ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Thursday, January 21, 2016
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
CRIME
‘U’: Reports of sexual misconduct jump to 172 Total Number of Sexual Misconduct Reports
129 AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Sexual Assault
68
President Barack Obama speaks about the Detroit auto show and the Flint water crisis during a speech at the UAW-GM center in Detroit on Wednesday.
In Michigan visit, Obama commends auto industry President highlights 2008 bailout for car companies By LYDIA MURRAY Daily Staff Reporter
DETROIT — In an effort to highlight the success of the auto industry bailout and its subsequent recovery, President Barack Obama visited the North American Auto Show in Detroit and spoke at the United Auto Workers and General Motors Center on Wednesday.
In 2008, the auto industry was nearing collapse as two of the three major auto producers — General Motors and Chrysler — faced bankruptcy. Both companies are headquartered in Detroit with many manufacturing plants in and around the city, providing many jobs and supporting additional industries involved in auto manufacturing and supply. At the time of the bailout, unemployment in Detroit had peaked at more than 25 percent, and a projected 1 million additional jobs would have been lost had the auto industry been allowed to collapse. In response to the crisis, Obama spearheaded a package
that provided $85 billion in loans to the corporations to prevent them from failing. The deal was widely unpopular at the time, with a March 2009 poll indicating 60 percent of Americans were opposed to the government bailout. On Wednesday, Obama acknowledged this lack of support, saying Obama he pushed the bailout through regardless because he believed it was the best decision. “It wasn’t popular,” Obama said. “It wasn’t even popular in Detroit. But I said at the time I’m not president to be popular. I’m president to do what needs to be done.” Since the bailout, the auto
industry has paid back almost the entirety of the loans and auto sales have reached an all-time high at 17.4 million units in 2015, Obama said. The spirit of liveliness that once existed in Detroit is slowly coming back, Obama said, as a result of the auto industry’s recovery. “Today you’ve got buses that are running again, streets that are well lit again,” he said. “You can feel the difference. You can feel something special happening in Detroit.” The bailout agreement was tied to several additional efficiency and technology standards, which have led to American auto producers spearheading efforts into lowSee OBAMA, Page 3A
97
Stalking
17 Sexual Harrassment
35 43 Retaliation 37
Number of Sexual Misconduct Reports made to the Office of Institutional Equity
Other
2014
11 15
Same number of cases investigated despite 33-percent increase By CAMY METWALLY Daily Staff Reporter
The Office for Institutional Equity’s second annual sexual misconduct report found the
By LEV FACHER Daily Sports Writer
As the shot clock reached six seconds, the students standing courtside at Crisler Center began to count down — from nine. When the buzzer sounded to signify a shot-clock violation six seconds later, Minnesota’s Joey King, having fallen embarrassingly for the oldest trick in the book, flinched in surprise. The impact of Michigan’s courtside student section, the Maize Rage, was readily apparent Wednesday, and if Michigan interim Athletic Director Jim Hackett has his way, more students will be seated courtside in years to come, at least for select high-profile games. Hackett discussed the
number of reports of sexual misconduct at the University has increased 33 percent since 2014, jumping from 129 incidents to 172 in 2015. The report, released Thursday morning, showed that though the number of cases reported rose, the number of investigations remained unchanged. While 21 percent of cases received full investigation in 2014, 17 percent of cases were investigated this See REPORT, Page 3A
BUSINESS
Hackett talks expanding Maize Rage student seating arrangement, the University’s ongoing search for a long-term athletic director and more in an interview with the Daily before the Michigan men’s basketball team played Minnesota. Making himself comfortable in the courtside seats that belong to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, Hackett surveyed a packed student section and outlined the basics for a plan that would selectively open additional lower-bowl sections to students in future years. “I think it’s the kind of thing where some of the best fans would be willing to trade for their University and their students,” Hackett said. “That’s the idea — would you be willing to make something special for them, get recognition for it, and get it back? But you give it to them for a game, for an Ohio State or Duke.” The idea, essentially, is for season-ticket holders to offer their seats in a coordinated fashion for select high-profile See HACKETT, Page 5A
2015
Source: University of Michigan Office of Institutional Equity Design by Anjali Alangaden
SPORTS
Interim Athletic Director also gives update on search for his successor
172
Student run start-up for delivering food thrives EnvoyNow brings meals straight to dorm rooms, library By BECCA SOLBERG Daily Staff Reporter
GRANT HARDY/Daily
LSA and business Senior Haider Malik speaks out regarding the recent violence in Pakistan at the Diag Wednesday.
Students hold vigil to honor Pakistan shooting victims Attendees discuss ongoing violence, cultural heritage at Diag gathering By RIYAH BASHA Daily Staff Reporter
Students huddled around candles on the Diag Wednesday night as a part of a vigil in honor of 19 people
murdered by militants at Bacha Khan University in Pakistan Wednesday. Organized by MPak, a student organization for Pakistani students, the event served as a space for more than 40 attendees to reflect on the tragedy and share their personal connections to it. The attack on the university, located in the northern city of Charsadda, occurred a little over a year after a similar shooting in Peshawar in
which about 150 people, mostly schoolchildren, were murdered by the Taliban in an act of terrorism. Though one Taliban commander has claimed responsibility for the Bacha Khan attack, according to the BBC, Pakistani security forces have yet to determine definitively which militant group carried it out. MPak President Eman Hijab, an LSA senior, compared the two assaults and See VIGIL, Page 3A
Though Forbes Magazine reports that 90 percent of startups fail overall, a startup new to the University, EnvoyNow, is defying the odds and flourishing in the college market. EnvoyNow is a student-run food delivery service that came to Ann Arbor this fall. The startup aims to deliver local restaurant food directly to the customer’s locations. The delivery service says it is the only service that can directly deliver food to dorm rooms and library study areas, and employs students who have MCards to deliver the food so they have access to University buildings. “We’ve had great reception so far,” said LSA freshman Robin Elihu, head of marketing for the University’s See START-UP, Page 3A
Was the function lit? Sam Rosenberg delves into the world of new millennial lingo to find out.
» INSIDE
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 29 LO: 15
GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Read more coverage of Obama’s visit online MICHIGANDAILY.COM/SECTION/NEWS
INDEX
Vol. CXXV No. 56 ©2016 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A SPORTS......................5A
SUDOKU.....................2A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A B-SIDE ....................1B
News
2A — Thursday, January 21, 2016
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Campus Voices
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
THURSDAY: Twitter Talk
FRIDAY: Photos of the Week
DETROIT DJ Michigan fans are excited about potential recruits for the football team.
“Extremely confident that #Michigan can finish with the nation’s top recruiting class #GoBlue” —@BrandonGoBlue37
Each week, “Twitter Talk” is a forum to print tweets that are fun, informative, breaking or newsworthy, with an angle on the University, Ann Arbor and the state. All tweets have been edited for accurate spelling and grammar.
FOLLOW US!
#TMD
@michigandaily
“
RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily
Carl Craig discusses his journey to becoming one of the most influential Detroit techno artists in Stamps Auditorium on Wednesday as part of the Performing Arts Seminar Series.
It’s finally winter in Ann Arbor!
“On another note, it ‘feels’ like -8 degrees outside in Ann Arbor right now! So go blue, hail to the victors” — @grayson373
“
“The...team received 10th in the nation for both Jazz and Hip-Hop! We are so proud of this team! Way to go! #goblue” — @umichdance
Violence of mass Semester in incarceration Detroit
Water at Michigan
WHAT: Learn how to use your own strengths to achieve professional success. WHO: Learning & Professional Development WHEN: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. WHERE: Administrative Services Building-LPD
WHAT: The third in a sixWHAT: A workshop lecture series exploring about the diverse and difreforms and a “new normal” for ferent research about mass incarceration. water on campus. WHO: Paul Leighton, EMU WHO: University profesor of Criminology Water Center WHEN: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 WHEN: 9:00 a.m. a.m. to 5:00 p.m. WHERE: Palmer Commons WHERE: Rave Theater - 4100 Carpenter Road - Great Lakes Rooms
URC 20th anniversary WHAT: Celebrate 20 years of the Detroit Urban Research Center and hear a keynote speech from David Satcher, founding director and senior advisor of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute. WHO: Detroit URC WHEN: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. WHERE: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Detroit
Former Folk singer/ grantee panel songwriter WHAT: 2015 International Institute Individual Fellowships (IIIF) grantees speak about their diverse research. WHO: International Institute WHEN: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work Building - 1644
WHAT: Presented by Gifts of Art, Michigan native Matt Watroba sings both original and traditional songs that highlight compassion, inner strength, humor and everyday living. WHO: Matt Watroba WHEN: 12:10 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. WHERE: University Hospital Main Lobby, Floor 1
Editor in Chief 734-418-4115 ext. 1251 sageva@michigandaily.com
Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 rfilipp@michigandaily.com
Newsroom
News Tips
734-418-4115 opt. 3
news@michigandaily.com
Corrections
Letters to the Editor
corrections@michigandaily.com
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
Arts Section
Editorial Page
arts@michigandaily.com
opinion@michigandaily.com
Sports Section
Photography Section
sports@michigandaily.com
photo@michigandaily.com
Display Sales
Classified Sales
dailydisplay@gmail.com
classified@michigandaily.com
EDITORIAL STAFF The University Dance Team placed in a big national competition!
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Learn your strengths
420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com SHOHAM GEVA ROSE FILIPP
WHAT: Enjoy coffee and doughnuts and learn about Semester in Detroit. Ask questions and reconnect with alumni of the program. WHO: Semester in Detroit WHEN: 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. WHERE: East Quadrangle - 1615
Poetry reading WHAT: Canadian poet and ancient Greek teacher Anne Carson reads her work as part of the Zell Visiting Writers Series. She has recieved myriad awards including the Griffin Trust Award for Excellene in Poetry. WHO: Anne Carson WHEN: 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Museum of Art Helmut Stern Auditorium
1
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
Pakistani militants stormed Bacha Khan University in northwest Pakistan, CNN reported. They planned their raid during a ceremony at the school to increase casualties, slaughtering at least 19 people. The attack is said to be in response to military operations against the Taliban.
2
Daily Arts Writer Sam Rosenberg looks at how language defines millenials. >>SEE THE B-SIDE, PAGE 1B
3
Astronomers at the California Institute of Technology reported finding “Planet Nine” in our solar system, far beyod Pluto’s orbit, the Washington Post reported. The new planet is said to be 5 to 10 times as massive as Earth.
Laura Schinagle Managing Editor Emma Kerr Managing News Editor
schlaura@michigandaily.com emkerr@michigandaily.com
SENIOR NEWS EDITORS: Allana Akhtar, Alyssa Brandon, Jacqeline Charniga, Katie Penrod, Emma Kinery ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Riyah Basha, Marlee Breakstone, Desiree Chew, Anna Haritos, Camy Metwally, Lydia Murray, Caitlin Reedy, Alexa St. John
Claire Bryan and Regan Detwiler Editorial Page Editors
opinioneditors@michigandaily.com
SENIOR OPINION EDITORS: Jeremy Kaplan, Ben Keller, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Jason Rowland, Stephanie Trierweiler
Max Bultman and Jake Lourim Managing Sports Editors
sportseditors@michigandaily.com
SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS: Minh Doan, Jacob Gase, Kelly Hall, Simon Kaufman, Jason Rubinstein, Zach Shaw, Brad Whipple ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Betelhem Ashame, Chris Crowder, Sylvanna Gross, Leland Mitchinson, Ted Janes, Kevin Santo,
Kathleen Davis and Adam Theisen Managing Arts Editors
arts@michigandaily.com
SENIOR ARTS EDITORS: Caroline Filips, Melina Glusac, Jacob Rich, Ben Rosenstock ARTS BEAT EDITORS: Matthew Barnauskas, Christian Kennedy, Rebecca Lerner, Natalie Zak
Amanda Allen and Grant Hardy Managing Photo Editors
photo@michigandaily.com
SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS: Zoey Holmstrom, Zach Moore, James Coller ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS: Claire Abdo, Robery Dunne, Sam Mousigian, San Pham, David Song
Anjali Alangaden and design@michigandaily.com Mariah Gardziola Managing Design Editors Karl Williams Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com DEPUTY STATEMENT EDITORS: Nabeel Chollampat and Tori Noble STATEMENT PHOTO EDITOR: Zoey Holmstrom STATEMENT LEAD DESIGNER: Shane Achenbach
Emily Campbell and Alexis Nowicki Managing Copy Editors
copydesk@michigandaily.com
SENIOR COPY EDITORS: Taylor Grandinetti and Jose Rosales
Nivedita Karki Online Editor Levin Kim Managing Video Editor
nivkarki@michigandaily.com
SENIOR VIDEO EDITORS: Michael Kessler, Abe Lofy, Emma Winowiecki
Michael Schramm Special Projects Manager Emma Sutherland Social Media Editor
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 Chris Wang Classifieds 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.
