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Regents to hold closed session in Detroit LEFT: LSA sophomore Breanna Wyrick talks about her personal experiences with #BBUM during the two-year commemoration at the Trotter Multicultural Center on Thursday. RIGHT: University alum Rayonna Andrews performs a self-choreographed dance during the #BBUM commemoration talk.
BSU gathers at Trotter to mark two years of #BBUM Students reflect on progress toward goals, current campus climate By ALYSSA BRANDON Daily Staff Reporter
As the Black Student Union honors the second anniversary of its 2013 #BBUM Twitter
campaign, dozens crowded into the Trotter House Multicultural Center on Thursday night for a candid conversation on the lasting impacts of the campaign on the University. Started by Black Student Union members as way for students of color to share their experiences as Black students on campus, in November 2013, #BBUM went viral, accumulating more than 10,000 tweets by the first evening of its launch.
The movement captivated the attention of the University community and inspired similar efforts at other college campuses. During Thursday’s event, which was hosted by the BSU, members displayed tweets from 2014 that were critical of the #BBUM movement. Some attendees connected negative reactions to #BBUM with negative reactions to arecent campus demonstration on the Diag in solidarity with
protests at the University of Missouri. Several shared Facebook comments and tweets posted during and after the Diag demonstration. Another student shared an anecdote of a friend being threatened by a white man not to participate in the demonstration. During the event, University alum Veniece Session said there are still strides to be made See #BBUM, Page 3
January strategic meeting marks third year board has met privately By LARA MOEHLMAN Daily Staff Reporter
At Thursday’s meeting of the University’s Board of Regents, Regent Shauna Ryder Diggs (D) announced that the board will participate in a private session in January in lieu of its regular monthly meeting. The regents have held private, strategic planning sessions in January for the past three years. A private session was held in California in 2013, New York in 2014 and Ann Arbor in 2015. This year’s session is slated to be held in Detroit. Before 2013, a regular meeting open to the public was usually held in January. “Holding an annual strategic
RESEARCH
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Key sunscreen ingredient may halt infections Zinc-oxide could coat medical devices to prevent bacteria’s spread By TOM MCBRIEN Daily Staff Reporter
In the hands of University researchers, sunscreen may do more than just protect our skin: It might also protect our medical devices from bacteria that kill more than 100,000 Americans every year. In a paper published Oct. 27, a University research team showed that coating objects with nanoparticles of zinc oxide, a key ingredient in sunscreen, reduced the growth of a species of antibiotic-resistant bacteria by 95 percent. In hospitals, where antibiotics are used extensively, particularly dangerous bacteria like methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus — or MRSA — evolve because they are able to survive antibiotic treatments. If these bacteria get on objects like replacement joints, artificial heart valves or screws used with common athletic injuries, they can multiply inside a patient’s body and cause severe infections that can’t easily be cured with antibiotics. If bacteria can’t grow on the objects in the first place, however, antibiotic resistance poses less of a problem. This is where the zinc oxide nanoparticles could help. Medical School Lecturer
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 40 LO: 32
J. Scott VanEpps, head of the research team that presented the findings, said the field of antibacterial coatings is important because of its lifesaving implications. “About a million medical devices are infected every year,” VanEpps said. “The best way to treat this is often to take the infected device out. It’s relatively simple if you’re removing something like a catheter. But when you’re talking about removing a heart valve or prosthetic joint, that requires a long, taxing surgery that could involve complications.” Engineering Prof. Nicholas Kotov is head of the chemical engineering laboratory that synthesized the nanoparticles. While zinc oxide’s bacteriafighting properties are relatively well known, examining different shapes it forms on the nanoscopic scale is an area of active research. The researchers examined whether the shape of the particles mattered, testing three different types: spheres, plates and pyramids with hexagonal bases. They produced four kinds of pegs: uncoated, coated with spheres, coated with plates and coated with hexagonal pyramids. VanEpps’s team took pegs and put them in a bacteria-growing environment. After giving the bacteria 24 hours to grow, they found that the pegs coated with the nanopyramids had 95 percent fewer Staph bacteria — including MRSA — than the uncoated pegs. While the researchers know that the nanopyramids See SUNSCREEN, Page 3
planning session has proven very useful to the regents and to the University,” Ryder Diggs, who chairs the board, said at Thursday’s meeting. University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said the board had the opportunity to interact with other leaders in higher education from different parts of the country during previous strategic sessions. “This is really an opportunity for the board to do some strategic thinking in a less formal atmosphere where there’s no decisions being made,” he said. “It’s just sort of a blue sky kind of session.” During their 2014 trip to New York, the board met with leaders from several colleges on the East Coast, including William Bowen, Princeton University professor emeritus, Yale University President Peter Salovey, Michael Johns, retired executive vice president for health affairs at Emory University and Edward See REGENTS, Page 3
CSG plans campaign to combat drug misuse Initiative follows death of ‘U’ alum from co-ingestion of adderall, alcohol By JACKIE CHARNIGA Daily Staff Reporter
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Law student Sarah Alsaden shines the light from her phone at a rally in support of Syrian refugees in the Law Quad on Thursday. The Racial Justice Coalition and the Muslim Law Students Association held the rally as a response to spreading Islamophobia following the terrorist attacks in Paris last week.
Students hold rally for peace in response to ISIS attacks Event aims to counter spread of Islamophobic sentiments By LYDIA MURRAY Daily Staff Reporter
Omar El-Halwagi, a second year Law student, began Thursday night’s vigil — held for the victims of recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Beirut — with an anecdote. He told of a boy in Texas who donated all the money in his piggy bank to the local mosque after hearing it was vandalized in wake of the attacks. “As we are here today reflecting on peace, we’re reflecting on the attacks, we’re reflecting on Islamophobia and
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racism on our campus and the marginalization of voices of color,” he said. “Every now and then, all you need is a glimpse of hope.” That was the message as about 50 students gathered in the Law Quadrangle for a peace rally which addressed recent waves of Islamophobia following the attacks. The attack in Paris spurred an increase in discriminatory backlash toward Muslims, particularly Syrian refugees fleeing ISIS for the United States. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, along with several dozen other governors, have called for a temporary or permanent halt to the entry of Syrian refugees into their states. Organized by the Racial Justice Coalition and the Muslim Law Student Association, aimed to give students the opportunity to express their feelings about
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the attacks, as well as voice concerns about Islamophobia as a reaction to them. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Nov. 13 attacks, which killed 129 people, on Saturday, according to the Washington Post. El-Halwagi, who is the co-president of MLSA, opened the rally by reflecting on his reaction to the Paris attacks, as well as separate attacks in Beirut Nov. 12 in which a pair of suicide bombers killed 43 people and injured 239 others. “(I felt) this feeling of hopelessness when last Friday I learned about the over 130 people who were killed in Paris, while I was still dealing with the hopelessness from the day before as those same individuals were killed in Beirut,” he said. “While I was then dealing with See PEACE, Page 3
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Central Student Government will partner with the College of Pharmacy and Wolverine Wellness to launch a prescription drug misuse awareness campaign during the Winter 2016 semester. The initiative was driven in part by the death of University alum Josh Levine, who passed away from an overdose after mixing adderall with alcohol at a party. The campaign aims to focus on the correlation between academic pressures and drug abuse, and will launch at a time when the CSG representatives planning the event said they expect on-campus drug use to spike — during midterms. LSA junior David Schafer, a CSG representative working on the project, said it is important to raise awareness about how academic pressure can impact drug abuse and the effects of that abuse, particularly on college campuses. A survey from the University Substance Abuse Research Center found that Adderall ranked second See CSG, Page 3
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Wu places candles on the Diag on Saturday in honor of those affected by the recent attacks in Paris, France. (KRISTINA PERKINS/Daily)
RIGHT: Red Panda, the Chinese-born acrobat named Rong Niu, performs at the women’s basketball game against Xavier on Wednesday. (SAM MOUSIGIAN /Daily)
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WHAT: Tomasz Cierpicki and Jolanta Grembecka will discuss drug-like molecules that can treat acute leukemia. WHO: Center for the Discovery of New Medicines WHEN: Today from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. WHERE: Palmer Commons, Forum Hall
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Performing arts Argriculture lunch panel technology WHAT: Brandon Carroll will demonstrates iZotope’s audio production software for creating, mixing, mastering and repair. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Today at 10:30 a.m. WHERE: Earl V. Moore Building, Music Technology Lab
WHAT: Three panelists will discuss the intersection of law, policy and urban agriculture. WHO: Food Law and Policy Association WHEN: Today from 11:50 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. WHERE: 0225 South Hall
Complicating the color line WHAT: History Department faculty members will explore the ways historical efforts to separate populations based on race have affected historical discourse. WHO: Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. WHERE: 1014 Tisch Hall
The Other Side Japan and the of Immigration Middle East
Sex workers Food drive and Queerness concert
WHAT: Documentary includes more than 700 interviews with Mexican immigrants and examines why Mexicans migrate to the United States. WHO: North Quad Programming WHEN: Today at 3 p.m. WHERE: 2345 North Quad
WHAT: Juana María Rodriguez, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, will discuss visual representations of sex working. WHO: Department of Women’s Studies WHEN: Today from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: 2239 Lane Hall
WHAT: Symposium will look at contemporary relationships between Japan and the Middle East. WHO: Center for Japanese Studies WHEN: Today from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: 1638 International Institute
WHAT: A concert and food drive for the Food Gatherers of Ann Arbor will feature music from The Gravity Club. WHO: Palmer Commons WHEN: Today from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Palmer Commons
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
Former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle was sentenced Thursday to more than 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to having sex with minors and child pornography charges, CBS reported.
2
The Michigan women’s basketball team cruised past Xavier, 92-54, on Thursday night to move to 3-0 on the season. Jillian Dunston had a double-double in the victory. >>SEE SPORTS, PAGE 7
3
A recent survey from the Pew Research Center has indicated more Mexican immigrants have returned to Mexico from the U.S. than have migrated here since 2009. Only 14 percent of the sample population said they were deported.
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Technology developed by ‘U’ profs. to help treat leukemia Molecular inhibitor could halt cancer by breaking up protein interactions By KATIE PENROD Daily Staff Reporter
After two University professors helped develop a new technology designed to treat a severe form of leukemia, they licensed the discovery to a company focused on creating new therapies for cancer patients. Now, that company has made it to the NASDAQ stock exchange. In recent years, University officials have touted the success of programs designed to help University researchers bring their discoveries to the marketplace. This technology represents one such example. The new technology, developed in part by Jolanta Grembecka and Tomasz Cierpicki,
assistant professors of pathology, was licensed by California-based clinical biopharmaceutical company Kura Oncology in March. The University holds stock within Kura Oncology, according to a press release. The technology supported by University research specifically works on treating a severe form of mixed-lineage leukemia. Grembecka added that because the type of leukemia they are targeting is so aggressive — only one-third of patients survive more than five years — there is a large need for developing new therapies. “The technology is (the) development of small molecules, which we believe, or hope, might have a future to repel a certain sub-type of leukemia called MLL leukemia,” she said. “This is an aggressive leukemia which actually affects both children and adults and there’s no cure currently for this type of leukemia.” Grembecka said to combat the MLL leukemia, the University
team’s research designed meninMLL inhibitors, which can help target the protein interactions responsible for specific types of leukemia. Leukemia develops in the body partially through protein interactions, rendering molecular inhibitors like the meninMLL ones important because they can potentially deter these interactions and stop the progress of the disease. Because of the large role of protein interactions in the disease, Grembecka said finding a correct design for an inhibitor could be a crucial new avenue to treat this previously incurable type of leukemia. “Based on the known scientific literature, it was recognized that the protein interaction is very relevant to the development of the disease. Invoking this interaction with small molecules, we thought, might be a great idea to inhibit development or progression of the disease,” she said. “We hope that the inhibitors will block progression of the disease.” Due to the confidentiality of the research, specific information about the treatment’s progress was not available, and the professors involved in the study declined to facilitate interviews with student members of the team. The University’s partnership with Kura Oncology on the technology has allowed both sides to advance the research, Grembecka said, with both her and Cierpicki working with experts nationwide to continue the research they independently started at the University. Wellspring Biosciences, Janssen Pharmaceutica and the University of California, San Francisco, were also involved. In a press release, Ken Nisbet, associate vice president for Tech Transfer, said he was proud of the technology’s progress. Read more online at michigandaily.com
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Dr. Karen Smith, director of the California Department of Public Health, gives a lecture on child health policy and the importance of vaccinations at the Kahn Auditorium on Thursday.
