ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, January 12, 2016
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Study looks at gender gap among startups RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily
Architecture and Urban Planning Prof. Robert Fishman, interim dean of Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, speaks at the Architecture Prep graduation ceremony at the U-M Architecture Research Studio in Detroit on Monday.
Detroit high school students graduate from ‘U’ program Taubman partners with schools for architecture workshops By BRANDON SUMMERSMILLER Daily Staff Reporter
Twenty-five Detroit Public Schools high school students graduated from a preparatory
architecture program hosted by the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning Monday night. The semester-long joint workshop program, called the Michigan Architecture Prep Program, was created to expose DPS students to the field of architecture and job opportunities in related fields. The University has launched multiple programs in past years to better connect with cities across the state. The program, which
launched in December 2014, allows Taubman faculty and DPS staff to interact and work together to develop workshops for students interested in the field. Milton Curry, associate dean of academic affairs and strategic initiatives in the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, said Detroit was chosen as the site for the program because of the city’s history with the University. “The University of Michigan has a historic role in that it
was founded in Detroit,” Curry said. “It has a responsibility as a public university — one of the premier public universities — to be a leader.” Irene Nordé, executive director for the Office of Mathematics Education in Detroit Public Schools, said she thought the program was highly beneficial for students. She noted that for the program to work, several logistical measures were taken by DPS. “We had to look for ways to See DETROIT, Page 3
Research finds venture capitalists could contribute to discrepancies By ALEXA ST. JOHN Daily Staff Reporter
Female-led startup companies do not perform as well as their male-led counterparts in part because of gender discrepancies among venture capitalists, according to recent University research. This gap in performance, the research suggests, is due to the majority male-driven nature of venture financing syndicates. The study, conducted by Business Ph.D. candidate Sahil Raina, found there was a 25 to 30 percent difference in the average performance rates of male-led startups and female-led startups, with male-led startups more
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MLive reduces positions by 29 in restructuring Company fires, demotes writers, editors and photographers By MEGAN DOYLE Daily Staff Reporters
MLive Media Group announced Wednesday on their website that multiple positions would be eliminated in the latest restructuring move to impact the Ann Arbor News. According to a statement on Mlive’s website from John Hiner, vice president of content, 29 “content positions” were eliminated in an effort to restructure the company. Though the layoff may include Ann Arbor editors, reporters and photographers, the statement notes that the number of content positions remain the same overall statewide. Along with the Ann Arbor News, MLive also owns multiple other newspapers across the state. It was formed in 2012 when it ombined MLive.com with eight newspapers across the state of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Jackson, Flint, Saginaw and Bay City. Combined, it has the largest audience of any media company in Michigan — the website has a monthly digital readership of more than 11 million people. The changes aim to “(direct) resources to emerging content and business opportunities, while reducing some
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management, support and production roles,” according to the statement. When asked to comment further, Hiner wrote in an e-mail to The Michigan Dailythat MLive would not be disclosing the specific details of the internal restructuring at this time. “At this point … we’re going to let the article we posted stand, in terms of public comment by our organization,” he wrote. The announcement is the latest in a series of similar moves for newspaper outlets in the state. Last month, 13 journalists at the Detroit News accepted a buyout. Buyouts have also occurred at the Detroit Free Press recently. These buyouts have become common at newspapers outside the state as well, including at The New York Times and the Washington Post. The full list of positions that will be impacted or eliminated by the changes at MLive have not been released by the media group, though some employees have publically announced changes. Paula Gardner, the former Ann Arbor editor at MLive, tweetedthat she will now be reporting Michigan business news for the company, but declined comment when contacted by The Michigan Daily. For some, the move to eliminate content positions has sparked concern about the quality of coverage in Ann Arbor and beyond. See MLIVE, Page 3
successful overall. Findings indicated that the difference in rates depended on whether the companies were initially financed by venture capital partners with at least one female general partner in the financing syndicate, or if the syndicate was all male. Raina said his interest in this research began after reading that female entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley were having trouble working with venture capitalists. However, because the stories he read were lacking empirical evidence, Raina decided to study the issue himself. Venture capital financing works by offering money to startup companies in rounds until the company either goes public or is bought by another company. Companies pitch their startups to firms and work toward gaining their own funding during the process. At that point, the venture capitalists have the See STUDY, Page 3
The unique meaning of Ziggy Stardust A personal remembrance of David Bowie, the rocker from Mars By ADAM THEISEN
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SACUA Chair Silke-Maria Weineck, speaks during the Regents meeting held on Monday in the Fleming Administration Building.
SACUA discusses changes to Standard Practice Guide Grouup also continues examining faculty role in admissions By ISOBEL FUTTER Daily Staff Reporter
The Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs met Monday to discuss changes to several documents that govern faculty policy at the University. At a December SACUA meeting, University President Mark Schlissel addressed the assembly on possible changes to the Principles of Faculty Involvement Blue Document that would increase faculty involvement in undergraduate admissions. The document, which describes the general responsibilities faculty members have in governing the University, has
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not been revised since the Senate Assembly endorsed its second edition in 2008. During the December meeting, many members of SACUA said they felt the document should be further amended to address the role faculty play in undergraduate admissions. At Monday’s meeting, SACUA members presented possible revisions to the document, concerning several aspects including the faculty involvement in undergraduate admissions, faculty involvement in faculty disciplines and the definition of faculty sections. Revisions to the definition of faculty within the principles sparked a discussion among the members. Kinesiology Prof. Stefan Szymanski said the current definition of faculty is too ambiguous, and said SACUA should address whether administrators are also considered faculty.
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“The point is that the things that they are doing, they are not doing as faculty, they are doing as administrators, so that’s what we need to establish,” Szymanski said. Comparative Literature Prof. Silke-Maria Weineck, SACUA chair, said SACUA will work to outline the difference between a faculty member and an administrator. “We need to have a very clear memo that lays out what we mean by faculty,” Weineck said. “We don’t want to take their power, we just want to say in document defining faculty from administrators.” SACUA plans to work on the Principles document over the next few weeks and will discuss its conclusions with University Provost Martha Pollack and Schlissel when they have reached a conclusion. Until formal suggestions have been made, SACUA will continue to adhere to the current guidelines. See SACUA, Page 3
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There’s a scene in the movie “Velvet Goldmine” where Christian Bale’s character is with his parents watching a David Bowie-inspired ’70s glamrocker character give a press conference on TV. The Bowie character talks openly to reporters about his attraction to men, smirking to himself at how scandalous he’s being, and Bale’s character imagines himself jumping up and down, pointing at the TV, yelling to his parents “That’s me! That’s me!” That’s exactly how I felt when I first got into Bowie. I was about 14 and I was realizing that my feelings toward boys weren’t what one would call normal and I was freaking out because I didn’t understand it, and I didn’t even know any gay adults who could provide any sort of blueprint for what this meant now that my entire perception of myself had been blown up. So I went to Google and found David Bowie, one of the queerest straight men to ever exist, an artist who explained so See BOWIE, Page 5
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 CLASSIFIEDS................6
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News
2 — Tuesday, January 12, 2016
TUESDAY: Campus Voices
MONDAY: This Week in History
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers
Beatniks, Hippies and Punks not the notes you play, it’s the notes you don’t play that are important, or a close corollary to that: It’s not how many notes you play, it’s the space between them, and I think that’s really like a metaphor for life in general.
What is the greatest lesson music or learning musical instruments has taught you?
You are known for being a lot of different things including a scholar, musician, professor, historian and curator, as well as many more. What achievement or identity are you most proud of?
Patience. Patience. Because, among other things, I’m a firm believer in the saying that’s often used in the blues that it’s
I don’t think I’m particularly prouder of any of those things than I am just the idea that I think I’m a decent human
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being. I’d like to think that who I am as a person is the thing that I am proudest of because I think that I’m an honest, I think that I’m a caring, I think that I’m a loving, thoughtful human being who’s always trying to make himself a little bit better. How do you define success?
WHAT: Student organizations and various majors will present information about joining their groups. WHO: Center for Campus Involvement WHEN: Today from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union, third floor
Positive links speaker WHAT: Michelle Segar of the University’s SHARP Center on health and well-being. WHO: Ross Center for Positive Organizations WHEN: Today from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: Ross Colloquium, 6th floor
Piano recital Narcissism Fan Zhang, a defense lecture WHAT: student piano player, will WHAT: Prof. Laura Kipnis will speak about the crevices of the American psyche. WHO: Michigan Society of Fellows WHEN: Today from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Rackham Graduate School, Amphitheatre
perform four sonota pieces from composers Haydn, Scriabin and Albeniz as the second segment of her dissertation. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Today at 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Earl V. Moore Building, Britton Recital Hall
WHAT: A discussion of design in minority groups. WHO: A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning WHEN: Today from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. WHERE: Duderstadt Center, Media Union, Gallery
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LSA sophomore Taylor Kucharski participates in Michigan Yoga Club’s first class of Winter 2016, held at the aUM Yoga Studio on Monday.
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Guest recital WHAT: Faculty members Timothy McAllister, Randall Hawes and Kathryn Goodson will perform on the saxophone, bass trombone and piano respectively. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Today at 8 p.m. WHERE: Walgreen Drama
My Brothers: Excellence Setting Goals lecture WHAT: Self-identified men of color will be given space to share their goals and strategies for year. WHO: Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union, Central Student Government Chambers Room
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BRUCE CONFORTH
Dr. Bruce Conforth is a professor in the Department of American Culture and teaches, most notably American Culture 208, Beatniks, Hippies, and Punks. Conforth is a founding curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2012, he won the Golden Apple Award for outstanding teaching..
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WHAT: Christopher Harding will lecture on achieving musical excellence. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Today at 11:40 a.m. WHERE: Earl V. Moor Building, Britton Recital Hall
1
Renowned artists David Bowie died at age 69 on Sunday after 18 months of cancer treatment, the New York Times Reports. Following his death, Bowie’s album Blackstar reached No. 1 on iTunes after an increase in album sales.
2
The Michigan women’s gymnastics team moved up to No. 1 in the nation in Monday’s poll after Saturday’s 196.925-195.200 win over Georgia. The Wolverines take on Ohio State at Crisler Center on Saturday.
3
The FBI has expanded its investigation into the private email servers of democratic presidential front-runner Hilary Clinton, Fox News reports. The investigation searches for possible public corruption in connection with the Clinton Foundation.
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BUSINESS STAFF Hussein Hakim Finance and Operations Manager Claire Ulak Production Manager Jordan Yob Marketing Manager Matt Pfenning UAccounts Manager Asja Kepes Local Accounts Manager Colin Cheesman National Accounts Manager Anna He Special Guides and Online Manager Claire Butz Layout Manager The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.
