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2014-11-20

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CELEBRATING OUR ONE-HUNDRED TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Thursday, November 20, 2014

Ann Arbor, Michigan

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GOVERNMENT

State gender identity protections uncertain ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

LSA senior Andrea Gillespie discusses sexual assault policy and campus climate at a roundtable discussion as part of the “It’s On Us” week of action at the Ford School of Public Policy Wednesday evening.

Campaign to end sexual assault promotes dialogue ‘It’s On Us’ roundtable talks garner ideas By EMILIE PLESSET Daily Staff Reporter

In a three-night roundtable policy discussion examining and critiquing the University’s approach to sexual assault,

about 70 University students joined the conversation held on campuses nationwide. The sessions corresponded with the White House’s National Week of Action to promote the “It’s On Us” campaign — a recently established federal initiative to raise awareness and end sexual assault on college campuses. Spread over three nights, each discussion engaged different age demographics, tar-

geting underclassmen and upperclassmen for the first and second night, respectively. The third night provided an open forum. “Students can discuss their individual role as students to help prevent sexual assault on campus,” said LSA senior Jacob Abudaram, an event co-organizer. “But also address some of the places where University policy is in position to address

What the F mag. hosts TEDx on gender norms By EMMA KINERY Daily Staff Reporter

In an effort to examine gender from a different perspective, about 50 students attended a TEDx event on Wednesday titled “Deconstructing Gender Assumptions,” organized by What the F, a feminist magazine on campus. To gauge varying views of gender, the event took a sweeping view of sex and gender from a biological, literary, social and personal light. It began with a screening of Northwestern University Professor Alice Dreger’s TED talk “Is Anatomy Destiny?” which introduced the idea that on a biological level, males and females are not very different; instead, gender is a societal idea. However, this viewpoint then becomes muddled when considering intersex indi-

viduals. The TED talk was followed by a reading of Jamaica Kincaid’s short story on gender roles in the 1970s titled “Girl.” It listed normative statements that her mother told her while growing up like “Always eat your food in such a way that it won’t turn someone else’s stomach” and “This is how to hem a dress when you see the hem coming down and so to prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming.” Following the presentations, audience members talked about their experiences with gender acquisition, with the discussion facilitated by What the F staff. Gender acquisition is the process through which children learn gender. At one table, LSA senior Bella Gaeta said when she got a black belt in martial arts as a girl, her aunt encouraged her to practice more feminine activities. LSA freshman Iris Partlan’s response addressed the contradictions in that statement. See TEDX, Page 3A

By SHOHAM GEVA Daily Staff Reporter

Among the many points of contention between the two amendments to the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act currently before the Michigan legislature, a primary one is the inclusion of gender identity and expression. Gender identity is defined as an individual’s psychological sense of their gender, according to the Human Rights Campaign. For transgender people, their gender identity is different than their biological sex assigned at birth. Gender expression refers to the way individuals display their gender identity. The first bill, introduced in September by Rep. Sam Singh (D–East Lansing) and Sen. Rebekah Warren (D–Ann Arbor), proposes pro-

tections for sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression. Both are not explicitly included in the current act, which shields Michigan residents from discrimination on the basis of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status and marital status. The bill that Rep. Frank Foster (R–Petoskey) introduced last week, on the other hand, only calls for the inclusion of sexual orientation. The Democrat-introduced amendment would protect, for example, an employee whose gender identity does not match their biological sex from getting fired for identifying as transgender. State Republicans, most prominently Speaker of the House Jase Bolger (R–Marshall), have said the inclusion of gender identity and expression is unnecessary because transgender individuals are already offered protections under the mandate against sex discrimination in state and federal civil rights laws. Democrats, on the other hand, have said the amendment is necesSee IDENTITY, Page 2A

MOCHAS & MUGS

CAMPUS LIFE

Women explore complexity of topic via interdisciplinary approaches

the issue and where the University can be doing better.” The “It’s On Us” campaign, launched by President Barack Obama in September, reached out to colleges across the country to host events that promote the campaign and conversations about sexual assault prevention and awareness. About 200 campuses across the country are holding events this week See CAMPAIGN, Page 3A

Amendments to civil rights legislation face challenges on both sides of the aisle

ANN ARBOR

Council discusses Rosser case responses AAPD shooting of citizen to be reviewed by Mich. State Police By JACK TURMAN

RITA MORRIS/Daily

Daily Staff Reporter

LSA junior Christine Yu paints her own mug at “Mochas and Masterpieces” at the Ann Arbor Arts Center Wednesday.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Student prepares for legal action against University Student questions procedures that led to suspension By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily Staff Reporter

After being suspended from completing an internship in July, Social Work student Ta-

Kara Roquemore and those representing her say she is now prepared to take legal action against the University unless she is allowed to continue the job. Roquemore said she was dismissed from her field work — the final required step in attaining her degree — last semester, after police charged her with resisting arrest and

obstructing justice in May for an incident that took place Nov. 27, 2013. After being charged, Roquemore said she notified the School of Social Work and the field liaison in charge of her internship. “When I ended up telling U of M and my field liaison about it, they ended up saying, ‘OK, See BAMN, Page 3A

Following the fatal shooting of 40-year-old Aura Rosser of Ann Arbor by police Nov. 9, the investigation is now being conducted by the Michigan State Police. Rosser was killed at a home on the 2000 block of Winewood Ave. in Ann Arbor. According to Ann Arbor police, officers were dispatched to the home after a reported domestic disturbance. Rosser reportedly confronted the responding officers with a knife and was shot once after an officer discharged a firearm. Ann Arbor Police Chief John Seto provided information about the shooting during the public commentary porSee COUNCIL, Page 3A

The burrrrrr-side Daily Arts takes a look at U of M’s premiere ice carving team and its unique history.

WEATHER TOMORROW

HI: 26 LO: 10

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NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM New Single: Common, “Trouble in the Water” MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS

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Vol. CXXIV, No. 30 ©2014 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com

NEWS......................... 2A SUDOKU..................... 3A OPINION.....................4A

CL ASSIFIEDS............... 5A SPORTS.......................6A B-SIDE ....................1B


The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

2A — Thursday, November 20, 2014

MONDAY: This Week in History

TUESDAY: Professor Profiles

WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers

THURSDAY: Student Voices

FRIDAY: Photos of the Week

WHAT’S YOUR MAJOR?

Beach Boys, mathematics inspire LSA junior LSA junior Patrick Goodney doesn’t think he’s too important, apparently.

it out in advance, maybe I could say I would be a pretzel rod or something.

but not make music. We wanted to see how many likes on Facebook we would get.

So just to start off, if you could be a pretzel, what kind would you be? (Pause.) Is this an actual question that would you put in paper or is this a warm up?

Okay, what’s your favorite kind of pretzel then? My favorite kind of pretzel is the... thin regular pretzels that are like kind of skinny sticks. Should I establish some sort of personal relationship I have with them?

How many did you guys get? Fifty. It was not that successful ... ugh, I really have nothing to say.

No, this is a real question. That’s kind of a ridiculous question. I can ask a different question if that makes you uncomfortable. Yeah, I would prefer that. I feel like questions like that just ask what my favorite pretzel would be. If I thought

ON THE WEB... THE FILTER

Pop is plain BY DANIELLE RAYKHINSHTEYN

This arts blog addresses the transition artists make from their original genre to pop, which is argued to have lyrics that are designed only to be catchy. Jason Derulo is exemplified here. Though his first songs were never terribly deep, it’s contended than later hits, like “Wiggle,” are even more base.

THE FILTER

New single BY LEJLA BAJGORIC

The newest single by Common, which includes verses from Malik Yusef and Kumasi, encourages listeners to involve themselves in the environmental movement. Bajgoric comments on the song’s relatability and catchiness paired to the seriousness of its message.

No, that’s OK. Tell me some fun facts about you. I don’t have fun facts about me. Nothing at all? Um ... OK ... I had a fake band in high school. Some other kids and I tried to start a band

Why don’t you think you’re important or interesting? You have so much to offer the world. Maybe that can be the topic of the interview. So you could ask, ‘Patrick why are you the worst human ever?’ Um, OK. So what’s your major? What is my major?

Yes. Actuarial mathematics. OK. Why? So like when I was going out of high school I was like, ‘Man, I’m going into college at the U of M, I should probably figure out a major that is good for me.’ I typed into Google ‘top paying math jobs’ because I’m good at math. Actuarial math was the top one and that was literally all the thought I put in to my major ... ugh, I don’t wanna look like a ditz. Well, what have been your most impactful experiences as a math major? I literally have nothing profound to say off the top of my

CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES

Environmental Truth about lies lecture law lecture WHAT: Stanford Law Prof. Michael Wara, a former geochemist and climate scientist, will discuss climate and electricity policy. WHO: Michigan Environmental Law and Policy Program WHEN: Today 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. WHERE: South Hall, Room 2010

Demonic soundscapes WHAT: Stephen West, professor of Chinese at Arizona State University, will talk about how the senses factor into Chinese plays about demons. WHO: Confucius Institute WHEN: Today from 4 to 5 p.m. WHERE: Michigan League Henderson Room

IDENTITY From Page 1A sary for the protections of transgender peoples to be included. In an interview last week following the introduction of Foster’s bill, State Rep. Adam Zemke (D–Ann Arbor), who co-sponsored Singh’s bill, called Bolger’s interpretation of the issue incorrect. “With all due respect to Speaker Bolger, he’s mistaken in that regard,” Zemke said. “Discrimination, as it’s enumerated under Elliott-Larsen, is often handled as a state’s rights issue and that’s what we’re seeing here, and that’s what we’re trying to push forward.” When it comes to the nuances of the current legal record on gender identity and expression protections, the short answer is that the Democrats and the GOP are both right and also both wrong in some respects. The long answer is that the legal status of those protections is complicated but facing undeniable uncertainty for a number of reasons, according to practicing employment discrimination lawyers and experts in the state.

Disparities in cancer care

WHAT:Former 60 Minutes reporter Chuck Lewis will discuss the ways governments, corporations and media manipulate the truth. WHO: School of Public Health, Knights-Wallace Fellows, UMSARC WHEN: Today 2:10 to 3:30 p.m. WHERE: BSRB, Kahn Auditorium

Women’s athletics lecture

WHAT: A panel will discuss the struggles that women athletes faced at the University before and after Title IX legislation. WHO: SHARP Center and the LSA Theme Semester WHEN: Today 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. WHERE: Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, Room 100

Employment discrimination plaintiffs in Michigan have two options for recourse available to them: to file in the state’s courts under ELCRA or to file in the federal court system under either the 1964 Civil Rights Act or both the Act and ELCRA. Trial attorney Charlotte Croson is a partner at the Bingham Farmsbased law firm Bogas, Koncius & Croson, which focuses on civil rights litigation. Croson said there are several reasons a lawyer and plaintiff might choose to file in state court as opposed to federal court when it comes to employment discrimination cases, and vice versa. The process and legal precedent for two court systems differ. “Michigan discrimination case law differs in some significant ways from federal discrimination case law,” Croson said. “It’s sort of a lot to go through, but there are differences, so it’s up to the lawyer and her client to determine which venue is appropriate for them to be in.” Much of the uncertainty that specifically concerns gender identity and expression protections comes from the difference in case law — a term for legal precedent —

WHAT: Dr. Sandra Wong will give a lecture about disparities in cancer care and how healthcare reform may be making them worse. WHO: Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine WHEN: Today from 3 to 4 p.m. WHERE: NCRC Building 16 Room 266C CORRECTIONS In a previous verison of the article “In Taylor’s first meeting as mayor, council approves winter shelter,” the article incorrectly attributed a proposed amendment to Councilmember Steven Kunselman (D—Ward 3). The amendment was proposed by Councilmember Chuck Warpehoski (D—Ward 5). l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.

on the state and federal level. In 1989, in Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that protection against sex discrimination, as outlined in Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Acts, also encompassed the concept of sex stereotyping — discriminating against individuals because they were perceived to not conform with traditional stereotypes for their gender. Though the case did not include a transgender plaintiff, two federal appeals courts have employed its precedent in cases that directly reference gender identity and expression protections. One of those courts was the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals — which includes Michigan in its jurisdiction — when it ruled in favor of a transgender plaintiff in 2004 for Smith v. City of Salem. This means that, as of 10 years ago, it is possible to sue for transgender protections under sex discrimination in federal courts in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. It is also true that, in 2012, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found in the case of Macy v. Holder that discrimination on the basis of gender expression or identity is included in Title VII’s protections against sex discrimination. The EEOC is the federal agency charged with enforcing laws against employment discrimination, litigating and investigating on behalf of individuals whose claims they deem valid. Broadly, the 2012 decision means that if the EEOC receives a claim of discrimination from a transgender individual, they are now able to pursue it under the mandate against sex discrimination nationwide.

head about my life. I started taking all the right classes recently. I’m just an idiot and getting a late start. I literally have nothing else to tell you. I’m not proud of anything I am saying right now or could say. OK, how do you spend your day? I don’t know how I spend my day. I go to class, I don’t know. On the most perfect Saturday of your life, what would happen? (Fake sobs.) Can I go on a rant on how much I love the Beach Boys? — RACHEL PREMACK

THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY

1

An Iowa man was arrested by Secret Service Wednesday after they discovered that his vehicle, parked near the White House, contained numerous weapons, USA Today reported. Agents could not identify what the man’s plans were in D.C.