Famous Ann Arbor restaurant Pretzel Bell set to be reopened Alums, musician recall nights spent dancing and drinking at wellknown bar By EMILY DAVIES Daily Staff Reporter
Once the prime spot for 21st birthday celebrations, Ann Arbor’s restauarant Pretzel Bell is set to reopen this spring after closing three decades ago. The Pretzel Bell, or “P-Bell,” occupied the southwest corner of East Liberty Street and Fourth Avenue beginning in 1934, the year after then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt repealed prohibition. The establishment’s connection to the nation’s acceptance of
alcohol was no coincidence, as “P-Bell” became a drinking hub in Ann Arbor, according to students at the time. University alum, Patricia Warner, who received both her bachelor’s and master’s in Public Health from the University, in 1967 and 1977 respectively, remembers the restaurant as her regular hang out during her time as a student. “My cousin took me to P-Bell’s for my 21st birthday,” Warner said. “I did the whole tradition of standing on the table, chugging beer and tossing (peanut) shells onto the floor.” Her husband, Public Health Prof. Kenneth Warner, described it as the “single most fun thing to do in Ann Arbor, with the exception of a victory over Ohio State.” The restaurant closed in 1984 due to health violations and legal issues surrounding
the then-owner, Clint Castor Jr. Since its closing, a group of University athletes and alumni have been working with new owners Jon Carlson, Chet Czaplicka and Greg Lobdell to reopen the restaurant. Carlson, Czaplicka and Lobdell are behind some of Ann Arbor’s other restaurants including Jolly Pumpkin and Grizzly Peak. They recently closed their Lena and Habana restaurant and nightclub on Main Street to revive Pretzel Bell in its place. The owners did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Both Patricia and Kenneth Warner spoke particularly fondly of Pretzel Bell’s live music, with a special emphasis on the RFD Boys. The RFD Boys, a local bluegrass band, played at P-Bell three to four times per week from 1973 until 1984 when Pretzel Bell closed. Despite their growing national popularity, the band honored its commitment to Pretzel Bell and the residents of Ann Arbor. Warner attributed some of his best memories to the band. Willard Spencer, banjo, dobro and vocals of the RFD Boys, spoke fondly of his days playing by the front window, describing his favorite memory of a particular Valentine’s Day. “There was one time on Valentine’s Day and there was a good foot of snow that hit Ann Arbor,” Spencer said. “I remember that everything was closed except the Pretzel Bell. There must have been 500 people that night. We had an incredible party.” Many locals, including Patricia and Kenneth Warner, have expressed hope Pretzel Bell legends will return with the establishment’s reopening.
HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily
Members of the Ann Arbor Alliance for Black Lives lead a walk in the memory of Aura Rosser from the Michigan League to the pedestrian bridge over Washtenaw Ave. Wednesday.
Residents commemorate Aura Rosser’s birthday with vigil Students walk with citizens through campus in remembrance By RIYAH BASHA Daily Staff Reporter
A handful of protesters joined the Ann Arbor Alliance for Black Lives, the organization formerly known as Ann Arbor to Ferguson, and the Radical Washtenaw organization on Wednesday night for a march and vigil marking what would have been Aura Rosser’s 42nd birthday. Rosser, a Black woman, was fatally shot by officer David Ried, a white city police officer in November 2014. Her death sparked multiple protests over the past year tied to the Black Lives Matter movement, including the formation of Ann Arbor to Ferguson in Rosser’s name. Attendees marched from the Michigan League to the pedestrian bridge overlooking Washtenaw Avenue, holding lighted signs of Rosser’s name surrounded by a heart. The group then lined up
across the bridge to spell Rosser’s name, dedicating renditions of “Happy Birthday,” to her among other chants for justice and an end to police brutality. The group protested last winter on the anniversary of the shooting, and continues to call for reform in both the city’s care of Rosser’s family and the police department as a whole. Public Health graduate student Rebecca Ahmad-Robinson, who attended the protest, pointed out the nuance of Rosser’s place in social justice movements in Ann Arbor. “We really want to bring attention and … raise her name,” she said. “I think we’re trying to celebrate the fact that she existed, she was a vibrant person and loved her community,” she said. “But it’s also somber in the fact that we are drawing attention to the fact that she is not here.” Aside from the organization’s name change, which organizers said was enacted to emphasize the group’s link with the national Black Lives Matter movement, the Alliance plans to push a number of initiatives this year ranging from broader demands by the national
campaign to localized issues, like the dismissal of Ried. The Washtenaw County prosecutor’s office determined last January that Ried’s actions were in self-defense and did not warrant charges. Another protester, Rackham graduate student Maryam Aziz, also called out John Seto, the former city police chief whose tenure Rosser died during. Seto now overseesstudent housing for the University police. Aziz said Seto’s presence on campus is an important link between the student population and the city police. She added minorities’ perceptions of safety could have decreased following these events. “Aura’s death from the city affects the campus very explicitly,” she said. Ultimately, though, the vigil’s attendees focused on celebrating the person behind the cause. “I think people forget that people who have been taken by state violence are people,” Aziz said. “They miss out on minutes of their lives, their coffees, their midnights, their birthdays. And we’re here to say that we remember, and we’re gonna remember her on her birthday as well.”
News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NEWS BRIEFS
University study examines parental restrictions on teen driving habits Though parents reported limiting cell phone use, the number of passengers, driving times and driving locations of their teen drivers, teens reported their parents never placed these types of limitations on their driving, according to a C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. The study, looking at parents of teens 13 to 18 years old and teens of the same age, found that while nine out of 10 parents reported they placed at least one of these limitations on their teen driver, only eight out of 10 teens reported receiving at least one limitation. Parental limits included: requiring the teen to park to use their phone, allowing a limited number of friends or only certain friends in the car and scheduling a time at night when the teen was no longer allowed to drive. The discrepancy between what a parent says they limit and what limitations a teen perceives could play a key role in the safety of the teen, as well as other drivers. If the limitations are not in place, a teen driver’s risk of a crash can increase. The study was released simultaneously with another University report which examined a decrease in the amount of people receiving drivers’ licenses. Researchers from the University Transportation Research Institute found a decrease in the overall percentage of people with a license along with the teen increase.
Heightened temperatures point to climate change The year 2015 was the Earth’s warmest year on record since 1880, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA. Both organizations established that 2015 was even warmer than 2014, formerly the warmest year on Earth. It was also found that December 2014 had an average combined global land and ocean surface temperature higher than any other month on record in the past 136 years. The University press release highlighted University Engineering Prof. Richard Rood, who said this trend of warmer temperatures is expected to continue in years to come, and as a result, measures should be taken to plan for and manage the environmental changes.
Library collection of 19th century sheet music to be digitized After receiving a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources, much of the University library’s sheet music collection from the Thomas Edison Phonograph Company will be catalogued and digitized over the next two years. The Edison Sheet Music Collection is one of the world’s largest collections like it, and holds nearly 75 percent of previously unknown editions. Following the recording company’s closing in 1929, the collection was given to the Henry Ford family and other people before the University acquired it in 1989. The project will result in the largest online collection of sheet music prior to 1870, and will emphasize themes stemming from the Civil War, such as death and veterans returning home. As the digitalization of the collection is completed, it will be available via library catalogs Mirlyn and WorldCat. —ALEXA ST. JOHN
VIGIL From Page 1A
vigil were either from or still had family in Pakistan, and shared emotional impact and links to individuals affected by the violence. “It’s unfortunate that people can’t go to school in safety,” said LSA freshman Ramsha Awan, a Pakistani-American student. “And it hits home. It’s where I’m from, it’s where my ancestors are from. I want those people to feel safe and be educated.” The attack was a part of
reflected on militants’ targeting of Pakistani schools. “It was very numbing to be back to the same place and have the same emotions resurface as a year ago (in Peshawar),” she said. “It’s extremely upsetting to know that while Pakistan has progressed, there’s so much work to be done.” All of the speakers at the
REPORT From Page 1A year. The University is currently under federal investigation by the Department of Education, for its handling of several sexual assault cases. Of the 172 cases presented in 2015, 29 were investigated, 66 were referred to the Review Panel and 78 did not fall within “the scope of the Policy,” according to the report. The number of cases reviewed by the panel — which included representatives from SAPAC, police and general counsel Timothy Lynch — or addressed in an alternative manner increased by 18 and 21 from 2014 respectively. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Anthony Walesby, the University Title IX coordinator, who also serves as the senior director of OIE, suggested the rise in sexual misconduct reports stems from improved education efforts and awareness of the definition of misconduct, as well as of the policies and procedures involved. A 2015 University campus climate survey on sexual misconduct revealed that only 3.6 percent of students who reported having at least one unwanted sexual experience at the University chose to report the incident to an official University resource or law enforcement. “This is a very underreported issue that happens, and so I think the more and more reports that we get and the more opportunities we have to address concerns is a good thing,” Walesby said. “We are addressing issues on our campus, and so we see it increase in number of reports that come forward.” Of the 29 reports investigated, OIE concluded 10 cases to be in violation of the policy, with a total of 33 potential policy violations considered. In 17 of the 29 cases, investigators did not find enough evidence to cite a sexual misconduct violation. Two cases are still pending. Walesby is responsible for deciding whether a University investigation will be conducted, although a review panel provides input in the decision, what actions should be taken if the perpetrator is unknown and whether they believe other measures could be considered. Walesby said while only 29 were fully investigated from beginning to end, he considers all cases to have been thoroughly reviewed. “I would say that all 172 are investigated,” Walesby said. “There is effort that goes into each one of those matters … we are looking into it. I can definitely guarantee you that if there is an issue that can be investigated and is appropriate for us to investigate, we don’t hesitate.” As of Oct. 1, 2015, three students who violated the policy by engaging in sexual assault were permanently separated from the University, according to the report. Additionally, the OSCR
Investigation
proposed temporary separations — a set period of time in which students are unable to enroll in classes or participate in University events — against two students for one year or less. Other students found in violation of the policy received a series of disciplinary sanctions including probation, no contact between respondent and complaint, and educational measures. These sanctions could also have been applied to the two students who received temporary separations. Overall, four sanctions of disciplinary probation, seven sanctions mandating no contact between the respondent and the complainants and four sanctions that included educational measures were given. If any of the respondents still at the University engage in any other form of misconduct, they will face further sanctions up to expulsion. Seventy-eight of the 172 cases this year were deemed to be outside of the scope of the policy. The report highlighted three reasons this may occur: the behavior is not considered sexual misconduct, the respondent is not affiliated with the University or the alleged victim reveals no such unwanted conduct took place. When there is insufficient information to classify a complaint— the respondent’s identity is unknown, the investigation is unwanted and/ or the complainant requests confidentiality — the Review Panel then discusses the report and advises the Title IX coordinator on the next course of action. Sixty-six cases of the cases reported this year were reviewed by the panel, which consists of University faculty and staff, in this fashion, and of the 66 reviewed, 55 were “closed.” However, Walesby emphasized that when OIE finds insufficient evidence to prove violation of the policy, it does not mean the conduct did not occur. He stressed that when reviewing a report, he and the other panel members consider the concrete facts of each individual case. “When we issue a report of no violation, we’re not saying that it didn’t happen,” Walesby said. “We’re saying that the evidence was insufficient in terms of knowing enough to say that there was a violation. It doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, but the evidence doesn’t support that.” Panel members decide whether the case falls within the scope of the current policy. According to the policy, the Title IX coordinator makes the final decision on “whether, how, and to what extent the University will conduct an investigation, and whether other measures will be taken.” Walesby said even in those cases outside of the policy’s scope, the University does all it can to support complainants. In all cases of misconduct, complainants and respondents are offered appropriate support and resources as well as interim measures — steps taken to protect those involved, including safety escorts, scheduling changes
29
Thursday, January 21, 2016 — 3A
what speakers at the event said was a recent spike in violence in Pakistan, but many speakers challenged the idea of the country as a violent state. LSA senior Haider Malik, who is from Peshawar, compared the militants’ fanaticism to the wave of political anger sweeping America. “We live in times where our problems are amplified and our solutions simplified,” he said, citing a recent poll in which
and housing changes. “We may not be able to address the allegations themselves, but we might be able to do something,” Walesby said. “There may be something that falls outside of our policy but we still make sure persons have resources.” The University’s Student Sexual Misconduct Policy has undergone several revisions over the past years, starting with an interim policy put in place in 2011 in response to a “Dear Colleague” letter from the Department of Education to colleges across the country recommending that they update their policies. A 2012 revision to the policy prompted the creation of the now-annual OIE report, among other changes — previously, the Office of Student Conflict Resolutions handled the publication of this data, incorporating the sexual misconduct cases in a subsection of a larger report of student complaints, violations, resolutions and sanctions. The current sexual misconduct policy was implemented in August 2013. The updated version decreased the burden of proof applied in sexual misconduct cases, requiring decisions to be made based on a “preponderance of evidence.” After extensive data collection and feedback, University President Mark Schlissel saidin September he aims to release another revised version of the policy before the year’s end. “It’s ongoing,” Walesby said of the revisions. “But we expect to finalize the latest version shortly. The intent is to make it understandable and readable.” Draft changes released by the University in the fall included altering the definition of coercion, force and incapacitation. Attendees at an October SAPAC roundtablediscussion noted that the current policy does not clearly specify the number of drinks it takes to be incapacitated and unable to give consent. They also expressed concern about the current definition of consent. “We got great feedback from our campus community, and we’re still looking at all that and what it might mean,” Walesby said. “Some of the things that we grapple with within the definitions is trying to be fair to both parties. We’re hopeful that wherever we land in terms of the language that it’s sending the clearest message that we can, recognizing that these issues themselves are difficult.” At the SAPAC roundtable discussions, there were also discussions about several other draft changes, such as improving interim measures, increasing support for survivors, deciding how students should be chosen to sit on the advisory board and whether to identify witnesses. “Any suggestions that folks have, we’re very, very interested in that,” Walesby said. “I think our new policy will be great, but it’s informed by the responses that we get from all our campus community.”
