomes separate from the media agenda, and part of real life. There’s no point in hoping for the Betty Friedan of the 21st century to gain celebrity when the faces of feminism today share our classrooms and our families and
our beds. It’s depressing to hear the story of a friend who changed her mind about what she planned to wear on a night out just so being catcalled wouldn’t be an issue. Yet when a conversation about the byproducts of misogynistic culture begins and some men immediately get defensive, it’s hard not to empathize with that either. After all, I’ve never catcalled anyone, and many men can honestly say the same. For a lot of guys, being labeled as a member of a club that harasses and demeans our sisters, friends and girlfriends is hard to accept, because truthfully it’s not our fault. However, “it’s not our fault” doesn’t mean it’s not our problem. It’s a women’s issue exclusively shaped by men’s behavior, and until we can change that, it reflects poorly on us all. Anger at being labeled as a cog within the great evil patriarchy is justified; however, it should be directed at those who propagate inequality, not their casualties. There are many subtle nuances with the gender inequality discussion, with a whole lot of opinions thrown around with the facts. This often changes the narrative from a push for common good to a heated personal debate. But catcalling and slut-shaming are stupidities practiced all too often on campus, and they’re problems remarkably easy to solve. Even if decency isn’t a good enough reason to put an end to them, plenty of incentive exists for men outside of altruism. Catcalling a girl does nobody any good. Any efforts put forth
in attempts to create a positive outward image are shattered once the first wolf-whistle lets loose. Those Sperrys and Nike crew socks sure look good with that new floralpatterned pocket-T and vintage sports team snapback, but it’s all for naught. Not to judge anyone on how they dress or look, but this ironic interplay happens every day because enough men act like idiots for it to overshadow us all. Seeing it happen should elicit a groan of frustration and a facepalm from any guy within earshot, because not only does it make all of us look bad, but these poor guys are literally working against their own self-interest. However, none of this is new information. The difference needs to become in how men’s behavior is perceived by other men. Raise the standard. Decorum, whether in a grad school interview or on the way home from Rick’s, should be upheld. In a way, a lot of the pressures facing women today don’t have anything to do with women at all. At the core of the problem, these are men’s issues to address. Basically, don’t be “that guy.” Don’t be the guy to allow himself to be stereotyped in the same way that he stereotypes and objectifies others. Don’t be that guy who turns a good thing bad, and embarrasses everyone around him. Don’t be that guy who acts differently on a Saturday night than he does anywhere else, and don’t let a friend be that guy either. Tyler Scott can be reached at tylscott@umich.edu.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and viewpoints. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while viewpoints should be 550-850 words. Send the writer’s full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, September 23, 2014 — 5
Michigan finishes 7th of 8 After slow start, Wolverines top Iowa on final day to avoid last place
Recruiting Rundown: Positive performances By JUSTIN STERN Daily Sports Writer
By ZACH SHAW Daily Sports Writer
After weathering literal and metaphorical storms all weekend, the Michigan women’s golf team ended its first home weekend in two years on a positive note. After a disappointing first round Saturday that left them at least seven strokes behind every other team, the Wolverines failed to climb out of last in the next two rounds, posting an improved second round in stroke play before falling to Miami in match play. But on the fourth day, things brightened up, as Michigan took down Iowa to place seventh at the East and West Match Play Challenge. “We dug ourselves in a pretty big hole in that first round,” said Michigan coach Jan Dowling. “But since then, we’ve played some pretty solid golf. We didn’t come out on top or where we wanted to, but the reason for that, I’d say, is just a bunch of little things.” With just two upperclassmen on the roster, most of the team hadn’t competed at its home course before. Any hint of home-field advantage was shattered in Saturday’s opening round, where the Wolverines scored a 315 — 23 strokes off the lead and seven worse than any other team. The Wolverines rebounded nicely, shooting 297 later in the day, but that wasn’t enough to move out of last place. In a field that included four other Big
RECRUITING
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
The Michigan women’s golf team struggled in the first round, digging itself into a hole that it couldn’t escape.
Ten teams and several NCAA Tournament regulars, Michigan was looking up at everyone. On Sunday, the Wolverines took on Miami in the first of two match-play rounds. The format is meant to model the recently changed NCAA Championship format and is a growing trend nationwide. “For some of them it was their first time in match play,” Dowling said of her team. “It’s about learning the strategy and trusting your own game at the same time. It’s good to be reactionary in match play, but you also want to be confident in your abilities as a player. “There is a learning curve for
sure, but at the end of the day it’s still golf.” Dowling’s squad wasn’t up to the task Sunday, falling to the Hurricanes, 4-1, stumbling into the last-place game. Sophomore Grace Choi was the lone winner after nailing a 40-foot chip shot on the final hole to take the lead, providing a nice highlight to an otherwise disappointing day. Michigan showed more signs of life Monday, as Choi and three other Wolverines nabbed victories over eighth-place Iowa for a 4-1 team win. After a long weekend, Dowling couldn’t have asked for a much better
“As far as ball striking goes, we’re as good as any team.”
finish. “The team wanted a little redemption this morning,” Dowling said. “I like that fight in them. It made it a lot of fun watching today. There was a lot of competitiveness, and I saw a few fist pumps from our players out there, playing hard for themselves and for Michigan.” Despite the struggles on paper, Dowling was pleased with the raw skills her team displayed over the weekend and sees an opportunity to refine a young and energetic core during an upcoming three-week break. “As far as ball striking goes we’re as good as any team,” Dowling said. “For us, it’s inside 100 yards and some relatively easy chip shots and shortrange shots where we gave opportunities and strokes away. There’s always things to learn every time you compete, so we just have to get back at it.”
