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CAMPUS LIFE
President’s open house draws 1,200 despite rain ROBERT DUNNE/Daily
LEFT: Engineering junior Peter Larsen, the Chi Phi “little brother” of Joshua Brigham, lights candles at a vigil held in his memory at Chi Phi fraternity house on Sunday. RIGHT: LSA Senior Alec Buchholtz shares his memories of Brigham to those gathered.
Student honored at vigil Friends remember Josh Brigham, who fell from Nickel’s Arcade rooftop By EMMA KINERY Daily Staff Reporter
With candles in hand, fraternity brothers and friends of Josh Brigham — the LSA student who died in July after falling from the roof of Nickel’s Arcade — came together to celebrate his life with a vigil at the Chi Phi fraternity house.
Brigham, who was a rising senior studying psychology, died July 24. He fell through the arcade’s glass ceiling while climbing to the building’s roof through an unlocked stairway door. According to the Ann Arbor Police report, obtained by The Ann Arbor News, Brigham was intoxicated at the time of the incident. Since many of the Saugatuck, Mich., native’s friends were unable to attend his funeral, LSA senior Alex Buchholtz, a friend and fraternity brother, said the vigil was held for friends to commemorate his life. Tealight candles were given
to the hundreds of people who filled the Chi Phi porch and lawn. On the porch, a photo of Brigham was placed with a candle, a pamphlet from his funeral, flowers and a can of Natural Ice beer. Several people shared stories of the fun, happy friend who lived life in the moment. “Josh was a very smiley guy,” Buchholtz said. “He made everyone laugh; he could make anyone laugh instantly … He was a very fun guy. He kind of lived it up and had fun when he could.” Buchholtz, who organized the vigil, said since Brigham’s
From the Daily: Nuance lacking in new policy University communications on alcohol missing needed context By MICHIGAN DAILY who has this position
In a brief August 25 e-mail to all University students, E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, announced the University will implement “additional strategies” in its continuous effort to reduce students’ alcohol consumption. The widely publicized pilot program will notify parents of first-year students under the age of 21 who receive a second alcohol or drug violation, or “a violation accompanied by other serious behavior such as needing medical attention, significant property damage or driving under the influence.” Harper also wrote that the University of Michigan Police
Department and the Ann Arbor Police Department will collaborate further on outreach efforts. Though the ultimate goal is to have joint jurisdiction in off-campus student neighborhoods, UMPD will initially “provide early engagement and feedback to students to help them better understand how to avoid being in violation of alcohol laws.” How these strategies will be put into practice remains to be seen. It is understandable that the e-mail was concise, for if it were longer it may have gone unread. But that came at the price of omitting critical information, as discovered in a recent Michigan Daily interview with University officials. A subsequent article published by the University Record on Sep. 1 also failed to provide full details. In the interview, University officials explained first and foremost that these changes See POLICY, Page 4A
Schlissel’s second ice cream social caps off Welcome Week festivities By ISOBEL FUTTER and GEN HUMMER Daily Staff Reporters
passing he’s found himself instinctively trying to call or text him. “It’s just weird because last week I moved back to Ann Arbor, and when I was pulling into Ann Arbor I almost picked up the phone and called him,” Buchholtz said. “The other day I woke up after a long night and texted him to see if he could get some food.” Seeing Nickel’s Arcade is hard for Buchholtz. He said the other night he visited it and cried for a half hour. The passing of their beloved friend was hard on everyone, but the See VIGIL, Page 3A
Weathering some light sprinkles of rain, about 1,200 University students, faculty, staff and parents gathered for an ice cream social at the President’s House on Saturday. Attendees, who had the chance to explore the first floor of the residence, were also given the opportunity to meet and snap pictures with University President Mark Schlissel and his wife, Monica Schwebs. Students were invited to the event, which offered ice cream bars, cookies, water and apple cider. Schlissel, who dressed down in a block ‘M’ polo shirt, greeted those willing to wait in
line for a chance to shake his hand. The social, which began in the 1930s when Florence Ruthven, wife of seventh president of the University, began hosting tea parties for female students. During the 1950s, University President Harlan Hatcher opened the event to all students. Since then, the social has been an annual event. Open to both parents and students, the backyard of the house filled up quickly as students meandered around the gardens, munching on homemade block’M’ cookies and ice cream. Last year was the first year Schlissel hosted. Many students who attended this year were excited to meet the relatively new president. “It was cool to talk to him, because he’s still new,” LSA junior Alaina Stevenson said. “It’s nice to put a personality to a face and a name.” Others came to tour the renowned South University See SCHLISSEL, Page 5A
‘U’ introduces new alcohol policies UMPD to expand off-campus presence AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Mary Jo Desprez, director of Wolverine Wellness, speaks to Michigan Daily staff about the new university alcohol policy in a meeting on Wednesday.
Wellness staff to involve parents for repeat offenses University to consider alerts on ‘case-by-case’ basis By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily News Editor
A week after unveiling a plan to involve the parents of first-year students following
violations of University alcohol policies, administrators say the new protocol will be implemented on a case-by-case basis — not uniformly. In an exclusive conversation with The Michigan Daily on Wednesday, University higherups provided further details, and framed the new directive as a matter of health and wellness. E. Royster Harper, vice president of student life; Mary Jo Desprez, director of Wolverine
Wellness; and Eddie Washington, executive director of the Division of Public Safety and Security, spoke to the reasoning and goals of the initiative. Desprez noted that the policy is present in some form at a majority of schools in the Big 10 conference. The University’s iteration of the practice will notify parents if a first-year student under the age of 21 “commits a violation accomSee PARENTS, Page 3A
New emphasis on ‘community policing’ to drive approach to alcohol abuse By SAM GRINGLAS Managing News Editor
Under a proposed collaboration with the Ann Arbor Police Department, officers with the University’s Division of Public Safety and Security could have joint authority to police offcampus neighborhoods heavily populated by students. The initiative is one component of a set of recently announced University efforts designed to curb alcohol abuse at the University. “Our philosophy — and the shift that we see is happening See UMPD, Page 3A
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HOLIDAY EDITION
How did you spend Labor Day? Students on the Diag were asked how they spent their Labor Day. “I walked to Kilwins and got ice cream.” — Darian Bridges Fourth-year Rackham student “I got up, ate breakfast, watched TV, played games, worked on a presentation and now I’m going to a barbecue.” — George Wu Business senior “I didn’t do anything special for Labor Day. I just kind of practiced the bassoon.” — Trevor King Music, Theatre & Dance freshman
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Iran Deal BY SHOHAM GEVA
White House officials involved in crafting the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran were the first to speak as part of this semester’s policy talks at the Ford School of Public Policy on Wednesday.
NEWS
Beyond the Diag BY KATIE PENROD
The University organization Beyond the Diag partnered with the Ann Arbor Police Department and the University’s Department of Public Safety and Security Thursday to canvas student neighborhoods and raise awareness about off-campus safety issues.
“I worked out today, on Labor Day.” — Omar Embabi Engineering senior “I moved in this weekend and I also went and did an M-Run thing.” — Kate Ramey LSA senior “I hung out with a lot of my sorority sisters and just kind of ran around the town.” — Brianna Holt LSA sophomore “I actually went shopping in Toledo.” — Karina Becker Nursing sophomore
“This morning I just worked, and that’s all, I guess. I also just hung out with my friends.” — Nana Gwa Engineering junior
All about that beekeeping
WHAT: Two tables will be set up for passersby to play table tennis. Participants will be given small prizes. WHO: UM Table Tennis Club WHEN: Today from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: The Diag
WHAT: Informative event about the basics of beekeeping: management, care, protection and production. WHO: Ann Arbor Backyard Beekeepers WHEN: Today from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Free ballroom dance lesson Job fair WHAT: Michigan Dining, University Housing and Recreational Sports will host an event to inform students of available jobs on campus through the University. WHO: Michigan Dining WHEN: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Hill Dining Center
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Four-year-old Lola Lopez sits in “Tow Mater” at Caden’s Car Show on top of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital on Sunday, August 30.
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
WHAT: The Michigan Ballroom Dance Team is hosting a free class. No experience or partner necessary. WHO: Michigan Ballroom Dance Team WHEN: Today from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. WHERE: The Michigan Union’s Rogel Ballroom
FRIDAY: Photos of the Week
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
Free yoga WHAT: Experienced yogis and beginners alike can join UMove Fitness in a free yoga class. Bring your own mat if possible, though a few will be available. WHO: UMove Fitness WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: Ingalls Mall
Group X free week WHAT: A week of free fitness classes. WHO: Department of Rec Sports WHEN: all week WHERE: Central Campus Rec Building and North Campus Rec Building l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@ michigandaily.com.
1
As refugees continue to migrate out of Syria, Britain and France pledged Monday to accept a combined total of 44,000 migrants, USA Today reported. The pact came a day after Germany pledged $6.6 billion to accomodate refugees.
2
The Michigan football team lost to Utah last Thursday, 24-17. Quarterback Jake Rudock threw three interceptions in his Wolverine debut after his transfer from Iowa. >> FOR MORE, SEE SPORTSTUESDAY
3
President Barack Obama signed an executive order Monday that will allow employees of federal contractors up to seven days of paid sick leave each year, NPR reported. Obama said the United States needs to improve its support of workers.
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Republican presidential candidate John Kasich speaks to supporters at the Eagle Eye Golf Club on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
Ohio’s Kasich rallies voters during Mich. campaign stop Republican candidate joins local, state officials outside Lansing By SAMANTHA WINTNER Daily Staff Reporter
BATH, Mich. — Ohio Gov. John Kasich wrapped up a twostop presidential campaign swing through Michigan on Tuesday at an event sponsored by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. Kasich, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president, discussed small government and state autonomy before an audience of smallbusiness owners, business leaders and local officials. The event marked Kasich’s fourth visit to the state since he announced his candidacy in July — the most of any presidential candidate this election season. Kasich is currently polling 8th in the Republican field, averaging 5 percent, according to a combination of polls from RealClear Politics. Joe Ford, chair-elect of the Lansing Regional Chamber Board of Directors, introduced Kasich and joked that despite
football rivalries, Michigan and Ohio are still neighbors with shared experiences. Ford said Michiganders can appreciate Kasich’s achievements in Ohio, as Gov. Rick Snyder has led parallel reforms in the state. “One of his major accomplishments was taking an $8 billion budget deficit and turning it into a $2 billion budget surplus, and in that process cutting $5 billion in corporate taxes,” Ford said. “That’s something in Michigan we can appreciate, because it’s the same kind of turnaround we’ve experienced and we’ve participated in and that our governor has led us through as well.” Kasich echoed Ford’s sentiment, beginning his speech by expressing his respect for Snyder and his successes in Michigan, and saying Snyder is an example of a creative state leader. Kasich said he felt a responsibility to help Ohio when he ran for governor, and related his experience with that of Snyder’s. “I went in (in Ohio), and we were really just like Governor Snyder, we really were in a deep hole, 20 percent of our operating budget, and so I took on the same approach (as Snyder),” he said.
During his speech, Kasich also stressed Michigan’s importance to his campaign ahead of the primary elections. “This is my fourth trip here. I’m going to be here quite a bit, because I consider Michigan to be very important in this primary process,” Kasich said. Several state politicians, including Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, state Sen. Rick Jones (R–Grand Ledge), state Rep. Tom Leonard (R–DeWitt) and U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop (R–Mich.) attended Tuesday’s event. Ronna Romney McDaniel, chair of the Michigan Republican Party, also attended. Kasich highlighted his plan to give states more autonomy and power to implement their own initiatives, citing examples of his own experiences as a governor coping with federal funding and regulations on issues such as welfare and job training. “Let me train my workers, let me reform welfare, let me send a lot of these resources back to the states so we can run our education programs,” he said. “There are so many of these areas where we need to restore power where we live.” He said as president, he would visit all 50 state capitals to share best policy practices from across the country. Read more at michigandaily.com
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3A — Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Obama to speak in Michigan this week
VIGIL From Page 1A
President Barack Obama will appear in Warren, Mich. Wednesday along with Dr. Jill Biden, a community college professor and the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, to discuss workplace skills and the economy. It has been eight months since Obama has visted Michigan. Most recently he came to Dearborn to visit the Henry Ford Museum.
vigil focused on the positive contributions Brigham brought into their lives. LSA senior Danny Bakst lived with Brigham last year and said he remembers spending 10 hours in the library studying with him for their political science exam, as well as time spent together playing intramural soccer and basketball. “The things I’m really missing the most are the little moments of him,” Bakst said. “It’s not the big parties, it’s not the ski trips or the vacations, it’s just sitting on the couch with Josh.” Kinesiology senior Dan Costa also lived with Brigham. Costa called Brigham his best friend; they met while rushing Chi Phi together, and Costa almost didn’t get a bid from the frat because he had spent all of rush talking to Brigham. He recounted his birthday freshman year, which fell on Thanksgiving. Brigham was one of the only people who wanted to go out that night. “We got a few drinks going and it was just me and him all night. We just walked around
Medicinal garden opens in Ann Arbor The Matthaei Botanical Gardens opened a new garden including medicinal plants. Plant beds are arranged according to the part of the human body each plant affects. The nearly 110 plant types will be on display for the general public, as well as for reserachers and scholars. The exhibit is a collaboration between various University departments including pharmacy, medicine and botony.
Fight breaks out in Liberty Plaza
Ann Arbor, and it was honestly one of the most fun nights I’ve ever had around here,” Costa said. “He always brings a smile to my face.” Josh Rubley, a childhood friend, said he spent all of his summer with Brigham. He said it was one of the best summers of his life; they hung out constantly and even got tattoos together. After Brigham passed, Rubley didn’t ever want to return to Ann Arbor because it brought up memories of Josh, but the outpouring of support Rubley received from Brigham’s college friends made him feel comforted. “You guys have shown the most hospitality; I honestly never wanted to come back here,” Rubley said. “Thank you guys for all of the kindness and support. It’s awesome to know he has a great family of friends here to take care of him as well.” Nursing junior Ann Marie Sweeney said she left the vigil feeling comforted. “They encompassed everything he was: happy, the best person, thought everything was positive, had the best outlook on life,” Sweeney said, tearing up. “I’m glad they kept it positive — live like Josh would. It’s the best thing we can do. It’s what he would want.”