2

Arizon Attorney General Thomas Horne has filed suit against General Motors, The New York Times reported. Horne claims the automaker defrauded consumers in his state of around $3 billion.

In an e-mail follow-up, Bolger spokesman Ari Adler noted several legal citations for the Speaker’s position, namely both the 1989 Hopkins Supreme Court decision and the 2012 EEOC Macy decision, along with several cases in the Sixth Circuit, starting with 2004 Smith. Law Prof. Samuel Bagenstos said there is set precedent on the federal level because of cases like Smith and Macy. He noted, however, that overall precedent on the issue is still developing, leaving uncertainty about what may eventually be determined by a higher court. Fewer than 10 district courts and one appeals court across the country have also ruled in favor of including the protections. That’s a small chunk of the 94 district courts and 13 appeals courts, which would rule on the issue. Moreover, the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to rule on the issue. “There is a series of cases that do this — it is, as I said, a trend that’s moving forward,” Bagenstos said. “It’s not entirely certain which way the courts are going to ultimately go on these questions.” But the most immediate lack of clarity for Michigan plaintiffs lies in what that evolving discussion on inclusion at the federal level means for the state courts, who currently have no precedent set specifically for offering gender identity and expression protections under sex discrimination. These are also the rulings that most directly impact ELCRA, the act currently being discussed for amendment by legislators. While state courts can be aware of federal precedent, such

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The Arts section examines the University’s ice carving team and gives a preview of this season’s MUSKET performance, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fletcher Street.” >> FOR MORE, SEE B-SIDE

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as that set in the Sixth Circuit, they are not obligated to follow it. Whether the EEOC will represent a certain group in court also is not binding to state or federal precedent. Trial lawyer Deborah Gordon, former president of the Labor & Employment Council of the State Bar of Michigan, said that, in her experience, the EEOC is ahead of the courts when it comes to these kinds of issues. “If (Bolger) is talking about an EEOC advisory, or something the EEOC has ruled, that and a dollar will get you a candy bar,” Gordon said. “I mean, the only thing that matters in court is cases from judges.” In further explanation of Bolger’s position, Adler noted several state cases that set precedent for gender stereotyping to be covered under sex discrimination — for instance, a man who identifies as male but does not act “masculine enough” being rejected for housing. Now, in Michigan, a case in which that definition is extended to a transgender person must occur in order to set precedent that ELCRA applies to gender identity and expression. This is similar to the path cases took on the federal level to set precedent, but Adler acknowledged that no state cases as of yet have directly concerned transgender plaintiffs. Bolger is confident that the state courts would adopt the federal stance and wasn’t concerned about any uncertainty, Adler confirmed. However, both Croson and Gordon said the lack of precedent in state courts does not ensure success for the transgender plaintiffs seeking gender identity and expression protections.

“In order for (the transgender plaintiff’s) claim to be protected under Michigan law, Michigan courts would have to adopt the same reasoning as the Sixth Circuit has adopted, which it has not yet done,” Croson said. “Will it do that? I do not know. So for the Speaker to assume that sex (discrimination) under Elliott-Larsen would have the same meaning as the case law as it’s been developed in the Sixth Circuit, I think is a stretch.” Croson noted that Michigan courts haven’t necessarily been active in declining to adopt the Sixth Circuit’s reasoning; rather, it’s not an issue that’s been addressed. “I’ve never seen a case on it,” she said. “They haven’t rejected it, they haven’t adopted it. It hasn’t — as far as I can tell, under Michigan law, it hasn’t been an issue.” Bagenstos said overall, whether to go through the courts or to go through the legislature to add these types of protections is a question of political and legal strategy. However, he said existing precedent and case law don’t offer the same kind of protection direct legislative inclusion of gender identity and expression in ELCRA would. “There is a very substantial legal argument that the sex prohibition discrimination in existing laws do protect individuals who are discriminated against based on their gender identity, but it’s uncertain how the courts will ultimately rule,” he said. “The only way to be sure to provide protection to transgender individuals is to make clear in the law that the law prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.”

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CAMPAIGN From Page 1A to address sexual assault at their respective schools. Public Policy senior Laurel Ruza was approached through Generation Progress, a D.C.based organization that works with the White House to inspire social change, to organize the roundtables this week. She said she invited students from different organizations who were passionate about sexual assault awareness to help organize the event, including leaders from the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center and the Cen-

BAMN From Page 1A we’re going to help you out,’ ” Roquemore said. “By the time I was coming back to do my internship, they told me I could not come in and do the internship anymore.” She met with administrators in the School of Social Work again in July. “They basically told me that I was a liability to the campus and a risk to the campus, and until this is dismissed, I wasn’t going to be allowed to do my internship anymore,” she said. “University of Michigan School of Social Work has created unnecessary hardship for me by getting in the way of my education. Right now, you probably wouldn’t even know about this story if they had just allowed me to finish my internship. I would’ve graduated already and I would already be working.” In that meeting — which Roquemore’s mother, a graduate of the School of Social Work, attended — Roquemore said administrators told her they were “standing by some kind of policy, which they never sent me in writing.” In a follow-up e-mail sent Oct. 2, Mike Spencer, associate dean of educational programs, reached out to Roquemore regarding her pending case after By Any Means Necessary — a national coalition fighting for affirmative action, immigration rights and general equality — began advocating on Roquemore’s behalf. The group speaks on campus frequently and protested Roquemore’s case outside the School of Social Work Nov. 12. “It was our understanding that we agreed that we would pursue a return to your field placement once there is a resolution to your case, which I believe is coming up very soon,” Spencer wrote. “Our understanding was also that you wished to return to your former field placement, but that you understood that they could not have you at the agency while your case was pending. Would you like to discuss this further with us? If so, please let me know and we will schedule a meeting. I know this is a difficult time for you and I wish you the best in your upcoming court case. If you have any updates, that would be useful to know.” Roquemore said she felt her suspension alone was wrong and that the underlying message of the e-mail was unfair. She said the case may take a while to be resolved in court and her education should not be impeded when the charges against her have not been proven true. “It’s really an unfair practice that they’re doing,” she said. “I’m innocent until proven guilty. I haven’t even seen a day in court, and they decided to take my education in their own hands and stop me from completing (it). It’s so unreal right now that this has happened … this didn’t have to go this way.” The unspecified policy Roquemore spoke of may refer to the Social Work School’s Student Code of Academic and Professional Conduct as well as its terms for removal from field placement. According to the code of conduct, “Generally, unacceptable professional misconduct refers to behavior that calls into question a student’s ability or fitness to practice as a professional social worker. Students are expected to adhere to the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics which is hereby incorporated under these policies and procedures and to the policies

tral Student Government. “It’s very purposefully not affiliated with an organization,” Abudaram said. “A huge issue like sexual assault on campus can’t just be addressed by one organization on campus or one group of people. We want to address the issue as holistically as possible.” The students at the roundtables hoped to work with the University administration to enact the changes they discussed. Ideas included providing consistent sexual assault education throughout a student’s time at the University, modifying the Student Sexual Misconduct Policy to be more proactive in preventing incidents and improving training for residential advisers and Uni-

and procedures of the student’s fieldwork site.” One of the “major offenses” listed as a violation of this code is “criminal activity.” The term does not specify whether “activity” refers pending cases or charges, decided court cases or both. Furthermore, the policy for removing a student from field placement appears to be somewhat discretionary. The policy reads, “The Field Faculty has ultimate responsibility for decisions related to the student’s placement. At any point in the field placement, the field instructor or Field Faculty can request immediate removal of the student from the fieldwork site … should they deem that continuing the student seriously places at risk the quality of the services delivered to clients and/or the reputation of the fieldwork site.” Roquemore added that she felt the actions taken by the Social Work School constituted institutionalized racism. Touting this alleged injustice, members of BAMN gathered outside the school Nov. 12 to protest what they said was Roquemore’s wrongful suspension from field work. The group, along with Roquemore herself, carried signs and chanted a number of slogans, including, “This racist school has got to pay, Ta-Kara has shown the way.” Some signs compared her case to that of former Michigan kicker Brendan Gibbons, who was also a Social Work student, seeking to parallel the treatment of a white student accused of sexual assault to her situation and asking whether both students were evaluated by the same standards. Elizabeth H. Voshel, associate clinical professor of social work and director of field instruction, said in a phone interview that she could not comment on Roquemore’s case, adding that “We (at the School of Social Work) imminently strive to help all our students be successful.” University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said he was aware of Wednesday’s protest but, like Voshel, could not comment on “an individual situation,” nor could he speak to the meetings that Roquemore said she had with administrators from the Social Work School. Fitzgerald did, however, confirm in an e-mail that Roquemore is still an “active U-M graduate student,” adding that “the staff at Social Work very much want to work with her.” Roquemore’s pending case pertains to an incident the night before Thanksgiving of last year. Roquemore was at her mother’s Ypsilanti home with a friend, Dalia Kenbar, when a social worker from Children’s Protective Services and a couple of police officers knocked on the door. The social worker, Roquemore said, had an ex parte, a court order that allows for government officials to take custody of a child if a judge is shown that “serious harm will occur if an order is not entered before the other party has the opportunity to respond,” according to the Michigan legislature’s website. Roquemore said she was reluctant to let the worker and accompanying police officers into the house, because the ex parte order was written for Kenbar’s address, not Roquemore’s mother’s house. Regardless, Roquemore said, she was confident that her friend’s child was not in imminent danger. She said the police then forced themselves into her mother’s home, and she claims the police aggressively pushed her around before

News versity Police. “You don’t realize how powerful you are,” said Law student Nikita Mehta. “We are the University of Michigan, and we’re the ones who can make the changes.” Throughout the week, students were split into small groups to share their thoughts, and facilitator presented the group’s ideas to the rest of the participants. Many of the discussions focused on the success of firstyear programs like Relationship Remix, which teaches students skills related to consent, and the need to host similar classes for students of all ages. “We need to continue sexual assault prevention education throughout our college careers,”

ultimately taking her friend’s child. Bob Wheaton, acting manager of communications for the state’s Department of Human Services, said in an e-mail interview that CPS does, at times, remove children from a home other than the parent’s home: “If we didn’t do that, parents could avoid court orders.” This can be done only after CPS “substantiates abuse or neglect,” he said, finding that “removal is the best course of action.” At this point, only once the local court grants a petition to do so can action be carried out. Wheaton added that he could not speculate about the application of these rules to the case of Roquemore’s friend. Roquemore also noted that CPS had taken away one of her friend’s children before, but said Kenbar’s circumstances were quite different in the previous case. “The police feel like I obstructed justice that night by getting in the way of the door (and) telling them that they weren’t going to take my friend’s baby,” she said. “I wanted to protect my friend’s baby. They had no real basis for being there that night.” Although she was arrested, Roquemore said, she was not charged at the time. Days later, on Dec. 2, Detroit’s ABC affiliate broadcasted a story about the incident. In the segment, Kenbar’s attorney said CPS failed to investigate and evaluate Kenbar’s living situation before seizing custody of her infant. Furthermore, the CPS investigator said in court that nothing appeared to be wrong with the home when Kenbar’s child was taken. Only six months after the fact, Roquemore said, did police charge her with obstruction of justice and resisting arrest, which sparked the suspension of her field work and has led to subsequent outcry from Roquemore and BAMN. Jose Alvarenga, a BAMN national organizer who helped organize the Nov. 12 protest, said the organization became aware of Roquemore’s story at a BAMN tribunal session held last semester to address racism on campus. “It’s not justified at all to condemn her as a criminal before she even had a single day in court to present her case,” Alvarenga said. “(The School of Social Work) is doing to her the complete opposite of what a school that stands for social justice should be doing.” In addition to mobilizing the protest, Alvarenga and other local members of BAMN encouraged students to “pack the courtroom” to support Roquemore at her first hearing Nov. 18, which took place in the Washtenaw County Courthouse at 415 W. Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti. There, one of BAMN’s lawyers, Shanta Driver, represented Roquemore. Roquemore also said Driver will represent her if the University does not allow her to complete her internship, although she did not provide a timeline for this potential litigation. Kate Stenvig, another BAMN national organizer who said she works closely with Driver, echoed this statement. “She should’ve graduated already … (the University is) saying, ‘Oh we’re willing to work with you,’ but they’re sending those e-mails to calm down the situation and make it seem like they’re offering her back her internship,” Stenzig said. “But they’re not, they’re saying, ‘We’re not going to work with you on this until all your court hearings are over.’ That’s the problem.”