The 2015 Michigan football recruiting class is ranked 19th in the nation by ESPN. While this past weekend didn’t pan out quite like the Wolverines planned at the Big House, the 2015 class had some positive performances that inspire optimism. Here’s a rundown of how 10 of the current Michigan commits fared this past weekend in their high school games. Chris Clark, tight end: Avon Old Farms (Conn.) vs. Brunswick (Conn.); Ranking: ESPN (109) Scout (26) In Avon Old Farms’ first game of the season, the Beavers won, 49-34. Clark caught a touchdown pass in his team’s win. Clark’s Beavers moved up three spots in the state polls and are now ranked No. 3 in Connecticut. Brian Cole, athlete: Saginaw Heritage (Mich.) at Lapeer (Mich.); Ranking: ESPN (139) Scout (40) Cole did not play in Heritage’s 55-7 loss Friday after being suspended last week due to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Darian Roseboro, defensive tackle: Lincolnton (N.C.) vs. West Lincoln (N.C.); Ranking: ESPN (165) Scout (151) Friday was a huge day for Roseboro — he rushed 166 yards with four touchdowns. With his assistance, Lincolnton rushed for 100 yards as a team in the first seven minutes of its home opener. Michael Weber, running back: Cass Tech (Mich.) vs. Detroit Douglass (Mich.); Ranking: ESPN (169) Scout (104) Weber did not play Friday due to a toe injury he suffered two weeks ago. Weber was also in
attendance at Michigan Stadium on Saturday. Tyree Kinnel, safety: Wayne (Ohio) at Troy (Ohio); Ranking: ESPN (192) Scout (152) Kinnel made a huge impact on special teams Friday. In Wayne’s 54-0 win, he had a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown. Grant Newsome, offensive tackle: The Lawrenceville School (N.J.) vs. Choate Rosemary (Conn.); Ranking: ESPN (242) Scout (215) Lawrenceville’s first regularseason game featured a poor performance by the entire offensive line in a 37-0 loss. Darrin Kirkland Jr., linebacker: Lawrence Central (Ind.) at Pike (Ind.); Ranking: ESPN (266) Scout (114) Kirkland had another quiet week at linebacker in Friday’s matchup, but Lawrence Central improved to 2-3 on the year with a 45-35 victory. Alex Malzone, quarterback: Birmingham Brother Rice (Mich.) at Warren De La Salle (Mich.); Ranking: ESPN (NR) Scout (184) Malzone had an outstanding game on Friday, completing 14 of 20 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns to lift Brother Rice over De La Salle, 28-21. Andrew David, kicker: Washington (Ohio) vs. St. John’s (Ontario); Ranking: (NR) Washington hosted a team from Canada on Friday, which didn’t prove to be a problem. The Tigers won, 77-13, and improved to 4-0 on the year. Garrett Taylor, cornerback: St. Christopher’s (Va.); Ranking: ESPN (111) Scout (268) Taylor is out for his senior season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during off-season practice.
MEN’S GOLF
Michigan closer to unlocking potential Wolverines second after day one, then fall behind No. 5 Cal on final day By DANNY VARGOVICK Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan men’s golf team was right there with the best teams at the Windon Memorial Classic on Sunday, including No. 5 California. But sometimes, you just get beat. The Wolverines entered the final day in Skokie, Illinois tied for second, one stroke behind California. The Golden Bears then shot 10-under par as a team Monday, setting tournament records for single-day and weekend scores in the process. “Cal really had a good day today, which is what you need to do to win,” said Michigan coach Chris Whitten. “They made a lot of good putts that were in that middle range, 50-50 putts. We’re very capable of doing the same thing. It was just Cal’s day today.” The Wolverines’ unspectacular, but solid, top-tobottom effort was good enough to place tied for third with Iowa in a field of 15 teams. Their final score of nineover par looks unsightly when compared to Cal’s six-under, but it was only two off the pace of second-place finisher Ohio State. Still, neither coaches nor
players were satisfied with the results. “I know we haven’t played our best tournament yet,” Whitten said. “But even as we go through these early rounds the guys are competitive, and I think they’re close to playing their best golf.” Whitten mentioned junior Chris O’Neill as someone who didn’t play as well as he could have, even though O’Neill led the team at two-over par. The junior agreed. “I probably hit it worse than how my score showed,” O’Neill said. “My swing was just off this week, so my iron game and especially my driving need to improve before the next (tournament).” Finishing right behind O’Neill were sophomore Bryce Evon and junior Brett McIntosh at three-over par. Evon was steady all tournament, save for consecutive double-bogeys to finish the front nine Monday. McIntosh, meanwhile, is rounding into form having turned in his best performance of the season after sitting out the first tournament recovering from summer injuries. “Just the occasional loose shot,” Whitten said. “Brett’s short game around the greens has been great. I know that’s keeping him in rounds for sure.” McIntosh and O’Neill, the Wolverines’ two leading scorers each of the past two seasons, seem to be getting closer to 100-percent after dealing with
“Even as we go through these early rounds, the guys are competitive.”
nagging injuries this summer. Whitten said that they didn’t even talk about the injuries at all this tournament. Sophomore Reed Hrynewich and freshman Kyle Mueller rounded out the Michigan squad with scores of eight-over par and 10-over par, respectively. It’s was Mueller’s worst tournament of his short college career. He was named the Big Ten Golfer of the Week after winning his first college tournament at the Wolverine Invitational, but he was dealing with a cold this weekend and finished in the middle of the pack. Still, the freshman improved each round, from 77 to 73 down to an even 70. His ability to adapt and improve impressed Whitten. The Wolverines have three weeks off before their next tournament. Cal made all the plays this weekend, but it’s just a matter of time before a finally healthy Michigan team plays to its full potential.