The Ann Arbor News reported that a fight including 25 individuals broke out yesterday afternoon at about 12:40 p.m. The Ann Arbor Police Department is continuing to investigate the incident. One person was injured and taken to the hospital.
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PARENTS From Page 1A panied by other serious behavior such as needing medical attention, significant property damage or driving under the influence,” or if one of these students “has a second alcohol or drug infraction.” Whether or not parents are contacted after the policy’s specified infractions, however, will be evaluated on a case-to-case basis. “Part of what we have talked about is trying to leave some space,” Harper said. “Should, in the course of having a conversation with a student, there is a sense that actually calling would not be in their best interest, then we won’t.” Desprez elaborated that dangerous behavior in relation to alcohol and/or drugs can be a result of family issues, disfunction or even genetic disposition — and the University will try to be sensitive to these issues, among others, in evaluating the need to contact parents. Harper said the new directive of calling parents is atypical
UMPD From Page 1A — is that we believe strongly that for University of Michigan students, we’re a resource wherever they are, especially in the density of the areas surrounding the campus,” said DPSS Executive Director Eddie Washington in an exclusive interview with The Michigan Daily on Wednesday. Though DPSS officers could eventually have concurrent jurisdiction to enforce state laws in offcampus locations, such as a noise complaint at a fraternity, Washington said the division’s current efforts, beginning this Welcome Week, will focus more intensely on outreach. “The Division of Public Safety and Security is now mobilizing in a way where we want to be more preventive, and the enforcement piece is more on the tail-end,” he said.
for the University, but Desprez explained that the culture of excess alcohol consumption has necessitated a response. Four years of data harvested from Alcohol Edu, Desprez said, revealed that 35 percent of firstyear students drink in a high-risk way. Subsequently, first-years were determined to be the appropriate target group for the pilot program. She said the new policy is not a matter of policing and punishing students — but will instead focus on making students recognize and prevent “harmful” behavior. This is where parents come into the picture: in an increasingly digital age, Desprez noted, students text their parents or other family members an average of 13 times each day. “Part of this also is, students tell us, when we ask them, ‘Who is the biggest influence on your decisions and your values,’ they always say parents or family,” Desprez said. “So part of this is us partnering with the people they have told us are the biggest part of their support network.” Sentimentality appears to be one of the larger motivating fac-
tors behind the decision to contact parents after inherently dangerous or repeat violations of the University’s drug and alcohol policies. The policy, Desprez said, is about “having a conversation” within the framework of “constructive, nonjudgmental early intervention.” This process will also involve informing at-risk students of the University’s resources with regard to future behavior — from methods for safer consumption like Stay in the Blue, to units focusing on addiction recovery. Ultimately Harper and Desprez acknowledged that there is not hard evidence to support the success of involving parents in the process of monitoring and preventing alcohol-related harm. “There are a lot of people who would tell you that parent-family communication is a ‘best practice,’ not an ‘evidence base,’ which is why we are piloting the program,” Desprez said. “So when you ask what is our motivation for such a rigorous evaluation, I think we understand that it’s considered to be a best practice across the country, but we also want to see the data.”
The Ann Arbor Police has generally had sole jurisdiction to enforce city ordinances and state laws offcampus, whereas units of DPSS — which includes the University of Michigan Police Department, as well as housing, hospital and museum security — police property owned by the University. The two departments have concurrent jurisdiction over roads that abut Ann Arbor and University property. With the proposed arrangement, UMPD officers would be granted the ability to issue tickets or otherwise enforce laws of the State of Michigan, though city ordinances would remain solely under the jurisdiction of the AAPD. Similar collaborations have already been in place at schools like Eastern Michigan University, which has long partnered with Ypsilanti authorities. Washington said the aim is to allow University officers to interact
with students wherever they are — which historically has not been the case. “It’s more to be proactive,” he said. “So if you’re at the party, the idea is that we’ve already talked to you ahead of time.” Washington said DPSS would like to host forums and be invited to the kinds of educational meetings typically handled by AAPD, including those hosted by Greek Life chapters, for example. The University, he said, aims to devote more resources to providing the kinds of proactive programs and informational materials AAPD didn’t typically have the resources to cover extensively. “What we’re saying is we’re going to be in the room now, too,” he said. He also hopes students will wield DPSS as a resource as well, citing an instance in which a fraternity reached out to DPSS for See UMPD, Page 5A
Opinion
4A — Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com JENNIFER CALFAS EDITOR IN CHIEF
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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
POLICY From Page 1A focus on wellness and caring, not enforcement and punishment — a key point not mentioned in the e-mail or Record article. This focus appears to lend itself toward a necessary changing of the culture surrounding alcohol on campus, but much needs to clarified. Clarification should begin with the decision to notify parents in the event of certain alcohol violations. Mary Jo Desprez, director of Wolverine Wellness, said in the interview parents will be provided ways to have a conversation with their child that focuses on “constructive, non-judgmental early intervention.” The policy change appears to perpetuate the idea that our generation is immature. However, Desprez emphasized that the typical student values frequent communication with their parents, so the University is simply tapping into students’ support networks when trouble appears to be on the horizon. As it turns out, whether or not the University contacts a student’s parents is flexible and will be determined on a case-by-case basis, which is not said in Harper’s e-mail or the Record article. If
contacting the student’s parents or other caregiver is likely to cause more harm than good for the student, as determined by Wolverine Wellness, then they will not be contacted. Why the University chose to not include this nuance is confusing given how crucial that point is. Similarly, details are hard to find in UMPD’s initiative to increasing community policing efforts in regard to alcohol use in off-campus neighborhoods. Beginning immediately, UMPD will be partnering even more with the Ann Arbor Police Department to expand outreach. “The Division of Public Safety and Security is now mobilizing in a way where we want to be more preventive, and the enforcement piece is more on the tail-end,” said DPSS Executive Director Eddie Washington in a Daily interview. “It’s more to be proactive, so if you’re at the party, the idea is that we’ve already talked to you ahead of time.” These are noble intentions, but how this outreach will be executed is still fuzzy. Harper explained to the Daily that this engagement includes police officers educating the community about preventing “harmful” behavior. This week, UMPD officers knocked on students’
doors hoping to create a dialogue between officers and students about safe party and alcohol use procedures. However, questions as to whether organizations, such as Greek life institutions or co-ops, must engage with police first and the exact methods to be used for outreach still need to be answered. Also, according to Washington, another jurisdiction agreement is being assembled that, if signed, would allow both UMPD and AAPD to have the ability to educate and also ticket violators. With 45 percent of students admitting to binge drinking in a 2014 National College Health Assement survey conducted by the University Health System, it’s clear that our campus has problems with alcohol. But right now, there are far too many ambiguities to know how this initiative will play out — and that’s the problem. The University needs to take steps to better describe the complete program to the general student body as to not leave students more confused than they would be on a drunken night at Skeeps. But if the University can get its act together quickly on this matter and figure out the nuances, there is the potential for positive change.
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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Ben Keller, Payton Luokkala, Aarica Marsh, Victoria Noble, Michael Paul, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Allison Raeck, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Mary Kate Winn, Jenny Wang, Derek Wolfe RACHEL DAWSON
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ment and a prescription for some hard drugs to help manage all this. This also took away my ability to handle large machinery (like the cool forklift I drive to work). Naturally, this bedridden state I was in brought to mind all the parallels that my life now held to what life was like as a small child, completely beholden to my parents. Which most of me hated. Not all of me, of course, since part of it is a sweet deal of being catered to, but it also meant I couldn’t go to the midnight monster truck rallies I host weekly. It wasn’t just me seeing these child/adult-without-tonsils parallels, though: When I checked into the hospital for the surgery, the receptionist gave me a side-eye and asked if I was looking for C.S. Mott Childeren’s Hospital. My post-operation instructions listed numbers of pediatricians to direct questions to. Google even kept trying to redirect me to children’s health websites while I was doing research. (No, I did not mean, “Help me I’m an infant in an adult’s body,” Google. Rude.) This weird mix of childhood and adulthood is an interesting mirror to my college experience, though. These four years are a strange time of outgrowing (but really not outgrowing) childhood ties and navigating new adult terrain and responsibilities, such as paying bills and learning the family trade of mummy hunting. I think that many college students feel somewhat alone once they leave home. For instance, personally, calling Mom and Dad for help was definitely the easiest option to figure out most problems, but it began to feel like failure to me by my fourth semester; I kept feeling like the things I was calling about (“How do I get mocha out of my laptop’s CD drive?”) should and could be handled on my own. I’m sure for others, this idea is relatable, at least
when it comes to graduation; avoiding moving home after graduation is definitely a major source of fuel, at least subconsciously, in all postgrad job hunts. Should this be the case, though? While I knew that my parents always enjoyed having me home for summers (I’m a delight) and looked forward to my constant calls and texts (can’t get rid of me that easily), letting go and handing over the reins during these two weeks was perhaps beneficial for both of us. It reminded me that for one, parents miss you when you leave and they want to take care of you, and secondly, college is stressful, and relying on others is not weakness or immaturity. I feel closer to my mom than ever right now because we had to be so in sync to deal with my gross throat, and I know my dad is always ready to run out the door on a grocery run the minute I complain that a popsicle looked at me funny or isn’t the right color. They never once complained. We were a team, and I think that’s exactly how a lot of parents see their children’s college educations. Navigating the bureaucracy of administration and getting to graduation intact is often a two- or three-person job. Reaching out to parents, family and even your friends is only going to help. They’re there to support you. So, while my time lazing around and not worrying about anything but my painkiller schedule like a successful drug lord wasn’t completely enjoyable, it was a good time to reconnect with the idea of depending on others and asking for help. Plus, now I know that family will take care of you once an obscene amount of blood comes from your mouth, so that’s also good to know. — Sarah Leeson can be reached at sleeson@umich.edu.
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Y
— President Barack Obama said yesterday during a Labor Day speech in Boston to labor leaders. Obama also signed an executive order requiring federal contractors to provide their employees with paid sick leave.
Daycare for my inner child
his summer, I did one of the most childish things I could think of: I got my tonsils out. Which was a mistake. A mas- SARAH sive mistake. LEESON A humongous “why-did-I-dothis-there-areso-many-other-ways-I-could-havespent-these-two-weeks-other-thanas-a-miserable-vegetable” mistake. And also not a mistake, but not for the obvious medical reason. Technically, I needed it done, so even if I hadn’t wanted it, it would have happened anyway. But what I didn’t really know at the time was that not only would I be in terrible pain, but I would also be stripped of all independence during recovery, which was a good thing and a bad thing. Mainly a bad one (but silver linings exist). For some background, getting your tonsils out as an adult is not the same as what a child goes through with the same procedure. Your tonsils are supposed to be pretty prominent as a kid since they help with blocking germs and fighting infections, which children (i.e. dirt monsters) are prone to. By maturation, however, the tonsils are supposed to be smaller in proportion to your adult throat and farther back and out of the way. Getting them out is more of a hassle, because they’ve basically taken a stronger root. However, my tonsils touched in the middle and appeared to be gaining some sort of sentience. They would growl in the night, and they seemed to be developing some very concerning opinions, such as “The Big Bang Theory” being a good show, so they had to go. So out they came. And with that came two weeks of feeling like I was swallowing crushed glass, an inability to speak and eat most anything, weakness from malnourish-
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If I were looking for a good job that lets me build some security for my family, I’d join a union. If I wanted somebody who had my back, I’d join a union.”
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Problematic attitudes
our first arrival to campus — an unofficial inauguration to your undergraduate career — is usually steeped in expectation. Driving through unfamiliar streets, you excitedly survey the city that’ll serve as the stage for MELISSA the next few years of your life. SCHOLKE With a full backpack, welcome info packets at your feet and boxes (or alternatively, some unlucky sibling unwillingly enlisted as a member of your moving crew) sitting in the car seat next to you, you anxiously stare out of the window. Every film depiction of college you’ve seen up until this point has filled your imagination with scenes of expertly landscaped quadrangles, verdant lawns, stately buildings and drab dormitories. It’s everything you expected it would be. As you venture toward the section of off-campus student houses, you curiously search for any and all signs of the rumored crazy college shenanigans. However, among all of your preconceived images of the stereotypical rowdiness and ruckus, the last thing you may expect to see is a spray-painted, sexist phrase hanging from one of the balconies. At Old Dominion University in Virginia, some of these college shenanigans grew too derogatory and recently ignited a controversy. Students — new and old alike — passing by the school’s chapter of Sigma Nu fraternities were welcomed by makeshift bedsheet banners with crudely scrawled lettering that designated the building as a “freshman daughter drop-off” site. Accompanying the message was a separate banner declaring, “Rowdy and Fun, Hope Your Baby Girl Is Ready for a Good Time.” Old Dominion University’s chapter of Sigma Nu even extended the invitation to the girls’ parents with a third and final banner that read, “Go Ahead and Drop Off Mom Too.” These banners incited national media attention and immediate
action from the Old Dominion administrators. The disrespectful messages prompted the suspension of the school’s chapter of Sigma Nu. Old Dominion University’s president responded quickly with a statement, and an investigation of the incident is pending. Assigning disciplinary action for displaying derogatory messages, such as the ones seen at ODU, has initiated a troubling debate. The students and the words on these crudely designed signs are protected by the First Amendment. Some argue that the actions and media coverage so far have taken the situation out of proportion, while others claim these messages contribute to rape culture in environments with high prevalence of sexual assault. These incidents, for the most part, were probably intended as highly inappropriate and poorly thought out jokes. Yet the overall messages, while they may not directly threaten or proposition a specific woman, are not something to toss aside lightly, especially when these are in no way isolated incidents. Signs toting sexist messages similar to the ones portrayed at ODU have emerged outside of various fraternities and student houses for years. A house at Ohio State University hung a banner marketing “Daughter Day Care 2.0” and another claiming “Dads, We’ll Take It From Here.” Variations of sexist phrases have appeared at numerous universities in the past, illustrating a disturbing trend. The Atlantic wrote, “these immature 19-year-olds displayed bad judgement, but so do the adults who are reacting as if they were stockpiling GHB. Pop culture is filled with material far more vulgar and offensive, including content that does actually transgress against the value placed on consent.” One can label these messages as a dumb and disrespectful tradition, but we can’t deny the fact that these messages, unintentionally offensive and degrading or not, contribute to a flawed culture that continually degrades and objectifies women on various platforms. If our society truly is filled with “material far more vulgar and offensive” already,
then our goal should be to remedy this instead of dismissing slightly less demeaning material because it doesn’t cross a pre-existing line. There’s an understanding that, to a certain degree, the humor of college students is expected to be immature, crass and crude. However, the annual appearance of mattresses, sheets and signs sporting these sexist, derogatory spraypaint messages provides a subtle reminder to the undergraduate female populations that even while attending institutions of academic rigor, you’re not going to escape the possibility of being objectified and sexualized. The vast majority of young women — if they haven’t already encountered it — become exposed to a world of crude comments, unsolicited propositions and often unshakeable concerns about the safety of the spaces they inhabit once they reach adulthood. Seeing signs thanking their parents for bringing them as if collegeaged women were products to be deposited and used only further proves the existence of this uncomfortable sphere. As a woman far too accustomed to regularly being exposed to similar messages in the media or as I walk around Ann Arbor, I can acknowledge some realities. Removing some failed attempts at being funny will not instantly make me or other women feel safer. It won’t immediately circumvent the reception of derogatory solicitations or offensive, unnerving comments, nor can anyone realistically expect that to be the outcome. These banners and signs deserve media attention and heavy criticism not because they’re saying things students and worrying parents don’t want to hear; they deserve it because seemingly insignificant scenarios and attitudes contribute to societal problems as much as the larger ones. We, as members of active campus communities, should denounce sexist cultures and work to end high rates of sexual assault. But to do so we need to be aware of and challenge the problematic attitudes that continue to pervade society. — Melissa Scholke can be reached at melikaye@umich.edu.