Speaker talks Disneyland, herd immunity and vaccines Annual lecture on child health aims to merge multiple academic disciplines By IRENE PARK Daily Staff Reporter
Karen Smith, director of the California Department of Public Health, gave the ninth annual Susan B. Meister Lecture in Child Health Policy on Thursday in light of the measles outbreak last December at Disneyland. The lecture, titled “The Power of the Public Eye: Disneyland, Measles, and Public Policy,” was held in Kahn Auditorium at the Biomedical Science Research Building. The lecture is hosted by the University’s Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit, and features talks on child health topics. Meister is the founding chair of the Board of Advisors for CHEAR, an interdisciplinary research unit bringing members
from different fields together — such as pediatrics, pharmacy, business, social work, dentistry and law — to address current child health issues. Smith, a University alum, said “herd immunity” is the main reason for getting people vaccinated. Herd immunity refers to a phenomenon when most of a community is vaccinated and immunized against a contagious disease, even community members who are not able to get vaccinated or have compromised immune systems are protected against the disease. Herd immunity, as its name suggests, is only effective when most community members are vaccinated. Unfortunately, Smith said, the anti-vaccination sentiment has spread substantially and has become increasingly present in California since 2010, when a booster pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination shot became mandatory for seventh graders. Smith said the anti-vaccination sentiment is not evenly distributed throughout the state
— some communities have more anti-vaxxers than others. “(The anti-vaxxers) were generally fairly well-off Caucasian families,” Smith said. The increasing number of unvaccinated people increases risk for outbreaks like the recent measles outbreak at Disneyland. The measles outbreak is an example of this pattern. Though the disease was eradicated in the U.S. in 2000, the disease remains widespread in many countries outside of North and South America. Because Disneyland attracts about 24 million visitors per year, many of whom hail from countries where measles is still prevalent, the amusement park has been a prime spot for contagious diseases. Another measles outbreak that originated from Disneyland in 1982. Smith also addressed the link between vaccination and autism, saying there is no causal link in spite of anti-vaxxers’ arguments. In 1998, former British physician Andrew Wakefield published a See VACCINES, Page 3
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#BBUM From Page 1 in building a stronger Black community at the University. “Being a freshman here, when I first got here, I felt like I wasn’t a good enough Black student because I wasn’t involved yet. I didn’t know what Black organizations I wanted to join,” she said. “If we as upperclassmen are here and seeing new faces, let’s be inclusive and talk to Black people. Talk to people you haven’t seen before. Let’s have some type of inclusivity within our own culture so there isn’t a hierarchy of Blackness.” Attendees also reflected on a 2014 Martin Luther King Jr. Day demonstration held by BSU members on the steps of Hill Auditorium. Holding black signs with tweets written in white chalk, members protested low 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 Center and an improved race and ethnicity requirement were among the demands made by the BSU. Additionally, the BSU demanded an increase to Black student enrollment equal to 10 percent. The University has since addressed some of the demands outlined by the BSU, including granting the organization $60,000, for funding a variety of student groups on campus, an increase from the $37,000 previously allocated to the
VACCINES From Page 1A study linking autism with measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, but in 2010, the study was retracted by the publishing journal because the study used false data to reach its conclusion. In 1975, one out of 5,000 people were diagnosed with autism, but in 2009, one in 110 were. Smith said the increase is due to the change in the diagnosis criteria and raised awareness of the condition, not vaccinations. Smith cited the 1988 movie “Rain Man,” starring Dustin Hoffman as an autistic savant, as one of the reasons autism gained
organization. The University also approved Intergroup Relations courses to count toward the race and ethnicity distribution requirement, and increased the classes’ credit value from two credits to three. Officials also digitized Bentley Historical Library documents with information on the Black Action Movement of the 1960s. The BSU made the demand with the aim of increasing the University’s transparency on past dealings with Black student activists. During Thursday’s event, one student said he thinks it’s unnecessary to keep making new demands when the demands from previous Black activist movements haven’t been met. Former BSU Treasurer Robert Greenfield, a University alum, said gaining total support from the Black community on campus is necessary to substantiate the demands. “We first need 100-percent buy-in of the Black community, and the problem is that in the past, action movements and social action on campus, there hasn’t been that 100-percent buy-in,” he said. “The football players and basketball players, we need them. I think that in the University setting, that’s the only way we’re gonna really get those demands met.” Discussions between the BSU, University administration and other community members are ongoing. Last week, the University held a weeklong Diversity Summit intended to garner input from the community about improving
equality and inclusion on campus. In a statement Thursday, University President Mark Schlissel thanked the BSU for participating in a meeting with him and E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life. “I would further like to thank the members of the Black Student Union who joined Vice President Harper and me last Friday for breakfast, as part of our ongoing dialogue over the past year,” he said. “Though the breakfast had been scheduled for weeks, the timing gave us the opportunity to discuss the nationwide campus issues of racism and inequality.” Schlissel also lauded students for engaging in dialogues about racism and discrimination on college campuses. Along with discussing campus efforts over the past few years, presenters Thursday also dedicated time to celebrating how #BBUM had strengthened ties within the Black community. BSU Political Action Chair Diego Zimmerman, a sophomore in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance and the College of Engineering, said he remembered the warm greetings he received when he came to his first BSU meeting. “I remember my first BSU meeting: Everybody said ‘What’s up,’ met everyone, had the best time,” he said. “I remember that feeling of community I never got anywhere else. I remembered I need to stay here — my family is here.” LSA senior Arnold Reed, former BSU speaker, said
recognition in the society, for both the public and physicians. “(Numbers) really took off when the movie ‘Rain Man’ came out,” Smith said. “It changed the practice. Even physicians recognized the changes in the diagnosis criteria.” Finally, Smith rebuked antivaxxers argument that parents have the right to choose whether they vaccinate their children. Smith said not vaccinating the children will put other children who cannot get vaccinated at risk. “The society has the duty to protect (children who cannot get vaccinated) from people who could be vaccinated but choose not to,” she said.
throwing tailgates on game days helped draw Black students closer together and is something younger students should also emulate. “I want you guys to know, especially younger students, when it comes to throwing events or doing things that you feel like you don’t normally have access to, do it,” he said. “Know that this group right here is going to always support you.” During the event, Kinesiology senior Cap Kendall said building relationships with faculty members would also be helpful in unifying the Black community. “I think oftentimes as undergraduates you often forget that there are faculty and professional students who are also our allies (and) are here to help us,” she said. “We need to open up more and let them participate in conversation like this.” In an interview with The Michigan Daily after the event, LSA senior Chris James, a BSU executive board member, said holding Thursday’s event was vital in inspiring younger Black students to continue the efforts of past BSU members. “#BBUM started two years, so with the new incoming freshmen, they don’t always get to see the up close and personal of what happens on campus before they got here,” he said. “It’s so important to have this so they can carry it with themselves and keep holding the University accountable for what they say they’re gonna do. We have to keep this fire going.”
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CSG From Page 1 among a list of illicit drugs used on campus, and that 11 percent of students in 2013 indicated they had taken the drug for a non-medical use in the past year. “We’ve seen a lot of our friends plagued by these issues and now that we’re in a position to be heard and we have the foundation to do something we want to do something,” Schafer said. “Personally, I’ve seen my friends misuse in so many different occasions in so many different ways.” Public Policy junior Lucky Lakshman Mulpuri, a CSG representative involved in the planning, said the campaign will focus on opioids, depressants and stimulants. Mulpuri said he hopes the campaign will not demonize the drugs, but will instead focus on emphasizing the fact that they’re prescribed by doctors for a reason. “It feels like a real and tangible step towards addressing prescription drug misuse on campus,” Mulpuri said. The campaign, which will begin the last week of January and run until the first week of February, will contain five events that will alternate every other day. It’s slated to begin with an informational video on adderall abuse featuring the University
PEACE From Page 1 the hopelessness as I felt that no one cared about the people who died the day before because they simply look different and came from a different part to the world.” First-year Law student Asma Husain, who spoke during the rally, said she often feels like she must bear the burden of her entire culture as a Muslim and answer for things she doesn’t agree with, such as the actions of extremists. “Being a Muslim in America now means you have this kind of tax placed upon you,” she said. “Which means when anything happens that involves anyone whose identity has any tenuous or untrue or contradictory connection to Islam or claims that connection, you feel like it is a weight put upon your shoulders to explain or apologize or distance yourself from those actions.” First-year Law student Zahrah Fadel, who also spoke, echoed Husain’s sentiments. She said groups like the Islamic State are trying to bring back the hatred and fear that existed following the 9/11 attacks. “It took me years after I moved here from Lebanon. I
REGENTS From Page 1
The Michigan Daily invites storytellers of all kinds to join us for a our first community story slam. We want to hear your poetry, short stories, essays -anything you can read or perform aloud.
STORY SLAM
Friday, November 20 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. 420 Maynard St.
Send entries to Sam Gringlas at gringlas@umich.edu by Nov. 13.
Miller, retired executive vice president for health affairs at Johns Hopkins University. Johns was chosen last year to serve as interim chief executive officer of University of Michigan Health System through March. The board’s trip to Los Angeles in 2013 involved meeting with Robert Birgeneau, former chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University President John Hennessy, Robert Berdahl, former president of the Association of American Universities and Dan Russell, a top Google research scientist. Fitzgerald also said the strategic planning sessions serve as opportunities for the board to interact with University alumni. The board’s meeting in New York was accompanied by a fundraising
SUNSCREEN From Page 1 could prevent these dangerous infections, how the exact process works remains undiscovered. VanEpps said the key may be the nanoparticles’ shape, which enables them to inhibit certain enzymes important for bacterial growth. Because zinc oxide nanopyramids can inhibit multiple bacterial enzymes while antibiotics normally disrupt just one, it may be much harder
football team, members of the University’s chapter of Theta Chi, the fraternity Levine belonged to, and other students willing to share their stories. A panel discussion led by representatives of the School of Public Health, University Health Services and the College of Pharmacy is slated to focus on the dangers of prescription drug misuse. Levine’s mother, Julie Buckner, has also agreed to participate in the panel. Third-year Pharmacy student Caroline Quinn, president of the Pharmacy Student Government Council, said the dean of student services for the Pharmacy School, expressed interest in the school supporting the initiative. Along with providing speakers for the panel, the school also plans to screen any factual information on stimulants before it is used in the campaign. Schafer said it is important the campaign speaks to students while remaining inclusive for those affected by the problem. “It shouldn’t come from a pedantic or overly condescending place,” Schafer said. “CSG members also face these unbelievably high academic pressures, and we don’t want to see students using these drugs.” The campaign is expected to conclude with a signature drive asking students to pledge not to abuse prescription medicines.
was embarrassed to bring a pita sandwich to school for so long. I was embarrassed to admit that I was a Muslim, but I realized growing up that I’m American. I’m just as American as anyone else,” Fadel said. “We’ve (made) so much progress in this country to move from that divisive mindset, so let’s not go back. I don’t want this generation to grow up hopeless. I want us to grow up together.” Along with speeches from community members, organizers also held a moment of silence for victims of terror worldwide, as well as taking a picture in solidarity with Parisians. Second year Law student Nicolas Kabat, president of the Racial Justice Coalition, said his inspiration for the rally came from how upset he saw members of his community were in response to the week’s events. “I think everyone was very upset with the Paris attacks, and yet we were also equally upset by the response we were seeing from local politicians, from media pundits,” he said. “We wanted to have a rally that would show our solidarity with the victims of the Paris attacks and also show our solidarity with all Muslims in the U.S. and anyone experiencing hatred.”
dinner at Lincoln Center. At this year’s strategic planning meeting, the regents will interact with alumni in Detroit, an area heavily populated with University alumni. There are almost 60,000 alumni in the greater Detroit area, one of the highest concentrations nationwide. As he enters his second year, University President Mark Schlissel has also focused on strengthening the University’s connection to the city of Detroit. At an Amazon press conference in the city this past September, he emphasized the University’s annual student-led Detroit Partnership Day, in which 1,500 students participate in projects across the city. In August, he hosted an event commending the work of students and interns in the city. The next regular regents meeting will take place Dec 17.
for bacteria to evolve resistance against the nanoparticles. “We’ve seen that the zinc oxide nanopyramids hinder biofilm growth, and it’s been shown that they inhibit certain enzymes. Next, we want to figure out how these two facts fit together,” VanEpps said. The researchers plan to learn more about the nanoparticles before they can be adapted for medical use. For example, they will observe whether different concentrations of particles can inhibit other types of bacteria without harming human cells.
