ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Friday, December 4, 2015
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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STATE GOVERNMENT
Reps. to consider promise zone bills Legislation could expand scholarship program to five more school districts By SAMANTHA WINTNER Daily Staff Reporter
The Michigan House Workforce and Talent Development Committee heard testimony Thursday on legislation related to the state’s promise zones as they prepare to formulate a recommendation for the full House, where representatives could vote on two bills in the near future. The testimony concerned Senate Bill 0539 and Senate Bill 0540, which seek to expand a statewide program launched in 2008. That program aims to cover some or all of the costs of in-state tuition at public schools after financial aid awards with a combination of state and private funds. The bills propose five additional school districts be labeled as promise zones, making a total of 15. Anna Mooney, deputy chief of staff for Sen. Goeff Hansen (R– Hart), and Brianna McGarry, a legislative assistant for Sen. Jim Ananich (D–Flint), delivered the
testimony Thursday on behalf of the two senators, who each sponsored one of the bills. The Michigan State Treasury supervises the establishment of the promise zones, which currently serve students in 10 high-poverty school districts. Students’ eligibility for these scholarships, as well as the amount they are each eligible to receive, often depend on how long they have attended school in the district, and could also be contingent on factors such as college GPA. In an e-mail interview, Cynthia Wilbanks, vice president for government affairs, noted the growing interest of school districts across Michigan in establishing promise zones. “The expansion of the promise zones has been stimulated by the interest of several more communities in the state that want to support the post-secondary education aspirations among their residents,” she said. During her testimony, McGarry said the creation of more promise zones is important to increasing access to higher education in Michigan. She noted that there have been districts, such as Flint, that want to estabSee PROMISE, Page 3
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University President Mark Schlissel addresses students during his monthly fireside chat with students in the Michigan Union on Thursday.
Schlissel talks student debt, diversity in chat During fireside chat, president also expresses opposition to divestment By LARA MOEHLMAN Daily Staff Reporter
For University President Mark Schlissel’s final fireside chat of the semester, several
students had the opportunity Thursday afternoon to engage with the president on a wide variety of campus issues, from student debt to the University’s sexual assault investigation policy. E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, was also present for the event, which was held in the Pond Room of the Michigan Union. Harper took notes throughout the meeting, which serves as a
M I C H I GA N ’ S B E ST DA N C E C R E W
RESEARCH
‘Messiah’ still a staple of the holiday season in Ann Arbor
Project could also inform understanding of Parkinson’s, other neurological diseases By KATIE PENROD Daily Staff Reporter
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 48 LO: 25
When asked about his next steps following the Diversity Summit held last month to improve diversity, equity and inclusion on campus, Schlissel said the University is very far from its end goal: building a campus community that is reflective of the society which
it intends to serve. “We’ve made some progress this year, but it’s going to be forever,” he said. “We’re going to be working on this as long as I’m president. It’s not going to be over in three years or something, so we have a long way to go.” However, Schlissel did outline specific programs that have already been initiated in the past year to improve the See FIRESIDE, Page 3
ARTS PREVIEW
Prof. studies how space affects brain activities
The brain is one of the most complex organs in the human body and has been studied extensively for years — on Earth at least. Now, a University professor is trying to uncover unique effects the organ experiences as it adapts to microgravity, or the feeling of weightlessness, in space. Kinesiology Prof. Rachael Seidler, through a partnership with NASA, is exploring how long periods of time in space affect the brain and its functions, as well as investigating potential countermeasures for the neurological effects of microgravity. It currently takes several weeks to recover from spaceflight, and her research on how the brain reacts to time in space could help speed up that process. Seidler said the project has connections to research about brain adaption on Earth as well. “I’ve always been interested in monitoring adaptation and how people learn new motor skills,” she said. “Adapting to the microSee BRAIN, Page 3
monthly platform for students to raise topics of concern to the president. Campus diversity
DELANEY RYAN/Daily
Michigan Izzat, a male fusion dance team, placed first out of seven groups at Michigan’s Best Dance Crew at the Michigan League on Thursday.
CITY COUNCIL
Council member faces recall effort over deer cull Save the Deer group targeting Ward 2’s Kirk Westphal By ISOBEL FUTTER Daily Staff Reporter
Councilmember Kirk Westphal (D–Ward 2) is facing a recall effort from the local group Save the Deer Ann Arbor over his vote in support of the city’s forthcoming deer cull.
A 8-1 majority of council members voted in favor of a four-year deer management plan in August and subsequently voted 10-1 in November to hire sharpshooters to kill 100 area deer this winter in an effort to control their population. Westphal voted alongside the majority both times. Sabra Sanzotta, spokesperson for Save the Deer, filed the recall paperwork Monday, citing concerns with the scientific basis underlying the cull and potentially negative ramifications. Her group has previ-
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ously asked the city to gather more data before taking action. “There is an unjust, unidentifiable risk to public safety,” Sanzotta said. “And the cull that Kirk Westphal voted in favor of doesn’t have the benefit of scientific evidence to prove that it’s even effective.” Sanzotta said she chose to file a petition against Westphal specifically because she is a Ward 2 resident. In a Thursday interview with The Michigan Daily, Westphal said he stands by See DEER, Page 3
NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM ‘U’ receives film producer’s archives MICHIGANDAILY.COM/SECTION/NEWS
INDEX
University Chorale Union continues the tradition with new leadership By MICHAEL FLYNN Daily Arts Writer
One of the longstanding traditions of Ann Arbor’s music scene is the annual per- Handel’s formance of George Frid- “Messiah” eric Handel’s Dec. 5-6 renowned at 8 p.m. oratorio, “Messiah,” Hill Auditorium by the University Choral Union, a choir comprised of Ann Arborites and University students. Every year, Ann Arbor residents comes to Hill Auditorium to witness Handel’s beautiful musical rendition of Jesus Christ’s birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension to Heaven. This year, the job of directing the annual production was given to Scott Hanoian, a conductor, church organist and University alum who now serves as the University Choral Union’s conductor,
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directed the annual production. “It’s a piece that I love really deeply, and a work that I think really speaks to the Ann Arbor community every year,” Hanoian said. “What I think has made ‘Messiah’ stand the test of time and why people keep coming back to it … is that the piece is really a perfect marriage of textslash-story and music, and the way Handel brought the text … to life through music in ways that reading the text doesn’t bring in the same way.” Hanoian grew up as an organist and attended the University of Michigan where he majored in organ performance. During his undergraduate years, he developed an interest in conducting choirs and studied under Jerry Blackstone, whom he succeeded as University Choral Union conductor this year. Hanoian was eventually accepted into the graduate conducting program at the University, earning masters degrees in choral conducting and church music simultaneously. “I really developed a passion for some of the great choral masterworks,” Hanoian said of his experience in graduate school. Among these works was Handel’s “Messiah.” See MESSIAH, Page 5
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS..........................5
SPORTS......................7 SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6
News
2 — Friday, December 4, 2015
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Campus Voices
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers
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FRIDAY: Photos of the Week
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LEFT: Samsoche Sampson dances to
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music by Hip Hop artist Frank Waln for the Native American Heritage Month key note performance at the Michigan Union on Monday. (CLAIRE ABDO/Daily)
RIGHT: Detroit-based experimental pop band Valley Hush opens for indie alternative Detroit band Flint Eastwood on their tour throughout Michigan at the Blind Pig on Thursday. (EMILIE FARRUGIA /Daily)
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Monday’s Ann Arbor City Council meeting will largely focus on preparing for the 2016 calendar year, including shifting committee assignments and setting an agenda. Council committees Following November’s city elections and the subsequent addition of new council members, 2016 committee assignments have been rearranged and will be up for approval. There are 36 committees in total. In 2016, recently elected Councilmember Zachary Ackerman (D–Ward 3), an LSA senior, will join six committees, pend-
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WHAT: Daniel Statman, a philosophy professor at the University of Haifa, will present his defense of the war convention. WHO: Department of Philosophy WHEN: Today from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: 3222 Angell Hall
Snow day WHAT: UMix is sponsoring a snow day event that will feature sock snowman building, DIY hand warmers, board games, a photo booth, a movie screening and a midnight buffet. WHO: Center for Campus Involvement WHEN: Today from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. WHERE: The Michigan Union
Economics lecture
WHAT: University of Pennsylvania Business Prof. Mike Abito will talk about technological choice in response to environmental regulation. WHO: Department of Economics WHEN: Today from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. WHERE: 1220 Ross School of Business
Detroit Pistons WHAT: Take a tour of The Palace, the home of the Detroit Pistons. Participants will have the chance to meet sports analysts and watch the game following the tour. WHO: Michigan Undergraduate Students of Statistics WHEN: Today from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. WHERE: The Palace of Auburn Hills
Acoustic concert
The HIV Monologues
WHAT: Peter Mulvey, an American folk singer and songwriter, will be performing at the Ark. WHO: Michigan Union Ticket Office WHEN: Today at 8 p.m. WHERE: The Ark, 316 S. Main
WHAT: The HIV Monologues are an event aimed at educating people about HIV. Another goal is to destigmatize HIV. WHO: The National Council of Negro Women, the Black Student Union WHEN: Today from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. WHERE: University of Michigan Museum of Art
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
Authorities have released the names of the 14 people killed in Wednesday’s shooting at a San Bernadino, California community center, CNN reported. The victims ranged in age from 20 to 60 years-old. The Daily’s editorial staff lays out what the University should look for in selecting a new athletic director — and emphasized that students should be included in the search process. >>SEE OPINION, PAGE 4
2
3
The U.S. Senate sent a highways and transit bill Thursday night to President Barack Obama for approval, The New York Times reported. The $300 billion package will authorize six years of projects and renews the charter of the Export-Import Bank.
City Council to vote on new committee members, calendar The council will also discuss a new state bill to amend speed limit provisions
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Practice job talk War lecture
WHAT: Caltech Geology Prof. Paul Asimow will lecture about the the midocean ridge basalt ferric iron crisis. WHO: Earth and Environmental Sciences WHEN: Today from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. WHERE: Clarence Cook Little Building
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Oceanic crust lecture
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WHAT: Rackham student Katie Lim will present a talk on how self employment and workplace f lexibility interact with the labor supply of women. WHO: Department of Economics WHEN: Today from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. WHERE: 3240 Weill Hall
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ing Council approval. These include the Ann Arbor Summer Festival Liaison, the Audit Committee, the Board of Insurance Administration, Housing & Human Services and the Advisory Board and Park Advisory Commission. Councilmember Chip Smith (D–Ward 5) will likely join five committees, including the Brownfield Committee, Budget and Labor Committee, the Energy Commission, the Environmental Commission and the Liquor Control Commission. City Council will also vote on a resolution to appoint Councilmember Julie Grand (D–Ward 3) to the Greenbelt Advisory Commission. This is an advisory committee on decisions involving largely undeveloped, wild or agricultural land in the area.
dard operating procedures for Council-related business. One proposed rule outlines the councilmembers’ administrative responsibilities, stipulating that council members may not provide direction directly to city staff, but should do so through the city administrator. The 2016 Council calendar will also be approved, which schedules each of the public Council meetings and work sessions. If approved, meetings will still occur bi-monthly at 7 p.m. on Monday evenings. The calendar also outlines 12 work session dates that are open to the public. Three work session dates — two in February and one in March — are dedicated to budget purposes and will only be held if necessary.