BY THE NUMBERS Michigan Men’s Golf
1
Stroke between first-place California and Michigan after Sunday
15
Strokes between first-place California and Michigan after Monday
212
Total score for Michigan leader Chris O’Neill, good for 14th overall
220
Total score for Kyle Mueller, who won the Wolverine Intercollegiate on Sept. 7
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Grace Choi returns after leading the Michigan women’s golf team in scoring last season with a 75.64 average.
Young ‘M’ gains experience Wolverines host inaugural Match Play Challenge, finish seventh By CHARLIE WALLAU For the Daily
The Michigan women’s golf team hosted seven teams from across the nation this weekend in the inaugural, to-beperennial East and West Match Play Challenge at Radrick Farms. The invitational has a matchplay format rather than traditional stroke play, paralleling the NCAA’s decision this past May to convert to match play in the Women’s Division I Championship. “We need to get experience in (match play). Some of our
players haven’t experienced it before,” said Michigan coach Jan Dowling. “We want to attract the best teams possible, and you can see we have a very strong field here — many teams that have historically competed at the national championship.” The program has struggled to break out of mediocrity in its 38-year history — in 2002 the Wolverines made their sole appearance in the national tournament with a 17th-place finish. The team also struggled this weekend against the stiff competition, including Ohio State and UC Davis, placing seventh. However, Dowling recognizes the raw talent of her young team and thinks playing against good teams will help with its development. “We’ve got to be competing against the best and putting
“It’s super encouraging for me to see that we’re not far off.”
ourself against teams that are better than us right now and seeing where we can improve. It’s super encouraging for me to see that we’re not far off at all,” she said. “We’ve got the potential on the golf course. “As far as ball striking goes, we’re as good as any team here, for sure. … The feel — they just need to refine that a little bit. We’re close, and it’s exciting. And I just can’t wait to keep growing these next couple years — even this year.” The Wolverines’ sevenplayer roster features five underclassmen with great potential. Megan Kim, Kathy Lim and Emily White compose the freshman class. Lim had two top-12 finishes on the American Junior Golf Association Tour while Kim had six in the top 10. White, a native Michigander, achieved third place at the MHSAA Division 1 State Finals. Sophomore Grace Choi led the team with a 75.64 scoring average last season, a Michigan freshman record. Choi capped off the team’s lone match win on Sunday by making a 40-foot pitch shot.
Sports
6 — Tuesday, September 23, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Decision day: Devin Gardner or Shane Morris? Short-term risk could result in longterm reward By ALEJANDRO ZÚÑIGA Managing Sports Editor
Whether or not Devin Gardner will remain the Michigan football team’s quarterback in the upcoming weeks will be decided Tuesday, coach Brady Hoke said in Monday’s press conference. The Wolverines are 0-2 against the Power 5 teams they’ve faced, Notre Dame and Utah. What’s more, they didn’t enter the red zone — much less score an offensive touchdown — against either of those opponents. And in those games, Gardner has accounted for six turnovers (five interceptions and a fumble). Meanwhile, sophomore Shane Morris has no touchdowns despite appearances in eight games and a start in the 2013
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. Don’t expect a twoquarterback system like the Wolverines employed late in 2012 with Gardner and Denard Robinson. Hoke said the coaches haven’t considered platooning under center. Who should be Michigan’s starter? The Daily breaks down the pros and cons of both options. Devin Gardner, Fifth-year senior Anyone who can displace one of the most electrifying players in program history midway through his redshirt sophomore year is set up for being labeled a bust. And that’s what happened with Gardner. After he started the year as wide receiver, an injury to Robinson forced Gardner to move back under center. Behind him, the Wolverines went 3-2 in their last five games, picking up wins over Minnesota, Northwestern and Iowa, but falling in close
games to Ohio State and South Carolina. Gardner finished 2012 with 11 touchdowns and just five interceptions, but that didn’t translate into a breakout 2013 season. Behind a porous offensive line, Gardner tossed 11 picks, but the quarterback rarely had enough time in the pocket to throw. For instance, against Michigan State, Gardner was sacked seven times as the Wolverines accounted for minus-48 rushing yards. Michigan released former offensive coordinator Al Borges after 2013, and some of Gardner’s struggles this year almost certainly can be attributed to the transition to Doug Nussmeier’s schemes. But this fall, Gardner has
made some inexplicable mistakes. Against Utah, he missed receiver Devin Funchess on an easy slant route, and he was benched after throwing a pass straight to a baiting linebacker. That game was emblematic of Gardner’s entire 2014 campaign, which has been replete with errant or underthrown balls, telegraphed passes and incorrect reads. And Gardner’s threat as a runner has been all but eliminated. The quarterback’s longest run this year is for just 18 yards. Quite simply, he just doesn’t seem to be improving. In Nussmeier’s system, Gardner is failing as a passer, and his ability to create is also being largely impaired.
If Michigan makes the switch, expect some growing pains.
Shane Morris, Sophomore Anyone who argues that a transition to Morris this weekend would be seamless is either lying or sorely mistaken. Morris has seen meaningful action just twice while at Michigan. In last year’s Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, he went 24-of-38 for 196 yards, but many of his completions came on passes behind the line of scrimmage. And upon relieving Gardner on Saturday with about 10 minutes to play, Morris promptly accounted for two turnovers of his own, throwing an interception and then fumbling. So if Michigan does make the switch to Morris, expect some growing pains. Despite Gardner’s struggles, he has four weeks of game experience under Nussmeier and practiced as the No. 1 quarterback throughout the offseason. Morris has never proven himself as a better game manager than Gardner.