Media portrayals of Muslims, public opinion linked in study Exposure to negative stereotypes increased support for restrictive policies By SAMIHA MATIN Daily Staff Reporter
Recent University studies suggest individuals who identify as non-Muslim and are exposed to negative portrayals of Muslims in the media are more likely to support restrictive public policies aimed at Muslims internationally and domestically. Communications Prof. Muniba Saleem, a faculty associate at the Institute for Social Research, spearheaded the research project. The project consisted of three separate studies that displayed various mechanisms through which stereotypes, as identified by researchers in the media, can cause individuals to
deem Muslims as aggressive and consequently support policies that target them. The participants in each study all identified as nonMuslim but varied in race and gender. After being exposed to media clips that featured negative portrayals of Muslims, the participants were then polled on policies deemed by the researchers as harmful toward Muslim Americans. In an interview, Saleem said the results of the three studies emphasize how media portrayals influence public opinion. “This work highlights the importance of media depictions in influencing support for public policies that don’t just harm Muslims internationally, but even those who are our fellow American citizens,” she said. “This is especially important when we consider that most Americans have little to no direct contact with Muslims and often rely on media to get infor-
mation about Muslims.” Specifically, after exposure to news stories where Muslims were described as terrorists, participants correspondingly showed support for military actions in Muslim countries to reduce the influence of Islam. They also supported actions such as secretly monitoring Muslim Americans without their consent, not allowing them the right to vote and requiring them to go through separate, more scrutinized airport security lines. “These perceptions, in turn, can create hostile expectations and anger by some non-Muslims, who may exhibit aggressive behaviors,” Saleem said. However, she noted that the study also found that support for such policies is significantly reduced when participants were exposed to news that portrayed Muslims in a neutral or positive light. “If media representation of Muslims was more balanced and positive, we would not see such negative attitudes towards Muslims and support for policies that harm them,” she said. Although the research was useful in showing short-term effects, Saleem said she hopes to carry out research that examines the long-term effects of terrorism news on attitudes toward Muslims. Law student Omar El-Halwagi, co-president of the Muslim Law Students Association at the University, said though the study shows how the media can influence the opinions of nonMuslim Americans, encouraging non-muslim support of anti-Muslim policies, he hopes more research will show how Muslims, particularly Muslim students, are impacted. “When a presidential candidate’s poll numbers increase when he espouses an Islamophobic stance, it makes Muslim students here have to focus on more just their contracts reading,” El-Halwagi said. “Feeling See MEDIA, Page 7
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Netflix goes global with plan to expand to 130 countries ‘U’ professor says expansion to India will have significant impact By BECCA SOLBERG Daily Staff Reporter
A key component in the cultural phenomenon “Netf lix and Chill” has gone global. Netf lix announced on Jan. 6 that the company is embarking on a huge new year’s resolution for 2016: expanding to 130 countries new countries. In an interview with the Daily, Puneet Manchanda, a professor in the Ross School of Business, said the comanpies expansion to India
in particular was significant, citing economy, growth and strateg y as motives for the company’s expansion. Manchanda said because Netf lix is seen as a hyper global company, in order to keep growing it needs to find new markets. He said the expansion also relies on highspeed internet access, which has a large market size in countries like India. “The rest of the world has about six times as many broadband subscribers than the U.S.,” Manchanda said. “So this is one way they can grow by expanding into new markets because the market size is quite big.” Additionally, since the company currently provides hugely popular content, such as shows like “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones” and “Narcos,”
Manchanda said he thinks Netf lix wants to share the content with the largest population possible. He said by expanding into India, it will be able to expand it’s audience on these Netf lix original shows, as well as others. “They become a worldwide channel, and that’s part of their strategy,” Manchanda said. As well, Manchanda said as Netf lix distributes content produced by studios and TV companies, the larger audience may increase content providers’ drive to give Netf lix distribution rights. LSA junior Chloe Herl, who currently has a Netf lix subscription, said she is excited to watch global films once Netf lix receives rights to global content from countries See NETFLIX PAGE 3
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Tuesday, January 12, 2015 — 3
NEWS BRIEFS
Gov. Snyder to create new Flint water committee in executive order Gov. Rick Snyder signed an executive order Monday to create a new committee to work on finding solutions to the Flint water crisis as it relates to the health of the residents. This follows Snyder declaring a state of emergency in Flint on Jan. 5. The water supply there has been contaminated with lead since the city switched from Detroit city water to the Flint River in 2014. Residents have raised concerns over health damage, in particular the polluted water’s effects on young children, and the future safety of the city’s water for years to come. The committee is the second created by Snyder, who created the Flint Water Advisory Task Force in October. The committee will look at the long-run effects of the high levels of lead on the health of Flint residents and will reccommend actions.
Large storm to sweep through Michigan Tuesday A high-impact, high-wind snowstorm started coming through Michigan Monday night and will continue on Tuesday. The storm will bring very low temperatures and winds reaching 30 mph, which will give the snow a powdery nature. Experts are concerned over the danger of blowing snow. The snow will not be excessively heavy by Michigan winter standards, but the lightweight nature of the snow may cause near whiteout conditions. The Ann Arbor area should not expect more than two to four inches of snow by the time to storm concludes on Tuesday. Farther north, more snow can be expected, with the Traverse City area expecting upwards of 10 inches and the Upper Peninsula receiving more than a foot.
City names contest winner to redesign Ann Arbor water tower The City of Ann Arbor has selected Bill Burgard as the winner of the “Art in the Sky” mural project, a city wide competition among residents to design a mural for Manchester elevated Water Tank, according to a press release. Burgard, a University graduate turned lecturer at the Stamps School of Art and Design, was chosen winner for the competition among 598 of local applicants to for his submission. His entry depicted birds, fish and other wildlife swimming in a river. The competition first began in fall, with voting for 5 finalist entries — which were selected by a panel of judges comprised of Ann Arbor residents — lasting from November to December 15. According to the press release, over 3,200 votes were cast in the competition. Renovations to the water tank which is located at the corner of Washtenaw Ave. and Stadium Blvd. are projected to be completed by October 2016.
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Ann Arbor resident Stuart Parnes and his friends share stories from previous games of Magic the Gathering at a tournament hosted weekly by Get Your Game On on State Street.
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like India. “I’ve heard really good things about Bollywood films,” she said. “I have only seen one or two, but they are really fun. I think one of the great things about Netf lix is that you can find really obscure films as opposed to really mainstream American culture.” For countries the company is entering such as India, Herl said thinks the expansion will be a good opportunity. “They have such a thriving movie industry over there, but it doesn’t always make it over to American film audiences, and I think that is something Americans are going to enjoy,” she said. Manchanda noted, however, that it will be a challenge for Netf lix to adapt and produce local content geared towards a global audience. “They will have to change and start building and start programing original content,” Manchanda said. “Which means different languages, different cultures, different kind of movies or shows. And I think that is part of their strategy.” Of the 130 countries Netf lix is expanding into, the company has not entered China, a decision Machanda said is political. “Unless the Chinese government is comfortable with the ideals of less centralized streaming content, it will be hard for Netf lix,” Manchanda said.
Currently, The Michigan Daily is the only media in Ann Arbor to publish as a daily print newspaper. The Ann Arbor News maintained a daily print news cycle until July 2009. It currently publishes daily online at MLive.com, but produces print editions only on Thursdays and Sundays. Anthony Collings, a University lecturer in the Department of Communication who focuses on journalism and media, said he was concerned the changes could lead to less local coverage in Ann Arbor. With 18 years of experience reading the Ann Arbor News, Collings said he has become
STUDY From Page 1 chance to exit from financing the startup. “It started off as this investigation into what’s going on in terms of gender and venture capital finance,” Raina said. “Venture capital financing provides money to early stage startups — like high-tech startups that aren’t public.” Raina used CrunchBase, a database for the high-tech sector, to collect information on over 10,000 venture capital financing rounds and about 3,600 startups. CrunchBase included the names of the entrepreneurs who founded the startups as well as the names of the general partners who were leading the venture capitals, allowing Raina to use the names to assign gender to all of the people in the sample. For the names Raina said he could not immediately assign a gender to — such as gender-ambiguous names or those that were uncommon American names — he used online resources to try to
TAUBMAN From Page 1 one: get them credit for doing the work,” Nordé said. “And two: that it had to be aligned with college and career readiness standards.” After adding the program as a course to the DPS catalogue, participating high schools also arranged busing and scheduling so students could participate. According to Nordé, some students attended the prep program in the morning while others attended during the afternoon. Busing was arranged by DPS to transport the students to and from the midtown architecture research studio back to their high schools, where students would then attend their
determine if they were male or female. Names that weren’t distinguishable were excluded from the study. According to Raina, about 10 percent of the entrepreneurs in the sample were women, and only about 15 percent of the startups had just one female founder. Overall, in entrepreneurship in the United States, about 36 percent of small businwesses have majority female ownership, Raina said. Raina said he wanted to explore specifically whether the performance of the startups differed by either the gender of startup’s founder or the venture capitalist funding it. For the purpose of the study, success was determined by whether venture capitalists exited a project, signalling it was either public or had been bought by another company. “For startups that had only male founders, I found they had an exit rate of about 27 percent,” Raina said. “But for startups that had at least one woman founder, the exit rate was more like 17 percent.” Considering the 10 percentage point difference, Raina then examined whether venture capital financing or
increasingly dissatisfied with the level and quality of the paper’s local coverage, and now reads it rarely. “From what I’ve seen of (the Ann Arbor News), they rewrite press releases, they boost local businesses, they tell you about cool restaurants,” Collings said. “That’s fine, I’m all in favor of food and travel, but you also need to do the quality journalism. You need to investigate problems. This town has problems, like any place. Where is the journalism? Where is the accountability reporting?” No media organization has filled the niche of providing local coverage over past years, Collings said. “Ann Arbor needs good coverage,” Collings said. “The
Daily is fine, but the Daily does a lot of focus on the campus. It’s a student newspaper. There isn’t a really good daily news organization covering Ann Arbor the way it should be covered.” Collings added that he believes the problem goes beyond Ann Arbor and is something that’s also missing in Michigan and beyond, citing coverage of the Flint water crisis in particular as an example of statewide failings in investigative journalism. “Generally, journalism in the United States is undergoing a crisis. Buyouts, layoffs and other forms of staff reduction — that’s all bad news for the public, because less journalists means less coverage of stories that need to be covered,” he said.
