ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Thursday, November 19, 2015
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ACADEMICS
For course evaluations, methods still up for debate
DAVID SONG/Daily
Lynn LaPointem, a Lakota tribe member and employee of the state Department of Education, talks about the discrimination he faced as a Native American in higher education at Munger Graduate Residences on Wednesday.
Forum explores experiences of Native American students Cost of attendance, discrimination continue to present challenges at ‘U’ By RIYAH BASHA Daily Staff Reporter
The Native American Student Association, in conjunction with the Office of MultiEthnic Student Affairs, hosted
a public forum Wednesday on contemporary issues in the Native American community, both within the context of the University and at large. About 30 people attended the discussion held in the Munger Graduate Residences, asking questions of the fourperson panel. The night’s panel discussion was just one event in a lineup organized for November’s celebration of Native American Heritage Month. NASA’s co-chair, Isa Gaillard,
a Public Policy senior, said access to higher education. the panel aimed to bolster Panelist Sandra Momper, an recognition of native students associate professor in the School both at the University and at of Social Work, said a certain large. stigma still exists surrounding “We’re looking to increase Native American students’ awareness,” he said. “The ability to succeed in college. (University’s) relationship with “I was told, ‘You are not (Native Americans) has been college material,’ ” she said. historically challenged, and a lot Momper also criticized the of that is linked to enrollment financial aid afforded native issues as well.” students. Even after making Much of the conversation it to a university, many are focused on obstacles related the often dismayed by additional Native American community’s See NATIVE AMERICAN, Page 3A
MUSKET set to stage ‘Spring Awakening’ By NATALIE ZAK Daily Arts Writer
Cue the lights, the curtains and the teenage angst: As the actors take their positions and the music begins, the audience MUSKET returns to their Presents: adolescence “Spring where confusion Awakening” and tireless 11/20 and 11/21 emotion at 8 p.m., 11/22 dominated at 2 p.m. every thought. Power Center for the Addressing Performing Arts themes of &7-$15 sexuality and abuse in 1890s Germany, MUSKET’s “Spring
Awakening” offers an impressive insight into teenagers struggling to fend off their inner and realworld demons. A modern rock musical adapted from a late 19th century German play, “Spring Awakening” follows its leads through sexuality, physical abuse, diabolical authoritative figures, sexual coercion and even suicide. There’s little material excluded from this profanityridden musical — and that’s one of its most appealing qualities. Accurately and explosively conveying the bundled emotion contained in adolescent minds, MUSKET’s production manages to be relevant to college students. “There’s suicide, there’s sexuality, there’s coercion and a lot of adolescence,” debut director Wonza Johnson said. “It’s weird for us to go back to that because we’re so old now. As 18, 19, 20-year-olds, to go back to that age of being 15 and experiencing this for the first time has been challenging.” Johnson, a Music, Theatre & See MUSKET, Page 3A
By CAMY METWALLY Daily Staff Reporter
Over the past few months, the University’s course evaluations — and whether their results will be released to students — have become increasingly contentious. In September, the administration announced plans to release the evaluations after years of campus discussion surrounding the initiative. But the announcement drew significant pushback from faculty, leading to an October vote by the faculty senate assembly to support the delay of the release, citing concerns with the evaluation’s format, among other factors. University Provost Martha Pollack had said she would be willing to adjust the timeline for their release based
GARBA RAAS
ARTS PREVIEW
Classic rock musical comes to the Power Center this weekend
After pushback, ‘U’ continues to mull process for releasing data
on the assembly’s vote. Two committees have since been created to examine both the release of the evaluations and the instrument employed for evaluating courses — re-opening conversations about issues like question design and response rate that faculty have for years. The current system Many of the concerns raised by faculty and students on both sides of the issue aren’t new; they stem from how evaluations have been used long-term at the University. For many parties involved, course evaluations have important ramifications. For GSIs and lecturers, student evaluations are a factored into decisions about their reappointment. For tenuretrack faculty, they are used in conjunction with other evaluation mechanisms to determine tenure and promotion. Across the board, course evaluations are reviewed when considering nominees for teaching awards. Kinesiology Prof. Stefan Szymanski, a member of the Senate Advisory Committee on See EVALUATIONS, Page 3A
Q&A
Reflections on #BBUM two years after launch RUBY WALLAU/Daily
LSA freshman Apoorvee Singhal participates in Garba, a community folk dance, during the annual Garba Raas hosted by the Hindu Students Council in the Michigan League Ballroom on Wednesday.
Campaign’s leader considers progress, future for Black students on campus By ALYSSA BRANDON Daily Staff Reporter
GOVERNMENT
Students, faculty respond to Snyder’s refugee stance Campaign created to oppose temporary ban on immigrants fleeing Syria By EMMA KINERY Daily Staff Reporter
In wake of terrorist attacks in Paris that left 129 dead, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder
joined 31 governors in vowing to pause the entry of Syrian refugees into their states. Early reports indicated that one the attackers may have been a refugee from Syria, though officials now say that theory was likely incorrect. Even so, that notion stoked fears that ISIS fighters would enter the country along with the refugees fleeing their violent campaigns. In response, LSA senior
Sarah Raoof and Public Health students Tala Dahbour and Reem Kashlan launched a letter-writing campaign on Facebook. The campaign encourages students to visit the “Share your Opinion” page on the governor’s website to send either a pre-written or personal letter expressing opposition to his plan to block Syrian refugees. So far, 190 people have See SNYDER, Page 3A
Two years after the Black Student Union launched its #BBUM Twitter campaign, the challenges brought to light by those who used the hashtag to share their experiences as Black students at the University are still fresh in the minds of both BSU members and the University community. More than 10,000 tweets racked up within the first two days of the hashtag’s launch, and soon BSU members were at the helm of a movement that quickly captivated the University’s attention and garnered media coverage nationwide. Shortly after the launch of the hashtag, several BSU members held a Martin Luther King Jr. See BBUM, Page 3A
» INSIDE
the thanksgiving b-side A look at a revamped version of your Thanksgiving favorites
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2A — Thursday, November 19, 2015
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WHAT: The Transgender Day of Remembrance Ceremony will commemorate trans individuals killed because of transphobia and cissexism. WHO: Spectrum Center WHEN: Today from 7 p.m to 9 p.m. WHERE: The West Quad Connector
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EVALUATIONS From Page 1A University Affairs, said faculty members’ portfolios also include their teaching evaluation scores. These portfolios are reviewed by executive committees that make recommendations to the dean for performance-based salary increases. What the surveys themselves look like can differ, sometimes significantly, but each starts with four University-wide questions, commonly known as Q1 through Q4. These questions have been the focus of current debate because they are constant in surveys across campus. Q1 asks students to rate “Overall, this was an excellent course.” Q2 is “Overall, the instructor was an excellent teacher.” Q3 asks students to evaluate the statement, “I learned a great deal from this course.” Q4 asks, “I had a strong desire to take this course.” Typically, departments form the rest of the evaluation questionnaire, but professors have the ability to add questions as well. After including Q1-Q4, faculty have the option to choose from a catalogue of about 1,300 other
WHAT: The Helen Zell Visitng Writers Series is sponsoring a reading and book signing of Detroit author Jamaal May. WHO: Helen Zell Writers’ Program WHEN: Today from 5:30 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. WHERE: Museum of Art, Helmut Stern Auditorium
questions — some are broad while others are dedicated to specific courses. Student governments and various departments and schools have sent in requests to include questions in the catalogue over the years. The questions date back to 1996, and are sorted into different categories, such as “student development” or “instructor effectiveness,” according to the Office of the Registrar. Political Science Prof. Mika LaVaque-Manty, who has conducted research on course evaluations for a University task force on learning analytics, said he’s found that many professors don’t deviate from the standard survey their department creates. Szymanksi said many professors pay most attention to the first four questions because they’re administered across the University, making it easy to draw comparisons. “Using the other questions may help you design your course better, but it’s not going to tell you very much about student satisfaction overall with your course, relative to the other courses that they’re taking,” Szymanksi said. In a November interview with The Michigan Daily, University
Deepa Iyer lecture WHAT: Author Deepa Iyer will explore issues of racial identities through the stories of young South Asian, Arab and Muslim immigrants. WHO: Center for South Asian Studies WHEN: Today at 4 p.m. WHERE: South Hall, Room 1225
Provost Martha Pollack said she believers the current course evaluation questions are satisfactory, but acknowledged that they haven’t been revised for some time. “It’s a good instrument,” she said. “We’ve used it for many years, but it hasn’t been changed in a lot of years. It’s really important that we get that right, and so I appointed people with expertise in educational assessment and so on to look at the questions.” Seeking a purpose For some involved in the current redesign process, the focus isn’t only on the questions themselves, but on the climate the evaluations foster. Central Student Government president Cooper Charlton, an LSA senior, said he thought issues with the evaluation system stem from flaws in University culture. “It’s the climate we have on campus,” he said. “Students need to come to the table willing to give constructive criticism … and faculty should look at the course evaluations as a way for them to grow. I think systemically we need to work together to build a culture where not only course evaluations, but higher education in general, has a more high-impact and collaborative atmosphere.” SACUA Chair Silke-Maria Weineck, a professor of comparative literature, said it could be beneficial to include more questions that emphasize the two-way dynamic between teacher and student. “I would like the questions to also have collaborative aspects to bring out the fact that students are such an important part of each class … (and) make sure that it’s a shared enterprise to teach a class,” Weineck said. In particular, she cited questions about a student’s responsibility in the classroom. Other universities, such as the University of Washington, use student-centric questions in their evaluations to assess how much effort a student put into the class and his or her interest in the course material, for example. Out of the 1,300 total questions in the University’s question catalog, there are six — added in 1996 — that ask students to reflect on their participation and effort. From these “student responsibility” questions, none are administered across the entire
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University. English Prof. David Porter, chair of the English Department, wrote in an e-mail interview that he questions whether the release of course evaluations would succeed in fulfilling what he described as their intended purpose — improving course and teaching quality. “Speaking from personal experience, growing into one’s full potential as a classroom teacher is an ongoing process spanning years and even decades, and requiring patience, perseverance, and a great deal of trial and error,” Porter wrote. “To release course evaluation data to a broader audience than that for which it is intended would not, in my view, be helpful in our long-term efforts to provide the highest level of instruction for students in our English courses that we possibly can.” LaVaque-Manty, who supports the release of the evaluations, said he thought it would be best if it didn’t happen in a bubble — if faculty provided resources beyond evaluations to help students make informed decisions about which classes they take. “I wish faculty were more diligent in filling out better descriptions of their courses for the course guide,” he said. “I wish in LSA they participated in the syllabi project, which is making their syllabi available for courses … there are other data tools in development that tell us who’s taking this class, what have they taken before, what do they go onto take, this would be really valuable information. I think all of this stuff should be available to students.” Finding a structure Even if evaluations are released or redesigned, faculty and students over the past months have identified several structural barriers to using the data — namely, low response rates and bias — that may need to be addressed. In Winter 2015, LSA’s course evaluation response rate was at approximately 48 percent — the lowest in the period from 20082015 according to the Office of the Registrar. Response rates have been on the decline for several years, especially following the University’s switch to electronic evaluations in 2008, when response rates have remained on average by 15 to 20 percentage
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points lower than with paper evaluations. Acknowledging the importance of considering response rates, Pollack said she thought a committee of faculty and students should look at the issue after an evaluation instrument is finalized. The committee’s work is expected to conclude in April. “I think it’s absolutely right to be concerned about response rates,” she said. “When we use it internally, we’re always very cautious to look at response rates and what the response rates are and what they signify.” Charlton said he thought the low response rates might stem from the lack of accessibility of the evaluations, and the problem might self-correct if they are released. “Students don’t think course evaluations will help them because faculty don’t feel comfortable releasing them, so students don’t fill them out,” he said. “And when students do fill them out, they feel obligated to treat them as a joke. So we acknowledge that they’re low, but the reason they’re low is because in reality, they don’t provide any value to students.” Several universities offer incentives for students to submit evaluations, many of which are tied to access to evaluation data. Northwestern University, which does release evaluation data, has a policy where students who don’t fill out evaluations cannot gain access to evaluations for the upcoming quarter. In an e-mail interview, Alison Phillips, Northwestern’s senior assistant registrar, said the policy was implemented as an incentive to keep response rates at high. Northwestern’s course evaluation response rates average between 65 and 70 percent, noticeably higher than LSA’s 48 percent. CSG Communications Director Alexandra George, a Public Policy junior, said there is a need not just for course evaluations to be released, but also for a better understanding of how and where the results will appear, which is where an approach like Northwestern’s might be helpful. “I feel that if we were to actually release this course evaluation data, people would see that it can be used,” she said. “If you used it
to help you pick your classes, why would you not pay it forward?” Other schools, like Michigan State University, withhold students’ grades for one week if they fail to fill out evaluation surveys at the end of the grading period. MSU’s course evaluations are not openly published, but MSU sophomore Meghan Shelton said she believes the policy has had a negative impact on quality of responses, though it may help with quantity. “I feel like students fill them out as fast as they can just to get it over with so they can get their grades,” Shelton said. LaVaque-Manty said if the University were to adopt such a policy, it would be important to think of the negative impacts. “It changes the nature of the instrument,” LaVaque-Manty said. “You would fill it out possibly angrily as another task that might color your judgment.” Along with a low pool of data, at an Oct. 12 SACUA meeting that preceded the Faculty Senate vote to delay the release of evaluations, faculty also questioned whether sexism or racism leads to bias in student responses. LaVaque-Manty said based on his research, individual bias due to gender and race is evident in classrooms, both in open-ended comments and quantitative measurements. However, he also stressed that those biases tend to disappear from the overall quantitative data, except for some instances of gender bias appearing when data is analyzed at the departmental level. George thinks that overall, there is no way to anticipate what the impact of releasing course evaluation data might be — whether that means good or bad outcomes. However, she said she thinks the outcomes will disprove faculty expectations of student behavior. “Right now when I fill (evaluations) out, I think, ‘Where is this going? If I never see it, then who’s really looking at this?’ ” George said. “I know it’s easy to think cynically and to think that students would just take advantage of it, but I truly believe that if this were to be utilized, then everyone on campus would use this as a tool.”