Opinion
4 — Friday, November 20, 2015
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com JENNIFER CALFAS EDITOR IN CHIEF
AARICA MARSH and DEREK WOLFE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
LEV FACHER MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
Nobody cares about your fantasy team
M
y fantasy football team is 10-0. It’s only tangentially related to this column, but I figured this was a good use of space to brag about it. Yes, I just broke the first rule of fantasy football: Nobody cares about your fantasy football team. Jeb Bush tried to brag about his somehow undefeated fantasy team during a Republican debate, despite claiming to start DAVID Ryan Tannehill, and was HARRIS promptly shut down by Chris Christie. Because it’s true: Nobody cares about your fantasy team. Nobody cares except for the government, that is. Eric Schneiderman, New York attorney general, recently sent a cease-and-desist order to daily fantasy sports companies DraftKings and FanDuel, saying the businesses constituted illegal Internet gambling. Efforts by the companies to prevent the shutdown ahead of a Nov. 25 court date failed, thus ending the contests in the state until litigation is resolved. The companies were allowed to exist because the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, passed in 2006, contained an exception noting that the restrictions outlined in the act did not apply to fantasy sports. Yet these daily fantasy sports sites operate very differently than the standard weekto-week format of fantasy leagues that were intended to be exempted under the law. In standard daily fantasy sports games, entrants are given some virtual salary cap, and must play the role of a virtual general manager to form a roster of players in which each player has a set price determined by the site. A consistently very good player will have a high price. Thus, finding players who provide a good performance-to-price ratio is key to success. Real money is then “bet” — or entry fees are paid, depending on how you want to define it — on the real-life, in-game performance of this built roster. Each company says it is a legal enterprise, based on the claim that the daily games are games of skill, not games of chance, since entrants can use existing knowledge of the sport and the players when building their roster. These companies’ futures are staked on the designation of their game as a game of skill — so much so that employees of the companies staged a protest in Manhattan where they hid their employment status and chanted, “Game of skill! Game of skill!” Like most betting games, there are certainly elements of skill, and daily fantasy sports at a basic level represent a classic problem in computation theory called the knapsack problem. The idea is there is some fixed amount of space — in daily fantasy sports, a budget — and many objects that are assigned values — in this case, players. To build an ideal roster, objects must all be analyzed algorithmically to most efficiently use the space to maximize the value of things in the space — in this case, the best player performance within the budget. The result is somewhat predictable: The numbers nerds who can build advanced algorithms to both accurately predict players’ future performances and solve the knapsack problem to maximize the potential of their rosters are able to claim most of the winnings in the long run. According to a Sports Business Daily report, the top 1.3 percent of players paid on average $9,100 each in entry fees and profited $2,400 each, resulting in them taking a disproportionate 77 percent
RACHEL DAWSON
of all the payouts. Meanwhile, 80 percent of players represent a more average group that pays an average of $49 in entry fees with a net loss of $25. A smaller group representing 5 percent of players is the “big fish,” who lose $1,100 on average. These numbers certainly suggest that it’s a game of skill, but only for the 1.3 percent of players who actually have the skills. Because along with the first rule of fantasy football, that nobody cares about your team, is the first rule of gambling: The house always wins. Data for one week, according to an ESPN analysis, showed that DraftKings made $2.6 million in profit off $25 million worth of entry fees that week, while FanDuel’s profit was $3.5 million off $20.6 million in entry fees. And that’s just one week. In 2014, FanDuel brought in more than $1 billion in fees. That’s an incredible amount of money being moved with zero oversight or regulation like there is for other forms of gambling. In reality, these daily fantasy sports sites are extremely similar to poker — a comparison that company executives have made themselves. In poker, while casual players will play on mostly intuition, similar to the 80 percent of daily fantasy sports players who lose an average of $25 weekly, skilled players are able to quickly determine the odds they have of winning a hand, and adjust playing strategy accordingly. There are set odds in poker for obtaining certain combinations of cards and winning the pot, but there is also the unknown of the cards other players at the table have. There’s some predictability based on certain factors, such as playing and betting patterns, but not 100-percent certainty — just like how the future performance of sports players is predictable but also has volatile results. Poker is considered gambling, and online poker experienced a similar boom before being phased out by law. Daily fantasy sports could be next. Daily fantasy sports are already incredibly alluring, and official partnerships with sports teams and an inundation of advertising only serve to fuel the machine. Sixteen NFL teams have exclusive partnerships with FanDuel, and 12 with DraftKings. The NBA has an exclusive deal with FanDuel and also equity share in the company. DraftKings has exclusive partnerships with the MLB and ESPN. As John Oliver joked during his rant against daily fantasy sports, HBO has a partnership with FanDuel, so he noted his jokes were in a sense sponsored by the same company he was targeting. Daily fantasy sports do not fit the intention of the law, which was to exempt the lowkey office and friend pools that I myself have played in since I was in middle school, a fact that the author of the UIGEA law is even on record as stating. Fantasy sports are incredibly fun, but also can be quite addictive. Add in betting and gambling, activities known to be extremely addictive, and daily fantasy sports become dangerous and immediately accessible via the Internet. Even more dangerous is its focus on millennials, a group of people often unable to afford the costs of gambling. There are moral arguments against the legalization of such gambling, but for better or worse, society has accepted and allowed it. The solution isn’t necessarily to outlaw daily fantasy sports, but simply to treat them as the sports gambling that they actually are and provide consumer safety regulations that are necessary for the industry. Nobody will ever care about your fantasy team, but it’s time they cared about the money behind it. — David Harris can be reached at daharr@umich.edu.
E-mail Rachel at rdawson@umich.
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You do you
“I
’ve been wanting to make signs or something for our bedroom doors where we can each put whether we’re gone, asleep, busy, masturbating, mini golfing, whatever.” This was the text that I got from my housemate while RACHAEL I was at the gym. LACEY I laughed out loud. Mostly because it was funny, partially because it was uncomfortable. Wait, I thought. You can’t just throw masturbating in with mini golfing. I don’t need you to know when that’s going on. It was something we had talked about, something we knew we both did, but even in our almost boundary-less relationship, it wasn’t something that was ever discussed in detail. But the more I thought about it, the less I cared. Why was I so afraid to put a sign up on my door? According to a 2002 study at Pennsylvania State University, college-age women reported discussing sex-related topics with their best friend more than men did, and also reported feeling more comfortable doing so. There was only one exception: masturbation. The study reads, “Females reported more communication overall than did males on all topics, except for masturbation, which males reported discussing more frequently than did females. Women talked more about sexually transmitted diseases, sexual feelings, contraception and rape.”
While this was not actually surprising to me (I think I’ve discussed the topic of masturbation with a maximum of maybe six people in my life), it raises the question: Why are women more comfortable discussing such emotionally charged topics, such as STIs and rape, than they are discussing masturbation? Because most research on the topic states that only about 25 percent of women report reaching orgasm through vaginal intercourse, figuring out how to climax by other methods (read: the clitoris — ever heard of it? It’s the thing they don’t teach you about in sex ed) is imperative to a woman’s sexual satisfaction. Also, according to the Women’s Health Network, female masturbation has a lengthy list of health benefits, including helping prevent cervical infections, relieving UTIs, improving cardiovascular health, lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, fighting insomnia, relieving depressive emotions and relieving stress. And of course, it helps women figure out what works for them, and how they can teach their partner(s) accordingly. Turns out, it’s actually a really awesome thing that improves both our physical and mental health. So why is it such an uncomfortable topic? At the beginning of this semester, I went to the Safe Sex Store (R.I.P.) with my friend to give her emotional support in picking out her first vibrator. Because it’s something we’re taught to be ashamed of, it required three of us in total, adding up our respective fractions of shamelessness, to strut into that store, pick out a vibrator, not pretend it was a “gift” for a friend and exit onto South
University feeling satisfied and, to be honest, a little badass. We were secretly telling the world that we could take shit into our own hands. You see, in our society, women are often exalted as objects that give men sexual pleasure (listen to literally any rap song), rather than being sexual agents. In other words, our job is to service others, rather than actively seek out our own pleasure. While these are probably not the explicit thoughts floating around in a woman’s head as she shies away from the topic of masturbation, it is something that is so deeply ingrained in our society, that it makes the notion of a woman “taking shit into her own hands” extremely uncomfortable — even more so than rape. So to all of you out there who have a clitoris, I’m not asking you to call up your friends every time you masturbate (unless you guys are cool with that, you do you). I’m not demanding that everyone shout out their front door, “Don’t come in, I’m masturbating!” But it’s an important thing to talk about. I learned while writing this article that, according to a 2004 University of Michigan study, using saliva while masturbating could increase your risk of a yeast infection. Who knew? Definitely not me. So go tell your friends! Don’t be afraid! Talking about this stuff is a way to learn, to improve our sexual health and to be the agents, not the objects, of our sexual pleasure. In the meantime, I’ll be listening to Nicki and Beyoncé’s “Feeling Myself” while I make a big, sparkly pink sign for my door. — Rachael Lacey can be reached at rachaelk@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Ben Keller, Payton Luokkala, Aarica Marsh, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Jason Rowland, Melissa Scholke, Rebecca Tarnopol, Ashley Tjhung, Stephanie Trierweiler, Mary Kate Winn, Derek Wolfe
Is self-defense just a Band-Aid?