Council rules and calendar The Council will also vote on a resolution to approve the proposed 2016 Ann Arbor City Council Rules — a set of stan-
Michigan Vehicle Code The Council will vote on a resolution to oppose Michigan House Bill 4425, which amends the Michigan Vehicle Code Memorandum. This package of bills, introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives in September, would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code provisions on speed limits. Under the proposed amendment, a speed limit would have to be at the 85th percentile of speed of free-flowing traffic. The speed of free-flowing traffic would be measured under ideal conditions and rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Councilmembers Sabra Briere (D–Ward 1), Graydon Krapohl (D–Ward 4) and Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor (D), as well as Smith and Ackerman, are cosponsoring the resolution, which states that the ability to modify speed limits to address road conditions is a tool of the local government, not the state. The resolution opposes interference from Lansing with local streets and neighborhoods, as the state would not be able to account for local conditions.
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WRITTEN IN SAND
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Karen Finley, a New York-based performance artist, gives a lecture titled “Written in Sand” at the Penny W. Stamps Speaker Series on Thursday night at the Michigan Theater. Finley touched on multiple topics during her performance, including HIV/AIDS, sexual abuse and suicide.
200 ‘U’ courses to leverage tech, cater to non-students Office of Digital Education to retrofit courses leading up to bicentenial By DESIREE CHEW For the Daily
Aligned with the University’s upcoming bicentennial celebrations, the Office of Digital Education & Innovation announced its intention to adapt 200 University courses to cater to pre-college, residential and lifelong learners by the end of 2017. The initiative was laid out this week by James DeVaney, associate vice provost for digital and engaged education. Established last September, the DEI is a provost-level office that leverages technology to redevelop the teaching and learning space, both within and beyond the University. The DEI has already initiated significant changes to class curriculums and pedagogical methods used by faculty members. The Digital Innovation Greenhouse, a
branch of the DEI, brings together faculty members, researchers and software developers to develop digital educational tools. Physics Prof. Timothy McKay, the principal investigator of the DIG, said he was inspired to start the DIG after his own experiences developing ECoach, a personalized coaching tool that provides individualized feedback to students based on their backgrounds. Likening the DIG to business accelerators, McKay considers it the in-between space where innovative ideas are solidified into digital tools that meet the needs of the community. “There is a whole process between an invention and a product, or between innovation and infrastructure that you need to fill somehow,” he said. “What we saw was a bunch of digitally enabled, good ideas emerging, but not being able to become really wide-scale projects. We needed a place on campus where a faculty innovator can take a great idea, put it on the table, and work it out so that it grows into something
that can be implemented on a broader scale.” McKay asserts that digital tools like ECoach will continue to be actively marketed to all faculty members. “As we develop great new models that should spread widely across campus, communities of practice will go out to look for people who might benefit from this and try to bring them in.” However, according to Information Prof. Barry Fishman, who developed GradeCraft, another DIG project, combining digital innovation with education is not always simple. GradeCraft is a tool that allows faculty members to design their courses using a framework of game-inspired learning and teaching. He acknowledged the challenge of getting people receptive to and involved in course reinvention. “There are always challenges when you are trying to change teaching or learning practice. People are set in their ways and it takes effort to change,” he said. Read more online at michigandaily.com
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NEWS BRIEFS
Group offers free bike safety equipment GetDowntown, a program which provides communting services for employees and employers in downtown Ann Arbor, is offering free lights and reflective gear for anyone working downtown. The decision to provide complimentary safety equipment comes after a series of cycling deaths. On Monday, Jeffrey Jurek, 54, was killed in a crash on Dexter Avenue. On October 28, Michael Curley, 26, was killed in a hitand-run crash. And last October, Derek Tat, 24 year-old graduate student at the University, was killed after being hit by a University bus on North Campus. While the complimentary gear will be available for pickup and delivery, GetDowntown also plans to visit downtown businesses to hand out items.
Researchers can preserve fertility in women with cancer University researchers have discovered a potential new approach to preserving fertility in young cancer patients. The researchers, who conducted their research on mice, isolated primary ovarian follicles and encapsulated these follicles in a gel. After this, the follicles were reemplanted in the mice. All those with transplanted follicles resumed normal ovarian cycles and one-third produced live births. Researchers are also exploring ovarian tissue transplantaition for cancer patients. A concern with this approach is that the tissue may harbor latent cancer cells which could be reintroduced to the patient upon transplantation. Current ferility preservation methods include embryo or egg freezing which are performed using hormonal stimulation to induce ovulation. Unfortunately, some patients are too young or their cancer is too advanced for this treatment to be a viable option.
Famed indie film producer donates archives to the ‘U’ Renowned film producer Ira Deutchman announced Wednesday he would donate archives spanning his 40-year film career to the University’s Screen Arts Mavericks & Makers collection. As founder of the companies Cinecom and Fine Line Features, Deutchman has produced more than 150 films, including the critically acclaimed works “Matewan,” “The Player” and “sex, lies, and videotape”. His donation to the University will include personal documents, e-mails, photographs and memorabilia from art house exhibits, the earliest dating back to the early 1970s. In addition to being a film studies professor at Columbia University School of the Arts, Deutchman works as an independent producer and consultant in independent film marketing and production. As a consultant, he has represented companies producing a variety of film genres including documentaries, operas and ballets. In a statement, Deutchman said he believes his contribution will add depth to the study and discussion of the independent cinema industry. “I believe that it is important to understand the role of marketers, distributors, exhibitors and curators in the support and creation of film culture in the U.S.,” he said. “Without that part of the independent film ecosystem, it’s hard to imagine how these maverick filmmakers could have survived. By bringing this part of the discussion to their collection, the University of Michigan is making a huge contribution to the study of independent cinema.” —GEN HUMMER AND ALYSSA BRANDON
PROMISE From Page 1 lish promise zones to benefit their students, but have been unable to because state law limits the zones to 10 districts. “We know that education is a driver of our economy, and we know that in certain areas, it’s a little bit more difficult to attain high education,” McGarry said. “I really think this benefits the state as a whole: Not only are we offering a higher education, but if people know that they have the promise option for their children, I think, long term, we would see more people coming into communities — potentially housing values could increase — because people want to send their kids to a district where they know that they’re going to have college afterwards.” McGarry also noted that some promise zones, especially Baldwin Community Schools, have already been successful at increasing college or technical school enrollment. “Starting with the first promise zone in Kalamazoo, communities have witnessed a positive impact in providing tuition support for students,” she said. “Not every zone works in exactly the same way and the funding for the zones can vary. The expansion of promise zones appears to further enhance the ability of students and families to consider higher education or other post-
secondary options. That’s certainly an effort we support.” McGarry said this flexibility is a positive, because it allows locals to decide what is best for their communities. “This program doesn’t work in every community, but for locals that want to garner the private investment to get this off the ground, this gives them the ability to do that,” she said. “Let’s give more communities the ability to take advantage of it.” Both Mooney and McGarry noted that 0539 and 0540’s more technical changes to previous legislation would increase the accountability of the program. Districts would have several years to receive treasury approval and begin granting scholarships before their charters would be revoked for lack of success. The treasury would then give the next district on a waiting list the mandate to begin its own program, and all zones would be required to include mechanisms for tracking degree completion in their program design. Mooney cited the decision of Jackson Public Schools, one of the 10 original promise zone districts, to terminate its program last year due to fundraising constraints as the catalyst for Bill 0539. She said there lacked a system in the original promise zones legislation that specified how the state could replace that school district with another. “Treasury didn’t believe that it specified in (previous legislation) how to dissolve a zone
if (Jackson) chose to and what happens to the dollars that they’ve raised — so that’s what we are trying to codify and clarify in Senate Bill 0539,” she said. “And when Jackson chose to dissolve, there are others on this waiting list that applied back in 2009, and Treasury believed there needed to be clarification in statute in order for them to certify or designate another eligible entity to be a zone.” Bill 0540 is a technical bill that allows state-raised funds to be funneled directly to the promise zone programs, as opposed to through an intermediary such as the school district. After the testimonies, the committee engaged with Mooney and McGarry for clarification on specific parts of the two bills and some representatives raised concerns about how state and districtlevel funds are appropriated for these programs. Specifically, Rep. Jeff Farrington (R–Utica) asked Mooney and McGarry why the number of promise zones in the state should be limited at all. “Why are we moving from 10 to 15 instead of unlimiting it?” Farrington said. “If it’s good for Baldwin, Flint, Battle Creek, whomever else, why not for the whole state?” Mooney said it is prudent for the state to increase the number of permissible zones slowly, because these programs do use state funds to provide scholarships.