Responses to Reported Issues 2014 2015
Review Panel
48
66
Other 58 Source: University of Michigan Office of Institutional Equity
79 Design by Anjali Alangaden
30 percent of Americans said it would be OK to bomb Agrabah, the fictitious capital of the cartoon Aladdin. “Think about the juxtaposition. Think about Pakistan. Those people have been subject to the same demagoguery and rhetoric that sways extremist opinion in this country.” Hijab said political ramifications aside, it’s important for University
students to pause and emotionally process these instances of violence. “I never want myself or anyone to ever become desensitized to the loss of an individual,” she said. “We can’t be perpetuating the same violence and hostility that was the root of these shootings … and need to recognize that it’s OK to feel upset, to feel loss and grief, but always honor and remember those victims.”
AUTO EMPLOYMENT: 2005 - 2015 “You can feel the difference. You can feel something special happening in Detroit.”
JAN. 2005: 64,100
- President Barack Obama
JAN. 2007: 52,000
JAN. 2011: 35,200
JAN. 2009: 24,100
carbon emission vehicles and other advanced technologies. As a result of these standards, fuel economy has reached an alltime high and the cost for electric car batteries has fallen 70 percent. Obama said the American auto industry has found a balance between sustainability and profit. “The auto industry here in the United States has figured out that we can make more fuel efficient cars that reduce carbon pollution that causes climate change and make a profit and put more people to work,” he said. “There’s no contradiction between creating jobs and economic growth and caring for the environment.” Looking more broadly at the country as a whole, Obama said Detroit’s progress is a lesson in how to approach the future. “What’s true of Detroit is true of the country,” he said. “Here, now, I want you to remember how far we’ve come. The reason I want to remind you is not because I’m on the ticket but because I want Americans
START-UP From Page 1A EnvoyNow. “Most people have told us they love the service because it is very convenient for them because they don’t have to go anywhere” The company was started by Anthony Zhang, a University of Southern California student, who wanted a more convenient way to have food delivered. In an interview, EnvoyNow’s University executive board said Zhang realized that the only way the food could be delivered directly to him was if students were the delivery people and were able to get through the dorm or library security systems. This led to the formation of EnvoyNow at USC, and after a $100,000 investment from Shark Tank’s Mark Burnett, it has made its way to universities all around the United States. LSA freshman Patrick Skelly, the senior expansion manager at EnvoyNow, knew Zhang from his high school, and brought the company to the University, where he helped develop the executive board of seven members, six of whom are freshman. In order to use the service, students connect their credit cards to the EnvoyNow app, which allows them order food from restaurants in Ann Arbor like Burger Fi, Salads UP, Chipotle, Buffalo Wild Wings, Frita Batidos and more. The first delivery fee is waived and for subsequent orders a flat $2.99 delivery fee is added to each order. The University’s EnvoyNow executive board noted positive responses from students, leading to the fast growth of the company — in the month and a half since launching they said they’ve gone from 30 orders a week to 200. “Students reactions have been overwhelmingly positive,” Jacob Frank, an LSA junior and strategic development manager, said. “We have about an 80 percent yield rate in overturning customers, which is like 50 percent more than other delivery services. People really like the fact that it is student oriented and convenient.” LSA freshman Rachel Liebergall, a user of the app, said she thinks the
JAN. 2013: 40,600
In January 2005, 64,100 Michigan residents were employed by the automotive industry. In 2009 that number dipped to 24,100 and has since recovered to 47,400.
SOURCE: US BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
OBAMA From Page 1A
NOV. 2015: 47,400
Design by Carolyn Gearig
to have confidence in where we need to go.” During his speech, Obama also addressed the Flint water crisis concerning the tainted water supply in the city following a switch from Detroit city water to using the Flint River as a water source. The crisis and the delayed response by city and state officials to declare a state of emergency in Flint has been a recent topic of national conversation. Obama also met with Flint Mayor Karen Weaver on Tuesday in Washington to discuss the issue. He did not visit the city during his time in Michigan. In his speech, Obama said he would support the mayor and people of Flint through the crisis. “I told her we were going to have her back and all of the people of Flint’s back as we work our way through this terrible tragedy,” he said. “It is a reminder of why we can’t shortchange the basic services we provide for our people.” Obama concluded his speech by expressing his confidence in the American people and the future of the country. Read more online at michigandaily.com
fact that EnvoyNow is student-run makes the idea of the delivery service more appealing. “I think it’s a really great app that makes food delivery very pain free and easy,” she said. “I like that it’s student-run and that I’m contributing to a student business.” The board said they thought the high demand for the service is due to students’ appreciation for the service, and the company’s grassroots marketing strategies. “We literally have gone up to all of the kids in Markley with their doors open and just talked to them about Envoy, and our plans for the future,” Skelly said. “We found that kids were extremely receptive and many of them helped us by telling their friends.” They have also reached out to students studying in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library, employed 30 Envoy representatives in different sororities and fraternities to speak at their chapters and posted on Facebook and Instagram promoting the service. “We attended the startup career fair this week so we posted a photograph of that on Facebook,” said Engineering freshman Enis Habib, head of marketing. “We are getting more likes on that page, and we want to keep growing in social media.” The executive board is also striving to get more restaurants to sign with them. Once a contract is signed, Envoy began to receive 20 percent of the order’s profits, and Envoy is given privlages, like being able to skip the lines in various restaurants, allowing for faster delivery. In accordance with the positive responses and fast growth, the demand for service has surpassed the company’s supply of labor. This past weekend, they had to ask customers to wait 15 minutes to place an order while the Envoys finished the orders they were working on, an issue the company will have to address as it moves forward and continues to grow. “We found that students absolutely love our service. So much so that it is at a pace that is hard to keep up with delivery people,” Skelly said. “We are looking for more delivery people.”
Opinion
4A — Thursday, January 21, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Outdated intramural policy
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
CLAIRE BRYAN AND REGAN DETWILER EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
LAURA SCHINAGLE MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FROM THE DAILY
A better policy, please Second Sexual Misconduct Report reveals we need change
T
he Office of Institutional Equity released its second Student Sexual Misconduct Annual Report, showing a 25-percent increase in reported cases of sexual misconduct from 2014 to 2015. In the 2014 reporting period, 129 cases were reported, whereas in 2015 there were 172 cases reported. This increase in reports is the result of a multitude of factors, including increased media attention the topic of sexual misconduct has received nationwide and on campus in the past several years. This increase is not where we should direct our most critical attention, however. What’s most concerning about the statistics in the report is the decrease in the percentage of reported cases investigated by the Office of Institutional Equity, which is the result of the inadequacy of the University’s current Sexual Misconduct Policy. A brief summary of the reporting process through OIE is warranted: Sexual misconduct under the current policy includes both sexual assault and sexual harassment. All reports of sexual misconduct are first reviewed by the University’s Title IX coordinator, who determines whether a given case is a potential violation of the Sexual Misconduct Policy. If a case is in potential violation of the policy, the Title IX coordinator sends it to a review panel made up of various representatives. The panel then decides whether each case warrants an investigation. The investigation would ultimately determine whether the reported case of sexual misconduct is indeed a policy infraction. While the report acknowledges that there has been an increase in the number of cases reported, it is misleading when it states “the number of investigations remained the same.” While it is true that in both 2014 and 2015 there were 29 cases brought under official investigation by OIE, 29 cases amounts to 22 percent of cases reported in 2014 and just 17 percent of cases reported in 2015. This means that despite the 25-percent increase in cases reported, we have seen a 5-percent decrease in the number of cases actually investigated by the University. This is concerning because data from the Campus Climate Survey shows that sexual assault is much more prevalent than the number of cases reported shows. Many students are sexually assaulted, but do not report the incident or do not wish to follow through with an investigation. There is a huge discrepancy between the prevalence of sexual assault and the number of cases being investigated by the University. What can explain this gap? OIE conducts its investigations based on the current Sexual Misconduct Policy and the evidence the complainant provides. The current standard seems to be too weak to properly identify situations in which sexual assault has occurred, relying on how the available evidence interacts with the policy. If there is enough evidence to support that sexual misconduct occurred within the definitions of the policy, then the reported instance is considered an infraction. If there is not enough evidence to support it, then, according to the policy, no violation occurred. In an ideal world, the sexual misconduct policy would always reprimand sexual misconduct where it is due. But statistics in this report clearly show this is not the case — especially regarding instances of sexual assault, which made up 25 of 29 cases investigated. Of these, OIE just found seven cases to be in violation of the policy. You read that right. In 2015, the University only issued sanctions to seven perpetrators of sexual
assault, barely an improvement from last year’s five. The current Sexual Misconduct Policy is not doing its job. Two terms are of utmost importance when discussing the effectiveness of a sexual misconduct policy in bringing cases of sexual assault to justice: consent and incapacitation. Consent in the current policy is defined as “clear and unambiguous agreement, expressed in mutually understandable words or actions, to engage in a particular activity.” The policy goes on to say that a person cannot give consent if they are incapacitated, incapacitation being defined as “lacking the physical and/or mental ability to make informed, rational judgments.” According to the policy, this inability to make rational, informed judgments could include “being asleep or unconscious, having consumed alcohol or taken drugs, or experiencing blackouts or flashbacks.” Both of these definitions are inadequate. Who is to determine what is “clear” or “unambiguous” agreement? Who is to determine whether these signs were “mutually understandable?” What does it mean to make “informed, rational judgments”? The current policy’s definitions of consent and incapacitation are entirely too subjective and must be improved. This fall, OIE released a draft of a Revised Student Sexual Misconduct Policy. Breaking sexual misconduct into six subcategories all under the umbrella of “Prohibited Conduct,” the draft adds that consent cannot be inferred from silence, or an existing or previous sexual or dating relationship, while also elaborating that consent with one person doesn’t constitute consent with anyone else and that consent can be withdrawn at any time. While these are improvements, the draft still maintains the subjective language of “clear” and “unambiguous” agreement as grounds for consent. The changes the draft makes to the definition of incapacitation are negligible, leaving it just as subjective as the current policy. If OIE considers defendants in cases of alleged sexual assault to be innocent until proven guilty, the subjective nature of definitions of consent and incapacitation make it virtually impossible to prove the defendant committed sexual assault. An adequate sexual misconduct policy, which the University claims to be releasing soon, should define consent and incapacitation in much less subjective terms. Only then can we expect the percentage of reported cases investigated to increase, and only then can we expect the University to reprimand more than seven cases of sexual assault per year. In response to this report, we reiterate the call to action we made nine months ago: Clear, unambiguous action is required.
There is a huge discrepancy between the prevalence of sexual assault and the number of cases being investigated by the University.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Caitlin Heenan, Jeremy Kaplan, 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
CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION
Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and viewpoints. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while viewpoints should be 550 to 850 words. Send the writer’s full name and University affiliation to to thedaily@michigandaily.com.