If there’s one area in which Morris holds a definitive edge over Gardner, it’s in his arm. Saturday, the sophomore uncorked a 60-yard rocket while under pressure in his own end zone. Meanwhile, Gardner underthrew several wide-open receivers all afternoon. And Morris is no slouch on his feet, either. He dashed for 40 yards against Kansas State in December, the longest run by any Wolverine last year. And he has demonstrated similar mobility in his action this fall. Of course, many may prefer Morris simply because he has been touted as the future of the program. This is Gardner’s last year, and Michigan’s coaches must weigh the risk of starting an unseasoned quarterback to the reward of developing him into a better player before next season.
Get the news first at MichiganDaily.com and on Twitter @theblockm.
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
Fifth-year senior Devin Gardner moved from his temporary position at wide receiver back to quarterback in 2012.
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Sophomore Shane Morris has a strong arm, but he’s also turnover-prone and hasn’t yet thrown a touchdown pass.
FOOTBALL
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
PARKING
SERVICES
By ALEJANDRO ZÚÑIGA
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Reduce to mist 8 Insubstantial stuff 11 Intro deliverers 14 Short outing for a jogger 15 From A to Z 16 The smile on a smiley face, say 17 Green gem 18 Where to leggo your Eggo? 20 Period of meaningful interaction 22 Having the wherewithal 26 Take to court 27 From square one 28 “That’s using your head!” 33 Detach from the dock 34 Sharply delineated, as a contrast 35 Egyptian snake 36 Actress Charlotte 38 __ Lanka 39 Scooby-__ 42 Living thing 44 Make responsible for, as chores 46 Planck’s Nobel prize-winning formulation 48 Insulting remark 50 Equal: Pref. 51 Carnivorous dinosaur, briefly 52 Small musical interval sung in choral warmups 57 Let go 58 Movie equipment 63 “O, __ fortune’s fool!”: Romeo 64 Start to practice? 65 Surreptitiously ... and a hint to 20-, 28-, 46- and 52Across 66 8-Down treaters: Abbr. 67 Get at a store 68 Traditional Yuletide quaff DOWN 1 Soul, to Zola 2 “A Christmas Carol” boy
3 Bullfight “Bravo!” 4 Debussy’s “La __” 5 Syria neighbor 6 Last letter of a pilot’s alphabet 7 Mark similar to a hyphen 8 Waiting room waiters 9 Very much 10 Be in the game 11 Checking conclusively, in chess 12 __ de cacao 13 Carpentry fastener 19 Performed really poorly 21 San __ Obispo, California 22 Color of water 23 Cookout supply 24 Walk on a bad knee, say 25 Novelist Umberto 29 Divided nation 30 Teach a skill to 31 Jeweler’s purity unit 32 Dublin-born 37 In every aspect
39 Couturier Christian 40 Shrek, for one 41 Black stone 42 Grand Canyon pack animal 43 Sudden wind 45 Chess pieces and board, e.g. 46 Reservations 47 Barnyard animal, in totspeak 48 Ink squirter
49 Like some ancient calendars 53 Mummy’s home 54 Genesis twin 55 Grandma 56 CPR providers 59 Canadian interjections 60 Stephen of “The Crying Game” 61 EPA concern 62 Arch city: Abbr.
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
Managing Sports Editor “PRIME” PARKING FOR Sale 721 S. Forest “Forest Place” $1500 Limited Passes Remaining 734‑761‑8000 primesh.com CAMPUS PARKING $70/MONTH, near U of M bus. 734‑418‑2050 or info@828greene.com
FOR RENT
THESIS EDITING. LANGUAGE, organization, format. All Disciplines. 734/996‑0566 or writeon@iserv.net
THERE’S A CROSSWORD ON THIS PAGE.
! NORTH CAMPUS 1‑2 Bdrm. ! ! Riverfront/Heat/Water/Parking. ! ! www.HRPAA.com ! WWW.CARLSONPROPERTIES.‑ COM 734‑332‑6000
xwordeditor@aol.com
09/23/14
HELP WANTED SUPPORT CHILD ABUSE VIC‑ TIMS! Volunteer at Washtenaw Child Advocacy Center. Staff the waiting room. Work with kids. Must be 18+ yr(s). Will be screened for background & criminal history checks. 4 hr shifts at least once a week for at least 4 months. M‑F 8:30‑4:30. Call 734‑544‑2925.
09/23/14
Brady Hoke’s regular Monday press conference was televised nationally this afternoon by ESPN. The Michigan football coach addressed his team’s quarterback situation, whether he believes the program is in a crisis and more.
DO IT.
INTERN WANTED FOR Birmingham law office for 1‑2 years. Must have at least BA or BS with strong grades/com‑ puter skills. Paid Position. Email resume & transcript to: michlawoffice@gmail.com
HAPPY WEDNESDAY!
Against Notre Dame and Utah, the Wolverines’ two Power 5 opponents so far, Gardner has combined for six turnovers (five interceptions and a fumble). But Hoke said he’s impressed with Gardner’s leadership even as his status as the team’s starter remains in question. “He’ll handle it like a leader does, whatever happens,” Hoke said.
“He’ll handle it like a leader does, whatever happens.”
On who will start quarterback Saturday:
INTERNSHIPS
By Jeffrey Wechsler ©2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
News bullets: Hoke presser
at
On the state of the program: Sophomore Shane Morris saw extensive playing time for the first time all year against Utah, replacing a turnoverprone Devin Gardner in the fourth quarter. After the game, Hoke said the quarterback position is up for grabs, and he said in the press conference that Saturday’s starter will be named tomorrow. Hoke said he’ll look at efficiency when making the decision, but that both quarterbacks have been “competing and challenging” since fall camp began in August. Michigan hasn’t considered platooning the two quarterbacks, Hoke said.