michigandaily.com FIRESIDE From Page 1 diversity of the student body, including the HAIL Scholars Program and the Wolverine Pathways program. HAIL provides full scholarships to students from low-income areas; Wolverine Pathways is a pipeline program targeted at middle and high school students in two metro Detroit area school districts that would also yield four-year tuition scholarships. Harper also spoke about the University’s Comprehensive Studies Program, which offers students from under-resourced high schools, underrepresented minorities and first-generation students extra resources to succeed. “If you’ve always done well it sort of dons on you late that you might need some additional support,” Harper said. “We think part of the Michigan challenge is to try to normalize help-seeking behavior.” Sexual assault investigation procedures LSA senior Kendal Rosalik, who said she is a survivor of sexual misconduct, was one of the students who received an e-mail from University Title XI Coordinator Anthony Whalesby and the Office of Student Conflict Resolution when the draft sexual misconduct policy was distributed to students. The e-mail asked students to share their experiences, make suggestions and attend policy roundtables. “I was a little bit alarmed by the fact that there was not a survivorspecific roundtable after asking me to share my experiences in an e-mail that looked like a generic e-mail,” Rosalik said. “There was no indication of what the content
BRAIN From Page 1 gravity environment is just another example of how people do that.” Seidler’s other work focuses on the elderly and patients with Parkinson’s. She said there are parallels between the motor control loss that comes with aging and the experiences of astronauts returning home. “There are some age declines in the vestibular system that can contribute to balance loss, so there is a connection there,” she said. “I also study how people learn new motor skills
of that e-mail was going to be and no indication that the content of that e-mail was going to be contacting me because I was a survivor that reported.” Rosalik said she wrote a 10-page paper offering her thoughts on the policy and offered to meet with both OSCR and the Title IX coordinator’s office, but never received a response. She voiced specific concern with the lack of transparency the policy provides in the investigation of reports of sexual assault on campus. In an interview after the event, she noted that the University’s investigation process — during which a University-assigned investigator separately gathers information from both the survivor and perpetrator of alleged assault — lacks transparency because it is not clear how the investigator implements current policy to decide which party to trust. She said the ineffectiveness of this process is illustrated by data from the University’s campus climate survey, noting that just under 4 percent of all victims of sexual assault at the University were reported to someone at the University for the 2013-2014 academic year. Additionally, she said, only four alleged perpetrators were found guilty of sexual assault on campus, with two cases pending. “We can do the work, students and activists, to make this a better policy, but there’s not a lot that we can do around the transparency of that policy,” Rosalik said. “What would you suggest we do to make that a more transparent process for survivors?” Schlissel said he was surprised there was no survivor-specific mode of outreach concerning the drafting of the sexual assault
— what are the brain areas that are engaged when the brain begins to learn motor memory? How is this process affected by Parkinson’s disease or aging?” Dean of Kinesiology Ronald Zernicke said he thought Seidler’s research touched on an interesting part of the transition period for astronauts. He cited, in particular, the case of NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who has been in space for nearly 400 days — a recordbreaking f light. “(Kelly) is coming down in March, who’s been up there for 382 days,” he said. “Your depth perception, your memory, motor control — those can all be affected because of the
policy, and apologized for the insensitivity of the e-mail she received. He further acknowledged the challenge of investigative transparency, and said the University is open to suggestions for improvement in that regard. Divestment from fossil fuels The question of divestment from fossil fuels also sparked debate at Thursday’s event. One LSA sophomore brought up the fact that the University currently invests $1 billion in fossil fuel-related industries. One student asked whether there exists a point when the consequences of investing in fossil fuels would outweigh any benefits. A proposal to support the formation of a committee to consider fossil fuel divestment was passed by the University’s Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs last month. Schlissel responded that the University is dedicated to sustainability and efforts to curb climate change, citing the University’s Graham Sustainability Institute, extensive sustainability research, environmental science course offerings and philanthropic efforts targeted at environmental causes. He additionally reaffirmed the University’s commitment to reducing environmental harm by reminding the audience of the University’s recent $80 million investment in a natural gasdriven turbine or co-generation turbine, which makes electricity and steam at high efficiency and is expected to decrease the University’s carbon footprint by 20 percent. On the topic of divestment, Schlissel said he is against divesting due to its anticipated ineffectiveness in actually diverting the energy market from fossil fuels.
lack of gravity and the normal way in which the body is functioning. The brain interprets signals in space differently in some respects, than it does to being in gravity.” Seidler said she is particularly interested in exploring how certain brain regions change during spacef light as they adapt to different gravity levels. She will explore those changes through a series of tests on astronauts both on Earth and in the space station. “We’re doing a bunch of measurements before and after astronauts go to the International Space Station,” she said. “We’re using MRIs to measure
Friday, December 4, 2015 — 3
DEER From Page 1 his decision to vote in favor of the cull. “It goes without saying that the recall process is a critical part of democracy,” he said. “That being said, in my limited experience of recalls, they usually seem to involve some kind of extreme behavior problem of an elected official, not votes on small-budget items like we have here. I struggle with the concept of using a recall in this instance. I suppose the inference is that 10 out of 11 council members are unfit to serve in this person’s view.” The deer management program City Council approved is designed in hopes of reducing the deer population and in turn decreasing nuisance to the community and supporting biological diversity. The council allocated up to $90,000 for deer population management efforts over the next four years. However, only approximately $35,000 will be put toward the cull. The city also has plans to investigate alternative methods for population regulation and the September approved resolution also provides for further exploration and research of deer fertility control. During the cull, sharpshooters will take out deer at night on public property, a move which has proven contentious. At the November meeting in which City Council approved the cull, approximately 50 speakers, spoke in support of or against the resolution. “I live in Ann Arbor near public land,” Sanzotta said during the meeting. “I am seriously concerned about public safety. Who knows what high powered rifles are being fired on these animals? I
“If you could convince me that the University of Michigan shifting its investment portfolio away from fossil fuel companies would actually hasten our transition to renewables, then I’d think about it,” Schlissel said. “But I think that the strongest arguments that have been made so far is that it’s an important symbolic action because burning fossil fuels is bad for the environment.” Schlissel said he would rather see students lobby the Michigan state legislature instead of the University on the topic of fossil fuel divestment. At the University level, he said, divestment is “mostly symbolic action.” “If it diminishes the performance of our endowment and our ability to pay for all the things here that we want to pay for and it doesn’t hasten our conversion away from fossil fuels, it doesn’t make sense to me,” he added. The student responded that divesting in fossil fuel industries would not only be a symbolic gesture, but also an initial step in igniting a culture shift toward reducing environmental harm. He also said the University could influence donors not to have their money invested in the fossil fuel industry.
don’t think that is something that residents should want to allow, for public safety reasons.” Westphal said he understood why the decision was controversial, but added that he ultimately felt the cull was the only proven way to manage the deer overpopulation issue. “There was a very expensive public outreach and research process that apparently Council felt comfortable with,” he said. “It’s clear that nobody loves the idea of a deer cull. However I get the overwhelming feeling from my constituents that most understand this is the only proven way to manage the deer and the ecosystem.” For the Save the Deer group’s petition to prevail, it will need to be approved by the Washtenaw County Election Commission, which next meets Dec. 17. If approved, the group will need to collect signatures from 1,791 registered Ward 2 voters by the end of January. A successful petition would force a May runoff election ahead of the August City Council primary, in which Westphal will already be up for re-election. The special election would determine a new candidate to fill the seat before the election. Sanzotta said the group’s next step, after filing the petition, would be identifying a candidate interested in running for Westphal’s seat. This is not Sanzotta’s first attempt at ousting a council member because of his or her sentiments toward the cull. The Save the Deer group worked to defeat council member Jane Lumm (I–Ward 2) for approving the cull when Lumm was up for re-election in November. However, despite Save the Deer’s efforts, Lumm was reelected last month.
medical schools. Schlissel responded that the University’s main focus is and remains on undergraduate student debt and less so graduate and professional students, least of all medical and law students. “It’s not that it’s unimportant, but when you’re training for a profession, it’s a different type of thinking than receiving an undergraduate basic education,” Schlissel said. “The reason why you can accumulate that much debt is because the people loaning you the money appreciate the fact that there’s no unemployment among physicians,” he added. “You will pay it back.”
Student debt During the chat, a Medical School student who said she carries a significant amount of student debt voiced concern with the University’s average amount of debt within the medical student population. She said the current number is skewed because a large portion of medical students have no debt, while a large portion of others have a significant amount of debt. She also noted that continuing to raise tuition poses a unique threat to medical students, as it is virtually impossible to transfer
University grading policies About halfway through the event, Schlissel posed a question to those in attendance: “Does Michigan seem the same or more competitive among students than you thought it would be?” Students’ reactions were mixed, with the general consensus that, in classes graded on a curve, peer competition and high tension are more evident. Schlissel then asked students if they thought an absolute grading system, as opposed to a curve, would be a more effective form of evaluation. One medical student, arguing in favor of an absolute grading system, said curves are detrimental to students whose grades fall below the average — and are subsequently curved down. Similarly, other respondents were mostly in favor of absolute grading, identifying a curve as a significant source of stress and competition. Schlissel acknowledged both the positives and negatives to the curved grading system.
brain structures and function. We’re measuring their balance, their functional mobility and doing a lot of cognitive tests. Then while they’re on the space station they also do some behavioral tests for us, some motor tasks that we have them do on a computer.” These measurements and tests include obstacle courses to determine how quickly they can move over and under obstacles as well as cognitive tests while under an MRI, a scanning device that provides a detailed picture of the brain. Zernicke said though Seidler’s current work relates the brain to its environment in microgravity, the implications
of her research could also be applied to the brain as it functions on Earth. “There’s still so much unknown associated with the brain,” he said. “The more you can learn in different contexts, the better it will be for finding out whether it’s on Earth, under different conditions, under adaptations, how the brain adapts and responds to different kinds of stimuli. Microgravity, or being in space, is a different stimuli than people typically have. It’s a unique situation and that unique situation can potentially provide some insights in terms of how the brain functions.”
Opinion
4 — Friday, December 4, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
JASON ROWLAND | VIEWPOINT 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.