T
his past Saturday at 10:00 a.m. sharp, I found myself in Room 3275 of the Central Campus Recreational Building wearing cropped leggings and a loose fitting T-shirt. The other 50 or so young undergraduate women surrounding me were dressed ANNE so similarly, it KATZ seemed as if we were all wearing the uniform of a hungover sorority girl. We had gathered to participate in a self-defense class hosted by our chapter president, who, with her black belt in karate, is entirely capable of beating someone to a pulp. She was accompanied by her instructor, who could also undoubtedly smash in someone’s face given the chance. Our sorority’s philanthropy focuses on raising awareness and supporting victims of domestic violence, and our (mandatory) attendance to this class was framed in terms of increasing empowerment and self-agency in the face of assault. In addition to an overview on how to defend oneself against an attacker through targeted kicks to the groin and shins, all the money raised from the participation fee went to the Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan, an organization that supports women transitioning away from abusive relationships. I had always wanted to learn selfdefense. The notion that, if I were to be attacked, I would know a few basic moves (besides screaming and running) to resist an attacker made me feel more confident in my body and my agency in the world. After a few goes at my roommate Paige, who held up a padded shield to her right, I was proficient in an upward hit with the palm of my hand meant to break an attacker’s nose. By the end of the class, I was a little too confident and accidentally smacked another woman’s arm on my quick withdrawal
and resumption of a dominant stance — still sorry about that, Maria. But as powerful as I felt, I had a hard time totally committing to the notion of self-defense as a realistic, effective method of preventing violence against women. I was all on board with some of the first tactics we talked about, like awareness of your surroundings, avoidance of potentially unsafe situations and overall assertive self-conduct. However, all of these suggestions weren’t physical moves, and instead seemed mostly like common sense. What I couldn’t get past was the underlying doubt that if I were to be attacked, would I really think in the moment to assume a dominant position and kick my attacker in the groin? If he goes for my face, would I remember to grab his weak wrist and, in the quintessential wax-on/ wax-off motion (yes, Karate Kid was technically accurate), twist his hands away from me? If he grabs my ponytail, would I grab the hair closest to my scalp so the pain is more tolerable and try to hit back? I’m sure that some women who have been trained in self-defense have successfully employed these tactics in the context of an actual attack, and I applaud them. Even though it’s difficult to measure, studies have shown that women who participate in self-defense classes are more confident in their ability to resist assault, less likely to experience sexual assault and more angry than scared during an assault than women without training. Though these results make sense, I wonder what role self-selection had in the outcomes; one could argue that the type of woman who would seek out self-defense training would already be more likely to avoid situations where she’s at a higher risk for assault (making her less likely to experience assault) and more likely to respond assertively and aggressively to an attack from the get-go (making her more confident in her ability to defend). Further, attacks against women don’t always look like late-night muggings by a stranger, and this
reality can dwarf the effectiveness of self-defense. Namely, the nature of sexual assault — a disturbingly common crime against female undergraduates — means that selfdefense tactics may not be particularly helpful. Because four out of five rapes are committed by someone known to the victim, and 62 percent of victims report drinking alcohol just prior to the incident, sexual assault looks very little like other violent crimes against women. As a result, even a woman fully competent in self-defense might not be in a position in which she could successfully defend herself against rape. And on top of all this, the simple fact that self-defense classes exist, and are oftentimes exclusively for women, is upsetting. When a woman enrolls in a self-defense class, she’s predicting that at some time in the potentially near future, she’ll inevitably and unexpectedly be subject to violence. With that thought, I suddenly realized that my outfit choice wasn’t the only thing I had in common with the young, undergraduate women surrounding me in the CCRB. As a demographic, we also share a similar vulnerability to assault and violence against us. Was this hour of selfdefense training really addressing the root of this issue or merely serving as a Band-Aid to a wider, more pervasive societal ill? But the knee-jerk argument that self-defense distracts from the larger issue of violence against women, though valid, is unfortunately not particularly helpful in terms of protecting women against assault here and now. In theory, self-defense gives women greater agency in their abilities to defend themselves, and empowers women with greater agency and control. These are all good things, and keeping them in mind was the only way I could reconcile the disturbing notion that one day, rather than a soft, padded shield, I might be kicking someone’s actual groin to defend myself. — Anne Katz can be reached at amkatz@umich.edu.
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Arts
TV NOTEBOOK
Friday, November 20, 2015 — 5
MUSIC NOTEBOOK
‘Faking It’: the rule- Young & Sick blends breaker we all need electronic and soul MTV show goes beyond stereotypes in its characters
By CATHERINE BAKER Daily Arts Writer
By BEN ROSENSTOCK Daily Arts Writer
“Faking It” has never garnered the ratings that MTV’s other realistic teen comedy series “Awkward” gained over the course of its first two seasons. There could be many reasons for that. To begin, it has an objectively silly premise: two best friends pretend to be lesbians to get popular at their liberal Austin high school. In the act of “faking it,” Amy (Rita Volk, “The Hungover Games”) realizes that she actually has feelings for Karma (Katie Stevens, “American Idol”), her best friend. The first season began by exploring this pretend relationship, and it was entertaining fluff. There are some good jokes as Hester High School satirically reverses the stereotypical high school food chain in the same way that “21 Jump Street” made the nerds popular and the athletes the underdogs. However, there were no real stabs at social commentary in the first season. The second season, which ended on Nov. 2, took “Faking It” in a whole new direction. The original premise, while occasionally being referenced for laughs, is mostly thrown out in favor of exploring these characters’ inner struggles in real and honest ways. While most shows would immediately classify Amy as a closeted lesbian, “Faking It” illustrates that sexuality lies on a spectrum. In the second half of the second season, Amy finds herself surprised to have feelings for new kid Felix (Parker Mack, “For the Booth”). When questioned about being bisexual, Amy can only muster up an unsure “maybe.” Amy’s unwillingness to box herself into a neat cat-
MTV
“There’s something good on MTV?”
egory defines the main arc of the series, and it’s a surprisingly complex topic to tackle. Even more radical than Amy’s characterization is that of Lauren (Bailey De Young, “Bunheads”), Amy’s stepsister. The season two premiere features the revelation that Lauren is intersex, an identity hardly ever explored on TV, much less by one of the main characters in a mainstream teen comedy. One of the most touching moments of the season two finale features Lauren openly declaring her sexual identity to the school board. She says that before she’d come to Hester, she’d never been able to say that out loud. Encouraging people to embrace their weirdness isn’t unique to “Faking It.” “Be yourself” is probably the biggest inspirational cliché in teen drama. In Hester High School, however, “Faking It” has found a setting specifically dedicated to it. This is a school where the Queen Bee is intersex and the big man on campus is gay, where people actually fake being different to attain popularity. Even setting aside the progressiveness of its message, the narrative of “Faking It” is very well-written. So much teen drama on TV is based around keeping secrets and lying, but no secret stays hidden for long on this show. One standout episode in particular, “Boiling
Point,” traps all the main characters in one room for detention in an overt homage to “The Breakfast Club.” In this episode, all the conflicts that have been building throughout the season come to a head. Karma admits that her ex-boyfriend Liam’s (Gregg Sulkin, “Pretty Little Liars”) father wants to pay her to stay away from him, and her precarious financial situation is forcing her to consider it. Most cathartically, Shane (Michael J. Willett, “G.B.F.”), the gay guy notorious for outing people, is finally called out for his destructive habit. “You can’t just do the wrong thing and pretend it’s for the right reason,” Liam points out. Most refreshingly, this all happens in episode 15 of a 20-episode season. Many shows would wait until the finale to disrupt the peace, but “Faking It” moves the plot forward considerably each episode. This is a time when the viewership for shows like “Degrassi” and “Awkward” wanes and genre shows like “Teen Wolf” hold the most weight among teen audiences. “Faking It” provides a funny, relatively new series that’s defiant in its breaking of stereotypes. It offers characters of all sexualities, genders and sexes, yet refuses to define them by those identifiers. It’s the realistic yet over-the-top TV series that audiences deserve.
FILM NOTEBOOK
Why can’t Disney do anything original? By VANESSA WONG Daily Arts Writer
Between 2009 and 2016, Disney and Pixar will have released seven new animated movies: “Up,” “The Princess and the Frog,” “Frozen,” “Tangled,” “Brave,” “Inside Out” and the upcoming “Moana.” To put it in perspective, that’s two presidential terms with only seven spunky Disney protagonists to counter the political strife brewing in our hearts. Yet in the past two years alone, Disney released four live-action remakes of classic stories: “Maleficent,” “Into the Woods,” “Cinderella” and “Peter Pan.” Also in the works are remakes of “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Jungle Book” and unsolidified plans to reimagine Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh, Tinkerbell and the genie from “Aladdin.” It has also been capitalizing on sequels, with the Pixar branch churning out an equal ratio of sequels to new films. “Toy Story 3” brought the supposedly definitive finale of the franchise, only for producers to turn around and stick in a fourth film because it was so profitable. My nostalgic heart argues that well-made remakes can — and do — generate new artistic content that simply uses the original story as a loose baseline to tease out finer details and unique perspectives. It’s no wonder that powerhouse actors, directors and screenwriters vie for the prestigious responsibility of honoring these treasured characters. Modern technology allows for increasingly sophisticated repro-
WALT DISNEY PICTURES
“What’s Olaf doing with his carrot?”
ductions of visual worlds. But if the original was so timeless, do we really need another version? The box office screams yes. The prospect of seeing Lupita Nyong’o (“Twelve Years a Slave”), Scarlett Johansson (“Under the Skin”) and Bill Murray (“Rock The Kasbah”) sharing a screen — and romping through the forest from my worn “Jungle Book” VHS tape, no less — will inevitably draw me to the theater. I probably won’t even watch the trailer; my loyalty to the starstudded cast and a childhood favorite is enough. While directors may, at times, be legitimately inspired by classic stories, it’s clear that the current deluge of recycled material spawns not from passion alone. Disney saw the easy money and seized it. But restricting output to remakes confines the imagination to a single world of characters and hampers personal creative expression. Meanwhile, it blocks fresh content, which often features more diverse
perspectives and launches new careers, from getting produced. How many potential “Frozens” rot on Kickstarter pages because Disney would rather play it safe and recreate yet anot More than any other studio in the industry, Disney boasts the well-padded coffers and clout to take bold creative risks. Once upon a time, Disney built its fortune on virtues of innovation and discovery; now, it grows stale, greedy. If the unparalleled success of “Frozen” told us anything, it’s that audiences crave new fictional worlds to get lost in. The droves of recent graduates flocking to Hollywood with original scripts prove that there’s no shortage of imagination to make that happen. Is Disney going to take a chance on them? Or will they regret to inform you that they value profit over novelty and will randomly select from a list of classic Disney movies and famous filmmakers to decide their next project instead?
“Hard to tell where the skies end and the water begins / All covered in sunlight and it’s not even spring.” The opening lyrics of Young & Sick’s self-titled debut album set the tone for the rest of the work, focusing on subjective yet universal experiences of all young adults. Released in April 2014, Young & Sick combines soul, electronic and R&B music to share thoughts on love, life and adolescence. Created by Dutch artist Nick Van Hofwegen, Young & Sick is a Los Angeles-based music and art project. While they started their career by covering full albums for major acts like Foster the People and Maroon 5 and posting the songs online, Young & Sick’s designs were featured in a fashion line by Urban Outfitters in 2012. By the winter of 2014, Young & Sick played its first live show and was announced to play at the Coachella Festival. Today, Young & Sick continues to foster their triple-threat status by creating album artwork for artists like Mikky Ekko, Robin Thicke and Maroon 5. Despite being categorized as
soul and R&B music, Young & Sick transcends these labels and combines synthetic beats with traditional instruments to create an entirely new genre. The album’s opening song, “Mangrove,” is soothing and repetitive, using simple mediums and upbeat harmonies to question life. Lyrics like “I feel the best I have in my life / Something must be very wrong” contemplate darker themes through a lighthearted instrumental. “Counting Raindrops” uses artificial riffs to emulate rain patter, using seductive and sultry lyrics such as “Let the rain overflow and keep us here / Kiss me like you would if this was our last,” while still maintaining its electronic and R&B roots. By incorporating a funky breakdown of electric piano and guitar in the middle of the song, Young & Sick sets themselves apart from other competitors in their field. Conversely, “Gloom” moves away from electronica and heads toward jazz, incorporating traditional soulful instruments like trumpets and saxophones into a lust filled ballad. With harmonizing falsetto and sultry lyrics, “Glass” encompasses a full swing
band sound with relatively few instruments. Transitioning back into strong electronic, “Glass” uses artificial beats to musically demonstrate the feeling of falling in and out of love. The lyrics, “Don’t keep me from falling deeper in love / Pour me another lover,” demonstrate the transient nature of lust and love and vocalize a cynical view of modern dating culture. The closing song on Young & Sick, “Twentysomething,” describes adolescence by focusing on lyrics rather than instrumentals. Getting into the mindset of a young adult, Young & Sick expresses the sentiments of many, singing, “Still not used to my skin / Loving the scars though / The cuts and bruises.” It leaves the listener with the feeling of being stuck between carefree and trapped, with one foot in adulthood and one left in childhood. While Young & Sick’s debut album has thrust them onto music lover’s radars, their talent and ambition makes them an artist to watch. Despite their lack of name recognition, Young & Sick is forging their own path through the industry. Keep your eyes (and ears) open.
