CELEBRATING OUR ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Thursday, November 13, 2014
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MSU prof. presents UHS health survey data RITA MORRIS/Daily
Teresa Huang draws a turkey vulture on display in the Natural History Museum for an Ann Arbor Arts Center class Wednesday afternoon.
National College Health Assesment provides data on wellness of students By MAYA SHANKAR Daily Staff Reporter
GOVERNMENT
Ban on benefits for samesex partners overturned Decision rules law as unconstitutional in the state By CLAIRE BRYAN Daily Staff Reporte
Detroit Judge David Lawson has overturned the ban on samesex partner benefits from schools and local governments.
The AP reported Wednesday that Judge Lawson ruled the Michigan law unconstitutional coming after he issued an injunction against the law in July of last year. The law, signed by Governor Snyder in 2011, mandated that public employers cannot give medical and other fringe benefits to partners of employees unless the partner is married or legally dependent on that person.
Jay Kaplan, an attorney at American Civil Liberties Union Michigan, said the law was a unique one. “This law is the only law like this in the country,” Kaplan said. “Michigan is the only state where they passed a law like this.” The law stated that a “‘public employee’ means a person holding a position by appointment or employment in the government of this state; in the government
of one or more of the political subdivisions of this state; in the public school service.” The preliminary injunction issued in 2013 prevented the enforcement of the law until a final decision was made, Kaplan said. “What happened today was the judge issued a final judgment on this case saying he is determined that this law is unconstiSee BAN, Page 4A
Larry Hembroff, Ph.D., former director for the office of Survey Research in the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University, spoke at University Health Service on Wednesday to discuss the results of the 2014 National College Health Assessment. The NCHA is a nationally recognized survey from the American College Health Association that is designed to “provide a snapshot of behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs of students with regard to health and wellness,” Hembroff said. The survey also provides the University with information to assess how far along they are to achieving the Healthy Campus 2020 goals — a collection of wellness standards for university health systems paralleling the federal program,
Healthy People 2020. The University conducted the survey in 2006 and 2010 as well, but the most recent survey, conducted February 2014, included graduate students for the first time. Hembroff discussed the top three reported academic impediments among both undergraduate and graduate students. The report stated that the top three reported impediments are stress, anxiety and sleep difficulties. Alcohol use did not make the top 10 list for either graduate or undergraduate students. Hembroff said it’s a common misconception that alcohol and drug use are major barriers to academic success. The percentage of students who report being diagnosed for anxiety or depression has increased slightly from 2010, and there are higher reports of students feeling lonely and anxious, especially among undergraduate students. When students were asked which were the most “traumatic or very difficult to handle” situations they have had to face, 53 percent of undergrads responded that it was their academics. “You have to remember, you See UHS, Page 4A
FOOTBALL
CAMPUS LIFE
Hoke : ‘M’ is an ‘academic university’
Rival schools use different approach to student gov.
Bye week a chance to rest and recover for injured players By ALEXA DETTLEBACH Daily Sports Editor
No one has explicitly said it, but it’s clear the bye week couldn’t come at a better time for the Michigan football team. The Wolverines, winners of two straight and one win away from a postseason bid, are dinged up and in need of a Saturday away from football. Big names like fifth-year senior quarterback Devin Gardner and junior wide receiver Devin Funchess have been playing through injuries for much of the season, while junior wide receiver Dennis Norfleet and freshman defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr. were new additions to last week’s injury list. Gardner’s lingering injury, tracing back to the Penn State game, has made him hesitant
to take chances with his feet — something that made him dangerous when he was healthy. Funchess’ toe injury inhibited the burst he flashed early in the season as Michigan’s top playmaker. Recently, he’s had trouble with dropped passes, something a few days off could help fix mentally. “Bye week gives (us) a chance to rest some guys,” said Michigan coach Brady Hoke. “The health of Devin Gardner keeps improving (and), with all those guys who’ve played a lot, there’s a lot of guys playing beat up a little bit and that’s just the way it is in football.” Following the bye, Norfleet should return to the field, according to Hoke. Last week, he didn’t travel with the team to Evanston. HOKE RESPONDS: Michigan athletics was in the news again, and it wasn’t for its on-field performance. This time, it was because of comments made by the UniverSee HOKE, Page 4A
ABIGAIL KIRN/Daily
Mike Furlough, HathiTrust’s executive director, presents at the HathiTrust conference in the Rackham Auditorium Wednesday afternoon.
HathiTrust series explores benefits of print digitization Nine-day program discusses use of online collections By CARLY NOAH Daily Staff Reporter
When the University entered into contract with Google to digitize its library 10 years ago, librarians ran into the problem of how to preserve the large vol-
umes of digital books. Thus, the HathiTrust was formed, a partnership of the University and nearly 100 other institutions that works to share and collect large quantities of digitized works. On Wednesday afternoon, a gathering of approximately 40 prominent faculty, including former University Provost Paul Courant, librarians from South Africa and African Studies, English, History and Anthropology scholars from the University
had discussed the implications of digitization and the organization of libraries internationally. As part of a nine-day program titled “African Studies in the Digital Age,” Wednesday’s installment in the series was divided into three sections evaluating the benefits of digitizing print documents. HathiTrust is, in the simplest sense, a digital collection of books available to the general See HATHITRUST, Page 4A
the food b-side
Student leaders across the Big 10 voice variety of interest areas By ALYSSA BRANDON Daily Staff Reporter
Over the past year, students have been making their voices heard on campus, and the University community has started to evaluate the role Central Student Government plays in working on causes of varying sizes. So far this year, students have been vocal about the football student ticket policy and pricing, the controversy surrounding former Athletic Director Dave Brandon and the University’s sexual assault prevention measures and policies. Students have also brought national issues to campus, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the situation in Ferguson, Mo. Last week, the assembly passed See CSG, Page 4A
A look at how, why and where ‘U’ students get their local grub blah blah
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NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM DPSS officials join Command Officers Association MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS
INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 26 ©2014 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A SUDOKU.....................2A OPINION.....................4A
SPORTS....................... 5A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A B-SIDE ....................1B
News
2A — Thursday, November 13, 2014
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers
THURSDAY: Student Voices
Student engages in upcoming conference
What drew you to chemical engineering? I really liked how applicable it was to a bunch of different fields. That’s what initially drew me to it when I was a freshman.
Can you explain your research that you will be presenting at AIChE? It’s a poster on the research I did over the summer. I was at Penn State over the summer for an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program. So I worked with virus filtration membranes, and we’re trying to optimize the retention of viruses by bearing different conditions ... These membranes are used for pharmaceutical companies to make sure that the final protein-drug product doesn’t have virus in it, because that can get people really sick.
How does this research compare to other research you’ve done and why does it specifically interest you? I guess what’s nice about summer programs is you actually get to spend full time working on it, whereas I did research here during the school year and, with academics and with other extra-curriculars, you only get to put 10 or 15 hours, if that, per week. So I guess that’s what’s nice about this program is I was able to actually feel like I got a lot accomplished in a short time. — LARA MOEHLMAN
DPSS union BY MAX RADWIN
After an Oct. 31 vote, forty-five members of the University’s Department of Public Safety and Security, all in supervisor roles, will join the Command Officers Association of Michigan. The remaining officers not in supervisor roles are already covered under the Police Officers Association of Michigan.
San Francisco Symphony WHAT: The San Francisco Symphony will perform the “mysterious” Mahler’s Symphony No. 7, celebrating the 70th birthday of Michael Tilson Thomas. WHO: University Musical Society WHEN: Today at 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Hill Auditorium
THE PODIUM
Dolphin hunt BY LIA VALLINA
An annual hunting season in Taiji, Japan entails the killing or capture of up to 2,000 dolphins, resulting in the area being referred to as ‘Red Cove.’ As people around the world have recognized the horror of this slaughter, Vallina calls for the the cove to “run blue again.”
Miracle
Gifts of Arts
WHAT: Students are invited to watch the 2004 film “Miracle” and hear an introduction from John U. Bacon, a hockey coach, author, and University instructor. WHO: LSA Theme Semester: Sport and the University WHEN: Today at 7:00 p.m. WHERE: North Quad, Space 2435
WHAT: Doctoral students will entertain vistors and patients of the University of Michigan Health System with a variety of string performances, both solo and chamber. WHO: School of Music, Theatre and Dance WHEN: Today from 12:10 to 1 p.m. WHERE: University Hospital Main Lobby
‘Exploring American Patriotism’ examines use of Star Spangled Banner By BECKY WEILAND For the Daily
Oh say can you see? In the gallery of the Hatcher Graduate Library Wednesday evening, a panel of University professors held an exploratory discussion on American patriotism and the significance of the Star Spangled Banner in an event titled “Exploring American Patriotism.” The University owns a copy of composer Francis Scott Key’s original sheet music of the Star Spangled Banner from 1814, currently on display in the Hatcher Graduate Library.
These copies of the national anthem are the most expensive pieces of sheet music in existence, according to Jamie Vander Broek, an exhibits and programming librarian. “The exhibit in the Audubon Room highlights the history of the Star Spangled Banner from many different angles and inspired the discussion about coercive patriotism,” Vander Broek said. Business Prof. Wayne Baker began the discussion by highlighting different types of patriotism and various definitions of national pride. Baker has blogged five days a week since 2008 on his site OurValues. org, surveying the sentiments of Americans towards their country. The major topics Baker discussed were symbolic patriotism, critical or “tough love of country” patriotism and uncritical or “blind love of country”
RITA MORRIS/Daily
LSA freshman Mack Gillis sets up stone tool replicas in the Natural History Museum Wednesday.
Back to the Future WHAT: A pair of speakers from Traditional Medicinals will speak on healing with plant-based medicine. WHO: School of Natural Resources and Environment WHEN: Today at 2 p.m. WHERE: Hatcher Graduate Library CORRECTIONS Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.
patriotism. “I think a real patriot is someone who debates the ideals of the nation and debates our policies and practices and is not afraid to criticize the government — but they do so in a way that is constructive and a way to improve things,” Baker said. “Especially in this university, what I would like to see is a very vigorous debate about what is patriotism — what does it mean to a person individually and what does it mean to us as a group.” American Culture Prof. Kristin Hass continued the presentation with a history of cultural practices and displays of patriotism. Discussing major events, such as the start and completion of the Washington Monument and the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Hass described the evolution of America as a country and the varying ways historical figures attempted acts of patriotism. Concluding the panel’s presentation, Associate Musicology Prof. Mark Clague discussed the origin of the National Anthem and its evolution through history. Not only did Clague discuss the process of standardizing the Star Spangled Banner, he also explored the lyrical significance of the song. “The thing that you don’t realize when you’re singing the Star Spangled Banner, whether it’s at the Big House or a graduation ceremony — that first verse ends with a question mark,” Clague said. “So many people on this campus are trying to create your future and identify who you want to become. Part of that identity is as a citizen. That question mark is really the key, that we have a responsibility and make citizenship and patriotism not a thing but an activity. Not a noun, but a verb that we’re going to use to do something.”
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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
WHAT: There will be an open house for students interested climate change to learn about the new Applied Climate Master’s Degree Program. WHO: College of Engineering WHEN: Today 5 to 7 p.m. WHERE: Graham Sustainability Institute
Panel discusses U.S. patriotism, anthem
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Keniston lecture Open house WHAT: RLL will host its 33rd Hayward Keniston Graduate Student Lecture, which will feature Bonaventura de Sousa Santos, professor of sociology at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. WHO: Romance Languages & Literatures WHEN: Today at noon WHERE: Modern Languages Building, RLL Commons
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This weekend, Engineering senior Ki-Joo Sung will be attending the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Student Conference in Atlanta to present research she did over the summer. The AIChE promotes networking in the field of chemical engineering industry and academia, and holds annual student conferences that are attended by chemical engineers from all over the U.S.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
The Supreme Court lifted a stay on issuing samesex marriage license in Kansas, the Washington Post reported Wednesday. This makes Kansas the 33rd state in the United States which allows gay unions.
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In this week’s B-Side, Daily Arts Columnist Grace Hamilton interviews Takashi Yagihashi for Arts’ second Chef Profile of the semester. Yagihashi is the chef of the newly opened Slurping Turtle on E. Liberty. >> FOR MORE, SEE B-SIDE
3
Opium cultivation and trade rose to record levels in Afghanistan in 2014, The New York Times reported Wednesday. The United Nations has already arrested three Afghan judges accused of aiding in the industry.