Ruza said “There was an overall consensus that we need to do better on that.” Students also hoped the University would enact proactive policies to prevent sexual assault on campus, rather than only react when an incident happens. “A lot of focus is definitely trying to get the University to have a sexual misconduct policy very much geared towards and focused on the survivor,” Abudaram said. “We want to make sure there is more of a focus on providing as many resources as possible to the survivor and making sure that survivors know what those resources are, as well as just making sure that in the end you end up with justice.”

Thursday, November 20, 2014 — 3A

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TEDX From Page 1A “It’s interesting in that example that that sort of thing isn’t feminine, but yet as you get older women are expected to know selfdefense,” Partlan said. All of the attendees at the table pointed to middle school as a time in their lives when they felt that they had to conform to traditional female standards of beauty and practice. “I hate pink, I’ve always hated pink, and for some reason in middle school I wore pink,” said Public Policy junior Becca Manery. “I straightened my hair, and it was just things that I haven’t done since then and didn’t do before then.” “Everyone is going through some big changes, and everyone’s so sensitive to how everyone else perceives them, and I feel like it was a time when even if people weren’t saying anything to me, I was perceiving what other people were doing and I was copying them.” Attendees described how in elementary school the competition they experienced was often between boys and girls to prove their superiority over the other gender. But after middle school, the girls said that they felt the most competition with other girls. Several discussed the name-calling and shaming that occurred in their high schools. “We’re all products of our social environments,” said alum Colleen Smythe, addressing her high school experience. “Just the idea that you pick this ‘right’ way to be a woman and shame everyone else who supposedly isn’t that.” Other women described an internal struggle between doing stereotypically feminine things, such as wearing makeup and dressing up, while still being against objectification. Several attendees also noted feeling that they need to look good for boys while maintaining feminist ideals. A fundamental question of the discussion was whether they were spending time on make-up and outfits because they wanted to or because they felt it was a requirement. “Are they doing it because of gender norms or are they doing it because they want to?” Maner said. “They should be able to do what they want to do, and I shouldn’t have any power in judging them for it, whatever their motive is, but it’s hard to distinguish even for myself.”

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LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. BELIEVE US. WE’RE GREAT. COUNCIL From Page 1A tion of Monday night’s meeting. Seto said Michigan State Police will conduct an investigation to look into the issue further. “My priority as your Chief of Police must be to ensure a complete and unbiased investigation is conducted,” Seto said. “This is essential to maintain the community’s confidence and trust.” At the Ann Arbor City Council meeting Monday, councilmembers discussed how to improve the transparency after altercations and encounters between police officers and citizens. Councilmember Sumi Kailasapathy (D–Ward 1), the council liaison to the city’s Human Rights Commission, expressed the Commission’s concerns to the Council Monday night. “While they are patient about waiting to hear what the Michigan State Police has in terms of collecting additional information, they do want a policy discussion and evaluation,” Kailasapathy said. Councilmember Jack Eaton (D–Ward 4) said he supported the Human Rights Commission’s take on the issue and for Council to review police procedures. The Human Rights Commission was established in 1957 to oversee civil and human rights

for Ann Arbor citizens. The nine members of the commission are elected by the Council. “We need to use this incident as a reason to review our policies,” Eaton said. According to Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor, after the Michigan State Police establishes the facts, the case will go to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s office to be reviewed, which is the standard procedure for a police shooting. “It ensures that the deceased, the officers and the community have a painstaking, independent and professional consideration of the events,” Taylor said. In response to several public comments regarding the shooting, Taylor thanked the public Monday night for its commitment to finding out the details of the shooting. “Ann Arborites are committed to seeing a fair and thorough investigation completed,” Taylor said. Councilmember Stephen Kunselman (D–Ward 3) said he would like to see the results of the investigation before the public passes judgment on the incident, though he recognizes the public’s interest in them. “I, as an elected official, will not kowtow to those kind of demands that treat our police officers as if they did something wrong first,” Kunselman said.


Opinion

Page 4A — Thursday, November 20, 2014

Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com PETER SHAHIN EDITOR IN CHIEF

MEGAN MCDONALD and DANIEL WANG EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS

KATIE BURKE MANAGING EDITOR

Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.

in love with the game. Tradition has been built at Michigan because it’s fun to go to games and cheer on our team. Sports are fun. Football at the Big House is fun. So on Saturday, bundle up, scream until you lose your voice, take advantage of the deals that we’ll get (it’s fan appreciation day on Saturday!) and enjoy the day with a stadium with your friends, family and fellow Wolverines. Let’s make Saturday about the football team, especially the seniors. Earlier this semester, FSAC members had the opportunity to

The ‘U’ must maintain student-athlete academic integrity espite increasing skepticism from the general public, the NCAA claims to hold “the pursuit of excellence in both academics and athletics” as a core value of its institution. The NCAA prides itself on being an organization with the students’ best interests in mind above all else. Although the NCAA generates massive amounts of revenue each year — in 2013 it generated a total revenue of $913 million — it still classifies itself as a nonprofit organization with a commitment to academics.

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Ninety percent of the money brought in comes predominantly from the Division I men’s basketball March Madness tournament, through television marketing and ticket sales. Of the revenue generated by the NCAA, nearly 60 percent is directly distributed to Division I programs, with $120 million going towards grants-in-aid and $60 million in funding for student assistance. By paying the athletes’ tuition, the NCAA appears to be giving the athletes an education; however, in reality it is buying the organization the workers it needs at a discount price and does not give the student-athletes the benefits they would receive if they were employees, such as overtime and promise of safety. Forbes magazine reported that “The typical Division I college football player devotes 43.3 hours per week to his sport — 3.3 more hours than the typical American work week.” The NCAA restricts weekly athletic activities to taking up no more than 20 hours, but because this rule is not enforced, colleges do what they can to take their athletic programs to the next level. Most other colleges follow suit to remain competitive, even though the safety and academics of their student-athletes are put at risk. The schedules created by the NCAA suggest a tacit disregard for student-athlete education. It has been estimated that the students on teams that make it to the Final Four miss a 24.2 percent of the semester’s classes, and that is for the tournament alone. The NCAA may give the athletes an opportunity for an education, but if they are only learning a fraction of what other students learn, exactly how much is an athlete’s education worth? On the first day of winter semester last year, the University’s men’s basketball team was in Nebraska. This caused them to miss the first day of class, without significant ramifications. This comes while non-athlete students risk losing their seat should they miss the first day. The apparent emphasis on athletics over academics in the nation’s universities has become clear in recent years. In 2008, a controversy arose at the University around retired Psychology Prof. John Hagen, who was accused of assisting student-athletes in maintaining eligibility by teaching independent study courses that were well below University standards of academic rigor. In Hagen’s courses, the student-athletes had an average GPA of 3.62, whereas their average in other classes was a 2.57. Some students were found to have spent only 15 minutes with Hagen every two weeks, but earned up to four credits for the class. Hagen taught 294 independent studies courses from Fall 2004 to Fall 2007, 251 of which were to studentathletes. After months of investigation, the allegations were dropped, but universities across the nation were left wondering about the academic rigor and standard of student-athletes. Last March, attention was drawn to the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when athletes received relatively high marks in regular, introductory classes. Paragraphlong final papers were given an A- on more than one occasion. An interview later discovered that athletes were encouraged to sign up for “paper classes,” classes with little work; later, they were guided into “easy” majors. Many student-athletes were not capable of keeping up with college academics. A UNC study showed 60 percent of football and basketball players at their school read between a fourth and eighth grade reading level. It’s not acceptable for universities to allow these students into an academic world for which they are not ready. This responsibility falls first to the NCAA to make sure that universities are compliant with the academic standards in admissions and throughout the college career of student-athletes. For an organization that prides itself on putting academics first, even the money the NCAA gives to students is focused solely on what the player can contribute to the team, not what they can contribute to the classroom. Most athletic scholarships are granted for one academic year at a time, and they are available to be renewed except in cases of extreme injury that prohibit the student’s athletic performance from meeting expectations. If education and player safety are the goals of the NCAA, then they wouldn’t tie student-athletes’ education directly to what they can give the athletic department, and thus, what they can give the NCAA. Universities will not change by themselves, and are stuck in this position the NCAA has put them in — with no room to act against the harsh conditions for fear of not remaining competitive with other schools. In order to keep up with other schools, universities will continue to push student-athletes as much as they can. Rules like academic standards and athletic boundaries were set for good reason, and only the NCAA can enforce them. It needs to take that first step. The NCAA needs to enforce the rules to protect not only the education of our studentfirst student-athletes, but also the integrity of our traditions. In a 2008 Michigan Daily interview, Bruce Madej, then University Athletic Department spokesman, said “Compliance has a big stake in each and every part of the Athletic Department. They look at academics as much as travel expenses and recruiting and all other aspects.” This is precisely the problem. When our students’ bus rides become as important as their educations, the system is flawed and in dire need of a change. The NCAA and universities are responsible for their athletes’ educations, and must provide ways to make sure student-athletes aren’t left behind. Student-athletes should be given the chance to succeed and get the most from their college education, while engaging in their respective sports.

FOOTBALL STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE | VIEWPOINT

Make Saturday count

To Our Fellow Wolverines: Throughout the semester, between studying for our exams, enjoying boneless Thursday deals at Buffalo Wild Wings and cheering on the football team, a group of 22 students, all football season-ticket holders, have met regularly with the University Athletic Department. With four representatives from each class, including graduate students and two members of the Central Student Government, the Football Student Advisory Council has served as a candid voice to the Athletic Department regarding students’ experiences at football games. We’ve helped make changes to how students experience game days. Our feedback played a role in lowering football season ticket prices and the free water at the Penn State game was our doing. We’ve also contributed to the discount on hot dogs available through the H.A.I.L. app, because who doesn’t love discounted hot dogs? Hot dogs, cheaper tickets and free water just skim the surface of the list of improvements

that FSAC has contributed to, and though they may make for a more positive student experience, the Athletic Department’s policies should not influence our student section game day environment. Our attitude determines whether or not we enjoy game day. As a student body, our attitude toward this upcoming football game is important. Saturday marks the last home game of the season, the last time we will walk through those hallowed gates into our house this year, and our attitude will dictate our experience of the game. So, let’s choose to put aside our critiques and complaints and make the matchup between Michigan and Maryland the best home football game atmosphere yet. Let’s make Saturday fun. The rich tradition surrounding Michigan football far surpasses any other collegiate football program, and that tradition includes having fun. Players spend hours every week at practice preparing for Saturdays because at some point they fell

meet with the football team leadership group. They voiced to us loud and clear that the student section matters to them. The first place they look after touching the banner is the student section. They notice how full it is when they run out of the tunnel, and they hear and respond to our cheers throughout the game. We make a difference. So, let’s do our part and support our boys in blue this Saturday. Let’s get to the game early to watch our seniors honored and to cheer on our team as they run out of the tunnel. Let’s stay for the whole game, sup-

port our team and be active participants in the victory over Maryland. We can make Saturday count. Our team needs one more win to be eligible for a post-season bid, and as students, we can do our part by cheering our team on to a victory at home for the last time this season. As students, we are Michigan and our presence at games makes a difference. As FSAC, we’re bringing our best to Saturday. Will you? This article was written by members of the Football Student Advisory Committee.