FROM THE DAILY
AD search must include students The next Athletic Director should prioritize diversity, inclusion
T
he University confirmed Wednesday that the search for a permanent athletic director has begun and that interim Athletic Director Jim Hackett does not wish to be considered for the position. For better or worse, the University’s reputation is intertwined with athletic success, affecting all community members, including student-athletes, student-fans and even students who don’t care about athletics. Following the disastrous tenure of former Athletic Director Dave Brandon and a remarkable past 13 months with Hackett as interim Athletic Director, the University must be diligent in finding an applicant who’s committed not only to maintaining Hackett’s success, but also to increasing diversity and promoting inclusion in the Athletic Department. Furthermore, the University must keep in mind students from across campus — not just ones who are passionate about sports — to ensure all perspectives are taken into account in the search for a new athletic director. The University cannot afford to hire another Dave Brandon. Despite his ties to the University as an alum and former regent, Brandon’s mismanagement of multiple situations outweighed any of the positive contributions he made as Athletic Director. Brandon’s mishandling of quarterback Shane Morris’ concussion — which included a press release sent at 1 a.m. and statements that contradicted former football coach Brady Hoke — was abysmal. During Brandon’s tenure, former football kicker Brendan Gibbons was allowed to play a game on Nov. 23, 2013 after being found responsible for a 2009 sexual misconduct allegation by the Office of Student Conflict Resolution on Nov. 20, 2013; a change to the Student Sexual Misconduct Policy in 2011 allowed the incident to be investigated by the Office of Institutional Equity, which resulted in Gibbons’ “permanent separation” from the University. Brandon also reportedly wrote denigrating e-mails to alumni, neglected to involve students in numerous important decisions regarding athletics and raised student ticket prices to astronomically high levels. Ultimately, under his leadership, the Athletic Department became more about the bottom line than heart and tradition. Enter Jim Hackett, the Athletic Department’s soul doctor. Hackett became the interim Athletic Director in October 2014, heading a department in disarray. In his first decisions as director, Hackett fired an unsatisfactory football coach, hired the dream coach the Michigan fan base wanted and orchestrated a $169 million deal with Nike. Growing up in an atmosphere that promoted deep respect for coaching and sports, Hackett has routinely supported all athletes and coaches throughout the past year. In an open letter after Michigan’s lastsecond loss to Michigan State on Oct. 17, Hackett condemned the violent comments directed at Michigan punter Blake O’Neill, who made a mistake in the last play of the game. Hackett’s demeanor and attitude
about the job is admirable. Continuing this culture of respect, financial success and understanding of tradition is an imperative task for the next athletic director. In a conference call with local media outlets Wednesday, University President Mark Schlissel said, “I’m looking for the best person for the job. It is a $151 million enterprise. It’s a complex enterprise that requires somebody with business accounting and leadership skills and experience.” These skills, along with an understanding of college athletic departments, which Schlissel also mentioned as a criterium, should be the baseline requirements. The new athletic director must have an unwavering commitment to increasing diversity and inclusion at the University. The Athletic Department has immense influence in steering campus culture and should feel a responsibility in providing students of all backgrounds with a full University experience. This begins by making student tickets more affordable. Earlier this year, a need-based reduced price ticket program for football, basketball and hockey was implemented for students who receive Pell grants. The new athletic director should work to expand this program to include more low-income students, not for just those on Pell grants. Furthermore, student discounts at M-Den locations should be implemented to allow every student to show school spirit affordably. Currently, the search committee consists of eight indviduals including a coach, a current and former student-athlete, a faculty representative, a member of Schlissel’s special counsel, the University’s chief financial officer and the current medical director at Renown Rehabilitation Center in Reno, Nev. Though Schlissel and Hackett said during the conference call they will make it a priority to seek student opinions, it should be done formally in open forums or meetings. In these forums, there must be a deliberate effort to include students of all backgrounds.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Ben Keller, Minsoo Kim, Payton Luokkala, Aarica Marsh, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Jason Rowland, Lauren Schandevel, Melissa Scholke, Rebecca Tarnopol, Ashley Tjhung, Stephanie Trierweiler, Mary Kate Winn, Derek Wolfe
“
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
We should never think that this is something that just happens in the ordinary course of events, because it doesn’t happen with the same frequency in other countries.”
— President Barack Obama said in an interview with CBS correspondent Norah O’Donnell on Dec. 2 about the mass shooting in San Bernardino, CA.
Look for the helpers
“What is the world coming to?” my 70-year-old grandmother asked during our conversation about the recent terrorist attack in Paris. The scenes of carnage in a city she’s visited many times prompted her to reminisce, with fond nostalgia, on the immensely different world she grew up in — a world where everyone supposedly left their doors unlocked and violence was nowhere near as common as it is today. Statistically speaking, these rosy memories are fallacious. Contrary to popular belief, we’re currently living in the most peaceful time in human history. Homicide rates, sexual assault rates and war deaths are a record low across the globe. Despite these improvements, it remains easy to feel cynical about the direction the world is heading in because much work is still needed to make our planet a safer place. These negative feelings become especially pronounced after disaster, because it’s often forgotten that after a particularly bad storm, you can expect to find a rainbow. Or, in the words of Mister Rogers, after a disaster, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” Fourteen years ago, the United States watched in horror as the World Trade Center fell to the ground and into our collective memory. The images from Sept. 11 are not only some of the most powerful of the 21st century, but also among the most powerful in
RACHEL DAWSON
global history. They joined the powerful group of media snippets — paintings of people suffering from the bubonic plague, pictures from the firing on Fort Sumter and videos of Hitler’s first speech as chancellor, to name a few — that captured events that went on to permanently alter the trajectory of foreign and domestic policy. To most, these images of disaster represent nothing more than negative scars on our history. However, what isn’t shown in these pictures is the aid and support that poured in after the cameras were put down. While photos from Sept. 11 are full of death and despair, photos from Sept. 12 tell a vastly different and more uplifting story. The day after the towers came down, the world stood together in solidarity to show that it supported New York and to the mourn the loss of those who died in the attacks. Millions of dollars of aid money poured into the city — money that everyday working families had earned and had every right to keep. Yet, they found it within themselves to put aside their wants and needs for someone else’s benefit. Over the decade and a half that followed, similar scenarios have played out across the globe. The 2004 South Asian tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, Haitian and Japanese earthquakes, the Gulf Oil Spill and the Ebola crisis are all rightfully branded as disasters, and all of these events were seen by some as a sort
of omen signaling that times are getting worse. Yet these events ended with people from all over the world coming together to help the victims, a fact that is overlooked all too often. Here we are today, looking at Paris and asking ourselves how we keep letting this happen. It’s easy to ask, “What is the world coming to?” while we ignore all of the love that flowed into the city after the hateful acts. During the attacks, many people risked their own lives to save the lives of people they didn’t know. After the attacks, the world supported Paris by sending moral support and engaging in other acts of kindness. For example, Airbnb, a popular service that allows people to rent their homes to travelers, provided homes for Parisians in need of a place to stay. Acts like these were common, but were outshadowed by the negativity that followed the attacks. This isn’t to say we shouldn’t discuss tragedies when they strike — we definitely should. However, when we have these discussions, we shouldn’t forget to look for the helpers who inevitably arrive when the smoke settles, the individuals who continue to prove that most people do not have hate in their hearts. If not, we might leave the discussion with a more cynical view of the world than what actually exists. Jason Rowland is an LSA freshman and Editorial Board member.
E-mail Rachel at rdawson@umich.edu
MINSOO KIM | VIEWPOINT
Blame it on our generation?
Do you remember what happened at the University of Connecticut a few months ago? A kid pulled a total “college bro move,” but it was taken to an extreme. He was drunk, but also turned out to be underage. In the process of the student demanding the famous jalapeño bacon mac and cheese from one of the school cafeterias, he was physically restrained by two of the cafeteria managers after repeatedly pushing one of them. The student was clearly intoxicated. Student bystanders quickly busted out their camera phones, and the whole thing went viral on YouTube. There are so many problems in this one incident. First of all, the disrespect displayed by the students toward the cafeteria manager is simply hard to watch. Yes, the student was under the influence, and we all get that sudden craving of food when we feel a bit tipsy, right? But this isn’t something normal or OK. Not only does the student repeatedly swear at someone who works for him day and night, but he also clearly shows he believes the manager is of a lower rank of some kind, simply because he is a cafeteria manager. A teenager looks down upon a man around the age of his parents because of his occupation. We might all be hesitant to admit this is true, but this happens far too often. Some of us nonchalantly poke fun at people with more laborious occupa-
tions, such as janitors or cafeteria managers. It may all be fun and jokes until this disrespect manifests itself, especially in an educational environment, where we are meant to learn to become respectful citizens. Janitor jokes and lunch-lady jokes, where we either consciously or unconsciously consider them inferior solely based on what their subjects do for a living, aren’t the type of laughs we should be sharing as adults. What else went wrong here? If you checked YouTube when it happened, there were, and still probably are, countless videos of the same incident, taken from several different angles. Everyone at the cafeteria found this drunk student demanding some mac and cheese amusing enough to record it on video and shamelessly upload to the Internet. But if you watch any version of the video, hardly anyone present jumps in to break up the situation, not to mention at least try to calm the drunk student down before things escalated. While nobody there may have instigated or directly taken part in, it’s concerning that nobody tried to step in and take action to prevent things from going so far south. People were recording it on their phones, laughing and generally drawing an unnecessary amount of attention to the incident. Finally, someone who seemed to be a fellow school employee tried to tell the student to leave the prem-
ises. But the drunk student didn’t listen, and the police had to show up to put an end to the situation. I can’t guarantee I would have been courageous enough to stop the student from going crazy, but I can definitely admit that pulling out my phone to share this with the world wouldn’t have been the first thing on my mind if I was there. Maybe the atmosphere or the cultural ambience of college has set a deep-rooted tone or sense of humor that makes us find incidents like this funny, and so we let them happen and laugh at them. However, as adults, most, if not all of us should be concerned if anything like this were to happen around us. In the case that it does, at least some of us should be able to be in the video as the “party poopers” and spoil the “fun.” Ever since the introduction of social media, everything is very short-lived. The memes we see on Facebook, the hilarious videos on YouTube and all the Internet goodies don’t stay with us for longer than a week; at least in my case. So naturally, people already forgot about this Internet sensation. To whoever is reading this, I apologize for digging this old topic back out. But we could learn a few things from this happening. Besides, how good could that mac and cheese really be? Minsoo Kim is an LSA freshman and Editorial Board Member.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION
Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and viewpoints. Letters should be around 300 words, while viewpoints should be 550-850 words. Send the article, writer’s full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Friday, December 4, 2015 — 5
TV REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
‘Empire’ falters Dramatic ‘Witches’ in second season By SOPHIA KAUFMAN Daily Arts Writer
Mediocre storylines hurt Fox drama at mid-season finale By CHRISTIAN KENNEDY Daily Arts Writer
At the sophomore season midpoint of “Empire,” a week of quick changes come to a close. First, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson, C“The Curious Case of Benja- Empire min Button”) was taking over Season 2 midEmpire, then season finale she creates her own com- FOX pany. Hakeem Wednesdays (Bryshere Gray) at 9 p.m. has PTSD from his kidnapping, then he doesn’t. Jamal (Jussie Smollett) is gay, then he kisses a girl. “Empire” ’s second season thus far has been riddled with half-played-out storylines. That, coupled with an inconsistent supporting cast, has taken a onceglossy primetime soap and dulled it down to its lackluster bits. The root of “Empire” ’s problem is the mediocre prix-fixe menu of storylines. You can’t pick and choose which ones you want and none of the courses are all that great. The problematic writing reflects onto the characters and the show’s overall quality. The condemnable lack of ensemble scenes due to fragmented storylines came to a mass collision in Wednesday’s episode, leaving viewers with even more new questions than answers. The Lyons no longer have rapport with supporting cast, most of which have come and gone sporadically. A three-dimensional Tianna (Serayah McNeill), likeable Onika (Grace Gealey) and stunning Elle Dallas (Courtney Love, “The People v. Larry
FOX
Kanye’s workout plan is better.