5A — Tuesday, September 8, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
WELCOME WEEK FESTIVITIES
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
CLOCKWISE: Students walk from campus to the New Student Convocation Ceremony held in Crisler Arena on Friday. School of Music, Theater, and Dance senior Nora Schell performs the national anthem during the ceremony. The Michigan Marching Band close the ceremony with “ Yellow and Blue”. Education graduate students Katie Forsythe and Dan Hay pose for a photograph with President Schlissel and his wife Monica. CSG President Cooper Charlton and University President Mark Schlissel watch the performances during the ceremony.
New academic year marks new tradition for Schlissel President walks to New Student Convocation with freshmen students By BRANDON SUMMERS-MILLER Daily Staff Reporter
Students and staff gathered on the front lawn of University President Mark Schlissel’s South University Avenue home to participate in the first annual walk to the Crisler Center for New Student Convocation. The Friday afternoon walk, which began with about 50 students at the President’s House, quickly grew into a large crowd of University freshmen, residence hall staff and the occasional faculty member. The procession was organized to give freshmen a unique experience to meet Schlissel and other members of the freshman class. LSA junior Elizabeth Warbasse, a South Quad resident advisor, said convocation provides a good introduction to the University, and she wanted to be sure her residents didn’t miss the opportunity to attend.
UMPD From Page 3A counsel on finding a credible firm to provide security at parties. “The idea again isn’t to catch people, or give people tickets, or make life hard, it really is to make life safe,” said E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life. Washington said the aim is achieving a collective “reduction in harm,” whether that’s hospital transports, injuries or instances of sexual misconduct.
“I really wanted my freshmen in my hall to have the chance to meet the president of the University,” she added. The trail to convocation passed several University icons including an impromptu performance by the Michigan Marching Band and a visit from the South Quad mascot, Squady. As the procession reached its destination, freshmen took their seats in the Crisler Center to hear Schlissel welcome them to the University. At the beginning of his address, Schlissel jokingly advised freshmen students to try the corned beef reuben from Zingerman’s Delicatessen and invest in a warm winter coat. Schlissel said this fall’s freshman class was admitted during yet another year of record applications — over 50,000 in all — with Schlissel stressing that attending the University is already a great distinction few others can claim. “I’ve learned a tremendous amount about the kind of student we attract here to the University of Michigan, and what their experience will be like here,” he said. “I learned firsthand that our students — that
Since the focus is largely on proactive efforts, he said he wouldn’t expect to see the number of alcohol-related violations go up, even with additional law enforcement resources in the area. He also said campus sentiment — how people feel about their relationship with campus police — is an important factor, too. “It really is about community policing,” he said. “Prevention is about developing relationships, so we’ve shifted our resources to be more in the space before the incident.”
you — have tremendous energy, entrepreneurial spirit, social consciousness and amazing potential.” Schlissel welcomed parents in the audience as well. “You are now all members of the Michigan family,” he said. “I hope you parents are as proud of your students as we are.” During the remainder of his speech, Schlissel emphasized the impact University students and alumni across the country and abroad. “You’ve come to Michigan to make a difference in the world,” he said. Convocation also featured several talent acts, including an appearance by the Michigan Men’s Glee Club, a performance by Michigan Manzil and a rendition of the national anthem by Music, Theatre & Dance senior Nora Schell. LSA freshman Madeline Carter, who attended Friday’s ceremony, said she is looking forward to her time at the University. “There’s so much spirit at Michigan, and it makes me so excited to be a part of everything,” she said. “It’s so much more than I could have thought it would be.”
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SCHLISSEL From Page 1A Avenue house. “I live across the street in the Law School dorm and my room faces the President’s House,” law student Mary Waller said. “I thought it would be cool to see the inside.” While Schlissel hosted a similar event last year, this year’s layout was adjusted to accommodate long lines. Last year, Schlissel and Schwebs received attendees on their patio, meaning the long
line formed throughout the home and onto the front lawn. This year, Schlissel decided to receive students further into the backyard, making it easier for those invited to explore the home and socialize. LSA junior Jasen Garborg said he found the event to be a chance to meet new people. “I thought the event would be a good opportunity to meet some other students,” Garborg said. “I am a transfer student, so maybe I could meet some other transfer students.” Garborg also waited in the long line to shake hands and chat
with Schlissel for a few minutes. “It was a really cool opportunity to meet the guy that runs the ship,” he said. LSA junior Erich Eberhard came to the event for a very specific reason. “I came here for one purpose, and one purpose only: to find out if Schlissel actually lives in this house,” Eberhard said. “I’ve been wondering since I was a freshman whether or not the presidents live in this house.” According to Eberhard, Schlissel responded that he was quick to accept the offer to live in a mansion on campus.
‘U’ honored with prestigious National Medal of Arts Professor emeritus, University Musical Society receive award By JACKIE CHARNIGA Daily Staff Reporter
The University Musical Society and George Shirley, a professor emeritus at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, will receive the prestigious National Medal of Arts at a White House ceremony Thursday. The medal — the highest recognition for support or excellence in the arts — is the latest in a lengthy list of accolades for Shirley, which includes a Grammy Award for his rendition of Ferrando in Mozart’s “Così fan tutte.” Presented annually by the president since 1984, medal winners are selected from a pool of nominees determined by the National Endowment for the Arts and reviewed by the National Council on the Arts. Despite his history of recognition, Shirley said he never expected to receive such an honor. “I wasn’t looking for, I wasn’t
doing it to be rewarded. I was doing it because God granted me the gifts — I think when you’re presented with opportunities to do things then you do the best you can. The rewards come when the audience loves the performance, and you know that you’ve touched them.” Shirley is considered pioneer for Black artists. At 27 years old, he was the first Black male to play a leading role in the Metropolitan Opera. Raised in Detroit, Shirley began studying music education at Wayne State University before he was appointed the first Black high-school music teacher in Detroit Public Schools. Before teaching at the University, Shirley first taught at the University of Maryland. “In teaching, rewards are manifested in the success of your students,” Shirley said. “Those are the rewards I’ve looked for in life and in the profession. Accolades will come from higher up in a sense, many for me are surprises.” Shirley referenced David Daniels, a former University student and current faculty member in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, saying under his instruction, Daniels became
one of the leading countertenors in the world. In 1987, Shirley began his role at the University School of Music, Theatre & Dance, where he was director of the Vocal Arts Division. He currently serves as the Joseph Edgar Maddy Distinguished University Professor of Music. A former board member, Shirley said it was an honor to be involved with the University Musical Society, which he deemed the most important musical series in the country. “The variety, and the focus has always been on finding the best performers,” he said. “Whether it be opera, theatera, dance, drama, jazz, blues, gospel, Indian music, Chinese music — the best performers that are out there. Quality has always been and remains the high watermark.” UMS sponsors about 100 educational events and 75 performances annually. The White House said Shirley is among 11 of the 2015 recipients. Those include actress Sally Field and novelist Stephen King, who will also be honored by President Barack Obama for their contributions to the artistic community.
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6A — Tuesday, September 8, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
TV REVIEW
‘Hannibal’ stuns ‘Girl’ breaks norms By CHLOE GILKE
Managing Arts Editor
Writing a series finale might be the hardest job in the world. Those unlucky writers must follow B+ a stringent set of guidelines if their Hannibal ending is to join the likes of “Six Series Finale Feet Under” in NBC the Great Finale Hall of Fame and avoid being tossed into the Garbage Can of Garbage Finales with “How I Met Your Mother” and “Dexter.” First, series finales have to wrap up lingering plot threads from previous episodes; series finales are also season finales, after all. However, the writer can’t be satisfied with just crafting a pat chapter ending. Viewers expect that the show end up going somewhere, which means that the writer had better start tying things up in a beautiful bow or blowing shit up. But most importantly, the writer has to craft ten perfect minutes to end the show. Those last few scenes are what people remember about the finale; everything else is incidental. The series finale of “Hannibal” was, admittedly, not perfect. Because of the season’s split structure, mid-season time jump and the introduction of new characters, “Hannibal” relied more heavily on exposition and table-setting to advance the story to its endpoint. With better plotting (or a higher episode count), Francis Dolarhyde’s (Richard Armitage, “Strike Back”) fake-out death could have occurred in a different episode, so Will (Hugh Dancy, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”) and Jack’s (Laurence Fishburne, “The Matrix”) scheming could have been more developed. The final appearances of beloved supporting characters could be more organically mixed into the drama, and Alana Bloom (Caroline Dhavernas, “Wonderfalls”) could have a better reason to visit Hanni-
bal than, well, convenience. But I’ll cut the finale a bit of slack — series creator Bryan Fuller imagined seven seasons to tell his story, and “The Wrath of the Lamb” is only the final installment because of a cruel strike from the TV Gods. Some things don’t end the way they should. Francis Dolarhyde (alias “The Red Dragon”) served as an effective villain for the second half of the season, but his stories were regretfully isolated. As the clock counted down to “Hannibal” ’s final episode, I was acutely aware of how little Dolarhyde interacted with the show’s main characters apart from close calls and near-threats. The character existed in his own world, drawn to art, films and literature because of the distance and they afforded him. From the beginning, Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen, “The Hunt”) made such an effective villain because of his proximity to investigator Will. The infamous Chesapeake Ripper was right there the whole time. Dolarhyde’s silence, while a cool change of pace from Hannibal’s omnipresence, was not the best choice for a final battle. But when it comes down to it, The Red Dragon didn’t really matter. He was a catalyst, the bait that would draw Hannibal and Will together again. Dolarhyde’s crimes ripped Will from his “maddeningly polite” life with his wife, stepson and dozen adopted dogs. The mirrors that Dolarhyde placed on his victim’s naked bodies forced Will to confront the fact that he’d never be able to escape this life. His empathy would always extend to The Ripper and The Dragon and sick fuckers of the world, and he was cursed to see himself in the atrocities they created. From the beginning of the season, “Hannibal” has made it clear that Will would never be able to escape Hannibal’s influence. Will could bide his time, but Hannibal would always be waiting, knife in hand, ready to enjoy his long-awaited meal of the only man who ever challenged him. The finale received
a jolt of energy as soon as Hannibal brought Will to the cliffside house where he brought Miriam Lass and Abigail Hobbs so long ago. Hannibal lamented the erosion of the cliff and the passage of time; the cliff would continue edging back and engulfing land, and someday it’d overtake them all. With one gorgeous metaphor, “Hannibal” predicted the ending that would come just a few minutes later. After Dolarhyde was vanquished and lay a bloody husk on the ground, a wounded Will reached to embrace Hannibal. He clutched him like a savior, as Hannibal reassuringly said that “this is all (he) ever wanted … for both of us.” So Will gave in, and the two of them fell gracefully off the cliff. The two were shot like a Renaissance painting, all Caravaggian lights and shadows and Biblical-pained expressions. “Hannibal” is consistently praised for its gorgeous cinematography, but director of photography James Hawkinson (“Community”) deserves one final shout-out for framing such iconic final images. Just like Hannibal remarked, his and Will’s ending was truly beautiful. When considered as a whole, “The Wrath of the Lamb” may not be “Hannibal” ’s finest episode. The season had to work overtime to finish up the arcs of two major villains — since he was only featured in a few episodes, The Red Dragon wasn’t as formidable as he could have been. But I truly think that ten years from now (or whenever that inevitable “Hannibal” reboot ends up happening), nobody will remember season three as the season when Reba tried to grab a key from Dolarhyde’s neck and Alana wore pantsuits. The job of a finale is to provide a poetic end to a show, a dreamy final note to close a years-long symphony. Ultimately, the last chapter of “Hannibal” was all about that jump off the cliff. It wasn’t perfect, but it was all I ever wanted.