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

FROM THE DAILY

Athletics over academics

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

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 LAUREL FRICKER | VIEWPOINT

Winning the battle for blood

When I returned to campus for my sophomore year, my personal goal was that by the end of November, every single student as well as faculty and staff member on the University of Michigan’s campus would have heard the words “Blood Battle” at least once, and hopefully even know for what they stood. I am afraid I have not yet successfully completed my goal. Blood Battle is the annual competition hosted by the student organization Blood Drives United. It occurs in November between the University and Ohio State University to see which school can collect the most pints of blood. The University has won five out of the past six years and has an overall record of 19 wins, 12 losses and one tie during the competition’s 33-year history. However, without your help, that loss tally might become a 13 during the course of the next week. Appointment counts are extremely low, and every single pint matters, both in the competition and in terms of saving lives. Your pint of blood can save three lives, and if you were to donate every 56 days from the time you turned 17 until you reached 76 years old, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood, potentially helping save more than 1,000 lives. And as we are quickly approaching the holiday season, your pint is needed more than ever, as fewer people donate during these months. If I could donate more than once or even just show you how much passion the five of us Executive Officers

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of Blood Drives United have, I would in a heartbeat. We have been tirelessly promoting and organizing this competition for the past eight months, but there is only so much the five of us can do. We cannot donate the competition’s goal of 2,500 pints of blood ourselves — we desperately need you. There are only four blood drives left on campus to help us save lives and beat OSU. Make an appointment at redcrossblood.org with the sponsor code ‘goblue’ or just walk in and donate — and bring all of your friends! Also, all presenting donors receive a free T-shirt and buy-one-get-one Pizza House milkshake coupon. Please consider donating, and a huge thank you to those who already have. Do you bleed maize and blue? If so, help us beat OSU. Thursday Nov. 20 in the South Quad Game Room from 2-8 p.m. Thursday Nov. 20 in the Union Ballroom from 2-8 p.m. Friday Nov. 21 in the Hatcher Graduate Library Gallery from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Friday Nov. 21 in the Union Ballroom from 12-6 p.m. Need another reason to donate? Check out the short news piece from Local 4 about a girl who needs thousands of donors to donate blood on her behalf. Laurel Fricker is an LSA sophomore and an executive board member of Blood Drives United .

Empty promises

hile the front seats of my decrepit, immobile Pontiac Grand Prix often provided a venue for deep discussion, particular bits of conversations lately resurfaced in my mind. Within the car’s rust-encrusted confines, two dear friends divulged MELISSA secrets, expressed SCHOLKE future hopes and formed promises. The tall, good-natured shadow in the passenger seat frequently assured his anxious counterpart her worth and her academic ability weren’t intertwined. He promised she could trust the decisions she was making — even if they contradicted others’ expectations. He fervently suggested she cease fearing her own intuition. Likewise, the small shadow sitting cross-legged in the driver’s seat looked back at her friend and assured him the whispered judgments of close-minded people were worthless. Supportive, tolerant individuals — the soft-spoken shadow swore to him — aren’t a rarity in the world. She promised him once he left their little hometown — where archaic notions, indifference and homophobia were as frequent as the snowfall — everything would improve. She, with teary eyes, promised him minds and society were about to change. Of all the promises I’ve made, that particular statement is one I, regretfully, find myself continually questioning. The words — in formation — arise with full, idealistic conviction. Yet each time, the syllables wedge themselves in my throat before their shaky utterance. My words are well-intentioned when I try to offer support to my family and friends who identify as LGBTQ, but I know my attempts to empathize with my loved ones will never allow me to fully understand their struggles. Nor will my optimistic statements remedy the injustice they face. Likewise, I know they deserve far more than reassurance

and promises — especially the empty discrimination, the potential for ones they’ve been receiving from progress has met possible hindrancMichigan’s government. es. Currently, Michigan’s main antiA tumultuous legal battle — span- discrimination law doesn’t offer ning a mere matter of months — both any protections for LGBTQ citiignited and diminished the hopes of zens, but the proposed amendment the LGBTQ community and its allies. by state Rep. Frank Foster (R — St. At first, over 300 same-sex couples Ignace) would only offer protection were granted the long-overdue right to a subset of its intended commuto legally marry, but state Attorney nity. The amendment — while it General Bill Schuette quickly halted does include protections for sexual progress by issuing a stay — restrain- orientation — doesn’t include any ing any further marriages and mentions of “gender identity and forcing the Sixth Circuit Court of expression” in the language of the Appeals to assume jurisdiction of the legislation. Likewise, a possible case. Schuette’s appeal initiated the impediment to the overall goals of beginning of a tenuous and unneces- the amendment is found in pairing sary waiting game. An answer — in this piece of legislation with anoththe form of a 2-1 ruling by the Sixth er proposal — known as the MichiCircuit — was received earlier this gan Religious Freedom Restoration month. However, this decision com- Act — that would allow for “broad pletely unraveled the miniscule steps exemptions to federal laws if they taken by the state to ensure equal- conflict with an individual’s reliity for all citigious beliefs.” zens. Although Currently, the the two judges Until same-sex marriage University and who decided to select cities offer is legalized — without a protections for reinstitute the ban stated “the doubt — laws will continue sexual orientaquestion is not tion as well as to dictate whether an whether Amerigender identity can law will expression, individual can freely lead and allow gay coubut legislators the life they desire. ples to marry; it cannot expect is how and when members of the that will hapLGBTQ commupen,” Schuette on Nov. 14 further nity to confine themselves to a single demonstrated unwillingness to let city or move out of state if they want same-sex marriage occur by declar- to possess rights they’re wrongfully ing the marriages performed in denied in Michigan. Regretfully, March no longer exist. this is an option my friends and By issuing a filing stating: “From family members have considered a legal standpoint, because the mar- for the future. Even if proper antiriages rested solely on the district discrimination laws are eventucourt’s erroneous decision, which ally passed, it would only partially has now been reversed, it is as if eliminate discrimination. Until the marriages never existed and same-sex marriage is legalized — the Plaintiff’s request for benefits without a doubt — laws will continattendant to a legal marriage must ue to dictate whether an individual be denied,” Schuette retracted the can freely lead the life they desire. promise frequently echoed over the Michigan’s leaders must stop trypast few months by Snyder where ing to placate citizens by insinuathe reaffirmed the legality of these ing they’ll eventually receive basic marriages. Now with only the rem- human rights. Our friends and nants of a former promise to hold family deserve action, not more onto, LGBTQ couples are forced empty promises. to wait for action from the U.S. Supreme Court. — Melissa Scholke can be Even in the realm of preventing reached at melikaye@umich.edu.

ENJOY A GOOD ARGUMENT? LIKE CURRENT EVENTS? POLITICS? MICHIGAN? Check out The Michigan Daily’s editorial board meetings. Every Sunday and Wednesday at 6 p.m., the Daily’s opinion staff meets to discuss both University and national affairs and write editorials. E-mail opinioneditors@michigandaily.com to join in the debate.


Weekend Roundup

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Thursday, November 20, 2014 — 5A

HAPPY THANKSGIVING: From the Daily

CAMPUS

By Brad Whipple, Weekend Roundup Editor | Photo by Brad Whipple

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orget the cold and forget the stress, because only on thing matters: It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Whether or not Andy Williams is the one to tell you, it’s the truth. It’s the holiday season and that means turkey, eggnog and family. For those who didn’t make it home for Fall Break, like myself, this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Soon we’ll be in the comfort of our own homes, warming up beside the fire with the pets that we’ve missed for so long and promising never to leave (if only that were true). Home-cooked meals are being prepared as you watch “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” and the snow will slowly fall outside. The punch line: you don’t have any classes to walk to. There’s finally an excuse to relax and play on your Nintendo, read a book or catch a late-night movie. In my house, it is a tradition every year that my family sees a movie together after dinner. This year’s pick: “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part I.”

It’s the newest installment in the franchise, and if you’re not caught up, you’ve just found what you’ll be doing for the next few days. There are so many ways to enjoy this momentary break from the stress of projects, papers and professors. The break will fly by sooner than you realize, and you’ll be back on the doorstep of Mason Hall

before you know it. So yes, study for that final. And yes, catch up on some schoolwork. But my suggestion: hide your backpack, and don’t look at it until Sunday. We’ve been working hard for two months now, and it’s time to enjoy ourselves. Fill yourself so that you enter a food coma. If you don’t get to that point, you’ve

done Thanksgiving the wrong way. This is the one time of the year where we can eat an exorbitant amount of food that is typically frowned upon — no judgment now. There’s turkey, stuffing, yams, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. The list doesn’t even end there, though. Thanksgiving is truly a time to be thankful for the

good things in life. Oddly enough, it’s this underlying meaning that brought about the holiday in the first place, when the pilgrims put on a feast after a successful harvest in Plymouth nearly 400 years ago. Be thankful for the joys in life, because others may not have the same benefit. Don’t take what is given to you for granted, especially the meal you will share with your family a week from now. If you’re worried about coming back to reality when the holiday is over, don’t fret. Only 10 more days of class plus some finals, and we’re back at home for Winter Break. When the time comes, I’ll be sitting under a tree full of light and decorations, playing with my puppies while admiring the voice of Karen Carpenter. But even if there are 28 days standing between now and the end of the semester, one thing is for certain: I didn’t lie to you. It is indeed the most wonderful time of the year, and that is something to be thankful for.

T H E W E E K E N D R O U N D U P T H A N K S G I V I N G S TA F F P I C K S H U NG E R G A ME S: MOCKI NGJAY

VINCE GUARALDI TRIO

I N T H E AT E R S 1 1 / 2 1

By EMILIE PLESSET Weekend Roundup Editor There’s snow on the ground and that means one thing: winter is coming. However, before we embrace the frigid weather that we as Wolverines have come to know and tolerate, we still have one last game day to celebrate. Whether it’s your last game day as a student, or your last game day of freshman year, this is the time to rally and embrace your Wolverine pride. So while you’re bundled up under multiple layers of maize and blue spirit, here are some things you must do during the last game day of the season. If you don’t, you’ll have to wait another year.