Flynt”) have been replaced with Marisa Tomei’s painstakingly boring lesbian venture capitalist Mimi Whiteman. Tomei’s talent, paired with Whiteman’s character description, lends itself well to the submissive tone emulated throughout the first season. But ultimately, Mimi Whiteman and the lack of non-Lyon character development highlight the show’s dragging plot. Though “Empire” isn’t down for the count quite yet. There are still moments of magic that sparked viewers’ passion during season one. The chemistry between Alicia Keys and Jussie Smollett is unbearably infectious, despite the show’s unwillingness to define their relationship. Cookie’s speech at the women’s prison, albeit unoriginal, felt genuine and Hakeem’s subsequent prison performance was one of the season’s strongest. As the first installment of season two closes, “Empire” once again re-enters the “who’s gonna win the kingdom” storyline that has been looped in throughout
its lifetime; there has just been another shuffling of teams. Ultimately, the season closes with its worst and best choices. A pregnant Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday) was pushed down the stairs (presumably by a psychotic and also pregnant Onika), consequently throwing a wrench in one of the season’s few well-functioning storylines. And Lucious’s (Terrence Howard, “Iron Man”) longawaited humanization comes after Hakeem casts the deciding vote to remove his father as CEO of Empire. His breakdown, complete with gunfire, tears and a comforting Cookie hopefully mark a turn for “Empire” ’s course. “Empire” — the “Empire” that broke records and captivated viewers last season — is in the second season’s fall finale somewhere. Out of focus and hidden behind the copious amounts of plot, the drama’s true potential is kept afloat by the talent of the cast and the show’s character dynamics, but it will soon be in danger of drowning within itself.
TV NOTEBOOK
Fallon transcendent By SHIR AVINADAV Daily Arts Writer
When my mother and I sit down to watch TV, as with any family, there’s typically some contention over which program to watch. She’ll put up a fight against whatever sitcom is playing on a marathon loop and objects to the reruns of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” that constantly air. After I berate her for her devotion to “The Voice” and sensationalized local news, we finally settle on yet another episode of “Friends” or some Katherine Heigl movie that’s already halfway through its airtime. Yet, since I’ve gone off to college, every time I return home, we sit down every night promptly at 10:30 p.m. armed with snacks and mugs of tea to watch “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” What is it about this charismatic host and the series of parodies, celebrity guests and viral sketches that prompts my mom and I to overcome our differences and dedicate over an hour to watch his show? The same question can be asked of his nearly 3.9 million viewers. Late night talk shows — a staple in many American homes — are more than just a reflection of the nation’s cultural climate. They’re a ubiquitous part of the nightly routine of viewers who — comforted by the regular presence of witty hosts carefully selected by networks — are a living part of the long tradition of late night TV dating back to the ’50s. With the succession of new late night talk show hosts in recent years, it’s important to note that this tradition has been carried out in much the same way, slightly varying with the experience and personalities of different hosts. For Fallon, whose program rates highest among 18-49 year olds, his focus is endearingly rooted in a genuine desire to have fun and entertain audiences. Aided by a
Stacy Schiff’s “The Witches: Salem, 1692” is the kind of book you forget isn’t fiction. Though it’s a bit long for those not already The acquainted with Witches: Salem scholarship, “The Salem Witches” is still 1692 accessible. It chronicles the Stacy Schiff beginning of the Little, Brown Salem hysteria, follows the esca- and Company lation of the trials to fever pitch and addresses the eerie silence that followed the 19 executions of the “witches.” Reading these stories feels like watching a play — a serious, sometimes unwittingly and darkly humorous play. It began with a group of young girls having fits and accusing neighbors of witchcraft. Accused witches either denied the charges — effectively signing their own death warrants — or confessed and named other witches in turn. The “afflicted” girls, as they were known, rapidly became Salem’s darlings. Ministers and other leaders of the town hung on their every word, tracked the quick, darting movements of their eyes in the courtroom and shrugged helplessly as the girls screamed and contorted their bodies in pews, crying out that they were being pricked by the specters of witches they had named.
Schiff includes stories about family feuds, adulterous relationships with servants, jealous spouses and the transparent machinations of petulant teenagers. They startle you into realizing the colonists of Massachusetts Bay lived with the same kind of subtle social politics we do now. For better or for worse, these accounts make the fantastic events of Salem relatable to our own lives. They increase the length of the work as a whole, and sometimes teeter on the edge of being extraneous. But they flesh out the story that, historically, is too often chalked up to a fluke year of frantic religious fanaticism. The creative retelling of these tales is also where Schiff’s sense of humor glints through the lines. For example, she observes that becoming an “afflicted” girl often meant not having to milk the cows (or do any of the other chores that plagued Puritan girls from dawn to dusk). Schiff is also completely aware of her audience, slyly slipping in references to “Harry Potter” and “The Wizard of Oz” in the footnotes. She also illustrates how religion was present in every aspect of the colonists’ lives and how this created an environment where accusations of and hysteria about witchcraft could (and did) spread like wildfire. Witchcraft and religion were inextricably linked; acts of sorcery were conflated with heresy. Witchcraft implied a contract with the devil. In studies of American history, women have often been relegated to paragraphs within chapters. But
it’s undeniable that women were the central characters in the Salem witch trials — they were the majority of the accusers and the accused. Schiff’s analysis of the witch trials through a gendered lens is incredibly astute without being dismissive of the other influences that played a role. Over the years, there have been several lenses through which people have viewed and interpreted the Salem witch trials, and Schiff manages to incorporate many of them. It’s impossible for us to ever have a fully comprehensive understanding of what transpired in Salem in 1692. Our primary sources are limited; we have access to death warrants, preliminary hearings and confessions, but that’s about it. Though Puritan girls in Massachusetts Bay were more educated than others of their demographic at the time, none of them left journals or diaries. Schiff’s book is deceptively accessible. It reads like a novel, but it represents painstaking historical research and the putting together of a thousand-piece puzzle — of which a few pieces are forever lost to us. The witchcraft trials represented a bizarre amalgam of gender and class politics, religious fervor and adolescent strains that culminated in the hanging of 19 people. Schiff captures and communicates this complexity to us, but she also acknowledges that no matter how far we strain to reach back through time, there are some mysteries in our history that will always elude us, just ever so slightly out of reach. Salem, 1692 is one of them.
MUSIC NOTEBOOK
Tasty musical meals By CARLY SNIDER Daily Arts Writer
Music is like food — delicious, satisfying and necessary to live. Those who try to abstain are depriving themselves of vital nutrients. Those who only partake in junk are doing their souls a disservice. Just like music, food is simultaneously universal and extremely varied. It can be difficult to craft but is even more pleasurable to consume. Presentation is important. It is an art that has been practiced and perfected for millennia and one that is continually advancing. A chef making a multi-course meal is akin to a musician constructing a setlist: following a predetermined agenda to maximize the consumers’ enjoyment. First, some pre-dinner drinks. In the musical realm, these are tracks that loosen up listeners and wet the palate, something unassuming but enticing. It can be fruity or rich, but it needs a kick. Deptford Goth’s “Union” is the perfect cocktail — the soundscape is dense, the lyrics are sultry and the beat is progressive. It can be consumed passively or with vigor, just like a fine glass of wine.
Next, the appetizer. This course should build off of the mood established by the initial musical tasting, adding another dimension to the experience. It may be a good time to draw listeners in with a fan-favorite, bringing up sensory memories of pleasant pasts. Make them feel comfortable before throwing them into the main course. A tasty appetizer might consist of Marina and the Diamonds’s “Froot,” a bubblegumlacquered pop track bursting with innuendo. Marina’s voice commands attention without being powerful enough to overshadow what is to come, like a light but flavorful soup. The main course, the focal point of the evening. This is the artists’s time to shine, to truly show their ingenuity and skill. Generally lengthier and heartier than any of the previous presentations, the main course may span multiple tracks. They should play off of each other, both through similarity and distinction. The songs could be lengthened, remixed or mashed up. Whatever the method, there has to be a standout moment — an unforgettable culmination of sensory stimulation. It could be anything from the first bite, tip-
ping diners off to the delectability to come, or the final mouthful, making the art of what they have just experienced apparent. A main course combo might consist of “Call Your Girlfriend” by Robyn moving into “Empathy” by Crystal Castles, topped off with “Alive” by Sia, creating quite a colorful plate. Wrapping it up, a little something sweet. Mirroring the intensity of the appetizer, dessert should ensure that the evening leaves the recipients of art full but not over-satiated, pleasantly fed but not lethargic. The taste left in their mouths should be one of simultaneous satisfaction and of a longing for more. Like a delicately whipped chocolate mousse, Arctic Monkeys’s “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” is the perfect cap to any evening. The dessert should create an air of possibility, a sense that the night is still young, that there will always be more art to consume. The streams of art run deep. No matter how different the forms, the emotive and personal nature of creation runs through all mediums. Whether an album or a salad, a new single or an individual take on a classic dish, art is made to be consumed.
express in any other way, and I think that’s one of the reasons the community supports it year after year, and that people keep coming to the piece year after year,” Hanoian said. Those well versed in music theory will appreciate Handel’s innovative use of musical keys. The performance begins in E minor, a foreboding key that represents the uncertainty of the world before the birth of Christ. The triumphant climax of the performance — the Hallelujah chorus — is in D major. “D major is the triumphant key,” Hanoian said. “In baroque music, when you arrive at D major, there’s usually trumpets and timpani involved, and when trumpets and timpani are involved, it’s usually something that’s heroic and majestic.” The change in key throughout the performance mirrors the emotional journey that runs through the story. “The way the piece evolves to arise in D major is always fun to see,” Hanoian said. “Most music starts and ends in the same key. This is not one of those pieces; it starts in E minor and ends in D major.” Hanoian has inherited a choral group that is incredibly versatile,
having performed with symphony orchestras from Detroit, Ann Arbor, Toledo and even San Francisco. “One of the things that’s a unique challenge for me is that they’ve done ‘Messiah’ for so many years and they’ve had different conductors throughout the years,” Hanoian said. “Every conductor brings their own … interpretation of what Handel wanted. I think what the unique challenge is for me, as my first year, is introducing new perspectives of the work ‘Messiah’ to the Choral Union and seeing how they react to all of that, and to see how some things that have been ingrained in them over the years may or may not change from one year to the next.” In addition to its adaptability, another strength of the University Choral Union is its intermingling of people of all ages who work together to create a great work of art. “One of the intergenerational things that excels in (the group) is having someone who’s sung ‘Messiah’ with someone for whom this may be a brand new piece,” Hanoian said. “To have the experienced singers mentoring and leading the younger ones is always a wonderful thing.”
NBC
Way to sit at that desk without laughing.