regular classes. “This was a phenomenal opportunity for students,” Nordé said. In a speech during the graduation ceremony, Maurice Cox, the city of Detroit’s planning and development director, encouraged students to explore new opportunities and step out of their comfort zones. “You have been taught a level of abstraction, a level of creative thinking that most of your peers back at school have not been exposed to,” he said. “The fact that you succeeded should give you enormous confidence.” Diamond Long, Cass Technical High School junior who participated in the program, said she was grateful for the chance to be exposed to college-level
advising might play a role in the gender gap. He looked at rounds that had at least one female general partner in the financing syndicate versus financing rounds with all male partners in the syndicate, and compared the startups that were financed in these two types of financing rounds. Startups that were financed by either of these two groups had similar proportions of their portfolios led by women founders, according to the study. In both venture capital groups, about 16.5 percent of the portfolios were startups led by women founders. For male-led startups, there was no difference in performance based on whether they were financed by a syndicate with all male partners or by a syndicate with at least one female partner. On average, male-led startups successfully exited at 21 to 22 percent of the time. Among syndicates that had at least one female general partner, there was no difference in the average performance rates of male- led startups and female-led startups they funded. However, for financing
architecture standards and criticism. “At first I struggled because at first we were doing a lot of free-hand stuff,” Long said. “But as I got to the second project I was a lot more comfortable with it.” Long said her instructor, Michigan-Mellon Design Fellow Paulina Reyes, was open with students, easy to engage with and made the learning process easier for students. “She’s always open-minded and gives me critiques on my work,” she said. “Which to me means she wants the best from me.” In a speech during the ceremony, Long said she enjoyed the experience and was grateful to have had the chance to participate. She added that her perception
syndicates that had all male general partners, there was a 25 to 30 percent difference in the average performance rates of male and female-led startups. “All of this difference is coming from the female-led startups doing much better when they are initially financed by a syndicate run by at least one female GP,” Raina said. Raina said this makes him believe that the venture capitalists with female general partners are able to better select female-led startups, and this implies that some valuable startups might not succeed depending on who is financing them. Finance Prof. Sugato Bhattacharyya, chair of Raina’s dissertation committee, said the most intriguing part of Raina’s research was that venture capitalist groups with women as partners effectively selected firms with women better. “What it comes down to eventually is the notion that when people look at women’s participation in whatever way in this sub-area, one culprit that held up is the widely known demographic fact, at least in North America, women
SACUA From Page 1 The committee also discussed changes to the Standard Practice Guideline, which outlines professional standards for faculty, in further detail during an executive session. This session was not open to the press. During the meeting, Weineck said SACUA had received possible revisions to the SPG from Provost Pollack. “Martha (Pollack) expressed that she now gave us back a document with a considerable number of edits that do not address our concerns, but actually aggravate our concerns,” she said.
of architecture has changed significantly since finishing the program. Following the program, the University will also be offering a follow-up workshop during which applicants will be guided through Taubman’s application process in an effort to increase the number of minority students studying architecture either at the University or at other schools. That additional step, Curry said, was also an important part of increasing representation in the field. “The way that you become an architect is to go to architecture school,” Curry said. “What we’re doing is facilitating a demystification of the process of applying to college, getting admitted to college and then paying for college.”
tend to go less into STEM fields historically,” he said. “That in itself might be causing disparity.” Given the results, Raina said along with emphasis on STEM — science, technology, engineering and math majors — it may be beneficial to encourage women to go into venture capitalism or financerelated majors as well. He said encouraging women to work in venture capital will result in higher participation and success for female entrepreneurs. Bhattacharyya noted, however, that because the research is ongoing, it is difficult to say definitively whether a disparity among startups exists. “These things are never static,” Bhattacharyya said. “They evolve. By the time we find that in 1996 a big disparity existed and then in 2015, is it relevant or is it not? By this time there will be more women capitalists, more women entrepreneurs, and maybe it doesn’t exist anymore.”
Opinion
4 — Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com SHOHAM GEVA EDITOR IN CHIEF
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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
JAMIE TAM AND VELMA LOPEZ | MICHIGAN IN COLOR
Diversity initiatives might fail
W
hile University President Mark Schlissel’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategic planning initiative is admirable, its prospects for success are questionable. The President’s charge calls on each campus unit to develop a five-year strategic plan to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. We are excited to see this new momentum in the wake of the #BBUM campaign, and to see this effort come from top University leadership. The current dialogue is absolutely necessary for us to continue to foster awareness of historical and ongoing institutional biases at the University, and to move beyond a purely academic understanding of structural racism. Unfortunately, the initiative falls short in a profoundly important way. To date, there has been no explicit allocation of resources to make diversity happen at the University. Other educational institutions have recently funded large-scale diversity programs: Brown University announced plans to spend $100 million to promote diversity on its campus, and Yale University launched a $50 million initiative to increase faculty diversity. These financial pledges are a testament to their commitment to social equity. We are waiting to see whether efforts at the University will be supported by funds commensurate with their degree of importance. Funding for the President’s charge remains ambiguous, even as two mechanisms for diversity funding opportunities have been described in disseminated documents. First, departments are encouraged to submit “requests for funding for innovative initiatives … through the annual budget process,” according to a frequently asked questions document distributed to campus groups in November. However, there is little transparency surrounding how much will be made available within the annual budget, or how competitive it will be to secure these funds. Secondly, the campus-wide initiative is being overseen by an executive leadership team that “will allocate resources throughout the planning process and ensure that the effort is appropriately supported and staffed.” Again, the level of support and direct provision of tangible funds remains vague. In order to address climate and bias issues effectively, allocated budgetary line items are needed to develop, implement and sustain strategic plans. Without dedicated funding, there are three major vulnerabilities in the President’s Strategic Planning Initiative that put diversity, equity,and inclusion efforts at risk for failure: 1) The task of “doing” diversity has been assigned to individuals with limited or no expertise on the topic, and who may not share our sense of urgency. In theory, there are 92 individuals serving as “Strategic Planning Leads” across campus, but in practice department chairs, deans and other administrators have been granted a great deal of discretion over what types of diversity activities will take place, and the amount of resources dedicated towards them. The initiative expects school units to “allocate funds within their (own) budgets for plan-related activities” according to the FAQ; however, this approach assumes that chairs and leaders of those units are willing to commit sufficient funds to support this work, and sacrifice precious resources (including staff time) that would otherwise go towards existing programming. Furthermore, the initiative depends heavily on administrators’ perceptions of what can and should be done. These assumptions are cause for concern. To put things plainly, many of the individuals being called upon to develop and implement strategic plans have directly benefited from systems of oppression within academic spaces. These individuals were never critically evaluated on their understanding of race and inequality before assuming their roles, let alone their ability to address climate issues in their respective units. Considering that we have dealt with years of delays, inaction and at best superficial engagement with initiatives to address race and climate at the University, why should we believe that administrators are both knowledgeable about and committed to social equity? The Michigan Mandate of the early 1990s, a University initiative to recruit and retain faculty of color, failed to do so. Like the current initiative, the mandate was largely unfunded and used a decentralized approach that gave high-ranking administrators within each department much discretionary power. History must not repeat itself. A dedicated funding pipeline for the President’s Initiative would equip administrators with support and much needed expertise from trained professionals. 2) The development of strategic plans requires a high level of engagement from campus units that may lack the capacity to implement them. Time is just as important a resource as money, and anyone at the University can
speak to its scarcity. No new staff are being hired to support diversity initiatives within school units. Instead, the day-to-day tasks required for planning and implementing diversity initiatives are being added to the duties of existing faculty and staff. Changing the climate at the University is a shared responsibility and all members of the community should indeed contribute. But the reality is that when diversity responsibilities are tacked on to existing job descriptions, they are not given the time and attention they deserve. So long as faculty and staff are burdened with new job responsibilities but no additional resources to meet their requirements, diversity and inclusion plans are bound to fall short of expectations. Departments need resources to increase their faculty and staff capacity to take on diversity initiatives and engage with them meaningfully. There are many centers at the University that could partner with departments to further the goals of the President’s initiative. Centers such as the Office for Institutional Equity and Services for Students with Disabilities, among others, are equipped with trained staff who are knowledgeable about equity issues. Nevertheless, these centers cannot be expected to adequately support school units with strategic planning on such a large scale. Allocated resources for diversity and inclusion could increase the capacity of existing centers on campus to connect with school units and provide them with expertise and practical guidance. 3) Strategic planning activities are devoid of incentives and continue to rely on the uncompensated labor of minority faculty, students and staff. When responsibility for diversity efforts is spread across the entire community, it becomes very easy for those with the least to gain from them to remain complacent, and allow others to carry the burden. Rhetoric surrounding the initiative emphasizes shared responsibility, but does not acknowledge the reality that behavior change rarely occurs in the absence of concrete incentives. As long as engagement with strategic planning activities continues to be volunteer-based, the volunteers themselves will suffer for it. University leaders must recognize that those who generously provide their expertise and unpaid labor to leaders and administrators pay a price for it, both professionally and psychologically. Faculty, staff and students of color are routinely called upon to educate and train their respective units on topics of equity and power at their own expense, while their more privileged counterparts are able to invest their energies into activities that reward them professionally. In this way, counter to its intentions, the Strategic Planning Initiative’s over-reliance on the voluntary contributions of faculty, students and staff of color actually exacerbates disparities at the University. Contributors to diversity efforts must be compensated and rewarded with opportunities for professional advancement. Staff and students who do this work should be paid to do it. Service contributions that address issues of equity and climate should be weighted accordingly when faculty are being evaluated for tenure. Equally as important, there must be strong disincentives to discourage complacency and penalties imposed upon negative contributors to climate. If diversity is indeed a shared responsibility, then entire departments should face ramifications when discrimination occurs on their watch. As long as the current charge remains volunteer driven, and no consequences are imposed on poor performers, the initiative will be ineffective. Simply asking the community to care about diversity, without providing them with incentives to do so, will fail to transform the campus climate. The President’s initiative has succeeded in increasing dialogue related to diversity and equity at the University. However, these campus discussions have been ongoing for decades; our communities are fatigued by “diversity talk” and have little hope for change at the University. We question how the contemporary rhetoric differs from that of the past, particularly when the current initiative is unfunded. Without an infusion of resources to 1) build expertise, 2) increase capacity and 3) compensate and incentivize engagement, diversity efforts will continue to fall to the bottom of departments’ lists of competing priorities. Funding is far more critical than dialogue, and its presence or absence will dictate whether we succeed or fail as a community. We want to see University leadership rise to the occasion and earn the trust of minority students, faculty and staff by giving diversity its own budget. —Michigan in Color is the Daily’s designated space for and by students of color at the University of Michigan. To contribute your voice or find out more about MiC, e-mail michiganincolor@umich.edu.