COMMUNITY CULTURE NOTEBOOK
On trigger warnings By SOPHIA KAUFMAN Daily Arts Writer
Last week, the University’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter constructed a wall in the Diag that protested “Political Correctness: The Iron Curtain of the University.” It had phrases like “offensive,” “social justice,” “safe spaces” and “newspeak” spray-painted on them. But the one phrase stood out most, in sprawling blue letters across the lower center of the wall: “Trigger Warning.” Few other phrases on media platforms right now spark the same kind of contentious debate that “trigger warning” does, and there are intellectual leaders with impressive credentials on both ends of the spectrum. The debate over trigger warnings, which centers on the use of these warnings on college campuses, fits into a larger context of reenergized interest in social justice and political correctness, but it also deserves to be separated from that. Unlike the pursuit of social justice, trigger warnings on syllabi could someday reach a consensus in University policy. Trigger warnings in classrooms — preceding lectures, readings, films, photographs, discussions, etc. — are presented as a semi-formal “heads-up” that the material deals with sensitive subject matter that could be upsetting for some. Trigger warnings often precede content about war violence or sexual assault/abuse/ trauma, but they can also alert the reader to material including sexism, racism, homophobia, self-destructive behavior or suicide. Arguments against trigger warnings stem from worries about censoring class materials, coddling students, stunting intellectual growth and inhibiting the freedoms of others. Many University professors believe that students should be exposed to difficult material and won’t grow intellectually if they don’t; they feel threatened that they could get in trouble for students feeling “unsafe” in their classrooms. Many students resent the usage of trigger warnings, claiming that the overreactions or sensitivities of some students shouldn’t hinder the intellectual pursuits of others. The negative rhetoric that surrounds trigger warnings overwhelmingly constructs an image of the coddled college student, inviting ridicule on every word in that phrase. But trigger warnings aren’t about coddling students or protecting sensitive feelings. They aren’t about shielding people from difficult material. Trig-
ger warnings themselves don’t constitute censorship. To deny the utility of trigger warnings — especially for war veterans and survivors of sexual assault — is insulting and dismissive of traumatic experiences. Claiming that trigger warnings perpetuate a culture of victimhood is the equivalent of saying “suck it up” or “move on” — which isn’t psychologically sound advice. My Resident Adviser put it well: “I feel like people are sometimes against trigger warnings because they feel like we can’t expect to be protected from the bad things in life. But the reason trigger warnings exist is that some people haven’t been protected from the dark things in life.” I’m in a Literature of Abolition class, and we’re studying “12 Years a Slave.” This film has graphic, violent scenes that include physical abuse and rape. My professor told all of us beforehand that we would be watching it in class and that if anyone preferred to watch it by themselves at home rather than in a classroom setting, we were welcome to do that. She didn’t use the phrase “trigger warning,” but she was effectually giving one. By giving a content warning and a choice in how, when and where we wanted to view this film, she was granting us the agency to know how we learn best. She wasn’t “coddling” us — she was giving us choices that didn’t impact the learning opportunities of our classmates. Personally, I took advantage of that choice. I watched “12 Years a Slave” in a class setting last year, surrounded by people I didn’t know, and though I wanted to leave the room during the sexual assault and rape scenes, I was sitting in the front of the class — I felt like I didn’t want to disrupt everyone by getting up. But I felt emotionally jerked. I had trouble breathing for the rest of the day; I had to skip my next class and avoid my friends, so I wouldn’t worry them. I appreciate having the option to watch it by myself for this class. Yes, in the “real world” there are going to be times when we will witness things that we’d rather not — but you’d be hard pressed to find a time outside of university classes when you’d have to sit through an intense portrayal of something without having the option to prepare or remove yourself from the situation if you needed. You can walk out of a movie theater; you can put down a book or exit a conversation. The debate over trigger warnings in the context of art in classrooms, where it’s being used
explicitly as an educational tool to deepen our comprehensive understanding of a topic, is especially intriguing because artwork is often designed to elicit emotional responses — like “12 Years a Slave.” But artwork isn’t simply an educational tool. There is a distinction to be made that is lacking from debates I see around trigger warnings preceding exposure to artworks. Art can be offensive, which can make it controversial. But there should be a difference in how we treat controversial pieces of art and pieces of art that have the potential to be triggering though they are often both. In classrooms, students should be confronted with topics and discussions — and yes, artwork — that make them challenge themselves, their assumptions and beliefs. But no one should be confronted with topics, discussions or artwork that could potentially make them feel unsafe, without warning. And despite popular opinion, it isn’t impossible to reconcile these ideas. Another aspect that’s skirted around in discussions about trigger warnings is the fact that intellectual growth is not the only kind of personal growth that matters in college. Using trigger warnings in our classrooms doesn’t hinder our intellectual growth; it fosters our emotional growth. The recognizance that some have had experiences that others haven’t is a lesson in empathy and awareness. By asking for trigger or content warnings, students are making concerted efforts to recognize that none of us check our experiences at the classroom door — we carry them in with us. Even people who have experienced trauma have spoken against trigger warnings, a notable example being Roxane Gay. Trigger warnings aren’t a one-size-fits-all type of deal, and trigger warnings themselves don’t mean we will always feel safe; we can’t prepare ourselves for being triggered suddenly on the street with no preparation in a “real world” situation. As Gay points out in her book “Bad Feminist,” “there is nothing words on the screen can do that has not already been done.” I agree with this. Nothing preceded by the phrase “trigger warning” is going to be as harmful as whatever happened that created triggers for a person in the first place. But that being said — in a learning community, why not have the option for making choices that will make us feel safer when we’re trying to learn?
Arts
6 — Friday, November 20, 2015
ALBUM REVIEW
‘Aquaria’ lacking Talented BOOTS can’t produce a great standalone album
STYLE COLUMN
In defense of pampering yourself
L
By MATT GALLATIN For The Daily
BOOTS knows a thing or two about sex — his handle of synths and bass could make nearly anything arousing. That is, except C his voice. Entering the public eye by AQUARIA thrilling listen- BOOTS ers with his contributions to Columbia Beyoncé’s vividly sensual selftitled album, BOOTS’s hedonistic style has made him The Weeknd of producers. His work on Beyoncé’s “Haunted,” in particular, acts as a climatic core for the BOOTS’s aesthetic, a captivating track which pulsates its way into the blood. Since then, he’s had a busy schedule lending his hand to standout releases from artists du jour FKA Twigs and Run the Jewels. Production-wise, AQUARIA still sees BOOTS casting his hypnotic sound. Opening track “Brooklyn Gamma” leads in with a spinning whirl. But the first verse is far from enthralling, and the best moments come when BOOTS’s voice is least recognizable. This pattern is all too prevalent throughout AQUARIA. The spell of BOOTS-the-producer is too often broken by BOOTS-thesinger/rapper. Nowhere is this dichotomy more evident than “I Run Roulette,” an especially abrasive track, not because of the shredding bass line, but because his hook is nearly unbearable. At times you can’t help but wonder if he’s intentionally irritating his listeners. He works hard to keep himself “under the radar,” and he has a habit of putting up music on SoundCloud just to take it down a few hours later. While at first this seemed like a marketing ploy, the emergence of AQUARIA could signal that BOOTS actually holds mild disdain for his fans. Lack of vocal talent is often
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COLUMBIA
The artist, not the anthropomorphic monkey.
forgivable if the artist can say something profound. Many rock band singers, if put on a scale, fall closer to William Hung than Adele. Yet most of BOOTS’s lyrics are inconsequential or simply unnecessary, and lines like “but a teacher can’t teach us how to give a fuck” come across like an angsty 13-year-old’s Tumblr feed. For the most part, BOOTS’s hooks and ballads far outshine his “rap” verses. When he recognizes this, the result is largely successful. “Only,” a tender ballad that evokes those he produced on Beyoncé (“Heaven,” “Blue”), is a high point of the album, and signals hope for BOOTS’s future releases. BOOTS’s true genius lies in his ability to support strong female voices, a niche which is applied far too sparsely on AQUARIA. Deradoorian, the sole feature, croons delicately on the title track in what is probably the best performance you’ll find throughout all eleven songs. Perhaps BOOTS’s apprehension for guest appearances comes from how ingrained his previous success has been in those collaborations. BOOTS would be nothing without Beyoncé, and he is keenly aware of this fact. But in trying to break away from this dependence, he ignores his strengths. His most recent Beyoncé collaboration, the “Crazy in Love (Remix)” for the “Fifty Shades of Grey” soundtrack, is infinitely more evocative of the “BOOTS” aesthetic than BOOTS’s own release. The hallmarks of his production soak through: a slow building piano base, subtle background clicks, and an explosive, aching chorus. Whereas BOOTS’s
vocals diminish his tracks, Beyoncé’s gorgeous, breathy singing can tackle the production and demands attention. His collaboration with FKA Twigs followed a similar formula. “Mothercreep” fluttered and lurched with Twig’s high-pitched vocals, and the desirous atmosphere materialized clearly. These are tracks that you can feel. There is little on AQUARIA which has the same power. The songs are holding back, perhaps to accommodate the limitations of BOOTS singing, and the result is a rather detached album. Still, AQUARIA is an improvement from BOOTS’s first solo release. WinterSpringSummerFall was far more cluttered and included lyrical gems like “pussy tastes like apple juice, baby that’s a juice box.” While AQUARIA is by no means poetry, it avoids confusing lyricism and manages to focus itself, a cautious sign that BOOTS can learn from his own shortcomings. You can’t help but wish, though, that BOOTS would follow the lead of producers like Arca, Burial and Jamie xx, all of whom have demonstrated the power that electronic tracks can hold without reliance on vocals. AQUARIA is better as a reminder of BOOTS’s relevance rather than as a stand-alone album. He doesn’t yet have a handle on the solo album, but that doesn’t mean that his skill behind the boards is in any way diminished. There are plenty of artists that are itching to use this enormously popular sound, and a single, well-calculated collaboration could be much more effective than the entirety of AQUARIA.