By SOPHIA KAUFMAN Daily Arts Writer
Don’t be fooled by the conventionally beautiful, glamorous woman on the cover. Constance Kopp was an intimidating person, made much more so by the Girl Waits fact that she never let general with Gun rules of womanAmy Stewart ly etiquette stop her from slam- Houghton Mifming rude men flin Harcourt against walls. “Girl Waits Sept. 1, 2015 with Gun” by Amy Stewart, the best-selling author of “The Drunken Botanist,” is based on the true story of one of America’s first female sheriffs in 1914. In delving into the lives of Constance and her younger sisters, Norma and Fleurette, Amy Stewart tells a tale as captivating as it is genuinely funny in its portrayal of three bewildered sisters who find themselves in a war with one of the most powerful men in their hometown. The story begins when an automobile collides with the carriage that the three sisters are riding in. As the dust settles around the crash and a crowd gathers to watch the spectacle, Constance insists to Henry Kaufman — the cocky driver and a rich silk factory owner — and his grinning posse that they pay for the damages. Kaufman and his henchmen laugh it off and drive away, but Constance refuses to let it go. Thus begins the battle for justice. The sisters, who are accustomed to a quiet life on a farm away from gossipy townsfolk, are unprepared for Kaufman’s vile scare tactics, as he begins to terrorize them in an attempt to have them drop the charges. Constance finds herself working with the town sheriff to help some of Kaufman’s other victims, solving a mysterious crime in the process.
Set in the early 20th century the novel captures the struggles that women — particularly unmarried women — had to face, especially concerning the ancient conundrum of not “having a man around the place.” Francis Kopp, their brother, is constantly trying to force them into moving in with his family, unaware of the fact that every time he interferes he complicates life for everyone. The personalities of the three sisters complement and counteract each other so perfectly, it feels slightly self-indulgent — but their back-and-forth sibling banter is so recognizable and natural that it doesn’t matter. Stewart has an ear for dialogue, and Constance’s role as the narrator is so unobtrusive that her pragmatic personality shines through the lines. The most intriguing relationship is between Constance and the sheriff, who can never be sure how Constance will surprise him next — especially after she turns out to be a sharpshooter and unafraid to manhandle men. Stewart captures the hesitancy shown on both sides as the original protector/protected relationship between the two evolves into a partnership. I could almost feel Stewart’s knowing smile behind my shoulder as I kept turning the pages, expecting that in a story of three young women — one of whom is still in her teens and professed to be a great beauty — there’d be some romance, somewhere. But there isn’t, and it’s great — not because of the lack of romantic storylines, or in spite of it. There’s no romance, period. The book is awesome, period. Hollywood could learn a thing or two. One of the funniest and most well-written scenes is toward the end, when Constance answers an advertisement in the paper for female detectives in a shop; she can’t think of any job for which
she is more suited, and is confident in her ability to win over her interviewer as she makes her way to the back of the store. The manager is polite to Constance, but asks her to please step aside as she is expecting a prospective employee. The manager looks around for a petite, girlish figure as Constance stands in front of her, nonplussed. When Constance informs the woman that she is the one that came for the job, the woman laughs. She needs someone unobtrusive, she tells Constance; someone of whom potential thieves wouldn’t be suspicious. Though Constance knows that she is tall, strong and the oldest of a quirky family that mainly keeps to themselves, she never fails to underestimate how intimidated others are by her. She makes the court howl with laughter at her impatient, staccato answers to reporters’ stupid questions, as she is baffled by the people questioning her intellect because of her gender. Constance is unfailingly funny when she doesn’t mean to be, and is constantly confused when people find her so. Stewart’s understanding of the zeitgeist of the early 20th century and her ability to convey the humor even in grim situations is seen in how Constance poses a literally physical threat to Kaufman, and no one quite knows how to deal with it, making for several funny encounters and several sulky men. At one point, Constance has Kaufman pinned to the wall, and one of the men watching shouts, “Take your hands off of her!” Everyone laughs at how ridiculous it sounds. Except Kaufman, of course, who tries very hard to look nonchalant rather than scared shitless (and fails). “Girl Waits with Gun” left me wanting a sequel badly — but, like its heroine, it stands quite sturdily on its own two feet.
7A — Tuesday, September 8, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
LITERATURE COLUMN
To kill ‘Atticus Finch’ By REBECCA LERNER Daily Literature Columnist
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I’ll say one thing for her – she sure can write.” My dad said to me, interrupting my reading of Harper Lee’s “Go Set A Watchman.” The recently released novel, a chronological sequel to Lee’s first book, was actually written prior to her iconic “To Kill A Mockingbird. As it is for many Americans, the story of Scout during her transformative 10th summer in Alabama is more than just a book to me. One of my fondest childhood memories is of listening with my brother to my father reading “To Kill A Mockingbird” in the summer when I was nine years old. With my logical and kind father, my teasing older brother and my god awful haircut that resembled Mary Badham’s in the film adaption, I related to Scout on a fundamental level. As I grew older and had to study the novel twice in high school, I continued to naively adore its characters. I proudly donned the “What Would Atticus Do?” pin given to everyone in my grade. When my neighbor’s family named their dog Atticus, I gave my wholehearted approval. Like Scout in the novel, I put Atticus on a pedestal. But “Go Set A Watchman” crushes that pedestal, putting Atticus firmly on the ground as the human being he is. “Go Set A Watchman” begins with the adult Scout, who now goes by her given name JeanLouise, when she returns to her hometown of Maycomb, Alabama from her life in New York City. At first she slips back into her old town comfortably, flirting with her high school sweetheart, Henry Clinton, and fighting with her Aunt
Alexandra. Her ease ends when she finds out that Atticus, JeanLouise’s earliest model of integrity and fairness, is a member of a version of the Klu Klux Klan called the Citizen’s Council. The racial justifications that Atticus gives Jean-Louise for his behavior are incredibly uncomfortable. There’s no escaping it. While he agrees with his liberal daughter that black people are human, he does not believe they have the capacity for decisionmaking or responsibility. It seems unnatural to hear such bigotry spew from the mouth of the man who stood 20 years earlier in front of his entire town to defend Tom Robinson and said “Gentlemen, if there’s one slogan in this world I believe it is this, equal rights for all, special privileges for none.” When we flash back to this moment with a young Scout, the shock and hurt that she experiences with this revelation about her father seems entirely legitimate. And yet, the discovery about Atticus does not inherently contradict the beloved characters of “To Kill A Mockingbird.” Atticus is first and foremost a law-abiding man, and his defense of Tom Robinson was based on the fact that Robinson was an innocent man being accused of a crime he did not commit. A clear distinction is made between Atticus and more infamous White Supremacists – Atticus would never physically hurt someone or break the law to uphold his beliefs. His less violent form of racism possibly comes as a surprise, but does not come out of nowhere. After living in the deep South for 72 years, Atticus, a straight white male with some socio-economic power, does not want to change a system that
favors himself and his offspring. If this situation were applied to anyone besides the most famous seeker of justice in modern literature, the conclusion that in these circumstances, this person would subscribe to paternalistic racism would not be eccentric. But he’s not some random racist. And our connection to the person that he was in the first book is what fuels the fire of the second. Like the rest of “Go Set A Watchman,” the ties that it has to the characters from “To Kill A Mockingbird” prove to be it’s shining moments of glory. The narrator Jean-Louise, who in the second novel has made the switch from her wise beyond her years first person voice to a more stiff third person one, comes to life when she dwells on her childhood. Without the first book, it would be too much to expect readers to care about how much Jean-Louise has changed, or that she doesn’t speak to Dill, or that Atticus is part of the citizen’s council. “Go Set a Watchman” is a fine addition to its predecessor, but would wobble if it tried to stand on its own. “To Kill A Mockingbird” has its roots in “Go Set A Watchman.” An editor saw the passion of the childhood scenes and asked Harper Lee to write a book twenty years earlier from the point of the view of young Scout. Without “Watchman”, we wouldn’t have the entrancing book that will make countless young Americans actually enjoy English class. It’s enjoyable to read because even after not penning another book for over 40 years – Lee sure can write. Lerner is The Michigan Daily’s new literature columnist. You can contact her at rebler@umich.edu.
TV REVIEW
Ambitious ‘Narcos’ By MATT BARNAUSKAS Daily Arts Writer
“Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction,” “Narcos” ’s narrator, DEA agent Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook, “Run B All Night”), meditates. Narcos “There’s a reason magical Season One realism was born in Colom- Netflix bia. It’s a country where dreams and reality are conflated, where in their heads people fly as high as Icarus. But even magical realism has its limits.” Following the rise and rule of infamous Colombian cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura, “Elite Squad”), “Narcos” crafts a sweeping narrative of corruption and brutality that spans nearly two decades. The life of Escobar is simultaneously alluring and repulsive. Filled with wealth, sex and excess, the lifestyle is reminiscent of the gangsters on display in films such as “Goodfellas,” a fantasy of riches and dreams come true. But, like its American counterpart, “Narcos” displays the sickening foundation that built this empire and the toxic effect it has on those involved, as Escobar grows more brutal and paranoid and violence becomes the only answer. On the other side of the law, the American Murphy, his partner Javier Peña (Pedro Pascal, “Game of Thrones”) and Colombian Colonel Horatio Carillo (Maurice Compte, “A Walk Among the Tombstones”) are tasked with taking down Escobar. The trio is a mixed bag. Pascal highlights the charisma he had as Oberyn Martell in “Game of Thrones” in his portrayal of Peña, a smooth veteran who knows that capturing Escobar requires some extralegal means
as bureaucracy continuously interferes. Carillo shares this sentiment, but has the added burden of calling the country home and seeing it turn into a battlefield. Moura handles Escobar with a deft performance that humanizes the man but never glosses over how monstrous he can be. He gives money to the poor, but later plagues his homeland with car bombings so he can get what he wants. Escobar is a violent man but not a dumb one, as Moura displays intelligence behind every move. Nowhere is this better on display than Escobar’s introduction. Under the direction of José Padilha (the director of “Elite Squad”), Moura as Escobar intimidates several border guards into submission, blatantly displaying the items he smuggles. The camera lingers on Escobar as he casually brings up the names of the soldiers, then the names of their wives and children, giving them the choice, “Plata o plomo,” (silver or lead). Shot in one take, the scene is a chilling display of control with Padilha, who is also a producer for the series. The standard for “Narcos” is estahblished early on by capturing Columbia’s paradox of aesthetic beauty against social suffering and violence. Murphy isn’t as effective. Portrayed with a southern drawl by Holbrook, Murphy is the new guy thrust into the jungles and slums of Colombia. Murphy’s story is one of initial patriotism and disillusionment, giving way to the realization that “Good and bad, they’re relative concepts.” Only when Murphy plunges into the rabbit hole of obsession with bringing Escobar to justice does he become somewhat interesting. However, some unhinged moments, like when he shoots the tires of a frustrated cabbie, still feel forced.
The most truly irritating aspect of Murphy derives from his near constant narration. While occasionally offering a clever or sobering observation, “Narcos” ’s voiceover serves mainly as an information dump, supplying facts about Escobar’s dynasty or plot information. Considering the scope of the series, it’s understandable that narration will be used, but it’s so constant and occasionally unnecessary in its hand-holding that it becomes an annoyance.
‘Narcos’ is still promising. The beast that is the real life story behind “Narcos” is hard to tame, and though the show tries its best to wrestle with as much as it can, it sometimes loses its grip. With reflections on American interventionism, the nature of good and evil and the ineffective hypocrisy of bureaucracy among its themes, “Narcos” has a lot to say within its first 10 episodes, creating a balancing act that alternatively soars and tumbles with the execution. The show uses actual news footage to inconsistently enforce these ideas. At times the use drives home the reality of the situation: that truth is crazier than fiction. However, at times it feels like a blatant cost cutting measure, considering the use of the Palace of Justice siege, a pivotal event is almost entirely stock footage. “Narcos” may struggle at times handling its ambition, but it still delivers enough of its initial promise – crafting a fascinating portrayal of one of history’s most brutal criminals and the dark world surrounding him.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
8A — Tuesday, September 8, 2015
ALBUM REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Miley is clueless Coates demands but fascinating greater social change By KARL WILLIAMS
By ADAM THEISEN Senior Arts Editor
Just a few months ago, I would have been so excited for a new Miley Cyrus album. Earlier in the summer, the singer started posting YouTube Avideos of her “Backyard Ses- Miley sions,” a series of Cyrus and stripped-down Her Dead cover songs performed by Cyrus Petz and friends like Miley Cyrus Joan Jett, Laura Jane Grace and Smiley Miley, Inc Ariana Grande. Where these performances showcased Cyrus’s great, matured, husky voice, her newly launched Happy Hippie Foundation and smart quotes about gender fluidity and the epidemic of homelessness seemed to highlight a newfound awareness and social consciousness. These interviews and videos seemed to make clear that Cyrus’s next project would be dramatically different from her previous full-length: 2013’s Bangerz, a record with a pair of great singles and a lot of mediocre, faux-provocative, blackface-wearing pop music. Cyrus seemed poised for an organic-sounding folk/country record that, for better or worse, would announce her arrival as a legitimate, critically respectable artist. But Cyrus has demonstrated in the last couple weeks that she can still be totally clueless about subjects like race and appropriation, and she blows up any expectations of artistic evolution from the second her new album begins. The very first line from the first song, which you might have heard if you watched her “outrageous” performance at the VMAs, is a heavily distorted “Yeah, I smoke pot” that gets laid over a standard trap beat practically cut-andpasted from Bangerz. “Dooo It!” is a disappointing, near-insufferable beginning that feels forced and immature and sits in this weird negative zone between catchy pop and experimental avant-garde, picking up the good characteristics of neither. The good news, though, is that “Dooo It!” might actually be one of the low points of the entire project. Recorded with psych-rock vets The Flaming Lips, Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz is a 90-minute mess that you can’t help but appreciate even as it goes on forever and ever. The record is like a garage sale of Cyrus’s talents and ambitions, with different aspects of her art-
istry haphazardly hung and strewn about throughout its runtime. The sequencing is nonexistent — you might as well just play the whole thing on shuffle — and I really can’t imagine what this record is meant for or who will enjoy it, but it’s exciting to see a young artist experiment like Cyrus does, and you’re bound to find moments of greatness within its long, winding runtime. The first half of Dead Petz can sometimes feel like flipping through a 500-page textbook looking for the one quote you need to cite in a paper. Frustrating but at times rewarding, very long, unmemorable songs are mixed in with obnoxiousness and beauty. Second track “Karen Don’t Be Sad” sounds remarkably similar to “Holes” by Mercury Rev, a band with whom the Lips have always been closely compared. It’s one of the stronger songs, with Cyrus showing instead of telling her drug use, letting it actually inform her work instead of just yelling about how high she is. However, songs like “Something About Space Dude” and “Space Boots” go on for way too long without any clear goals. These tracks sound like forgotten Flaming Lips album cuts recorded with a new frontperson, and it feels odd that Cyrus would choose to make this record with a veteran band in their 50s when she wants her sound to be so forward-thinking. Elsewhere, Mike Will Made It plays a key role, and though he delivers the danceable strength that made him famous, his presence on songs feels like much more of a callback to Bangerz than this album should be. Cyrus herself often sounds like she’s holding back, keeping her voice subtle or distorted instead of impressing by letting loose. On the awful forced monologue of “BB Talk,” she sounds like an actress reading off lines for a character she doesn’t even know, but other times, she can tap into a loose, breathy singer-songwriter mode that serves her well. “Milky Milky Milk,” track 10 of 23, then becomes either the moment of abandonment or the point of no return. Another dreamy, jokey track with mediocre electronic experimentation, it’s a huge swing and a disappointing miss. But get past that, and the next song is “Cyrus Skies,” a slow, tense breakdown of a tune with despairing vocals and minimal instrumentation. That track kicks off a hypnotic comedown that produces Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz’s most compelling work, with songs that are still messy and deconstructive but contain soul and complexity. There are still eye-roll moments where you really have to wonder
how Cyrus thinks getting drunk and fucked up is worth bragging about, but other times, she shows hints of chameleonic geniuses like Lou Reed or Bjork. “I Get So Scared” is a guitar-strummer that gives the best glimpse of what a folksier Cyrus record would sound like, while “Lighter” is a Cocteau Twins/M83-style nighttime driving song that once again uses drugs as an influence rather than the whole substance of a song. “1 Sun,” meanwhile, takes MIA’s busy electro-punk chaos and turns it into this preachy garage-punk rave-up.