Grammy-winning band, the talented announcer and writer Steve Higgins and a long list of celebrity guests, Fallon exudes a youthful charm while embracing the show’s heritage. While this legacy predates the onset of my mother’s and my fascination with the show, its imminence can be felt in each episode. The feeling of being a part of something encompassing years of tradition and culture, something that began before my family’s arrival to the U.S., and has continued since, connects my mom and I not only to one another, but to a culture not fundamentally a part of our identities. Though my mom and I grew up in two completely different worlds (she was born and raised in Israel, while I was raised in the U.S.), watching Fallon poke fun at presidential candidates and hilariously execute uncanny impersonations of celebrities bridges the cultural gap between us. As much as growing up with two cultures independent of one another was a gift, it also created a disparateness that I’ve had to work my whole life to reconcile. Part of this disparity was fostered by my mom’s dissociation from many aspects of American culture I had to learn on my own. Almost 20 years later, however,
the gap has grown smaller — in part due to the expanse of media that imbues American audiences with the nuances of its culture. For today’s young adults, who spend most of their time in front of screens, it’s rare to find a form of entertainment that grabs their attention while also appealing to their parents’ traditional sense of humor. Though late night TV has reached younger audiences, it has failed to represent and engage more diverse audience members — who are alienated by the predominance of white men hosting late night shows. Despite issues of diversity, late night TV’s longevity contributes to a shared culture among audiences — something Fallon embodies. In a 2013 interview with GQ magazine, Fallon says of “Late Night” (the show that groomed him to take on his most recent hosting gig): “On ‘Late Night,’ it’s like we’re all in on the joke.” This attitude, carried on to “The Tonight Show,” has generated a similar feeling among audience members. And for an hour each night, this feeling temporarily relieves the discrepancy between the preferences and attitudes bred by the cultural and generational differences between my mom and me.
MESSIAH From Page 1 Hanoian found work as an organist in Washington, D.C. and, in 2007, became the conductor at Christ Church Grosse Pointe in Michigan before accepting the conductor position at the University. “I applied and part of the job description is conducting the annual performance of Handel’s Messiah in Hill Auditorium,” Hanoian said. “That was one of the projects that drew to me to the position as the conductor of the choral union as a whole.” While the story of “Messiah” is rife with Christian imagery, Hanoian stressed that the story can be appreciated by people of all faiths. “You can take the raw emotion away from the person itself and apply that to your own faith and your own journey throughout your spirituality,” Hanoian said. In Handel’s “Messiah,” the religious imagery is not the main selling point, but rather the sheer range of emotions explored throughout the work. “Handel has created those emotions through music in ways that the human experience can’t
Arts
6 — Friday, December 4, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TV NOTEBOOK
Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ better live
TV NOTEBOOK
A trip to see a taping on the day before Thanksgiving By ALEX INTNER Daily Arts Writer
On the day before Thanksgiving, New York City’s Ed Sullivan Theater was decked out in special decorations, complete with a fireplace projection on the back screen and fall-colored lights around the studio. After a few hours of waiting, I was finally seated for the day’s taping of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” The studio’s look told me it was going to be a special episode, and I was in for a fun hour-anda-half. At television tapings, before the audience sees anyone who’s actually on screen, a comedian comes out to “warm up” the group. At “The Late Show,” Paul Mecurio got the spectators cheering and laughing. He achieves these two tasks in different ways: telling the crowd to yell and cheer (“I want you to be LOUD!”), and by making fun of individual studio viewers. I’ve seen Mecurio before tapings of “The Daily Show” (in fact, he accidentally referred to Colbert as “Jon” at one point), but at “Colbert” he actually brought those he made fun of onstage (instead of just pointing and talking to them). In fact, he actually had my dad and me join him on the stage. (At one point, my dad’s laugh stuck out and got Mecurio’s attention.) He didn’t get much time with us (the stage manager was telling him to wrap up his set), but there was still enough for an audience member to shout “Go Blue” at our Michigan gear and for some members to cheer for our native New Jersey. It was a surreal couple minutes, which went by too fast. One of my favorite aspects
AMC
Sharon readies herself for revenge.
CBS
“...and so I told Sharon to go fuck herself!”
was the show’s band, Stay Human. Before Colbert went out on stage, the band played a seven-minute set. During that performance, they energetically presented a drum piece, with each of the members getting their own. Then, Batiste got the chance to shine, as he led the band through a few different songs. He ran around the stage and brought the audience in with enthusiasm. During the “commercial breaks” (yes, they take breaks during the taping), they played music from classic up-tempo jazz to some slow Blues, showing off a tremendous range. Even as stoppages extended for several minutes, Batiste and Stay Human made them feel like nothing. Still, seeing Colbert was the reason I was there, and we got to see some more of his personality at the taping than viewers do at home. In a midshow Q&A, an audience member asked him about Tolkien’s “The Silmarillion.” While Colbert is known to be a huge “Lord of the Rings” fan, it surprised me to hear the specific details that he shared on the topic. Most latenight hosts do Q&A’s like this, which gives the host a way to
bond with the group — Colbert relishes this opportunity. The crowd in the studio also saw Colbert make some mistakes during the taping. At one point during the episode, he told a joke about a monkey being Ronald Reagan’s first wife, and he laughed a bit too much after telling it. So, he had to repeat the joke a couple times, remarking, “Do try to enjoy that joke a second time. I find comedy works better when you know what’s coming.” There was also a moment where the spectators cheered for a character’s name, ruining a planned bit. Colbert cut the filming and told the group they missed their cue, which made the moment even better when it happened. The Thanksgiving episode ended with Colbert, Stay Human and the episode’s guests around a dinner table, eating a feast cooked by Daniel Boulud. When giving the toast, he seemed grateful to be hosting “The Late Show.” He makes that feeling abundantly clear to those in the studio by projecting it into every segment, which makes the several hours of waiting worth it.
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Friday, December 4, 2015
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
The cost of death on ‘The Walking Dead’ By MATT BARNAUSKAS Daily Arts Writer
*Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for “The Walking Dead,” “24” and “Game of Thrones.”* Oct. 25, 2015 Glenn (Steve Yeun, “The Legend of Korra”) stands on top of a dumpster as a hoard of zombies surround him and his terrified companion Nicholas (Michael Traynor, “Rectify”). Glenn grabs the man and tries to calm him down. The two look at each other; Nicholas whispers, “Thank you,” raises his gun and shoots himself. His flailing body falls into the sea of walkers, taking Glenn with him. Glenn lands on the ground and the monsters converge, ripping and tearing at flesh. Dramatic music crescendos while the diegetic audio fades out. Glenn cries out, covered in blood as the camera pulls away. Fans of “The Walking Dead” were shocked to see the character go. Glenn, introduced in the first season of the AMC megahit, had gone from a shy delivery
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ACROSS 1 “The Jungle Book” villain 10 Character in the comic “Mutts” 15 Stubborn 16 Howe’er 17 Mutton dish 18 Title from the Arabic for “master” 19 Litter call 20 Orchestra sect. 21 Electric guitar effect 22 Christmas __ 23 Mate’s affirmative 24 2013 Spike Jonze film 25 Arctic coast explorer 26 “Revolutionary Road” author Richard 28 “... high hope for __ heaven”: Shak. 30 Mil. awards 31 Part of many a date 33 Cheapen 35 Diagonally ... or what each of four pairs of puzzle answers form? 38 To date 39 Virtuous 41 Cry of discomfort 44 Romantic evening highlight, perhaps 46 Shore up, as an embankment 48 Mil. branch 49 Present 50 Munch on 52 Former Abbey Road Studios owner 53 Gradual revelation 55 Center 56 Record 57 Ice cream thickeners 58 Peggy Lee specialty 61 Alabama River city 62 Chestnut 63 C.S. Lewis hero
64 “Looney Tunes” lisper DOWN 1 Half of a cartoon duo 2 “Yoo-hoo!” 3 1944 Pacific battle site 4 Univ. peer leaders 5 Command level: Abbr. 6 __-face 7 Winter warmer 8 Violinist who taught Heifetz 9 State north of Victoria: Abbr. 10 Electromagnetic wave generator 11 Norse royal name 12 Leftovers 13 President before Sarkozy 14 Friend of Calvin 21 Nuke 23 “A chain ... strong __ weakest link” 24 Rail rider 27 French spa 29 Kind of vegetarian
30 Caterpillar rival 32 Linguistic root 34 Derisive sound 36 “Yikes!” 37 Disentangle 40 Paper with a Société section 41 Scar’s brother 42 Oklahoma natives 43 Along with the rest 45 __ network
47 Pooh pal 49 Seder month 51 “Modern Family” network 54 Aunt with a “Cope Book” 55 Blessed 58 Pulls a Charmin shenanigan, briefly 59 Skedaddle 60 Some routes: Abbr.