Hoke said he won’t allow criticism about his team’s 2-2 start affect his coaching, explaining the players and coaches share similar frustrations to the public. He said he doesn’t believe the program is in a state of crisis, and that they’re building “a program with a great foundation.” On improvements: Hoke believes the Wolverines will be a good football team. When? “Saturday,” he said. “I think we need to be a good football team, don’t you?”
BUY 2 PEPSI PRODUCTS, GET A FREE DAILY!
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, September 23, 2014 — 7
DETROIT ARTS COLUMN
ALBUM REVIEW
Write A House gives house to Brooklyn poet D
MATADOR
“I believe in symmetry.”
Perfume Genius shines ‘Too Bright’ Mike Hadreas feeds off of his enemies on latest album By BRIAN BURLAGE Daily Arts Writer
Mike Hadreas has spent the last two years of his life exorcising his demons. An epic statement he made in July makes A this fact very clear: “Some- Too Bright times I see faces of blank Perfume fear when I Genius walk by … if these fucking Matador people want to give me some power — if they see me as some sea witch with penis tentacles that are always prodding and poking and seeking to convert the muggles — well, here she comes.” The “muggles” that Hadreas referred to are all the people who, for reasons of their own, propagate the gay panic in our culture. They are the same people who cast incendiary gazes upon Hadreas wherever he walks, who cannot come to terms with his fierce nonconformity, and yet they are the same people who give him his sense of power. Hadreas feeds off the confusion of his enemies. He takes their insults and disgust and he transforms them into a kind of self-sustaining vitality. His first two albums, Learning and Put Your Back N 2 It, perfectly display his cycling vigor, his pent-up anger that fuels the creativity of his spirit. The albums consist of taut and powerful songwriting, distinguished by an in-your-face aggression that pop music has contorted into folly in recent years. Mike Hadreas is bent on fixing that problem. And so he has crafted an album that strikes not with the swing of its fist but with the turning of its back. Too Bright brings to a careful head all the beauty and devastation of Hadreas’s personal battles. He’s decided that the surest way to cleanse himself of past trauma is to sing into the faces of his persecutors with such sincerity, such directness of heart, that silence becomes the only appropriate response. So it
is: Too Bright ends in peaceful silence. A string of insecurities follow Hadreas throughout the album — his mother demanding grandchildren despite her knowledge of his sexual orientation and boyfriend, industry executives pushing him to sacrifice his unique style for the price of a mainstream breakthrough, friends and collaborators harping on him for more material. As a young kid, Hadreas was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an affliction of the gastrointestinal tract that inflames and debilitates organs. He was often sick and pale, and his weight fluctuated dramatically. Chief of all his insecurities are those that involve this issue — his body. “If I could just be a lump, or a mist of smoke with eyes, I probably would be that — just an energy, moving around,” he said in an interview with Pitchfork. Too Bright is grounded in this same wish. His keen desire to transcend the limits of his body grows and develops into pure-form frustration, which he harnesses and reinvents with masterful artistry. Hadreas enlisted the help of Portishead’s instrumental guru Adrian Utley, as well as engineer Ali Chant and PJ Harvey’s drummer John Parish, to furnish his vision of ethereal darkness. The group inhabits a world of zigzagging synths, saw-like guitars, electric pianos that carve pleasing tones into rock, smattering drumbeats and reverberating vocals. It’s a world full of heartbreak and rejection, and Hadreas is finished with it. Too Bright describes the journey of his escape. “Queen” emerges with splendid certitude, like the tip of someone’s finger landing somewhere on a spinning globe; this is the “pop” aesthetic that Hadreas has been aching to achieve, and here he achieves it in spades. Instead of masking his self-consciousness, he heads straight for its jugular. “Don’t you know your queen?” he asks three separate times, each time describing the broken-down, tremulous nature of his body. It doesn’t matter if we recognize it or not, he decides finally: “No family is safe / When I sashay.” The terrible beauty of “Queen,” and indeed the whole of Too
Bright, lies with Hadreas’s audacity to confront not only the negative voices of his outer world, but the negative voices inside himself as well. The arrangements here project the power of several pop icons onto more modern tastes and styles. “Fool” — an entire three act story in and of itself — channels the catchy, hooky majesty of Prince, only it’s slowed down a bit so we can bask in its warmth. “My Body” mirrors some of the darker minimalist work of Bowie. Hadreas’s voice floats along softly just above a whisper, that is, until devious distortion kicks in and starts to supply the right amount of intensity. “Longpig” sounds like it leapt out of an ’80s experimental pop anthology — glitzy, repetitive, tuneful — picking up the electro-rock fusion right where Phil Collins left it. But much of Too Bright’s sublime pathos is delivered through its slower tracks, where Hadreas unfurls himself in the space of airy glass corridors, vanishing and reappearing with mirage-like quality. For about a minute during “I’m a Mother” we can hardly understand what he’s singing, as though his words evaporate before they leave his mouth. But that doesn’t diminish their importance; rather, he proves with “No Good” that quiet inward reflection can be just as valuable a tool as outward swagger, and as the track’s fuse burns away he purposefully loses himself behind a swath of lush piano. It’s popcraft of the highest order. In the closing minute of the album, Hadreas utters from his heart what he knows to be true: that his talent, his determination, pride, selfreliance and inner beauty render all opposition futile. He is strong. His cause is stronger. He will continue to thrive and inspire outcast groups with or without our permission; Too Bright is simply his latest testimony. “I don’t need your love / I don’t need your love / I don’t need you to understand / I need you to listen,” he sings. And as the song and the album fade to a graceful close, we come to the sudden realization that by listening to Hadreas’s words, we have become a very real and dangerous part of his enterprise.