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SNYDER From Page 1A signed up to participate, and the group plans to set up a table in Mason Hall to gather more support. Raoof said their efforts may include a petition to the governor. “We have received positive feedback from students on campus and willingness to join us in spreading the word,” she said. Dahbour said feelings of frustration with the state’s unfair treatment of refugees inspired the campaign. She also said she was disappointed that people quickly blamed refugees for the Paris terror attacks. “As refugees are accused of the very terror they are trying to flee from, we dehumanize them and silence their narratives,” she said. “They are now being denied safety, a basic human right, based on their background and/or religious affiliation.” She said refugees already have to go through a multi-step program to enter the United States — a process which typically takes one to two years — and said moves to prevent their entry is rooted in prejudice, not security. Business sophomore Sunny Demirjian fled Syria as a refugee in 2012 with her siblings to come to Michigan and live with their grandmother. She said the transition was difficult and it took them about a year to adjust to life in the United States. On top of that, they were rarely able to speak to their parents due to difficulties communicating with people in the country. Demirjian’s parents were able to come a few years later. “It’s very underestimated how much immigrants go through when they leave their country,” Demirjian said. “It’s just such a struggle, especially for the parents because they are literally giving up everything they have and even their future to provide for their kids, and also for the kids.” Since his initial announcement, Snyder has clarified that Syrian refugees already in the process of coming to Michigan before the attacks will not be prevented from entering. However, some legal scholars say governors actually have little authority to prevent refugees from entering their states, and say
the decisions are largely made by the federal government. In September, Snyder said he was working with the Department of Homeland Security to help with the resettlement of refugees in Michigan. On Sunday, his office released a statement saying Michigan would not accept any refugees until the state investigated the screening process further. He later penned an op-ed in Time Magazine titled, “We Must Welcome Refugees — After Screening Them.” “I let it be known that Michigan can be a place where thousands can experience safety and freedom—and a growing community where they will be embraced and comforted by a support network,” he wrote. “It’s the right thing for us to do as Michiganders, and the right thing for us to do as Americans. But the events of recent weeks, including the violence in Paris, Beirut and the skies over Egypt, remind us of the dangers our world faces from extremists who are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods of doing us harm.” History Prof. Pamela Ballinger, whose work focuses on the history of human rights, said the response is alarming. “The growing chorus of governors who wish to block resettlement of Syrian refugees in their states is a worrisome, yet sadly predictable, response to the terror attacks in Paris,” she said. “These governors displace blame onto the literally displaced, victims forced to flee their homes as a result of the same extremist violence that shook Paris last week. Such a view ignores that the U.S. commitment to take Syrian refugees is already low, as well as the fact that the process of refugee vetting in the U.S. is a slow and careful one.” Unlike proposed measures in other states, Snyder said Michigan’s ban is only temporary, and would be revoked after the state reviews the federal government’s screening process for refugees. “It’s disappointing that Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, whose previous proimmigration and pro-refugee stances had distinguished him from the majority of his fellow Republicans, has joined those calling for a halt to Syrian resettlement,” Ballinger said. “To be fair, Snyder has not
closed the door on accepting refugees, instead urging caution and a ‘pause.’ This contrasts with those politicians — notably New Jersey’s Chris Christie — who apparently find even tiny orphans a threat. Nor has Snyder indulged in the ‘Christians only’ rhetoric of Ted Cruz or Jeb Bush.” Law Prof. James Hathaway, who directs the Law School’s Program in Refugee and Asylum Law, expressed similar sentiments. “Governor Snyder’s reluctance to welcome Syrian refugees to Michigan is very, very sad,” Hathaway said. “The United States is accepting only an incredibly tiny share — less than one-fourth of 1 percent — of the Syrians who have been forced to flee their homes, and who are entitled to international protection. For so many U.S. governors to refuse to do their fair share to reach out to these victims of brutal violence is just shameful.” Not only does Hathaway find it embarrassing for the state, he sees the move as a recantation of the freedoms the United States promises. “It makes a mockery of their commitment to freedom and justice for all, as those coming are the victims of the brutality we say we condemn,” Hathaway said. “It is also ridiculous for governors to rationalize their isolationist posture on security grounds, as refugees resettled to the U.S. must undergo an incredibly thorough vetting process before they are allowed to travel here. So let’s condemn this action for what it is: kneejerk, uninformed and not worthy of America.” However, while Demirjian said she believes refugees should be let in, she understands why states can’t take in everyone. “From a humanitarian perspective, I’d say they should definitely let the people in,” Demirjian said. “However, when you look at it from Michigan as a state, from their perspective, they just want to maintain their bounds in terms of how many people are there and in terms of job availability. They just don’t want to gather further burden on them because these people are coming in looking for resources to survive. So makes sense logically, but I know it’s not the best in terms of a humanitarian perspective.”
S AVA’ S S AV V Y
MARINA ROSS/Daily
BBUM From Page 1A demonstration on the steps of Hill Auditorium. During the demonstration, members protested stagnant minority enrollment and demanded the University meet seven goals for improving campus climate and diversity of the student body. A new location for the Trotter Multicultural Center and an improved Race and Ethnicity requirement were among the demands made by the BSU. The University has since addressed several of the demands outlined by the BSU, however, in a one-year followup with The Michigan Daily in January 2015, both University administrators and the BSU agreed increasing Black
enrollment to an amount equal to 10 percent was, and still is, the most difficult demand to address. University alum Robert Greenfield, who served as treasurer of the BSU when #BBUM was launched, was fundamental in both drafting the demands and subsequent negotiations with University administrators. In an e-mail interview with The Michigan Daily, Greenfield looked back on the creation of both #BBUM and the BSU’s seven demands. How did #BBUM start? What was the catalyzing factor that led to the movement? What sparked it? Our BSU Executive board wanted to start a campaign to help mend the fractured black community on campus
TA L K I T O U T
MARINA ROSS/Daily
School of Music, Theatre, and Dance sophomore Giovanni Bellegarde speaks at the Intergroup Relations discussion concerning Mizzou in the West Quad Connector on Wednesday. >> READ MORE AT MICHIGANDAILY.COM
MUSKET From Page 1A Dance senior, is trying his hand at direction for the first time. Since April, he’s been tirelessly planning how to tie this show together. A completely student-run organization, MUSKET is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, and though there were a few reservations before settling on this risque musical, the pay off has proven worthwhile. Provided with funding and no censorship, MUSKET is free to experiment in their productions and doesn’t necessarily have to exercise caution when deciding which show to perform. However, producer Hillary Ginsberg, a fifth-year senior double majoring in Business and Screen Arts and Cultures, and Marketing Director Brett Graham, an LSA sophomore studying political science, reached out through MUSKET to organizations such as Students for Choice and the Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Center to set up in the lobby after the show. “We are trying to make it so that we can convey all the sexuality and the intensity of the show, but at the same time
NATIVE AMERICAN From Page 1A
Local entrepreneur Sava Lelcaj Farah speaks about hospitality and entrepreneurship during the Lean In event “An Appetite for Success” at Rackham Ampitheatre on Wednesday. >> READ MORE AT MICHIGANDAILY.COM
— particularly the black organizations on campus that were at odds with each other. Tyrell [Collier], the Speaker at the time, came up with the “#Being Black at the University of Michigan” and Cap [Kendall] came up with the abridged version “#BBUM.” It was not sparked by racist activity on campus, though that helped it gain momentum — and it changed it from a dialogue within the black community, from the black community to a dialogue from the black community about the campus environment as a whole. A catalyzing factor was the “Hood Ratchet Thursday” party hosted by the IFC Greek fraternity and the worsening racial climate nationally. People must understand that [the racial climate] has always been like
Thursday, November 19, 2015 — 3A
uncovered costs. “When I first got here, I couldn’t believe the living conditions of some of the NASA students,” she said. “I think the University is awesome, but they say free tuition and it’s not really free. Living expenses are so high.” This semester, the University enrolled 92 students who identify as Native Americans. Though it’s an increase over previous years, panelists agreed the number was still too low. University President Mark Schlissel’s recent push to improve diversity, equity and inclusion on campus could be doing more to assist Native American students, Gaillard said. “They say they’re open to hearing ideas from us, but I think they need to realize and accept that we’re also students … they need to create avenues for our voices to be heard,” he
this (or worse), it’s just that the majority ignores it most of the time. How did that movement turn into the seven demands? Once we gained national attention, we (had) leverage to go back to the U of M black community and ask what they wanted to have done/fixed. Many of the demands are lasting agreements that the University never came through on (but agreed to) — this included the 10 percent critical mass of black students on campus. Why were these specific demands chosen and why only seven? Explain the reason behind the demands and the process leading up to the Martin Luther King Day demonstrations. We chose seven because
people can come see the show and leave feeling like they’ve learned something — that they’ve progressed with the subject matter and not that they’ve been somehow upset or affronted by the show,” Graham said. With the aggressive nature of each pop-punk musical number overpowering the eyes, ears and mind, “Spring Awakening” is an emotionally taxing musical for both the audience and cast members. Breaking out of the narrative and bursting into song, the actors use solos to release pent up emotion. Songs are used less to drive the plot and more as a reaction and coping mechanism for what the character has just experienced. “It’s the perfect example of how musical theater is written to escalate a powerful feeling to the point where the only way to convey it is by bursting into song,” said Sarah Eskandari, a School of Art & Design freshman. Will Ropp, a senior in the School of Music, Theater & Dance, elaborated: “It’s exhausting, but in a very artistically fulfilling way.” Playing Melchior, Ropp, along with the other male leads, is in nine of the 11 musical numbers of the first act. Exhausting, indeed. The multitude of themes, characters and storylines that
transverse over the course of the musical creates a unique mood relatively unseen before in MUSKET productions. Though they have produced shows like “Sweeney Todd,” “Rent” and “Into the Woods” that exist on the darker end of the musical spectrum, they’re all dwarfed in comparison by the shadow of angst and pure power exerted in “Spring Awakening.” With songs alternating between “Totally Fucked” and “The Bitch of Living,” no emotion is spared and no experience is too delicate to be proclaimed in a pop rock manner that channels bouts of rage, ecstasy and longing into every word. The time and commitment of the crew and 17-member cast doesn’t go unnoticed by witnesses to this musical, even before they have stepped foot on the Power Center stage. “Every moment that they have experienced in this room is a major moment and, even as an outsider getting to watch, that is so rewarding,” Ginsberg said. “I think every single person who comes to see this show is going to see every single moment of hard work they have put into this show and how well they have developed these characters and their incredible story lines.”