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boy into a seasoned warrior and loving husband to Maggie (Lauren Cohan, “Chuck”), all while becoming a fan-favorite. Despite seeing the worst the world had to offer, Glenn still had hope when he spared Nicholas, even after the man tried to kill him. But it was all for naught, as Glenn was claimed by the bleakly brutal world of “The Walking Dead” and viewers contemplated a series without one of their favorite characters. From the series’ perspective, the death held even more weight. Not since Andrea’s death at the end of season three had a character introduced in the show’s inaugural season been killed off — a fact made even worse considering the playful callback Glenn made to his first encounter with Rick over the radio in the same episode. Glenn’s death was a monumental move for the show. Or was it? In a TV environment where death is rampant, many viewers abide by the mantra, “Not until I see the body,” to confirm a character’s death, something “The Walking Dead” would have a hard time proving since Glenn was apparently devoured. But further seeds of doubt were planted, including photos of Yeun on set next to new characters and showrunner executive producer Scott Gimple’s (“Chase”) own vague statement. To say the least, some people were suspicious. Nov. 22, 2015 After weeks of speculation, these suspicions were confirmed during the episode “Heads Up,” as Glenn slipped out from underneath Nicholas’s dead body and hid under the dumpster until the hoard of zombies left. In spite of seemingly impossible odds, Glenn was alive as he began his trek back to Alexandria. However, among the initial sighs of relief were the groans of dissent. For some, “The Walking Dead” had cheated its own rules. Somehow, the ruthless reality of the show had skipped over Glenn and allowed him to survive, and some people couldn’t buy it. However, “The Walking Dead” has had characters work their way out of impossible situations before. In season four, Tyreese (Chad Coleman, “The Wire”) fought his way out of a surrounding hoard of zombies with nothing more than a hammer. Daryl (Norman Reedus, “The Boondock Saints”) did much the same with some embalming tools. Was Glenn’s sneaky survival just the straw that broke the camel’s back for suspension of disbelief? Perhaps a tired audience is the answer, but “The Walking Dead” committed a bigger crime than just having a character emerge from imminent death; it has done that before and will do it again. The bigger infraction was its attempt to trick the audience and its subsequent emotional manipulation. Glenn went through a death scene in all intents and purposes. That’s how “The Walking Dead” presented it; from Glenn in anguish to the sorrowful music, it was a scene meant to gauge a specific emotional response from an invested audience. However,
one vital element was missing — Glenn didn’t die. Instead, the show drew out his fate for four weeks as characters mourned his potential death. One particular scene had Maggie tell fellow survivor Aaron (Ross Marquand, “Impress Me”) about her pregnancy with Glenn’s child and her husband’s death: “I don’t get to know what will happen. I don’t get to know why it happened.” It’s an effective scene, but it’s built on weak foundations that amount to a fake out. Glenn’s resurrection wasn’t a reconsideration, like the seventh season return of Tony Almeida on “24” after his fifth season “death,” or ambiguous departure (predicated by source material, like the Hound’s fate in “Game of Thrones”). The move was a calculated deception meant to achieve all the emotional storytelling from a character’s death but with none of the consequences. From the “death scene” to episodes of subsequent remembrance, Scott Gimple and his writers ran the gamut of grief. But, at the end of the day “The Walking Dead” still has Glenn and now many of those pivotal scenes ring hollow. Going Forward Following Glenn’s “death,” Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times wrote, “On ‘The Walking Dead,’ however, death is part of the immersive experience. The writers make regular sacrifices of beloved characters, in part to keep its monsters scary but also to stay true to its conceit: Just as our ancestors were, and people around the world are, continually struck down by natural predators, invading armies, oppressive governments and disease so are those living in the world of ‘The Walking Dead.’ ” “The Walking Dead” can’t be afraid to kill off longtime favorites or it risks betraying the inherent nature that made it so popular in the first place. A cast of core characters is needed for consistent investment and depth, but no one should be invincible. “The Walking Dead” presents a brutally honest universe, where a character can die at any moment; it does a disservice to itself when it is not truthful with its audience. Such is the case with Glenn’s near death and survival, a storytelling maneuver that pulled the wool over many viewers’ eyes in hopes of delivering unearned emotional payoff. And so, the series enters another critical juncture as it moves forward. Will this kind of storytelling become common as the main cast survives and a sea of redshirts falls to the encroaching zombies? Time will tell. Perhaps “The Walking Dead” has a harsh surprise in store for its characters and audience, especially considering the upcoming introduction of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the infamous comic character, Negan, a violent man with a penchant for swinging a baseball bat named “Lucille.” But for now, “The Walking Dead” has to live with the choice it has made. Yes, the show still has Glenn, but at what cost?
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Friday, December 4, 2015 — 7
‘M’ opens Big Ten play By MINH DOAN Daily Sports Editor
A season ago, the Michigan hockey team played Wisconsin five times — four times in the regular season and once in the Big Ten Wisconsin Tournament. at Michigan The Matchup: Wolverines Wisconsin triumphed over 3-5-4; the Badgers in Michigan 7-2-2 all five games, When: Friday with an average 7:35 P.M., margin of Saturday victory of 3.8 7:35 P.M. goals. Where: Yost But a fresh Ice Arena season and TV/Radio: a new crop BTN2GO of freshmen breathed new life into Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves’ team. His squad will be ready to break the losing streak when No. 12 Michigan takes on the Badgers at Yost Ice Arena this weekend in both teams’ Big Ten opener. “I know that they’re coming out hard,” said freshman forward Cooper Marody. “It adds something to be the first Big Ten game, and it’s going to be tougher, and there’s more at stake. We’ve got to come out hot, have a good start and do what we do well.” Most notably, forward Luke Kunin and goaltender Matt Jurusik have given Badgers’ fans the hope that last season, when Wisconsin won just four games, will not repeat itself. Kunin, who played on the United States National Development Team alongside many Wolverines, is currently second on the Badgers’ stat sheet with nine points and will look to get the Badgers on the board early. Jurusik, on the other hand, didn’t come in as highly touted, and wasn’t expected to play much this
VOLLEYBALL
Wolverines return to NCAA tourney By LANEY BYLER For the Daily
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Freshman forward Cooper Marody will get his first taste of Big Ten action against Wisconsin on Friday at Yost Ice Arena.
season. But in the third game of the season at No. 1 Boston College, Jurusik replaced goaltender Adam Miller after Miller allowed two goals in four minutes. Jurusik hasn’t looked back, playing every minute since the change in net in Chestnut Hill, Mass. And since that game, the Badgers have steadily improved. Since starting out the season without a win in six games, the Badgers have gone 3-1-2 and come to Ann Arbor with an impressive win at then-No. 1 North Dakota and a tie against No. 9 Denver. “They’re much better than their record,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “They’re much closer to a typical Wisconsin team. They play hard, they play physical, and they play with intensity. They’re hard to play against, they play good systems and they’ll be stingy defensively.” Added freshman forward Cooper Marody: “We know they’re going to be a good team, and they have the ability to make
plays so we have to play well.” On the other side of the ice, Michigan comes into the Big Ten opener after an uneven weekend against Dartmouth that saw it score a 7-0 victory on Friday before tying the same Big Green team, 1-1, on Saturday. “In hockey, the teams are pretty even no matter what,” Marody said. “At the level that we’re at, any team can beat any team on any night, and the puck just wasn’t finding the back of the net like it was in the first game. Sometimes that happens, so we need to find other ways to score.” But Marody pointed out one big positive from the weekend, which was that the Wolverines allowed only one goal in two games. A big part of that was senior goaltender Steve Racine, who finished the weekend with 38 saves. But 14 minutes into Saturday’s game, Racine suffered a lower-body injury and junior goaltender Zach Nagelvoort came off the bench to take his place. Nagelvoort played well,
finishing the game with 30 saves, and he will be relied on again this week with Racine still injured. But if the Michigan’s power play clicks as it has recently, Nagelvoort may not be called upon as often. The man-up unit has scored nine goals in its last five games and will be one of the Wolverines’ keys to success this weekend. “We’ve established a little rhythm as to where each player is going to be,” Marody said. “(The power play) flows better now.” With the Big Ten teams not performing as well in the nonconference portion schedule as many hoped, just a couple losses could be devastating for their NCAA Tournament hopes. Michigan’s goal is to avoid that. “(This weekend’s games) are just part of the puzzle,” Berenson said. “This whole RPI thing is a puzzle. All we can do is win as many games as we can, regardless of what other teams have done and regardless of the nonconference schedule.”
As the Michigan volleyball team gears up for the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Santa Clara on Friday in Los Angeles, one Michigan vs. characteristic Santa Clara that seems to Matchup: be propelling Michigan the Wolverines 19-12; Santa is their ability Clara 22-8 to make a When: Friday comeback. 8:30 P.M. Whether Where: Los it’s making up Angeles for a lost point or a full set, TV/Radio: MGoBlue.com Michigan has proven that it can rally. This can be credited to the Wolverines “point-forpoint” mentality. It’s a common theme that’s touched on during interviews and is clearly evident on the court. “Even if you don’t lose the first match, you lose points throughout the match — you lose momentum at times,” said Michigan coach Mark Rosen. “You have to really bounce back from that. We use the term ‘playing point for point’, which means we have to play for the next point instead of playing for the last point, or 10 points ago. They’re thinking about the point they’re in. Whether you lose the first set or you lose two and have to come back and get them in five, this team has a lot of resilience that way.” Michigan returns to the NCAA Tournament after missing the event last season. If it beats Santa Clara on Friday, it will play the winner of UCLA and Lipscomb on Saturday. The Wolverines are no stranger to tough competition.
Michigan has established its reputation as a comeback team in its recent conference wins against Penn State, Michigan State, Ohio State and Illinois. The first time the Wolverines encountered each of these teams, they suffered difficult defeats, such as their 3-0 losses to Michigan State and Illinois. But the second time the Wolverines faced their Big Ten foes, they looked completely different. Michigan has stepped up its game each time it got a second chance against these teams, pulling wins against each higher-ranked squad. Michigan hasn’t played Santa Clara before, so it can’t rely on its penchant for comebacks. However, the Wolverines do plan on playing Santa Clara as if they had lost to the Broncos before. “We’re seeing these teams for the first time, but I think we’ll go in there with the same mentality that we do when we lose,” said senior setter Carly Warner. “So as long as we go in knowing we can beat them the first time and come out strong, we’ll be OK.” Though the Wolverines won’t be able to capitalize on the weaknesses made apparent from playing a team multiple times, Michigan plans on taking advantage of the Broncos’ shortcomings early. “I think that unfamiliarity is kind of a cool thing,” Rosen said. “It makes you go, ‘Hey, we really have to pay attention to this team a little bit more,’ and I think it’s exciting to play someone outside of the Big Ten. You’re guaranteed the first two rounds of the tournament to play someone different than a Big Ten team. So preparationwise, that’s the only difference. You have to realize you’re not playing someone you know as intimately as a Big Ten team.”
WRESTLING
Familiar event up next for ‘M’ Wolverines travel to tournament named after former coach By LELAND MITCHINSON Daily Sports Writer
When the Michigan wrestling team travels to Las Vegas for the 34th annual Cliff Keen Collegiate Wrestling Invitational, it will find no shortage of Cliff Keen links back to Las Vegas Ann Arbor. The Invitational Wolverines have joined When: Friday and Saturday top teams from around the Where: Las country in Las Vegas, Nev. Vegas since Updates: MGoBlue.com December 1983, when head coach Joe McFarland was a junior on the team. “It was real competitive when we (started) coming to the tournament,” McFarland said. “There were a lot of really good teams like there are today. I lost in the finals my junior year, and I wrestled a really good match my senior year and won it. Obviously you always have better memories when you win, right?” The invitational, named after legendary Wolverines coach Cliff Keen, was started by former Michigan wrestler and threetime NCAA champion Mark Churella Sr. while he was serving as the head wrestling coach at UNLV. Churella’s son Josh, a three-time All-American for the Wolverines, is currently an assistant coach for the Wolverines and is headed back to the tournament he spent his childhood attending, while his brothers Mark and Ryan, also former Michigan wrestlers, will
be helping Churella Sr. run the event. “It’s a neat deal for me now,” Churella said. “I grew up going to the tournament, and then I competed at the tournament, and now I’m able to coach at the tournament. It’s a pretty cool dynamic.” For the wrestlers, the tournament provides an earlyseason measuring stick against a high level of competition that the Wolverines may not see again until the NCAA Tournament. Most of the Michigan starting lineup will be competing in the tournament, including returning All-Americans Rossi Bruno, a senior, and Conor Youtsey, a redshirt junior. Bruno and sophomore Alec Pantaleo will be looking to improve on their runner-up performances from last year’s tournament. However, the Wolverines will be without juniors Brian Murphy and Adam Coon, who are out with unspecified injuries. “Everybody in the Big Ten knows each other,” Bruno said. “They know how each other wrestles. At this tournament, you draw from a wide variety of different styles of wrestling from all parts of the country, and you might run into somebody that you have no clue who it is. For me, that’s a big positive.” Added McFarland: “There are a lot of quality kids here, kids who are highly ranked from across the country, so it’s going to be a challenge for our guys. For the most part, this is our first opportunity this year to compete in a big-time tournament like this against some of the top-ranked teams and nationally ranked individuals. We want our guys to see where we’re at this point in the season and then build from there.” Despite flying to the West Coast and facing diverse competition, the Wolverines will find maize and blue connections everywhere.