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EAT

PIZZA WITH FRIENDS While I love pizza always, there’s something about gorging yourself on melted cheese and bread after a long day (morning) of tailgating. It’s almost tradition at this point that my friends and I get Bell’s Pizza for lunch every game day. In that moment when I’m

stuffing my face with pizza, I’ve literally tasted nothing better. Stopping for pizza is a great opportunity to recharge with your friends before cheering on the Wolverines in the Big House. GO TO THE GAME I know it’s cold. I am extremely aware that it is cold. However, there are a limited number of games to cheer on the team, the team, the team. This is your last opportunity until next year (or ever if you’re graduating). I know watching the game from your television while sipping hot chocolate sounds tempting, but nothing beats the rousing atmosphere of the Big House. Besides, this is a perfect opportunity to make use of the maize and blue

How to stay in perfect shape during the holidays By JESSE KLEIN

Weekend Roundup Contributor

Just when you think you have worked off all the Halloween candy, the real holiday feasting begins. Whether you are trying to look great in that New Year’s dress, impress your friends you haven’t seen since summer or just prove to your parents you didn’t gain the freshman 15, everyone has a reason to want to stay in shape over the next couple of months. The cold weather of November and December makes everyone want to nuzzle into pajamas and a snuggie. Working out becomes even more of a chore than it already was but it is possible, through the freezing temperatures and warm stuffing, to get some exercise in. WORKOUT INDOORS If you are like me and running in nice weather is unthinkable, doing it in negative degrees is pretty much impossible. But there

are tons of ways to work out indoors that aren’t running on a treadmill at the CCRB. Try a yoga class or a fitness class like Title Boxing. To avoid venturing out of your house into the cold, download a workout video and do a workout right in your room. Insanity or P90X can get your blood pumping within 10 feet of your bed. TRY A BIT OF EVERYTHING While most of us like to think that if we work out we can eat whatever we want, that isn’t how our bodies work. Weight loss begins in the kitchen, where you need to decide what to not delight yourself with. So even though it’s the holidays, consider portion sizes when allowing yourself a treat every now and then. There are so many good side dishes during the holidays and it’s easy to eat everything... but don’t! Have a taste of everything, but just a small spoonful. You won’t feel like you missed out, and you

won’t feel like you overate either. DON’T BINGE IT I’ll admit it, on Thanksgiving I usually don’t eat anything all day until my mom serves the turkey, but this isn’t the best way to keep your eating in check over the holidays. If you starve yourself all day you are more likely to overeat during the big meals. Eat breakfast, lunch and snacks throughout the day like you would normally so that when the fancy dinner comes, you will don’t overeat, but get enough to keep you full for quite some time. USE EXERCISE AS AN EXCUSE Need to get away from your mom’s prying questions about school and your major? How about your grandma’s insistence that “you should meet a nice boy/girl”? Use a trip to the gym to escape your relatives for a few hours this holiday season. Your mental health and your new toned body will thank you.

“Seussical” 6-8 p.m. Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre

Friday, 11/21 “Sweeney Todd”

8 p.m. Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre GO BLUE! Spirit Day

1-4 p.m. The Diag

Saturday, 11/22 Michigan Football vs. Maryland

3:30 p.m. The Big House

Men’s Glee Club Concert

8 p.m. Hill Auditorium

“Caroline, or Change”

2 p.m. Arthur Miller Theatre

Dance Marathon Therapy Fair

3:30-5 p.m. Sports Coliseum

to do on the www.michigandaily.com last game day

DANCE ON A LEDGE This is fun. I don’t know how you could go through a football Saturday without dancing on some kind of elevated surface. Embrace this last weekend of football tailgating and have fun with your friends. Jump on a ledge and forget about your impending finals. Make sure you take a picture while you’re up there.

Thursday, 11/20

Sunday, 11/23

THANKSG I VI N G T HE M E

3 THINGS

EVENTS

Classifieds

Thanksgiving Dinner

5-8 p.m. Trotter Multicultural Center

Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com

RELEASE DATE– Thursday, November 20, 2014

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

PARKING

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 122-square-mile republic 6 Three or four, say 10 Incise with acid 14 Voiced 15 Racing sled 16 Mozart’s “__ fan tutte” 17 Office evaluations 19 Industrialist who’s had his ups and downs? 20 Plenty 21 Syncopated work 22 Fla. neighbor 23 Posh Riviera residence 29 Peaceful harmony 31 “Bravo!” relative 32 Tied (to) 33 Riga native 34 Bamboozle 36 Damage, so to speak 37 Mischievous ones hiding in plain sight in 17-, 23-, 46- and 58Across 40 Acute 41 Troubadour’s offerings 42 Sinus docs 43 Western treaty gp. 44 One in a sports page column 45 Art print, briefly 46 “That’s my general impression” 50 Wear (through) 51 Huffington Post parent co. 52 Whiskey choices 56 “Sea Change” musician 58 Summer venue where kids can clown around? 61 Seize 62 Pen sound 63 Part of a TV signal 64 Milquetoast 65 Pine for 66 False __

3 Gray wolf 4 Becomes even more charming, say 5 Org. promoting water fluoridization 6 Police profile datum 7 Spore producers 8 Custard component 9 Broncos wide receiver Welker 10 USDA inspector’s concern 11 Gross figure 12 CBS series set in a lab 13 Presley’s “(Marie’s the Name) __ Latest Flame” 18 Serving aid 22 Street sign abbr. 24 Words to a traitor 25 Seals the fate of 26 First name in jazz 27 On a smaller scale 28 Home security letters 29 Orioles, e.g., briefly 30 Buildings from a plane, metaphorically

34 City northwest of Detroit 35 “A hot temper leaps __ a cold decree”: Shakespeare 36 Butcher’s offering 38 Worms, perhaps 39 Actor Dullea 40 Showy carp 44 Moisten 45 Ripsnorter 47 Does some gardening

48 Incredible stories 49 ’90s White House cat 53 When tripled, a story shortener 54 Muslim dignitary 55 Pal of Rover 56 Incidentally, in textspeak 57 __ de parfum 58 Kin of org 59 Trio on Big Ben 60 Sweden-based carrier

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Sports

6A — Thursday, November 20, 2014

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Freshmen development slow, steady Wile, Hagerup make FOOTBALL

major improvements

By LEV FACHER Daily Sports Editor

John Beilein knows what it’s like to run a group of inexperienced freshmen through a gauntlet of training, drills and offensive sets in preseason practice, and he knows what it looks like when everything comes together. This year might be different, though, as Beilein is dealing with six true freshmen, a redshirt freshman and a transfer. Installing Michigan’s offense with such a large contingent of newcomers is a process, and it’s not going as quickly as it has in years past. “They’re sometimes perfect with what they do, and maybe they miss the shot or the ball slips out of their hands,” Beilein said. “There are other times they’re on tape delay.” Though Beilein is confident the results will come, it’s apparent they haven’t yet. His true freshmen accounted for just nine points and three assists in the 24th-ranked Wolverines’ 77-53 win over Bucknell on Monday night. In that game, the first-years let the scoring duties slide to sophomore forward Zak Irvin and senior forward Max Bielfeldt, the latter of whom finished with a career-high 18 points — half of which came on 3-point shots nobody in the building expected him to take. But Bielfeldt’s night may have distracted from the fact that Michigan (2-0) has yet to see substantial offensive contributions from its freshman class, which Beilein says hasn’t yet mastered his complex offense. However, Beilein isn’t worried that the freshmen will simply be content to sit back and watch the veterans shoulder the load.

By GREG GARNO Managing Sports Editor

TERESA MATHEW/Daily

Forward Kameron Chatman has started at the ‘4,’ but his strong defense was overshadowed by an inconsistent jumper.

He even cited freshman development as a reason he kept Bielfeldt on the sidelines for all of Saturday’s game against Hillsdale, in which redshirt freshman forward Mark Donnal played 26 minutes, and freshman forwards Ricky Doyle and D.J. Wilson played nine minutes each. Sophomore guard Derrick Walton Jr., just a year removed from being in the same situation, is optimistic. “Last year, around this time, I wasn’t really involved in the offense,” Walton said after Monday’s game. “You’re still kind

of learning it. The only thing we can do is keep bringing them on, and keep teaching them as much as possible. As the season goes on, you’ll see a big improvement out of them.” Walton added that it wasn’t until the end of nonconference play last season that the offense clicked for him. Michigan’s first Big Ten game is Dec. 30 against Illinois. Complicating matters is the remarkable positional versatility of the freshman class. Instead of a crop of youngsters locked into specific spots on the court,

“You’ll see a big improvement.”

the Wolverines’ blessing and curse is that the freshmen likely to contribute most — Wilson and fellow freshman forward Kameron Chatman, in particular — are capable of playing up to four positions. Michigan’s already-crowded backcourt leaves little room for the freshmen to appear at guard or even small forward, making their roles more fluid. But wherever they play, the Wolverines need to understand their role within Beilein’s system. When they have multiple roles, understanding each one becomes all the more difficult. “It’s not pretty when they get time, sometimes,” Beilein said. “But they’re getting better, believe it or not.”

Ten games ago, you likely wouldn’t have believed punter Will Hagerup and placekicker Matt Wile would be two of the Michigan football team’s most consistent players. You still might not believe it. But as they head into their final home game, the two seniors have quietly delivered when called upon — all the more crucial as they fight for a berth in a bowl game. Wile has made the most noticeable jump from the beginning of the season, when he was close to being replaced. After he went 1-for-4 in the first two games, Wile has since made all but two of his 13 field goals — and both of the misses were blocked. “I think Matt had a couple issues early, as we know, but I think (it’s) the way he’s bounced back,” said Michigan coach Brady Hoke. Mainly, Wile struggled from the right hash, the location from where he missed all three of his kicks early on. But since then, he has made every one from that location, which he chalked up to repetition. Now, he’ll have to compensate for something besides the location of the ball: the weather. “It’ll be more difficult to stay warm on the sideline, but I was able to stay warm against Iowa last year (when the game-time temperature was 18 degrees),” Wile said. “I guess I usually just go into the game and go, ‘Oh, I have to kick this.’ ” Hagerup, on the other hand, has only improved recently, but few performances were more

important than his most recent contest against Northwestern. Against the Wildcats, he placed three punts inside the 20, including one right on the oneyard line. His last punt of the game pinned Northwestern deep in its own zone, forcing it to use more time in a game that came down to the very last seconds. “The one thing with Will — probably his biggest weakness — is what they used to call the coffin corner kicks and those kind of things,” Hoke said. “But I think he’s really improved in that style. … He’s really gone out and worked at it, because that wasn’t something as of a year ago that he really tried to do.” His drop-and-kick style has become more consistent since he struggled to find hang time and distance on punts in games against teams such as Minnesota and Michigan State. “He was kind of old school in how he was mentored and trying to hit the coffin corner,” Hoke said. “Well, I think he’s really gone to work improving on the style using the technique he’s using now.” Added Hagerup: “I’ve helped the team with field position, but I think there are games where I did not play up to my expectations.” Both Hagerup and Wile’s contributions could be all the more important, as Michigan’s offense still struggles to find the end zone. The Wolverines have stalled right in the range within the 35- and 45-yard lines, which forces Wile to make a longer kick or Hagerup to accurately place a short punt. And thankfully for the offense, the people bailing it out are playing their best.

Arnone, Grinwis turn eyes toward professional career By WESLEY ROMAN Daily Sports Writer

The end of the Michigan men’s soccer team’s season may have signaled the conclusion of distinguished Michigan careers for goalkeeper Adam Grinwis and midfielder Tyler Arnone, but, if it all goes to script, the duo’s soccer careers will just be starting. Over the next few weeks, the two fifth-year seniors will embark on the difficult journey to become professional soccer players. “I’d prefer the MLS because I follow the league, and obviously I love living and playing here in the U.S.,” Arnone said. “But I’m not opposed to going abroad.” It surely will be a difficult process to start, but they’ve been laying the foundation for the past four years. *** Grinwis and Arnone began their Michigan soccer careers together — as sophomores. Both redshirted their freshman years — Arnone transferred in from St. John’s — but when they finally began playing in 2011, they made instant impacts. From the first game, Arnone was installed as a starter in the center of the midfield, and he thrived in his first season in Ann Arbor. The Hicksville, New York native started all 20 matches, scored twice and was named to the Big Ten AllFreshman Team. Meanwhile, Grinwis also fought his way into a major role and emerged as the Wolverines’ first-choice goalkeeper, a title he would not relinquish for the next three years. “I’d like to think that I helped bridge the gap for the new guys coming in to try and teach them the ways of the University of Michigan,” Grinwis said, “while also trying to be a good player for (Michigan coach Chaka Daley).” Though the team as a whole didn’t match their individual successes — the duo didn’t win

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Goalkeeper Adam Grinwis said he’d like to play professionally in the U.S.

one regular- or post-season trophy — the program now seems poised for future success. It seems likely that better recruits and more time under Daley will lead to the creation of a perennial contender in Ann Arbor. “Even though we didn’t win any trophies while I was here,” Arnone said, “I think we were the building blocks of something special.” *** MLS scouts view college soccer performances and accomplishments as an important part of a résumé, but there are other factors to consider. To increase exposure, both Arnone and Grinwis have trained with MLS teams for the past few summers. These opportunities have proven invaluable for both the players and the MLS teams, which can see firsthand how they measured up. Getting up to speed has meant sacrificing what could have been their postseason break. Even

with the early winter weather, on most days you can find the Grinwis and Arnone working together in some capacity to get better physically and technically. * * * All of this work is building up to Jan. 15, the date of the MLS SuperDraft. Arnone thinks that, regardless of whether he receives an invitation to the MLS Combine, he has something special to offer to professional teams. “Some players focus mostly on attacking or defending,” Arnone said. “But I think I have a little something of both in my locker.” If the MLS doesn’t work out for the two, then they’ll turn their attentions to either the NASL if they want to remain domestically, or abroad. But until they are told otherwise, the duo will continue working as hard as they can to make their dream a reality. And just like the past four years, they’ll be working together.


the b-side B

The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, November 20, 2014

SOME LIKE IT COLD how the University’s ice carving team sculpted its path Surveying the Walden Pond that became the homestead for America’s great transcendentalist, Henry David Thoreau noted:

“The sweltering inhabitants of Charleston and New Orleans, of Madras and Bombay and Calcutta, drink at my well.” He wasn’t being metaphysical here — Frederic Tudor, colloquially named the “Ice King,” harvested ice from Walden Pond in the early 19th century, transporting ice for the first time — thereby revolutionizing the ordinary substance that lives cubed and un-pondered in our freezer. In the advent of its trade, block ice was a technological and commercial triumph: dozens of harvesters could be hired for months at a time, armed with horse ploughs and primitive toothy saws before transporting the blocks to cavernous storing houses where they were packed in sawdust and sent around the country.