A garage sale of Cyrus’s talent and ambition By the end of Dead Petz you feel like you’ve been swarmed by ideas and entranced by the unfamiliar tricks of Miley Cyrus. It’s worth asking “What the fuck is she doing?” here and there, but it’s also fun to sit back and absorb take in her obvious potential brilliance. The record concludes with a couple of twee piano ballads surrounding the questionable appropriation of “Miley Tibetan Bowlz.” “Pablow the Blowfish” made me smile in its cleverness even though it’s a eulogy for a dead pet, while “Twinkle Song” works because it’s one of the few Dead Petz tracks that puts Cyrus directly in the spotlight. She interesting and talented enough that you care when she opens her mouth and says something honest, even if she’s just talking about some dream she had, and when the album closes with her truly showing off how wild and unhinged her voice can get (think Stevie Nicks on “Edge of Seventeen”), it’s truly satisfying. The weirdest thing about Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz, to me, is how truly unclassifiable it is. That works in its favor, as it’s worth listening to at least for its experimental uniqueness, but it also means it doesn’t fit into any easy recommendation. I don’t know who would love this album, or when you would want to play it. I only know that its creator has plenty of talent and ambition, even if she screws up a lot, and I love hearing her when she succeeds. Drugged-up with her head spinning, feeling fuzzy as she explores all that she’s capable of, Cyrus still hasn’t escaped from the influence of the artists who inspire her or from her own occasional bad judgments, but on Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, you can hear her pressing her hands against the walls, pushing out to try and make something truly original.
Daily Arts Writer
“In America, it is traditional to destroy the black body—it is heritage,” writes Ta-Nehisi Coates, a national correspondent for The Atlantic, Between in his newest the World book “Between the World and and Me Me.” Coates Ta-Nehisi wrote the book Coates as an admonitory letter to Spiegel and Grau his son about the dangers of July 14. 2015 being Black in contemporary America, where news of an African American’s death at the hands of the police has become almost a rote expectation of weekly life. Coates surveys history both personal and national, creating an epistolary memoir filled with searing social and political commentary. He discusses his adolescence, fraught with the latent violence of the Baltimore streets and the frequency with which it was realized; his collegiate years at Howard University where he developed his intellectual purpose, meeting his wife, his struggles as a young writer, etc, and he augments his memories with caustic, cogent meditations on race and American history. According to Coates, race is the legacy of American history. Race, and its son racism, is not a blight on the otherwise fair face of America, but the face itself. The plunder and subjugation of Black bodies created the wealth and power enjoyed mostly by white Americans.. These are the foundation of what Coates simply calls “the Dream.” As formulated in the book, the Dream is a moral effacement, a convenient innocence that allows the continuous destruction and exploitation of Black bodies. Coates digs into history quite a bit, noting, for example, that in the pre-Civil War South slaves “were worth four billion dollars, more than all of American industry,” but his analysis of the contemporary political situation, especially his own experiences, proves more powerful. In fact, the most compelling part of the book is Coates’s telling of the promising life and tragic death of Prince Jones, a friend and fellow student at Howard University. Jones — a young, unarmed Black man like Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, and many others — was shot by a policeman who followed him through three jurisdictions in search of a suspect who had nothing in common with Jones other than the brand of their vehicle and the color of their skin. The officer claimed that Jones tried to run him over with his Jeep, and, since only one witness lived through the encounter,
the prosecutors believed him. Jones’s life differs from the narratives usually ascribed to Black victims of police violence. He was affluent, born in the suburbs, a stellar student. His mother overcame abject poverty by attending college, becoming a radiologist and building a privileged life for her son so that he, unlike most other Black children, would not have to be “twice as good.” Jones’s story elucidates a crucial point in “Between the World and Me:” that even when African Americans achieve the American Dream, when they break into the suburban landscape “organized around pot roasts, blueberry pies, fireworks, ice cream sundaes, immaculate bathrooms, and small toy trucks that were loosed in wooded backyards with streams and glens,” race imposes a limitation that is both ineluctable and, possibly, fatal. In another intriguing passage, which is sure to become notorious if taken out of context enough, Coates says that he did not feel sympathy for 9/11 first responders: “I could see no difference between the officer who killed Prince Jones and the police who died, or the firefighters who died. They were not human to me. Black, white, or whatever, they were the menaces of nature; they were the fire, the comet, the storm, which could—with no justification—shatter my body.” The attack on the World Trade Centers — a place where, as Coates notes, slaves were once traded — occurred in the wake of Prince Jones’s death, an event that seems to have shaped much of his political views and writing since. He’s not being contemptuous, but rather brandishing a brutal candor that aims to evince the vast disparity in what the forces of American history, the American state and the American legacy mean for him and what they mean for
most citizens. In form and theme, “Between the World and Me” explicitly invokes James Baldwin’s essay “My Dungeon Shook: Letter to my Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation.” He’s more Malcolm than Martin, but Coates compares better with Baldwin than other prominent Black intellectual figures, although these are all shadows too large for any man to fill. In his essay, Baldwin writes that “it is not permissible that the authors of devastation should also be innocent. It is the innocence which constitutes the crime,” an idea concurrent in “Between the World and Me.” Both writers posit an absolute moral culpability in the benefits white America enjoys because of its enslavement of Black bodies. But Baldwin, writing half a century before, has what Coates lacks: a legitimate sense of hope; he writes that “If you know whence you came, there is really no limit to where you can go.” There are moments when Coates let’s rays of hope pilfer through (“They made us into a race. We made ourselves into a people.”), but they don’t break his dark evaluation of our contemporary situation. After fifty years with more stasis than change, it feels absurd to expect him to share this sentiment. Coates’s book is not without its faults. At times, he has a tendency to generalize, and he writes with such severity that, in some instances, it seems like no progress has been made. However, it is easy to point out, “we’ve had a Black president,” and leave it there. But this is a dangerous conciliatory gesture that eradicates the impetus for change. It is important to realize there has been progress, but essential to realize there hasn’t been enough.
9A — Tuesday, September 8, 2015
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10A — Tuesday, September 8, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsTuesday B
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | September 8, 2015
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
SALT LAKE PITY Utah 24, Michigan 17
JAMES COLLER/Daily
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
LATE-GAME HEROICS
n The Michigan men’s soccer team won on a double-overtime goal by James Murphy. Page 7B
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
LAST STAND
n Jake Rudock knows he has 11 more chances to make things right. SportsTuesday Column, Page 2B
SportsTuesday
2B — September 8, 2015
SPORTSTUESDAY COLUMN
N
ine days after Michigan hired Jim Harbaugh on Dec. 30, change brewed at Iowa. It arrived in the form of a depth chart. On that day, Jake Rudock, the Hawkeyes’ No. 1 MAX quarterback COHEN for two years, officially became a No. 2 quarterback. Better opportunities awaited him elsewhere. Eight months later, Rudock’s facial expression resided somewhere between a scowl and a frown for the first hour after his debut as Michigan’s starting quarterback. It was a look of anger, of sadness, of disappointment. It was seared onto Rudock’s face as he left the field when the clock hit zero. His walk to the locker room was slow, even agonizing. He kept his helmet in place, half-strapped. Rudock stared straight forward, the second-tolast player to enter Michigan’s locker room, followed only by punter Blake O’Neill, who was exchanging pleasantries with fellow Australian punter Tom Hackett. Rudock spoke to no one. He looked at no one. The look remained with Rudock in his postgame press conference, when he was forced to explain the three interceptions and the overthrows that might very well have cost the Wolverines the first game of the season. It was a look telling of the situation. His eyes were desperate as positives from the game escaped him. He took blame for the mistakes that might have truly been the fault of others. Even afterward, almost an hour after the game had ended,
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Jake Rudock’s last stand
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Fifth-year senior quarterback Jake Rudock has one more year to prove himself, and he’ll do everything he can to do so after being snubbed last winter at Iowa.
Rudock maintained the look of a man who had blown an opportunity. Not necessarily the look of someone losing his job — he said he felt comfortable as Michigan’s quarterback going forward — but of someone who had come from so far only to come up short. Rudock came to Ann Arbor this summer from Iowa, a place where he had started 25 games, only to be unceremoniously left at the altar for a younger quarterback before his final season. Rudock was never known as a stud quarterback, but his play allowed him to climb up the school record book: He ranks eighth in Hawkeyes’ history passing touchdowns, passing yards and total offense. It still wasn’t enough to hold onto his
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starting job. Rudock threw just five interceptions last season, making Thursday night’s three interceptions in his new venture all the more perplexing. He had been considered the safe choice in Michigan’s quarterback battle, the wily veteran who would make the key throws and take care of the ball. But Thursday night was not the start he had envisioned. Rudock had the look of a man who knew he had 12 chances, 12 games to finish his career while
sending a message to detractors. It felt like he knew the first of those opportunities was wasted — he had faltered at a core tenet of his position. “Part of your job as quarterback is to protect the ball, protect the ball and manage the game, however cliché you guys like that,” he said. Rudock, the person, has proven to be a quick thinker, fast with his tongue and conscious of every word that leaves his mouth when speaking to the media. Before the starting quarterback
“Part of your job as a quarterback is to protect the ball.”
position was announced, he joked that he knew reporters were trying to bait him into saying something. Rudock did not fall for the trap. Whether Rudock the quarterback is the same quick thinker remains to be seen. Jake Butt said Monday that Rudock could teach the team’s offense, its “NFL offense,” to anyone, after only one summer. Still, the first start in Rudock’s final season was far from ideal. The man destined to be a one-year stopgap didn’t stop the trend of back-breaking turnovers that have doomed Michigan in recent years. After Rudock, the future of the quarterback position at Michigan is murky. John O’Korn, Alex Malzone, Wilton Speight, Shane Morris, Zach
Gentry and Brandon Peters wait in the wings, potential quarterbacks Harbaugh can mold into stars. Any one of them could conceivably be the team’s starter of the future, the next star that Harbaugh develops. But for now, Rudock is the guy. Nobody is expecting the Wolverines to win the rest of their games, or even come close. Ohio State and Michigan State will make that task even more difficult than Utah did last week. It could take months before Michigan is on that level, or it could take a couple of years. But no matter when the winning comes, Michigan fans are still hurting. For all of the Harbaugh hype and the belief that everything will work out, the Wolverines still haven’t strapped on their helmets and beaten a team in front of tens of thousands of people. Over the course of almost a decade, Michigan has turned into a laughingstock of sorts, from the bully on the block to a punching bag. Harbaugh hasn’t fixed that yet — nobody possibly could in eight months. This season is a stepping stone, a time for the Wolverines to prove that they can hang with the big boys, that they won’t be a team Michigan State can beat into submission. The time for being a punching bag is drawing to a close. So who better to lead the program that has been eaten, chewed up and spat back out than the guy who already lost everything he had worked for and is now trying to get it back? The look on Rudock’s face after the opener suggested that he’ll use every last fiber of his being to make sure his Game One mistakes never happen again. Cohen can be reached at maxac@umich.edu and on Twitter @MaxACohen.