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Friday, November 20, 2015
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
ast week I found myself in a bad bout of anxiety and took an uncharacteristic course of action when I consulted my mom. Mind you, my mother is an indecipherable, partially detached proponent of tough love. Case in point: she CAROLINE has spent FILIPS the entirety of my 19.5 years attempting to convince me that “true love is a ruse” and if I don’t believe her I can “try and find it” only after I “get my degree.” So, naturally, with an irrepressible case of uneasiness, I took a chance and attempted a heart-to-heart with my mom via text. I don’t remember the specifics of my rant, but imagine it was something melodramatic and existential along the lines of: “What am I doing with my life? Why am I here? How’s the dog?” Though I can’t say I found the answers I craved in a moment of desperation, my mother replied as follows (conveniently, I did screenshot and save her exact response): “Is there a salon where you could get a blow dry, manicure/pedicure ... It’s nice to always have your grooming! Mom” In that moment I learned an unequivocal fact of life — sometimes when all you need is a validating “pish posh, Caro, you’re smart, funny, stylish and beautiful,” you get an unexpected “It’s nice to always have your grooming!” At face value, her advice seemed superficial and insensitive, but after considering my youth-through-teen years punctuated by beauty
DOWN 1 Shut out 2 Mars rover?
3 Fleece 4 Like Twain and Wilde, e.g. 5 Chorus section 6 Is short 7 Agreement 8 One of 640 in a square mile 9 Quite a while 10 Prone to heavy market trading 11 Poet’s stock-intrade 12 Narrows 13 Fern seed 21 Gas up? 22 Palo Alto-based automotive company 23 First lady? 24 Has left to spend 25 Dad or fish preceder 29 Clumsy 30 City south of Lisboa 31 Murphy who voices Donkey in “Shrek” 35 Inverse trig function 37 Plus
38 Potter’s specialty 39 Earth sci. 40 Indian royal 43 “Great Public Schools for Every Student” gp. 44 Tongue 45 Victim of Iago 46 What some forks are used for
49 Taters 50 Overhang 52 Show 54 Béchamel base 55 Sub 56 Bone, to Benito 60 Bank statement abbr. 61 Lao Tzu principle 62 Sanctions
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Filips is getting a manicure. To remind her that it’s nice to have her grooming, e-mail carofil@umich.edu.
My true ‘Love’ By CHRISTIAN KENNEDY Daily Arts Writer
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youth (read: when I had fewer problems and more outlets), I quickly recognized the remedial and restorative qualities of my mom’s case for occasional self-indulgence; I saw it as the cure-all for everything from melancholia to mild dissatisfaction. After considering mother’s text message that day, I instantly ref lected on the rare moments of clarity in salon chairs, or the mental repose only available post-massage. Suddenly, my freak-out made sense. I realized my self-care had fallen to the wayside, lost in a pile of study guides and history readings. I craved the endorphins and heightened spirit that only my particular religious methods could bring. The next morning, in efforts to restore my long-lost rationale, I opted for a dualfocused day of indulgence and scheduled a pedicure followed by a deep-tissue massage. Walking back to my apartment in a happy post-pleasure haze without a single callus, kink or knot, I was absolutely certain it was the best decision for my physical and mental health. Despite my moment of weakness, I do indeed enjoy living. Ideally, I strive for balance; I strive to maximize my human experience by alternating responsibilities with pleasure — so the utterly blissful moments hold some well-deserved weight. Apparently, some find inspiration in my simple philosophy and its noticeable benefits — a family friend even regards me as a “zen ideal.” However, I can only maintain personal equilibrium if I follow mom’s infallible lead and prioritize pampering.
MY FIRST FAVORITE ALBUM
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Traditional Islamic garment 6 Big fish 10 Literary group? 14 On the bad side (of) 15 Brazos River city 16 Skin malady 17 Primus or Helena, in a classic play 18 Tan relative 19 Cord for Ford, perhaps 20 One keeping tabs on the best man? 23 Preserve, in a way 26 Strict 27 Feed, but not food 28 Ready to pick 32 Court period: Abbr. 33 Abbr. in a footnote 34 Of a battery terminal 36 Portrait artist at a gym? 41 Tank type 42 Optimist’s words 44 Frequent fliers 47 Where to see decorative nails 48 Defense choice 49 Biblical prophet 51 Roma’s home 53 Coach for a newspaper employee? 57 Jamaican fruit 58 Bucks’ pursuits 59 Augment 63 Off 64 Impedes, with “up” 65 Haunted house sound 66 Start of a run, maybe 67 Big show 68 Sources of shots
rituals that always lifted my spirits and soothed my soul, I knew she was onto something between the curt lines. Investing in oneself was, and always had been a tenet of her unorthodox parenting that I believed in (though I’ve yet to yield to her case against true love). Moreover, it wasn’t merely her unfettered belief in self-pampering, but her championing of taking breaks — alternating increments of hard work with something enjoyable — a wise morsel of advice that’s easier said than done in college when the funds and low and the work is all-consuming. For some, it’s the sporadic jaunt to BuzzFeed during lecture to find themselves via trash quizzes, or my friend and her weekly splurge on high tea at TeaHaus. For me, it tends to oscillate between sprucing up the integumentary — a blow out or a mani/pedi — a kneading of the lumbar or a cosmetic application. But alas, after a indulging in my own brand of fulfillment, there’s bound to be f lack from third-party naysayers. Some version of “your lifestyle is too particular, Caro” or “you’re horribly self-indulgent, Caro” inevitably arises. I can see the case for frivolity, or the disgust for perceivably giving into beauty standards, but neither argument is valid. Sure, I love the high of getting made up, but it’s never for vanity, nor intended to impress the male population — it’s always about looking and feeling good for myself. In the most reductive sense, I aim to carve out time each week for a refrain from the draining minutia, and who doesn’t need that? Whether on a fixed schedule or executed impulsively, I have and always will believe in the necessary retreat from the day-to-day. Since my
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Over the course of my nearly 20 years as a music listener (my dad consistently played music throughout mine and my sister’s infancies), I have experienced a blossoming love for Alecia Moore, better known as her stage name P!NK. Our flirtation began when she taught me my first swear word: “ass.” I was in kindergarten and my sister had been doing that typical older sibling “you’re too young for this” bullshit while listening to P!NK’s sophomore record Missundaztood. “There’s a bad word you can’t hear. It’s another word for butt,” she said. Hm. Another word for butt. My five-year-old brain couldn’t come up with any possibilities — I couldn’t guess the word “ass” without actually knowing it. Obviously, I took the typical younger sibling response and went downstairs as her and her friends elementaryschool jammed to “Get the Party Started,” and the instant I heard the lyric “I’ll be burnin’ rubber, you’ll be kissin’ my ass” I knew my first swear word. I had certainly heard the word before seeing that my parents couldn’t conceivably go five years without saying the A-word in front of me. Our next significant encounter was Dec. 25, 2003. I was in second grade and P!NK’s third album Try This dropped the month prior and “Trouble” was my jam. On that white, shimmery morning in BFE, Ohio I popped the CD into my portable player and went off. Admittedly, I did only listen to the first three songs up until a few years ago, but in my defense I loved those three songs so much, my thought was “Why bother with the rest of it when I already know I like these songs?” Yes, I realize that is musical terrorism and I deeply regret it because the rest of the album is just as much fun.
Despite my affection for her work up until my 17th year of life, my devotion to P!NK’s work multiplied endlessly with the release of her sixth album, my first (and all-time) favorite album, The Truth About Love. Up until its release I didn’t consider myself one to listen to entire albums. I liked songs, I liked artists. Typically, I would just pluck a few tracks from my favorite artists across the board, rarely diving deep into a record or any particular discography, a far cry from my musical self today — someone who listens almost entirely to complete albums, through and through. I have The Truth About Love to thank for that. I went from buying a single song, “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)” to taking the leap and preordering the entire album based on my liking of the tracklist. What followed was 20 songs, bonus tracks included that changed my relationship with music. Know that I’m not exaggerating when I say The Truth About Love was my go-to listen for upwards of a year (and I still listen to it at least once a week). Like any album about love, it’s an album about life. My life. Maybe your life. I’ve screamed the lyrics of “Slut Like You” and “Walk of Shame” in an empty house, many times. “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)” serves as a fuck you anthem when needed. “Are We All We Are” and “How Come You’re Not Here” are as fun as they are therapeutic. On love’s flipside, ‘Beam Me Up” and “The Great Escape” are minimally and beautifully showcasing not only P!NK’s vocal prowess, but also the seriousness of her artistry. Collabs with Eminem, Lily Rose Cooper (formerly Lily Allen) and Nate Ruess take the album’s talent over the top, leaving seven equally spectacular bonus tracks to cover any overlooked truths about love. The Truth About Love is one to lose your voice to. It’s the one I lose my voice to.
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Sports
FOOTBALL
Friday, November 20, 2015 — 7
FOOTBALL
What to Watch For: Dream season to be Michigan at PSU tested at Penn State By MAX BULTMAN Daily Sports Editor
With its conference title hopes on the line, the No. 12 Michigan football team can’t afford to look ahead when it visits Penn State on Saturday. A win in Happy Valley could set up a potential Big Ten Championship Game play-in between the Wolverines and Buckeyes in a week. But a winnertake-all matchup is impossible if Michigan doesn’t take care of business this weekend. Here’s what to watch for when Michigan visits Penn State. 1. Can the defense regain its form? After losing redshirt junior defensive tackle Ryan Glasgow to an injured pectoral muscle, the Wolverines suffered the ill effects of exhaustion against Indiana. The Hoosiers’ quick tempo wore down the Michigan defense, allowing Indiana running back Jordan Howard to run wild. The Hoosiers poured on 41 points, the most of any Wolverine opponent this season, drawing up a blueprint for Michigan’s future opponents to follow. The question is whether the Nittany Lions can learn from Indiana’s success and execute effectively. Penn State has a talented running back in Saquon Barkley, and a quarterback capable of making just about any throw in Christian Hackenberg. But the Nittany Lions’ offensive line is nowhere near the level of the Hoosiers’, and most of Indiana’s success was conditional on solid blocking.
But if Penn State can get good protection, the Wolverines could be in trouble once more. 2. Two top-notch D-lines Even without Glasgow, Michigan is talented up front. Redshirt junior defensive tackle Willie Henry and redshirt junior defensive end Chris Wormley have been consistent forces in the backfield, and redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Maurice Hurst has had a breakout season. But the Nittany Lions might be every bit as good, highlighted by the nation’s sack leader, Carl Nassib, who has 15.5. The Wolverines have faced a trio of tough fronts this season in Utah, Michigan State and Northwestern, but they have yet to take on a player who can change the game as much as Nassib. 3. Will Jake Rudock continue his hot streak? Michigan’s fifth-year senior quarterback is, as the kids say, en fuego. Rudock has earned backto-back career highs in passing yards in his last two games, culminating with a 440-yard, six-touchdown effort against Indiana. But Penn State is among the nation’s best pass defenses, allowing just 159 yards per game through the air. The Wolverines’ receiving corps of junior tight end Jake Butt and redshirt junior receivers Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson is in a rhythm of late — especially Chesson, who caught four touchdowns last week — and they’ll need to keep it up if Michigan is going to have
success Saturday.