WHAT IN THE WORLD COULD YOU POSSIBLY BE WAITING FOR? @MICHIGANDAILY
etroit’s creative scene has been booming over the last few years from music to the literary arts, but it doesn’t get much more creative than giving away a house to a Brooklynbased poet, which is precisely what Write PAIGE A House PFLEGER has done. The offbeat group bought a house off the auction block for $1,000 back in 2012 and renovated it to give it away to a writer of any kind. Casey Rocheteau beat out hundreds of writers for her new Hamtramack abode. Write A House threw a coming-out party for Rocheteau last Friday to welcome her into Detroit’s literary scene. Hamtramck’s Public Pool set the scene for the evening: the gallery space was adorned with a myriad of different vinyl albums and Pink FlaminGO’s tin food truck offered curbside locally grown, organic food. Some of the most prominent writing figures from the city milled about the gallery, including Write A House’s co-presidents Toby Barlow and Sarah Cox of Curbed Detroit, as well as Stephen Henderson, a Pulitzer-Prize-winning Free Press Journalist who is also
a member of the University’s Board of Student Publications. “We’re very honored that you decided to come to our fair city,” Barlow said to Rocheteau. “We’re very excited to introduce you to all the people that we know, and you’ll make your own friends I’m sure.” Rocheteau will move into her new home on Nov. 1 and is required to use the house as her primary residence for at least two years. Her only other requirement is to work on her writing. Write A House hopes that she’ll engage with her community and Detroit residents at large. “I am so absolutely thrilled to be in Detroit, to be a part of Write A House,” Rocheteau told the crowd. “Obviously I’m stunned that any of this is even happening. I just want to thank everyone for being here tonight, and being so welcoming.”
Rocheteau hopes to write on the city’s history. Henderson joined Rocheteau for a Q & A session, asking her about her favorite work, her quasifamous cat, Omar Fromthewire and, of course, why she is interested in Detroit. “I love places where people are
like, ‘You’re going to live there?’ I think with Detroit I’m just really, really fascinated by the arts scene,” she said. “This is an incredibly vibrant community. Everyone was like, ‘you’re gonna die’ but I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it. Everyone does eventually.” Coming straight from Brooklyn, Rocheteau was immediately surprised by the cultural differences between something as simple as taking a walk on the streets of her old city, and her new one. “I took a walk today and I ran into eight people that I didn’t know that all just said, ‘hi.’ I was like, ‘What’s up Midwest!’ It was weird, living in Brooklyn I’m also very accustomed to street harassment, and the one dude who tried to holler at me, literally said to me, ‘Hey little mama. You like ‘Star Trek’?’ It was the weirdest cat-call of my life.” She hopes to make Detroit a main feature of her upcoming writing, and the city’s rich and complicated history have inspired her to try to combat the negative narratives that mainstream media often uses to describe the city. “I’m interested in digging into the neighborhood and actually seeing for myself what this is and what this really is,” she said. “Not just what this is portrayed as.” Pfleger is exploring Hamtramck. To join her, e-mail pspfleg@umich.edu.
FILM REVIEW
Kline carries ‘Old Lady’ By KARSTEN SMOLINSKI Daily Arts Writer
Both charming and utterly predictable, “My Old Lady” follows a failed, friendless writer as he attempts to clear his debts Bby selling a Parisian apart- My Old ment inherited from his Lady father. Adapted The Michigan from first-time Theater director Israel Horovitz’s play BBC Films of the same name, the film follows an all-too-familiar pattern of unraveling secrets and dramatic confrontations. However, the excellent cast manages just enough charisma to prevent a complete tragedy. In “My Old Lady,” the shadows of the past hang over the main characters like a thick, black fog. After 57 years, three divorces and three unpublished novels, Mathias Gold (Kevin Kline, “Last Vegas”) arrives in Paris hoping that the sale of his deceased father’s apartment will give him the fourth chance he desperately needs. Unfortunately for Mathias, he discovers the 90-year-old Mathilde Girard (Maggie Smith, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”) and her unmarried daughter Chloé (Kristin Scott Thomas, “The English Patient”) living there as part of a deal made with his father under a strange French property law. While the deal itself is poorly explained, the conf lict is clear: Mathias wants to sell to a hotel owner who plans to tear down the apartment complex, while Mathilde and Chloé wish to continue living in the home that has been their family’s for generations. This spurs Mathias’s investigation of the mysterious circumstances of the arrangement, eventually leading to the uncovering of enough dirty family secrets to fill three Greek tragedies. Extramarital love affairs, alco-
BBC FILMS
“Can I carry you now?”
holism, attempted suicides and incest all get dragged into the light of the present, and all in a frustratingly unsurprising fashion.
A British Greek tragedy. Kline’s performance carries the film. While his character’s depressive complaining can get annoying, his roguish personality endears him to the audience. He may be a broke deadbeat with daddy issues, but his talent for squeezing money from rich businessmen and his intrusive inquiries keep viewers on his side. Smith is perfect for her character as well, a widow with no interest in subtlety, though she lacks the bite of, say, her dowager countess from TV’s “Downton Abbey.”
Despite the film’s unremarkable visual style, the city of Paris serves as a pleasant setting for “My Old Lady.” In one scene, the gruesome gargoyles along the river Seine glare down at Mathias as he drinks himself into a stupor, yet the venerable architecture and alluring sense of tranquility serve only as a backdrop for the characters’ dilemmas. “My Old Lady” delves into perhaps the greatest human obsession: the power of love to cause both great happiness and immense pain. Mathias observes, “Anytime someone follows their heart, someone else has their heart broken.” It is this dual nature of love that concerns the characters, and though love brings agony to them all, it also serves ultimately and rather predictably as the source of their contentment. While the plot’s crises feel somewhat cliché, it is the gentle humor and charm that “My Old Lady” treats them with that truly engage the viewer.