HATHITRUST From Page 1A public. The organization’s mission statement is to preserve print documents to serve the public good. There are 12.9 million volumes available on HathiTrust and most of its affiliated universities are in North America. The organization puts an emphasis on cooperation and aggregation, encouraging institutions to share their resources rather than keep them private. Visiting Humanities Professor Bruce Janz, from the University of Central Florida, said HathiTrust provides uniquely extensive academic resources. “People are interested in doing things like archiving public government material,” Janz said. “Also, some people are interested in using technology in various teaching situations, such as curriculum and distance learning.” Melissa Levine, the lead copyright officer from the University Library, discussed the legal side of copyright within digitalization. Levine spoke about the copyright process each document goes through before joining the HathiTrust. The volume of digital literature
UHS From Page 1A have a very select group of undergraduates here, and they’re used to success,” Hembroff said. “They come here and they are (challenged) and they are not succeeding the same way they were in high school and that is a problem for them. These academic difficulties are then reflected back in the percentages of students reporting feeling high stress and anxiety.” Hembroff also discussed about campus safety. According to survey responses, students generally feel safer on campus and in the community now than they did in 2010. The number of reported instances of abuse and violence has also decreased between 2010 and 2014. Overall, alcohol use remained close to unchanged between 2010 and 2014, but varies between undergraduate and graduate students. There is a higher percentage of graduate students who have reported using alcohol, but 79 per-
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BUSINESS STAFF Madeline Lacey University Accounts Manager Ailie Steir Classified Manager Simonne Kapadia Local Accounts Manager Lotus An National Accounts Manager Olivia Jones Production Managers Nolan Loh Special Projects Coordinator Jason Anterasian Finance Manager The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.
has increased substantially from when the program began in 2008. There were 2,477,871 digital copies available on HathiTrust in 2008. Today, there are 12,914,289 volumes of books within the database. “Our mission is to provide reliable, long-term access to managed digital resources to its designated community, for now and into the future,” Levine said. Now a Public Policy professor, Courant is a key figure in HathiTrust’s founding, having signed the original agreement that allowed Google to digitize the University’s library. He was curious to see how people, domestically and internationally, are responding to the program. “It’s gone from not existing to being a central institution for academic libraries,” he said. “It’s great to see libraries cooperating more and more deeply and to see scholars cooperating across spaces and sharing resources. I expect and hope to see HathiTrust at the center of that.” William Gblerkbor, a visiting student originally from Ghana who is currently studying anthropology at the University of Texas-Austin, found the discussion useful for his own future work. “There are elements of the pro-
gram that I find interesting,” he said. “It allows us to generate new sets of data, particularly using digital photography. I would like to increase the resources available to people back home in Africa, particularly Ghana and maybe venture into West Africa as well.” Keith Breckenridge, a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, located in Johannesburg, South Africa, was more conflicted about HathiTrust and the prospect of digitizing historical documents. “I’m much more ambivalent about the benefits that there actually are from formal research. There are lots of people here that see lots of opportunity in innovation in the use of these tools,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of difficulty in making them work.” Despite his doubts, Breckenridge acknowledged the value in being able to preserve digital volumes of history. “The digital humanities would definitely help social science research. There is more deliberate effort to make government controlled publications more available. It’s very badly done in South Africa. We just need to make it much more systematic.”
cent of graduate students “stayed in the blue” when they drank. The term is refers to a measurement of blood alcohol content where students are “in the Blue,” when their BAC is .06 or lower — whereas only 49 percent of undergraduate students reported “staying in the blue.” Of the students that reported drinking, undergraduates reported a higher percentage of students facing undesirable consequences of drinking as opposed to graduate students. Students in fraternities and sororities also had higher rates of undesirable consequences of drinking, including injury, loss of memory, unprotected or nonconsensual sex and trouble with law enforcement. Hembroff discussed which Healthy Campus 2020 goals the University has met for undergraduates and which ones still need work. The University has met the goal for making sure students are receiving information concerning alcohol and other drugs, STI prevention, pregnancy prevention, violence and suicide prevention.
The University has also met the goal in terms of reducing academic impairments from sickness, work and eating disorders, as well as the goals in terms of prevalence of abusive relationships, physical abuse, cigarette use, contraception use, exercise and campus safety. The Healthy Campus 2020 goals that the University still needs to meet include reducing the prevalence of stress and anxiety and of sexual abuse, marijuana use and binge drinking. Wolverine Wellness Director Mary Jo Desprez said UHS should help “students grow in their capacity to integrate health and wellness as part of their success, build resilience to manage fluctuations of life, make thoughtful choices that reduce harms and to find meaning and purpose.” Desprez added that this survey is another tool that will allow them to discern what they are doing well, and what still needs to be done to help them achieve their goal of “creating a University of Michigan community that advances health and wellness for students.”
Opinion
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FROM THE DAILY
Postponing the inevitable
State must act to ensure equality despite court ruling
F
urthering the struggle to obtain marriage equality in Michigan, the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued a 2-1 ruling Nov. 6 upholding the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. The long-awaited decision offered a response to the ongoing legal battle that gained national attention in March of this year when U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman revoked the ban established in 2004 by declaring the Michigan Marriage Amendment unconstitutional. In the brief period after the declaration, more than 300 couples were legally married before Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican, successfully appealed for an emergency injunction on Friedman’s ruling. The case then fell under the jurisdiction of the Sixth Circuit. With the issuance of a 2-1 decision by the Circuit Court judges, same-sex marriage bans will be maintained in Michigan as well as in Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. The ruling — while arguing the ultimate decision should remain in the voters’ domain — runs counter to both a national movement to establish marriage equality in all states and growing support for same-sex marriage amongst Michigan residents. The case will, most likely, be taken up by the Supreme Court, but until a final decision is a reached, the Circuit Court’s decision will only strengthen a painful impasse and delay progress. Public opinion regarding same-sex marriage has undergone a dramatic shift since the ban was enacted a decade ago. In 2004, an amendment to ban same-sex marriage — known as the Michigan Marriage Amendment — was passed with 59 percent voter approval. However, a recent survey conducted by Michigan State University in March suggests 54 percent of Michigan residents now support granting same-sex couples the right to legally marry. The survey found only 36 percent of citizens stood in opposition to the matter. The survey results do not only support the movement for Michigan laws to be revised by striking down the ban. The results of the survey also mirror an emerging national trend of increasing calls for legalization of same-
“Y
sex marriage. The percentage of Americans who believe the idea “same-sex marriages should be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages” has risen to 55 percent, according to a Gallup poll conducted in May 2014. Likewise, same-sex marriage is now legal in 32 states, but the recent court decision places Michigan in a precarious position to be left behind by this national momentum. While the legality of marriages occurring before the issuance of the stay continues to be recognized, the state is far from granting these couples full equality. In a statement released after the ruling Gov. Rick Snyder acknowledged the marriages were legal, but he added: “However, the Court of Appeals decision does not allow for state benefits of marriage for those same-sex couples in accordance with our state constitution. That decision could only be changed if today’s Appeals Court ruling is overturned.” In the Sixth Circuit majority opinion, Judge Deborah Cook and Judge Jeffrey Sutton acknowledged the inevitability of marriage equality by stating: “the question is not whether American law will allow gay couples to marry; it is when and how that will happen.” LGBTQ couples residing in Michigan, however, shouldn’t be expected to suffer during a lengthy postponement period as the state awaits a Supreme Court ruling. A final resolution may take time, but until then, the government should work to enact legislation that will award benefits to same-sex couples who are currently being denied the entirety of their rights.
Makeup’s deceit
ou can’t win. If you wear makeup you’re a deceitful whore, and if you don’t you can forget about getting any action,” according to an article written by Hannah Ongley featured on Styleite, a news-and opinion-based blog with a focus on the fashion industry. A friend of mine read the article, which discussed men’s feelings toward women who wear makeup — how unnatural and deceitful SIERRA they are. She found herself BROWN disagreeing with many of the males’ comments, and sent the article to me, wondering if I’d share a similar reaction. “Wearing Makeup Means You Are Lying to Men” was the title of the article. The article was published a year ago, but the issues discussed are just as prominent today. In the article, Ongley informs readers that makeup artist Melissa Murphy posted a photo on Reddit that displays two side-by-side photos of the same woman. The photo on the left shows the woman without makeup and the one on the right shows her with makeup. “Makeup. That’s it” was captioned with the photos. Ongley wrote that male commenters became angry with the photos, “positively outraged that this woman would lie to them by wearing makeup.” Reddit user, plokoonismyfave, was especially critical, saying women who wear makeup are equivalent to men who wear prosthetic muscles under long-sleeved shirts. Really? The same Reddit user went even further and wrote “The girl in the photo is apparently not satisfied with the way she looks without makeup and uses makeup to artificially portray a person more people would find attractive.” I highly doubt all women who wear makeup hate the way they look without it. I also doubt that women are only comfortable going out into the world after they’ve applied makeup. All women are not self-loathing beings who turn to makeup as their remedy. Some men should stop being arrogant and critical because everything is not about them and what they desire. Women do not only use makeup to provide a pretty face for them to look at, some women just simply like wearing makeup. Others may find it fun or use it to hide small marks. However, if men
were less critical, women may stop wearing — or wear less — makeup. As Ongley wrote, “you can’t win.” Women, ditch the makeup and go natural, but you must be pretty; if you feel un-pretty and wear makeup you’re a fake representation. Sadly, those are the options with which women are left. User RG150 agreed with plokoonismyfave’s comments, saying the photo is deceitful because men go for looks, which, for most, are an important facet of potential partners. This comment is evidence that society places a ridiculously high value on looks. Where does this leave women who are viewed as less attractive? Physical attractiveness is of devastating importance to us, such that we desire physical approval from others. Thus, women who feel un-pretty feel disadvantaged. Since appearances seemingly matter to these potential partners, women conclude that they fundamentally have to change what they look like to obtain a partner. Makeup is advertised as something that will make women look younger or more attractive. It will make eyes pop, produce higher cheekbones or mask pimples. There are countless cosmetics for face, eyes, lips, nails, hair color and fragrances that send women the message that they can always do more to look more beautiful, whether it’s lengthening their lashes, or strengthening their nails. The combination of makeup’s promises to make women more beautiful and men’s desire for a beautiful woman puts pressure on women. Another user, cjc23, gives more insight to women’s desire to use makeup. “Really not trying to sound mean here, but I was always against makeup until I saw this photo. I always preferred natural beauty, even with some imperfections (who doesn’t have them), But that is literally a photo that goes from ‘No’ to ‘Hello’.” That’s ironic. Men prefer “natural beauty,” except if it resembles the photo of the woman with no makeup. Her natural beauty photo was a “No.” How should women feel when their natural beauty is filed into the “No” pile? The reality is no woman was born flawless, with a perfectly symmetrical face free of any kind of blemish, and imperfections are natural. I admit that there is a thing as too much makeup. However, is it women’s fault that they equate makeup with beauty? — Sierra Brown can be reached at snbrown@umich.edu.