By ZACH SHAW Daily Sports Editor
4. The out-of-town scoreboard In many ways, the No. 12 Michigan football team’s season has already been something of a dream to Michigan fans. The Wolverines have a surprising eight wins, their only Michigan at two losses Penn State have come in Matchup: nightmarish Michigan 8-2; fashion, and Penn State 7-3 every up and When: down has been Saturday sandwiched 12 P.M. by Michigan Where: Beaver coach Jim Stadium Harbaugh’s odd quotes TV/Radio: about machine ABC gun-laden worms, steak vitamins and Pattengill pickup basketball games. The first 11 weeks were as wild as they were unexpected, and the unseasonably warm fall is icing on the cake. Of course, the biggest dreams of all are still in play. As Michigan (5-1 Big Ten, 8-2 overall) travels to State College to take on Penn State on Saturday, it has a chance to get one step closer to a Big Ten Championship. With a goal to play for, the Wolverines aren’t trudging to the season’s end — they’re bouncing. “When you’re winning, you’re able to keep a bounce in your step,” said fifth-year senior offensive lineman Graham Glasgow. “You want to keep it rolling, so I think it just comes down to, do we want to win? Yes, we want to win, so keep the bounce and the little nicks and
If Michigan does come away with a win Saturday, all eyes will be on the scores elsewhere in the country. If Ohio State can beat Michigan State in Columbus, the Wolverines and Buckeyes will play for a spot in the Big Ten title game next Saturday. That’s the most important result the Wolverines will be watching for. But if that happens, many other games gain importance too. Sitting at No. 12 in the College Football Playoff rankings, Michigan is not completely out of the playoff picture — it just needs a lot to go right to get there. This week, the Wolverines would hope for wins from the Buckeyes over the Spartans, Iowa over Purdue and USC over Oregon. That would keep Michigan’s next opponent undefeated, and keep alive the possibility it could face an undefeated Iowa team in the Big Ten title game. The Trojans, meanwhile, could play a crucial role in the Wolverines’ championship hopes. If USC wins out, it will go to the Pac-12 title game, where it could emerge as a three-loss conference champion, unlikely to pass Michigan in the rankings if the Wolverines win the Big Ten. If that happens, any Notre Dame loss — either to Boston College or Stanford — would swing the door wide open. Of course, Michigan needs to worry about its own scoreboard first.
bruises you have, get ’em right and let’s play.” Though Michigan is the favorite to win and keep its dreams alive, the Nittany Lions (4-2, 7-3) are a stout opponent, and the two teams have a precedent for making things interesting. Last season, Michigan eked by Penn State, 18-13, in a come-frombehind win. In 2013, it was Penn State that battled back at home, scoring 10 points in the final six minutes to tie before outlasting the Wolverines in triple overtime, 43-40. This season, both teams are improved, but many of the players from past years remain on the roster, understanding the battle that Saturday can become. “Penn State presents a big challenge, and our team will be prepared for it this week,” said Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. “Outstanding defense. Offensively, outstanding quarterback, outstanding running back, receivers that are outstanding, so … formidable task, and it is a road game.” Harbaugh has said throughout the season that the key to winning road games is to “pack your defense,” and that might be what both teams do best. Michigan and Penn State have used defense to stay in every game. The Wolverines are currently second in the nation in total defense, while the Nittany Lions are 13th. Both teams boast similar styles, using a bruising front and attentive secondary to make even the best quarterbacks miserable and force the run. Michigan and Penn State boast the nation’s second- and 11th-best pass
efficiency defenses, respectively. On the other side of the ball, quarterback play could very well become a deciding factor in Happy Valley. Fifth-year senior Jake Rudock has played as well as any quarterback in the country in the last two weeks — throwing for 777 yards and eight touchdowns against Rutgers and Indiana — but has shriveled against strong pass defenses like Utah and Michigan State. Nittany Lion quarterback Christian Hackenberg, once touted by many as a potential firstround draft pick, has shriveled against just about everyone this season. His interceptions are down, but he has topped 300 yards only once all season and is 11th in the Big Ten in QBR. The fact remains, however, that Michigan has given up big plays in recent weeks, and the big-armed Hackenberg can give any daydreaming defender nightmares. “We are looking forward to rushing the passer,” said senior defensive end Royce JenkinsStone. “We are looking forward to rushing Hackenberg, disrupting his timing and getting inside his head. “When you have someone that’s an NFL prospect, it’s kind of like ‘Oh, okay, I gotta get after him.’ (NFL scouts) are watching him, so they’re watching me now, so I’ve got to find a way to get in the spotlight just like him.” Before you pinch yourself to see if you’re dreaming, realize that you are not. Michigan has the ability to win the Big Ten Championship and beyond, but the road to the championship runs through State College.
Wolverines dominate Xavier Dunston shines WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
By CHRIS CROWDER Daily Sports Writer
Madison Ristovski jumped in front of a driving Xavier guard, put her hands up, set her feet and took the charge. The Michigan bench was ignited, rising to its feet before the referee could even corral the basketball. It was 54 XAVIER clear even MICHIGAN 92 in the first quarter that the Wolverines were hungry to make a statement with their hustle on Thursday night at Crisler Center. The Michigan women’s basketball team outplayed the Musketeers in nearly every facet of the game to the tune of a 92-54 win. “They were just scrapping and clawing all over the place,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “They were looking to take charges, dive on the floor for loose balls — they just set the tone the first half of the game. Everybody that rotated into the game gave us great minutes.” The Wolverines (3-0) began the contest by utilizing their guards’ ability to penetrate the perimeter defense. Just when a Xavier player bit on the pump fake for the shot, the guards fed the ball to freshman center Hallie Thome, who scored Michigan’s first six points.
Midway through the first quarter, the Wolverines began implementing a zone defense, trapping the Musketeer point guard just before she reached half court. The defensive pressure forced turnovers, while the hustle to dive for loose balls and to disrupt passing lanes was evident from tip-off. By the end of the first quarter, Michigan boasted a 10-5 rebound advantage, with three of those boards coming on the offensive glass. “More rebounds for us mean less offensive chances for the other team,” said sophomore forward Jillian Dunston. “It gives us more possessions, and we kind of value our possessions through rebounds. … (Rebounds) are our bread and butter.” Ristovski capped off the first quarter with a buzzer-beater 3-pointer to give the Wolverines a 25-14 lead. The next 3-pointer the senior guard knocked down ignited an 8-0 run in the second quarter, causing Xavier to take a timeout after a reverse finger-roll by sophomore guard Katelynn Flaherty. The Michigan bench jumped up as those on the floor neared the sideline, showing as much energy as it did when Ristovski took a charge in the game’s opening minutes. By the time Ristovski drained her third triple of the contest, the
Musketeers were in a nearly fiveminute scoring drought. Xavier quickly found itself down by 23, and continued to be outworked on the glass and for every ball that was up for grabs. Michigan led 49-20 at the half, holding the Musketeers to just six points in the second quarter. The Wolverines shot 7-for-9 from behind the arc — their best shooting half of the young season. They shot 57 percent from the floor, nearly double Xavier’s 29 percent. Flaherty led all scorers with 14 points at the halftime break. “Coming out of that half, (Barnes Arico) said (the first half) was one of the best halves she’s been a part of here at Michigan,” Flaherty said. “That gave us a lot of confidence. And I think it showed us that we can play that well and that hard.” Michigan also had the upper hand on the boards, racking up 15 more rebounds than Xavier. Dunston had eight rebounds in the first half — the same number as all of the Musketeers combined. With 5:25 left to go in the third quarter, Dunston picked up her first career doubledouble as she reached 10 points and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, Xavier’s leading scorer, guard Raeshaun Gaffney was held quiet throughout.
Gaffney, who scored 18 points in her last game, mustered just four points in the first half. She didn’t record her first field goal until just 4:12 remained in the third quarter. Dunston finished with 10 points and 14 rebounds, while Flaherty finished with 19. The Wolverines didn’t let their opponent get anywhere close in the victory. “(Gaffney) took 21 shots for them the other night,” Barnes Arico said. “She didn’t have an opportunity for 21 shots tonight. We did a really great job. Siera Thompson did a great job defending her, and everybody else did a good job of helping out on her.” Michigan faced its toughest competition to date Thursday night, but controlled the game as easily as it did in its first two contests. The Wolverines will continue to be tested as the competition stiffens, and for now, they have continued to outwork their competition. “We always say, and we write in the locker room before the game, you can’t be the hardestworking team in America unless you’re willing to do this, this and this,” Barnes Arico said. “Tonight, they came out and showed that they were willing to do all of those things to be considered as one of the hardest-working teams in America.”
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Senior guard Madison Ristovski helped lead Michigan’s attack from beyond the arc. The team shot 7-for-9 from 3-point range.
in first-ever start By BRAD WHIPPLE Daily Sports Writer
Toward the beginning of the week, Jillian Dunston had a feeling that she would be in the Michigan women’s basketball team’s starting lineup Thursday night. But even though the sophomore forward was being put in the topfive rotation during practice, she knew nothing was for certain when playing for coach Kim Barnes Arico. She was going to have to fight for the spot, especially when it was between her, senior forward Kelsey Mitchell and senior guard Madison Ristovski. So before the Wolverines took on Xavier Thursday night, Dunston saw her name on the board before the game started and knew her time had come. She wasn’t even nervous. “If I’m nervous, I get out of my game,” Dunston said. “I told myself not to think about it, just like any other game. I’m just starting this time.” But it wasn’t like any other game. Dunston grabbed a careerhigh 14 rebounds and tied her career high in scoring (10) for her first double-double in the maize and blue — Michigan’s first this season. In arguably the best game of her career, Dunston helped the Wolverines (3-0) to a 92-54 win over the Musketeers. Dunston helped to anchor the defense by grabbing 11 rebounds and tallying three steals, including one when she broke up a pass at half court and took the ball straight to the basket for a layup. Leading by example, the rest of the Wolverines followed suit and forced seven turnovers in the second quarter, using the momentum to go on a 13-0 run. Dunston also set the pace of Michigan’s fast break and helped create a few second-chance opportunities under the basket. In some respect, she had started to look like former Michigan forward Cyesha Goree in disguise. “With the loss of Cyesha, we
lost that motor,” Barnes Arico said. “Jillian is definitely one of a couple that have given us that spark.” That spark started to ignite when Dunston stayed for the team’s optional spring season early in the summer, allowing her to step her game up to an entirely new level. Recently, Barnes Arico asked Dunston how much she works out. Every day, Dunston replied. Barnes Arico mistook that for an exaggeration, but Dunston meant every word. After Thursday’s win, Barnes Arico said Dunston might have been in the gym that afternoon getting extra repetitions in, even before a game. Though Dunston beat out Mitchell and Ristovski for the fifth starting spot, Barnes Arico emphasized that the senior pair has played exceptionally at practice. According to her, the problem is that, “It’s hard to keep (Dunston) out of the lineup.” “I think that’s really Jill’s game, and that’s only a little of what she can do,” said sophomore guard Katelynn Flaherty. Dunston knows how to score and rebound the basketball well, and she has also learned how to beat the fatigue that comes with a performance like Thursday’s, when she played a career-high 27 minutes. After a quick succession of possession changes, Barnes Arico noticed Dunston had stopped crashing the net as often. When she came off the court to rest, she said she wasn’t tired. “She is probably one of our fastest, if not the fastest (player on the team),” Barnes Arico said. Added Dunston: “I kind of got tired, but tired is a state of mind.” It’s that attitude that pushed Dunston to make every minute of her first start matter — an attitude that may keep her in the starting rotation for Sunday’s game against Hartford. For a short time, though, Dunston can celebrate her hard work paying off. Thursday night was all hers.
Sports
8 — Friday, November 20, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Breakdown: Michigan at Penn State By JAKE LOURIM Managing Sports Editor
Only one item remains on the Michigan football team’s to-do list before the Wolverines have a chance to face No. 3 Ohio State at home for a spot in the Big Ten Championship. This weekend, No. 12 Michigan must journey into Happy Valley and come away with a win over Penn State (4-2 Big Ten, 7-3 overall) — no small task. The two teams have played close games in their last two matchups: In 2013, the Nittany Lions pulled out a 43-40, double-overtime win, and last season Michigan held off Penn State under the lights at Michigan Stadium, 18-13. With the way the Wolverines have played lately — three of their past four games have gone down to the final play — more theatrics aren’t out of the question. The Daily breaks down the matchup: Michigan pass offense vs. Penn State pass defense Michigan fifth-year senior quarterback Jake Rudock is coming off the best game of his career, and it couldn’t have happened at a better time. The Wolverines may need some more heroics from him in the last two weeks of the season. He appears ready to provide those heroics, with the help of redshirt junior wide receivers Jehu Chesson and Amara Darboh and junior tight end Jake Butt. Michigan played it relatively safe last year against Penn State, with quarterback Devin Gardner finishing 16-for-24 with 192 yards, a touchdown and an interception. That was about Rudock’s average until last week, when the Wolverines started hitting passes downfield. If that trend continues, it also bodes well for what could be a shootout against Ohio State next week.