NAPOLEAN, OHIO

X WALDEN POND

In 2014, the 40-inch blocks of ice that arrive at the Michigan Ice Carving Team are carved from much less poetic ground. They ship to the team’s unofficial headquarters in the Michigan League from a company in Napoleon, Ohio. Advancements in the ice industry mean that the 300-plus pound crystalline slabs are about $50 per block; they are also completely clear and free of impurities. The Michigan Ice Carving Team is a decade old, but over the last three years has enjoyed an increase in both team size and recognition. Under its current president, Engineering junior James Hamet, the team has grown exponentially. “When I joined the team there were only a handful of people and now we have over 30 people,” he said. However it still surprises people that the University even has an ice carving team. After all, there is a certain mystique to the practice itself. Ice carving seems daunting to the uninitiated — not only are you working against the thermodynamic clock, but your tools are a chainsaw and a plethora of vaguely menacing objects with thick cables and sharp teeth, not exactly instruments that are user-friendly. And of course ice sculpture has extinction built into its code: stallions ebb into harmless foals, the wings of angels recede into inchoate stubs. But as the saw goes, the medium is the message, and ice’s ephemeral quality is embedded in the art. According to carvers, when working with such a volatile substance the trick to ice carving isn’t THE MICHIGAN mastering the ice, but complying with it. LEAGUE “It’s kind of a beautiful thing, if you make mistakes, the mistakes melt away,” Hamet said. “If you do details, they’ll be jagged at first, but they smooth out over time. We even blast the sculptures with a blow-torch afterwards, because you want them to melt, that’s how they get the perfect shine.” And, as it turns out, the enemy of ice carving isn’t even melting but cracking. Because of a phenomenon called differential expansion, when a high-temperature power-saw comes in contact with a recently removed block of ice, the warmer exterior of ice expands faster than its icy center. The result is hairline cracks that threaten the stability of the sculpture and its clear appearance. To prevent this, the team lets the ice stand in room temperature for around an hour before carving, called tempering.

by Catherine Sulpizio, Daily Arts Writer DESIGN BY SHANE ACHENBACH AND ANJALI ALANGADEN


the b-side

2B — Thursday, November 20, 2014

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

NETFLIX PIX

STYLE COLUMN

The problem with ‘plus-sized’

A

couple of weeks ago, the internet was in a fury — as it usually is — about Calvin Klein’s newest model, Myla Dalbesio. In the “Perfectly Fit” campaign, Dalbesio poses as Calvin Klein underwear models typically do: in her underERIKA wear. It HARWOOD wasn’t until her interview with Elle magazine where they described the size-10 model as “plus-sized” that everyone on the Internet came out in hordes, wielding their fiery fingertips against their keyboards. More recently, size-16 model Candice Huffine has been added to the roster of women included in the 2015 Pirelli calendar. For the unfamiliar, the Pirelli calendar is highly exclusive, not only in its distribution, but for its choice of photographers and models. In short: it’s a big fucking deal to be a part of it. I’m not going to pretend that I have something groundbreaking to add to the narrative of “plussized” models in the fashion industry. A lot, maybe too much, has already been said on the topic. By doing a simple Google search of the women or companies above, views on the matter are ubiquitous and very, very loud. The debate over the term “plus-sized” has been around longer than I’ve been interested in fashion. Issues like who can be defined as plus-sized and whether or not the term should even be accepted into the indus-

try’s vocabulary are constantly part of the dialogue. New pseudoscandals regarding the size of female models pop up a few times each year. They’re too skinny, they’re too fat, they’re not thin enough to be high fashion, they’re not big enough to be plus-sized. It’s the constant discussion that will never go away, but dear god I wish it would. This column is in no way an attempt to make some poignant statement about the topic of weight in fashion, and believe me, I’d be the last person interested in reading the thoughts of a selfrighteous undergrad on basically anything. Sadly, I pretty much am a self-righteous undergrad and I have a few grievances to air. Body image is a nuanced concept that we’re constantly trying to generalize; models must be skinny, athletes must be bulky, Renée Zellweger’s face must always look like Renée Zellweger’s face circa 2003. Unfortunately (and maybe this is my inner-cranky grandma speaking), we live in a time of heightened self-importance, where every thought is entertained with a “like” or a “favorite” and dignified with additional comments of support or fervent disapproval. Calvin Klein never described Myla Dalbesio as a plus-sized model, and they shouldn’t have. The more we see different kinds of women in magazines, on billboards, walking down runways with no qualifiers, the faster it will become “normal.” Elle made a mistake by labeling Myla “plussized,” and not just because a size 10 isn’t actually “plus-sized” — but because they shouldn’t have been labeling her in the first place. But even after they

took down the tweet with the erroneous adjective, people were still fueling the hell-storm with tweets, think-pieces and other fluffy bullshit that was shouting very loudly but saying close to nothing. Chrissy Teigen, another model who is no stranger to conversations about weight responded to the controversy by saying “I saw the photo, (Myla) looked beautiful — who cares?” and added that “the Internet is full of fake outrage.” Fake outrage that hinders the progress to the issue at hand. Dwelling on mistakes and continuing to point fingers isn’t going to make fashion a more accepting place. Applauding and supporting brands that strive for change, take risks and find beauty beyond the conventional will. Fashion is constantly evolving and changing its perceptions of beauty. There were the ’70s bombshells with teased, bleach blonde hair, the All-American girls of the ’80s and of course, the waify heroin chic models of the ’90s. As the concepts of beauty continue to be challenged — as they should — fashion will hopefully continue to become a more inclusive space. In an interview with “The Today Show,” Dalbesio expressed her excitement about being in the Calvin Klein campaign, saying she was “right alongside all of the other girls of varying shapes and sizes, and (Calvin Klein) didn’t make a fuss about it.” And neither should we.

Daily Arts Writers dig through recent Netflix releases to find the movies worth revisiting or discovering.

MIRAMAX

BBC

“Kill Bill”

“The Fall”

When I was 10 years old — yes, 10 years old — I convinced my parents to let me rent “Kill Bill Volume 1.” I didn’t know who Quentin Tarantino was, but I had an unshakable feeling I was going to like this movie. 11 years later, as I write this against a “Kill Bill” computer background (on a “Kill Bill” sticker-clad computer), I guess you can say I liked it a lot. And earlier this year, much to my exuberance, Netflix has finally added both titles to its streaming repertoire — the whole gory story. “Kill Bill” details The Bride’s (Uma Thurman, “Batman & Robin”) roaring rampage of revenge across its sprawling four hour running time. The first volume — a noholds-barred action epic — juxtaposes the quieter second volume — a cathartic, satisfying westerntinged climax. Tarantino might always be remembered for his genius 1994 directorial debut “Pulp Fiction,” or for his Academy Award-winning followups “Inglorious Basterds” and “Django Unchained,” but it’s “Kill Bill” that will always hold the primary cinematic piece of my heart. And what could be better than this cool, energetic, stylistic masterpiece just a few clicks away?

Jamie Dornan is soon to be a household name, if he’s not known already. The Irish-accented, darkscruffed, suit-and-tied star of the film adaptation of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” which comes out Feb. 13, is about to reach sex symbol status. So you are going to know him. But not for the right reasons. Unbeknownst to most, Dornan also starred in the barelyseen 2013 BBC series “The Fall,” alongside “The X-Files” star Gillian Anderson. The six episode first season follows Anderson as a hard-edged English investigator on the case of an Irish serial killer, whose chosen prey are young professional women. In a twist on the whodunnit trope, the first scene of the show reveals Dornan as Paul Spector, the killer, stalking and then attacking a young woman in her home. It’s a chilling scene that speaks to the greater themes in “The Fall” — the show is not interested in who is performing the murders, but developing the psychology behind Paul. Surprisingly eloquent and detailed, “The Fall” goes beyond classic law and order serials to develop a cast of flawed, potent characters. It’s Dornan at his best, regardless of how sexy of a Christian Grey he may be come February.

DISNEY

SHOWTIME

Harwood is self-righteous to a fault. To set her straight, e-mail erikacat@umich.edu.

“Cool Runnings”

“Californication”

As far as early to mid-’90s films go, “Cool Runnings” is royalty (“Heavyweights” is king, of course, but Netflix has yet to get the memo). Very loosely based on the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team, the film follows a group of young men from Jamaica as they train for the Winter Olympics with none other than Irv Blitzer (John Candy, “Uncle Buck”) at the helm. If you’re wondering if this movie still holds up compared to the last time you watched it, presumably in 1994, it does. And Doug E. Doug gives the performance of a lifetime. According to Wikipedia, “Cool Runnings” is also the last John Candy film to be released while he was alive, cementing its place among cinema’s best. The last time I watched it, I drank three to four Bud Light Limes, sat on my bed under my electric blanket and had the time of my life.

Like I do for most shows, I started watching “Californication” after it had already finished. I was perusing Netf lix one day, and I saw the image of Hank Moody with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. I cued up the first episode, and before I knew it, I was 12 episodes in. I’ll be the first to admit it: “Californication” isn’t a perfect show. It can be infantile, repetitive, casually misogynist and homophobic, and the last season sucks. But it’s such a gleefully wrong show. Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, condensed into half-hour episodes that always manage to have a conscience in the end. Seriously — a successful writer struggles to keep it in his pants, and not drink himself to death. It’s every college kid’s dream!