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Sophomore guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman played 25 minutes Tuesday at North Carolina State and may continue to do so with Derrick Walton Jr. injured.
Abdur-Rahkman’s role expands By LEV FACHER Managing Editor
Muhammad-Ali AbdurRahkman has spent the first month of the 2015-16 season competing for minutes. There’s not much time to go around in the backcourt for the Michigan men’s basketball team, but John Beilein’s clarification Monday that Abdur-Rahkman would remain a regular part of the Wolverines’ rotation made his plans for the future clearer. The statement rang true a day later, but not in the way the Wolverines’ coach intended. Abdur-Rahkman, a shooting guard, became a de facto point guard on Tuesday at North Carolina State when junior guard Derrick Walton Jr. suffered a sprained ankle midway through the first half. “It was certainly a hellfire day, because Derrick’s been playing so well,” Beilein said. Walton entered the Wolverines’ 66-59 win averaging 10.4 points and 3.8 assists, and his confidence
on the court was noticeable in the Wolverines’ wins against Charlotte and Texas last week. With senior Spike Albrecht continuing his slower-thanexpected rehabilitation process following two offseason hip surgeries, Beilein had few options. Albrecht did see the court, but he was clearly limited in his abilities, picking up a personal foul on a loose ball and recording no shot attempts in five minutes played. Even junior guard Andrew Dakich, who played substantial minutes toward the end of the 2014-15 season as Michigan’s backcourt suffered one injury after another, was unavailable. Dakich, a walk-on, is planning on spending the 2015-16 season as a redshirt to preserve another year of eligibility. Abdur-Rahkman’s 25 minutes were a season high — he played just six in the Wolverines’
previous game, a 78-72 defeat of Texas on Nov. 27. Abdur-Rahkman and senior Caris LeVert, who are both typically considered shooting guards, ended up splitting the lion’s share of ball-handling duties. Abdur-Rahkman didn’t turn the ball over and served as a perimeter distraction for the North Carolina State defense. LeVert scored 18 points on the night, and redshirt sophomore guard Duncan Robinson added 17. With Walton out, somebody still had to defend the Wolfpack’s Anthony “Cat” Barber, and Abdur-Rahkman drew the short end of the stick. “Muhammad-Ali did a wonderful job with just staying with Barber and keeping him from getting the ball in the places he likes it,” Beilein said. Barber, who is averaging 20.3
“It was certainly a hellfire day.”
points per game this season, finished with 16. He dealt with second-half foul trouble, and his efforts proved too little to complete a late comeback attempt. Abdur-Rahkman was quiet in terms of scoring, recording just four points on 2-for-4 shooting from the field, but slowing Barber and providing another capable ball-handling presence in the backcourt proved to be his biggest contributions. As injuries go, Walton’s is well-timed. The toughest portion of the Wolverines’ nonconference schedule is behind them, and Michigan has just one road game — Tuesday’s visit to Southern Methodist — between now and its Big Ten opener at Illinois on Dec. 30. Beilein, however, doesn’t see things in that light. “You’re not going to hear that from me,” he told WTKA radio’s Matt Shepard, who suggested that Michigan would have no trouble without Walton in its game at SMU.
Sports
8 — Friday, December 4, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wolverines’ pressure ‘M’ earns 7-0 start ‘D’ makes difference
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Wolverines roll past Pittsburgh to tie best season start in program history By BRAD WHIPPLE Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan women’s basketball team’s undefeated start to the season hadn’t carried much PITTSBURGH 45 weight MICHIGAN 82 headed into Thursday’s game. The Wolverines had outscored each of their six opponents by an average of 34 points, running the floor on both offense and defense. Every game was decided by halftime. Michigan needed to take on a more challenging test. It needed to face a better-known opponent, maybe even one with which the Wolverines had a history. What they got was Pittsburgh, which handed Michigan its first loss last season. This time around, the Wolverines (7-0) passed. Behind an explosive first half characterized by Michigan’s effective three-quarter-court press and 61-percent shooting, the Wolverines jumped out to a 22-point lead at halftime, and they never relinquished it in their 82-45 victory. “We knew that (Pittsburgh) was gonna be scrappy, gonna play hard, gonna give us a different look than we’ve faced all year with their size, length and athleticism,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “I thought we handled it exceptionally well from the start.”
Added senior guard Madison Ristovski: “We’re able to sub in and have fresh legs coming in all the time. That’s super important playing teams like Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is a good team, but we were nine deep.” Michigan not only bested one of its demons from last season, but it also continued its perfect start to the season, reaching 7-0 for the first time since 2011 — equaling the best start in program history. Though Katelynn Flaherty missed her first four shots, the sophomore guard still led the team with 24 points. With 1:46 left in the first quarter, Flaherty jumped to tip a pass back toward Pittsburgh’s basket, and she took it down for an uncontested layup. That basket was the second of a 16-3 run, which lasted nearly five minutes and extended Michigan’s lead from five to 18. The Wolverines continued to make stops on defense by drawing several charges, diving for loose balls and doubleteaming the Panthers’ point guards the instant they crossed the half-court line — limiting Pittsburgh (4-3) to 40.4-percent shooting. Michigan found even greater success on its offensive end. The Wolverines shot 51.5 percent from the field and yielded the best results from their 3-point shooters. Freshman guards Boogie Brozoski and Nicole Munger each knocked down three baskets from beyond the arc and proved why they are two of the deadliest shooters on the team aside from Flaherty and junior guard Siera Thompson. With 7:49 left in the game, Brozoski, who totaled 13 points,
drained her third trey to give Michigan a 32-point lead, its largest of the night at that point. The offense showed how balanced it could be once again, with 10 players scoring and seven others lending an assist. “We have Katelynn Flaherty, who’s one of the best shooters in the country, on our team, and we’re not running every play for her,” Barnes Arico said. “We’re trying to find the best look — not only Katelynn. … Katelynn herself is making extra passes and not feeling the pressure of ‘I have to score’ every time.” Where the Wolverines seemed to be lacking, though, was their rebounding game. Both freshman center Hallie Thome and sophomore forward Jillian Dunston had an unusually poor showing, combining for just seven rebounds. Stepping into the rebounding role was junior guard Danielle Williams, who grabbed a teamhigh 10 boards as Michigan still outrebounded Pittsburgh, 39-25. As usual, Williams wasn’t looked to as a scorer and instead dominated under the glass while playing scrappy. “She does the dirty work for us,” Ristovski said. “When you’re out there, you always want to be out there with Danielle, because she’s always doing the little things to help the team get better.” The next two Sundays, Michigan will face two more teams that handed it demoralizing losses last season: Princeton and UCLA. It’s “revenge week,” as the team is calling it, so the Wolverines can’t soak in Thursday’s victory for too long. They still have two tests left.
By BRANDON CARNEY Daily Sports Writer
It’s not often that a player shoots 7-for-7 in the first half and the opposing coach goes into the locker room happy. But even though Pittsburgh forward Yacine Diop did just that, Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico was pleased with the way the Wolverines defended her on Thursday. Diop may have scored 15 points at the break, but Michigan’s suffocating three-quarter court press forced the Panther forward into committing five turnovers in that time. By the end of the night, the Wolverines had pressured Pittsburgh into making 24 turnovers, as defense powered Michigan to the 82-45 win. Knowing Pittburgh’s height was going to be an issue, Barnes Arico set up a press scheme to prevent the Panthers’ post players from getting the ball early in possessions.
The Wolverines had two defenders on Pittburgh’s ball handlers in the backcourt, trying to force half-court traps in the corner or risky cross-court passes. Senior guard Madison Ristovski was at the head of the press early in the contest. She was constantly sliding between the Panthers’ guards, trying to stop them from getting any open passing lanes or outside shots. “(Ristovski) started the game focused and locked in,” Barnes Arico said. “She scored for us early. She defended for us early. She’s playing at another level, and we need her to because of her experience. I thought Madison was absolutely terrific for us tonight.” Ristovski played a huge role setting up the defense in the first quarter, but it’s junior guard Siera Thompson who will haunt the memory of Pittsburgh ball handlers. Thompson picked up a team-high five steals and pressured the Panthers
RITA MORRIS/Daily
Junior guard Siera Thompson led the Wolverines with five steals Thursday.
into making countless errors throughout the contest. The Wolverine defense really got up to speed when freshman guards Boogie Brozoski and Nicole Munger entered the game after the under-five timeout in the first quarter. The Wolverines earned 11 steals in total and forced Pittsburgh to commit turnovers on 34 percent of its possessions. But whenever the Panthers got through the Michigan backcourt, the Wolverines were ready to slide in and make an aggressive move in front of the basket. Michigan drew five charges, with sophomore forward Jillian Dunston acting as the roadblock between Pittsburgh players and the basket. While Dunston has led the Wolverines in rebounding for most of the season, junior guard Danielle Williams worked her way inside and grabbed a team high 10 rebounds Thursday. The guard made up for her lack of height by outhustling and outjumping Pitt’s big lineup. Williams has come off the bench to spark the Michigan defense throughout her career, and she did it again against the Panthers. “Out of anyone, (Williams is) not a scorer,” Barnes Arico said. “But the charges that she took tonight, and the tips and deflections that she took, and to be a 5-(foot)-8 kid and get 10 rebounds against a big team just shows you her toughness and her unselfishness.” The Wolverines baffled Pittsburgh all night on the defensive end, and will hope whatever scheme they throw at Princeton on Sunday will be similarly effective. The Tigers’ offense, which averages 79 points per game, may finally be an even match for a Michigan defense that answered the challenge Thursday.