The problem for Michigan is that the Nittany Lions could be the best opposing pass defense of the season. Penn State gives up just 159 yards per game through the air — second in the nation — and has nine interceptions. Indiana, meanwhile, came into last weekend’s game ranked second to last in that category. The Nittany Lions’ leader in pass breakups has just five of them, but most of the team’s success in defending the aerial attack comes in its pass rush. Penn State has 41 sacks this season, led by the nation’s leader in the category: defensive end Carl Nassib with 15.5. Edge: Penn State Michigan rush offense vs. Penn State rush defense The Wolverines have dropped off in their running game lately. In their five-game winning streak earlier in the season, they rushed for more than 200 yards four times, but they haven’t done so in the four games since. Last week at Indiana, Rudock was their leading rusher with 64 yards, while junior running back De’Veon Smith gained just 58 on 12 carries. Due to a combination of injuries, splitting carries and ineffectiveness, Michigan hasn’t had a 100-yard rusher since Smith against Brigham Young on Sept. 26. The Wolverines relied more on the passing game against Indiana, but if they could establish the ground game early, it might help relieve the pressure on Rudock. That will be no easy task against Nassib and the Penn State front. The Nittany Lions have 94 tackles for loss this season, including a streak of 18 games with at least five. Overall, Penn State’s defense ranks No. 13 in the country, giving Michigan a tough test. Edge: Penn State
Penn State pass offense vs. Michigan pass defense Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg has already faced the Wolverines twice, with mixed results. Two years ago in State College, he threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns, including one to lead a comeback at the end of regulation. Last season in Ann Arbor, Michigan sacked him six times and limited him to just 160 yards. Hackenberg, a 6-foot-4, 228-pound junior, has thrown 13 touchdowns and just three interceptions this season. His top target is wide receiver Chris Godwin (808 yards, three touchdowns). But his offensive line is still struggling, giving up 33 sacks in 10 games this season, so Michigan has an opportunity there. The Wolverines appear to have solved some of their issues in the secondary, allowing just 317 yards over the past two weeks after surrendering at least that many in each of the previous two games. Hackenberg has the tools to burn them, but the secondary will be the best he has faced this season. Edge: Michigan Penn State rush offense vs. Michigan rush defense Here, the Wolverines have the most to prove. Playing without redshirt junior defensive tackle Ryan Glasgow at Indiana last week, Michigan allowed 307 yards rushing on 55 attempts. The Wolverines had to move up redshirt sophomore Maurice Hurst to play in Glasgow’s spot, and they faced depth issues behind Hurst. Redshirt junior defensive lineman Tom Strobel, now a two-way player, will see action there, as will others. Even without Glasgow, Michigan still boasts redshirt junior defensive
ICE HOCKEY
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Jake Rudock enters Michigan’s game against Penn State coming off the two best games of his career.
linemen Willie Henry and Chris Wormley. Penn State’s rushing attack doesn’t quite have the firepower of Indiana’s, and the Nittany Lions won’t test Michigan with any up-tempo offense, either. But running back Saquon Barkley is earning 6.3 yards per carry for a total of 836 along with seven touchdowns. There isn’t much behind him, and the sacks hurt Penn State’s rushing numbers. While the Nittany Lions rank just 98th in the country, the Wolverines will have to prove they can stop the run.
Paige. Other than that, though, the unit remains solid. Senior kicker Kenny Allen is now 14-for-18 on field goals, and fifth-year senior punter Blake O’Neill is averaging 41.7 yards on 44 punts with just three touchbacks. Penn State changed kickers midseason, from Joey Julius to Tyler Davis after Julius missed two extra points against Illinois on Oct. 31. Davis has been perfect since then. The Nittany Lions also have two punters and no big-play threat in the return game like Michigan redshirt freshman Jabrill Peppers.
Edge: Michigan
Edge: Michigan
Special teams
Intangibles
The Wolverines gave up another big play in the special teams game last week, this time a punt-return touchdown by Indiana’s Mitchell
In some ways, Penn State has the edge here. The Nittany Lions are coming off a late-season bye week, playing at home on Senior
Day and looking to avenge last season’s loss in Ann Arbor. Meanwhile, Michigan admitted to being fatigued at Indiana last week, will be playing without Glasgow again and is traveling on the road for the second straight game. But then there are the circumstances: Penn State is all but eliminated from the Big Ten East race, save for the possibility of a wild end to the season that could result in a four-way tie. The Wolverines, on the other hand, need only a win and a Michigan State loss to play their archrival at home for the division title next week. For them, the stakes couldn’t be any bigger. Edge: Michigan Prediction: Penn State 24
Michigan
26,
MEN’S BASKETBALL
‘M’ faces tough weekend Xavier presents a new By MINH DOAN Daily Sports Editor
A year ago, the Michigan hockey team traveled to Boston University to take on the Terriers at the loud and rowdy Agganis Arena. Though the Wolverines (5-1- Michigan at 1) held an early lead, sparked by Boston U. Matchup: then-freshman Michigan 5-1defenseman Zach Werenski’s 1; BU 5-3-2 opening goal, When: Friday they couldn’t 6 P.M.; fend off Boston Saturday 4 p.m. University’s attack, giving Where: up a score to Agganis Arena forward Jack Eichel early in the third period and conceding the game-winner with just two minutes left in the game. Thirteen months later, No. 12
Michigan will travel back to face the 10th-ranked Terriers — an NCAA Finalist last season. Except this time, things aren’t exactly the same. Between the two teams, a total of six players — including the Wolverines’ and Boston University’s top three and top two scorers from last year, respectively — have moved on to professional leagues. But just because some of the talent is gone doesn’t mean the game is any less important. The Terriers (5-3-2) present Michigan with its first real test of the season and will be the first top-10 team the Wolverines will face. The Wolverines know that, and they’re bracing for the step up in competition. “Intensity’s been pretty high,” said senior forward Boo Nieves. Last week, Michigan coasted to a 7-3 victory over Niagara that
featured six different goal scorers. But despite the big win, Michigan coach Red Berenson was still disappointed with the three goals allowed and stressed that point throughout practice during the week. “We need to make sure we’re taking care of things in our own end first,” Nieves said. “(Berenson) was happy that we had seven goals, but he also wasn’t too happy that we gave up three, and two of those goals were special-team goals that shouldn’t have gone in. “ On the other side of the ice, the Terriers come into the game without having lost in the last three weeks. In that span, they beat Northeastern twice and tied No. 1 Providence twice in a rematch of last season’s NCAA Championship game. And while Eichel isn’t around to light the lamp anymore, Boston University still has loads of talent. “When you go play (Boston University) with Jack Eichel, you always know when Jack Eichel is out there,” Werenski said. “This year, without him, it definitely crosses your mind that he isn’t out there. But they have freshmen like (forwards Jordan Greenway and Charlie McAvoy), who I played with at (the USA Hockey National Team Development Program) and are really good players.” On the blue line, All-American defenseman Matt Grezlcyk and the rest of the defense will try to stop a Wolverine offense that is currently ranked second in the nation in goals per game. In between the pipes, Boston University will trot out netminder Connor LaCouvee. The sophomore goaltender is taking over for 2014-2015 Hockey East Second Team goaltender Matt O’Connor, who is also now in the professional ranks. But even without Eichel at the opposite end of the ice, Michigan knows it can’t worry too much about the Terriers. The Wolverines need to worry about themselves. “At the same time, who knows, they could be even better without him,” Nieves said.” It really doesn’t matter about them. It’s more about us.”
challenge for Michigan Wolverines will look to eliminate inconsistencies of early season By LEV FACHER Managing Editor
John Beilein, typically straight-laced, took a turn for the philosophical on Thursday. In the leadup to the No. 24 Michigan men’s basketball team’s Friday-night clash with Xavier, he referenced a Muhammad Ali quote he felt represented his team’s Xavier at early-season Michigan development: It isn’t the Matchup: Xavier 2-0; mountains Michigan 2-0 ahead to climb that wear you When: Friday out, it’s the 9 P.M. pebble in your Where: Crisler Arena shoe. The pebble, TV/Radio: Beilein said BTN Thursday, is random inconsistency in games and in practice. Even if four players are crashing the boards for an offensive rebound, for example, there always seems to be one standing and watching. “Or there’s one that doesn’t call out a screen,” Beilein said. “These are small things … we’ve got to get that pebble out of our shoe, because it’ll be hard to go where we want to as long as those things are lingering.” More annoying to Beilein is the fact that there’s no single culprit — it’s a seemingly random rotation of players suffering from momentary mental lapses. As Michigan’s season progresses, Beilein’s need to trim his 12-man rotation is becoming more pressing, and it’s the minutiae, in games or in practice, that could make the difference in
what he says are “dead heats” at several positions. For now, though, the undefined rotation might serve as an advantage. The Wolverines (2-0) have used four players — redshirt sophomore Mark Donnal, sophomore Ricky Doyle, redshirt freshman D.J. Wilson and freshman Moritz Wagner — at the ‘5’ spot, and all five might be needed against the Musketeers (2-0). Xavier’s Jalen Reynolds, a Detroit native, is the biggest lowpost threat Michigan has faced so far, and a by-committee approach from the big men might be needed to stop him. “Well, we have fouls to give there now,” Beilein said, noting that he’ll have no choice but to use all four players despite his desire to slim down the Wolverines’ rotation. “We’ll have to. That is just a very strong, experienced player, good athlete, (who’s) really going to be tough for any of our guys to defend.” Though none of Michigan’s big men has more than a season of NCAA competition under his belt, Beilein said the concern with Reynolds goes beyond experience. It took former Michigan forward Jordan Morgan five years to become an ‘elite defender,’ Beilein said, and even he would have his hands full against Reynolds. It’s not just the low post that could give the Wolverines trouble. Michigan’s coaching staff has encouraged its shooters, including junior guard Derrick Walton Jr., senior guard Caris LeVert and redshirt sophomore guard Duncan Robinson, to be more aggressive in shooting off
ball screens this season. But the Musketeers’ backcourt includes lengthy guards like 6-foot-5 Edmond Sumner and 6-foot-6 Trevon Bluiett, whose size could pose issues for the Wolverines as they look to take advantage of narrow open spaces around the perimeter. “I just think you’ve got to be much more sound with your fundamentals,” Walton said, adding that Michigan has worked at getting players better looks off perimeter screens in recent practices. “(Shooting off the ball screen) has been preached since we all got here, to everybody (Beilein) has faith in to shoot the ball.” The Wolverines’ smaller guards, however, could match up favorably against Xavier’s Myles Davis. If swingmen like LeVert and sophomore guard Aubrey Dawkins can take care of their opponent’s backcourt size, they could create openings for players like Walton and Albrecht to leave the 6-foot-2 Davis feeling kind of blue. Beilein said he would wait until after Thursday’s practice to decide on a starting lineup for Michigan’s first legitimate test of the year. The Wolverines’ ninthyear coach listed Doyle, Wilson, sophomore guard Kameron Chatman and junior forward Zak Irvin as being among a list of players he’s on the fence about starting. Dawkins, LeVert and Walton all seem like safe bets to start, and while Beilein didn’t mention him specifically, Mark Donnal started in Michigan’s exhibition opener against Le Moyne and in both of its regular-season games to date.
“We’ve got to get that pebble out of our shoe.”