A
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Don’t blame CTools
sk any Michigan student what their most visited website is during finals ELLIOTT week and you’ll RAINS be sure to hear one answer: ctools.umich.edu. It is the site for late-night cramming, last-minute panicking and hopeful (or hopeless, depending on the class) dreaming. It is also the site that induces expletive-filled rants about missing grades and randomly organized PDFs. For the longest time, CTools has been the go-to source for my academic frustrations. But this past fall, students at Michigan were introduced to CTools’ replacement, Canvas, and soon we will use this new website for all of our schoolwork. With Canvas comes a new hope for students and teachers alike. Where CTools often seemed like a dated side project that still ran on dial-up Internet, Canvas is supposed to be a modern, efficient and constantly improving educational resource. Rather than being locally stored on the University’s servers (like CTools of yore), Canvas runs off cloud-based computing systems that are managed by a group of universities, collectively called Unizin. This decreases the risk of server overload and hardware failure that has occurred within the CTools framework in the past. Other features detailed by the University’s Canvas transition guide include peer grading, learning outcome mapping, online rubrics, learning analytics, streamlined instructional workflows and a speed-grader system. All of these improvements will undoubtedly lead to a better user experience for both students and teachers. But, ask me about Canvas next year during finals week and you’ll surely hear CTools-esque rants. Despite Canvas’ fresh new look and exciting new features, nothing
about the new site addresses the biggest problem we all had with CTools in the first place: the people actually using it. Thousands of professors and GSIs maintain the everyday workings of systems like Canvas and CTools. Because every class is different, every Canvas page is, understandably, very different; an EECS professor will likely use their Canvas page differently than a linguistics GSI. While flexibility is good for adapting to course needs, the openness of Canvas often leaves everybody involved searching for answers. One primary problem area that Canvas didn’t solve is professor resources, such as PDF assignment documents, syllabi and announcements. Many professors place their class resources under the “Files” tab and organize subcategories within this location. However, syllabi, along with assignment documents, often make their way into this tab, despite each having their own respective Canvas tabs. Even more confusing are assignment documents that are attached solely to class announcements. Professors have the ability to send announcements to their entire class instantly, which encourages many professors to use these announcements as assignment-updating mechanisms. But in doing so, assignments and other attached resources are stored separately from other class materials. When you factor in an average of four classes and one discussion section for every student each semester, you are left with a jumbled mess of PDFs, Word documents, folders, subfolders and headaches. Related complaints focus on instructors failing to update grades routinely, underutilizing discussion sections and leaving large portions of Canvas completely untouched (my roommates can attest to my shouting and frustration the night before I have a midterm).
All of these issues point to the ways in which users are interacting with the site. Users are ultimately responsible for how Canvas looks and feels. Nothing about Canvas caters to users and mitigates the issues CTools had. Information Prof. Barry Fishman spoke with the Daily about the introduction of Canvas this past March. Despite his general approval of Canvas, he concluded his thoughts by saying, “(Learning management systems are) the plumbing. Good teachers are doing the normally good things that they’re doing around here. Particularly exciting teachers, I have seen no way in which Canvas is holding them back. It’s not about Canvas, it’s about what you do with it.” Until we address the manner in which we collectively use learning management systems like Canvas, nothing will change. Educating professors on best practices and general management skills is a good first step to fixing the issues at hand. Teaching students how to effectively traverse Canvas is a coinciding step that would also likely improve the educational process. Both of these processes take time, though, and cannot be fixed with a software update. Professors are understandably very busy, as are college students. Making the effort to collectively address users’ issues with employing a new system is neither a simple solution nor one that many would identify as the University’s top priority. It is, however, the necessary solution to a problem that deeply affects students and faculty alike. Canvas is not holding us back — if anything, it is a step in the right direction. But if the only step we take is making Canvas the new standard platform without any sort of user prep, you will surely hear the same expletive-filled rants from me this time next year. I just won’t be able to blame CTools anymore.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Caitlin Heenan, 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
I
A nation without charity
f I were to ask you what you think about charity, you’d probably respond with something positive. Charity work aids important sectors of society including health care, education and the economy. It stimulates communities, promotes human SAM development and COREY remains within the private sector, where it can be “purely” devoted to the cause. And you’d probably rejoice in learning that donations to charity organizations from individuals increased by 7.1 percent from 2013 to 2014. You’ll maybe even fist-pump the sky when you hear that charities received more than $358 billion during the same year — the fifth consecutive year giving to charity organizations has increased in America. With this framework, it appears that the generous American public has found its panacea for human suffering. As charities grow, it won’t be long before stories of homelessness, truancy and inequality wither; the economy will continue to expand and people will give more until no one else is in need. Issues like poverty will eventually appear antiquated and somewhat abstract, something we only read about in textbooks and share with our kids when telling stories of the days when we were young. But unfortunately, for all the difference charities make in the social, economic and communal development of our nation, they don’t seem to alleviate life for the poor: In 2014, poverty remained unchanged, affecting 14.9 percent, or 47 million Americans. For all the energy charities devote to revitalizing communities, I wonder: Why does charity exist at all? And, for that matter, why is it the responsibility of charities to solve our nation’s ills, and further, why should these problems even exist in the first place? Charity’s operative goals, it seems, are reactive. That is, its function is a response to current or future misery experienced by
many citizens. Billions of dollars are poured into these organizations to combat future trends of poverty, violence, drug addiction, hunger and illiteracy, or to gain access to health care benefits. They are rehabilitative efforts to our system. But if that’s all they are — inherently reactive measures — why not just change the system itself? In order to do this, we should be investing in proactive public institutions as to prevent people from (what we hope are) non-normative behaviors: drug abuse, underground economic activity and violent crime — things that cause them to be rejected by society. We should be bringing people into mainstream institutions — providing pathways to health care, education, jobs and social inclusion — thereby closing gaping holes in America’s system. Excuse my Marxism, but episodes of human suffering persist because poverty is systemic: It’s based on how we redistribute wealth (or don’t). Thankfully, our economy is expansive: We manufacture enough products and create enough services to ensure that no one has to be homeless or go hungry. With an economy GDP of about $17 trillion, we can trim our incredibly high poverty rate, which is 15 percent. To put this in perspective, China’s economy is worth approximately $10 trillion, but they maintain a 13-percent poverty rate, even though they care for about 1 billion more people. Like putting a bandage on a gunshot wound, charity is not a comprehensive approach and therefore cannot resolve the issues it may seek to. A more comprehensive alternative is some form of redistributed wealth. This means viewing our world as interconnected, not individualistic — something the American public has a hard time accepting, its ideal self being the archetypical John Wayne character, riding across the prairie on horseback, fulfilling his manifest destiny. Maybe government has a responsibility aside from just landing on the moon, fighting wars halfway across the world and allowing people to roam the wild wild west. The role of our government includes uniting society — integrating those of different classes, races, creeds and backgrounds — to improve the
economy, health and general wellbeing of citizens. This philosophy means our government and the electorate are responsible for each other’s successes and failures. To be sure, our country can have its cake and eat it, too, promoting economic liberalization — privatizing and (at times) deregulating — while upholding human dignity by reallocating some of that capital to others as an opportunity for many to enter mainstream society. Other nations with much less wealth certainly do this. This has been the policy of countries from Norway and Canada to Singapore. They invest in their citizens because they know the results are advantageous. It’s no wonder they’re more often included in “best countries to live in” lists. For those capitalist-minded, Milton Friedman-types, one possible solution can come in the form of a guaranteed basic income. In this scenario, certain subsidies can be cut, or wealthy banks and oil companies can be taxed more heavily in order to provide a basic income for low-socioeconomic-status families. If more people have a basic income, they may be able to spend more, which stimulates the economy. Who knows? Maybe our country is moving in this direction. One Vermont democratic socialist senator has gained much popularity because of his government-interventionist beliefs. Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders wants to expand health care coverage, make higher-level education affordable and provide family paid leave — all to invest in human capital and contract inequality. He’s adopting a new American mentality. A mentality that holds the state accountable so that more of its citizens — no matter their creed, sex, race, socioeconomic status or ethnicity — have the opportunity to live with dignity and maintain a reasonable standard of living in the 21st century. By adopting this thinking, Sanders knows he must first reform the “rigged” financial system. Until more Americans follow his leading mantra, charity is the best thing we have in a broken, unbalanced system. — Sam Corey can be reached at samcorey@umich.edu.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Tuesday, January 12, 2016 — 5
LITERATURE COLUMN
TV REVIEW
The growing debate over genres
“
I am on the side of the pixies and the dragons,” said author Kazuo Ishiguro, defending his approach to the fantasy genre in his 2015 novel, “The Buried Giant.” Ishiguro’s statement came in response to stones thrown by science ficREBECCA tion novelist LERNER Ursula K. Le Guin, who criticized Ishiguro’s use of the “surface elements” of a literary genre. Welcome to the genre debate, the conversation about the shift in reading and writing that currently dominates literary discussion. As I began to dive deeper into contemporary fiction and the corresponding discourse about it, many questions arose in my mind. How did these rigid rules of genre form — was this categorization out of convenience or pure snobbery? Are genre books and traditionally serious “literary” books, books that hold merit through social commentary or the exploration of the human condition, mutually exclusive? When did it become acceptable to use the word “genre” as an adjective? Genre may have begun as a matter of convenience, but in the last century of American literature, a clear divide emerged between genre novels and literary novels. This bisection rested on the American public obsession with realism, a fascination not mirrored in other countries. To this day, award-winning novels tend to focus on the minutiae of realistic life. Novels like Jeffrey Eugenides’s “Middlesex” and Jane Smiley’s “A Thousand Acres” win Pulitzers while other writers whose novels consider the strange and the uncanny are overlooked. But after years of genre novels beginning to incorporate the characteristics that earn literary novels prestige, the boundaries between “literary” and “genre” are beginning to dwindle. A genre novel, “Swamplandia!,” was a runner-
up for the Pulitzer for Fiction in 2012, the year no one won the prestigious prize. With its transcendent writing about a family running an alligator wrestling amusement park in Florida, the unusual “Swamplandia!” presumably would have won if not for its uncanny subject and the fact that the author, Karen Russell, was extraordinarily young when she wrote the novel. More and more established authors are conflating the status of literary with the escapism of genre. When Colson Whitehead, esteemed novelist and winner of the McArthur Fellowship, penned a zombie novel, it was surprising. However, as Whitehead said in an interview with NPR, “I did have to give myself permission because zombies were so popular. But I think the idea is that if it’s good, people read it. So all I could do is really salute my childhood influences and try to do the best I could in reinvigorating the genre, putting a new spin on it.” With genre becoming a part of mainstream “serious” literature, there is an increase in capitalization of these beloved methods of literary escapism. Stores like the exclusively mystery book-driven Aunt Agatha’s in downtown Ann Arbor thrive because of their audience’s devotion to the mystery genre.
More authors are mixing literary and genre. I talked to Jamie Agnew, the co-owner of Aunt Agatha’s, about how this fusion of literary and genre is affecting the 24-year-old store. He cites a growing interest in mystery and the loyalty of the mystery reader as the backbone of the store’s continued success. But Agnew doubts there’s going to be much synthesis between the literary world and his genre of
choice: mystery. “I know that many people, especially in a place like Ann Arbor, think that slogging through a painfully serious and literary book is somehow more virtuous than reading a book that is entertaining, but to me that’s a fairly recent attitude,” Agnew said. “The great novels of the 19th century are both profound and enjoyable to read, and quite a few of them had to do with the themes of modern mystery such as identity, guilt and murder. If ‘Crime and Punishment’ came out today, what section of the bookstore would it be shelved? I’ll add that I think literary fiction is a genre like any other, with just as many artificialities and strictures.” Agnew sees mystery, which has an incredibly different history from other genres like romance or science fiction, as growing to greater significance since its conception. “The movement I have seen the most is from static protagonists — like Poirot or Philip Marlowe, who change little over the course of many series books — to more nuanced figures like Steve Hamilton’s Alex McKnight or William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor who, over the course of succeeding installments achieve a depth of characterization impossible in any single novel,” Agnew said. “Lately, it has been the vogue for ‘literary’ writers to attempt thrillers, presumably seeking the vitality and popularity lacking in their own genre, but not all of them have the skills to pull it off.” As the lines between literary and genre continue to blur in this way, we’ll inevitably see some failures and some dazzling successes. Genre conventions will always exist, there’s no arguing that — but maybe in the next few years, some of our favorite books will be ones featuring more unconventional protagonists. When the genre war is over, Ishiguro will be proven right — the victors will inevitably include the pixies and the dragons. Lerner is solving the mystery of the replacement editors. To give an anonymous tip, e-mail rebler@umich.edu.