Page 3A — Thursday, November 13, 2014
Us and them
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ith an epidemic of sexual assault sweeping college campuses across the nation, including the University of Michigan, there are countless topics of uncertainty and controversy. In a four-part series, James Brennan seeks to JAMES explore them with BRENNAN interviews and personal research. This is part two. Trigger warning: The following article includes descriptions of sexual assault and may be triggering. Before she became a well renowned playwright and scholar, Dr. Endesha Ida Mae Holland was a prostitute in the Mississippi Delta. Holland, like many Black women in the south, was raped by a white man who employed her as a domestic worker. He gave her five dollars, and she spent the next several years making a living through prostitution. Holland, as quoted in Danielle McGuire’s book “At the Dark End of the Street,” recounted the twisted culture of white men in the south holding dominion over black women’s bodies, and how “no white man wanted to die without having sex with a black woman.” (McGuire, pg. 203) The same year that Holland was first raped, 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was murdered in Mississippi for flirting with a white woman. It wasn’t until 1967 that the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated state laws against interracial marriage, many of which remained in state codes for years after. The state of Alabama did not amend its constitution to reflect the court’s ruling until 2000, a time when 40 percent of Alabamans voted to keep their anti-miscegenation law. In 2012, polls showed that one in five likely Republican voters in Alabama believed interracial marriage should be illegal; in Mississippi, the number was closer to one in three. We may often try to push it aside, but racism infects every single aspect of American life, including already complex issues like sexual assault. Americans may no longer be living in a time when the rape of black domestic workers is a normalcy, but this combination of racism and sexism is by no means extinguished. LSA senior Arnold Reed and Speaker of the Black Student Union, recalled a class discussion where a student cited high numbers of
single-parent Black households as evidence that Black men are particularly “philandering.” Along with the hypersexualization of Black men, Reed also argued that a certain level of hesitation still lingers in the minds of Blacks and whites alike with regards to interracial dating. According to Business senior Sumana Palle, the diversity of experiences in sexual assault has been largely ignored by the University and Central Student Government’s “It’s on Us” campaign. Palle, an active member of the Michigan Women of Color Collective, wrote a heavily shared viewpoint indicting both students and administration for these failures. In an interview, Palle expanded on the themes in her piece, explaining that the campaign has largely painted sexual assault as it is seen by straight, white people. A survivor herself, Palle argued that women of color often experience sexual assault in a racialized context, adding to the already overwhelming trauma. In our conversation, Palle alluded to the dynamics within individual communities, explaining that the frustration felt by men of color due to their own oppression may then be channeled into sexual violence. Reed also discussed the particular lens through which a certain group views sexual assault. In the Black community, this has meant a progression from not discussing the issue, to focusing on giving women a voice regarding domestic abuse, to — Reed predicts — deeper discussions of sexual abuse. As for now, Reed and other BSU executive board members are focused on education and building a strong understanding of the issue before playing a bigger role on campus. In exploring the diversity of experiences and views regarding assault, what may have been the most enlightening experience was a long talk with LSA senior Irene Suh, President of Students for Choice. Suh, who also detailed connections between the prochoice movement and survivor advocacy, gave me a crash course in how conservative, East Asian cultures can see sexual abuse. Suh is a first generation KoreanAmerican, and said that she was socialized to be submissive and not to speak up, especially with regards to sex and sexuality. While in high school, she was sexually assaulted multiple times by two men, also of East Asian descent. It was not until long after that she told her parents, and this was only after a school
counselor became aware of the situation and forced her to. Summoned to her counselor’s office with her mother, Suh recalled being told “either you can tell her or I can tell her.” According to Suh, this was a huge mishandling of the situation, having never been told that her disclosure would necessitate the school notifying her parents. “I knew I wouldn’t be supported in the way that I needed,” Suh told me, explaining the accompanying shame, embarrassment and silence present within many (but not all) Asian American communities. Feeling powerless already, the school ended up taking away even more control from her. Suh and her parents have rarely discussed the situation, and she spent the rest of her time in high school trying to “brush off” everything. However, once at the University, she began using resources like Counseling and Psychology Services and Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center to take the issue head on. Today, Suh uses her experiences to fuel advocacy and education work, all in an effort to tell others they “deserve better” and should “love themselves.” Suh, Reed and Palle present just a few of the various perspectives students bring to the table when it comes to sexual assault. I could probably write an entire series solely dedicated to exploring these views and still barely scratch the surface. I haven’t even begun learning about the challenges for groups like male survivors, the LGBTQ community or mixed race individuals — but I want to. While “It’s on Us” has thus far gotten a lot of attention, I should pause to remind everyone that for every “us” there is almost always a “them.” If our idea of “us” only includes the experiences of straight, white students, then the “them” inherently becomes everyone else. The campus will be divided, per usual, and progress will be limited at best. This does not have to be the case. The University and CSG can decide to create a truly inclusive campaign. They can build something that reaches out to student organizations and individuals from every corner of campus. They can take a step back and acknowledge the role that privilege plays in racializing and misogynizing sex. If they — or, I should say, if we — fail to do this, then “It’s on Us” will mean little beyond a catchy slogan. — James Brennan can be reached at jmbthree@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Edvinas Berzanskis, Devin Eggert, David Harris, Rachel John, Jordyn Kay, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble, Michael Paul, Allison Raeck, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Mary Kate Winn, Jenny Wang, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
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Tripping over the line
everal weeks ago, in an Intro to Informatics lecture that featured a lesson on privacy, University Professor Cliff Lampe — as he admits — made a mistake. Unrelated to the pertinent content of the course, he asserted that if in the hypothetical event that he were to contract LAUREN herpes, it would be MCCARTHY his own fault for having slept with a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority. Yik Yak, among other social media outlets, quickly disseminated his flawed judgment. Students wrote, “Prof. Lampe foot in mouth with that tri delt joke,” “I feel bad for the one tridelt everyone pointed at in SI110 after Lampe went off, the truth hit her like a brick hitting a window” and “Lampe takes down tridelts.” They also misquoted Lampe, posting, “‘you won’t get herpes unless you sleep with a tridelt’ –si110 professor OMFG. BRB dying.” In the wake of his blunder, I can attest that Lampe has reacted quite professionally. He has since delivered sincere apologies to both the member of Tri Delta taking his course, and to the Delta Delta Delta organization as a whole. He addressed his “mea culpa” to the class in the subsequent lecture and again via e-mail, writing, “One thing about walking the line with humor is that sometimes you trip on that line and fall on your face. I made a joke in class today about a Greek organization that was unprofessional, unfair, and cheap” — not to mention wildly misled, unwarranted and incorrect.
While I commend Lampe for admitting his faults, the sheer fact that a comment such as his was made during a University of Michigan lecture, and consequently endured and accepted by well over the majority of this woman’s classmates, is concerning. As they sat in lecture, over a hundred students tolerated a professor — a professor twice the age of the women he insulted — to derogatorily sexualize an entire student organization. Those students tolerated an innuendo that assumes that the members of this student organization are so grossly promiscuous (and sexually irresponsible) that their contraction of sexually transmitted diseases is inevitable or without question. Not only did they tolerate this assertion, most found it to be humorous. At a university with such a high collective intelligence, why was this lecture hall not chillingly silent in disdain for such a presumptuous, hurtful and misogynist attack on members of their own student body? Regrettably, it’s my assumption that the stigmatized nature of the University’s Greek Life, and Greek systems as a whole, bears some responsibility. One anonymous Yik Yak user claimed that, “the truth hit her like a brick hitting a window” — asserting that although Professor Lampe’s comment may have been out of line, it was nonetheless true. While Professor Lampe has expressed his regrets, the issue remains that he wrongly perpetuated unconscionable stereotypes and set a substandard example for more than a hundred impressionable first- and second-year students who may be unable to see past the concessions made in hindsight. These stereotypes are so societally engrained — and not
only on this campus — that such an offensive comment can simply slip from the mouth of a longstanding professor at a highly ranked university, and taking cheap shots at women who are themselves wrongly perceived to be cheap has become a widely accepted societal practice. I question how would that lecture hall have reacted if Lampe had made a similar comment attacking a religious organization or a specific ethnic group — instead of collegiate women? Moreover, I would argue that a situation in which similar assumptions were made concerning a group of men is nearly unimaginable. Undoubtedly, students hold preconceived ideas on the topic of what is considered promiscuity — based on Greek affiliation, breast measurement or an affinity for applying eye makeup — so is this comment excusable simply because people believe those crude generalizations to be true? Both Lampe’s comment and the classroom’s reaction are an illustration of the classical ignorance, as well as the disturbing effect, of the collective mind. Throughout this flamboyantly prideful liberal arts campus, male and female students alike are quick to attest to being a “feminist.” Were none present in Lampe’s class that afternoon? Let us not belittle the term feminist, or attempt to wear the title unwarrantedly — and feminism aside, there is such a thing as decency. Brash assumptions concerning any student organization or classification of peoples on this campus should not be tolerated, and the degradation of women should never be mistaken for humor. — Lauren McCarthy can be reached at laurmc@umich.edu.
Opinion & News
4A — Thursday, November 13, 2014
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Why we don’t vote
hen I woke up last Tuesday, I was more excited about my breakfast waffle than I was about voting. Yeah it was Election Day, but it was also my quarter-birthday. And to be honest, the only reason I was even registered to vote was because a friend bugged me enough before class one day (it took all of one single sided sheet of paper). Still, some mix of peer pressure and civic duty got me to the polls (it probably YARDAIN also helped my polling loca- AMRON tion was two blocks from my house). But as I opened my big ballot behind a cardboard sneeze guard, I realized I knew as much about the candidates as a toddler still lacking sphincter control: there was some Republican white guy and some Democrat white guy and their names rhymed with spider and shower. And what does the State Board of Education do? Referendum 14-2? I had said I was going to do some research and educate myself on the politics and platforms, but then less boring things got in the way — like homework and exams and six packs and Degrassi. I’m not alone in my ignorance and apathy, though. Only 36 percent of eligible voters nationwide voted in the midterm Tuesday — the lowest midterm turnout since World War II, and seventh lowest since George Washington sported wooden dentures, according to the United States Election Project. Young people like myself, ages 18-29, are notoriously the worst voters. We make up a hefty 21 percent of the eligible voting population — enough to sway entire states blue — but last Tuesday, voted at about that same measly rate. Even in presidential election years, when voter turnout increases across the board, less than half of young eligible voters actually vote (Between 60 and 70 percent of eligible Americans 30 and older vote in presidential elections). Why don’t we vote? The Census Bureau has been asking Americans that question on the Current Population Survey since 1996. The top two reasons given by all registered voters are “too busy, conflicting work,” and “Not interested, felt my vote would not count.” Among the roughly 60 million unregistered eligible voters in the country, about half said they didn’t register because they simply weren’t interested. I think those two rationales come from a similar place: We’re all busy. It’s just a matter of what we choose to be busy with. If we feel our vote won’t count, or find politics petty and boring, it seems pretty logical to be busy with other things. But there’s no excuse for apathy. It would be one thing if our reason for not voting was that we “didn’t like the candidates,” as more adults claim;
HOKE From Page 1A This time, it was because of comments made by the University’s first-year President Mark Schlissel about the academic admission requirements for football players. After Schlissel clarified the comments in an interview with the Daily on Tuesday, Hoke responded, saying Schlissel called him to apol-
BAN From Page 1A tutional,” Kaplan said. “This is a final judgment.” However, upon signing the law, Republican Gov. Rick Sny-
CSG From Page 1A a resolution to stand in solidarity with the people of Ferguson, Mo. against police brutality. This resolution passed after a similar resolution was voted down, with assembly members concerned the strong language of the original resolution did not reflect CSG’s views. CSG has dealt with decisions on how to represent student opinions several times over the past year. The assembly postponed a divestment resolution from Students Allied for Freedom and Equality last year that prompted a sit-in at the CSG chambers, being the only postponed resolution in recent memory. The resolution was ultimately brought to a full vote and did not pass. The issues that CSG has addressed have been diverse in nature, especially regarding their relevance to the University, with members debating what the student government’s role should be in these matters. CSG has demonstrated their willingness to address all issues, even issues that are more isolated from the University. CSG president Bobby Dishell, a Public Policy senior, said no matter the concerns brought to CSG, the focus has always been on
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
BLOOD BATTLE COMMITTEE | VIEWPOINT
that would at least prove we made an effort to understand the politics. I’m scared at the thought that most young people just don’t care. It seems like some version of the tragedy of the commons is at play here: the thought being that the system will chug on whether or not we vote; that filling out some silly bubbles about some serious strangers wearing suit pants and makeup is not going to effect our individual lives in any visible capacity; that voting would cut into Degrassi. But then I wonder why this apathy exists in the first place? There’s a reason C-SPAN is the most boring channel on television, that the word ‘referendum’ makes me free associate with filing taxes, and that the language of Washtenaw County Proposal 1 “TO RENEW THE INCREASE IN THE TAX LIMITATION FOR PARKS AND RECREATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF PLANNING, ACQUIRING, DEVELOPING, OPERATING AND MAINTAINING PARKS AND RECREATION PLACES AND FACILITIES IN WASHTENAW COUNTY FOR THE BENEFIT OF WASHTENAW COUNTY CITIZENS” triggers my narcolepsy. There’s a reason more students show up to football games than to the polls. Perhaps the reason is also systemic. Perhaps it’s in the best interest of those already in power — for the most part, rich white men — to keep the American masses ignorant and away from the polls. Case in point: the recent Republican effort to stymie registration and voting in certain states via new stringent voter ID laws and inconvenient polling sites and hours. There’s no better way to keep people away from something than by making said thing boring, complicated and elitist. And while the debate continues to focus around how to increase voter turnout — ideas including making Election Day a national holiday, allowing for internet voting and even pulling an Australia and making voting mandatory — there’s little to no talk about how we might educate the electorate. What’s the point of getting more people to vote if they haven’t the slightest clue what they’re voting for? As university students, we are the privileged, educated youth. We’re all busy, studying, advocating. Growing. We all have dreams about how we’re going to make a difference, change the world, help people. Each of our votes does matter. Thinking otherwise is short-slicing your own freedom. When I checked Facebook later that Tuesday, a friend had posted this: “tbh tho if you don’t get out and vote today then like why are you even here lol.” I agree with a caveat: The right to choose not to vote is important. The right not to think about voting is dumb. If you’re educated and don’t care about voting, you either don’t care about democracy or take it for granted. Let’s stop taking freedom for granted. — Yardain Amron can be reached at amron@umich.edu.