G
rowing up privileged in the affluent suburb of Bethesda, Md., meant that, fortunately, I never truly experienced hard-hitting, blatant sexism. To my knowledge, I was never denied any opportunity because of my sex, or ANNE had violence KATZ directed against me solely because I am female. Looking back on my childhood, I’ve become more aware of how role models, like my parents, teachers and rabbis, made clear, decisive moves to remind me again and again that anything a boy could do, I could do, too. Here at Michigan, we largely live in an academic and cultural environment where overt, external sexism is hardly commonplace or tolerated. However, the rosy world in which I thought I lived in, one in which men and women are truly viewed as equal, is not realistic. Sexism and misogyny still exist in our world today, but largely in subtle ways that can be easily disregarded by detractors. Furthermore, this prejudice disproportionately impacts those who are the least likely or able to draw attention to it — women of color and of low income. However, as important as it is to highlight this pervasive institutionalized sexism that denies women opportunities and undermines our ability to exercise agency, I’m placing that aside to discuss a rather curious piece of University policy that, though governing something comparatively innocuous, I still find troubling. No, it doesn’t have to do with anything as serious as the wage gap in the University’s payroll or the
ever-prevalent problem of sexual assault, and the subject of the policy doesn’t have far-reaching, damaging consequences that echo throughout society. But neither of these realities mean it should be neglected. Here at the University, women are treated differently than men when they step on the field to play certain intramural sports. This is the result of something called “co-rec modifications,” a different set of gendered rules enshrined in the official online rule book posted on the Student Life Recreational Sports page. After a bit of digging through the back pages of the website, I found a whole set of rules that alter game play for intramural flag football if women are present on the field. There are different rules regulating plays and passing, and the advent of something called an “illegal male advancement” (which, to me, sounds like a bulky, technical term for sexual assault) that bans male players from being “the first player to advance (carry) the ball beyond the line of scrimmage,” when, in turn, there are no such restrictions “on any run by a female player at any time.” And when a woman scores a touchdown, she wins nine points for her team, but when a man scores, he earns six. Though I’ve heard of rule modifications being in place for other intramural sports, such as indoor soccer and inner-tube water polo, there are no official co-rec modifications in any other online rule book except for flag football. Presumably, these rules, both official and unofficial, aim to soften game play to make it easier, and thus more “fair,” for the women who choose to participate. However, they’re founded on flawed logic that instead has the potential to corrode both women’s success on the field and women’s will to go out and “play with the boys.” Don’t get me wrong — it’s impor-
tant to recognize and address the unique challenges women face every day. Denying the fact that a woman may experience the world around her differently because of her sex allows for a false sense of enlightenment and results in complacency, when in reality, there’s much work to be done. But treating women differently in intramural flag football isn’t a progressive step toward greater equality. The gendered rules unnecessarily draw a hard line between men and women, and predict a woman’s abilities before she’s even stepped foot on the field. All in all, they do more harm than good. The fact that we have these different sets of rules for co-rec sports was just as surprising to me as it was to most people I talked to. A quick, informal canvas of my peers produced a fairly unified response of “Wow, really? That seems so … outdated.” And it is — to me, the policy seems oddly antiquated, and rubs against the overwhelmingly progressive and inclusive environment the administration actively tries to perpetuate. Though we cannot kid ourselves and forget that gender relations in contemporary America are not nearly as “enlightened” as we like to think, this relic of a policy is based on the logic that in sports, men have such an overwhelming physical advantage over women that the rules should be crafted to make the sport easier for us when we’re playing together. Superimposing equality onto co-rec intramural sports actually helps women by bolstering our ability to compete with and against men. The rules must be changed to fall more in line with the University’s consistent progress toward greater gender equality, both on and off the field. — Anne Katz can be reached at amkatz@umich.edu.
ROB SELLERS | OP-ED
A clearer strategy for diversity
During the past week, I have had the pleasure to attend the town hall meetings designed to gather student input on the University’s diversity strategic planning process. It’s clear to me, after hearing directly from students and reading a thoughtful and compelling Jan. 11 Michigan Daily essay written by Michigan in Color contributors Jamie Tam and Velma Lopez, that we have not done an adequate job explaining some aspects of the planning process. While a great deal of important information about the nuts and bolts of the planning process is posted on the diversity.umich.edu website, we have been less clear regarding our rationale for conducting the planning process in the manner that we have. This lack of clarity has given rise to some concerns regarding the process itself. One concern voiced is that the University cannot be serious about diversity because we have not announced a specific funding amount dedicated to tackling this issue. Last fall, Yale University announced a five-year, $50 million initiative to increase faculty diversity. At about the same time, Brown University announced a $100 million commitment to a wide range of initiatives regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. While this approach may make sense for Yale and Brown, I do not believe it is an approach that is right for Michigan. First, I believe that our planning should drive our funding as opposed to our budget driving our planning. I am confident the ongoing strategic planning process will produce innovative, thoughtful and well-considered ideas and initiatives that will be targeted at specific measurable objectives. While announcing a particular dollar amount at the beginning of the process may make a strong statement, my concern is that it prematurely places a limit on what we are willing to spend on diversity, equity and inclusion. We want and need to be free to go wherever our ideas take us. Second, I believe the best funding approach is not to have a separate diversity funding structure but instead to institutionalize diversity, equity and inclusion into every aspect of the University. This approach ensures that the funding endures beyond the present climate of activism. Diversity, equity and inclusion are core part of our mission. As such, it must be part of the everyday business of the University. The best way to do that is to make sure
the goals and initiatives adopted from the planning process are integrated into the regular budgeting process. This way, diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are not segregated into their own token pot, but instead are central to every unit’s budget and thus their mission. Still skeptical? As a psychologist, I know that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Within the past year, the University has made major funding commitments to significant diversity efforts. Just last month, the University’s Board of Regents approved construction of a new multicultural center in the heart of campus. Next month, a supplemental educational program called Wolverine Pathways will launch for students living in the Ypsilanti and Southfield school districts. Students who complete the program and are admitted to the University are provided a four-year tuition scholarship. Last fall, we also launched the HAIL scholarship program to identify high-achieving, low-income students from all over the state and offer four-year, full-tuition scholarships for those who apply for admission and are accepted. As significant as these three initiatives are, they are by no means the only financial commitments we are prepared to make. The administration is committed to finding the resources necessary to support our strategic plan – and the initiatives generated by that planning. It also is clear from the student town hall meetings and from my many other encounters across campus that some people are struggling to understand this unorthodox, bottom-up approach to strategic planning. This approach is unlike any other planning process undertaken here. And I’m proud of that. Our approach is intentionally bottom-up. Our goal is to provide everyone in the university community an opportunity to put forth ideas about what our objectives should be and how we should go about achieving them. I believe such an approach will not only generate the best ideas, but also provide students, faculty and staff greater ownership of the plans and help empower us all to create the change we all want to see in this university. Make no mistake, the plans we develop will not be the administration’s plans, nor will they be President Mark Schlissel’s plans. The plans will belong to all of us. We all have a role to play in the development of the strategic plan, and are all accountable for its implementa-
tion and success. To date, we have received hundreds of comments and ideas from members of our community through our various community engagement activities and the Be Heard social media platform. These comments and ideas are being forwarded to the appropriate planning leads to be evaluated for integration into unit and area plans. Yet, we are not satisfied with the level of engagement on this critical topic. I urge you to look for announcements of more campuslevel and unit-level town hall meetings and other activities in the coming weeks. The key to making this all work is the nearly 100 individuals who are serving as the diversity leads for their respective school, college or unit. The diversity leads have the critical task of synthesizing a great deal of information into a specific plan for their units. These are individuals who were hand picked by their unit leaders to do this important work. Most of the diversity leads have a history of promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in their units. A few are relatively new to this area. I can attest that these leaders are committed to improving their units. I also can assure you that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to lead their units in the planning process. I have spent 25 years in various capacities working to make the University a more diverse, equitable and inclusive place. I understand that we have a very long way to go before we live up to our considerable potential. I, too, feel the frustration many of us feel that we are not further along. I also am under no illusion that the strategic planning process will be a panacea that will fix everything. I am very optimistic and excited about what this strategic planning process can do. We have an opportunity to infuse a plan for achieving a more diverse community into the core mission and operation of this university. The planning process can be a powerful example of how including individuals from diverse perspectives and experiences can lead to more creative, innovative and effective ideas — the perfect embodiment of why a diverse, equitable and inclusive community is fundamental to academic excellence. Robert M. Sellers is the University’s vice provost for equity, inclusion and academic affairs. He is also the Charles D. Moody Collegiate Professor of Psychology and Education and an alumnus of the University.
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, January 21, 2016 — 5A
Michigan set for exhibition By KEVIN SANTO Daily Sports Writer
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Jim Hackett said Wednesday he is interested in expanding the Maize Rage.
HACKETT From Page 1A games, clearing out full lowerbowl sections to create a more student-driven environment. The catch-22, Hackett said, is obvious — the games students want to attend most will be those for which season-ticket holders are least willing to trade their seats. “The economic pressure was to build economic loyalty so we could remodel Crisler Arena (in 2011),” Hackett said. “So this is a paradox of the highest order. The students make the environment. … When I was here in the 1970s, it was a gift to get a ticket down low because the students didn’t really have seats. “It was really limited — they stood in line all night to buy them. Now, this is so much more, but you see around the country how important it is to have that band,” Hackett said, gesturing to the half-ring of students who flank the court on Crisler Center’s north and west sides. Hackett might not have much time left to implement the idea, however, as he and University President Mark Schlissel announced in December that the search for a long-term athletic director is ongoing. Hackett provided no update on the timetable Wednesday, stressing that his personal willingness to stay on until a decision is reached has made for a relaxed and relatively lowpressure search. “We’re right in the middle of it,” Hackett said. “You know, the great news is that I don’t have to fly out of here, so the president’s proceeding with great care and consideration, looking at lots of candidates. So I’m really optimistic we’re going to get a great answer there.” Michigan softball coach Carol Hutchins is the lone coach on the seven-member search committee Schlissel created in early December, but Hackett said he’s been receiving input from a range of coaches, both via Hutchins and through his own conversation, saying he had spoken Wednesday with men’s basketball coach John Beilein and hockey coach Red Berenson, among others. Among Hutchins’ responsibilities is to regularly poll other coaches for their input, and Hackett characterized his communication with all Michigan coaches as a “constant dialogue.” Hackett, of course, also maintains a constant dialogue with his highest-profile hire — Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh. Hackett declined to directly confirm reports that Harbaugh will move a portion of the Wolverines’ spring practices to the IMG Sports Academy in Florida, but said Harbaugh has relatively free rein in determining practice logistics, as do all coaches. “Last year, he did ‘Class on the Grass,’ and I thought that
was quite innovative,” Hackett said, referring to last year’s marathon spring practices, which were often as long as four hours. “Spring ball is a time where they make tremendous strides. … Certainly last year, they had a new coach, and they were excited about proving themselves. So any ideas that build enthusiasm and excitement are really smart. So you can attribute any kind of practice thing in any of the sports to the coaches.” As Harbaugh innovates, however, Berenson is seeing success with much the same script that has brought him success throughout his 30-year tenure as Michigan’s hockey coach. Berenson’s retirement has long been rumored to be imminent, but Hackett said little regarding the prospect that he’ll orchestrate another high-profile coaching search in the coming months as hockey season winds down. “With respect to Red and what he’s meant to Michigan — he’s a legend, and isn’t it amazing, by the way, the number of legendary coaches we’ve had here? — I don’t want to diminish his year at all by speculating what his future is,” Hackett said, emphasizing that Berenson’s future is in Berenson’s hands alone. “The ceremony of his status is going to be very precious to me, so that’s why I’m saving the outcome of that question until the right time.” Hackett did acknowledge Berenson, whose Wolverines are off to a 14-3-4 start, will have a higher-than-typical level of control over the search for his successor. “Yes, it’s fair to say that,” Hackett said. “I’ll tell you why — Bo (Schembechler) did, and John Beilein is going to. What you have in them is someone really proximate to the competitive environment, what’s it take, the recruiting at Michigan, particularly if they’ve been successful. If you haven’t, then you’re adopting a different theology, so to speak. But here’s a guy that’s been legendary. I tell you, I love all the coaches … he’s a special guy to work with.” Hackett and Berenson had to work together under the wrong circumstances this week, however, as the Wolverines continue to deal with the fallout of a brawl during their 8-6 win over Ohio State on Sunday. The Big Ten handed down a threegame suspension to Cutler Martin for punching a player already subdued by a linesman, a punishment Hackett said Michigan will accept without appeal. In other news, Hackett seems intent on adding to his evergrowing popularity in his time at the University, as MLive and the Detroit Free Press reported separately on Wednesday that Hackett planned to donate half of his $600,000 earnings to Athletes Connected, an athletespecific wing of the University Depression Center.
“Would you be willing to make something special for them?”