TV REVIEW
‘Man Seeking’ great, hilarious television By BEN ROSENSTOCK Senior Arts Editor
It’s good to have “Man Seeking Woman” back. In its second season premiere, “Wings,” “Man Seek- B+ ing Woman” repeats the Man winning formula that Seeking made its first Woman season such Season Two an unexpected delight. Premiere As in the first Wednesdays season, Josh at 10:30 p.m. Greenberg (Jay Baruchel, FXX “This is the End”) navigates a surrealist dating world with his best friend, Mike (Eric André, “The Eric Andre Show”), and sister, Liz (Britt Lower, “Unforgettable”), at his side. With the help of self-referentially deployed TV and movie tropes, the show uses absurdist fantastical elements to tell relatable stories about millennial dating (last season, for example, featured Josh attending a wedding in literal Hell to emphasize the perils of going to weddings while single). The episode begins with an excellent introduction, as Mike is visited by a pair of weary soldiers coming to deliver some
tragic news: Josh has a girlfriend, and as a result he won’t be spending much time with his best friend anymore. The scene uses the popular trope of the sad arrival of troops to break the news to the family of a deceased soldier, likening the impending death of a friendship to an actual, physical death. It’s all there in one hilarious line: “Doctors say he may never hang again.” Because of “Man Seeking Woman” ’s tendency to structure its episodes in roughly three segments, some episodes can feel disjointed. So while there’s a strong narrative through line with Josh and Mike’s friendship in jeopardy, it still feels oddly structured. Mike is the main focus in the first act as he struggles to keep his friendship intact, but the second act pivots to tell the story of Josh and his girlfriend Kelly (Sarah Gadon, “Maps to the Stars”) going on a trip to a cabin with Kelly’s high school friends. Then the third act pivots again, as Josh and Kelly break up and Josh returns home to find that Mike improbably has a college-age child (Maya Lowe, “Killjoys”), apparently created when Josh and Mike “accidentally jizzed into the same toilet and then it got struck by lightning.” In this final sequence, Josh tries to bond with his daughter, referencing the common story
of a father desperately trying to connect with the family he abandoned. Despite the slight awkward feeling that the shifting plots create, all three of the stories are strong. The first one especially is excellent because Josh is almost always the sole viewpoint we get to see, with Mike relegated to the over-the-top funny best friend role. The second act uses a parody of slasher films like “I Know What You Did Last Summer” to show what it’s like trying to fit in with your partner’s friends, who all have their own inside jokes and a shared history you’ll never be a part of (in this case, an accidental murder that resulted in a lumberjack being brought back from the dead to get revenge). And the closing segment ends cleverly, with Josh and Mike sending their daughter off to college, musing on how it seems like just yesterday that she came into their lives. Still, by far the strongest material is when “Wings” focuses on the dynamic between Josh and Mike and the core idea of the episode: it’s hard to date and still maintain your friendships. It’s a relatable struggle that millennial daters understand, and seeing it presented in such a fantastical context makes it both hilarious in its absurdity, and yet all the more real.
PBS
30 seconds ago she was a cat.
‘Downton Abbey’ is back for a final jaunt By DANIELLE YACOBSON Daily Arts Writer
The roaring twenties are stirring up a storm, and things are “positively frugal” at the Downton Abbey. With only two Ahandmaidens and a single Downton hall boy left, how will the Abbey lords and ladies Season Six manage to go Premiere on? It’s 1925, Sundays at and those who 9:00 p.m. can’t keep up are left behind. PBS So, let the flapper dresses and jazz music run wild — Downton is entering the new age. Women’s rights, secret daughters, marriages and threats of bankruptcy are all on the horizon in the Masterpiece Classic’s final season, along with the usual dose of snobbery and backhanded sass, of course. In true “Downton Abbey” fashion, the lords and ladies eagerly trample into their backyard expanse for a weekend hunt as the final season springs to life, promising to tie up loose ends without unraveling too many new threads. After winning three Golden Globes and 12 Primetime Emmys, the British period drama’s sixth season premiere lives up to the expectations set by its resounding critical acclaim. Consistently showcasing episodes of breathtaking cinematography and precise dialogue, “Downton Abbey” proves, once again, to be anything but a passive viewing experience. Much of the series’ merit lies in the nuances: the witty remarks, oftentimes delivered by the brilliant Maggie Smith (“Harry Potter”) as Countess Violet Crawley, and the exchange of snooty looks color even the smallest moments. Perhaps this attention to detail is what drew audiences to the series in the first place. “Downton Abbey” has proven to be more than a historical
BOWIE From Page 1 I’d be bullshitting you if I tried to say anything too neat and tidy like “ ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide’ saved my life.” I knew that Bowie didn’t really know what I was going through. He made great music, but he wasn’t “speaking to me” or showing me how I needed to live. But in his music and in my weird way of thinking, he gave me the tools I needed to be courageous when I didn’t know how, and he let me be comfortable with myself when I was in a full–on panic about who I was. I have a really hard time being open and honest about my feelings. I still — and I don’t even know why I do this — I still avoid identifying myself as gay unless I’m really comfortable with whomever I’m with.
analysis of the highbrow upper class elite juxtaposed with the slim pickings lives of their working-class staff. Instead, the show highlights the surprising relativity of human nature, even within seemingly opposite groups of people. Other than showing some ankle and sporting dramatic hairdos (winning the series three Primetime Emmy awards for outstanding hairstyles), the women of Downton continue to challenge the boundaries of the status quo. The opening hunting scene shows Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery, “Non-Stop”) straddling her horse rather than riding side-saddle, which, as Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville, “Iris”) points out, is “so much more graceful.” Meanwhile, Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael, “Burn Burn Burn”) toils with her editor, whose male ego cannot handle working for a woman. In tune with previous seasons, Lady Mary and her sisters (past and present) bring the “modern” into a house desperately holding on to the traditional past, and the familiar themes of progress and inevitable change ring through. Going back to the basics, “Downton Abbey” starts its sixth season with what it does best: blackmail with the intent of social destruction. The secret fling between Lady Mary and Tony Gillingham (Tom Cullen, “Weekend”) was brought back from the dead when a gold-digging employee of their getaway hotel comes to haunt the Abbey’s reputation. The scandal is put to rest (for now), but the most significant takeaway from the interaction is Mary’s intent to stay single — until the right man comes along, anyway. Her growing self-sufficiency has allowed the focus of Mary’s character to switch from juggling her budding love life to honing her shrewd business savvy, and exploring the idea that a woman in the 1920s is not defined by the husband at her side. Mary’s rela-
tionship status could take a variety of directions by the series’ end, a creative decision that will make a significant statement to the progression of women into a new era. Romances are heating up downstairs too, as Mr. Carson (Jim Carter, “The Golden Compass”) and Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan, “Secrets and Lies”) take the next step before officially tying the knot. As the Abbey’s relationships go, there have been matches both political and passionate, and everything in between. Yet, Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes’ love is one rarely depicted on screen, and it’s executed fantastically on “Downton Abbey.” The two middle-aged singles have devoted their life to work, and have grown to love each other years after the conventional timeframe of typical newlyweds. Mrs. Hughes’ reservations before setting the date of the wedding, however, are of the unspeakable nature: she is worried about Mr. Carson’s sexual expectations. Both comical and surprisingly relatable, the story arc brings out an innocence and vulnerability within the characters and serves as a gentle reminder that love is never too late. Although their relationship is not bold or passionate, the nuances in their friendly exchanges hold more weight than a grand, romantic gesture. After all, hearing Mr. Carson say he is tickled when she walks into a room is infinitely more satisfying than an over-the-top declaration of eternal love. Half a world and nearly a century away from the modern day America, the Abbey’s dramas and scandals have found a place within the emotions of its audience. In a season premiere that showcases unforgettable visuals and the emotional versatility of the cast, “Downton Abbey” sets up high expectations to do the beloved characters justice as their stories, after five years, come to a close.
I take my anxieties and my private fears and project them onto art that I love and then I try to talk about that art with people. I nervously ramble about the show “Community” when I’m worried about loneliness or I put on a Van Morrison record and over-explain all the tracks when I really want to say “I love you” and mean it. But David Bowie helped me with a different kind of emotional honesty. I never really connected with anyone else over Bowie or had any kind of multi-layered, meaningful conversations about his work. Instead, he was an artist who helped me so much at just communicating with myself. Instead of just saying “I’m gay,” I could tell myself “I want to be like David Bowie,” and that made all of my feelings so much better. Because David Bowie is fucking amazing and had one of the greatest careers ever and just made the most
beautiful music that of course I would love him and everything he meant. Bowie has so many amazing achievements that I’m sure will be counted up and summarized by millions over the next few days, years, generations. But for me personally, he’s always going to be kind of this mentor figure. He wasn’t a substitute for the friends who helped me in a very tangible, important way and to whom I’m forever in debt to. But during an incredibly tumultuous year, a rock star from Mars made a gay, Midwestern high school freshman feel unique instead of freakish, proud instead of despairing. He’s a huge part of why music means so much to me, and every time I see an artist be really honest about who they are in a public forum, I’m so happy. Because I think of me and David Bowie and I know that a confused kid has just found a new light in his life.
Arts
6 — Tuesday, January 12, 2016
FILM REVIEW
Caine’s ‘Youth’ not very mature Indie drama filled with beauty and frustration By MADELEINE GAUDIN Daily Arts Writer
In “Youth,” two friends, Fred and Mick — played respectively by Michael Caine (“The Dark Knight Rises”) and Harvey B Kietel (“Taxi Driver”) — Youth vacation at a real world Fox Searchlight “Grand BudaMichigan Theater pest Hotel” in the Swiss Alps, aimlessly moving between spas, massages and conversations about their own mortality. “Youth” abounds with beauty — scenes of dialogue are separated by quiet mountain vistas and perfectly symmetrical shots of people floating in pools and lounging in saunas. “Youth” is strongest when it is silent, in the moments when it doesn’t try to be anything more than beautiful. And perhaps it isn’t anything more than beautiful. The two lead characters are artists and therefore seekers and creators of beauty. Mick is a screenwriter and Fred is a composer; both are struggling with the gravity of final works. Mick solves the problem with a thinly veiled
auto-biopic starring Jane Fonda, and Fred chooses retirement. One might expect “Youth,” then, to be a film about art or at least say something profound about art. However, the only message the film manages to send about art is a problematic one. It’s clear in “Youth” that the men are artists and the women merely their muses. The creators are accompanied by women who (like art) often exist purely as sexualized objects. Miss Universe (newcomer Madalina Ghenea), one of the film’s few female characters, seems to be the embodiment of this notion. Fresh off being crowned the world’s most viewable woman, she comes to the posh Swiss hotel and surprises everyone with her ability to speak. In this sense, “Youth” is like a man who does not recognize his inherent male privilege — not malicious, just frustrating.