Driving out discrimination The need for blood donations has never been greater. Every day, a population roughly equivalent to the student population here in Ann Arbor requires a blood transfusion. Although 38 percent of Americans are eligible to donate, only 10 percent will give blood in their lifetime. This leaves an enormous gap in the supply and demand of blood donations, one that blood banks have been fighting to solve for decades. To make matters worse, the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates the safety and security of our blood supply nationally, has for nearly 40 years prohibited all men who have had sexual contact with another man (MSM) from donating blood for life. This specific clause dates back to 1977, when patients who had received regular blood transfusions began experiencing symptoms related to the AIDS virus. The FDA made what it believed at the time to be the most logical choice: limit the contamination of the blood supply by eliminating the most significant carriers of HIV and AIDS. There is, of course, some scientific grounding in this logic; research has shown that a man who has had sex with a man is 200 times more likely to carry HIV as compared to a nonMSM donor. As such, a question was added to the pre-donation questionnaire asking if potential male donors had previously had any sexual contact with a man. If a volunteer answers yes, he is banned for life, with no opportunity for recourse. Nearly 40 years later, the FDA has yet to realize that by banning MSM blood donations, it has discriminated against millions of potentially eligible blood donors who are not, and never have been, carriers of HIV or the AIDS virus. Every blood donation is tested multiple times over for a series of potentially serious infections, including: HIV, HTLV, Hepatitis B and C, West Nile virus, Chagas disease and syphilis. Currently, the chance of contracting HIV from a blood donation is roughly one per two million units of blood, although further scientific developments have lowered that statistic even further. While previous techniques only tested for HIV antibodies, which are only detected in the bloodstream after 12 weeks of incubation, newly required protocols call for the testing for HIV ribonucleic acid (RNA), which is detected after a much shorter incubation period. As further research continues to improve blood safety measures worldwide, we can all agree the blood supply is as safe as it ever has been. There certainly was a time when the current FDA policy was a necessary and logical method of preventing risky behavior from contaminating the blood supply; however, that time has long since passed. We are now faced with a set of procedures that eliminates an entire sector of the population — millions of potential donors — from giving blood based solely on an outdated and discriminatory policy. Let us explore some of the numbers. If one of the potential donors currently banned by this policy
was eligible and capable of donating, started doing so at age 17 and continued every 56 days, by age 76, he could have saved more than 1,000 lives by himself. Considering the likelihood that there are thousands of potential donors who would otherwise be able to donate blood if not for this policy, we are looking at millions of lives that could potentially be saved over the course of generations. Blood Drives United is a student organization that has been dedicated to organizing, staffing and promoting blood drives across campus for more than 30 years. Perhaps you’re familiar with our annual Blood Battle competition, in which we compete with our counterparts at The Ohio State University to see who can collect the most pints of blood over a three-and-a-half-week period. This year, in conjunction with the annual competition, we’re placing a special emphasis on education and advocacy for a change in this longstanding discriminatory policy. This initiative, known as Bleeding for Equality, is dedicated to raising awareness and inspiring others to advocate for change on a national level. On Nov. 16, Wolverines For Life will be hosting the annual “Be a Hero at The Big House” event, which will be taking place in the Jack Roth Suites at Michigan Stadium. In addition to being the largest blood drive for Blood Battle, there are also opportunities to sign up for organ, tissue and bone marrow donations, as well as other information on wellness in our daily lives. There will also be an opportunity to learn more about Bleeding For Equality, and how you can support our goals. For those potential donors currently affected by the FDA’s MSM policy, there are several ways to actively contribute to Blood Battle and the Bleeding For Equality Initiative. In addition to the event at the Jack Roth Suites, the Blood Battle committee has organized an art project to take place during the blood drives at the Michigan Union Ballroom. Affected potential donors will have the opportunity to design a fabric square, which will then be used to create a quilt, demonstrating the large number of people affected by this policy within our campus alone. We also highly encourage those who cannot donate to have a friend donate blood on their behalf by making an appointment through the Red Cross website at redcrossblood.org and using the sponsor code “GOBLUE.” For more information, “like” our Facebook page to stay up to date with the latest news or visit www. bloodbattle.org. Questions and concerns regarding the Bleeding For Equality initiative should be directed to Alex Fox, a Senior in the School of Music, Theater and Dance, via email: alexfox@ umich.edu or the Blood Drives Executive Committee at bloodrivesunited@umich.edu. This viewpoint was written by members of the Blood Battle Committee .
ogize. “We’ve always believed that this is truly an academic university,” Hoke said. “You can only play so long and that’s what this degree, a Michigan degree, is all about. “And so we take it very seriously, we try to recruit the best football players, the best student athletes and people that fit the blueprint here at Michigan. It’s not for everybody because it is demanding, but that’s the way
it should be.” RUNNING BY COMMITTEE: Since sophomore running back Derrick Green broke his clavicle during Michigan’s game against Rutgers, the Wolverines have taken a committee approach to their running game. Between sophomore De’Veon Smith, redshirt sophomore Drake Johnson and redshirt junior Justice Hayes, Michigan has started to find some consistency in its backfield. The team
is averaging 154.1 yards on the ground, an improvement over last year’s 125.6. “Whoever (running backs) coach (Fred Jackson) feels is ‘feeling themselves,’ as he would say during the game, that’s the guy he’ll probably go with,” Smith said. “I don’t mind it at all.” Against Indiana two weeks ago, Johnson had a breakout game tallying 122 yards and two touchdowns. Against North-
western, Smith rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown, his best game since the season opener against Appalachian State. “I was feeling myself,” Smith said. “It was my (20th) birthday on Saturday, so it was a good day to be feeling myself.” But it’s no surprise the running game is hitting a stride as the offensive line plays its most consistent football of the season. After Northwestern, Smith pointed to the offensive line for
the secret behind his success, while Johnson did the same after his big game. Hoke said Wednesday that the unit played its best football of the season against the Wildcats. It was the first time all year that Gardner wasn’t sacked and was the first time since 2012 that Michigan had running backs surpass 100 yards in backto-back games.
der wrote in a signing statement that university employees or state employees under civil service were not included. “In (Snyder’s) signing statement he said he didn’t believe that it applied to universities because under the constitution
there is a provision protecting your autonomy or state employees,” Kaplan said. The University’s benefits policy, which was created in 2008, allows Other Qualified Adults to be qualified for benefits. Other Qualified Adults include anoth-
er adult living with a University employee. “The way the University’s benefits are structured, benefits are not offered to just domestic partners,” said University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald. “It is a broader definition and other
adults living in the household can qualify for the benefits from the University.” In 2011, the law did not change the University policy and the injunction on the law in 2013 did not change anything either. Wednesday’s decision to
strike down the law still does not bring any change for University staff. “This court ruling overturning the law doesn’t change anything for the University staff,” Fitzgerald said.
bringing about concrete results. “I am firm believer that CSG operates effectively when we act on issues that are in consensus with the University,” Dishell said in an interview with the Daily. “CSG is always working to bring about tangible results on campus.” By comparison, some student governments at other schools in the region take a different approach when addressing campus concerns. Bobby Haddix, Purdue student government president, said the PSG always aims to recognize the needs of the students on campus, no matter the concern. “Purdue Student Government aims to represent all students on campus,” Haddix said in an e-mail. “If there are students passionate about some issue, it is our responsibility to at least look into it.” Haddix said most issues brought to the Student Senate at Purdue are directly relevant to the University. However, on some occasions, there are more isolated issues that are brought up. He added that some of the initiatives that are implemented are issues external to the campus but tend to directly impact the university. Two years ago, the Purdue Student Senate voted to support a national foundation lobbying the government for green
card expansions. “While this didn’t necessarily have an impact on our campus, it did affect many of our students,” Haddix said. “Purdue has the one of the largest populations of international students in the United States, so it was important to that senate to stand up for their constituents.” Jeffery Ding, vice president of the University of Iowa student government, offered another perspective, saying they are not just focused on providing action for students on campus, but student life in the state of Iowa altogether. “While most of the issues brought to our attention are ones that directly affect our constituents, UI students, we have addressed issues that fall outside the scope of university life,” Ding said in an e-mail. Ding said the UISG has addressed issues including installing red light cameras, used for traffic enforcement, in Iowa City and proposed high-speed rail system. Regarding issues that extend beyond Iowa student life, Ding said there were more suitable areas for them to be addressed. “I personally find that resolutions on outside issues are symbolic at best and there are other more appropriate avenues for those proclamations,” he said. Ava Jacobs, director of public
relations for the Associated Students of Michigan State University, said the ASMSU’s members are diverse in their areas of campus involvement and thus bring a variety of issues for consideration. “These groups actively represent the interests of students to university committees, Board of Trustees, university administrators, city of East Lansing, State of Michigan and other pertinent entities on all student and academic related issues,” Jacobs said. Jacobs said in recent years the ASMSU has not addressed any issues not somehow related to campus life. “We have, however, lobbied congressmen in Washington, D.C., along with the rest of the Big 10, to advocate for issues and initiatives relevant to college students,” she said. Emily Kurtz, press office director for the Associated Students of Wisconsin-Madison, said their assembly does not have a clear-cut way of differentiating between which issues are relevant to the university and which are not. “Topics we chose to discuss depend entirely on the content and current events occurring within the topic,” Kurtz said. “Members sitting on Student Council decide if an issue is something ASM should or should not be involved with based on a variety of criteria.”
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, November 13, 2014 — 5A
Wolverines laying groundwork ‘M’ loaded at guard M WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
ichigan women’s basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico is entering her third year at the helm of a team trying to make its way into the national spotlight. This year, it’s possible the BRAD Wolverines could find WHIPPLE it, and it’s possible they won’t. But one thing is for certain: this is the best team Barnes Arico has worked with at Michigan. Which is why this year is a turning point for the program. This year, Barnes Arico can finish what she started rebuilding two years ago. This is the year the structures put in place are fine-tuned so that future generations are able to garner the fame and respect Michigan admires so dearly. The first task started two years ago, when the Wolverines had to deal with a coaching transition to Barnes Arico. Her Big East experience, combined with a great senior class, led Michigan to 22 wins. And the reward was a chance to dance in the postseason for the second consecutive year. Last season, the Wolverines were faced with a major obstacle. They returned only one starter and lost 90 percent of their scoring. But Michigan still ended the season with another 20 victories — the third straight season — while splashing into the third round of the WNIT. In this year’s preseason, the Wolverines are absent from the top-25 rankings, received little praise within the Big Ten poll and are considered by Barnes Arico to be the smallest team in the conference. And that’s exactly how Michigan likes it. The Wolverines like going under the radar and not feeling the added pressure
By JACOB GASE Daily Sports Writer
Last season, the Michigan women’s basketball team lacked starting experience. With just one starter returning from coach Kim Barnes Arico’s first season in 2012-13, the team began last year with an uncertain lineup. This year, the situation is the opposite. Returning four starters from last season, boasting great depth on the bench and bringing in a freshman class that could make an instant impact, Barnes Arico is poised to make a deep run in her third year.
FILE PHOTO/Daily
The Michigan women’s basketball team has the opportunity to finish the rebuilding process that began years ago.
of high expectations. It’s the same attitude that has allowed the team to build under Barnes Arico. This is a team marching to the beat of its own drum. What this season is really about is using Barnes Arico’s finest team to jump to the next phase — not one of rebuilding, but one of expanding. “It’s not where you start; it’s where you finish,” Barnes Arico told MGoBlue. com on Tuesday. “I think our program has taken such great strides in the last few years, that we’re just looking to take those next steps.” Taking those next steps requires a trustworthy and familiar coaching staff. The staff in place has been together since the program’s coaching facelift in 2012. Barnes Arico recently added assistant coach Megan Duffy, who she previously worked with at St. John’s for three years. Next, Barnes Arico
“It’s not where you start; it’s where you finish.”