Fresh off a series against Ohio State that featured a win and a tie, the No. 7 Michigan hockey team won’t play any Big Ten games USNTDP at this week. Instead, Michigan following Matchup: two of their USNTDP at most dramatic Michigan games of (14-3-4) the year, the When: Wolverines Thursday have their 7:35 P.M. second Where: Yost and final Ice Arena exhibition of TV/Radio: the season on MGoBlueTV the horizon. Michigan and Ohio State combined for 24 goals, and the Wolverines recovered from three-goal and two-goal deficits Friday and Sunday, respectively. After Sunday’s match, a brawl broke out after the final buzzer to punctuate the showdown. Now, Michigan will face the U-18 United States National Talent Development Program on Thursday for the 16th time in program history. Though there aren’t any points up for grabs in the contest, there is something else worth taking the ice for. “This is like a home game for them when they play a Division I team,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “I don’t know if any Division I teams have come to play in their rink. But typically they play on the road. They know some of our players, and some of our players played in the program, so there’s some bragging rights
going on.” The Wolverines (5-1-2 Big Ten, 14-3-4 overall) have maintained the majority of those bragging rights — boasting a 13-2-0 alltime record — but will be shorthanded for the matchup, partly due to the consequences that were handed down from the Big Ten following the postgame fiasco against Ohio State. Sophomore defenseman Cutler Martin and sophomore forward Dexter Dancs will be unavailable as they serve part of their respective suspensions. As for health scratches, junior defenseman Kevin Lohan will remain out as he recovers from a back injury, and sophomore defenseman Zach Werenski could be sidelined with “bruising” as well. With the roster dwindling, Michigan will have to use every option in the depth chart — replacing Martin with sophomore defenseman Sam Piazza and slotting either sophomore forward Niko Porikos or junior forward Evan Allen in for Dancs. Despite the currently depleted roster, the USNTDP will still have its hands full. No college program has been able to stifle the Wolverine offense, demonstrated by their nation-leading average of 4.86 goals per game. Even more intimidating is the fact the Michigan’s first line is made up of three Hobey Baker candidates who have scored 16 goals in four games. But that’s not to say the USNTDP doesn’t have talent of its own. “If you think we’ve got one line that is really good — well they have one, too,” Berenson said. “Wait until you see (Kiefer) Bellows, (Clayton) Keller and (Joey)
GRANT HARDY/Daily
JT Compher will lead Michigan against the USNTDP program Thursday.
Anderson play. They’ll be giving our D fits, so this will be good.” Five future Wolverines will also lace up to play the team they will be a part of next year. The exhibition provides the quintet with a unique opportunity to get a taste of what it’s like to play at their future school and to make an impression, a feeling Michigan freshman forward Brendan Warren knows well. “Last year, I was super excited to be able to play at my future school,” Warren said. “This year, it’s kind of cool playing against the program where I used to be. The Big Ten is kind of a gritty game. … The (USNTDP has) been playing together for two years, and they’re going to be a pretty
Classifieds
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
FOR RENT
SERVICES
! NORTH CAMPUS 1‑2 Bdrm. ! ! Riverfront/Heat/Water/Parking. ! ! www.HRPAA.com !
THESIS EDITING, LANGUAGE, organization, format. All Disciplines. 734/996‑0566 or writeon@iserv.net
1 & 2 Bedroom Apts on Wilmot Avail Fall 2016‑17 $975 ‑ $1575 Plus Electric to DTE Coin Laundry Access, Free WiFi Parking Avail $50‑$80/m CALL DEINCO 734‑996‑1991 RELEASE DATE– Thursday, January 21, 2016
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Chinese take-out order? 6 Co. making many arrangements 9 Basilica recess 13 Impressed 14 Lab coat discovery? 15 Tool with teeth 16 Loud cheering consequence 18 Informed about 19 *Whopper alternative (19691986) 21 Help for a breakdown 22 Affaire de coeur 23 Star followers 26 Webby Award candidate 29 Wrap maker 32 Lot size 33 WWII lander 34 Author Greene 35 Feel sorry about 36 *Former MLB mascot BJ Birdy was one (17891795) 38 From __ Z 39 Barely moves 41 Roker and Rosen 42 Tiny time meas. 43 Branch of yoga 44 “No real damage” 45 Car-collecting star 46 George Eliot or George Sand 48 UV index monitor 50 The end of each answer to a starred clue is a former one 54 Hi’s wife, in comics 55 Broiler with a motor 58 Start to freeze? 59 Sanctioned 60 Scrub 61 Russia is its largest producer 62 National Preparedness Mo. 63 Breathers? DOWN 1 Grafton’s “__ for Noose” 2 “Art is my life and my life is art” artist 3 Sportscaster Albert
4 Honey 36 Fault 50 Frozen yogurt 37 2001 album holder 5 Day one that’s also a 51 Lone Star State 6 Ice __ nickname sch. 7 Leaves holder 40 Response to a 52 Caesar of 8 Fact ring comedy 9 Peppery salad 42 Medically 53 Psyche’s beloved green ineffectual 54 Class where 10 *Film for which treatment partners may be John Houseman 44 Bit of clique required won an Oscar, humor 56 Ill temper with “The” (186447 High styles 57 “Edge of 1873) Tomorrow” 11 Candy bar with a 49 Galileo, by birth enemies, briefly Nordic name 12 Dusk, to Pope ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 14 Calendar col. 17 “The War of the Worlds” author 20 Detroit Lions’ lion mascot 23 Time that “went out like a lion,” in song 24 Upscale Honda 25 *“Jaws” menace (1910-1921) 27 Spartans’ sch. 28 Best crew 30 Like granola 31 Oil giant that built what is now Chicago’s Aon Center 34 Leak preventers 01/21/16 xwordeditor@aol.com
1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Apts on Arch Avail Fall 2016‑17 $1050 ‑ $2500 + electric contribution CALL DEINCO 734‑996‑1991 2, 3 & 4 Bedroom Apts @ 1015 Packard Avail for Fall 2016‑17 $1400 ‑ $2700 + gas and water; Tenants pay electric to DTE; Limited parking avail for $50/mo; On‑site Laundry CALL DEINCO 734‑996‑1991 2016‑17 LEASING Apartments Going Fast! Prime Student Housing 761‑8000 www.primesh.com Efficiencies: 726 S. State 1 Left $785 344 S. Division $835/$855 610 S. Forest $870 1 Bedrooms: 508 Division $925/$945 2 Bedroom: 1021 Vaughn (1 left) $1410 *Fully Furnished *Parking Included *Free Ethernet (* Varies by locations) 5 BEDROOM APT Fall 2016‑17 $3250 + $100/m Gas & Water + Electric to DTE, 3 parking spaces no charge 1014 Vaughn #1 ‑ multilevel unit w/ carpet CALL DEINCO 734‑996‑1991 6 BEDROOM House May 2016 1119 S. Forest ‑ $3900 plus utilities. Showings Scheduled M‑F 10‑3 24 hour noticed required DEINCO PROPERTIES 734‑996‑1991 ARBOR PROPERTIES Award‑Winning Rentals in Kerrytown, Central Campus, Old West Side, Burns Park. Now Renting for 2016. 734‑649‑8637. www.arborprops.com
By George Simpson and C.C. Burnikel (c)2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
01/21/16
well-oiled machine. It’s gonna be totally different playing against guys that are super structured and really skilled.” It will be a low-stakes game for the Wolverines. A loss wouldn’t jeopardize their Pairwise ranking. A win won’t improve their résumé. But pride is on the line, and Berenson doesn’t expect anything less than the typical production from his team. “We’re going to play hard and fast, and there’s going to be some physicality,” Berenson said. “But we don’t want any nonsense, we don’t want any stupidity, we don’t want a penalty-filled game. We want it to be a real good hockey game. They’re a skilled team and they’re fast.”
SUMMER EMPLOYMENT WORK ON MACKINAC Island This Summer – Make lifelong friends. The Island House Hotel and Ryba’s Fudge Shops are looking for help in all ar‑ eas beginning in early May: Front Desk, Bell Staff, Wait Staff, Sales Clerks, Kitchen, Baristas. Housing, bonus, and discounted meals. (906) 847‑7196. www.theislandhouse.com
Question: What goes great with your morning coffee?
Answer: michigandaily.com
STAYING IN ANN ARBOR THIS SUMMER?
FALL 2016 HOUSES # Beds Location Rent 6 1019 Packard $4200 6 335 Packard $3800 4 1010 Cedar Bend $2400 Tenants pay all utilities. CAPPO/DEINCO 734‑996‑1991
APPLY TO WORK FOR THE MICHIGAN DAILY
NEAR CAMPUS APARTMENTS Avail Fall 16‑17 Eff/1 Bed ‑ $750 ‑ $1400 2 Bed ‑ $1050 ‑ $1425 3 Bed ‑ $1955 Most include Heat and Water Parking where avail is $50/m Many are Cat Friendly CAPPO 734‑996‑1991 www.cappomanagement.com
DESIGNERS! LAYOUT! RANDOS!
BUSINESS TEAM! CONTACT TMD.ADDESIGN@GMAIL.COM IF YOU ARE INTERSTED!
Sports
6A — Thursday, January 21, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Irvin, Walton make difference in victory By JACOB GASE Daily Sports Editor
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Michigan coach John Beilein’s team didn’t play its best basketball Wednesday, but pulled out a win over Minnesota.
‘M’ overcomes shooting woes Wolverines fail to pull away from Minnesota, but hold on for win By LEV FACHER Daily Sports Writer
To kick off Wednesday’s halftime entertainment, two fans were given the opportunity to make a half-court shot and, in doing MINNESOTA 69 so, win a MICHIGAN 74 free Delta Airlines flight to a U.S. city of their choosing. Within seconds, as one feeble attempt after another failed to reach the freethrow line, much less the rim, it became readily apparent that neither contestant was leaving the state of Michigan for free any time soon. The duo’s only success was in impersonating the half it had just witnessed — a mistakeriddled period that saw the Michigan men’s basketball team’s 15-point lead whittled to a 37-30 deficit by halftime. Unlike the fans, the Wolverines (4-2 Big Ten, 14-5 overall) figured it out in the end, denying the Golden Gophers (6-13, 0-7) their first Big Ten victory, 74-69. Michigan appeared lucky to be playing a Big Ten bottom dweller, though, as it struggled in all aspects of the game. Though the Wolverines turned the ball over just six times, their mistakes came mainly in their shot attempts, as even their elite shooters had little success finding twine. It took some shaking and baking from junior guard Derrick Walton Jr. to get the job done. Walton saved possessions late in the shot clock numerous
times with twisting, scooping baskets at the rim, finishing with 22 points. “I tried to steal a little bit from the Stephen Curry package,” Walton said. But even Walton struggled from the field, shooting just 1-for-6 from 3-point range. As Minnesota kept the margin in single digits throughout the game, Walton’s 11-for-12 free-throw shooting made the difference. The point guard’s performance from the line brought Beilein a sigh of relief, having minced no words with sophomore guard MuhammadAli Abdur-Rahkman moments earlier before Abdur-Rahkman shot a one-and-one. “I had tried to be positive with him and told him to make his damn foul shots in the huddle,” Beilein said. “So that really worked. He went out there and made them.” Sharpshooting redshirt sophomore guard Duncan Robinson shot just 3-for-12 from the field and missed an uncharacteristic seven times in 10 attempts from 3-point range. The Wolverines collectively shot 23-for63, and the teams combined to shoot an anemic 15-for-53 from 3-point range. “He got some really good looks,” Beilein said of Robinson’s seemingly flukish performance. “He practices so much. … He’s got to pick his pockets to practice. They tell me how many 3s he makes before the game — it’s like hundreds. I can assure you, and I was away recruiting, that on the day off (Monday), he found
his in there, with obviously no instruction from us, and had some manager come, and made a couple hundred.” As strange as Robinson’s performance was, the first half’s final sequence, which entailed junior walk-on Andrew Dakich attempting a jump shot with his foot on the 3-point line, was odd as well. The shot rimmed out and into the hands of sophomore forward Ricky Doyle, who missed a point-blank attempt at the buzzer. Another peculiar moment saw redshirt freshman forward D.J. Wilson miss a second-half dunk only to find the ball in his hands seconds later in the same spot. The ensuing missed layup might as well have been the theme of the night for Michigan, which didn’t put Minnesota away until the game’s final minutes. Walton’s 3-pointer with just over six minutes remaining in the game gave Michigan a nine-point lead that it clung to as it the clock dwindled toward all zeroes. The Wolverines showed an impressive ability to fight through Minnesota’s uncommon approach on guarding ball screens. “They defended it differently than anybody’s defended all year long,” Beilein said, divulging only that the speed of Minnesota’s frontcourt players afforded the Golden Gophers extra flexibility in how they helped and switched.“We’ve just got to have a different strategy or be better at what we do.”
“I tried to steal a little bit from the Stephen Curry package.”