A man who can’t recognize his privilege. “Youth” tries to say something poignant about aging by placing its leads in contrast with younger versions of themselves. Fred encounters a young violinist playing his most famous work, and
Mick is accompanied by a team of young screenwriters who are helping him with his final masterwork. There’s potential for a really interesting parallel here, but “Youth” fails to develop any of its younger characters to the same extent as their older counterparts (who themselves are quite underdeveloped). An interesting relationship does arise between Fred and a young movie star played by Paul Dano (“Love & Mercy”) as the two find commonality — both worry they will only be remembered for their low-quality, highpopularity work. Remembrance seems to be the idea around which “Youth” is centered. Surrounded by quiet, actionless scenes (which read very much like memories), remembrance is at the heart of most of the film’s dialogue. Mick and Fred discuss their own memories, their own forgetfulness, and the world’s remembrance of them. Therefore, the film’s visuals take precedence over the plot, creating the illusion that the film itself follows the incomplete and irregular rhythm of memory. Despite the film’s name, I was the youngest person in the theater by at least 30 years. Maybe that means I’m just not in the film’s target audience. But perhaps the film doesn’t have a target audience, and is instead stuck floating between nostalgia and foreshadowing. Ultimately, “Youth” is a beautiful but hollow portrayal of friendship, age and mortality.
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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 In any way 6 Brief 11 Pack the groceries 14 Actress O’Donnell 15 “Peter, Peter, pumpkin __” 16 TV brand 17 *Alabama team 19 Boston Bruin great Bobby 20 Fisherman’s Wharf entrée 21 Kevin of “Dances With Wolves” 23 Honey makers 25 Okla. neighbor 26 Fighting 30 Item inserted through eyelets 34 Nappy leather 35 Woodwind instrument 36 “Veep” channel 38 x or y, on graphs 39 Dickens’ Drood 41 Crystal ball gazer 42 Cribbage marker 43 One of 14 in a pro’s golf bag 44 Like xenon and krypton 45 Dietary supplement obtained from predatory fish 48 Up on a map 49 Letter before upsilon 50 Clearasil targets 52 Vein in the neck 56 Actress Wood 61 Eggs 62 Lengthy litany ... and, literally, what the ends of the answers to starred clues comprise 64 Hawaiian wreath 65 Cubs Hall of Famer Banks 66 One committed to a military career 67 Coppertone user’s goal 68 Lear daughter 69 Cosmetician Lauder
DOWN 1 Circle segments 2 Ripped 3 Cambodia’s continent 4 Swing support 5 Longtime Buick model 6 Feels 7 Boater or bowler 8 Suffix with psych 9 Decorate again 10 Railroad bridge support 11 *Raspberry 12 43,560 square feet 13 Actress Teri 18 Sugary ending 22 Earl Grey, for one 24 *Tinseltown trade 26 “Now!” in memos 27 Monkey suits 28 *Dieter’s concern 29 Newspaper revenue source 31 __-Wan Kenobi 32 Very long time 33 Longtime partner of Siskel 37 Sports MD’s specialty
39 Yellowstone grazer 40 Batman and Robin, e.g. 41 __-cone: shaved ice dessert 43 Doughnut with a twist 44 Fashionable 46 Nonpro sports org. 47 Tree also called basswood
51 La Brea goo 52 Quite a blow 53 Eye layer containing the iris 54 Swiss river 55 Step on a ladder 57 Boxers Muhammad and Laila 58 English elevator 59 “Gotcha” 60 French I infinitive 63 Actress Vardalos
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01/12/16
01/12/16
ALBUM REVIEW
ISO RECORDS
Forever the most stylish.
‘Blackstar’ proves Bowie’s immortality By SELENA AGUILERA Daily Arts Writer
I wrote this review a few days prior to the recent news of David Bowie’s death. I’m not really changing it, but I’m B+ adding some feelings about Blackstar Bowie right here. David David Bowie Bowie is the definition of ISO Records iconic. He is the end-all be-all living breathing statement of “just be yourself.” He’s been a major influence in my
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life as well as the lives of others, from ages 13 to 73. Age doesn’t matter in the love of Bowie. I give condolences to anyone who knew Bowie because I’m distraught, and I was only given the pleasure to listen to his music. Knowing him personally would have been too bittersweet for me to handle. I want to say thank you, David Bowie, for releasing one more piece of yourself into the world before you left. Thank you for staying humble. Thank you for simply being amazing, which is honestly an understatement. I could go on about my emotions towards Bowie, but crying in class is weird, so without further ado here are some thoughts on Blackstar. January 8 is one of the coolest days out of the year. If you didn’t know, it’s Elvis Presley’s birthday. Let’s have a moment of silence to appreciate the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, and another for Bowie himself (much love, Bowie). OK, the moment of silence is over, because guess what? It’s David Bowie’s birthday too. I know, two musical geniuses sharing a birthday sounds insane, but I’m not lying to you. And to make January 8 even more spectacular, this year Bowie decided to release his 25th studio album, Blackstar, on that day. Blackstar was released on Bowie’s 69th birthday but despite his age, he still sings like a beautiful angel. His voice never lost its charm through time; in fact, nothing about Bowie has been or will be lost. David Bowie is some sort of extraterrestrial superhuman that keeps progressing with time, as evidenced by the obvious undertones of outer space injected into his music and personality. From dressing like a character on Star Trek to releasing songs like “Life on Mars,” “Space Oddity” and “Blackstar” – the first track on the new album – space and foreign ideas have always been a part of Bowie’s aesthetic. Just 30 seconds into the first song on Blackstar, I was transported to a completely different environment. The drums collaborate with the piano, and visions of walking in a desert fill my head. The song keeps a slow and steady pace as Bowie labels himself a “blackstar,” which is an alternative to a black hole. “I’m a blackstar. I’m not a pornstar. I’m not a wandering star. I’m a blackstar,” he claims. The song continues with other eerie chants and each instrument starts to close out, leaving only the flute and
R2-D2-esque beeps. It creates a celestial experience until everything falls silent. “Tis a Pity She Was a Whore,” the next track, escapes the spacey feel of “Blackstar,” giving the old Bowie a chance to shine through. The intro of the song sounds similar to that of “Immigrant Song,” by Led Zeppelin, but without the moaning voice. The instrumentals are in a higher tempo and Bowie starts to talk about an aggressive encounter with a woman, saying, “Man, she punched me like a dude.” It’s harsh and weird and sets up the diversity of Blackstar early on. The third song, “Lazarus,” catapults you back into the space journey. The entire song is melancholy, and in the lyrics we hear Bowie shedding his hard exterior. He weeps, “Everybody knows me now. Look up here man I’m in danger. I’ve got nothing left to lose. I’m so high it makes my brain whirl,” admitting to the harsh effects fame has had on his life. Bowie makes himself vulnerable and allows us to reach a softer side of him, showing that even someone as wild and eccentric as himself can be cuffed by the world’s judgments. Following that emotional jam, “Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)” starts off sounding like classic rock, but maintains the dark and lost feeling throughout Blackstar. “Girl Loves Me” is the follow up song and contains high notes that only Bowie could hit at his age, adding to the colorful sounds in this album. The last songs “Dollar Days,” and “I Can’t Give Everything Away” didn’t do anything special for me. They’re pleasing to the ears and showcase Bowie’s talent, but after being mesmerized by the almost tenminute-long opener and their follow-ups, the final two start to lack charisma. The lyrics are repetitive, and there’s nothing prominent enough to leave an impression. They’re not very “Bowie” at all. Aside from the ending, Blackstar is insanely good for being a 25th album released by a 69-year-old man. David Bowie is a legend, and his talent will never be forgotten. If you know anyone who was born on January 8, it’d probably be wise to support them, because who knows? They could be a great musical genius someday. Thank you for everything you’ve done, David Bowie. You’ll remain one of the brightest stars in our sky. Life on Mars? There is now.
HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO BOWIE ALL DAY? US TOO. E-mail ajtheis@umich.edu and katjacqu@umich.edu for information on applying to Daily Arts.
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News & Michigan in Color
Tuesday, January 12, 2016 — 7
City to construct three outdoor ice rinks in Ann Arbor parks Officials say sites will be open to the public within the next two weeks By MARLEE BREAKSTONE Daily Staff Reporter
After delays due to warm weather in December, a planned installation of three natural ice skating rinks is underway in the city of Ann Arbor. Located at Allmendinger, Burns and Northside parks, installations for the project began Monday afternoon with the laying of water for the ice rink. Now-former City Councilmember Stephen Kunselman proposed the use of $89,169 from the city’s cash reserves to create the ice rinks before his term ended in 2015. The allocation was approved as part of the 2015 to 2016 Ann Arbor city budget. The ice rinks will be added to Veterans Memorial Park and Buhr Park. In an interview, Councilmember Julie Grand (D–Ward 3), who is involved in the city’s Parks Advisory Commission, said the locations were chosen both to spread the rinks around the city and
make them accessible to the community, as well as based on where rinks have been located historically in the city. Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, said it will take 10 to 14 days for the ice to achieve the desired four inches of thickness. He said staff will return to the rinks nightly during this time period to rewater the rinks until the ice hits four inches. [COPY: “achieves the desired thickness” is repeated twice — consider rephrasing] Grand said usage of the rinks will be available free of charge, and the rinks will be open to the public during regular park hours shortly. “In about two weeks, weather permitting, we should see the signs removed and (the rinks) will be open for the public to skate,” Grand said. According to Grand, one-third of the budget for the project will be designated for parts that can be reused, such as the frame of the rinks, with the remainder being allocated toward staff labor, a potentially ongoing expense. She said she is thrilled about the ice rinks and the Ann Arbor community shares her sentiment. “I honestly have not heard anyone say they are unanimously
excited about any topic other than the skating rink,” she said. “Everyone is excited about it. Law Prof. David Santacroce, who is chair of the Ann Arbor Parks Advisory Commission, said by building the ice rinks, the city of Ann Arbor is recognizing a desire among residents for recreational activities such as ice skating. Several commercial rinks currently exist in and near to the city. “People want to skate and they’d like to do it closer to home and for free if possible,” Santacroce said. “If we can get (the rinks) established, if the weather cooperates, it’s a great parks service for the community.” Engineering junior Michael Vizzini, who grew up in the area, said the ice rinks would be a great addition to the town. “I used to have a homemade ice rink at my house when I was younger and it was incredible,” Vizzini said. Grand encouraged community members to skate at the rink, and said she’s hopeful that large crowds at the rinks prompt more city projects like it in the future. “If they are widely used, then it will give a message to the city that more money should be budgeted towards ice rinks and similar projects in the future,” she said.