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Frosh adjusting, showing flashes By MAX BULTMAN Daily Sports Writer
It’s a good thing exhibition games are intended to work out kinks and find cohesion, because the Michigan men’s basketball team showed Monday that it still has a few things to resolve. The Wolverines thumped Wayne State, 86-43, but looked out of sync at times, especially shooting the ball — likely a result of a rotation that had six true freshmen and one redshirt freshman on the floor. Michigan will rely heavily on its younger players to find productive roles, and while that process always takes time, Michigan coach John Beilein said after the game he has been slower to implement his full offense with this group. “We don’t have a very big package in,” Beilein said. “We’re creeping along, and I probably overanalyze it. I want things to be run perfect before we move on. I think we’re moving in the right direction, but it’s really slow.” Forward Kameron Chatman put up the most impressive stat line — nine points, six rebounds and four assists, leading all freshmen with 25 minutes. The only true freshman to start, Chatman got on the stat sheet early with an assist on a Caris LeVert layup. Minutes later, Chatman air-balled a 3-pointer. At the start of the second half, Chatman displayed a bit of poise. Trapped by two Wayne State defenders under the hoop, it looked like he might panic and turn the ball over. Instead, he held the ball for an extra second and found sophomore guard
recruited Michigan’s highestranked class in program history, boasting prized recruit in guard Katelynn Flaherty. Flaherty has already exhibited her ball-handling prowess on the court in the Wolverines’ exhibition, and made a strong statement with her shooting accuracy. Wolverines already had a strong backcourt — now it’s lethal. Beside Flaherty are four freshmen that give Barnes Arico the most depth she has seen in Ann Arbor, all products of Barnes Arico’s search for talent that will complement the balance of shooting and defense she’s trying to find. Barnes Arico has also facilitated the growth of her first recruiting class as well, with sophomore guard Siera Thompson ending her rookie year holding the record in single-season 3-pointers. “It’s nice to know that we have such a big group come
Derrick Walton Jr. for an open look behind the arc. That patience, though, was not as evident in some of the Wolverines’ other newcomers. D.J. Wilson threw down a dunk 10 minutes into the game, but looked too eager for much of the first half. The lanky 6-foot9 forward/center had a jump shot blocked and then missed on a clean finish off a pick-androll with Walton on the next possession, prompting Beilein to briefly pull him out of the game. But Wilson did show a couple instances of strong recovery. With 7:51 remaining in the game, sophomore forward Zak Irvin lobbed an alley-oop for Wilson. The pass went wide, and while Wilson could have tried to force the issue, he calmly brought it down and scored an easy bucket. The most contested lineup spot appears to be the center position, where redshirt freshman Mark Donnal started, but true freshman Ricky Doyle saw the most minutes. Both Doyle and Donnal put up four points, but the Wolverines were plus-39 when Donnal was on the floor, far superior to Doyle’s plus-20. Rounding out the class, freshman forward Aubrey Dawkins came on and nailed two 3-pointers late in the game, while frosh guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman missed all his attempts from the field but sank a pair of foul shots. “It’s hard to believe we went to Europe and we’re not farther along,” Beilein said. “But I’m not moving as quickly as I would have, maybe, in past years. I just don’t think we’re there yet.”
in that is able to and wants to work,” said senior forward Cyesha Goree. “(We know) when we finish our senior year and leave, we left Michigan in the best way we could have left it.” The future of the program lies in the underclassmen and rising seniors, so it’s crucial that these players take the lessons and knowledge they can from a seasoned senior class: Goree, forward Nicole Elmblad and guard Shannon Smith. These are the type of role models the Wolverines need to move forward, role models shaped by Barnes Arico’s leadership. “The players are smart enough to know, ‘Hey this is who we are,’ ” Barnes Arico said. “We have people back, we have great kids coming in. If we keep working hard, keep doing the things we need to do and keep great chemistry, good things are going to happen for us.” This season means more than a Big Ten Championship or NCAA Tournament bid. It means finishing a foundation years in the making, a foundation that can turn this team’s dreams of notoriety into a reality.
Guards For the second consecutive season, the Wolverines have a surplus of talented guards. Of the 14 players on the roster, nine are listed as guards and one is listed as a guard/forward swing player. And of those 10, four will likely find themselves in the starting lineup. Sophomore Siera Thompson returns as the probable starting point guard. Last season, she set a Michigan freshman record with 75 3-pointers, and was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention. She has hit at least one triple in every game of her career. Senior Shannon Smith returns as the most experienced member of the backcourt. Barnes Arico designated Smith as the Wolverines’ go-to scorer last season, and she seized the opportunity. Taking nearly 40 more shots than any other player, Smith led the team with 13.8 points per game. At the same time, she proved herself a capable distributor, pacing the team with 3.7 assists per game. Despite spending last year at shooting guard, Smith will likely slide to the ‘3’ this year to make room for another lightsout shooter. Filling that role is freshman Katelynn Flaherty, who enters her first season at Michigan with the potential to be the best pure shooter on the roster. The prized recruit from Point Pleasant, New Jersey, has earned instant playing time thanks to her offensive ability. Flaherty
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knocked down five-of-six threes in last week’s exhibition game against Davenport, showing no signs of freshman nerves. Barnes Arico is hopeful that Flaherty will strengthen the team’s longrange game while drawing other defenders and opening up the floor for her teammates. The Wolverines have scoring options coming off the bench at guard. Junior Madison Ristovski played in all 34 games last season despite making just 10 starts, but she set a school record by shooting .466 from beyond the arc. Sophomore Paige Rakers appeared in 32 games and finished third on the team with a .327 3-point shooting percentage. Forwards Michigan likely won’t start a true forward at either of the ‘3’ or ‘4’ positions, but senior captain Nicole Elmblad is more than qualified to take on the power forward role. The unquestioned leader of the team, Elmblad has established herself as the best defender on the team and one of its top rebounders. Even though the 5-foot-11 Elmblad is listed as a guard and played the ‘3’ last year, Barnes Arico said she believes her skill set will help her through the transition. As an alternative, Barnes Arico has considered starting freshman guard/forward Jillian Dunston at power forward and slotting Elmblad back at small forward. Dunston will likely see playing time either way, as she brings a high energy level and defensive presence that has impressed the coaching staff in the preseason. Centers Coming off a breakout season at power forward last year, 6-foot-3 senior Cyesha Goree will assume the starting center role this season after Val Driscoll graduated. After years of improving her conditioning and working her way into the starting lineup, Goree has become the Wolverines’ most dependable post presence. She set a singleseason rebounding record last year and also scored in double figures 23 times, proving herself a threat down low.
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36 Quaint expression of surprise 38 Student’s fig. 39 More apt to be picked 42 Word between some last names 43 Brought into harmony with, with “to” 45 Praline nuts 46 Low número
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Sports
6A — Thursday, November 13, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
The day ‘fate stepped in’:
NICOLE ELMBLAD’S PATH TO BEING A CAPTAIN
COURTESY ELMBLAD FAMILY
Nicole Elmblad loved basketball as a child and competing with her brothers.
By KELLY HALL Daily Sports Writer
Just 48 hours before she got the call, Nicole Elmblad was on top of the world. It was Saturday, March 19, 2011, and Elmblad was in the Breslin Center leading LaSalle High School to victory in Michigan’s Class C title game. Forty-eight hours before the call, she had plans to play college ball in Madison for Wisconsin. But shortly after her phone rang, her plans were shrouded in uncertainty. Wisconsin coach Lisa Stone had been fired, and Elmblad was devastated. She was no longer prepared to stay in Madison and was left without a plan. As Elmblad prepares to start
her last season as a Wolverine, it’s difficult to believe the legacy she has created within the Michigan women’s basketball program — a legacy that includes being voted unanimously as a captain two years in a row and coincides with the program’s return to prominence — was almost never built. The whims of fate may have led her to where she is today, but hard work has kept her there.
straight in the eye and told her with conviction, “Mom, I’m five now. I can play hockey.” Growing up, she was constantly chasing after her two older brothers, Kyle and Eric. And if they were going to play hockey, she would too. The Elmblad siblings grew up on Lake Huron with the Mackinac Bridge in their backyard. St. Ignace is a town of 2,500 people that sits on the southernmost tip of the Upper Peninsula. Like most other kids from St. Ignace, and everywhere else in northern Michigan, Elmblad grew up on the ice with her family. Her competitiveness with her brothers didn’t stop at hockey, though. She quickly took up basketball as well, but brought the hockey mentality with her. “She’s the toughest kid we have,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “She’ll get hit in the mouth, be bloody, have a broken finger, have a broken nose, and continue playing. She’s as tough as they come.” After years of playing hockey and a multitude of other sports — every sport she could, according to her parents — Elmblad had to make a decision. Would she continue to play hockey, as she always had, or would she pursue basketball? Hockey was her first love, but it was impossible to ignore the talent she displayed while driving to the basket. So she chose basketball, and it’s hard to imagine where Michigan’s program would be had she not. ***
Recruiters from numerous colleges called the Elmblad home when Nicole was a junior, but only one school made her really light up — a university 300 miles south of *** St. Ignace, in Ann Arbor. “She always wanted to go to Before Nicole Elmblad chose Michigan,” said Mark Elmblad, between schools, she had to Nicole’s father. “There were a lot choose between sports. of other schools that would call, When Elmblad was five years write letters and visit, but it just old, her mom took her to figure wasn’t the same.” skating lessons. After her very first The problem was, Michigan recital, Elmblad put her hands never gave Elmblad a serious offer. on her hips, looked her mother After countless long nights of deliberation, Elmblad made the decision to commit to Wisconsin after developing a bond with then-coach Lisa Stone. In November of 2010, she signed her National Letter of Intent to play for the Badgers. Elmblad’s future plans were neatly squared away. But then, two days after she celebrated at the Breslin Center, COURTESY ELMBLAD FAMILY she got the call. The Elmblad family, from left to right: Nicole, Eric, Hannah, Carol, Kyle and Mark. Stone had
been fired, and Elmblad suddenly Michigan; she’s one of its pillars. the college sophomore expecting felt uneasy about playing in It’s a fairytale even Elmblad to get Elmblad’s voicemail. Madison. couldn’t have written herself. Instead, Elmblad picked up She now had another hard the phone and “shh-ed” her new decision to make. She wanted to *** coach. She was studying in the be more than just a space to fill on Reading Room of Michigan’s law the roster. She ultimately decided It was in the early hours of library and didn’t dare make a Wisconsin was no longer the place Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012, and the sound in the silent building with for her, regardless of the unknown Wolverines were headed back to stained-glass windows and cork waiting beyond her release. The Ann Arbor after trouncing Xavier flooring. NCAA granted her a complete in Barnes Arico’s first away game. And soon enough, Barnes Arico release within a few weeks of her The new coach hopped over long, learned that Elmblad’s diligence in request. lanky and sprawled-out legs and the Reading Room was matched After letting Elmblad slip by in headed toward the bathroom at on the court. 2010, then-Michigan coach Kevin the back of the team bus. Some *** Borseth saw his opportunity players were snoring, while others Every year, the Wolverines vote to grab a player that would rested peacefully. for a team captain. The coaches contribute to his program — someone who had averaged 24.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 4.8 steals per game in her senior year of high school. “There was absolutely no doubt, though, when Michigan called,” ALLISON FARRAND/DAILY said Carol In three years, Elmblad has 604 points for Michigan, but her biggest contributions are off the court. Elmblad, Nicole’s mother. “She got several calls when she But all of a sudden, through the don’t choose the captain; the got her release. She hardly talked darkness, Barnes Arico saw a light. players do. And for the last two to the other coaches.” “She’s wearing this headband seasons, Elmblad’s teammates The only call that mattered was — I think she made it herself. It’s a have unanimously voted for her to from Borseth. headband with a light attached to lead the team. “I absolutely think it was it, and there’s her head inside this Elmblad isn’t Michigan’s leadfate,” Elmblad said. “I think book, reading and studying for ing scorer, nor does she always everything happens for a reason. class the next day,” Barnes Arico stand out in the box score. On Wisconsin was one of the first Big Ten schools to offer me, and I was really excited to go there. When I took a visit, I didn’t have an offer from Michigan yet, and I decided to go to Wisconsin. I think fate stepped in, and I was meant to be at Michigan.” *** Elmblad has always loved Michigan. She learned to love the school as early as she learned to skate on ice. “I grew up in a ‘Michigan family,’ ” Elmblad said. “We bleed maize and blue. If you meet my dad, he’s probably one of the biggest Michigan fans that you’ll ever meet. His whole wardrobe is maize and blue. He loves Michigan, and it just translated to us kids growing up.” Kyle and Eric Elmblad both graduated from the University in April 2011. Eric was also a studentathlete, walking on to the hockey team in 2006 and becoming a three-time letterwinner. Within a month of their graduation, Elmblad committed to Michigan to play basketball and followed in her brothers’ paths once again. Elmblad smiled as she recalled one of her first bike rides with her brothers. She was three years old, had training wheels and was deadset on catching up with them. “My brothers went through this little trail and onto the grass and my mom goes, ‘Nicole, you’re going to have to hold it back, your training wheels aren’t going to be able to make it.’ That’s my first memory of me trying to keep up with them,” Elmblad recalled. But Elmblad coming to Michigan wasn’t just her breaking in her training wheels to catch her brothers. It was her dream to play at Michigan, and she put the work in to get herself where she is today. “When she talks about the University of Michigan, she gets super emotional,” Barnes Arico said. “She loves this place and what our university stands for and what our program stands for. For her, it’s about being a part of something bigger than herself.” Barnes Arico understands Elmblad’s commitment more than anyone else. When Borseth resigned after Elmblad’s freshman season, she faced adversity once more. It would have been easy — almost expected — for her to be upset. Instead, she embraced her new coach. Elmblad isn’t just a part of the burgeoning Big Ten program Barnes Arico is building at
COURTESY ELMBLAD FAMILY
Elmblad committed to Wisconsin, but a twist of fate brought her to Michigan.