If the Michigan men’s basketball team’s upset of thenNo. 3 Maryland was a pretty performance — just the right mix of 3-point bombs, high-energy defense and timely shooting — Wednesday’s win over Minnesota at Crisler Center was downright ugly. The Wolverines couldn’t rely on the 3, shooting just 29 percent from beyond the arc — 13 percent below their season average. Even their most prolific sharpshooter, redshirt sophomore guard Duncan Robinson, clanked multiple wideopen attempts off the back of the rim in the first half and shot an abysmal 3-for-12 from the floor in the game. And they certainly weren’t playing high-energy defense either, allowing the Golden Gophers — who remain winless in their seven Big Ten games — to close the first half on a 9-0 run and stay in the game well into the second half. But luckily for Michigan, even when the rest of its offense seemed to be asleep — Minnesota outshot the Wolverines 42 percent to 37 — its two on-court junior leaders, forward Zak Irvin and guard Derrick Walton Jr., came ready to play, and that was enough to allow Michigan to narrowly escape with a 74-69 victory. On a night when his teammates shot a combined 15-for-46 and tied the rebounding battle with one of the worst rebounding teams in the conference, Irvin came out strong with 19 points and a teamhigh 11 boards. Irvin didn’t make a basket in the last 17 minutes of the game, but he helped carry the Wolverines with 15 points in the first half. “Guys need to step up,” Irvin
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Zak Irvin led Michigan with 19 points and 11 rebounds against Minnesota.
said. “I had to go through that a bit last year with Derrick and (senior guard Caris LeVert) being out, so I’m used to it now. It’s a team game — all of us are just trying to do what we can.” In the second half, it was Walton’s turn to take over. Like most of his teammates, Walton didn’t have a great shooting performance — he made just five of his 13 shots — but in the second half, he made 10 of 11 free throws and a big 3-pointer to help ice the game for the Wolverines. “Derrick’s been playing with great poise, especially once we got into the Big Ten (season),” Irvin said. “He’s been able to be there when things are going tough for us. He was able to make some big shots tonight when we couldn’t
really get the ball in the basket.” And crucially, Walton’s performance at the line proved to be the difference for a team that hadn’t gotten into many freethrow battles late in games — Beilein said the only true example of that this year was at North Carolina State in December, where LeVert sank eight of eight foul shots down the stretch to seal a victory. The victory wasn’t especially pleasing to Beilein, the fans or the players, but in the end the Wolverines were still proud to say they had successfully closed out the game. “It wasn’t a pretty win,” Irvin said, “but it was gritty. We had to do the things we don’t normally have to do — we had to fight.”
Another tough home test lies ahead for Wolverines By TED JANES Daily Sports Writer
Two players by the name of Kelsey Mitchell will step onto the Crisler Center court Thursday evening — one of them for Ohio State Michigan, the other for Ohio at Michigan State. One of Matchup: Ohio them recently State 13-4; Michigan 11-6 notched personal highs When: for her first Thursday career double- 6 P.M. double, and the Where: Crisler other is second Center in the entire TV/Radio: country, and BTN first in the Big Ten, in scoring. Michigan senior forward Kelsey Mitchell and Ohio State sophomore guard Kelsey Mitchell will meet for the first time in their careers Thursday night, when the Michigan women’s basketball team (3-3 Big Ten, 11-6 overall) hosts the seventh-ranked Buckeyes. Mitchell, the Buckeye, is averaging 25.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals. Last year, she led the nation in scoring and helped Ohio State reach the Sweet 16. “Ohio State has everyone returning from a great season last year,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico in her weekly interview with WTKA. “(Ohio State’s Mitchell) is one of the top players in the nation. She’s just an incredible scorer.” The Buckeyes (5-1, 13-4) don’t need to rely solely on Mitchell, though, as they have a solid, balanced attack force alongside her. Guard Ameryst Alston, who is averaging more than 18 points per game, and forward Alexa Hart (10.8 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game) have been making themselves heard as well. Mitchell, the Wolverine, was injured last season for both games against Ohio State. Michigan split the season series, with both teams winning at home. This year, the two teams meet only once in the regular season,
which could help or hurt Michigan. Last week, Michigan nearly took down now-No. 5 Maryland, but fell behind late when Mitchell and freshman center Hallie Thome got into foul trouble. Michigan added a loss to the record, but more importantly, it gave up the chance to snag a big win against a top-ranked opponent. The Wolverines have put up performances similar to that one earlier this season, nearly beating now-No. 20 UCLA, but they still lack a marquee win to boost their NCAA Tournament aspirations. Just like the Maryland and UCLA matchups, Michigan’s opponent Thursday is the favorite, but a win would significantly aid the Wolverines’ resume. With the way Michigan’s Mitchell has been playing lately, the Wolverines will have a fighting chance. Against Iowa in early January, she had 15 points and 11 rebounds, both career highs. “I don’t remember playing like
this since high school,” Mitchell said after the game. The senior forward has sustained multiple injuries over her four years at Michigan, and she barely saw any playing time until this year. At the beginning of the season, Barnes Arico praised her impressive preseason performances, and even felt like she might have a breakout season similar to former Wolverine forward Cyesha Goree. Sunday, the Wolverines left Penn State with their first win in State College since 2001, thanks in part to a performance from Flaherty, who scored 23 points on 5-for-10 shooting. However, the Nittany Lions are no Buckeyes. “(Ohio State is) gonna be tough,” Barnes Arico said. “They’re off to a great season. They do the dribble drive. They try to draw fouls. They shoot the 3 exceptionally well. They’re gonna be another great test and great game for us at home.”
SINDU KILARU/Daily
Kelsey Mitchell faces another Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State’s star, on Thursday.
the b-side B
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, January 21, 2016
New slang: how lit was the function? by Sam Rosenberg Daily Arts Writer
Design by Jacklyn Thomas
the b-side
2B — Thursday, January 21, 2016
MILLENNIAL LINGO From Page 1B “That’s literally me af.” “The party is gonna be turnt!” “Sarah Jessica Parker is bae.” “I’m so hungry rn.” “Yaaasss queen!” “LMAO, I’m dying!” “The club is hella lit tonight.” “Netflix and chill?” If you’ve heard any of the following phrases, you have either encountered a millennial or are one. In every generation, people are primarily defined by the period in which they live. And in each period, a variety of zeitgeists define the culture of the moment. They can range from fashion to film, music to art and TV to literature. But perhaps the most significant of them all is language, specifically the slang used by the generation of the time. For millennials — people born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s — the current slang is notable for its hyper-condensed diction and common usage in social media. In addition to that, millennials have created their own language through texting, and in many cases embedded it into everyday talk. Even regularly used words, such as “literally,” “awkward” and “dying,” have completely new meanings within a millennial context. We don’t often realize it, but millennial slang and texting language play active roles in our daily lives, whether on our phones, on social media or in regular conversation. Slang Considering its mass appeal, slang has played an integral part of the culture in each generation. In the 1950s, an age swept up in conservative values, young people used “swell” as their very own colloquialism. “Cool” and “groovy” made their way into the counterculture of the ’60s and ’70s, eventually paving the way for words like “wicked” and “sweet” in the lively era of the ’80s and the grunge scene of the ’90s. The early ’00s contained a slew of slang like “redic,” “redonculous,” “whack,” “dope” and “sick” that spewed from the mouths of the youth. These words aimed to go against the traditional vernacular, as well as to give a collective personality to the people who uttered them. Nowadays, slang is just as creative and innovative as before, yet it’s changing at a breakneck speed. While movies, TV shows and music have become crucial in influencing slang both in the past and in the present, the increasing omnipresence of social media and social networking have provided millennials with platforms onto which we can constantly send and receive written and spoken messages. Through popular sources like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Tumblr and Vine, millennials have more access not only to new information, but also to the most up-to-date lingo. According to Julie Coleman, author of “The Life of Slang,” words are moving around the world within weeks and months because of social media. “It’s not necessarily that language is changing more quickly,” Coleman writes. “But technologies have developed and they allow the transmission of slang terms to pass from one group to another much more quickly.” Indeed, several of these technologies have determined the way in which millennials communicate with one another, especially with the invention of Twitter and its distinctive 140-character limit (at least for now). Several news websites, such as MTV.com and Buzzfeed, have adapted millennial slang into their headlines and articles (i.e. “21 Bold AF Hair Colors To Try In 2016”). Through the interconnected environment of the Internet, millennial slang has also been influenced by the reinvention of memes — humorous images, videos, GIFs or texts that are copied and spread online. Since the first well-known meme, the popular “Kilroy was here” graffiti in the 1940s, the “meme” has become a modern worldwide phenomenon on the Internet and other social media platforms. One of 2015’s most pervasive was a man screaming “What are those?!” at a police officer’s shoes. Memes may not necessarily be considered language, or even slang for that matter. However, through the technological advancement of the Internet, they do carry a cultural significance that has shaped the way millennials communicate and understand one another.
In addition to social media and Internet memes, celebrities seem to hold some influence over the way in which language pervades the psyche of the millennial generation. Around 2010, rappers Soulja Boy and Lil B helped popularize the word “swag” in their songs “Pretty Boy Swag” and “Wonton Soup,” respectively. Throwback to middle school. In 2011, hip-hop artist and pop culture icon Drake publicized the acronym “YOLO” (which stands for “you only live once,” for those still living under a rock) in his rap anthem, “The Motto.” This past year, DJ Khaled, the famed music producer behind the ubiquitous pump-up jam “All I Do Is Win” and other hits, became a prominent source of entertainment, when he shared his own catch phrases on his Snapchat story. Whether he was riding on a jet ski in the dark or watering his plants, almost every one of DJ Khaled’s Snapchats had the producer saying, “Bless up,” “The key to success” or “They don’t want you to … ” to whomever was watching. Given his largerthan-life personality, 2.8 million Instagram followers and major popularity on Snapchat, DJ Khaled is among many of today’s celebrities who exude the spirit and mood of the millennial generation. Millennial slang may as well be a way in which we distinguish ourselves from other generations, but there does seem to be larger social implications within the language itself. “Young people are interested in expressing themselves in a distinctive way that makes them feel like they’re part of something,” said Communications Prof. Scott Walker Campbell, who is also a mobile communications researcher at the University. “The fact that millennials have a distinctive way of speaking and some distinctive lingo doesn’t make the generation distinctive, because my generation did the same thing.” As Campbell also points out, slang is simply a cultural trend that every generation has, yet it manifests and looks different within different generations. “It’s what generations do,” Campbell said. “They come together, have distinctive qualities, distinctive tastes in music, in fashion and also in language.” Perhaps slang is more than just a reflection of the current culture. Perhaps it’s a subtle rebellious response to our parent’s generation. But more importantly, the slang that’s used today can stem from a desire to be recognized, a drive to become viral and leave a cultural legacy behind. “There are new ways for individual people to have a voice and participate in a network and system of communication that is kind of unlimited,” Campbell said. “It’s not about money, but about being clever and entertaining and cool.” This leads to the idea that people who use slang online and on social media are accruing commercial value. In this age of virality, hashtags and instant celebrity, millennials want to be recognized and slang is a way in which they can do that, not just within the realm of social networking, but with the rest of society. Texting language In addition to slang, texting has developed into a language of its own for millennials. With the revolution of the modern cell phone in the early 2000s, texting has dramatically affected the communication millennials use in their everyday lives. “Millennials are certainly using their thumbs as much or more than we’ve seen in past generations,” Campbell said. Because texting involves quick, rapid-fire responses, a methodical process has been cultivated as a result, where commonly used words and phrases have become abbreviated. Some examples include “to be honest” changing to “tbh,” “very” into “v” and “okay” into the universally abhorred “k.” “There’s this idea that texting is chaos and that young people don’t know how to use grammar,” said English professor Anne Curzan. “But I think it’s very systematic.” As an educator and historian in the field of the English language, Curzan understands that older and younger people have very different perceptions on the way language is used
today, specifically with changes in punctuation. An example she uses to demonstrate this idea to students and adults is the word “okay.” She writes the word three times — one by itself, one with a period and one with a dot-dot-dot. When shown to younger people, all three words have very different meanings, with “okay.” invoking a sense of seriousness and “okay … ” invoking a feeling of skepticism. For the older individuals observing the three words, they have no idea what the difference is. “If you actually ask prolific texters under the age of 30 how they are doing this, they can tell how to use the correct punctuation,” Curzan said. Millennials also pay very close attention to every single detail in our texts, so much in fact that we tend to nitpick at our words out of fear that the person on the other end of the conversation will take the message in the wrong way. “There’s this idea that younger people in this generation don’t care about language,” Curzan said. “I just don’t think there’s evidence for that. I talk with students, and they are very attentive with details. Spoken and written language is how we present ourselves to the world.” Curzan also believes that texting is “rapid and very much like a dialogue, but you can’t see the person most of the time.” However, as she mentions, texting has adapted to try to create some form of tone and emotional expression through acronyms like “lol” and, more recently, emojis. By using these shortened forms of written speech, millennials are better able to express themselves in new and interesting ways. Emojis have particularly grown in popularity ever since their international inclusion on the iPhone. They have revolutionized and enhanced textual communication by literally emoting the thoughts and feelings of the person behind the phone. People can choose from a diverse palette of emojis to express emotion, whether it’s using “the heart eyes” emoji to flirt or the “face with tears of joy” emoji to show a hysterical reaction to something. As CollegeHumor hilariously satirized in a 2014 video, titled “How We’ll All Talk in The Future,” emojis could potentially find their way into colloquial language. The clip depicts two young women having a conversation using emojis instead of words. In the context of the video, the emoji of the “face that looks like Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’ ” apparently translates to “no way!” This probably won’t be the way people will actually speak in the future, but the video makes a compelling point about how powerful and prevalent emojis, and texting language in general, have become for millennials. Lingo as a linguistic merit Like text messaging, it’s easy to dismiss slang as a simple form of primitive speech. But for a while now, slang has been recognized as having linguistic merit, according to Curzan. “Slang is linguistic creativity at work,” she said. “Part of being human is being creative with language and slang is language at some of its most creative.” This seems to be the opinion of not only Curzan, but the linguistic community at large. Each year, the people behind Oxford Dictionary, Merriam-Webster and the American Dialect Society, the latter of which Curzan is part of, decide which words are the oddest, most innovative and most popular of the year. For most publications, the word of the year is chosen based on how frequently the word is used or how new the word is. Most recently, Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year technically wasn’t even a word; it was the “face with tears of joy” emoji. For MerriamWebster, the word of the year was “-ism.” The American Dialect Society chose “they” (referring to the singular gender-neutral pronoun) as their WOTY. Other recent winners for WOTY have included “#blacklivesmatter,” “hashtag,” “app” and “tweet.” As informal as slang can be, it shapes culture both universally and exclusively. It gives a voice to generations and morphs constantly with the changing of technology and media. But most importantly, as linguist Stephen Pinker once said, language itself “is not so much a creator and shaper of human nature so much as a window onto human nature.” That’s pretty lit.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
COURTESY OF SPENCER
Spencer, a wine and cheese bar, is new in Ann Arbor.