Arts
8 — Tuesday, September 23, 2014
FILM REVIEW
‘The Maze Runner’ sunk by direction
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TV REVIEW
Young adult bookturned-movie disappoints By NOAH COHEN Daily Arts Writer
Reminiscent of “Divergent” and “The Hunger Games,” this young adult book-turned-movie offers familiar satisfactions Band thrills. Without a The Maze romantic arc — stripped with- Runner out apology Rave 20 and from the book Quality 16 canon (thank 20th Century Fox you, first-time director Wes Ball) — this movie presents a more patient vision of the insanities available to young adults fighting government-level powers. “The Maze Runner,” in its defense, has outstanding young actors such as Dylan O’Brien (TV’s “Teen Wolf”), who plays the lead action hero, Kaya Scodelario (“Skins”), who plays the token female and Thomas Brodie-Sangster (“Game of Thrones”), who plays the ineffectual second-incommand. The acting, amazingly, is not where this film falls short. These 25-year-olds-playingteenagers demonstrate sufficient maturity to attune their acts of desperation to the relative desperation of each scene, so as to
FOX
“Why are they remaking ‘Friends’?”
20TH CENTURY FOX
The Sandlot.
avoid emotionally exhausting the audience or committing the narrative to any premature climactic denouement. The lay of the plot, in this same regard, fails magnificently. In movies like this one, the ambient uncertainty has alienated younger audiences, but with Teen Wolf’s twitchy best friend as our eyes and ears, we’re content to saddle up. The issue for “The Maze Runner” is direction; it’s constantly unclear which questions we-the-audience are intended to consider paramount; it’s unclear whether we should consider present conflicts to be lethal threats or minor nuisances. Owing to these ambivalences, the “grievers,” monsters of the Maze, don’t amount to much dramati-
cally. Blame the pacing, not the actors. Given the assured deaths of our beloved Black guy, the gadfly antagonist and several nameless dudes, we intuit the familiar marching promise that our favorites will all survive for the sequel. The hot girl has yet to be romantically leveraged, the best friend has yet to die in the worst, most heart-wrenching manner contrivable, the government conspiracy remains intact and the action hero has yet to ask “what it all means.” All in all, this movie was about a group of boys trapped in the center of a scary maze, whose mystery, though ripe with dramatic potential, is not demystified in any satisfying way.
FILM REVIEW
WARNER BROS.
The strangest police line-up of all time.
‘Leave’ out the schmaltz Overcrowded cast dilutes family dramedy By NATALIE GADBOIS Senior Arts Editor
Screenwriters have taken to heart Tolstoy’s famous saying, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy B in its own way.” Dysfunctional This Is family dramWhere I edies hold a niche market Leave You in Hollywood, Rave 20 and from “The Quality 16 Family Stone” to “August: Warner Bros. Osage County” to “Little Miss Sunshine.” These movies appeal to audiences — they make us laugh while reminding us that everyone is a little screwed up behind closed doors. “This Is Where I Leave You,” adapted from Jonathan Tropper’s 2009 bestselling novel, is no different. Starring nearly every in-vogue actor from both TV and film (Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Connie Britton, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne and more) the film is an enjoyable but forgettable addition to the category, flitting between relationships with ease but failing to develop many of the characters. Led by matriarch Hillary Altman (Jane Fonda, “Monster-inLaw”) the four grown Altman siblings reunite under unfortunate circumstances: the death of their emotionally distant father. His final request is that the family sit Shiva (a Jewish ritual in which the family must stay in
mourning for the seven days following his funeral). The siblings are not pleased, harping insults and complaints at each other that teeter between funny and clumsily one-dimensional. Bateman (“Arrested Development”) stars as second brother Judd, bearded and cynical after he catches his wife cheating on him with his boss, misogynist radio personality Wade Beaufort (Dax Shepard, “Parenthood”). Bateman is exactly what we’ve come to expect from him; a quippy, restrained Everyman. The shtick works, but fails to graze Judd’s depth in the novel. Throwing in this many talented actors (from vastly different comedic and dramatic backgrounds) can be dangerous. Personalities can overwhelm relationships until we don’t see a family so much as a group of hysterical individuals. Thankfully, this is not the case in “This is Where I Leave You.” While some performances are stronger than others, the joy of the film comes from the seemingly organic interactions between siblings. Fey (“30 Rock”) and Bateman demonstrate the unique sibling ability of openly hating and loving each other in equal measure; though Fey struggles at times to balance her tearful, dramatic moments with her comedic sharpness, their relationship feels genuine. Similarly, Fonda excels as their overbearing, oversharing psychologist mother. The writing tends to rely too much on her physical humor (i.e. the gigantic fake breasts glued to her chest), but she grounds the film as the erratic but ultimately caring center of the family. Her youngest, Phillip, is played to exuber-
ant, irresponsible perfection by Adam Driver (“Girls”), who is setting himself up to be the next great actor of our generation. And the consistently flawless Connie Britton (“Nashville”) is surprisingly well cast as his much older fiancé — she matches his selfish dynamism with measured, wellcoiffed honesty. Despite these successful pairings, the film tends to fall into the standard book-to-film adaptation problems — too much plot and too many characters are shoved into a two-hour film, diluting the significance of many scenes. As a professed lover of the book, it was often frustrating to see characters or scenes fall by the wayside for lack of time — for example, the normally transcendent Corey Stoll (“House of Cards”) was wasted as eldest brother Paul, who in the novel was brooding and deeply emotional underneath his stoic exterior. In the film, his few lines register him as the sturdy and stodgy older brother, with no real development beyond that. Similarly, the pacing is often off, clunkily hedging between slapstick and emotionally wrought family moments. Tropper wrote the adaptation himself, and at times it feels as though he forgoes the most interesting portions of the book in favor of clichéd movie moments. Though enjoyable, the film doesn’t live up to many of its family dramedy movie predecessors or the book it was based upon. Perhaps it’s the abundance of television stars, or the comfortable suburban setting, but “This Is Where I Leave You” feels more like a sitcom than a movie, built up with easy laughs and schmaltz rather than real moments.