Utah well-prepared for Michigan By MAX BULTMAN Daily Sports Editor
SALT LAKE CITY — Kyle Whittingham wasn’t waiting for Jim Harbaugh to tip his hand. Amidst the shroud of mystery that surrounded the Michigan football team, submerged from the public eye for nearly all of August, Whittingham simply didn’t have time to wait. He had a game plan to prepare, and he wasn’t going to rely on media reports to craft it. “We don’t pay attention to what people say (out of camp),” Whittingham said. “You don’t know if what they say is going to be accurate … Very rarely do we put much stock into what comes out of the opposing camp. It’s neither here nor there to us — the silence, or whatever, doesn’t faze us.” It showed on Thursday. The Wolverines scored a few points and made a few stops, but for Whittingham, there was little to no surprise when it came to how they did it. Utah was prepared for everything; that much was clear in the Utes’ 24-17 win. Michigan came out as expected, starting the game with a give to junior running back De’Veon Smith up the middle. Utah stuffed him for just a two-yard gain, and so it began. The Utes were ready for everything the Wolverines threw at them because they studied everything they might possibly see. Asked about that preparation after the game, Whittingham answered before the reporter could finish his question. “It was tedious. It was painstaking,” he said. “A lot of it was best-guess scenario, but our assistant coaches were on the money. The things we saw on defense, from there over, were exactly what we practiced. We practiced more than what we saw, but what we did see, we had worked on all that.” At the top of Utah’s list was the run game, since Michigan’s
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Utah quarterback Travis Wilson threw for 208 yards and added 53 more and a touchdown rushing against Michigan.
stable of powerful backs is the type that could wear down a defense if allowed to get going. And Smith did his damnedest. The junior back broke tackles all night long, but Utes just kept coming at him. When he shook loose an arm tackle, someone was there to put a body on him, and when he pushed through a body, someone was there to drag him down. It says something that Smith broke a tackle on almost every touch, but still averaged just 2.8 yards per carry. “That was really the biggest key to our defense, other than the three interceptions,” Whittingham said. “Their (inability) to rush the ball how they wanted to was the biggest key. … We knew we needed to stand toe to toe and slug it out, just like we did last year and just like we did in ’08.” If there was anything that surprised Utah, it was how much Rudock moved around in the backfield.
The Utes weren’t prepared for Rudock to run as many bootlegs as he did, but even that never burned them. Utah didn’t sack Rudock once on Thursday, normally a cornerstone for a team that earned the nickname “Sack Lake City” for finishing with the most sacks in the nation in 2014. But for the most part, the Utes won Thursday by knowing what to expect. In an opening game that could have brought jitters, they weren’t rattled. Utah senior running back Devontae Booker was a dark-horse Heisman candidate coming into the season, and Michigan kept him in check for most of the first half. But the Utes knew Michigan had a stout line. They weren’t surprised. They kept with it, changing their style up to accommodate an advantage on the outside, and the Wolverines’ physical defensive line began to wear down. Suddenly, Utah’s run
“We knew we needed to stand toe to toe and slug it out.”
plays started working again. Through the first half, the Utes had 21 carries for 47 yards. In the second, they ran it 16 times for 82 — 5.1 yards per carry. “We knew what was coming,” Booker said. “We had to watch like a million different tapes of film, we just prepared ourselves throughout this week, and it paid off tonight.” They watched film from Stanford and the 49ers to see what to expect from Harbaugh, USC for offensive coordinator Tim Drevno, the Jacksonville Jaguars to see what to expect from passing game coordinator Jedd Fisch, Iowa to scout Rudock and Florida to evaluate defensive coordinator DJ Durkin. Everyone on the staff was prepared, right down to the men handing out postgame meals. When Whittingham walked out to the field after his postgame press conference, he did an interview with the Pac-12 Network, then turned to the guy passing out ribs from Ruby River Steakhouse. Whittingham asked him to save some for him. “Two on your desk, coach,” he said.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsTuesday
3B — September 8, 2015
FIELD HOCKEY
‘M’ finishes trip with two wins Wolverines earn first two victories of 2015 season By ALEX KHALIFEH Daily Sports Writer
For the past three years, the Michigan field hockey team has dropped its early-season matchups against PROVIDENCE 0 1 MICHIGAN North Carolina and Wake 0 FAIRFIELD Forest in 4 MICHIGAN the ACC/ Big Ten Challenge. In those seasons, Michigan was able to bounce back and ring up consecutive victories after its unsucessful start. Like previous seasons, the Wolverines dropped their first two games against the Tar Heels and the Demon Deacons a week ago. Once again, Michigan recovered for two straight wins at Providence and Fairfield. The Wolverines defeated the Friars (0-4) on Friday, 1-0. Despite the win, it seemed Michigan (2-2) was in a bit of a dry spell offensively. Its offense had six shots on goal against Providence, and through three games, the Wolverines had found the back of the net just twice. But the offensive stagnation disappeared Sunday, when Michigan shut out the Stags (1-2) in a 4-0 victory. “As you go along on the season, you start figuring out combinations and people start getting into a rhythm,” said Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz. “It was really nice seeing some of the goal-scoring threats from a multitude of
players.” A variety of players made an impact in the Wolverines’ victory, as senior backfielder Lauren Thomas, senior forward Shannon Scavelli, junior forward Courtney Enge and freshman forward Emma Way all aided in the scoring punch. Both wins were highlighted by two goalies — sophomore Sam Swenson and redshirt junior Chris Lueb. Sunday, the goalkeeping duo combined for four saves, with Swenson tallying five saves on the weekend, including two off a Friars’ penalty corner in the first half. “The team feels really confident with either (Swenson or Lueb) in the goal cage,” Pankratz said. “They’re smart, working hard and they organize their defense.” On the offensive side, Enge proved to be a differencemaker. She scored the lone goal Friday, and kicked off the scoring against Fairfield. “(Enge) is one of the fastest players in the Big Ten,” Pankratz said. “She’s always been quite dangerous with her speed, and now she’s adding being dangerous as a goal scoring threat. Both of those goals were beautiful tip-ins off the right post. I was really glad to see her contribute.” Following their slow start to the season, the Wolverines were able to click when it mattered most, mustering 10 and 12 shots in each of their respective games. “In every game, every part of the field — forward, midfield, defense — connection is the No. 1 thing,” Enge said. “The chemistry is there, it’s just going to increase as the season goes by.”
FOOTBALL
‘M’ fan turnout strong at Utah By MAX COHEN Managing Sports Editor
SALT LAKE CITY — In the eight months since Jim Harbaugh was hired as the football coach at Michigan, the Wolverine fan base has showered him with nearly unconditional love, the kind reserved for a former quarterback returned home. But this week, one fan took his devotion to the next level. Ross Mitton, a Michigan fan from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, drove 26 hours, starting Monday, to see Harbaugh’s Wolverine coaching debut in Salt Lake City on Thursday night. His ride? A converted ambulance plastered with Michigan-related images that he purchased in February 2014. Mitton calls it his Mbulance. Mitton, a 62-year-old financial adviser, worked with a graphic designer to deck out the vehicle. Both sides of the back of the ambulance are covered by images of Michigan Stadium. Bo Schembechler’s “The team, the team, the team,” quote is scrawled across the top of one side of the van; “Those who stay will be champions” is written on the back door. References to Mitton’s Canadian heritage are all over the Mbulance. A maize and blue Canadian flag marked his tailgate spot, and he wears a shirt that says “The Blue Loonies,” a reference to the Canadian coin and the nickname that Mitton and many of his Canadian friends who are Michigan fans have given themselves. “Go blue, eh!” is written on one side opposite Schembechler’s “The team” quote. “Some guys have sports cars, some guys have girlfriends, this is my hobby,” said Mitton, who is married. Many of the holdovers from the vehicle’s time as an ambulance remain, but now have the Michigan logo on them, such as the ambulance’s jump seat
next to the side door which has maize and blue padding. Mitton replaced the ambulance’s oxygen tank with a keg. He jokes that he replaced one lifesaving device with another. Mitton had long been considering the trip to Utah for the season opener, but Harbaugh’s hiring last December sealed the deal. He estimated that more than 300 people, many Michigan fans, stopped by his tailgate Thursday. “When Harbaugh was hired, it was like, ‘Yeah, OK, we’re going,” Mitton said. Even Utah fans participated in the Harbaugh love. Student Emran Behashti roamed the parking lot before the game, dressed in an outfit that mimicked Harbaugh’s, albeit with a Utah hat. He wore what he called a Harbaugh sweater vest, a pen hanging from his neck, Nike shoes, a headset and, of course, khakis purchased at Walmart. Behashti carried a mock playbook with him as well that contained numerous messages pertaining to the game, some of which are unprintable. Behashti aimed to have fun with his outfit, adding that he wasn’t really sure how he felt about Harbaugh. “I do and I don’t,” Behashti said when asked if he liked Harbaugh. He was disappointed that Harbaugh once benched former Ute Alex Smith when he coached the San Francisco 49ers. He said that outweighed the fact that Smith reached the Super Bowl with Harbaugh as his coach. But of course, Michigan fans were most excited to see Harbaugh. Dan Fitzgerald, a Michigan alum who graduated in 2005, tailgated with Mitton before the game. Most of his friends couldn’t make it to the game, so he decided to make the trip from Michigan alone. “I was like, ‘I can’t miss this,’ ” Fitzgerald said.
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Redshirt junior wide receiver Amara Darboh led Michigan with 10 helmet stickers — given for playing time or mistake-free play — from Thursday’s game.
Harbaugh brings back helmet stickers to spark competition By ZACH SHAW Daily Sports Editor
Everything Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has done since taking over the Michigan football team has been synonymous with competition. He wants his injured players to cut their recovery time in half, keeps score of his quarterbacks’ every move on and off the field to decide the starter and even pushed the Wolverines to get the annual team photo taken in under 10 minutes to set a “new record.” But on Sunday, Michigan officially brought back one of its longstanding competitive efforts, handing out helmet stickers after the team’s 24-17 loss to Utah. Once a staple during Bo Schembechler and Gary Moeller’s tenures as Michigan coaches, the stickers are used to not only reward good effort, but also to promote friendly competition among teammates.
“I think it’s awesome,” said junior tight end Jake Butt. “It’s another way to create an environment of competition. They’re pretty sweet. We got them put on our helmet the other day ... I want my helmet to be decked out by the end of the season. “Everyone’s competing. You don’t want to be the guy with an empty helmet at the end of the year.” Butt, who had eight receptions for 93 yards and one score in the game, was second on the team with eight helmet stickers. Redshirt junior wide receiver Amara Darboh, who had eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown, tallied nine. The scoring system, according to the two, is a mix of playing in
a fixed percentage of the game, reaching individual and unit goals and showing mistakefree play when the game tape is reviewed. “Coach Harbaugh preaches competition from day one,” Darboh said. “When you go out on the field and do your job, you’ll be rewarded.” Though competition is the most obvious goal of the stickers’ use, Harbaugh noted on Monday that small mistakes proved to be the Wolverines’ downfall in the loss. Be it freshman receiver Grant Perry’s “not-precise” route running, Rudock’s fourthquarter pick-six or false starts on the offensive line, Harbaugh felt his team was often out of sync, undermining its potential. By using video review to
“I want my helmet to be decked out.”
pinpoint the missed plays and assignments, Harbaugh hopes to put the emphasis not only on the big plays, but also on consistency throughout the game as well. “The precision of the unit has to be all 11 (Michigan players on the field),” Harbaugh said. “The times when we did have breakdowns (it was) one guy, one breakdown, one missed assignment ... (It) ended up being costly.” “But all of it is fixable, and that’s what we’re working hard to do.” NOTES: Harbaugh said that sophomore wide receiver Freddy Canteen and senior running back Drake Johnson are both in practice, but haven’t yet been cleared to play in Saturday’s game … After both were listed as starting quarterback last week, graduate transfer Jake Rudock was officially listed ahead of junior Shane Morris in Monday’s depth chart.
SportsTuesday
4B — September 8, 2015
FOOTBALL
S
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh lost his highly anticipated Michigan coaching debut Thursday at Utah.
Utah spoils Harbaugh’s debut in Salt Lake City By JAKE LOURIM Managing Sports Editor
SALT LAKE CITY — Six Michigan fans spanning three generations sat around a table at the Alumni Association’s tailgate before the football team opened its 2015 24 UTAH season MICHIGAN 17 Thursday night. The youngest was Jason Liess, a junior at the University. The oldest were his grandparents, Jerome and Enid. Jerome sat reminiscing about two glorious memories of Michigan football: one 29 years ago, and one 39 years before that. Jerome witnessed both memories, retelling them to the family and friends sitting next to him. Together, they thought maybe, just maybe, Thursday night would be one of those nights they would talk about while sitting around a table 29 years from now. But it wasn’t. A day that began with celebration ended with a thud, and the team slowly walked off the field after a 24-17 defeat, with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and four players taking questions in a cramped, dim room at the stadium. The Liess family got tickets for the game from Mark Messner, a two-time All-American defensive tackle who played with Harbaugh on Bo Schembechler’s Michigan teams in the 80s. Jerome told the story of when Messner recovered a fumble to help the Wolverines win the Fiesta Bowl in 1986. Thirty-nine years before that, Jerome, then in high school, went to see Michigan play Wisconsin in Madison the year Fritz Crisler’s “Mad Magicians” went undefeated and won the national championship. On a rainy day at Camp Randall Stadium, the Wolverines, led by Bob Chappuis and Jack
Weisenburger, stormed past the Badgers, 40-6. In the present, when the pack of Michigan fans walked to RiceEccles Stadium to watch the Wolverines play Utah, there was no magic to be had. Michigan had every chance to pull ahead for good, but never did. Ultimately, it ended when fifth-year senior Jake Rudock threw his third interception of the night into the hands of Utah’s Justin Thomas, who ran it back 55 yards for a touchdown. The score then stood at 24-10, Utah, with just 7:58 to play. “I thought I could get it to him, but it kind of jumped on me,” Rudock said. “Should have obviously, in hindsight, thrown it away. I thought I could get it in there.” The Wolverines couldn’t score on their next possession, and though they added a consolation touchdown with 54 seconds to play, they couldn’t recover the ensuing onside kick. Michigan trailed by seven at halftime, and though both teams went on long drives to start the second half, Michigan’s ended in a missed field goal and Utah’s ended in a perfect fake jet sweep, allowing quarterback Travis Wilson to stroll untouched into the end zone and double the lead. Still, the Wolverines marched 75 yards down the field on their next drive, finishing with a 19-yard touchdown toss from Rudock to junior tight end Jake Butt through double coverage. The record crowd of 47,825 at Rice-Eccles Stadium quieted down, and Michigan saw an opportunity. “It just fueled us up more to go out there and get a stop on third down,” said senior defensive lineman Chris Wormley. “We were right in the game up until that last drive, so I don’t think there was ever a point where we
“They did exactly what we scouted for the last two weeks.”
thought, ‘Oh, man, here we go again.’ ” Utah moved the ball on the ensuing series, but kicker Andy Phillips missed a 46-yard field goal. It was a rare second miss of the night for Phillips — giving the Wolverines the ball back, giving them an opportunity for a magical moment in a sloppy game. But the pick-six followed soon thereafter. It was a rocky Michigan debut for Rudock, the graduate transfer from Iowa, who finished 27-for-43 with 279 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. His yardage total was the highest for a Michigan quarterback since 2013, but the turnovers proved to be his downfall. The Wolverines’ defense, expected to be even more reliable than Rudock, also had some miscues. Utah cruised down the field for 63 yards in nine plays and a 30-yard field goal on the opening drive, then did so again to retake the lead with a touchdown drive in the second quarter. Utes running back Devontae Booker carried 22 times for 69 yards and a touchdown, Wilson 12 times for 53 and another score. The only turnover Michigan forced was an interception on a Hail Mary at the end of the first half. “For the defense, nothing really surprised us,” said senior defensive lineman Chris Wormley. “They did exactly what we scouted for the last two weeks.” Butt and redshirt junior Amara Darboh each caught eight passes and one touchdown, Butt for 93 yards and Darboh for 101. Now they head home after a game so many had anticipated for so long, the team included. “Every game, the goal is to win the next game, and that was our next game,” Harbaugh said. “We prepared well for it, worked hard for it — it was a pinnacle. That’s your next game. You build for that. We’ll do the same next week, and everything that happens from here on in is what matters the most, so that’s how we’ll approach it.”