New cheese bar open By VANESSA WONG Daily Arts Writer
Ann Arbor is becoming an even more creative and dynamic food community with uniquely structured restaurants — such as places that are known for reliable staples, pop-ups and other partnerships. They give local businesses space to try nontraditional ideas and offer an ever-changing blend of locally sourced meals for a new audience looking to try something new. Spencer, a wine and cheese bar/restaurant, has recently taken root in Ann Arbor with a focus on serving a menu that constantly changes with the seasons. Its airy, communal seating space creates a shared experience in which the diner trusts the restaurant to serve interesting and high quality meals rather than deliberately seek out a specific dish fulfilling his own cravings. Co-founder Steve Hall notes, “In the last couple of years there have been a lot of changes (in the Ann Arbor food community), like more creative and small things popping up … We are tying into a similar audience who has eaten everything in Ann Arbor and is looking into some new sorts of foods.” “The nice thing about changing all the time is that we’re not any kind of restaurant,” Hall continued. “There’s no one cuisine, so if we get an idea that’s like ‘hey, I’m really excited about doing some duck legs this week,’ Abby and I will be like, ‘oh, we’ll do them sort of like French AlsacianGerman, so let’s do some mustardbraised cabbage and some roast turnips,’ and we’ll sort of run with that for a week.” Their cheese and charcuterie brings to light a lesser-known market in Ann Arbor. Hall laments in particular how underappreciated Zingerman’s is for their cheeses. “It’s not just sandwiches; I know that all students think it’s just only sandwiches,” he said. “Their cheeses are just some of the best in the country and you can taste all of
them.” There are many considerations that go into the cheese-making process, Hall said. “You think about the animals and how they’re treated, you think about what those animals were eating, you think about the season of when they’re eating,” he said. “Is it winter and they’re eating dry hay or in the middle of summer when they’re eating fresh grasses and flowers and stuff? All that to the size of the production, the care of the cheesemaker, the age, how it’s been transported, all of it down the line. I think a lot of people don’t consider that and just think, ‘that cheese is $30 a pound, that’s a ridiculous price.’ Well, no, it’s awesome. It’s way underpriced because people really, really care for cheese.” One of the most important aspects of creating a dynamic culinary culture in Ann Arbor is for both diners and restaurateurs alike to be adventurous and keep an open mind. Being willing to mix new ingredients and flavors signals that innovation is welcome. For example, Hall urges people to try different types of cheeses. “I think a lot of people think that, ‘oh, I ate goat cheese on a salad once and I thought it was really weird and I didn’t like it, I therefore don’t like any goat cheese,” he said. Well that’s ridiculous. I don’t like American cheese but it doesn’t mean I don’t like any cow’s milk cheese.” Additionally, pop-ups and collaborative events between local businesses bring fresh takes to the way people traditionally interact with food. Before Spencer opened shop a few months ago, owners Hall and Abby Olitzky did multiple pop-up events: a weekly menu of dishes at Braun Court bar — wine, cheese and book pairings with Literati and a seasonal fivecourse dinner using ingredients from Zingerman’s. In addition to establishing local connections for the pair after moving to Ann Arbor from San Francisco, popups offered space to take creative liberties and test new ideas that
liven up the local food scene. Hall says pop-ups taught them about “what people are looking for, what do they respond well to, and how do we best get to that?” which helped identify what elements from San Francisco’s vibrant food community they could successfully implement in Ann Arbor. Both budding entrepreneurs and storied establishments can benefit from partnerships, as well as being willing to reach outward to the community to see what they are interested in while designing a menu. There are many other businesses in Ann Arbor that also play with unique restaurant structures to satisfy a modern audience that craves flexibility without sacrificing quality and health. Babo sheds the distinction between grocery store versus restaurant with a cheeky, “well, it’s both!” Like Spencer, Babo also has communal seating inside, but supplements it with separate tables outside, giving a range of options for solo munching, on-thego meals or a catch-up between friends. The People’s Food Co-op, a communal-membership grocery store that has been a staple in Ann Arbor since 1971, features a similar hot bar and coffee shop concept in the adjoined Café Verde. This is an extension of their goal to provide reasonably priced, fresh, healthy food from local farmers, according to their website. They also offer many ways to get involved in the community through the food, with free classes about eating and health and events for co-op members. Though Ann Arbor restaurants are typically known for delivering reliable and well-made favorites, there is a growing audience out there looking for elements of novelty and creativity in how they engage with food. And with new businesses like Spencer and Babo opening their doors, or historic local fixtures like People’s Food Co-op and Zingerman’s participating in pop-ups or changing things up, it’s clear that there are places ready to deliver.
MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW Blend together a unicorn, an artistically original J-Pop Britney Spears and the entire city of Tokyo — whatever A image comes to mind, whatKill V. ever hybrid Maim creature that produces, Grimes the result is Grimes. 4AD Maybe I’m living under a rock musicfilled rock, but the first I ever heard of Grimes was two months ago upon the release of her critically acclaimed Art Angels. The unusual synthpop sound that Grimes has mastered is part of what makes her album so intriguing; nothing produced in 2015 is anything like Art Angels. Grimes is first and foremost an artist — being a musician is just a small part of who she is, and I think that really shows in her latest music video for “Kill V. Maim.” The first time I listened to “Kill V. Maim,” I envisioned a slightly more badass Princess Peach from Mario Kart zipping through a neon-lit Tokyo. It turns out that either I’m psychic or Grimes is really good at
4AD
making you visualize her world the way she wants you to see it because the music video for “Kill V. Maim” is pretty much what I imagined two months ago. It’s fun. It’s artsy af. It’s unlike anything out there. Grimes and a sexy squad of posh punks take over our screens for four minutes and thirty-seven seconds in what appears to be a video game. The video cuts between shots of the outlandishly dressed characters dancing and zooming through what appears to be a neonlit Tokyo (defs psychic) with Snapchat-esque drawings of little halos, hearts and other doodles fluttering in and out to further define the video as a Grimes production. From a purely visual stand-
point, the “Kill V. Maim” music video is perfection; it has a way of sucking you into the world Grimes has created for us — the world that Grimes probably inhabits in her dreams. It’s a colorful, outlandish, science fiction world full of possibilities. However, the video seemingly lacks a story or purpose — at first I hated it for lack of substance. It’s only when you pay close attention to every detail that you realize how provocative it really is. I’m not going to disclose my interpretation of the video with you mainly because art is and should be viewed and understood differently by each individual — but also partly because I have no idea what the fuck I just watched. — Danielle Immerman
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Artist
IN
Thursday, January 21, 2016 — 3B
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
Lee explores utopia
PROFILE
By COSMO PAPPAS Daily Arts Writer
CLAIRE ABDO/Daily
Holly Hughes was a part of the WOW Cafe Theater in the 1980s.
By NATALIE ZAK Daily Community Culture Editor
“I think it would be a great time for men, basically, to go on vacation. There isn’t enough work for everybody. Certainly in the arts, in all genres, I think that men should step away. I think men should stop writing books. I think men should stop making movies or television. Say, for 50 to 100 years.” - Eileen Myles in an interview with the New York Times, Jan. 2016 *** Paraphrasing Myles’s declaration in an interview with The Michigan Daily, Theatre and Drama Prof. Holly Hughes echoed and elaborated on this sentiment, one inspired by her career as a gay and women’s rights performance artist at Women’s One World Cafe Theater. Published this past November, Hughes’s book “Memories of the Revolution: The First Ten Years of WOW Cafe Theater,” anthologized the monologues, performances and plays presented by WOW Cafe during her time there. “One of the jokes we used to tell was that we were all feminists who were kicked out of other feminist groups for having the wrong haircut,” Hughes said. A hidden gem of the feminist and gay rights movements in the ’80s, WOW Cafe, presented experimental theater written and performed by members at a small theater in the East Village of New York City. Consisting of a room, twenty seats and no backstage, the participants, passionate about their material, would dedicate days and nights to maintaining the theater and practicing performances. Trivial tasks like taking out the garbage and putting away props didn’t go unnoticed, for it was a cooperative and needed all the help it could get to survive. From performances titled “Paradykes Lost” to “Fear of Laughing on the Lower East Side,” no subject was considered taboo and with twenty seats, it wasn’t hard to sell out a show. This “uncooperative cooperative,” as they called themselves, although edgy and ahead of its time, made little impact on the feminist and gay scene in New York City while it existed. “It was so freeing … a lot of the performers there were in the process of coming out even though there were always heterosexual women,” Hughes said. “You just had to be fine hanging around a bunch of dykes. You had an audience that was
dealing with issues that existed nowhere else. It doesn’t mean that everything we did was loved, but not everything we did flopped. It’s different to perform in front of an audience that wants you to get better than with an audience that is completely clueless and doesn’t care.” The freedom and liberty associated with incorporating unspeakable topics into performances is one of the principle aspects that attracted Hughes to WOW. Leaving behind her waitressing job in Kalamazoo after college graduation, Hughes headed out to New York City, an unfamiliar land, to pursue an education as a painter at the recently created New York Feminist Art Institute. “I had an early onset fear of missing out thirty years before that term was invented,” she said. “Realizing all these exciting social changes are happening, art is happening, I needed to leave.” Though this institute didn’t last long as an innovative form of art education, but it did expose Hughes to the stories she wished to tell as a woman and the experiences that shaped her. Coming across a flyer that proclaimed “XX Christmas Party for Woman,” Hughes found her entrance into WOW Cafe, a world of provocation and eccentricity that would consume her life for the next ten years. From members such as poet Eileen Myles to recent Tony Award winner Lisa Krone, WOW sent off into the world confident women set on achieving their goals. Despite the mainstream success of some of its members, little attention is granted in general to the importance of this early onset experimental theater organization. Feminism, in a modern sense, is promoted by celebrities and comedians, people with major influence over the public opinion. It is publicized and brought to the forefront of the media’s attention. Hughes described WOW Cafe as a “zeitgeist that made people like Shonda Rhimes and Tina Fey possible.” The movement that began in a small theater thirty five years ago has, without anyone noticing, catapulted forward the feminist movement. But in the ’80s, despite their “cheekiness and give-nofucks attitude” the material WOW presented was rooted in vulnerability. Pouring their hearts, souls and struggles into their performances, the women at WOW needed the “colossal indifference” garnered from the
East Village. It allowed them to experiment, break taboos and move mountains all in the comfort of the East Village box that had become their home. Hughes, on the other hand, achieved mainstream attention in a drastically different way from other members. Involved in a case against the National Endowment for the Arb, NEA vs. Finley, Hughes spent three years of her life fighting appeal after appeal until reaching the Supreme Court. The case centered around a NEA veto of grants for her, two other homosexual artists and a woman of color in abidance with a law passed in 1985 requiring the NEA to consider “general standards of decency and respect” along with artistic merit in awarding funds. “The history of art is the history of provocation and they [Congress] didn’t embrace it,” Hughes said. “They either ran away, didn’t do anything or aided and abetted it.” Had the work she presented for funding been reviewed or even looked at by those vetoing it? No, but because she identifies as a lesbian, her work was considered homoerotic and immediately dismissed, Hughes said. In the end, the four were granted their funding, but the law withholding funding remained along, Hughes said, with the label that “Holly Hughes is a lesbian and her art is highly of that genre.” A label that, if anything, represents the ignorance and intolerance of the ’90s. Resulting from her time at WOW Cafe, Hughes has a unique perception on the world of women struggling with their identity. Having witnessed the obstacles faced by her peers, Hughes wishes to impart the same sense of empowerment she received at WOW Cafe onto her female students and provide a similar stimulating environment. “It’s my privilege and honor to be a teacher here and help foster their art, but I still see in my class so many of my young female students don’t have the same belief and confidence in their work as my white, cisgender male students,” she said. It is this difference in confidence that Hughes strives to change in her students. Though she has made valiant efforts, it must be realized that the fundamental treatment of men versus women, especially in the art world, is a societal problem. Confidence cannot be fixed by a single teacher alone, but if, say, men spent about 50 years separated from the art scene, we might stand a chance.