said. Aside from the administration’s relationship to Native American students, panelists spoke at length about proper engagement with the community at large. Because the University is located on land ceded from a number of tribes — the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi, Shawnee and Wendat all signed treaties with territorial governors — speakers urged consideration of surrounding native populations. “It starts with getting to know (them), asking who they are,” said Lynn LaPointe, a Lakota tribe member who works for the Michigan Department of Education. “Whose land is the U of M campus on? Being aware sounds daunting but it’s really not.” Joseph Gonne, an associate professor of psychology, agreed that cultural sensitivity, especially in light of the historical tension between Native Americans and white America, is key for allies. “Come ready to contribute,
but don’t assume that you know what to contribute,” Gonne said. “Action and understanding are paired together.” NASA looks forward to broadening the organization’s scope on and off campus. The group played a major role in advising the Ann Arbor City Council on their decision this week to rename Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day, and is hosting more cultural events and conversations this month. MESA Associate Director Linh Nguyen attended the panel, and noted the importance of the University’s facilitation of dialogue on Native American students’ needs. “As we talk about racial issues on campus, their perspective is nuanced and needs to be incorporated,” Nguyen said. “As someone who’s on staff and working towards diversity and inclusion, experiences like this are reminders to me around the complexity of how we actually address issues like this in terms of the diverse students and staff that we have.”
they were the most important — there is no significance to the number itself. The reason behind the demands was to (for the most part) have the University follow through on blank promises it made [in the past]. The MLK demonstrations served as an official unveiling of the demands on a day that is supposed to be about change (not just about remembering the past in this “supposed” postracial world).
enough to eventually graduate (and so end the movement given that activism like this unfortunately dies with the founding activists that graduate and leave campus). The main difficulties were convincing admissions that they are doing a poor job with black recruitment. **** Meetings between the University, the BSU and community members are still ongoing. Last week, the University held a weeklong diversity summit intended to garner input from the community on improving equality and inclusion on campus. As for future demonstrations from the BSU, Greenfield had a short message for the University community. “Stay tuned,” he wrote.
What did negotiations with administrators look like? What aspects of it stick out in your mind? Any difficulties? It was slow and political. Administration is slow (at least in my eyes). At times it was aggressive. Many of the executive board felt like we were getting stringed on long
Opinion
4A — Thursday, November 19, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ELIZABETH JAMES | MICHIGAN IN COLOR
#BBUM and Sankofa: Looking Back to Move Forward 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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FROM THE DAILY
Snyder’s unacceptable response Halting the acceptance of Syrian refugees is based in fear, not fact
F
ollowing recent terror attacks in Paris, Beirut and Baghdad, 31 governors, including Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, announced their opposition to accepting Syrian refugees into their states. Though the process of admitting refugees isn’t within their jurisdiction, the governors’ statements reflect the fear of the general populace in light of the harrowing attacks. However, these responses are unacceptable, as they’re based in reactionary fear, not fact or reason, and vilify refugees who are more directly affected by the violence than most Americans. Snyder’s response, which he later clarified to rather hault accepting refugees until U.S. security procedures are reviewed, is especially concerning considering that Michigan has the largest population of Arab Americans in the country. Last week’s attacks directly affected his constituents: Among the casualties of the Beirut bombing were three Dearborn residents. Additionally, Michigan’s immigration rates rank among the highest in the country, of all refugees in the United States, 4 percent come to Michigan. Snyder has previously expressed his support of taking in Syrian refugees in the past, noting their positive contributions to the economy. Therefore, Snyder’s remarks seem aimed to cater to party opinion — all but one of the 31 governors who denounced the absorption of Syrian refugees were Republicans. As an elected official, it’s Snyder’s responsibility to advocate for his constituency, not for what his party wants to hear at the national level. Since 2001, the United States has absorbed 745,000 refugees. Of that 745,000, only two refugees have been arrested under charges of terrorism. The people seeking refuge in the United States aren’t the ones trying to destroy Western culture — they’re trying to flee persecution and find a safe environment where they can uphold their values and beliefs. While President Barack Obama’s call for the United States to take in 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next fiscal year is a step in the right direction, it fails to take into account the United States’ burdensome asylum process. In the past four years, the United States has taken in barely 2,000 refugees from Syria, with just 200 refugees admitted between 2011 and 2014. Such slow rates of entrance may be attributed to the laborious and incredibly strict asylum process for Syrian refugees. It can take up to two years for a Syrian seeking asylum seeker to finally be granted permission to move to the United States. A Syrian refugee must apply for asylum through the UN or a U.S. embassy, conduct face-to-face interviews and participate
in extensive background checks to prove that neither they nor any member of their extended family gave so much as a cigarette to a member of a “terrorist group” recognized by the U.S. government. Such a system undermines the principle of “innocent until proven guilty” that’s meant to pervade our justice system. Such a system perpetuates Americans’ fear of foreigners. Our politicians’ xenophobia is cause for alarm, as the nature of the Syrian refugee hasn’t changed in light of these attacks. If anything, the attacks make refugees’ escape from the Islamic State more urgent. What’s so abhorrent about the responses of our country’s leaders is that they capitalize on their constituents’ fear, claiming a stake in tragedy to bolster their own political agenda. Many Republican politicians, including presidential candidate Donald Trump, pegged France’s strict gun control laws as a leading contributor to the magnitude of the devastation in Paris. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz and other GOP candidates said they would allow Christian refugees to settle in their states, as if Muslim refugees aren’t disposed to the same risks as their Christian counterparts. But, since people are afraid, they listen. They listen closely. They internalize these assertions made under false pretenses and create a discriminatory and potentially dangerous environment for new immigrants. As if it isn’t already hard enough for refugees to seek asylum in the United States, those who make the cut quickly find that they have come to a country where they will be marginalized by merit of where they come from, not their own personal beliefs. This baseless discrimination clashes with the values of acceptance of others and of religious and cultural freedom that America stands for. Snyder should take note of these facts in order to foster a state in which all residents, whether they were born here or not, can exercise their rights without fear of unfounded prejudice.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Ben Keller, Payton Luokkala, Aarica Marsh, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Jason Rowland, Melissa Scholke, Ashley Tjhung, Stephanie Trierweiler, Mary Kate Winn, Derek Wolfe
W
Containing terrorism
e have all heard about the gruesome ISIS terrorist attacks in Paris on the evening of Nov. 13. These attacks took the lives of at least 129 victims and injured hundreds more. They were the first attacks that ISIS carried out in Europe. ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, has long communicated its intent to expand terror from the Middle East to Europe ASHLEY and the United States. ISIS has had the ability to AUSTIN attack in Europe and the United States for far too long because of its large number of foreign recruits (estimated to be around 30,000 by a United States intelligence report) who have the agency to re-enter their home countries and launch attacks. However, U.S. President Barack Obama has consistently chosen to be reactionary toward ISIS as opposed to combating the threat itself. Since Aug. 8, 2014, the United States has been launching airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq. The airstrikes are a reaction to its startling territorial gains, including the acquisition of Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq, in June 2014. The beheadings of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff helped to prompt the expansion of airstrikes into Syria in September 2014. These airstrikes haven’t sufficiently stabilized the region, considering that ISIS thrives in conquered areas with a large number of Arab Sunni populations and that the
organization has attracted recruits from nearly 80 countries. ISIS has been very active in the last few weeks. Besides the terrorist attacks in Paris, ISIS claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Baghdad that killed 19 people on Nov. 13, suicide bombings in Beirut that killed 43 on Nov. 12, and for the deaths of 224 on a Russian aircraft that crashed on Oct. 31. Despite these extensive attacks by ISIS, Obama maintained his view that current efforts against ISIS are sufficient at the recent G-20 summit in Turkey. He was asked about underestimating the Islamic State, if the United States should send more troops to Syria and about elusive success combatting ISIS. When asked if American policy should increase forces in Syria, he stated, “We would see a repetition of what we’ve seen before, which is if you do not have local populations that are committed to inclusive governance and who are pushing against ideological extremes, that they resurface, unless we’re prepared to have a permanent occupation of these countries.” It seems to me that Obama provides an excuse for not sending ground troops by suggesting that he doesn’t want to repeat former President George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq. Obama believes that the invasion of Iraq in 2003 failed to create stability in the region because the locals weren’t prepared to combat extremism. It’s true that the locals were unprepared to combat extremism, but they were unprepared to do so in the wake of a hasty United States exit from the region in 2011. David Ignatius summarizes the situation in an article for The Atlantic, “How ISIS Spread in the Middle East.” Ignatius describes how attempts by the United States or Islamist rebels
Today marks the second anniversary of the launch of the #BBUM Twitter campaign. The hashtag and its acronym, which stands for Being Black at the University of Michigan, was used during one of the early precursors to the recent protests that are occurring across the nation. As a University alum, I fully understood what led the students in 2013 to speak up and express themselves through the use of a Twitter campaign. This university has long experienced various forms of racial tension, which isn’t surprising given the nation’s ongoing struggles in dealing with W.E.B. Du Bois’ brilliant assessment of “the problem of the color-line.” Michigan is a public university that attracts people from all over the world, and for many it’s the first time they are exposed to new and different cultures, which results in awkward situations and interactions. Being African American in such a setting can be particularly frustrating because although many of our families have been citizens of this country for hundreds of years, we still experience discrimination, both subtle and overt. In 2013, members of the Black community were deeply affected by racist incidents that had occurred on campus, and held a Freeze Out on the Diag to address these issues. When the leadership of the Black Student Union came to me as their faculty adviser to strategize ways to express how they were feeling, I felt a strange sense of deja vu. I remembered the bittersweet sound of my mother’s voice speaking about how she roomed with other young Black women on Catherine Street because she wasn’t permitted to live in the dormitories. Despite her own treatment, my mother took great pride in being a Wolverine, and encouraged my sister and me to attend her alma mater. My own memories as an alum mirrored my mother’s mixed emotions during my undergraduate and graduate career in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Back then, I encountered confrontations in the classroom originating from both faculty and other students who would assume my presence was due to affirmative action. I had actually won a prestigious scholarship from the Detroit Institute of Arts to study the history of art. Constant remarks about being “wellspoken for someone from Detroit” led me to seek solace within the Black Student Union and to find safe spaces on campus which would affirm and empower me, such as the Center (now Department) for Afroamerican and African Studies. Discovering racist scrawls on the door of my dorm room and seeing gorillas hanging in effigy in the Diag was devastating, but my mother comforted me by explaining that these were signs of ignorance and that I was at school to awaken and illuminate my mind. She, along with empathetic faculty and friends, offered consolation and noted the benefits