MOVING IN
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Back to school
ALT LAKE CITY — Sorry folks, summer’s over. The return to school is a tough time for everyone, and the Michigan football ZACH team is no SHAW exception. It happens every September: The radiant sunshine of summer is replaced with humming fluorescent lights, the freedom and optimism crushed with a strong dose of reality. This change often produces back-to-school moments that serve as a stark reminder that it isn’t summer anymore. It can be misspelling an easy word after three months off, struggling with basic math, forgetting your notebook or, as many cartoons depict, forgetting to put on your pants. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t forget his pants — it’s nearly impossible to forget those enormous khakis at this point — but back-to-school moments were aplenty for the Wolverines on Thursday. After a summer glimmering with good times and optimism, it felt like the first day of school prior to kickoff. Over 1,100 Michigan fans from all over the country came together at the Michigan Alumni Salt Lake City chapter’s tailgate, giddily discussing their summers, Jim Harbaugh and the endless hope of Michigan football. But class had been in session for mere minutes before the Wolverines found themselvews on their heels with an early
test against Utah. And from the opening drive to the onside kick that flew out of bounds, the back-to-school moments proved to be the difference between passing and failing. The offensive line, returning all of its starters, committed critical false starts in its first time playing in front of a crowd since November. Sophomore safety Jabrill Peppers blew coverage in the second quarter that resulted in a 20-yard gain. Freshman receiver Grant Perry miscommunicated with graduate transfer quarterback Jake Rudock, resulting in two first-half picks. Rudock had the strongest reminder of all how quickly a summer’s worth of anticipation can disappear. Midway through what looked to be a game-tying drive with eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Rudock targeted Perry again on third down, but Utah cornerback Justin Thomas took it to the house instead. The potential 14-point swing from that play alone could be seen as the difference in the game. The silver lining for Michigan fans is that, this year, the mistakes at Utah were simply that — mistakes. A bad team wouldn’t have outgained the Utes; a lazy team wouldn’t have pieced together a touchdown drive when everyone else in the stadium thought it was over; a poorly coached team wouldn’t have played better with each
passing quarter. Speaking of coaching, Harbaugh — who had been away from the college game longer than anyone else in the program — had his share of back-to-school moments as well. There were few controversial decisions or missteps, but with each barking order and each time he placed his hands on his hips came a reminder that he works with the same mistakeprone, wide-eyed students who went 5-7 last season, not freshly picked professionals who can be signed, released and traded away on a whim. Harbaugh may have been the biggest name in college football all summer, but dominating school is a different beast, and it doesn’t happen overnight. There’s no shame in a onescore loss on the road to the Utes — a borderline top-25 team that won nine games last year — but it’s clear that the Wolverines have homework to do. “For our football team, there were a lot of positives,” Harbaugh said. “(But also) some things to build on, some things to grow from in a lot of areas. I’m already thinking about them, ready to attack them.” That’s good for the Wolverines, because though school doesn’t officially start until Sept. 8, the next test is in nine days.
“I’m already thinking about them, ready to attack them.”
Shaw can be reached at zachshaw@umich.edu or on Twitter @_ZachShaw.
FOOTBALL
Turnovers plague Rudock in season-opening defeat Grad transfer throws three picks, one returned for game-clinching TD By MAX COHEN Managing Sports Editor
SALT LAKE CITY — Jake Rudock did not remove his helmet as he walked off the field when the clock hit zero in his Michigan football debut. He traveled alone, acknowledging none of the chaos behind him as Utah celebrated its 24-17 victory. Rudock, who threw just five interceptions last season in 345 attempts for Iowa, had just thrown three picks in 43 attempts the first time he donned the Michigan uniform in a game. The debut was not the one he had hoped for. Rudock did not emit anything vaguely resembling a smile in his postgame press conference. He had been informed just days earlier that he would start the season opener, having defeated junior Shane Morris in a battle that lasted almost the entirety of fall camp. Rudock had widely been considered the safe choice, sure-handed with the ball and unlikely to turn it over. But after his first game as a Wolverine, Rudock was left to explain his mistakes. The fifth-year senior characterized each of his interceptions differently. The first, a pick that ended a 54-yard drive when Michigan had marched to Utah’s 21-yard line, was the result of a miscommunication between himself and freshman wide receiver Grant Perry. As the veteran in the situation, Rudock was willing to shoulder most of the blame. “Part of your job as quarterback is to protect the
ball, protect the ball and manage the game, however cliché you guys like that,” Rudock said. “It’s just, obviously, you don’t want to throw picks.” Rudock classified the second, also intended for Perry, a “bad ball,” a mistake that was completely his fault. The third interception, when Rudock’s intended target was in man coverage, was different. Before he threw the ball, which Utah cornerback Justin Thomas returned 55 yards for a touchdown, Rudock thought he was making a sound decision. In hindsight, he said, he wished he had thrown the ball away. After that final pick, the one that seemingly crushed Michigan’s chances for victory by allowing the Utes to extend their lead to 14 once again, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, making a debut of his own, albeit a more publicized one, wrapped his arm around his quarterback as they stood alone on the sideline. Harbaugh consoled Rudock, assuring him that Thomas had merely made a good play. “He tried to stick it in there, and it went the other way,” Harbaugh said. “Welcome to football.” After the game, Harbaugh said he considered only Rudock’s second interception to be a bad throw. Otherwise, he believed his quarterback had made the right plays. What impressed Harbaugh most, though, was how Rudock reacted to his pick-six. “I’ll say this about Jake — you throw an interception for a touchdown and then you come back and lead a touchdown
drive, I thought that was outstanding,” Harbaugh said. Two drives after his final interception, Rudock completed six of eight passes in orchestrating a nine-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. Though it was meaningless after Michigan’s unsuccessful onside kick attempt with 54 seconds left, it allowed Rudock to further his rapport with the receivers. He connected with Perry three times for 41 yards on the drive, and fed both redshirt junior wide receiver Amara Darboh and junior tight end Jake Butt their eighth receptions of the game. After just one summer with his new receivers because of his transfer, Rudock, for the most part, appeared to be in sync with Butt and Darboh for most of the night. With their eight receptions, each accumulated more than 90 yards receiving. Rudock’s mentality, despite the apparent struggles that also included a couple of costly overthrows, impressed Butt. “He’s a fighter,” Butt said. Rudock, still stone faced after he gathered his belongings to head to the team bus, looked straight ahead and spoke to nobody as he left Rice-Eccles Stadium. Michigan football recruiting coordinator Erik Campbell watched as he walked by and whispered into Rudock’s ear. Then, the quarterback, after a debut to forget, disappeared.
The quarterback, after a debut to forget, disappeared.
For more football coverage Check MichiganDaily.com throughout the week
SportsTuesday
5B — September 8, 2015
The good, the bad and the ugly Butt catches eight passes, but Michigan loses turnover battle
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
THE MICHIGAN DAILY TOP-10 POLL Each week, Daily sports staffers fill out ballots, with first place votes receiving 10 points, second-place votes receiving nine, and so on.
By JAKE LOURIM Managing Sports Editor
As much as we didn’t know about the Michigan football team going into the season opener Thursday at Utah, most of it shook out as expected. Fifth-year senior Jake Rudock started at quarterback. Junior running back De’Veon Smith started at running back after being listed as No. 1 on the depth chart. The defense outpaced the offense, as it has for most of the past two seasons. In the end, the Wolverines squandered some chances in losing a back-and-forth game in Salt Lake City. Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from Thursday’s game: The good Junior tight end Jake Butt was as good as advertised. Before fall camp started, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh called Butt the best pro tight end prospect he’s ever had. Butt was the Wolverines’ most viable offensive weapon, catching eight passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. Michigan badly needed the touchdown, too: He pulled in a pass over the middle through double coverage, cutting the deficit to seven late in the third quarter. Butt’s greater impact, though, was being a consistent target in short-yardage situations. Rudock completed a four-yard pass to him on 3rdand-3 on the Wolverines’ first possession, and he relied on his tight end often as the game went on. Michigan was also strong up front against Utah running
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Junior tight end Jake Butt caught eight passes for 93 yards and a touchdown in Thursday’s 24-17 loss at Utah.
back Devontae Booker. Booker ran for 1,512 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, though just 34 of those yards came at Michigan. The Wolverines limited him again Thursday, this time to 69 yards on 22 carries. Smith broke a number of tackles in limited open space. Redshirt freshman Jabrill Peppers took Michigan’s only kick return 36 yards. And on an off-field note, the weather was good, the view was beautiful and the Michigan fan turnout strong.
finished with 53 yards on 12 carries, including a perfectly executed fake jet sweep, when he went 14 yards untouched into the end zone. That put Michigan in the first of two 14-point deficits, though the Wolverines had their chances. Though improved, the running game struggled to gain traction. Neither Smith nor junior running back Ty Isaac averaged more than three yards per carry, and the longest run of the game was seven yards. The ugly
The bad The Wolverines could never truly bottle up Utah quarterback Travis Wilson. The slippery 6-foot-7, 233-pound senior was more of a running threat than in last year’s matchup, when he rushed for just 25 yards and missed part of the game with an injury. Thursday, he opened the game by running on the first three plays for 15 yards. He
Michigan lost the turnover battle, failing to improve on one of its biggest weaknesses last season. After throwing just five interceptions last year, Rudock threw three on Thursday. His two years of experience gave him the edge in the quarterback competition, but miscues were his downfall. His first pick, which appeared to happen because of a miscom-
munication with freshman wide receiver Grant Perry, halted a drive just shy of the red zone. On his second, he overthrew the receiver (also Perry). His third was likely just a combination of Rudock forcing a late throw and Utah defensive back Justin Thomas making a play on yet another attempted pass to Perry. Thomas ran it back for a touchdown to put the game out of reach. On the other side of the ball, Michigan’s defense failed to force any turnovers, save for redshirt junior Jeremy Clark’s interception on a Hail Mary at the end of the first half. Between one Michigan giveaway in scoring position, another returned for a score and none on the defensive end, it’s hard not to point to turnovers as the difference-maker. The Wolverines have to clean that up before Saturday’s home opener against Oregon State. If they do, they’ll have a good chance to pick up the first win of the Harbaugh era.
1. OHIO STATE: The hairless nuts finally decided on a quarterback.
2. TCU: Horned Frogs, or horny frogs?
3. ALABAMA: Asked how he chose his starting QB, Saban replied, “Well, Jake Coker was different from the rest of this roster. He didn’t have sex with his sister.”
4. BAYLOR: Baylor? I barely know ‘er!
5. AUBURN: The Tigers won, but the demon Cardinal on Louisville’s helmet only grew stronger.
6. MICHIGAN STATE: Michigan State and Western Michigan combined to score 61 points, but it would take an entire season for those teams to do that math.
7. OREGON: Turns out Eastern Washington’s math tests are tougher than its football team.
8. NOTRE DAME: There was a conspiracy theory on the internet this weekend that the popular image of Jesus is actually Cesare Borgia.
9. USC: Trojans head coach Steve Sarkisian stayed sober for the entire game! And by “entire game,” we mean “first three quarters.”
10. GEORGIA: Chubb was slow to start but finished hard, leading to a 120-yard explosion. He scored twice.
SportsTuesday
6B — September 8, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Five Things We Learned: Utah By MAX BULTMAN Daily Sports Editor
Wolverine fans descended on Salt Lake City from across the country, but there was no storybook opening to coach Jim Harbaugh’s career at Michigan. The Michigan football team fell to Utah, 24-17, at Rice-Eccles Stadium to open the season. The Wolverines were slow to start, but that was to be expected of a team that sputtered to a 5-7 mark last season. Harbaugh, though, stuck up for his players’ effort after the game, praising them where it was deserved and defending them from even their own self-criticism. Here are five things we learned from the seasonopening loss. 1. Jake weapons…
Rudock
has
Junior tight end Jake Butt was already a player to watch — he was named to the Mackey Award watch list in July — but he somehow still outperformed expectations in the season opener. After catching 21 passes in an injury-hampered 2014, Butt caught eight for 93 yards and a touchdown Thursday. He
made arguably the play of the night for Michigan, grabbing a touchdown through double coverage. Redshirt junior receiver Amara Darboh also impressed, stepping into his role as the No. 1 receiver with eight catches for 101 yards and a score. Both Darboh and Butt were Rudock’s primary targets in highpressure situations, and for the most part, they came through for him. 2. …If he can just hit them Rudock, who was heralded as the safe, consistent option at quarterback, was anything but that against Utah. The fifthyear senior overthrew redshirt junior Jehu Chesson and Darboh three times on deep balls, one of which would likely have gone for a score. What’s more, Rudock was intercepted three times, a stunning development for a player who threw just five picks all of last season. We’ll give him a slight pass on the first, which looked like a miscommunication with freshman receiver Grant Perry, but even so, it wasn’t what was expected of the graduate transfer.