University collaborates with Ford to test autonomous cars Results from M-City research revealed at Detroit auto show Monday By TANYA MADHANI Daily Staff Reporter
In collaboration with Ford Motor Companies, the University has participated in an automotive project to test autonomous vehicles during winter conditions — the first of its kind — both groups announced Monday during the North American International Auto Show. Researchers from the University and Ford tested Ford Fusion Hybrids at MCity, the University’s test-cite for driverless vehicles in a simulated city environment opened earlier this year. According to a press release,
the goal of the testing was to observe how LiDAR sensors on the vehicles would operate in winter conditions. LiDAR sensors generate points of laser lights to help automated vehicles navigate, creating three-dimensional images of objects surrounding the road such as signs and trees, as well as the road itself. They also help automobiles calculate precise lane locations. Ryan Eustice, associate professor of architecture and engineering and a researcher involved in the project, said in a statement that maps and GPS systems provided by outside companies do not function consistently in harsh winter terrains. “The ones developed by Ford and the University of Michigan do (function consistently),” Eustice said. “The maps we create contain useful information about the 3D environment around the car,
allowing it to localize even with a blanket of snow covering the ground.” He added that while LiDAR images are implemented to prevent accidents in hazardous winter conditions, inclement weather can cause snow to block roads and prevents the sensor from detecting it. In his remarks during the auto show Monday, Raj Nair, Ford executive vice president and chief technical officer, said Ford has been testing autonomous vehicles for close to a decade and looks forward to developing the project further. “Snow is one of the most extreme driving conditions. Snow blocks sensors and obviously creates slippery conditions. So, this testing will help us take fully autonomous vehicles to the ultimate level.” Apart from Michigan, Ford is also testing driverless cars on roads in California and Texas.
LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
State Rep. Adam Zemke (D-Ann Arbor) speaks at the Ann Arbor City Club on September 15th, 2014.
Ann Arbor legislator named 2016 ‘Lawmaker to Watch’ Detroit Regional Chamber honors state Rep. Adam Zemke By LYDIA MURRAY Daily Staff Reporter
Along with several other Michigan legislators, one of Ann Arbor’s own was named a 2016 Lawmaker to Watch Wednesday. The Detroit Regional Chamber included state Rep. Adam Zemke (D–Ann Arbor) in their newest list of impactful lawmakers. Zemke was one of six state legislators named, and the only Democratic House member on the list. In a press release, Zemke said he feels honored to have been named and looks forward to continuing his work. “I am honored by and deeply appreciative of this recognition,” he said. “While people of Washtenaw County are my first priority, it is also my responsibility as a legislator to think and act broadly, to vote my conscience and to help enact change I believe is necessary
MEDIA From Page 2 like you are perceived and treated like you do not belong on a national level, particularly when the discourse is so vitriolic, has damaging effects on students.” Law student Sarah Alsaden, treasurer of the Muslim Law Students Association, said since the media has a considerable
and beneficial in our state as a whole. I look forward to continuing this work, along with my Democratic and Republican colleagues, on issues that matter in our county, our region, and across Michigan.” Jim Martinez, director of communications for the DRC, said Zemke was chosen because of his commitment to improving the state and region. “We look for lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who are committed to finding solutions and creating policy that moves the state forward,” he said. “Rep. Zemke has proven to take a pragmatic approach to policy. He’s supported some issues that are important to our members, and to growing the economy and increasing prosperity and growth.” In an interview, Zemke said he believes the DRC selected him because of his work pushing forward legislation, particularly in education and infrastructure investments. Zemke mentioned although he does not agree with members of the chamber of commerce all of the time, he is able to work with them productively to
acheive his goals. “Locally and regionally our views are in line on many issues on how to move Michigan forward,” he said. “I think that this award is a kind of recognition of that work and my ability to move legislation forward.” Looking at upcoming legislation, Zemke said he is currently working on bills relating to funding for Detroit public schools and pedestrian safety. “We’re going to be working on legislation that deals with the Detroit Public Schools, because they have significant financial issues,” he said. “We are also going to be dealing with some legislation that I have been working on for quite some time on pedestrian safety and dealing with that on a statewide basis.” As well, Zemke said he is also working on several election year efforts. “I am likely to run for reelection again this year,” he said. “I am also serving as chairperson of the House Democrats election effort and we are trying to win a majority in November. Those are what I’m going to be focused on in terms of politics.”
impact in portraying minorities, it is important for it to maintain a neutral light when covering terrorism news. Alsaden added that she believes the climate at the University toward Muslim students could be further improved if students listened more to how their peers felt about being represented negatively in the media. “The media does put a focus
on labelling Muslims as violent, which isn’t the same for other races or religions,” Alsaden said. “It is important that these harmful stereotypes are removed and we all become allies.” Saleem said her team is currently working to publish longitudinal data about how reliance on media for information affect non-Muslims’ views toward Muslims over the course of three months.
Michigan in Color: Heavy is the Head that Wears the Crown By G.S. SURI Michigan in Color Contributor “He has a turban, and has long hair like a girl … like why would anyone like him?” At sixteen years old, standing under a staircase in high school, I heard a conversation about me and a painful perception that has shaped an unfortunate view about how I see myself and how I thought others saw me. I could never look like those tall white guys in the Young Life youth group. I could never look like the guys wearing Brooks Brothers polos and backward snapbacks that I saw at Grand Valley State University. I was not good enough because of the way I looked. Immigrants’ sons are taught to hustle. We are taught to make a name for ourselves and f ly from the launch pads our parents made out of love, tears, sweat and blood in order for us to have the lives we are so blessed to have. Coming into college, I took this mantra in everything I did. From a high school experience where I felt closed up with no purpose, I took on my freshman year full-on. I was loud and opinionated, I made sure people knew I had a say because I felt that
I did not have a say for so long in my hometown, where micro-aggressions and subtle racism helped diminish my voice. In trying to protect my voice, I closed off the voices of others in the process. My ego took over in wanting to be the immigrant son who did important work and made moves to accomplish things in order to honor my parents’ sacrifice. I wanted to define myself so badly in a place that was so big when my insecurities made me feel so small that I did not think of the consequences. Being the good immigrants’ son that I was, I accomplished what I set out to do. I started groups, I helped lead groups. I was involved with activist movements that set precedent for public universities. I helped build startups that provided value to consumers. I performed service to communities as mandated in Sikhism through the concept of Seva (Self less service). I was admitted into specialty programs and received media commendation. This “Me. Me. Me” monologue could continue, but it stops when I pause to ref lect on “at what cost did I achieve?” I alienated some of the first people I met in college; I overpowered kind, soft spoken people when
I spoke because of a need to make sure I was heard, since I was so scared of losing my voice. For years, my arrogance pushed away the first girl in my life to make me feel OK with what I looked like and who I was. Someone so kind, and because of weaknesses that I failed to address, things ended abruptly. In trying to pursue what I thought were ideals during my early years of college, I lost far too much to feel wholesome. For me, internships unfortunately did not mitigate this, but amplified this behavior. Finance operates, at times, in a vacuum. So long as you do good work, reduce costs and support the firm, no one really cares what you do. The worst part is they incentivize you to be that way. In some of the places I worked, I saw people with gigantic egos and wallets, all the while stretched thin. As a result, they had little time with the people who mattered most in a place that applauded your work above all. And I am ashamed to say it got to me. It made me tougher, more critical, more in tune to senseless office politics and more aggressive in recognizing my accomplishments to senior management. By the time I realized how business had
changed me, it was far too late. I realized how alone I felt and that I wanted to be loved. I kept a lower profile and apologized to as many people who were willing to listen. I tried to listen more than I spoke and admit when I do not know enough about a situation. I became less inf luenced by money and asked myself what was important and who was important. I spent nights crying in my room asking to turn back time and begging for a redo. From persuasion through friends who cared enough about me to tell me the truth, I stopped chasing after the people who were not willing to listen that I was trying to be different. And with that, I could not blame them for their interpretation of my character, given what they saw in the past. I spent time trying to understand love and what that meant. In London, it was looking at my Indian grandfather smile at photos of my deceased grandmother. It meant that no matter what racism my grandfather faced in England, or how many people alienated my white grandmother for being with my grandpa, that love was love and it was going to endure until the end. It meant taking time to talk to my neighbors in
Buenos Aires who explained that love is a growing thing, not a constant. That you love more and more every day that you know someone and it is not something that you try to rekindle over time because it dies out after marriage. It meant my mother following my father to a home 3,000 miles away and holding each other while crying the first day in their new apartment because they knew they were going to make it together — without hesitation. Once I came to understand it, I realized I wanted it to be a part of me so long as I was happy with being myself first. How can a Sikh boy atoning for his past find love in Ann Arbor? In a place where I am reminded I am an outsider, where recently several women laughed as a man sneered while telling me to “go back to my country,” how can I find something meaningful? My immigrant parents fell in love in months and knew they would be with each other forever. I cannot taper or dilute my happiness, excitement, pain and sadness like the white boys and girls were taught. As a means of longevity and survival, the communities I was raised in promoted being blunt and candid and open. There
was not time for nuance or diminished feelings. I was told to wear my heart on my sleeve. When I am happy or upset, I make it known to the people who matter. When I am confused, I try to reach out and ask for clarity. I try to make people feel special if I truly feel they are special. In a town where if I look for a special someone to grow something greater with then I am called naïve, or called a coward for not bringing the first girl at the bar who wants to learn about my turban back to my place, how can I find someone worthwhile? And even if I find that girl, can I be genuine given my insecurities? I look to my past and pray that I have changed when I ask if there is a me that is not defined by others? Is there so much G.S. that there is not enough room for another person in my heart? Will implicit racism and bias bring poison and fear into the relationships that I have had, tearing it apart? Or maybe I still feel like that 16-yearold under the staircase? And will that hold me back from the courage to start the conversation? How do I become more than what is assumed of me?