of attending this University, not the least of which that it was a powerful introduction to everyday racism. I grew stronger and less shocked by the behavior I witnessed. Eventually, I gained the confidence to find my voice, and in speaking up, discovered others who shared my perspectives regardless of their class, creed or color. Returning from my memories, I listened as the students described utilizing the traditional methods of mobilization, including wearing black as a sign of solidarity, attending the Freeze Out: Follow Up Forum to speak out for social justice and papering the posting wall with statements about their experiences. Then it happened. One of the students contacted me and alerted me to sign on to Twitter and follow #BBUM. What I saw there defied description. All of my experiences attending the University — both positive and negative — were scrolling past me in a burst of tweets that left me breathless. The use of social media as the method of communication within this brilliant campaign expanded the range of the participants. The tweets began with current students, then faculty, staff and even administration joined the online discussion. Eventually alumni chimed in, some like myself saddened that many of the same situations that we had undergone were still happening at the campus we had once considered our home. The academic in me started analyzing the tweets: some were angry, some staunch in their support of the students, while others stood firmly decrying any difference between treatment between and among races. Others sent messages of support and solidarity. The numbers grew until even the students who began the campaign were astonished at the ongoing wave of responses. One thing was certain: the responding Wolverines were honest in their appraisal of the time spent in the land of maize and blue. There was no shortage of opinions from those within and outside the campus walls. Anyone with access to Twitter could participate — and they did! The media took note and began reporting on the hashtag, its meaning and the Twitter campaign. People from all over the country and beyond were sending messages and #BBUM went viral. The students involved were interviewed by newspapers, radio stations and television. It was a chaotic time, stressful and relentless, but the tweets kept on coming. The West African Ghanaian Adinkra term Sankofa means “return and get it,” or looking back to move forward. Prior to and throughout the campaign, students researched the previous demands presented by the previous Black Action Movements on campus. In addition, they compiled the coded responses from the Twitter campaign and created a list of demands. These were presented in front of Hill
Auditorium at the conclusion of the MLK keynote speech in January 2014. The gauntlet had been dropped, and the real talk and hard work of negotiating for a better, more inclusive campus community would begin. Today, the students continue to work with administration on those same demands, which ultimately is the true sign of a movement, not just a moment frozen in time. My pride in their tenacity is unwavering, and I’m constantly inspired by their resilience. On the surface level, some progress has occurred in terms of a shift in campus climate since #BBUM with the powerful conversations and mobilization efforts that have continued and grown. Part of the problem stems from the rapid response rate and accessible nature of the Internet that fueled #BBUM also leaves social media open to racists who can hide behind pseudonyms. Still, I remain staunchly committed to a more inclusive University, for as my mother wisely advised me, although the struggle is daunting, an equitable society is the right of every human. The promise of a more diverse pool of future Wolverines leaves me hopeful that the dreams of the first students of color who attended Michigan as well as those who protested after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated will one day become reality. Sidebar: Dr. Ibram Kendi author of “The Black Campus Movement,” has pointed out the dearth of research on the subject of what is deemed the Black Campus Movement. He notes, “The historical literature on the BCM has burst onto the scene over the last thirteen years since Wayne Glasker’s “Black Students in the Ivory Tower” (2002) at the University of Pennsylvania and Joy Williamson-Lott’s “Black Power on Campus” (2003) on the University of Illinois. In 2009, Stefan Bradley released “Harlem vs. Columbia.” In 2010, Fabio Rojas’s “From Black Power to Black Studies” appeared and Jeffrey Turner’s “Sitting In and Speaking Out” shared some stories of the BCM in the South. In 2012, three more studies hit libraries, Martha Biondi’s “The Black Revolution on Campus,” and the special issue in the Journal of African American Studies on the origins of Black studies, edited by Jonathan Fenderson, James B. Stewart, and Kabria Baumgartner. Richard D. Benson’s “Fighting for Our Place in the Sun” came out in 2014, giving a better picture of Malcolm X’s influence on Black student activism in North Carolina. DAAS looks forward to co-sponsoring an event featuring Lawrence Ross, author of “Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America’s Campuses,” on February 16, 2016, with with MESA, Housing, and the Office of Greek Life. Ross’s work includes interviews with UM students, along with others across the nation. Elizabeth James is a University of Michigan alum, BA ’82, MA ‘84 .
LOOKING FOR A FORUM TO DISCUSS NATIONAL, STATE, LOCAL AND UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS? THE DAILY’S OPINION SECTION IS THE PLACE FOR YOU! Every Monday and Wednesday at 6:15 pm, the Daily’s editorial board meets to discuss current issues and write editorials. E-mail opinioneditors@michigandaily.com to join in the debate. to topple authoritarian regimes in the Middle East create power vacuums. Extremists will fill the political vacuums if the United States and its allies don’t build strong local forces that can suppress terrorist groups. The United States must be persistent in its efforts to aid the local forces — if it withdraws too soon as it did from Iraq in 2011 under Obama’s orders, terrorists will seize power. Iraqi forces weren’t ready for the withdrawal of American troops, and Obama’s policymakers chose to look the other way for too long as ISIS spread between 2011 to 2014. From 2014 onward, the United States has sought to only contain the threat of ISIS through airstrikes — not the full military engagement necessary to topple the Islamic State. ISIS is only becoming stronger, and it’s time to eliminate the threat of terrorism once and for all in the Middle East. For the last 14 years, the United States has been involved in proxy wars in the Middle East that haven’t sufficiently eliminated violent extremism its perpetrators seek to spread everywhere. We have lived in a world constantly threatened by terrorism for most of our lives, provoking fear in many of us. Whenever I attend sporting
events, fly on an airplane or board a train, there’s always that fleeting second in which I think back to 9/11 and other terrorist attacks. I never let this fear dictate my actions, but it’s a fear that I cannot escape. There are few places in the world that extremists don’t seek to attack, and I know that my fear isn’t unique to being an American. I sometimes think back to my harrowing experience on an overnight cruise between Italy and Greece in 2008. When on the cruise, we were informed that there had been a terrorist threat and potential bomb placed on board of the ship. It was difficult to surmise the details of the threat announced on the loudspeakers because the announcements came first in four other languages before English. Passengers spoke in panicked voices over the announcements. I remember my mother holding my hand and leading me back to the room that I shared with my sister. Italian police officers and bomb squads raided every room on the ship, including the room that I shared with my sister. I became hyperaware of how trapped and vulnerable I was on this ship in the middle of the Adriatic Sea, so far from home. My last memories of this experience include
looking out a porthole at the topaz sea and wondering how such hatred could exist. Evidently, there was no bomb on board, but this experience taught me that terrorism has a broad affect that can touch you anywhere in this world. Terrorism cannot be contained to the Middle East; it will extend itself to strike us when we least expect it. The time has come for more extensive attacks against ISIS in Iraq and Syria that may have to include ground troops. The Islamic State is far from being contained as Obama stated it to be on the morning of Nov. 13 in a “Good Morning America” interview and maintains presently. Al-Qaeda and its outgrowth, ISIS, have been terrorizing their own societies and the world for the last 14 years, and they have the capability to continue to do so. The reality is that we must demand policies that recognize that this group is a top threat to our ability to live in a democracy and a world where civilians don’t have to fear assassination just because they don’t adopt Islamic extremist ideology. — Ashley Austin can be reached at agracea@umich.edu.
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Sports & News
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Thursday, November 19, 2015 — 5A
ADMINISTRATION
Deep lineup forces Schlissel talks Yale, ‘M’ to limit errors Mizzou aftermath Wolverines label 2015-16 ‘year of accountability’ By JACOB GASE Daily Sports Editor
Midway through the second half of the Michigan men’s basketball team’s season opener, Duncan Robinson entered the game for the Wolverines. One minute and 18 seconds later, the redshirt sophomore guard was back on the bench. The 3-point specialist wasn’t injured, he wasn’t tired, and he didn’t do anything wrong that showed up in the post-game box score. What Robinson had done, though, was completely miss his defensive assignment, and that was enough for Michigan coach John Beilein to yank him from the game in favor of redshirt freshman D.J. Wilson. Beilein’s quick hook made several appearances throughout the Wolverines’ first two contests of the season against Northern Michigan and Elon, with inexperienced players like Robinson and Wilson often on the receiving end. Through the first two games, Michigan’s rotation has been 12 players deep. And though Beilein has said it won’t stay that way, there is no room for individual error on a team with that much depth. With so many players available, Beilein has had the luxury of trying every lineup imaginable against the team’s lackluster early opponents, and he has no reason to leave struggling players on the floor. “We’re just trying to feel out
what’s best for us,” said junior guard Derrick Walton Jr. “This year is a year of accountability, so at any moment, you make a mistake, a guy can come in and replace you. (You have to) do what you need to be doing.” Walton — who posted 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the victory over Elon — and preseason All-Big Ten senior guard Caris LeVert likely won’t be in danger of losing playing time, but just about everyone else on the roster is being constantly evaluated, both in games and in practice. “Every day, we’ve been keeping charts,” Beilein said. “We know who’s won every single game (in practice). ... We’ve been on that. There’s been times though, still, that I thought our progress has been really slow — way too slow. We’ve been holding everybody accountable. We’ve had subs ready to come (in), but our learning curve’s got to increase.” Last season, this kind of lesson in accountability wasn’t possible. With Walton and LeVert out with injuries, freshman guards Aubrey Dawkins and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman were forced into starting roles knowing full well there were few others behind them on the depth chart. Freshman mistakes on the court — from blown defensive coverage to poor shot selection
— were unavoidable and often excused. But now, Beilein has the ability to reward, punish and experiment at will, and that fact is readily apparent in the number of lineup combinations he has thrown on the court. The ‘5’ position has been a revolving door. Though junior Mark Donnal has started both games, Wilson, sophomore Ricky Doyle and freshman Moritz Wagner have seen plenty of action. And at one point against Elon, the Wolverines fielded an atypical lineup of Walton, Abdur-Rahkman, junior forward Zak Irvin, Robinson and Wilson. “The different types of rotations, I don’t think it’s really throwing any guys off, it’s just — we’re so versatile,” Walton said. “We’ve got guys that can play left side, backcourt and the ‘5,’ so I think it’s a luxury to have so many guys that can play so many positions.” Though players like Dawkins and Abdur-Rahkman have played meaningful minutes early in their careers, Beilein now faces the challenge of getting them ready to play when expectations are higher. With LeVert and Walton fully healthy, the Wolverines have lofty goals to accomplish. “We can’t just keep bumping our head on the ceiling,” Beilein said. “We’ve got to push through that, and several of our guys haven’t been able to do that.”