SINGLE REVIEW Usually when a track has this many guest features, it’s almost inevitable that one artist steals the show while another doesn’t Aeven show up at all. But on ‘Trouble in Common’s the Water’ latest release, “Trouble in the Common Water,” Malik Def Jam Yusef, Kumasi and Common himself all provide equally wavy verses for this environmentally friendly tune, which also features vocals by Aaron Fresh, Choklate and Laci Kay. The motive for the song is to expand involvement in the climate movement. Home is the project you can find “Trouble in the Water” on, along with ten other tracks promoting awareness and, above all, action. Laci Kay, Choklate and Aaron

DEF JAM

Fresh sound fully charged on the hook, a repetition of “trouble in the water, trouble in the water children,” creating a foreboding vibe, as if a hurricane was approaching, visible in the distance, the sky darkening. The song as a whole, though, is a commendable effort to bring light to such a serious topic. And best of all, it’s relatable. Everything from religious allusions to “Sharkeisha” references are incorporated,

addressing the topic in a way everyone can make sense of and feel. “We think our opponent is overseas/But we messing with Mother Nature’s ovaries,” spits Common. We can’t “drink more water” as Mick Jenkins would like us to if we continue treating Mother Nature in this unnatural way. Better listen to the OG while we can. — LEJLA BAJGORIC


the b-side

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

ICE From Page 1B Online forums insist on specific temperatures and tempering times, but one of the team’s most talented carvers, LSA junior Neil Anderson, simply knocks on the ice which sounds less hollow as it melts. On a nippy November morning, Anderson was getting ready to supervise a carving for younger members: a lumbar vertebrae for one of the teammate’s kinesiology classes. “You don’t need experience to join the team, it’s more of a learning thing to have fun and practice,” said business sophomore Nick Warminski, Business and Events Manager of the team. “I would have never met a lot of these people: the age difference, the major difference, where we live, etc., but we all click because we love to ice carve.” But despite the team’s relative inexperience, it has placed in several competitions over the years. Last year, the team’s treasurer, Engineering junior Sam Friedman, and his partner LSA and Art & Design graduate Alicia Chiaravalli placed third at Plymouth Ice Festival. They carved an aquatic scene, complete with a turtle and a grove of coral. Ice carving is considered a culinary art, which means the team mostly competes against local trade schools and community colleges with culinary programs. The schools have dedicated carving space, funding and practice time, making Michigan’s placement a remarkable feat. Like any craft, ice carving is equal parts artistry and technical skill. First, teammates working in groups of two to three trace a template on big sheets of papers using images projected on a wall. The template is ‘glued’ on the ice block with water, and a chainsaw makes the rough structural carves, called big cuts. after that, a mix of manual and electric tools transform the cookie cutter-like silhouette into a recognizable threedimensional form. “A logo for a company will take about an hour and a half, but a full sculpture takes closer to three to four,” Hamet said. Those three to four hours are a dance between the notoriously mercurial medium and the artist. Choosing the right image is crucial — a toosmall image doesn’t efficiently utilize the expensive block of ice; Hamet recalls a full block of ice that slowly turned into a tiny swan, “a valuable lesson,” as he put it. An unwieldy structure poses its own problems, too: Friedman recalls an event when his partner fused two blocks of ice together, however it wasn’t cold enough for the fuse to properly set, causing the sculpture she had spent five hours on to topple over. And of course, just mastering the tools is an adjustment.

“(Using the power tools) is incredibly exhausting. Last year I started going to the gym just so I could work out my arms so I could hold the chainsaw because it’s so heavy,” said LSA junior Isabel Geracioti. When Hamet joined, he remembers being “given a chainsaw and told to just have at it; that was pretty fun.” Today the training process is less unstructured, albeit a touch safer, too. “It’s a difficult substance. We have two students we’ve trained as instructors. Mostly because they’re better than me. The big cuts are always intimidating to people; we don’t like to just hand people a power tool anymore off the bat,” Hamet said. But after the daunting big cuts, Geracioti says her favorite part is watching the sculpture emerge from the three-dimensional shape. “I get to use the left and right sides of my brain. Carving is this amazing fusion of art and science.”

They have ice flowing through their veins. There is a philosophical term called ‘reification’ which describes the transformation of a set of human experiences into a concrete object; indeed it seems the art object is a static projection of the artist’s particular creative period. The artists of enduring mediums — the writers, singers, painters — all rely on having that transcribed record of their process: to return to, to abandon, but at least to possess. And yet, the carvers all were individually drawn to ice carving’s temporary nature. The coming into being, rather than the concrete end, was the most important part to them. “It’s kind of beautiful,” Hamet said. “You know you’re working for something that will be gone by the next week, but it’s perfect that way. When I make the art, the purpose is not to leave a mark on society or my footprint somewhere. I’m doing it for myself and anyone close enough to appreciate it. The fact that it’s temporary makes it more valuable. Every second it’s changing slightly — a few minutes later, it’s a totally different sculpture.” For Friedman, seeing his prize winning ice sculpture melt away wasn’t disappointing. “It makes it easier to carve because you know your mistakes aren’t going to be there forever,” he said. “Photos are enough, because I was there, I carved it, I remember the work I put into it — I’m never sad to see it melt away.” As every artist knows, finding a space for creativity in a commodity-driven world is

always the lurking challenge. Ice carving is an expensive hobby: in addition to ice blocks, tools, transportation and space add up. While Friedman applies for grants from the school, the team is privately funded, which means all money comes from custom orders and donations. When Geracioti, Warminski and Hamet joined the team three years ago, its fate was uncertain, as there had only been a handful of passionate teammates who left with their individually owned safety equipment. After they graduated, the team was left with only a handful of saws. “There’s always the risk that the team is not going to survive, because it’s labor intensive, a lot of people view it as an impractical art and it does take a special individual to dedicate the time to it,” Geracioti said. “I think the kind of people who are into ice carving are those who aren’t terribly concerned with earning recognition or wide-spread praise for their work, but rather those who like to challenge themselves and do something for themselves,” she wrote in an e-mail interview. While an interest in the niche hobby initially bound the group together, Hamet and Warminski both saw the need for a focus on management. To Warminski, his greatest contribution to the team is continuing its development. “I’m detail-oriented, so I like handling the logistics of setting dates, recording the amount paid, calculating the profit. I really enjoy carving, I do what I can, but I stick on the side and do the business stuff.” During their upcoming fundraising event, the Main Street Ice Carving Extravaganza, which Warminski organizes, 20 to 30 Main Street businesses will commission the team for individual sculptures. According to Warminski, it’s the team’s biggest fundraising event. For the entire weekend in February, the team carves for twelve hours a day in front of the participating stores. Newcomers get to practice carving a giant engagement ring for Abracadabra Jewelry or a swordfish for Real Seafood Company and curious passerby wander closer before hopefully patronizing the various restaurants and shops. Hamet has taken an equally hands on approach as leader, organizing a demonstration during SpringFest and coding a new website over the summer himself. The sleek website has an order form, a tongue-incheek e-mail (somelikeitcold) and is peppered with social media links and press — all hallmarks of a technologically savvy business. As Hamet put it, “Branding is everything. People would say ‘do you guys have t-shirts?’ And the answer was no we didn’t have t-shirts, but now we have public events, we have t-shirts, we have a f lag.”

SINGLE REVIEW “Too much data, too much tension/too much plastic, too much glass.” This lyric, and others alike, reflect the B+ highly cynical and awe‘Content somely angry Nausea’ nature of Parquet Court’s Parquet first single off Courts their recent What’s Your Rapture? surprise projSony Pictures ect, Content Nausea. Still maintaining a garage band sound that leaves everyone a little more nostalgic for ’90s rock, the song is undeniably an admonishment of our modern world. Excess and sensory overload are its themes — both lyrically and sonically. Like a deliciously cynical alternative-rock version of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” lead singer Andrew Savage spurts out stream of consciousness lyrics for the entirety of the ballad. Beginning with a heavy discussion on the constant communication caused by the glut of modern technology, Savage vacillates between issues. His pres-

Thursday, November 20, 2014 — 3B

CHEFS

OF

ANN ARBOR

NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily

David Burnell keeps his ingredients fresh and local, and most importantly, keeps people happy with great food.

Burnell keeps it fresh at Lena and Habana By DANIELLE RAYKHINSHTEYN Daily Arts Writer

For David Burnell, family comes first. Local ingredients take a close second. Burnell is the executive chef at Main Street restaurants Lena — a South-and-CentralAmerican based, new-age eatery — and Habana — a Latininspired happy hour dance club located below Lena. Burnell learned how to cook at a young age with help from his grandfather. “Most of my best family memories have always been around the dinner table,” Burnell said. Coming from Polish heritage, Burnell used to help his grandfather make traditional old-world dishes. When he grew up, he realized he had a talent for it. “I grew up with the farmto-table approach before it got popular,” he said. “At my old restaurant, my Saturday specials were always what I got from the farmers market. I have a garden at home, so I support the cause from grower to table.” As a teenager, Burnell secured his first kitchen job as a dishwasher and then began to work his way up. He attended Schoolcraft College for culinary arts, and he’s been an executive chef at various restaurants around the metroDetroit area for 10 years. He’s been at Lena for seven months now. In September, Burnell decided to update the Lena and Habana menus. He wanted to make a push for a higher quality

and a higher authenticity of food. “We geared the menus towards closer, fresher, local ingredients, but also bigger, bolder spices, really taking South American and Central American food and bringing it up to a more modern level than what you would get on the street in Brazil or Argentina,” he said. The challenge in coming to Lena, Burnell said, was learning how to cook a different kind of cuisine from anything he had served before. His previous job had been Italian fine dining, and he said being able to experiment more with different kinds of flavors and spices is exciting. “I’m a big history buff, so I like to research food. I like to know where it came from, why it’s prepared that way and things like that, so coming to this restaurant was a good historical challenge for me,” he said. “It gave me a new set of goals to figure out ‘what’s this cuisine all about, and how can I modernize it for being in Ann Arbor and making it different from everything else on the block?’ ” One way Burnell does that is by keeping his ingredients fresh and local. While he uses local produce and meat whenever he can, he said his favorite item to use in the daily specials is fresh fish — he lauded the ability to be able to have fish shipped from anywhere in the world, but he also said that a perk of cooking in Michigan is the access to the Great Lakes. “My produce company that I work with here in Ann Arbor [Frog Holler Produce] sources as much local Michigan produce as possible,” he said. “I also try to bring in as much as I can with meats from Michigan, as well. Seafood, if it’s in fresh water … comes right out of lake

Michigan.” While Burnell said the Tampa Bay-esque Cuban sandwich is his favorite on Lena’s menu, he said he strives to create diverse plates every morning when he prepares the daily specials. “When I get to the final dish, I say to myself, would I eat this or would I not eat this? Really it’s just putting different flavor profiles together to make something unique.” While Burnell is no longer surrounded by the Polish food of his childhood, he still hopes to carry on the ideals instilled in him around his family dinner table. “I would be perfectly happy with a food truck on a beach or near some water and to cook off a charcoal grill off the back of it. I wouldn’t really care,” he said. “As long as I’m producing good food and people are happy, then I’m happy.” And he brings these values in his kitchen, as well. He said that things inevitably go wrong, but he’s learned how to handle any problems that arise. Food and those who prepare it together are like a family to him. “I have bailed a couple of cooks out of jail before,” Burnell said. “I look over my staff, and I look out for them. I take care of my staff, and they take care of me.” Food, for Burnell, is more than just a creative outlet or nourishment. He cooks to bring people together — to make them happy — and that’s why you can find everything from dancing to brunch to drinks to dinner at Lena and Habana. In the end, Burnell just wants to give you the same feeling he had while cooking with his grandfather— he wants you to feel at home. “I like to create just good, honest food that people will be excited to try,” he said.

TRAILER REVIEW

WHAT’S YOUR RAPTURE?

sured speech moves into another modern admonishment, singing “Overpopulated by nothing, crowded by sparseness/ Guided by darkness, too much, not enough.” Here, these punk artists have some valid complaints for the modern age: stop focusing on quantity over quality. Sonically, the song is guided by the perfect marriage of drums and guitar. The guitar plants an underlying consistency and, in juxtaposition to the slightly depressing lyrics, upbeat sound before transitioning into a bluesy, more controlled solo at the song’s end. Mildly reminiscent of the string section of the finale of Rossini’s William Tell Overture, the drums remain jittery and

intentionally muddled before descending with their guitar partner. Lightly muddled by the exhaustive complaints of the lead singer, undeniable skill and perfect collaboration keeps the song succinct. Parquet Courts’ music catalog to date contains a punk, garage rock sound that has been largely missing in the past decade of produced music. With this intense manifesto against the general disarray of the millennials and the horrors that a comment section of a website can produce, this song is no exception. These Brooklyn boys are working to keep the angsty ’90s sound alive while Pavement is away. — MIMI ZAK

For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past few years, The Hunger Games is A kind of a big thing. And The Hunger the muchawaited third Games: installment Mockingjay of the trilogy Part 1 comes out Nov. 21 this Friday at midnight, Lionsgate meaning yes, you officially have weekend plans now. Mockingjay is where the revolution begins. It’s dark. It’s sinister. Katniss’s (Jennifer Lawrence, “X-Men: Days of Future Past”) grim voiceover is our first peek into what lies ahead. “I never wanted any of this,” she reveals. Katniss and Peeta’s (Josh Hutcherson, “Red Dawn”) underdog Hunger

LIONSGATE

Games story may have won over the hearts of the Capitol and District rebels earlier, but now comes time to dismantle the broken government system, and that’s an unprecedented feat. It’s not going to be easy. Katniss faces both her own selfdoubt about being the face of the revolution and external clashes with the authority. Be prepared for grand-scale

scenes of violent uprising and fallout, as well as heartbreak when the tragic reality of rebellion takes its course. With the “Hunger Games” name drawing in millions of fans already, you know this film will be good. But with their high expectations for a good book-to-screen adaption, the real question is: just how good? — VANESSA WONG


4B — Thursday, November 20, 2014

the b-side

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

FOOD COLUMN

DEMON BARBER OF FLETCHER ST.