Sports
8 — Tuesday, January 12, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
‘M’ hosts No. 3 Maryland Terps’ Trimble MEN’S BASKETBALL
talks leadership
By SIMON KAUFMAN Daily Sports Editor
Michigan men’s basketball coach John Beilein began his Monday press conference with an unprompted injury update Maryland at on senior guard Caris LeVert Michigan and a tinge Matchup: of tongue-in- Maryland 15-1; Michigan 12-4 cheek flare. “You all When: want your Tuesday, Caris report, 9 P.M. right?” Beilein Where: Crisler asked a group Center of reporters. “It TV/Radio: seems we’ve ESPN been having the injury report here for about three years. “The injury report is less pain every day, less yesterday. We elected not to have him still practice yesterday because (we want to) let the healing try to complete itself. I’m not optimistic about (him playing) tomorrow. The longer it goes, the more he’s going to need two or three days of practice, or he won’t be ready or we can risk further injuring it. So that’s what I got to say and that’s what I prefer to say. So if you ask me anything more, I already said it — and I said it well. It was well said.” The Wolverines (2-1 Big Ten, 12-4 overall) will likely be without their top scorer again Tuesday night when they host No. 3 Maryland. Meanwhile, the Terrapins’ most productive player, guard Melo Trimble, is coming off a 21-point performance on the road against Wisconsin on Saturday. In Madison, Trimble showed why he was the preseason pick for Big Ten Player of the Year. On top of his game-high 21 points, he dished out five assists, and with time expiring, he buried a 3-pointer to send Maryland (4-0,
By JACOB GASE Daily Sports Editor
The Maryland men’s basketball team has no shortage of weapons, but sophomore point guard Melo Trimble proved this weekend that he is chief among them. With 12 seconds remaining and the score tied in a difficult road matchup at Wisconsin on Saturday, the Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year dribbled up the court and took the game into his own hands. Instead of trying to run a play or drive to the rim, Trimble confidently stepped up and buried a long 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left to give the thirdranked Terrapins the victory. In October, the Daily caught up with the Terrapins’ star player at Big Ten Media Day in Chicago. The Michigan Daily: Maryland has much higher expectations this year than in recent years. Has the team had a chance to react to those yet? Does that change anything heading into the season? Melo Trimble: I think we’re confident as a group, but I think more so, we want to work and just keep grinding. It’ll take the little things to be a great team, and I think from the summer to the fall ’til now, I think the team — the way we’re headed, the direction we’re headed — we feel that we can do great things, and we have a good group. TMD: Over the summer, you got a personal invitation
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
GRANT HARDY/Daily
Sophomore guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman scored a career-high 25 points in a loss to Purdue on Thursday.
15-1) home victorious. “He just comes down the court, there was no panic at all,” Beilein said of Trimble’s latest performance. “It reminded me of a guy we had as well. … He obviously, like Trey Burke, is a tremendous player, but he’s also got — like Trey Burke — a lot of pieces around him.” Maryland has five players averaging double-digit scoring per contest and plays with two true big men, Damonte Dodd and Diamond Stone — both 6-foot-11. Stone is pacing 13 points and five rebounds per game. Add in guard Rasheed Sulaimon, who is pacing 10 points and four assists per game, and forwards Jake Layman (10.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists) and Robert Carter Jr. (12.6, 6.9, 1.8), and it makes sense that Maryland has been a popular
Final Four pick. “They’ve got a lot of people that can make good plays for them,” Beilein said. “They’ve got seniors; they’ve got juniors. We’re down to two juniors again for the second straight year, so it is what it is.” With LeVert sidelined, sophomore guard MuhammadAli Abdur-Rahkman has started in his place. Abdur-Rahkman had a career night on Thursday at Purdue, scoring a career-high 25 points. But despite the explosive scoring performance, he had just two assists in 39 minutes. “That’s something you have to work on, seeing the whole floor and not just two actions or two players on the court,” AbdurRahkman said. “So I just want to get better at that.” On the defensive end, AbdurRahkman may be more prepared than his teammates to take on
Trimble. The two played together when Abdur-Rahkman lived in the Washington D.C. area from when he was nine years old until his junior year of high school, but Abdur-Rahkman said Trimble’s game has changed since when the two used to play together. Junior guard Derrick Walton has also tried to take on more responsibility with LeVert injured, but he has struggled to find his touch since conference play started, going 8-for-25 from the field in three Big Ten games. Tuesday’s game presents an opportunity for Michigan to get its first marquee win in a conference in which home wins are essential due to the difficulty of winning on the road. “If you’re going to be in the NCAA picture, you’ve got to win almost all your home games,” Beilein said.
from Steph Curry to go to one of his camps. What was that experience like? MT: It was a great experience. I got a chance to train with Steph Curry, I got a chance to be beside him. It was very exciting — he was the MVP last season and won the championship, and just being beside him, seeing how he shoots the ball was a great experience. TMD: Did you get a chance to pick his brain at all? Get any advice from him? MT: I just asked him, “What does it take to win?” And he told me, “Work ethic.” Work, work, work, just being a leader, being myself. TMD: There were a lot of high schoolers at the camp, too. Were you working mostly on yourself, or were you also in an instructional role? MT: I was a teacher at the camp, I talked to young guys in the groups. It was mostly me being a leader, being very vocal. I’m not used to teaching a group of guys. It’s something I’m working on, being a leader. I think that camp was a good experience. TMD: You’re pretty young still yourself, with just one year of college basketball under your belt. What kinds of things have you learned in that short time that you were able to impart on those younger kids? MT: I would say, just know yourself, know what you do best, and continue to stay in the gym, because that’s what I did. I didn’t think I was gonna have the year I had last year before the season started. It just came from me getting confidence (and from) my teammates, my coaches, always having a good relationship with my coaching staff.
ICE HOCKEY
Fourth line shows energy, Berenson shuffles D-men Shuart and Dancs impress by doing the dirty work in opportune moments By MINH DOAN Daily Sports Editor
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Senior forward Kelsey Mitchell has scored double digit points in the Wolverines’ recent wins over Iowa and Minnesota.
Mitchell’s sunny side By CHRIS CROWDER Daily Sports Writer
The phone camera rolls. Kelsey Mitchell and Jillian Dunston are in the imagined setting of a mall. They’re complaining about being there for too long, waiting for Siera Thompson, who is shopping. On the court, Mitchell and Dunston are the Michigan women’s basketball team’s top forwards and scrappy rebounders. But this is Instagram, and this is a different side of the two athletes. Thompson returns through a door in a sweatsuit outfit, asking the other two if they like it. The video is supposed to include the Webster Dictionary word of the day. Today’s word is fitness. Mitchell brings in the punchline, “Now she know she don’t FITNESS jacket.” For Michigan women’s basketball fans, it seems like the senior forward Mitchell has just started to come out of her shell. After a career mired with injuries and a slow start to her senior campaign, Mitchell has come alive in the past two games. When the team needed strength and finesse in the paint down by 17 against Iowa on Jan.
7, Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico turned to Mitchell. In her fourth career start, Mitchell led an improbable comeback win with 15 points and 11 rebounds. She rode the momentum to another stellar performance against Minnesota three days later, nearly earning her second straight double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. Mitchell is soft-spoken both on and off the court. But it depends who she is talking to and the occasion. To her teammates, she’s always been out of her shell. She is described by Barnes Arico as a monster on the court but overall evenkeeled. Her emotion was in full force when she let out a yell after blocking a shot late in the game against Iowa. But for the most part, Mitchell stays quiet and takes care of business. Scouting reports will say to watch her signature slick spin move toward the baseline, but most people outside Mitchell’s team, friends and family would know that she has a knack for cracking jokes. “She is hysterical,” Barnes Arico said. “She is the funniest person I may have met in my entire life, and you wouldn’t know that probably talking to the media. But if you got her outside of media, if you ever
check out Webster’s Word of the Day on Instagram, you’ll die (laughing).” Mitchell, the sophomore forward Dunston and the junior guard Thompson have made multiple 15-second comedy sketches, using whatever the word of the day is in a witty way during the skit. The puns are inventive and reveal the comedic affinity all three possess. In one skit, Mitchell and Thompson are sitting down, acting like it’s getting late and it’s time for one of them to go home. Mitchell asks to spend the night. Thompson says, “Now you know my granny be trippin’. She don’t like last-minute stuff.” Mitchell responds: “Man, ALASKA. Granny Pearl!” Dunston appears from behind a door frame, glasses half way down her nose, yelling with a drawl, “Yes?!” In this twisting of words, Alaska is said instead of “I’ll ask her.” There’s more to Kelsey Mitchell than just a focused basketball player. It may have taken a while for Michigan fans to discover, but with her videos as proof, the wait was worth it. Now, if she can stay in the spotlight, fans will continue to uncover the multiple features that make up her personality.
The fourth line of a hockey team can sometimes serve as the utility line. The line gets to play whenever the coach thinks a NOTEBOOK change of pace is needed in the game. For Michigan, the fourth line has been all that and more. With the Wolverines recently adding a seventh defenseman, a hole has been left on the fourth line. But there are two forwards who have consistently been on the fourth line there to keep it steady: sophomore Dexter Dancs and junior Max Shuart. The duo combined for just two goals and an assist against Michigan State this weekend, but Dancs’ goal late in the first period against Michigan State on Saturday jumpstarted Michigan’s offensive attack. “They’re trying to play hockey the right way,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “Part of their game is jumping on loose pucks and forechecking. You saw Shuart do that on Friday and set (freshman forward) Brendan Warren up for a great scoring chance. And then he did that with Dancs on Saturday. It’s just checking hard, creating a turnover and throwing it in front of the net. “If that line adds energy to our team, and can create a little offense in the meantime and
avoid being scored against, then they’re a positive on our team. But like any line in hockey, the fourth line isn’t perfect. While Shuart centers the line, he isn’t a natural-born center. Berenson counters this problem by grouping the two fourth liners with another center at certain points in the game so that Shuart can play his natural position on the wing. “When we put (senior forward Boo Nieves) out there with them, Boo is our best faceoff man, so that helps take some of the pressure off Shuart,” Berenson said. “Shuart is a natural winger so he can go to the wing, and Dancs can go on the off wing and still be effective.” All things considered, Berenson was impressed with his fourth line this weekend. “I thought this was (Shuart and Dancs’) best weekend,” Berenson said. PLAYING SEVEN DEFENSEMEN: With the emergence of sophomore defenseman Sam Piazza during the Great Lakes Invitational, Berenson has switched from the traditional six-man defense to a seven-man defensive system. The system has its advantages in that the defensive pairings don’t have to be broken up if a defenseman goes to the penalty box. That means that Piazza, as the seventh defenseman, has to rotate playing with different defensemen rather than having one consistent partner. “It’s been different for me,” Piazza said. “This past weekend, I played with just about everyone.” The seven-man defensive system also speaks to the
“They’re trying to play hockey the right way.”
depth of the Wolverines, especially with another capable defenseman, senior Kevin Lohan, still injured. Though the unconventional defensive system leaves a hole on the fourth line, Berenson uses the gap to double shift skaters and give his other players more time on the ice. The jury is still out on the seven-defensemen system, and Berenson mentioned that it will continue to be evaluated. “I don’t have a strong opinion of it just yet, but I definitely think it helped us this past weekend,” Berenson said. “It’ll be week-to-week whether we play it or not.” SECOND STRAIGHT HOME-AND-HOME: With a home-and-home series against Michigan State just completed, the Michigan hockey team will play another home-andhome series against Ohio State. The Wolverines will travel to Columbus on Friday before returning home to face the Buckeyes at Yost Ice Arena on Sunday. While there is a little more travel time required for the teams than there was against Michigan State, Berenson says he is a fan of the home-andhome series. “I like it,” Berenson said. “As a coach, I like going into the other team’s building, where if you have a good game, you have the chance to sweep at home. On the other side of it, the fans get to see a game every weekend.” INJURY UPDATE: Lohan has been out since midNovember with a lower-body injury. After an original return date set for the Nov. 20 game against Boston University, Lohan suffered a setback in his recovery and was delayed until after the GLI. Berenson told the Daily on Monday that Lohan is skating on his own and will try to practice with the team this weekend.