“We can’t just keep bumping our head on the ceiling.”
Tough Xavier team will test Michigan
‘U’ officials discuss campus dialogues regarding race By LARA MOEHLMAN Daily Staff Reporter
After college campuses confronted issues of diversity and racial tensions last week, particularly on the campuses of the University of Missouri and Yale University, The Michigan Daily sat down with University officials to discuss how the University campus talks about race. The conversation followed University President Mark Schlissel’s campuswide diversity summit, which was held the week before Thursday’s twoyear anniversary of the #BBUM Twitter campaign. During the interview, Schlissel emphasized what he characterized as the University’s proactive strategy for handling issues of race, in comparison with how similar issues were handled on the campuses of Missouri and Yale. “We didn’t launch the diversity, equity and inclusion strategic planning process in the setting of a crisis,” he said. “We launched it in the setting of an ongoing commitment to the public and the students that we serve and to build an inclusive community.” University administrators have been in the process of creating a plan to address issues related to diversity throughout the year.
Robert Sellers, vice provost for equity, inclusion and academic affairs, said this mindset distinguishes the University from other institutions grappling with conversations on race and inclusion. “We hope that the level of conversation is perhaps different from what happened at Missouri, that students feel that they have a partnership in trying to make this change with respect to the administration, that we’re in this together, that they don’t see it simply as it’s our job to change the University, but it’s all our jobs,” Sellers said. The day after Schlissel’s diversity assembly, students also gathered on the Diag in solidarity with Black students at the University and Missouri. The timing of these events, Schlissel said, was impactful. “The coincidence in timing was dramatic, and it allowed us to have even deeper, more important discussions, perhaps, that we might have absent at all these other events,” he said. “The commitment to this is ongoing. It started before and it will continue on because the challenges are ongoing.” “I hope that we don’t end up in a situation where it’s us against ‘them,’ because we see ‘them’ as us, and there is no ‘them,’ ” Sellers added. Schlissel said the diversity summit, which was attended by 1,100 students, staff and faculty, presented an opportunity for increased inclusiveness. “Many people in our community
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Though last weekend’s opponents, Binghamton and Detroit, didn’t pose much of a threat to the Michigan Xavier at women’s basketball Michigan team, a much Matchup: deeper Xavier Xavier 1-0; squad certainly Michigan 2-0 could. When: After an Thursday exhausting 7 P.M. two games in Where: Crisler two days, the Center Wolverines (2-0) had the chance to regroup, watch film and prepare ahead of their most difficult test yet. “They’re pretty deep, and that is something we haven’t faced in the first two games,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico in a WTKA interview on Tuesday. “I think we wore the opponents out in the first couple games, because we kept rotating in and changing defenses. (Xavier) goes 10, 11 deep.” The box score from Xavier’s 65-57 win against Evansville reveals that wide distribution of playing time. Eight different Musketeers played more than 15 minutes in their season opener, compared to just seven for Michigan against Detroit. But while 10 of Xavier’s players contributed to the scoring, only one put up double digits. Xavier guard Raeshaun Gaffney scored 18 points in her first game after transferring from Virginia. She is the team’s best weapon, but Xavier will need more than a single source for scoring, or else the Musketeers will have a high mountain to climb to get past a Michigan team that had four players reach double digits in each game. Led by freshman center Hallie Thome and sophomore guard Katelynn Flaherty, the
don’t feel like they’re full, active participants, and they’re not accorded the same sense of inclusion in our community as others, and a sense of hurt and a little bit of anger came through,” Schlissel said. “And I think that was very important for all of us to hear, and to try to understand and to contextualize with our ongoing work on diversity and inclusion.” In Tuesday’s interview, E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, discussed the University’s established history of activism. “This is the school that went to the Supreme Court,” Harper said. “It’s also an institution where students’ voices around change and imagining a different kind of world have always been part of our DNA, and we’ve always had a responsive administration, sometimes imperfectly, but always a responsive administration … Does that mean we’re there? Absolutely not. But I also keep trying to remind myself that we’re also not at the starting gate either.” Two years after the University’s Black Student Union launched the #BBUM Twitter campaign to call attention to the experiences of Black students on campus, both administrators and students say their is more work to do to address the challenges faced by these students. #BBUM was launched on this day in 2013. Read more online at michigandaily.com.
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SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Kim Barnes Arico can switch between several defenses with this year’s team.
Wolverines have cruised in their previous outings, winning by scores of 90-62 and 88-61. Feeding the 6-foot-5 Thome in the post continues to be a successful tactic, and her 21 points and three blocks in Detroit prove she is shaping up to be a valuable addition. Both games’ second halves featured Michigan continuing to expand on early leads, which allowed Barnes Arico to bring in players who typically won’t see game time down the stretch. As a result, it’s difficult to perceive how deep Michigan actually is. Regardless, it has played like a talented, well-rounded group, despite the guard-heavy lineup. Nine of the roster’s 14 players are guards, but so far there hasn’t been any special emphasis on a four-guard system, or really any system for that matter. “When we sub, we really don’t lose anything,” Barnes Arico said. “Sometimes we change our defenses at that point as well. We’re kind of like a football
team right now, where we have different packages depending on who’s going into the game. We’ve had a press package, a three-quarter court package, full-court press, a half-court man defense.” Changing the defense on the fly appears to be Michigan’s greatest strength. After initiating the fullcourt press during the second quarter against Detroit last weekend, the Wolverines forced four turnovers in three minutes to build an 11-point lead. After that game, Barnes Arico mentioned that picking starters is often a game-time decision, calling it a “battle” for the five spots. Nonetheless, Xavier can likely match Michigan well in this department. The Wolverines’ early success may be boosted by weaker competition. It’s far too early to make any claims about this Michigan team, but if it pulls off another landslide victory against Xavier, a clearer picture for the season might start to take shape.
ACROSS 1 __ Men, pop band whose name derives from its members’ homeland 5 Bit of a speech 9 Prolonged look 14 Instruments for Israel Kamakawiwo’ole 15 Case for notions 16 Attach 17 Bar for some dancers 19 “The Grand Budapest Hotel” actor 20 Kiss a frog, so it’s said 22 Org. that holds your interest? 23 LBJ agency 24 Reuters competitor 27 All out 32 Complain 36 Attic forager 37 Family nickname 38 Went too far with 40 Street vendor’s snack 42 Cosmetic surgeon’s procedures, briefly 43 Nursery supply 44 Salts 45 Evasive language 49 NBC sketch comedy 50 Portuguese king 51 Not connected 56 Snoring, e.g., and a literal hint to what’s hidden in 20-, 27- and 45-Across 61 Case study? 63 Like one who really gets IT? 64 Sea divers 65 Switch ending 66 Carpe __ 67 Cuban music genre 68 Daly of “Judging Amy” 69 Everyone, in Essen DOWN 1 Light sources 2 “Ran” director Kurosawa
3 Ones with fab abs 4 Similarly sinful 5 Broke down 6 “Then again,” in tweets 7 Dismiss 8 Fuel type 9 “Soldier of Love” Grammy winner 10 Nonstick cookware brand 11 Anti-consumerist portmanteau popularized in a 2001 best-seller 12 2011 animated film set in Brazil 13 PC file extension 18 Stillwater’s state: Abbr. 21 Capitol insider 25 Novelist De Vries 26 Pastoral poems 28 Athlete lead-in 29 It’s not hot for long 30 Submission encl. 31 Last stroke, usually 32 Common maladies 33 French postcard word 34 Utter disgust 35 “No __!”
39 ISP alternative 40 Author of macabre tales 41 Old cereal box stat 43 Weblike 46 Before, of yore 47 Largish jazz ensemble 48 Maxwell Smart’s nemesis 52 “The Devil Wears __” 53 Motrin competitor
54 Party hearty 55 “Go ahead, make my day!” 57 Lana of Superman lore 58 Film feline 59 Silhouette of a bird, for Twitter 60 You might pick up a pebble in one 61 Attention from Dr. Mom 62 Milne marsupial
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Sports
6A — Thursday, November 19, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Baxter adjusts to drama Michigan’s special teams still strong after three miscues in four games By JAKE LOURIM Managing Sports Editor
While the Michigan special teams unit has been one of the team’s strengths this season, it has weathered some drama lately. There was, of course, the dropped punt snap that Michigan State picked up and returned for a touchdown and a 27-23 win at Michigan Stadium — “the fluke of all flukes,” as special teams coordinator John Baxter described it Wednesday. But besides that, there have been numerous disruptions to the unit throughout the year. Baxter’s job is to respond to them, and though he has had an answer to almost every one, they pose challenges nonetheless. “This is my 30th college football season, and when you think you’ve seen it all, don’t worry, something else is coming,” Baxter said. “It’s a game with really neat young people and a ball that’s not round, and that’s what creates the drama.” The special teams’ improvement under Baxter has been exceptional. The unit has made several big plays to change the dynamic of games, and the coaching staff has rewarded them. Tuesday night, redshirt junior cornerback Jeremy Clark walked into a media session wearing a special teams shirt with the phrases “Be The Hammer” and “Leverage. Acceleration. Intimidation.” “Whenever a player does a great job on special teams, we find one of these in our locker,” said Clark, who is on the kick return and punt return teams.