recalled. Often, players will act differently in real life than their game-time personas. Elmblad doesn’t. On and off the court, she’s a hard worker. She can’t turn off her drive to succeed, much like she can’t shut off her love for Michigan. “Nicole is a perfectionist,” Barnes Arico said. “She’s a perfectionist in the classroom, and she’s a perfectionist on the basketball court. Sometimes I have to tell her, ‘It’s OK. You don’t have to be perfect all of the time.’ But on the basketball court, it’s a game of mistakes a lot of the time. It’s about being able to go on to the next play and be OK with making a mistake.” One of Elmblad’s flaws is that she can put too much pressure on herself, even though her persistence and commitment to bettering her skills have led to her athletic and academic success today. Majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience, she has above a 3.9 GPA and plans on heading to medical school after graduation. She’s an Academic All-American, an Academic All-Big Ten and was even the valedictorian of her high school. “You would never know all of the awards she receives,” Barnes Arico said. “You would never know if she had a great game. She’s all about the team first. She puts the team first above her own individual accolades all of the time.” Barnes Arico learned about Elmblad’s study habits the first time she ever talked to her. It was 10 p.m. on a Saturday night, and the newly appointed coach called
some teams, that’s all a captain is. But Elmblad is OK with not having the most points on the team every night. Instead, she wants to get her teammates involved and give someone else a shot. She’ll go out and defend the opposing team’s best player and get the most rebounds and do all of those things that often go unnoticed. “She’s the most unselfish kid in the program, and I think her teammates truly value that,” Barnes Arico said. “They value how hard she works every day. They value her commitment to the success of our program, but also her commitment to Michigan.” Roommate and teammate Madison Ristovski met Elmblad in high school when their teams played against each other for the state title. The junior guard has known Elmblad for five years now and has seen her lead by example too many times to count. And with that knowledge, Ristovski says her vote came easy. “It was kind of just the ultimate decision,” Ristovski said. “We knew that she would be the one to lead us, because she has the vision of where this team can go and the success this program can have.” Four years after winning the state title, Elmblad is still the same girl from St. Ignace. She’s still the tough basketball player with a hockey mindset. She’s still the same person leading her team on the court. And she’s still the leader in the classroom. It’s exactly what Michigan needs as it aims to return to the NCAA tournament. And the Wolverines have a phone call in March 2011 to thank for that.
the b-side B
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, November 13, 2014
B Y C H R I S T I A N K E N N E DY, D A I LY A R T S W R I T E R
I
t’s 5:15 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, and the Michigan Theater is buzzing with excitement. Hundreds of Art & Design students crowd the rows, pink attendance slips in hand, intermingled with Ann Arbor residents holding tubs of popcorn. The classic architecture of the Michigan Theater contrasts the modern Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series logo displayed on the projection screen. One thing is clear — this is important; this is innovation. “The main purpose of the speaker series would be a platform for engaging with new and innovative, sort of progressive and transcendent ideas with people who are successful artists and designers and creators in the world,” said Chrisstina Hamilton, Director of Vistors’ Programs. “And also an opportunity to have social dialogue in our community about it.” For more than 10 years, The University of Michigan’s School of Art & Design has hosted weekly lectures for a wide range of designers and artists thanks to the generous support of Art & Design alum Penny W. Stamps. Every Thursday, speakers come to the Michigan Theater to share their work with students, faculty and the Ann Arbor community. Following their lectures, students and community members may attend a Q&A session held in the theater’s screening room. “It is an exciting and challenging and rewarding thing to do when it all works,” Hamilton said. Prior to being a formalized weekly event at the Michigan Theater, the series began as loosely organized lectures at the University exclusively for students of
the School of Art & Design. Now, they’re weekly installments that average around 1,000 attendees per week. “As far as I’ve seen, the vision that started it has continued the series. It’s been a fabulous vision and the fact that it takes place at the Michigan Theater, which is a community venue as opposed to a University venue, the capacity is such that it allows more than just the target arts students to come,” said Russ Collins, Executive Director and CEO of the Michigan Theater. “It makes it a very special event.” The attendance of many nonstudents amplifies the importance of the lectures. The Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series can no longer be defined as a niche offering for School of Art & Design students and has now expanded beyond the confines of the University to become a valued community event. “Society needs places to engage with ideas and to have conversations around them. That is a basic need of a community,” Hamilton said. A committee of Art & Design students and faculty, appointed by Dean Gunalan Nadarajan, decide which speakers to invite to the series. According to Hamilton, the committee works to bring in speakers whom they feel fit into areas of media or issues they would like to focus on. “The series is constantly evolving programmatically because it has to always be answering to the issues at the moment. So that’s a constant challenge,” Hamilton said. “If we can continue to do that, then we are doing a great job.” See STAMPS, Page 4B
DESIGN BY SHANE ACHENBACH AND MEGAN KNITTEL
Arts
2B — Thursday, November 13, 2014
LITERARY COLUMN
Finally, a series of very fortunate events By GRACE PROSNIEWSKI Daily Literary Columnist
Tamagotchis. SkiFree. Almost every single Disney Channel Original Movie. Unfortunately, some beloved media from childhood doesn’t hold up to the harsh light of the present day. However, I still respect and look fondly upon many of my favorite books from childhood. These works laid the foundation for my love of reading that continues to this day, and helped steer me away from the vampireinfested abyss that was young adult literature at the time. I had a veritable holy trinity of children’s fantasy series, which included J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl and Daniel Handler’s, a.k.a. Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. I even received a signed copy of the final book from “Snicket” reading, “with admiration and dread.” Needless to say, I’m still fangirling over it. So I was of course excited and highly intrigued when news broke last week that Netflix would be adapting A Series of Unfortunate Events into an original series, with Handler serving as executive producer. This isn’t the first time the series has jumped mediums. The first three books were combined into the 2004 film, which though critically successful, featuring such stars as Meryl Streep, Jude Law and Jim Carrey, failed to inspire future movies. Handler’s unique blend of dark humor with accessibility for children is a testament to his abilities. One of the greatest aspects of the series is its highly stylistic, seemingly timeless
world, which lends a great deal of license and unpredictability to the plot. It’s in this ominous and yet strangely enjoyable setting that the Baudelaire orphans’ narrative unfolds, in what may be best described as a blend of suburban gothic and absurdist fiction. It’s a wonderful, if not sometimes depressing, world for a reader to get lost in. But my appreciation for the series is tempered by a fair amount of frustration and disappointment over the last installment. After reading the 13th and final book, I was left to puzzle out a plethora of unanswered questions, ambiguous character fates and important plot lines that seemed to go nowhere. What’s particularly maddening is the fact that I do believe Handler had the answers; he just didn’t give them out. The companion books to the series alone prove that he has a wellthought out and complex world of characters and backstories at his disposal. So is there a greater meaning to his omissions? Perhaps. Do I care about that? No way. Give me closure or give me death. It’s because of these loose ends that I’m particularly excited about a potential television series, especially with Handler as an executive producer. In adapting and reworking the series for television, perhaps he’ll shed more light, advertently or not, on some of the unanswered questions that have bothered me and other readers since the release of the final book. I don’t have any nostalgiafueled misgivings about a potential series. Plenty of television shows have proven that they can hold up to, and even in
some ways, improve upon, the original source material. Game of Thrones, Outlander, Justified, Boardwalk Empire, Friday Night Lights, the list of popular and critically acclaimed shows based on books stretches on and on. And there’s no reason to think that this trend will be changing anytime soon. With an increasingly volatile television landscape, networks will continue to gravitate toward works with established fan bases. Though I suspect there will always be talk among the snootiest — and insufferable — of bibliophiles on the possible philistine nature of turning books into television shows, I for one, see no cause for alarm. While some elements are no doubt lost in translation, the transformation from one media form to another often results in a different understanding of and deeper appreciation for, the original work. Also, we should not undersell the ability of media forms like television to bring new readers to the literary source material. There are benefits for creators in both mediums when television looks to literature for inspiration. And maybe one day this literary influence will result in a television series in which Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, in an odd couple/ bromance vein, travel around solving mysteries, some supernatural in kind, all the while throwing massive shade at transcendentalists. We can only hope that day comes sooner rather than later. Prosniewski is watching ‘Smart House.’ To join, e-mail gprosniewski@umich.edu.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
CHEF PROFILE
CHEFS
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COURTESY OF TAKASHI YAGIHASHI
Takashi Yagihashi won the ”Best Chef in the Midwest” award in 2003, given by the James Beard Foundation.
Slurping Turtle chef brings authentic Japanese to A 2 By GRACE HAMILTON Daily Arts Writer
Takashi Yagihashi grew up in Mito, Japan, about 45 minutes outside of Tokyo, playing baseball, watching American movies, reading popular novels and immersing himself in his schoolwork. He imagined the Hollywood-built wonders of American life in his future, although none of these dreams included a kitchen. However, with high school came the pressure of earning some pocket money, and so Takashi took the dirty jobs of dishwasher and kitchen helper at a local restaurant. “I never wanted to be a chef when I was a kid, but I realized once I started doing things in a kitchen, I was pretty good at it,” Takashi said. After receiving a degree in interior design from the Tokyo Design School, he was offered a job to work in Chicago with his former employer. Working his way up through the kitchen hierarchy, Takashi opened his own first Chicago restaurant, Tribute, in 1993, followed by Takashi in 2007 and Slurping Turtle in 2011. Slurping Turtle proved to be an instant success, and in April 2014 Takashi opened a second branch in Ann Arbor, on East Liberty. Slurping Turtle is inspired by
Japanese street-food and home cooking, providing a unique and varied menu, pleasing to any patron’s taste buds. “I loved ramen, I loved noodles. So that’s one of the reasons we opened Slurping Turtle. When I was young, I ate noodles every day. One day ramen, one day udon, one day soba,” he said. “It’s authentic Japanese, but with a contemporary, modern twist. It has a unique spice. It’s a different take on usual Japanese food and traditional noodles,” Takashi said of Slurping Turtle’s menu. Indeed, the range of dishes on the menu is impressive: A selection of ramen meals for lunch, ceviche with octopus, scallops, shrimp, squid and yuzu dressing or yellowtail tacos with truffle soy and taro root shell as tapas. A list of sushi rolls is available, listed above the sides, which include Kani cream croquettes. For dessert, try a raspberry wasabi macaron or a slice of cheesecake. The restaurant’s menu will change with every season. Each of Takashi’s establishments has a different executive chef who oversees these changes, working closely with Takashi as well. “We try to use fresh ingredients, which is especially easy in the summer, when there are lots of local markets. As winter comes, a lot of things are coming from California across the country, but we do the best we can,” Takashi says of ensuring the quality of ingredients. Fresh noodles are rolled and made daily in the basement of
Slurping Turtle, where the action happens. When I asked about his career highlights, or proudest moments, Takashi had too many to name. What started as an afterschool job has proved to be as smooth sailing and marvelous as the Hollywood stories the future chef was once so intrigued by. In 2003, he received the “Best Chef in the Midwest” award from the James Beard Foundation. In fact, just two hours before our interview, Takashi received his fifth Michelin star, a coveted award given by the French company, Michelin, for more than one hundred years. “I know that college students have a lot of study to do and not much time, you need cooking to be easy. But when you have a day off, instead of going for fast food, find a local market. Get some fresh ingredients and make a simple salad,” Takashi says to college students struggling with the challenge of eating well. “It has been amazing,” Takashi says of his career, walking up the stairs of his Chicago Slurping Turtle in order to better hear me on our telephone call. His love and dedication to his work, which he treats as an art, shines through in his words, and evidently, in his food. This is a man you can count on to take the extra step: “If you stop by the restaurant, please be sure to give me a call on this number and I’ll make sure to give you something extra. We’d love to have you.” Chances are, they would love to have you too.