A

NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily

Tobias Ragg, played by Brian Flores, hides after a murder.

MUSKET to peform ‘Sweeney Todd’ musical Famed production coming to Power Center By HAILEY MIDDLEBROOK Daily Arts Writer

Fittingly, it was cold and foggy the night I went to visit MUSKET’s “Sweeney Todd” production set. It ‘Sweeney was a week after Hal- Todd’ loween, but Power Center October still Friday and Saturday lingered in at 8 p.m. and the air, min- Sunday at 2 p.m. gled with Students $7 the scent of decomposing leaves and wood smoke wafting from the distant neighborhoods snaking along the outskirts of campus. As I trekked through the concrete maze from the baseball stadium to Kipke Drive, the location of the Student Theatre Arts Complex, I had the unnerving feeling that I was being watched, as if someone within the dark windows of the athletic facilities was peering down, waiting for me to pass by. Maybe it was the video clips of the Demon Barber I had watched in preparation for the night, or maybe it was that Mrs. Lovett’s ballad “Worst Pies in London” still rang shrilly in my head, but I felt Sweeney Todd’s presence — cold, bitter and hushed — lurking in the night air. I quickened my pace and finally arrived at the throbbing heart of the production. The STAC is, quite literally, an underground operation. Upon entering, I was certain that I was in the wrong place. I cautiously made my way to a descending staircase, feeling very much alone in the silence of the building, until a young man carrying a barstool walked across the landing and looked up at me. “Hello!” he said cheerfully, unperturbed. He shifted the stool to his hip and brandished his hand. “I’m Ryan Lucas, MUSKET producer. You must be the writer from the Daily. We’re all in here.” Ryan led me to a rickety table where a handful of cast members and producers had gathered to eat Panera takeout before rehearsal began (the rehearsals, I later learned, ran six days a week from 7 to 11 at night). While they ate, the crew took turns introducing themselves and their majors, as well as what drew them to join MUSKET in the first place. MUSKET prides itself on being a theatre group that’s not just for theater kids. Since its establishment in 1908, the quiet but impactful group has welcomed University students of all disciplines, from engineers to business students to

neuroscience majors, all of of his old barber shop, that how much you want to punch whom have one thing in com- after Benjamin Barker (Todd) the guy in the head. You don’t, mon: a passion for theater. had been exiled, Judge Turpin but you think it. The only “MUSKET is the place to had lured Lucy to his home, difference between you and come if you love to act, but raped her, then kept the cou- Sweeney is that he acts on his don’t necessarily want to do it ple’s infant daughter, Joanna, murderous thoughts.” for the rest of your life,” said confined with him. InfuriatThe production itself folHillary Ginsberg, a senior ed, Todd seeks to unleash hell lows the same idea: instead double-majoring in Business on the streets of London for of recreating the Broadway and Screen Arts and Cultures. revenge. He moves back into musical, the MUSKET actors She found out about the his barbershop and opens are telling the story of Sweegroup from a classmate who business, darkly boasting “the ney Todd, posing as collegehad nudged her in class one closest shave” in the city. In aged kids who have broken day and asked whether she alliance with Mrs. Lovett, into an old, abandoned attic liked to sing. Surprised, Gins- Todd uses shaving razors to and decide to scare each other berg had said yes and humored slice the throats of his clients with a ghost story. her friend by auditioning and then dumps their bodies “Though the set changes, for MUSKET’s production downstairs for his partner to we never leave the attic,” said of “Hairspray.” She landed bake the flesh into meat pies. Carly Snyder, a junior musithe lead role and hasn’t left As the bodies pile up and the cal theatre major who plays the group since. This year, in pies grow in popularity, Todd Joanna. “Everything that we “Sweeney Todd,” she is serv- patiently waits for Judge Tur- use to act out the story has ing as a producer with Lucas, pin to come in for a shave. to be found in an attic. An coordinating inter-staff comIt’s a creepy tale with an overturned bicycle becomes munication and overseeing amazing set and soundtrack, the meat grinder; a box is the the organizational details of yet it seemed doubtful that barbershop seat. We’re realthe show. Victorian-era “Sweeney ly playing off the idea that Though the crew recruits Todd” could be relevant to ‘Sweeney Todd’ needs very all types of students, there’s students at U-M. Last year, little to make it spectacular — still a strong showing from MUSKET presented “RENT,” the music speaks for itself.” the School of Music, Theatre which addressed more obviNettleton strongly agrees. & Dance. Director Henry Net- ously accessible issues of “Originally I asked myself, tleton is a senior majoring in discrimination, identity and what play can I stage with Musical Theatre and has every acceptance. What does “Swee- absolutely nothing? ‘Sweeney intention of pursuing a career ney Todd” teach us, other than Todd’ was it. I wanted to do on stage after graduation. not to eat MoJo’s mystery it with just a box, a light bulb, “I speak for myself when I meat? and maybe a birdcage,” he say that yes, I will be acting “The play is timeless said, laughing. “We ended up or directing in the years to because it presents lust, with a slightly more elaborate come,” Nettleton said. “Can revenge and grief. Whether set, but the story is still the I say the same for everyone we like it or not, we identify centerpiece.” here? Absolutely not. But with Sweeney. Think of it this This weekend the Demon that’s what makes what we’re way,” Nettleton said, press- Barber will be lurking on doing right here, right now, so ing his fingertips together. Fletcher Street rather than cool. We only have four years “You’re in line behind some Fleet Street, inviting you to to mingle with so many differ- obnoxious person at Starbucks come “attend the tale of Sweeent kids — chemists, business and all you can think about is ney Todd.” students, you name it — and we won’t get that chance in the real world.” “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” first debuted on Broadway in 1979, directed by the infamous Harold Prince (“Phantom of the Opera”) and continues to be revered as the Holy Book of Musical Theater. On the surface, the grim tale spins like an old-timey urban legend, the kind of scary story parents tell their kids to keep them from sneaking out at night (don’t let Sweeney Todd snatch you!). The story goes that a vengeful barber under the fictional name of Sweeney Todd finds his way back to London after being exiled by the corrupt Judge Turpin, who had lusted for Todd’s beautiful wife Lucy. Upon his arrival, Todd is informed by Mrs. Lovett, the owner of a pie shop NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily on the ground floor Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett, played by Kyle Timson and Emma Sohlberg.

But why turkey?

ny moment now, I should hear a blip sound of a Facebook notification, indicating that my mother has posted “the video” on my wall. It’s nothing too out there, just an instructional video from the New York Times on how to correctly carve GIANCARLO a turkey, as BUONOMO demonstrated by a butcher. She’s posted it on my wall for the past three years, always with a playful message of “study up, you only have a week :).” At this point, having watched my grandfather, then uncle, carve the bird for so many years, I’m pretty sure I know how to get the meat off the bone. Most likely, my mom sends me the video for tradition’s sake. But in those frosty days leading up to our festival of the harvest, I always taste a fearful vinegar on my grav y palate. “What if I mess up this year?” I wonder. It’s not too hard to imagine. A turkey, as the video makes clear, doesn’t dismember itself. With one slip of the knife, the breast is gashed and unsliceable. If I grab the drumstick too roughly, the crisp blanket of skin might tear off. I used to have these kinds of worries about grilling chicken or cooking pasta, but not after preparing them several times a week for many years. But when you carve a turkey only one Thursday in November, practice and game-day are the same thing. I’m not alone in my gobblerinduced anxiety. Since last week, a glut of articles have been published, as they are every year, advising people on how to source, marinate, roast, rest and carve that damn poultry. Why? Because cooking a whole turkey is really fucking hard. It’s a culinary endeavor beyond what most of us attempt on a daily basis. This brings up an obvious question: Why do we center a holiday around a dish that most of us have an arduous — and often ultimately disappointing — time cooking? There have been many inquiries into the origins of turkey-eating on Thanksgiving. Contrary to the canonical story, the Pilgrims and Wampanoag most likely didn’t eat turkey when they sat down for a communal feast back in 1621. Their meal probably consisted of oysters, mussels, geese, venison, corn and berries (doesn’t sound too bad, right?). But dining on the esteemed Meleag ris gallopavo was solidified when Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. As an article from Slate explains, whole turkey was the perfect protein for this new holiday. It’s big enough to feed a family (or two) and turkeys are expendable; they don’t provide milk or eggs or labor, and therefore wouldn’t have to be saved for the winter. By the time these concerns were nullified by industry and urbanization, turkey had become such an iconic tradition that no one thought to do otherwise. But I think this explanation is a little too easy. I think, for all of our kvetching and stressing and fussing, Americans really

like Thanksgiving turkey. And it’s not because we like the taste; even with the most attentive cooking, turkey is often anemic, dry, tough and sinew y, mostly because it’s difficult to cook evenly. Rather, I think Americans love Thanksgiving turkey because it is, in and of itself, so quintessentially American. First of all, serving a whole turkey is sentimental. We are, as a nation, gripped by a vision of some golden past, a halcyon period of pastoral existence where everything was simple and rugged. When we sit around the table on Thanksgiving, we all imagine, for a moment, being the simple pilgrims who shot this turkey ourselves and now can feast on the bounty of the hunt. Going with that, a whole turkey is opulent, and America is an opulent land. Think back to last Thanksgiving. Did you finish the turkey? No one ever does. Even after a dozen people gorge themselves, there’s always a shoe-box sized tupperware of meat left. This carnivorous decadence is an American ideal, which inf luenced every culinary tradition that passed through Ellis Island. Spaghetti and meatballs, for example, is the result of poor southern-Italian immigrants’ joy in discovering that meat was widely available in their new home, which they then added to their old-world sauce with abandon. Thanksgiving turkey is also competitive. I think it speaks volumes that there is such a tradition of football on Thanksgiving, and Americans can get as competitive with turkey skin as they do with the pigskin. Because almost every family cooks one on Thanksgiving, my turkey can suddenly be compared to others. Ask anyone what they’re serving this year, and inevitably you’ll get into an arg ument over whose method of cooking is superior. Finally, Americans love cooking turkey precisely because it’s so difficult. In On Photog raphy, Susan Sontag arg ued that Americans take pictures on vacation because they’re incapable of actually taking a vacation; they have to work even when supposedly resting. Thanksgiving turkey is much the same. Wrestling the bird in and out of a vat of brine is akin to handling a greasy beachball. Cooking it takes hours and hours of prodding and basting and covering and uncovering the breasts so that they don’t overcook. Cleaning up after carving is like mopping up a crime scene. All told, this doesn’t make for a very restful holiday. So is the turkey worth it? To be perfectly honest, I’d be much happier braising short ribs or roasting a pig. But then again, Thanksgiving is never about what you want to do, but rather what you have to do. Like chatting with Republican in-laws, or cleaning a colossussized pile of dishes, you just have to cook a turkey, because the holiday, for reasons unclear but strongly felt, wouldn’t mean much without it. I’ll just have to start sharpening my knives. Buonomo is playing with a greasy beachball. To join in, e-mail gbuonomo@umich.edu.

WE MAKE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM PHYSICALLY CHIRP WHILE TWEETING. IT’S PRETTY HUMILIATING.

@MICHIGANDAILY


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