The Wolverines were ranked No. 1 in the country in special teams efficiency during the middle of the season, but they have dropped to 16th after 10 weeks. While the unit has tied up most loose ends, the fall in the rankings comes as a result of three big plays, each surrendered in the past four games. On Nov. 7, Michigan allowed a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Rutgers’ Janarion Grant. Senior kicker Kenny Allen has booted almost half (29 of 61) of his kicks for touchbacks, but a low line drive in that instance created the opportunity for an explosive play. Two other factors also contributed, though: the natural skill of Grant, who already has four return touchdowns this season, and the wind that kept Allen’s kick low. Baxter has to adjust to both — Grant is among the Big Ten’s best return men, and the Midwestern weather often makes wind an influence, too. The following week, the Wolverines traveled to Indiana and suffered another setback when the Hoosiers’ Mitchell Paige returned a punt 51 yards for a touchdown on the first possession of the second half. Baxter attributed that mistake to fatigue — Michigan appeared to have Paige wrapped up but let him escape. “In the game, you’ve got to tackle, and when you get the opportunity to tackle, you’ve got to tackle,” Baxter said. “It’s really difficult to ever embrace an attitude of tired, beat up or whatever else, because in November, in this game, everybody is.”
VOLLEYBALL
Michigan upsets No. 4 Penn State By PAIGE VOEFFRAY For the Daily
GRANT HARDY/Daily
Jourdan Lewis has taken on some kick return duties to relieve Jabrill Peppers.
In addition to week-to-week preparations, Baxter’s personnel has been adjusted, as with any unit. Before the Rutgers game, redshirt freshman safety Jabrill Peppers moved away from the kick-return unit to focus more on offense, and junior cornerback Jourdan Lewis replaced him. Last week, redshirt sophomore long snapper Scott Sypniewski traveled separately from the team to avoid spreading an illness. He made one bad snap that cost Michigan a field goal but played the entire game
“It’s a game with really neat young people and a ball that’s not round.”
as usual. “It’s a general policy not to talk about players’ (health), but I can say this: That kid gutted it out for this football team as much as I’ve ever seen a guy do it,” Baxter said. “He had a 103-(degree) temperature, couldn’t keep anything down all the way through pregame and literally kept reducing that game down to five-minute segments.” Those kinds of surprises invariably crop up throughout the season, but on special teams, even small ones can create breakdowns. “We’ve had three negative plays go against us, which is unfortunate because it only takes one negative play to really put a damper on a really nice body of work,” Baxter said. “But that’s the nature of sports, I guess.”
Last weekend, the Michigan volleyball team got a taste of what it felt like to beat a ranked opponent. 1 PENN STATE This 3 MICHIGAN week, the Wolverines wanted more, and they got it while also making history. Wednesday night, Michigan took on No. 4 Penn State (13-4 Big Ten, 24-4 overall). After struggling in the first set, the Wolverines (8-9, 18-10) came back stronger and managed to pull off the upset with a 3-1 win, marking their first-ever win in State College. “In my four years, we haven’t beaten them at all, so it was definitely a great win,” said senior setter Carly Warner. “It’s hard to believe it actually happened, especially at their gym, which is really hard to do.” Warner led the defense with 19 digs and helped lead a Michigan offense to victory in an old-fashioned shootout with the Nittany Lions. Penn State scored 22 points or more in all four sets, but junior middle blocker Abby Cole’s team-high 17 kills helped the Wolverines hold on for their first victory over the Nittany Lions since 2002. Michigan started slowly while Penn State opened the match with momentum. The Wolverines found themselves down 7-3, forcing coach Mark Rosen to take the team’s first timeout. Michigan couldn’t find a rhythm to take the lead, so the Wolverines took a second timeout as the Nittany Lions led 15-6. In the end, though, they couldn’t regroup against a relentless offensive and defensive effort by Penn State, which took the first set 25-14.
In the second set, the Wolverines finally took their first lead, 23-22, and kept firing to win the next two points and take the set, 25-22. “We were all of a sudden kind of down, and that put us on our heels a little bit,” Rosen said. “We did a great job in the second set of just being steady and really raising our level as the set went on. I give a lot of credit to our players for being strong enough to do that.” The Wolverines tried to carry their momentum from the second set into the third as they began the frame with a 5-1 lead. They maintained that lead, but the Nittany Lions stayed close and eventually tied the game at 20. Penn State appeared to take the lead on the next play, but Michigan protested that a fan interfered, forcing the officials to meet before ultimately calling back the point. Luckily for the Wolverines, it gave them a second chance to dominate the rest of the set and win by three. The Nittany Lions were the first team to find a rhythm in the fourth set, gaining an early lead of 11-7. Michigan began to fall further behind but eventually came out of a timeout fired up and tied the game at 15 before winning five straight points. Trying to battle back, Penn State coach Russ Rose took another timeout while trailing 21-18 in an attempt to try and derail the Wolverine offense. But Michigan refused to be stopped and took the fourth set, 25-21, for the victory. The Wolverines’ win streak over ranked teams comes at a crucial point of the season, after four straight losses. With its latest spurt of momentum, Michigan has set itself up nicely for a match against Nebraska on Saturday at Crisler Center.
ICE HOCKEY
From Boston to Michigan, Powers reflects on career By JUSTIN MEYER Daily Sports Writer
Billy Powers wasn’t ever supposed to put on a Michigan hockey uniform. The Wolverines’ assistant coach grew up in Somerville, Mass., a brick-lined, working class suburb of Boston. During the early ’80s, as plants were shuttered and Somerville’s economy collapsed, Powers played for one of the nation’s premier teams at Matignon High School. Half of his high school teammates joined elite college programs after graduation, but the top recruiters never came calling for Powers. Disappointed by the slight and with a chip on his shoulder, he headed to St. Anselm to play Division II hockey. There, Powers turned heads with a spectacular season. As schools dangled offers following his freshman campaign, Powers faced an unusual decision. Michigan had called, offering him the opportunity to head west to play hockey. Powers had never particularly wanted to leave Boston. None of his high school teammates had left the Northeast — Powers thinks the furthest any player traveled was to Colgate, in upstate New York — and practically no one he knew lived outside the Boston area. Boston has a particular loyalty about it. The idea of being a Bostonian is glorified through pop culture, tough-guy stares and the city’s sports franchises. For many, it is hard to imagine living anywhere else. Fewer than 14 percent of people move from Powers’ county, Middlesex, in any given five-year period — among the nation’s lowest rates for large populations. Kids from Boston just don’t want to leave Boston. But in 1985, Powers got on a plane to the Midwest for a recruiting visit with Red Berenson. He hasn’t left since. Thirty years later, you could almost say he is a Midwesterner. “Was it planned? Absolutely
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Billy Powers is in his 23rd year as an assistant coach at Michigan.
not,” Powers said. “Just coming out here as a student-athlete was a pretty shocking experience for my family. “My recruiting trip to Michigan, if it wasn’t my parents’ first time on a plane, it was like their second. East Coast people are pretty territorial. Most people don’t leave.” The forward made an immediate impact for the Wolverines, netting 43 points in his first season. In the fall of 1985, shortly after his arrival in Ann Arbor, Powers told The Michigan Daily that his decision to play for Berenson was easy. “Back East, I figured they had their shot (right out of high school), and they messed up if they wanted me.” Today, Powers can laugh at the prideful 20-year-old kid. Because of that decision, though, he is still competing against the storied programs from back home. This week, Michigan will play the highest-profile series of its young season at No. 10 Boston University. Powers will have 20-odd friends and family in attendance. The battle he relishes most, though, is the fight in the recruiting trenches each season — one in which he’s a veteran.
When Powers joined the Wolverines in the ’80s, big-name recruits on the East Coast never thought about heading west to play hockey. Helping to bridge the recruiting gap is one of Powers’ most cherished accomplishments. His story of moving away from home and taking a chance at Michigan lends him credibility with players and their families. “You have to pick your battles,” Powers said. “I wouldn’t want to get in too many fights with (Eastern) schools over Eastern kids. But the prep-school kid, the Connecticut kid, the New York kid, somebody that hasn’t grown up in the greater Boston area — I think Michigan will always have a great chance no matter who we go against.” The Wolverines have their first opportunity for a statement win this weekend. For Powers, it is only another page in his long relationship with East Coast hockey. Boston is still home and always will be. But Powers did make a final promise. “(My family is) converted — there’s no doubt there,” he said. “My entire section will be maize and blue.” From Boston kid to Michigan recruiter, Powers certainly found his calling.
the b-side
B
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, November 19, 2015
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the b-side
2B — Thursday, November 19, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Farmer’s market is worth the lost sleep By CAROLINE FILIPS Daily Arts Writer
GRANT HARDY/Daily
Lawrence Shapiro(right) speaks at the communication studies Entertainment Media Career Forum at Rackham on Friday.
Media careers explored at forum Opportunites abound for entertainment business paths By MARIAM SHEIKH Daily Style Editor
Some people enter college knowing the exact path they want to follow. Some of these students — the cream of the crop — make it into the University’s School of Theatre, Music & Dance — it’s simply a stepping stone before they make it to the big leagues on Broadway. Others are those pacing the businessoriented halls of Ross, destined for Wall Street. But what about those of us who choose a less traditional path — those of us whose passions lie in somewhat of a gray area — hidden away in the overlap of arts and business? What about those of us interested in entertainment? This is where things start to get complicated. It would seem that the University offers many opportunities for networking and career-oriented exploration to the likes of engineers and students in the Ross School of Business, but the case can even be made for LSA students looking to go down more common career paths. But what about us artsy folk? The ones who geek out over 1970s jazz, or have an obsession with the character Ari Gold from “Entourage”? For students who want to enter the fields of entertainment, media or even the careers in their overlap, there are not many resources or opportunities on campus to network or explore. We acknowledge that the path is long, competitive and unconventional, but the opportunity to have a chance to explore should still be there for all students who want to avail it.
Each year, the Communication Studies Department hosts an Entertainment and Media Career forum, which I had the opportunity to attend on Nov. 13. Featuring six alumni from various sectors in the entertainment and media industries, all at different points in their careers, students had the opportunity to hear from each one of them in presentations and round-table discussions. While the event is primarily targeted toward upperclassman looking to network for internships and potential job opportunities, it was refreshing to speak with students from all ages and from various schools within the University, who were there to learn more about this specialized field.
It’s important to keep a level head and not to be afraid. When I told my parents I wanted to pursue a career in the business side of the arts world, specifically in entertainment, they simply laughed and wished me luck. This forum provided ample opportunity to listen, learn and question some of the best in the field, extremely helpful for those of us dealing with a particularly exclusive and seemingly mysterious industry. This stigma surrounding this crucial sector of the arts almost deterred me from even considering it as a viable life choice at all — and that shouldn’t be the case for anyone. But, if I took away anything from the stories the panelists at the EMC forum shared, it’s that while this career choice is unconventional at best, with hard work the
choice will be worth it. As I see my friends and peers around me accepting high-paying offers to amazing companies left and right, it’s important to keep a level head and remember to not be afraid to start at the bottom, because everyone needs to pay their dues and start somewhere — especially in entertainment.