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TV TRAILER REVIEW “Girls” has officially set the date (Jan. 11, 9 p.m.) giving us just over two months to obsess over the recently released trailer Afor season four. Hannah ‘Girls’ is back in the Returns Midwest at Jan.11 the prestigious Iowa HBO City Writer’s Workshop, and struggling to maintain any fictive distance (“The main character is a girl with a lot of tattoos named Anna”), but she’s always had boundary issues so what would we expect? And where Hannah goes, Eli follows in well-tailored shorts, including to what looks like a frat version of season two’s “I Love It” night out, except with paint wrestling instead of iPad DJ’s (this is Iowa). Shoshanna has a cute new bob (actually I counted at least five
HBO
in the trailer, clearly “Girls” is getting with the Lob trend postmortem) but post-grad corporate life is cramping her style. This is ridiculous because if there is a character made for the peplumfriendly world of office fashion and all things jewel-toned, it’s her (love ya, Shosh). Adam is taking the reverse Charlie trajectory and becoming less attractive in relation to his increasing douchiness and also doing some much needed soul searching. The most important aya-
huasca lifestyle muse/trust fund bohème/stick-and-poke hobbyist of our time is the same, by which I mean Jessa’s absent from most of the trailer, notably showing up to slap Hannah while wearing another cool lingerie romper thing that Free People will probably sell now. Marnie is Marnie, blah, and still doing the indie-folk thing, but she does give the best line of the trailer (“Just so you know this is not one of your most convincing fake showers”). — CATHERINE SULPIZIO
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FILM NOTEBOOK
‘Interstellar’ falls By JAMIE BIRCOLL Daily Film Editor
Warning: Major spoilers for “Inception,” “Interstellar” and “The Dark Knight Rises” and mild spoilers for “The Prestige” follow. Akshay Seth is a brilliant film writer; he is eloquent, thoughtful and can turn a phrase like no other writer I have ever met. Every other week his film column ranks among the top five most-read articles on The Michigan Daily’s website. For this reason, he will be referred to as Mr. Seth for the remainder of this article, out of my respect for him. I’ve been discussing film with Mr. Seth for nearly two years now, and each day brings new ideas. And after reading his most recent column on Christopher Nolan and “Interstellar,” I have never disagreed with him more, which is a new phenomenon for me. He writes of “Interstellar” as Nolan’s self-criticism, but “Interstellar” is the exact same shtick we’ve come to expect from the acclaimed director, and everyone knows it; it’s why an animated marshmallow-like robot beat him at the box office this weekend. Nolan specializes in cerebral filmmaking — the kind of films that demand an active viewer. He works with concepts that possess an inherently complicated structure and can only really be made sense of after multiple viewings. These films are often advertised as such: “Interstellar” as tackling the very fabric of space-time, “Inception” as delving into the deepest recesses of the mind in an attempt to discern what is real and what is imagined, etc. That’s all well and good, and I, more than most, love a challenging viewing experience, but Nolan’s films so often get worked up in the “what” and the “how” that the heart of the matter is ultimately lost. There’s a reason why the masses are discussing Nolan’s use of black holes as mechanisms to warp space and time rather than the soul of his film: that love transcends dimensions. Mr. Seth has addressed this as Nolan’s attempt at cynical selfreference, but that’s giving Nolan too much credit. Cynicism is not in Nolan’s nature; he is a cold, methodical, calculating, albeit incredibly successful director (and that term “director” as applied to Nolan is sometimes a stretch), but cynical he is not. Cynicism implies skepticism and, in a way, hopelessness; Nolan’s films, especially his more recent endeavors, are filled with hope, or at least they expect the audience to be hopeful and naturally curious, looking for answers, attempting (and failing) to figure out the puzzle that Nolan has laid before them. For Nolan, film is a magic trick, all the more fitting because back in 1895, film was nothing more than a magic trick (see “Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat”). Nolan tackled this notion directly in “The Prestige,” a film about two warring magicians. Michael Caine tells us in voiceover at both the beginning and end of the film: “Every magic trick consists of three parts, or acts. The first part is called the pledge: the magician shows you something
ordinary. The second act is called the turn: the magician takes the ordinary something and makes into something extraordinary. But you wouldn’t clap yet because making something disappear isn’t enough, you have to bring it back.” Nolan is obviously the magician; his film is the trick, and every film of his follows the exact same format, the same acts, as any good magician should. For example, in “Inception” the acts are as follows: the pledge establishes the rules of Cobb’s world, including extraction (unorthodox rules, but rules nonetheless) and his detachment after the death of his wife; the turn upends the rules by the introduction of the idea of inception and the action that follows; the prestige: Cobb’s return to humanity (in the dream world or otherwise). The same logic can be applied to every other Nolan film starting with “The Prestige.” Now the pledge of each of Nolan’s films tends to be the most interesting because only Christopher Nolan has the sort of intellectual power to take otherwise ordinary situations and make them extraordinary, as in “Memento”: a man must track down the murderer of his wife (ordinary, in film terms), except he has retrograde amnesia and loses his memory every few minutes (extraordinary). His setups are always fantastic; it’s the execution of his second and third acts that always falter. The turn of a Nolan film tends to involve an extended action sequence or several more brief action sequences that more often than not are a cluttered assemblage of quick cuts that distract from the overall flow of the sequence and very often don’t abide by the rules of physics or spatial relations (there’s a great study of the car chase scene in “The Dark Knight” by Jim Emmerson on this). Nolan essentially uses edits to distract from these discontinuous flows, and the cuts are so quick that the audience doesn’t totally realize they’ve witnessed an illogical sequence, but their brains still register something as off. “Memento” took this quick-cutting concept and applied it to an entire film, resulting in a fragmented story mirroring that of our fragmented protagonist; the method can be forgiven here because a) it’s brilliant and b) the cuts occur so quickly and in such small segments that we try to piece the story back together instead of tackling the glaring plot holes. One cannot be so forgiving with “Interstellar” and Nolan’s latter works. There’s a French filmography term called mise-en-scène that, while difficult to define, essentially refers to everything before the camera and how it is arranged within the shot of the camera; so a shot can really be broken down into that which is within the frame and that which is outside of it. Nolan focuses on that which is within the frame and tends to ignore that which is outside it (thus his incredibly limited shot palette consisting of mainly medium shots). He gets away with this by constantly cutting, with shots rarely lasting longer than four or five seconds but usually no more than three seconds. Nolan ultimately amounts to an editor-writer who gets to play with
the camera rather than a director. There’s this other French term (last one, I promise) called mise en abyme literally “placed into abyss.” It refers to a play-within-a-play or a dream-within-a-dream or dimensions-within-dimensions. It serves as a parallel to the film itself, a doubling of images. Nolan uses this quite often, whether in his entire set-up or placing his fight sequences on stage-like structures (as in “The Dark Knight Rises”). It’s another illusory effect, and it always plays into the third act of a Nolan film — in the Nolan method, it’s the thing that makes you question what you’ve seen. The trick with the third act, the prestige, of a Nolan film is that twist he throws onto the end of every film: Cobb remains locked in a dream; Bruce Wayne survives a nuclear explosion, etc. In “Interstellar,” Coop’s activities within the multiple dimensions of the black hole and reunion with his daughter serve as the prestige. We’re led to believe that after the tesseract collapsed, Coop was left adrift in space — and then a fade to white, which is never a sure sign of survival for the protagonist. When Coop comes to, he looks out the window where he realizes he’s on the gyroscopic space station thing from Earth, which is itself an allusion to “Inception,” with it’s city folded on top of itself. We are left to contemplate if love or chance or intelligent design brought Coop back to his daughter or if the whole sequence was merely the final thoughts of dying man deprived of oxygen. This is supposed to be the prestige, the part where we start asking the questions, contemplating the themes, replaying the film over again in our heads. And for the first time in a Nolan film, I truly didn’t care. There’s supposed to be a payoff; instead, the only part of “Interstellar” that truly blew me away were the breathtaking shots of Saturn, the black holes, the massive celestial bodies. They were more magic tricks, distractions to the chunky editing, minimally fleshedout characters, often-spotty narrative structure, etc. So Mr. Seth is correct in ascribing “Interstellar” as Nolan’s once again folding the film to his will, which admittedly he has always done. But he’s done the same thing time and time again. And as a result, whether or not Mr. Seth is correct in establishing “Interstellar” as self-criticism proves moot because Nolan merely reworked his system, doing what he always does, the same magic trick. That just won’t fly anymore. The last line of “The Prestige” continues that aforementioned Michael Caine voiceover, “Now you’re looking for the secret. But you won’t find it because, of course, you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to work it out … you want to be fooled.” I do want to be fooled, and that’s why I see Nolan films, usually more than once — but not this time. This time, I know his secrets, his maneuvers; I saw the prestige before the turn had reached halfway; I’ve seen his sleight of hand, it’s not fooling anyone anymore.
TRAILER REVIEW Though it starts off innocently enough, “Whiplash” ’s trailer quickly escalates and mimics whiplash itself. Andrew B+ (Miles Teller, ‘Whiplash’ “The SpectacNov. 14 ular Now”) cuddles with Sony Pictures Classic his girlfriend in a diner. The mood is light as an upbeat jazz piece kicks off the start of classes at Andrew’s prestigious music school. “I wanna be great,” he tells his girlfriend. But then comes her fateful reply: “And you’re not.” Andrew’s budding music career comes to a halt just as quickly as it was introduced. His teacher, Fletcher (J.K. Simmons, “Men, Women & Children”) accuses him of rushing the beat, and the next
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thing you know, he’s calling Andrew a worthless pansy ass and physically slapping him on the face. It’s a little dramatic. Actually, it’s really dramatic, and therein lies doubt and hope simultaneously. Such fervent verbal and physical abuse seems unrealistic, and it runs the risk of hyperbole. Regardless, scenes of gut-wrenching emotional tension glimmer with promise. Director Damien Chazelle (screenwriter of “The Last Exorcism II”) voiced
hopes that this would play out like a thriller, and it certainly seems that way. Teller’s acting looks incredible. His slow drum roll is interspersed with scenes of his sacrifice and hard work to improve as a musician. The drums and the shots rapidly increase pace to show his frustration and grit, and your heartbeat and excitement speed up alongside it. If the film turns out to have that the same spasmodic energy, it’ll shine. — VANESSA WONG
Thursday, November 13, 2014 — 3B
DETROIT ARTS COLUMN
DIA’s Friday Night Live! brings interactivity to arts By PAIGE PFLEGER Daily Detroit Arts Columnist
Even though Friday Night Live! happens every Friday night at the DIA, Friday Nov. 7th was an especially special one — Detroit’s bankruptcy plan had just been approved by the courts, and the DIA was a star of the proceedings. “The DIA stands at the center of the cit y as an invaluable beacon of culture,” Judge Steven Rhodes said during his ruling. “To sell the DIA art would be to forfeit the cit y’s future.” That declaration was sig nificant in many ways: it secured the DIA’s future as well as asserted that the DIA was a cultural epicenter for the cit y, a gem that needed to be preserved, according to Rhodes, “for the benefit of the people in the cit y and the state.” And, after attending Friday Night Live!, it was blaringly obvious that Rhodes’ statement is true. Friday Night Live! is a prog ram that began at the DIA years ago as a way to encourage more interaction with museum-goers and the art at the DIA. The museum stays open late and boasts live music, drawing in the galleries, art-making workshops and more. If this Friday was any indication, the prog ram is wildly popular — the DIA was packed, with people sipping drinks in the renovated Kresge Court and filling all the seats in the Rivera court yard to listen to the night’s musical g uest, Huun Huur Tu, a Tuvan acoustic quartet. Huun Huur Tu was interesting for a myriad of reasons — they draw from ancient Tuvan songs and using traditional instrumentation, they incorporate 20th century inspirations to make a funky, electronic sounding music that’s kind of reminiscent of the Blue Man Group, in a way. The four men sat in front of Diego Rivera’s iconic mural of the Detroit auto industry, and played their traditional Tuvan music to an eclectic audience of Detroiters: there were families, couples on a date, children and elderly people. In one corner of the room, a baby girl swayed back and forth to the music, shoving raisins in her mouth and staring up at the ceiling covered in sheets of beaded crystal. It was impossible to ig nore the conglomeration of cultures that were brought together under the DIA’s roof. Downstairs in the African American gallery, the Drawing in the Gallery workshop was taking place. Housed in a different exhibit each week, Drawing in the Gallery supplies g uests with drawing materials for free, and encourages them to take a seat at an easel and take more time to engage with a piece of art. “Want to draw?” a lady sitting at a desk asks. “It’s free!” Her name is Catherine Peet, and she’s an artist that runs the Drawing in the Gallery workshop for the DIA. She has a shock of g rey hair and a friendly smile. “People come in and just observe the art, and pick out something that stimulates them or is interesting to them to draw, and we set it up for them,” Peet said, gesturing around the gallery at the people perched on easels, sketching different statues and pictures. “And they just do their thing. We just encourage people to
enjoy the art objects that they see.” Drawing in the Gallery usually brings in any where from 25 to 100 people who can drop in anytime from six until nine to draw. No previous experience is required to participate. “We get a variet y,” Peet explained. “Like Ricky over there, he’s been coming for years.” She gestures at a man seated in front of a wooden sculpture on the other side of the gallery. He has headphones in, his hair is pulled back into a ponytail and wire-framed glasses are perched on his nose. His name is Ricardo Garcia, and he’s been coming to the drop-in drawing at the DIA for more than six years now, “religiously,” he said, “every Friday.” He started working for the DIA after organizers noticed how dedicated he was to the prog ram.