3. The defensive line could wreak havoc Redshirt juniors Willie Henry and Chris Wormley were forces on the outside, combining for nine tackles, four of them for loss. Henry, who moved to the strong-side defensive end from defensive tackle this year, was nearly unblockable at his new position, a great sign for defensive line coach Greg Mattison. Senior Mario Ojemudia, a converted end who plays the hybrid buck position, also seemed to embrace his new position, tallying five tackles and a sack. On the inside, senior Ryan Glasgow and redshirt junior Matt Godin weren’t game breakers, but they may not need to be. The Wolverines would welcome statistical production from them, but with so much talent on the edges, it might be enough to simply occupy their blockers and help collapse the pocket. 4. The run blocking needs to improve The
inside
of
the
line
just couldn’t seem to create openings for Michigan’s backs. Harbaugh said senior center Graham Glasgow earned the highest grade of the offensive linemen in Thursday’s game, and singled him out as having a great performance, but Michigan’s backs couldn’t generate anything up the middle. The Wolverines averaged 2.6 yards per carry in their opener, including 2.8 from junior running back De’Veon Smith. Those numbers will need to improve if they intend to be a run-first team. Smith broke all kinds of tackles against the Utes, which had to be encouraging to Harbaugh and new running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley. Unfortunately for Smith, many of those broken tackles came at the line of scrimmage. If Michigan can create wider holes, and Smith can find and hit them, he looks like someone who can churn out chunks of yards at a time. 5. BOLD PREDICTION: Butt will lead the team in catches While Darboh proved himself
HOUSING
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Redshirt junior Chris Wormley made five tackles at Utah on Thursday.
as a capable No. 1 receiver against Utah, Butt’s value as a safety valve will pay huge dividends for Rudock. His size and athleticism pose matchup problems for virtually anyone who could cover him, as the Utes learned Thursday. After his eight catches in the opener, opposing teams will be keying on Butt, but that doesn’t mean they can stop him. He will be an option on nearly every pass play, and unless they ignore Chesson and Darboh outside, he’ll find ways to get open. The Jake-to-Jake connection is only just beginning.
BY THE NUMBERS Michigan Football
1995
Last time a Michigan tight end caught more than the eight passes Jake Butt pulled down on Thursday night
2.6
Yards Michigan averaged per carry at Utah on Thursday
43
Michigan passing attempts, compared to 29 rushes.
SportsTuesday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
September 8, 2015 — 7B
‘M’ sweeps with double-OT victory By TYLER SCOTT Daily Sports Writer
Throughout his tenure as a Wolverine, senior midfielder James Murphy has made scoring crucial goals for his team something of a habit. Sunday was no exception. Two minutes into double overtime, Murphy watched junior defender Rylee Woods launch a free kick into the penalty box. “I just sort of ended up in the (18-yard) box, and luckily, no one seemed to be marking me,” Murphy said. “It was a good ball, and I just thought to myself, ‘Attack it, go get whatever you can on it.’ ” Woods had seen that Murphy was unguarded on the backside and launched a perfectly weighted ball into the box. Murphy leapt to meet the ball, heading it past the goalkeeper and into the right side of the net. With the goal, the Michigan men’s soccer team (2-1) defeated Niagara, 2-1, Sunday at U-M Soccer Stadium. “Luckily, I got pretty good contact on it, and it went in,” Murphy said. “It was a bit of a relief, to be honest.” The Wolverines established a threatening attack early on, taking eight shots and nine corner kicks in the first half alone. Yet despite the relentless attack, finding the back of the net proved to be a challenge. “We created a lot of chances, which is always a positive thing from an attacking point of view,” Murphy said. “Some of those didn’t go in, but we had good efforts, to be fair. … We kept fighting and kept working hard, and we found a way out of it in the end, which is pleasing.” The Purple Eagles (0-4) had only scored one goal in three games entering Sunday’s match. But in the 23rd minute, Niagara caught the Wolverines off guard on a dangerous counterattack. Forward Alex Dimitriu capital-
ized on the opportunity, lobbing a shot from 25 yards out that floated over the outstretched arms of sophomore goalkeeper Evan Louro to give the Purple Eagles a 1-0 lead. “We could have easily been (up) 2-0 in the first 10 minutes,” Murphy said. “Their score was a good goal, to be fair to him. ... They obviously got confidence off that, sat in and made it really difficult for (us), and it is frustrating.” In the second half, Michigan was more aggressive with its attack, tallying nine shots. Freshman defender Marcello Borges rattled a free kick off the crossbar in the 47th minute, while freshman midfielder Francis Atuahene threatened the opposition with runs into the 18-yard box. Daley’s plan of attack paid off when freshman midfielder Ivo Cerda scored the equalizing goal
in the 71st minute off a Borges assist. Cerda fired a shot at the goal line that was originally blocked, but he managed to find and bury the rebound to tie the game. Late in the match, the Wolverines attempted to utilize the speed of senior forward William Mellors-Blair by playing long balls and letting him outrun the defense. Through the end of regulation and the first suddendeath period, Michigan continued to generate chances, but couldn’t find the finishing touch. It wasn’t until Murphy’s first goal of the season that the Wolverines sealed the victory. “It was certainly a hardfought, grind-out game which I think last year or the last two years, we may have given away,” Daley said. “Our guys stood up and did what they were supposed to do.”
By BRANDON CARNEY Daily Sports Writer
Francis Atuahene set the bar high for all forwards on the Michigan men’s soccer team after scoring a hat trick against West Virginia on Friday, putting pressure on his teammates to match his performance when the Wolverines took on Niagara on Sunday. While the freshman forward continued to impress, it was his fellow wide attackers who followed his lead, as Michigan (2-1) was able to take down the Purple Eagles (0-4) in extra time, 2-1. The Wolverines found success on the wings as Niagara failed to stop Michigan from moving the ball down the flanks the entire match. Of the 20 shots the Wolverines attempted against the Purple Eagles, a majority
were created thanks to the runs and crosses made by wide attackers and fullbacks. Michigan coach Chaka Daley started an experienced trio of forwards with redshirt senior Colin McAtee and senior William Mellors-Blair on the wing and redshirt senior TJ VanSlooten up top. The front line controlled possession and pushed Niagara back into the final third early on, but failed to find a finishing touch in front of the goal. With the team playing on short rest, Daley was forced to experiment with his wide personnel and turned to Atuahene and freshman defender Marcello Borges. “We have some good, dynamic players who we can interchange in those areas,” Daley said. “(Playing one-on-one against Atuahene and Borges) can wear
RITA MORRIS/Daily
Senior midfielder James Murphy celebrates his game-winning, double-overtime goal that led Michigan to victory this weekend against Niagara.
you down, so I think we have good depth in those spots to keep the pressure on the other team.” Borges, who originally subbed on as a right back, proved impactful early on as he made aggressive runs at Purple Eagle defenders from his deep role. In the second half, he was moved forward and was successfully getting crosses into the box from his more advanced position. “(Borges) is good enough to start on the team, easily,” Daley said. “We have two fullbacks who are physically imposing, but Borges is certainly good enough to start and will play a ton of minutes all season in wide areas.” In the 71st minute, Borges’ hard work in the final third paid off when he connected with fellow freshman forward Ivo Cerda for the equalizing goal. The two fullbacks currently starting in front of Borges were also key in Michigan’s dominance up and down the flanks. Sophomore defender Billy Stevens and junior defender Rylee Woods gave the forwards in front of them several quality chances while providing stout defense in front of the Wolverine net. Woods frequently found himself making plays further up the field in his role as the attacking fullback. He was able to draw fouls and corners to give Michigan chances on set pieces that Woods took. The dead-ball specialist ended the prolonged match when he found senior midfielder James Murphy’s head off a free kick for the sudden-death winner. “It’s great for people like me and the other central guys because we have so many good attacking wide players,” Murphy said. “The way they all stepped in today when they were asked to was real pleasing.”
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Pasternak, Wolverines start season off strong Twelve Michigan athletes finish in top 25 in opener at Eastern Michigan By CHRIS CROWDER Daily Sports Writer
It’s not often that starting a season ranked No. 12 is seen as a disappointment. But for the Michigan women’s cross country team, which started last season as the No. 1 team in the nation, it constitutes a dip. After an 18th-place finish in the NCAA Championships last season, the Wolverines enter this year with less hype than they had last season. Instead of competing at the Michigan Open, the annual opening race Michigan has hosted for years, the Wolverines changed up their schedule to compete at the EMU Celebration. And it has already paid off. “We were all pretty calm going into it,” said senior Anna Pasternak. “For the most part, people were pretty happy with how their day went. It was definitely the fastest race we’ve had as an opener.” Twelve Michigan athletes finished in the top 25, not including five others from the team who competed unattached. One hundred sixteen athletes from 15 schools competed, but most of the runners were unattached, not representing their school. Michigan junior Erin Finn, who ran unattached, finished first with a time of 16:54 — a course record and the only time under 17 minutes in the field. Pasternak, the top runner
among the Wolverines, finished fourth overall with a 17:24 clip. Rounding out Michigan runners in the top 10 were senior Shannon Osika, who finished sixth with a time of 17:30; senior Erika Fluehr, who finished seventh with a time of 17:38; and redshirt freshman Claire Borchers, who finished 10th with a time of 17:50. Borchers competed just twice last season, finishing 13th and 25th at the EMU Classic and the Michigan Open, respectively. Fluehr is a fifth-year senior and graduate transfer from Princeton, and Saturday was her first time competing as a Wolverine. Each Michigan athlete’s performance represented improvement, as all seven runners in the Michigan Open last year ran faster times in this season’s opening race. Even with classes about to start and the thick of the season yet to begin, the Wolverines were proud of their performances. “It is definitely a more hectic time of the year,” Pasternak said. “We just finished our preseason camp and people are moving into their dorms and houses and stuff, and getting ready for school. It was nice that it was a nearby venue, but we were looking forward to seeing how our work at camp came together at this race.” At camp, the team split up into subgroups and aimed to stay in those groups during the race. The strategy paid off, as some racers ran their fastest
5Ks ever. The Wolverines enjoyed the success that came with the plan and hope it will continue to improve their times as the season progresses. “(Saturday’s race) was a confidence booster,” Pasternak said. “Knowing that we can run this fast coming off a hard week this early, it makes us excited for what we can do.” Pasternak and her teammates know that they have a long season ahead of them with more struggles, because as Michigan learned last year, success the first week doesn’t mean that the outcome in upcoming weeks will be certain. The Wolverines are especially trying to take care of their bodies to avoid injury. Last season, Finn and Osika were injured at the end of the season, dashing Michigan’s hopes of a national championship. “We’re really emphasizing proper recovery and refueling,” Pasternak said. “If we can keep that as a priority, that will really help us throughout the season. We’re going to try to use each other as resources for knowledge and strength during workouts. Each one of us is smarter this season compared to last year. ” If the Wolverines stay healthy and race as well as they did Saturday, the end of the season could bode well for Michigan. While the EMU Celebration is only the first race of the season, it’s also the first step toward success.
“It was definitely the fastest race we’ve had as an opener.”
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Freshman forward Reilly Martin scored her second goal of the season in Friday’s 5-0 win at Portland.
‘M’ splits weekend By KATIE CONKLIN Daily Sports Writer
Though the Michigan women’s soccer team went 1-1 this weekend at the Husky Nike Invitational in Seattle, the Wolverines’ continued quality of play gives them no reason to worry early in the season. Michigan dropped the second game of its doubleheader on Sunday to Washington, but trumping Portland 5-0 earlier gave the Wolverines a split. In its latter match, Michigan’s three-game winning streak ended in dramatic fashion when Washington scored the winning goal in the 89th minute. “(Sunday’s) game was just what we expected,” said Michigan coach Greg Ryan. “It was two really good teams playing great soccer early in the season. It just came down to Washington scoring a great goal late.” Entering the contest with a 4-1 record, the Wolverines had outshot their opponents, 11227. And against Washington, Michigan didn’t cease to create opportunities or scoring chances. However, outshooting Washington 18-12 did not earn the Wolverines a win. “We had plenty of chances throughout the match,” Ryan
said. “Perhaps the better chances.” The Wolverines’ scoring opportunities came from all over the roster rather than certain key goal scorers. Compared to some of Michigan’s opponents, this depth is an advantage and could be one of the reasons the team is seeing such early success. “We’ve just got a lot of talented players through all of the classes,” Ryan said. “Everybody’s contributing. The kids coming off the bench are contributing, and at the end of the day, it’s early in the season, but this team is in midseason form.” With Michigan’s depth and plethora of scoring opportunities, all the Wolverines need to do is get their shots to land in the back of the net, an ability they showed against Portland but not against Washington. “We scored five against Portland,” Ryan said. “On that day we took our chances well, but against Washington, we had some great chances and we just didn’t take them well enough.” Against Portland, in their first away game of the season,
the Wolverines entered the pitch energized, but with a better end result. Sparked by the substitution of senior forward Lulu Haidar, Michigan began to pull away when Haidar bent the ball into the upper-right corner to make it a 1-0 game in the 26th minute. Michigan’s pressure up top didn’t end there, as the Wolverines buried two more shots to enter halftime with a 3-0 lead. The Wolverines poured it on in the second half. Freshman forward Reilly Martin and freshman midfielder Abby Kastroll notched the final two tallies for Michigan, resulting in a 5-0 victory. Michigan plans on putting an emphasis on finishing in its future matches. And with plenty scoring opportunities created so far this season, the Wolverines don’t seem worried. “We have to start hitting the net more often — that’s going to be our main focus,” Ryan said. “Everything else is looking really good. We’ve just got to hit the net.”
“This team is in midseason form.”
8B — September 8, 2015
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Ten-year-old Abraham Rhodes, from San Diego, plays cornhole at a Michigan Alumni Association tailgate in Salt Lake City Thursday.
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Tailgaters from both teams enjoy the Utah weather as they prepare for the game.
University President Mark Schlissel takes photos with alumni at the tailgate before the game.
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Utah students hold up signs commemorating their nation-best 55 sacks in 2014 and their love for the Great Salt Lake.