The arts is a grueling world. Particularly, University alum Ben Davis, who graduated in 2011 majoring in Communications studies and is now a digital agent at William Morris Endeavor— IMG, discussed his time at the prestigious talent agency from his humble start in the WME mailroom. In the digital world where mail may not be all that important, for WME employees having experience from the ground up is not only crucial, but also necessary, for employment. The mail room, while not as glamorous as people envision entertainment to be, gave Davis a clear path in, and the best way to learn about how everything works at WME, and in the entertainment industry in general. The second story that
My parents laughed and wished me luck. resonated with me from the forum had a crucial moral, while easy in theory it proves difficult in practice. University alum Amy Fleischman, a 2012 Communications Studies
On any given Saturday, there’s a high chance I won’t be able to drag myself out of bed before noon. Last Friday night, despite my body’s anticipated extra resting hours, I set my alarm for 10 a.m. and changed the beat of my circadian rhythm in preparation for Kerrytown’s well-attended weekend affair: the Ann Arbor Farmers Market. Yet, by seasoned shopper standards, I was late to the party. According to market manager Sarah DeWitt, a recognizable crop of local epicureans and Main Street chefs tend to arrive at 7 a.m. sharp.
veteran vendors are either second- or third-generation farmers whose relatives began selling at the original location near Main Street in 1919. The current market was erected in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration and is situated on Detroit St. in the heart of Kerrytown.
Most Ann Arbor restaurants get produce from the market.
Along with beating the laggard crowd, the regulars alternate between chatting with farmers, inspecting produce and carting away wholesome treats in massive boxes and chef pans. “There are fewer Ann Arbor restaurants not stopping down here,” DeWitt said. Maggie Long, Jolly Pumpkin chef and managing partner, is always among the early birds toting her handcart. “She refuses to give up market mornings because she wants to keep that face time, connection and sense of community with the different farmers,” said Chirs North, Jolly Pumpkin floor manager. For nearly a century, sustaining a sense of community among shoppers, local businesses and farmers has been the essence of the market. A majority of the
Today, the market is “producers only,” meaning all items for sale are made or grown by vendors with no resale. It’s stipulated within the market rules that those who sell products must grow their items in Michigan or an abutting state. Accordingly, nearly all vendors are within an hour radius, with the exception of Donna Puehler, owner of Grandma’s Kitchen in Ohio. For three decades, Puehler has been a beloved provider of baked goods and eggs, and simply known as “grandma” to frequent market-goers. At present, the market offers the products of more than 60 produce and diversified produce farmers — those who sell additional items such as greenhouse flowering plants along with fruits and vegetables — 30 artisan vendors and a few specialty food vendors. Essentially, it’s the one-stop shop for everything from leather handbags to maple syrup to the recent addition of Fluffy Bottom Creamery’s yogurts and cheeses. “We aim to maintain a variety,” DeWitt said. “We try to cater to all product niches of
graduate and a casting assistant at DreamWorks Animation, shared her journey to where she is now and stressed the importance of making the most of every and any opportunity that comes your way. Starting as a page in NBC’s highly competitive page program, Fleischman stepped in when USA network’s thenPresident of Production Jeff Kirschenbaum needed an assistant. While she may not have been ready for this jump from a page at that exact moment, she took the challenge. Because of her hard work and dedication, she networked and made the necessary connections to get her to where she is today at DreamWorks. I think about all the times I have shied away from challenge because of this inherent fear of
failure. Choosing a career postcollege is hard enough as it is, but it doesn’t get any easier when you choose a field that doesn’t have any guarantees. The arts is a grueling and unpredictable world, and the business side of it is no better. University alum Peter Jaysen, class of 1989 and a film and television producer at Veritas Entertainment, feels like he is just now hitting his stride. After 20-plus years in the industry, his past experiences and hard work have begun to catch up with him and he now feels established and settled in the industry. At one point he described the entertainment world as a country club of sorts, and how he feels like he is finally a full-time member as opposed to just having a guest pass.
“We try to cater to all product niches of fresh, local foods.”
fresh, local foods.” To ensure the market’s longstanding mission of providing shoppers with locally grown foods directly from the source, each seller’s farmland is routinely inspected. “That’s a pretty particular thing for our market that’s not true of a lot of other farmers markets,” DeWitt said. “It’s something we’re particularly proud of.” As a Davis, Calif. native, DeWitt frequented the city’s local farmers market, and has since remained a farmers market enthusiast. She still looks to her hometown marketplace for inspiration. For instance, a few years ago in the summertime, DeWitt introduced the predominantly Californian trend of food truck rallies on Wednesday evenings. The rallies offer an alternative to Ann Arbor’s brick-andmortar restaurant fare. “We draw upon multiple sources for inspiration, but for me I think it always goes back to Davis because I think those things that stick with you as a kid are what you remember as adults,” DeWitt said.
“We aim to maintain variety As I sat on a bench just outside the market with DeWitt, her passion for the community was palpable as she stopped to greet each visitor whom she seemed to know on a personal level. After our chat I strolled through the market, finding myself unexpectedly taken by rows of violet cabbage rosettes and the last of growers peakseason apples. I was instantly convinced that the Ann Arbor Farmers Market is the only weekend event worth sacrificing a few hours of sleep.
While the road is long and the path tricky, I couldn’t have been more excited and affirmed in my career choice just through seeing the passion each one of these accomplished graduates had about the work they were doing and all the work they had done to get there. We have the privilege of attending a university with one of the largest communities of alumni in the world, who have gone on into diverse fields from journalism, politics, engineering, to entertainment. A forum such as this shouldn’t be the only thing available for students choosing to follow their artistic passions. However, it is one crucial step forward in giving all of us entertainment junkies a chance to learn — and to learn from the best alumni around.
TRAILER REVIEW Unlike the terrible trailer for “Insurgent,” the trailer for the latest installment in “The Divergent Series” is, at least, C+ colorful. As it begins, Tris The (Shailene Woodley, Divergent “The Fault in Series: Our Stars”), Four (Theo Allegiant James, Lionsgate “Golden Boy”) and the Mar. 18, 2016 rest of their team skirt a desolate, computer-animated countryside that resembles Mars. It contrasts strikingly with the antiseptic green of the ship where they are rescued. It’s possible to get wrapped up in the drive of the trailer, to fall for its quickly building intensity and even some hints of the story. One character mentions that the children of this new colony have grown up surveilling the main characters, a potentially intriguing idea.
Then you tune in to the dialogue, including such gems as “People think walls separate us. But they also protect us,” “They’re trying to destroy us” and Jeff Daniels’s predictable assurance that Tris is “the only one” who can help rebuild society. To understandably cynical viewers, the montage of images featuring flying spaceships, people running in panic and scenes of Tris and Four’s obligatory romance will feel completely by-the-numbers. “The Divergent Series: Allegiant” is a terrible idea for a movie to begin with — it’s based only on the first half of Veronica Roth’s YA book “Allegiant,” by far the most boring half-book in the series — but if it balances its shameless infodumps with thrilling action, it could manage to at least be a mindless, entertaining action movie. At worst, it’s another uninventive Y.A. adaptation that will be forgotten quickly. LIONSGATE
-BENJAMIN ROSENSTOCK
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, November 19, 2015 — 3B
Mediterranean ARTIST food in Ann Arbor FOOD COLUMN
T
his year, I decided to switch up the focus of my food column, from opinion pieces and the occasional restaurant review, to reportage on local restaurants. Ann Arbor is home to an increasing number of restaurants, many of GIANCARLO them offBUONOMO campus and overlooked, run by people preparing versions of their home country’s food. I’d like, if possible, to expose my readers to as many of them as possible, and document the extraordinary journeys and work that have gone into building these restaurants.
“One more thing: Jerusalem Garden has got nothing on us.” When a professor of mine, who had lived in Israel, told me to check out Haifa Falafel, I headed over immediately. Twenty bus stops down Washtenaw Avenue, I found the tiny shop. Painted on the storefront windows were the phrases “MEDITERRANEAN FOOD” and “HAIFA STYLE FALAFEL.” I had called the owner, Ali Usman, beforehand to schedule the interview, but when I arrived he was still hustling in the kitchen. I took a seat and took my standard atmosphere notes: jangly music playing, colorful lanterns hanging, smell of sumac wafting. Pasted on the walls were photos of Haifa, Israel,
including its famous Bahá’í temple (Baha’i is a religion, of Persian origin, that emphasizes the spiritual unity of humankind). Usman prepared us two chicken shawarmas and a plate of crisp, mahoganycolored falafel, and we sat down to eat. I ignored the food at first — I wanted to know everything about this restaurant, and him. “Where are you from?” “How did this place start? “Are you Baha’i?” Tall, lean and intense, Usman seemed a bit puzzled. He gave me the basics: He’s an IsraeliArab from outside Haifa, who, as an 18-year-old, followed his two brothers to Ann Arbor to open this shop, even though none of them had any formal training. His two brothers have since married and left, leaving him in charge. He’s not Baha’i. But that’s as much as he’d say about himself. “Talk about the food,” he urged me. “Don’t talk about me, or all of … this,” gesturing towards the lanterns and the photos and the speakers. At this point, a customer sitting nearby pulled up a chair to offer his input. “This is the best food in Ann Arbor,” he said. “The best falafel I’ve ever had. I come here two or three times a week. Make sure you take that down.” After eating there myself, I can see why. The terms “Mediterranean” and “Middle Eastern” are too vague. Take the falafel. Each city in Israel has its own variety: Jerusalem falafel are big, dense and green from copious amounts of chopped parsley. In Tel Aviv, they’re rolled smaller, but are still green. Haifa-style falafel are gumball-sized, golden and have a looser texture. The ones Usman prepares are some of the best I’ve ever had — crispy-creamy, garlicky, great even outside of a sandwich. He takes great pride in preparing them, which also means that he can’t always get them to that
COURTESY OF DEE SIMON
Usman has a fierce pride in what he’s doing. “We still can’t find a good enough pita to do that,” he said, in between mouthfuls. “One time, we had a grocery store try to bake it, and they sent us triangular pitas. Now, we just use flat ones and wrap it.” Any attempt to bring hyperregional food to Michigan is bound to run into problems like that. More surprising is Usman’s customer base. IsraeliArabs and Palestinians make up just one part of the local Arab community, many of whom are from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. But Usman told me that Arabs actually are a minority of his business — Jews and vegetarians flock there in huge numbers. Either way, Usman has a fierce pride in what he’s doing — feeding people, and exposing them to food that he doesn’t think they’ll be getting downtown. As I walked out the door, his farewell line said it all. “One more thing: Jerusalem Garden has got nothing on us.” Buonomo is exposing himself (to food, you perverts). To get a sneak peek, email gbuonomo@umich.edu.
SINGLE REVIEW
G.O.O.D. MUSIC
for Wiz Khalifa, money is for Jay Z, sex is for Lil Wayne, cocaine is for Push-A-Ton. While Push has been “the coke dealer in Balmain jeans” of rap for the last six years, he somehow never has to repeat himself. Every song in his repertoire is about freebase, but he consistently outdoes himself with the poetry he conjures; “Untouchable” is no exception. He uses “Cross-Fit” as a verb for lifting bricks of nose candy into his convertible. Given that he’s been dead silent since the fall of 2013 (No, I haven’t forgotten that “Move That Dope” feature), it should surprise no one that he
PROFILE
perfect color. “I make them myself, it’s a whole process,” he said. “I can’t get it right every time.” Another non-downtown specialty of his is majadara: lentils cooked with toothsome, nutty bulgur wheat. But there are some things that Usman can’t translate from Haifa to Ann Arbor. In Haifa, falafel are typically stuffed into a half-circle of pita that’s squeezed open.