“It opens up seeing. It shows people how to see.” “It opens up seeing, it shows people how to see. That’s basically what the purpose of the prog ram is,” Garcia said. “We are not here to instruct or to tell you what’s wrong or right. We are helping you see.” The piece Garcia is working on is immaculate — he’s using a pencil to shade in the contours of the African statue in front of him, and ever y line looks meticulously thought out. That’s part of the beaut y
of drop-in drawing, Garcia said. It creates an entirely different interaction bet ween museum-goers and the art itself. “People actually learn to engage with the art work in a different level than just going by it,” he said. “ When you sit down and you look at it, you take into account how much time it took to be done, because if it takes you an hour to do your drawing, you say how much time would it take the artist to create that piece. You start bonding with the artist.” Friday Night Live! offers a drop-in drawing class for kids, as well as an instructional workshop taught by a variet y of different artists in different mediums. In his book, “My Art, My Life,” Diego R ivera said, “As I rode back to Detroit, a vision of Henr y Ford’s industrial empire kept passing before my eyes. In my ears, I heard the wonderf ul symphony which came from his factories where metals were shaped into tools for men’s ser vice. It was a new music, waiting for the composer with genius enough to g ive it communicable form.” This music that R ivera heard inspired the mural that is the backdrop for live music on Friday nights, and the creation that this music inspired can be seen on the easels of artists sitting in front of a Degas or a Michelangelo. That’s the beaut y of the DIA, and the beaut y of these Friday nights: it’s proof that Detroit’s cultural epicenter will continue to thrive, and that the spirit of Detroit is ver y much alive. Pfleger is tearing it up at Friday Night Live! To tag along, e-mail psfleg@umich.edu.
the b-side
4B — Thursday, November 13, 2014
TED GOTH TALKS NIGHT BUT WITH ORGANS
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WE MADE IT
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LSA Senior Isabella Achenbach and LSA junior Allisanne Meyers serve on the leadership board of Helicon.
NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily
Like for most Michigan Theater films, The Barton Organ is used to bring out speakers in the STAMPs Speakers series.
STAMPS From Page 1B The committee takes nominations for speakers online. Anyone may fill out the form; it is not limited to Art & Design students, or even University students. Nominations include a description of the nominee’s work and why they would be a good choice for the speaker series. “Then it’s a game of who can we really get. A lot of times people want to do it but their calendar doesn’t line up with the date we have available,” Hamilton explained. “We can go through a lot of people very quickly. It’s a weekly series that happens on a fixed calendar so it can be quite challenging to actually confirm people for it.” Bringing speakers to the series is not the only challenge faced by the series and its administrators. The lectures answer to a higher social duty beyond their responsibility to the areas within art and design. “You have to represent these basic human ideals, like common sense,” Hamilton explained. “Common sense doesn’t change that much over time but the decisions you have to make with that common sense, those issues of the day are changing constantly.” The issues of the day dictate which nominees the committee chooses to invite to present their work in Ann Arbor. “The series is trying to, at the same time, speak to the integrity or integral (part) of human experience,” Hamilton said. “Us as humans, our perception are not changing, but the things we are perceiving are changing all the time.” The series continues to expand the range of speakers brought in. From photographers and designers, to actors and social activists, the subjects addressed by the speakers are never repeated due to the endless diversity within the art and design community. “The series brings in a lot of different people coming in from different areas of media and design using different tools and approaching things from different perspectives,” Hamilton said. “Students get a wide variety of perspective,
and see people who have all taken different paths to find their place in the world and find their success.” Recently, the series hosted Russian feminist punk-rock band, Pussy Riot, whose presentation was so popular that some students and Ann Arborites were left outside an at-capacity theater. “That typically only happens when there’s someone of international renown or a really hot issue of today, or someone who is renowned beyond the art and design community,” Hamilton said. Overcrowding is not an issue for students of the School of Art & Design. They are guaranteed admission through a line separate from that of the general public and
The series has furthered its success over its 10-year history. non-Art & Design students. Lectures are mandatory for all Art & Design students for the entirety of their time as undergraduates. The series counts as one academic credit per semester for them. “It’s amazing how many accomplished artists come here, and we have the chance to interact with them,” said Art & Design junior Cara Denton. “We want to see their art. We are artists and visual people so it’s nice when they come in and really show us their work and tell us their story.” The series also serves as a challenge to the Michigan Theater. They often host events after speaker presentations, so the theater staff must work quickly to get the necessary work done before and after lectures so films may be screened or other events can run the same day as the Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series. “We organize the technical execution for the lectures. Sometimes that is very simple, sometimes it is complicated,” Collins said. “I don’t want to overplay our role. We are the venue and we are very happy to be the venue, but it’s really the school’s event.”
The series serves not only to educate, but also specifically to inspire students looking to prosper in the fields of art and design. Some speakers also collaborate with students beyond their lectures, participate in discussion panels, present performance pieces or create exhibits. “People always need role models and this series provides students with a wide variety of role models. No one of us fits into some pre-prescribed mold, so it’s an opportunity to see a lot of people who took a lot of different journeys to find their success,” Hamilton said. The journeys shown throughout the lecture series are constantly changing and evolving because the world is doing the same. What worked for the series one year, will most likely not work for the next based on climate change within the community. “It is always really difficult to look backwards because I am always looking forward,” Hamilton said. With constant innovation among a board of students and faculty, it’s no wonder why the series has continued and furthered its success over the course of the past 10 plus years, however it’s still looking to further its reach within the University and greater Ann Arbor community. “I constantly run into people who don’t know about the series or are coming for the first time. I always think it’s great to get people to know about it and come because they are free events for the community,” Hamilton said. “It’s a great place to spread some interesting ideas that can help move society forward.” Tonight at 5:10 p.m., the series will host Anab Jain, designer, filmmaker and founder of the design studio Superf lux at the Michigan Theater. Superf lux’s work has won awards from Apple, the Ann Arbor Film Festival and a handful of other respected organizations. Other upcoming speakers include The New Yorker’s arts editor Françoise Mouly and artist Seth Ellis. “I feel like there is always room for more people to come to the series,” Hamilton said. “It’s such a wonderful place for people to gather around ideas so the more the merrier.”
Helicon shows off student-made art By DANIELLE RAYKHINSHTEYN Daily Arts Writer
Walking into the basement of 420 S. Division St., you duck your head to avoid hitting it on the top of the doorway. At the bottom of the stairs, you find yourself in a dark room, illuminated only by a film projected on the stone wall and a light fixture in the corner. Walking closer to the film, created by Art & Design senior Hanna Sakakibara, you see different forms of light flitting on screen. You’re watching the screen, but you’re hearing music from School of Music, Theatre & Dance junior Isaac Levine, DJing his performance piece in the next room. You then mosey over to the lamp, realizing that it is in fact, part of the exhibit. It’s a laser cut, acrylic piece by Art & Design sophomore Zach Kolodziej. It almost looks like a crepe paper ball that you hang from the ceiling at birthday parties. Its mixture of pink and white shades give off a purple-y hue. On Friday Helicon will be presenting Luminosity, a studentcurated student art show, from 9 p.m. to midnight. This is the third annual art show for Helicon, the history of art undergraduate society at the University. LSA senior Isabella Achenbach, president of Helicon and a former Michigan Daily staff member, said the club aims to bring more attention to student art and allow viewers to have more conversations about the pieces. “The goal is for people to come and actually see what other students are working on,” Achenbach said. “There are so many people on this campus that their work — so much of it just goes unseen. People do work, they submit it for a grade, and then it’s done.” When you turn your head to see if the lamp is hiding more colors on the other side, the corner of your eye catches a glimpse into the next room of the basement, and you find yourself passing through an open doorway into a slightly larger square room. Here, you find Levine DJing. This is the second year Helicon has had the show in an offcampus house. While Achenbach said the club is working towards
getting a more secure and professional gallery space for the spring, she also said she appreciates the accessibility of an off-campus location. “Doing it in an off-campus house makes it so much more accessible to students,” she said. “People, to be honest, really aren’t that inclined to go to something on campus, in a campus building where you have to be out of it by like 9 p.m. It’s not that fun.” Moving through the second basement room, you notice a very small room on the far side. You go inside, overcome with curiosity. You find yourself surrounded by fog, projected images swirling all around you, playing a cat and mouse game with the smoke. It’s an installation piece by Art & Design junior Jay Moskowitz. You can still hear the music from Levine; you can see Moskowitz’s images; you can touch the fog. Achenbach said she feels a student art show is so important because art is indicative of the culture of the time. While Helicon is an art history club, part of art history is studying current trends. “Art is culture. It’s education. It’s communication. It’s an experience,” she said. Coming back out of the basement, you make your way around to the front of the house. You go in the front door to find a jazz band ensemble playing to the photos and paintings hung on the walls. The first piece you see is by LSA freshman and Helicon member Olivia Kinker. Keeping with the luminosity theme, it’s a drawing of a chair illuminated by a lamp in her dorm in East Quad. “When you turn off all the other lights, it’s just this focused light on this chair,” Kinker said. “I was looking around for things to draw, and I saw that image with the chair. I’d left a sweater on it, and it looked like this image of my life right then.” Further along, there’s a photo by LSA sophomore Cellik Adams. It’s a simple shot of the most recent full moon; a moon Adams said symbolized a changing time and a stepping-stone in his life. “Every full moon — I take it as a new beginning,” he said. “There’s a new month, new time, new period.” You see a painting from Art & Design sophomore Mia
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Massimino: a lamp sitting in the middle of a desk, surrounded by perfume and pictures, with jewelry hanging over its shade. There’s a digital print of chandeliers from LSA senior Rachel Cole, the fixtures in varying shades of yellow. Then you spot a three-photo series by LSA sophomore Eliza Cadoux. The series, titled “dzef,” which means “truly, really or extremely” in Arabic, features three black and white photos taken in Morocco in 2013. Cadoux said the photos all represent aspects of her time in Morocco that she is grateful for. “They’re three black and white photographs that were taken in an extremely colorful place,” she said. “Black and white photos, in this day and age, become interesting ways to think about memory and the textures and pigments that are lost over time, and how even experiences so vivid as my time there lose dimensions.” The first photo is a shot from the Atlas Mountains, looking down into the Sous Valley. “It encompasses an awareness of the land and the physicality of the country, instead of the cultural implications one often thinks of when traveling and experiencing new culture,” said Cadoux. The second photo is of a donkey, and Cadoux said it captured the essence of the farm work she was doing while in the country. The third photo features the matriarch of the family Cadoux was staying with. “She was absolutely terrifying, and she had this enormous presence,” she said. “I managed to take a photo of her lounging, and to me that was really the pinnacle of experiencing an entirely different cultural realm.” You turn around, retracing your steps out of the house. You pass by Achenbach on the way out, and she thanks you for coming. You tell her how much you enjoyed the show. She asks you what your favorite part was, and you dive into a pleasant exchange with her before heading on your way. With student artists as the celebrities of this exhibit, Helicon’s Luminosity aims to present just that — the brightness of the stars.
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