‘New Girl’ premieres reinvigorated silliness By CHLOE GILKE Daily TV/New Media Editor
After an overly ambitious and mostly unfunny third season, “New Girl” has a lot to prove in its fourth year. While the B+ first two seasons were the New Girl perfect blend Season Four of rom-com sweetness and Premiere snappy dia- Tuesdays at 9 p.m. logue, more FOX recent episodes have lost touch with what made the series so refreshing in its earlier years. But “New Girl” is basically a new show at this point. Nick and Jess are no longer a couple, Schmidt isn’t pining after Cece anymore, Coach is back to liven up the stale group dynamic. All these changes could either point toward a re-invigorated new era for the show, or season three could go down in history as the year “New Girl” dropped off in quality and predicted its own demise. “Last Wedding” simultaneously represents classic “New Girl” and a version of the show viewers have never seen before. Jess (Zooey Deschanel, “(500) Days of Summer”) and the gang are frustrated at having to attend 11 weddings in one summer, especially since none of them is in a serious relationship, and they’ve even managed to miss out on the wonderful array of hookups that weddings could present. But the 12th wedding has to be a special one — as Schmidt (Max Greenfield, “About Alex”) points out, it’s the last chance to meet people before sweaters and fall clothing make discerning a potential date’s figure nearly impossible (obviously, this is what Ned Stark really meant when he said “winter is coming”). “New Girl” is at its best when it throws all its characters into one silly situation and doesn’t try for too elaborate or dramatic a plot. A wedding hookup challenge, or “sex fist” as Jess calls it (five friends joining together to tear through the competition) presents the perfect opportunity to spotlight the tenuous relationships between the friends
after the fallout of the third season. Jess has her eye on handsome groomsman Ted (Reid Scott, “Veep”), but must vie for his affections alongside a hypercompetitive wedding attendee (Jessica Biel, “Total Recall”). Usually, an excess of guest stars means that a show isn’t confident enough in its supporting characters to keep viewers tuning in, but Scott and Biel’s comedic chops put them a step above simple stunt casting. Biel’s character brings a self-conscious and pathetic angle from Jess. She’s apparently the only one of her roommates with a real shot at bringing someone home, but she’s the second-best choice of the two ladies pursuing Ted. Winston (Lamorne Morris, “Dear Secret Santa”) gives her the advice of “Biden-ing” Ted (that is, just following him around until he basically just has to pick her), but Jess is the kind of girl who’s used to being picked first and having guys fall in love with her at first sight. After she’s locked in the bathroom, she muses to Nick (Jake Johnson, “Drinking Buddies”) that maybe she’s just meant to be a “toilet person,” and will never have her own wedding invitation decorating anybody’s fridge. It’s a powerful moment, or as powerful as a sitcom can be — Nick and Jess wondering how they ended up sitting on a toilet together and why this isn’t their wedding. Even Schmidt, who was so sour and mean-spirited last season as to make him completely unrelatable, was back to his pleasantly preening and shallow self. He and Nick have crushes on two bridesmaids, but the ladies only agree to spend the night if they can all participate in a foursome. It’s impossible to decide which is funnier: the fact that Schmidt is so enthusiastic to participate in group sex with his roommate or that Nick is so grumpy and hesitant. Thankfully, Schmidt decides that Nick’s hoof-like hands are too unappealing for romance, but the buildup to that final confrontation is easily the best part of the episode. “New Girl” has built an elaborate backstory between Nick and Schmidt, but generally
doesn’t explore their friendship as much as some of the other roommates. It’s refreshing to see that even in its fourth season, “New Girl” is finding new relationships to mine for laughs, and hopefully this episode is indicative that Nick and Schmidt will be sharing even more scenes together. “New Girl” still has its fair share of problems — mainly, finding a place for Coach (Damon Wayans Jr., “Happy Endings”) in the tangle of friendships, and keeping Winston relevant. Sadly, it’s pretty rare to see two Black characters of the same gender in supporting roles on the same TV show, and if only “New Girl” could find a way to incorporate both of them more seamlessly into the narrative, it’d be a stronger show. As it stands, Winston sat in his chair all night, offering the occasional advice or one-liner, but he barely had a place in anyone’s subplot. Coach tried to play stud at the wedding, but after word had gotten around to all the ladies in attendance that he wasn’t even in “The Best Man Holiday,” it really hurt his game. Nick and Schmidt’s friendship is so great, and it’s baff ling that “New Girl” hasn’t even occurred to afford Winston and Coach a bromance on the level of their costars.
FOX sitcom needs to prove itself in fourth season. The season premiere of “New Girl” was a strong comeback and showed the post-breakup relationships between all the characters in a sophisticated way. The series still has a long way to go to re-establish its place as one of the best sitcoms on TV, but it’s making good progress by taking things slow and explore the possibilities of relationships between its characters. Who knows — the sex fist may be victorious yet.
FOX
“They told me there’d be an open bar.”