TOP FIVE REASONS TO WRITE FOR DAILY ARTS 1. WE HATE LISTS 2. IT’S 2K15; GOD IS A RAPPER 4. WE DON’T KNOW MATH
Hip-hop fans have been downright spoiled this calendar year. Artists like Future and Young Thug have B+ completely done Untouchable away with traditional Pusha T music disG.O.O.D. Music tribution models, throwing out a staggering eight projects between them. While it could be argued that the shitstorm of free Atlanta mixtapes has in a way devalued contemporary rap music, Pusha T returned last week with a song that demands your attention for its entire duration. By this, I mean that upon its initial release you literally couldn’t play the song without holding and sustaining a “click” on the animated artwork on the label website; relax your trigger finger and the song starts over. It’s the details that make this single feel special, like the birds that fly around while the song plays (“flying a bird” translates to moving a brick of cocaine in Rapper Talk™). For those of you unfamiliar with Push and his long history with cocaine, it’s his raison d’etre. What weed is
IN
has a lot to say. What makes “Untouchable” one of the best hip-hop singles this year is the grandiosity with which he’s approached his return. There’s the obligatory flex of his new position at the helm of G.O.O.D. Music, and like any street hustler, he of course had to disclose his exact salary. In less than four minutes he manages to throw serious shade at Donald Trump, compare himself to Pablo Escobar and evoke the mental image of a Rolls Royce with a trunk full of blow. Ah, he’s well and truly back. - SHAYAN SHAFII
Dee Simon went from University student to podcast veteran.
By JACOB RICH Daily Film Editor
“You know, sometimes, I’d bring, like, four strippers to the radio show after work to party with us. So they were there for, like, five minutes, and I went outside to have a cigarette. When I came back in, the four girls were beelining out of there. ‘Oh my god, we’ve got to get out of there,’ they were saying, and, I’m like, ‘What, what?’ and there’s Bob, pants down, pubic hair on fire.” I can’t stop laughing. I’m Skyping with University alum Dee Simon, author and co-host of the “Sick and Wrong” podcast, and he’s telling me a story about his brief experience working as the host of a metal radio show in San Francisco. “Wait, his pubes were still on him?” I return. “He didn’t cut them off first?” “No, he was, like, lighting his dick on fire. Bob was a vile creature.” Dee Simon is every Michigan parent’s worst nightmare. Rather than file into line with the rest of the doctors, lawyers and engineers the University churns out every year, Simon (real name David Scott) decided that he wanted to do something different with his University of Michigan degree. He wanted to have his own radio show. And, for a while, he did. After graduating from the University in 1997 with a dual degree in English and Broadcast Communications (and a few Michigan Daily Arts articles under his belt), Dee moved out to the San Francisco Bay Area and hosted a latenight program, Rampage Radio. Inspired by the lifestyle of shockjock radio DJs like Howard Stern, the heavy metal-focused show incorporated elements of dirty talk radio, complete with strippers and bizarre rocker guests doing drugs in the back of the studio. However, Dee’s radio career didn’t pan out. There just wasn’t enough money in it to sustain a real career. For a while he spent time working first at a cushy tech job, then as a strip club DJ after the economy crashed in the early Bush era (he documented this journey in his autobiographical book, “Play Something Dancy”) but in more recent years he’s settled down into a more mundane, well-paying career in
L.A. as a project manager for a kids’ software company. “It’s weird. The place is owned by scientologists,” he said. But Simon’s radio dream hasn’t died quite yet. “I’ve always wanted to do radio. But it’s hard to get a broadcast radio gig, so podcasts are the next best thing,” he said. For almost a decade, Simon has been the co-host of the “Sick and Wrong” podcast, the selfdescribed “world’s source for anti-social commentary.” “Sick and Wrong” features discussion of “the most disturbing news items of the week” and interviews with a huge variety of counterculture personalities. Recent interviewees include Jinx Dawson, the lead singer of controversial ’60s-’70s satanicpsychedelic band Coven, Mia Matsumiya, creator of the “perv_ magnet” Instagram page recently featured by Buzzfeed and Hung Yung Terrarist, a former sex cultist/current female MC. It’s easy to see how Dee’s origins as a shock-jock have influenced his work on “Sick and Wrong.” The podcast hit it big, but not huge. In the U.S., the show hovers around the bottom of the top 100 comedy charts, while in the U.K., the show regularly has been seen in the top 10. The show’s fanbase is sizable, but insular. “It’s kinda cool to put out a product that has, you know, a niche audience,” he said. “It’s true, we’re not like Marc Maron or something. But you know, it’s fun!” I’ve been listening to “Sick and Wrong” since I was, well, way too young to be listening to “Sick and Wrong.” I guess it was the subject matter that brought me to the show. Getting to learn about, drugs, counterculture and loose women at the age of 14 was something mundane small-town me couldn’t pass up. Something I’ve always admired about the podcast is its ability to find humor in the darkest and strangest of places. It’s not disturbing for disturbing’s sake. Even when the stories the show covered got grisly or depressing, Dee and his former co-host (University alum Lance Wackerle, an electrical engineer) could always find ways to make me laugh about it. At its core, “Sick and Wrong” is a show about not taking life too seriously. “Sick and Wrong” has over 500 episodes available on the iTunes store. Producing one episode a
week, that’s almost 10 years of podcasting experience under Simon’s belt. When Episode 500 was released a couple of months ago, it marked a huge change for the show: Wackerle, Dee’s co-host from day one, left the show. His new co-host, independent comic writer Andrew Harrison, has been picking up where Wackerle left off. “It’s a weird situation when you have a long-running podcast and all of a sudden you need to switch hosts. So I was faced with a difficult decision,” he said. “What do I do? Do I start a new show? Do I finish my podcasting career? Or maybe like, try to find a different host? But then finding a different host poses its own problems, because they have to win the crowd over.” Dee met his new co-host Harrison through a mutual friend who met him on Tinder. “They went on one date and she was like, wow, this guy is whacked. He started talking about doing heroin in Prague, and this whole thing about a dominatrix that pegged him, this weird shit. He’s a weird guy,” he said. To top it off, the deep-voiced Harrison had years of New York radio experience under his belt. It was a match made in heaven. “The cadence and the timing was there with him because he’d done radio. He wasn’t nervous, so that was kinda cool. His voice is great, and he has a great sense of humor, he’s a twisted individual.” Dee and Harrison are moving ahead with what they call “Sick and Wrong 2.0.,” a slight change in format to the show that still uses the same iTunes feed. A few drunken rants to Dee’s voicemail notwithstanding, the fanbase seems to have accepted Harrison with open arms. I can’t wait to see where the show goes from here. It was clear from just talking to him over Skype how much hosting talent Simon has. He told story after story and had me in tears. Maybe it’s a shame that Dee Simon didn’t make it big on the radio. Or maybe it isn’t, because in that case, my favorite podcast wouldn’t exist. If you’re looking for a comedy podcast out of the ordinary, you should listen to “Sick and Wrong” on iTunes. Dee’s autobiographical book about his experience as a strip club DJ, “Play Something Dancy,” is available on Amazon. Follow Dee on Twitter @deesimon666 and Instagram @mrdeesimon.
4B — Thursday, November 19, 2015
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Squash and Caramelized Onion Crostini (Adapted from New York Times)
1, 2.5 to 3-pound, kabocha or other yellowfleshed squash, peeled and roughly diced 4 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons maple syrup 4 slices country bread, 1-inch thick, toasted 1/2 cup goat cheese Coarse salt 4 tablespoons chopped mint
Vegan Green Bean Casserole with Browned Shallots 1/3 cup cashews 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons water 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon soy sauce 5 tablespoons olive oil 1 yellow onion, diced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 8 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced Splash of dry white wine (optional) 5 cups haricot verts, ends removed 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 cup breadcrumbs 2 shallots, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon flour Step 1 Soak cashews in water for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight. After soaked, blend in a high-speed blender with water, soy sauce and lemon juice until completely smooth.
Step 1 Toss squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes. Bake in oven at 450 degrees until cooked through and soft, about 15 minutes. Step 2 Sauté onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, stirring every few minutes until brown, about 20 minutes. Add vinegar and syrup and cook until reduced and jammy. Step 3 Mash squash and onions together until thoroughly combined, though still coarse. Salt and pepper generously to taste. Step 4 Assemble by spreading squash mixture on toast, crumbling goat cheese on top, and garnishing with mint.
Step 2 In an 8-inch cast iron skillet or nonstick pan, sauté onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms as well as salt and pepper to taste. Sauté for an additional 10 minutes, until mushrooms have reduced and browned. Add wine and cook until reduced. Step 3 Stir in cashew mixture, green beans and crushed red pepper flakes. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake in cast iron pan at 350-degrees for 20 minutes. Step 4 Gently mix shallots with flour. Salt and pepper to taste. Step 5 Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, until oil is glistening and slick. Place shallots in skillet and sauté until brown, about 90 seconds. Flip and let cook for an additional minute or so. Remove from pan, pat with paper towel to remove excess oil, and top the casserole.
Kale with Citrus and Rustic Croutons 3 slices of rustic bread, sliced 1 inch thick 1 tablespoon + 1/4 cup olive oil 2 lemons 1 head kale, washed and torn into small pieces 1/4 cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano Coarse salt Crushed red pepper flakes Step 1 Cube bread into 1-inch cubes. Place on foil lined baking sheet and brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake in oven at 450 degrees until crispy and slightly browned, around 10 minutes. Step 2 Vigorously whisk juice from 1 lemon and 1/4 cup olive oil together. Slice remaining lemon into thin slivers. Toss all ingredients together, including croutons, adding salt and pepper to taste.
More recipes at MichiganDaily.com
EPISODE REVIEW The more we find out, the less we know. ABC’s new hit drama “Quantico” has pulled out all the stops in its Afirst season — and the Quantico latest episode, “Over,” Season 1, was no Episode 8 exception. ABC The secrets keep piling on, and the godly FBI agents keep up their badassery. In real time, FBI agent Alex Parrish (Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra) continues to hunt for the terrorist who set her up for the Grand Central Station bombing. Lucky for her, the FBI got hacked, leaking classified documents with all the information she needs to clear her name. Then comes a big twist: There’s another bomb somewhere in the city, and nobody knows where to
ABC
look. Flashback to the Quantico training facility, and the NATs are given yet another test. Nimah and Raina finally reveal their separate entities, but Simon seems to have accidentally fallen for the “wrong” twin. Shelby and Caleb continue to develop their romance, building suspense for the reason that will explain their doomed relationship.
The double-time structure of the show allows for a fast-paced drama, keeping the audience on its toes and eager to connect the dots. The agents have a contagious chemistry and complex background stories, which provides the dramatic backbone for this supposed “guilty pleasure” series. - DANIELLE YACOBSON