SINGLE REVIEW Halfway through his monstrous 90-bar verse, Kanye spits, “I know some fans who thought I wouldn’t rap like this A again / But the writer’s block No More is over, emcees cancel your Parties plans.” He isn’t in L.A. kidding. “No More Kanye West Parties in feat. KendL.A.,” origirick Lamar nally teased at the tail-end of Self-released his last release “Real Friends,” is many things. It’s Kanye’s exhaustion with plastic L.A. life. It’s the reveal of the long rumored Kendrick collaboration. It’s a renewed jab at Amber Rose (after all these years!). It’s a reminder that Kanye really can’t stand that goddamn laptop thief
of a cousin. But above all, this is the return of a man who wants (needs) to prove himself. Yeezus, while critically acclaimed for production and experimentalism, was by no means Kanye’s best rapping. His screaming on “I Am a God” was arguably more powerful than its verses, and there were lines throughout the album like “In a French-ass restaurant / Hurry up with my damn croissants.” Humorous, yes, but not always in the right way. It always takes audacity to invite the lyrical king of rap onto your track. There’s the risk — perhaps the expectation — that Kendrick will eclipse whoever’s track he graces. Who else was even on “Control”? It’s almost naïve of Kanye, or any modern rapper, to think they could handle or even match him. But Kanye
takes on the challenge with not just a fervor, but absolute fire, reminding us that there are still other kings who reign. The result is a stunning tagteam track that manages to run over six minutes in just two packed verses. It’s strikingly old-school — and that goes beyond the Madvillany-evoking production by Madlib himself. The tight and lengthy verses recall ’90s and early ’00s hiphop classics, where hooks are subservient to bars and production accompanies rather than controls. That killer Kendrick line from “Hood Politics” is hovering in the air: “Critics want to mention that they miss when hip hop was rappin’ / Motherfucker, if you did, then Killer Mike’d be platinum.” It’s not just Killer Mike who’s repping tradition. And of course it ends with a swish. — Matt Gallatin
“Utopia” is a fancy word that means asking and answering the question: what do we want to see, what do we want to happen? Young UFS Jean Lee, a Thurs. Jan. 21, former aspiring 7:30p.m; Fri. Shakespearean Jan. 22, 8 p.m. scholar and, according Power Center to Chris $12/$20/$20/$48 Isherwood of The New York Times, SWM “the most Fri. Jan. 22, adventurous 8 p.m; Sat. downtown playwright of Jan. 23, 2 her generation,” p.m. & 8 p.m. puts forward two responses Lydia Mendelsin her plays sohn Theater “Untitled $12/$20/$20/$48 Feminist Show” and “Straight White Men.” Lee will be giving a lecture at 5:10 p.m. at The Michigan Theater through the Penny Stamps Lecture Series on Thursday, Jan. 21. “ ‘Untitled Feminist Show’ is a carousing exploration of a world where gender is recognized and celebrated in all its fluidity and freedom,” Lee wrote in an e-mail interview with The Michigan Daily. Featuring six fully nude dancers whose only props are pink parasols, this hour-long, wordless show creates a space where the idea of gender becomes freedom and not a constraint, stigma, marginalization or violence toward gender nonconforming people. Lee explained how the play is a space of freedom — for example, one of the performers does not identity either as male or female. “ ‘UFS’ was about creating a utopia, and in our utopia, that freedom of identification was possible ... For me, fluidity of identity (which ‘Untitled Feminist Show’ celebrates) is an
acknowledgment that we can’t shove people into categories of identity,” Lee wrote. “The show isn’t about being a women vs. being a man. It’s about showing people who were born with female-coded bodies who are able to transcend these types of gender distinctions.” The term utopia can also pose the question: what is off about what we want to see? For Lee, “Straight White Men” was a kind of experiment in character identification and in asking the question, what should straight white men do with their privilege? As she recounts in an interview with American Theater; its beginnings stemmed from a workshop. “When I was at Brown doing the first workshop, there was a room full of students, people of color, and queer people, a very diverse room. And then they started talking very harshly about straight white men. I said, ‘Okay. Now I know all the things you don’t like about straight white men. Why don’t you give me a list of all the things you wished straight white men would do that would make you hate them less?’” She continued, “So they told me all these things, and I wrote down the whole list, and then I wrote that character. And they all hated him. They hated him.” Lee, described her writing process in an interview with BOMB Magazine as “failing over and over and over and over and over and over again,” thrives when she is putting her audiences (and herself) between rocks and hard places. As she says in the same interview, “The maxim is basically I try to think of the worst idea for a show I could possibly think of.” It’s easy to see how a show like “Straight White Men” fits the bill, which features four straight white men (three sons and a father) whose gathering around Christmas is the launchboard for exploring straight white masculinity. (For the straight
white male readers, have you ever thought about how you won’t go to get a sweater even when it’s too cold for the t-shirt you’re wearing? That’s one question that one scene examines, as Lee and the cast describe in this video interview.) Their identity comes under scrutiny as Lee loosens straight white male identity as the “default position,” she said in a video interview with Public Theater NY. “I asked myself, ‘If I woke up tomorrow and I was a straight white man, what would I do?’ ” Lee wrote. “That’s where the existential crisis came up for me, because it would be one thing if I woke up as a straight, white man who never thought about his identity and enjoyed his privilege unthinkingly — that might feel kind of good. But if I were to wake up with my own mind in a straight, white body, it would be completely problematic.” Lee’s theatrical diptych approaches questions about identity from two directions. What if you were stuck in this identity that isn’t yours, whose privilege comes at the expense of violence toward everyone else? What if you had absolute freedom in your identity? Lee, who regularly voices her dislike of preachy, didactically political theater, has put forward two works that, though written separately, are an innovative venue for engaging with questions of identity. These are questions that are essential and uncomfortable for Lee, who describes growing up KoreanAmerican in a predominantly white community where she was forced to deny her ethnic heritage. “I think that they are both looking toward the future — ‘SWM’ looks toward a future that might be imminent, and ‘UFS’ a future that may never come,” Lee wrote. “They both point to a world where we define people in different ways than we have in the past.”
TRAILER REVIEW I thought that, in 2016, it was impossible to use Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” in any kind of new or interestB+ ing way, but whoever cut A+ Suicide together the Untitled new trailer Squad 2 for “Suicide Grimes Warner Bros. Squad” was somehow able Late Night with Aug. 5, 2016 to breathe new Jimmy Fallon life into a great but incredibly tired song. I have no idea if I’m actually going to see “Suicide Squad” — comic book movie fatigue, ya know? — but even as just a twoand-a-half minute work, this trailer is pretty great, and it does a brilliant job of manipulating the Queen song — a full cinematic work in itself — so that it doesn’t actually steal the
spotlight away from its stars. The trailer begins with shots of its main characters along with lyrics that underscore their unbalanced mental states. We see a lot of Will Smith and Margot Robbie throughout, but while Smith plays what seems like a pretty standard tough dude unfamiliar to comics fans, Robbie nails the fuckedup whimsy of Harley Quinn. Her grin as she’s joking (or being completely serious) about the voices her in head is priceless. Meanwhile, there’s also a crocodile, a girl possessed by a witch and a bunch of white dudes who look vaguely familiar from other movies. Oh, and Jared Leto is trying way too hard as the Joker. From then on, it’s a lot of punches, gunshots and explosions set to rocking guitar without any real context to the
story. We have no idea what’s going on, but “Bohemian Rhapsody” makes it OK, because it’s great to see the song in a fresh context (I’m sure whoever made this trailer loved “Guardians of the Galaxy”). That said, even the voiceover set-up is a little too bluntly honest about what we really want from this movie, simply stating that the characters are going “somewhere really bad” to do “something” that will get them killed. Hey, at least it’s got a lot of fire and attitude. Though the reality is that “Suicide Squad” probably won’t be different from any other comic book movie that comes out this year, the trailer still manages to feel exciting and cool. And who knows, maybe Robbie’s Harley Quinn alone will be worth the price of admission. — Adam Theisen
the b-side
4B — Thursday, January 21, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
COMMUNITY CULTURE NOTEBOOK
CULTURAL CURES COLUMN
Do I have to share a Lentil soup, the most bed with my lover? overlooked delicacy By CATHERINE SULPIZIO Dear Gillian, Not that anyone really says “sleep with somebody” anymore, but I literally don’t like sleeping with other people. I find it anxietyinducing and awkward and I never sleep well. On the other hand, I don’t want to be rude or sexist. GILLIAN Is sleeping with JAKAB someone essential to intimacy? Thanks in advance, – Awkward in Ann Arbor Dear Awk, The poets say yes: sleep in your lover’s embrace. But the sleep scientists say no: love your lover, but sleep alone, and if you need an embrace, try a pillow. T.S. Eliot’s “A Dedication to my Wife” celebrates sleeping side by side as an embodiment of love and companionship: “To whom I owe the leaping delight / That quickens my senses in our waking time/ And the rhythm that governs the repose of our sleeping time, / the breathing in unison.” Yet scientific sleep studies have shown that bed partners not only breathe in discordant meter, but their body movements, duvet thefts, insomnias, and snores disrupt one another’s sensitive and precious sleep cycles, which may leave couples resentful and wanting to punch one another. There are probably a number of reasons that “sleeping with someone” came to be a euphemism for intimacy. Not only do they naturally follow one another, but they both find us at our most vulnerable and therefore require deep trust. Visual artists more typically portray a sleeping figure alone. Look at the contemporary painter Kehinde Wiley, who plays with western art historical iconography and Black identity in his piece “Sleep,” drawing from the poses
and imagery of both a solitary and graceful sleeping figure like “Giorgione Sleeping Venus and a fallen martyr like Carvaggio’s “Deposition and Entombment of Christ.” But when a second figure does share the sleeper’s canvas on occasion, there’s often a nod to voyeurism, discomfort or indignity. A classic example is Botticelli’s “Mars and Venus,” Venus watches alert as Mars slumbers unguarded and exposed. Their frequent metaphoric link to death is another bond between sleep and intimacy. The French call the latter “le petit mort” and the idea of sleep as a kind of temporary or reversible death is ubiquitous in the history of the arts. How about the final scene in Romeo and Juliet: she’s asleep, he thinks she’s dead, he kills himself, she wakes up, sees him dead and kills herself. Or look at John William Waterhouse’s “Sleep and his Half-brother Death.” Awk, your anxiety about sleep’s vulnerabilities — sleeptalking, or flailing about, or worse — is understandable. Back in the day, when housing was scarcer, beds fewer and heating more primitive, sharing beds, even with strangers, was not uncommon. Your feelings of awkwardness about it are reflected throughout literature. Think Cassio and Iago in “Othello” getting their legs tangled or the great scene in “Moby Dick” leading up to Ishmael and Queequeg sharing a bed at the Inn. It’s enough to make you leave the flannel robe and teddy bear at home. One reason sneaking out in the dark hours of the night is considered sleazy, though, is that spending the night bridges the hours between the alluring evening of seduction, revelry and intoxication and the sober daylight of visibility, reality and reflection. George Balanchine’s ballet “La Sonnambula” (“The Sleepwalker”), based on the opera of Vincenzo Bellini, explores the relation between the world of sleep, magic and dance and that of waking life with the pas de deux between The Sleepwalker and The Poet. Dorothy Parker’s Short Story “You Were Perfectly Fine” published in The New Yorker in
1929, captures the abrupt panic of being yanked from one state to the next — recalling one’s drunken behavior the night before with the person next to you in the morning. Besides the obvious issue of consent in a drunken hookup, seeing your lover through to the morning helps dispel or confirm the fear that Parker’s “lovely things” in a supposedly pivotal moment in the romance exist in only one half of the two’s collective memory. Don’t worry AAA, there are some steps you can take without sacrificing your beauty sleep or having to have a sleepover before you are ready. You can ask your boo to brunch and share the bonding pleasure of coffee and omelets without the prerequisite of sharing a bed beforehand. Or perhaps an afternoon movie at one of your homes where you can practice snuggling, or even a lowstakes siesta as in Jean-François Millet’s “Noonday Rest.” In the meantime, the best way to avoid coming off as rude or sexist is to communicate, explaining exactly why you’re trekking through the snow back to your house at three in the morning instead of staying cozy, even if it sounds like an excuse. So no, Awky, sleeping with someone is not essential to intimacy; but intimacy, at least the meaningful version, does suggest that you should probably find a way to get comfortable with the sleeping part. Once you get to know your love interest on a few different levels, lit by both the sun and the moon, you might feel more and more at ease with the prospect of spending the night. I wonder if there isn’t some kind of tech fix for your issue. Have you tried something other than dormissue twins, like a nice full or queen? How about earplugs? Or I know: one of those Sleep Number beds advertised on TV. The point is, if you stick around through the dreaming until morning or beyond, who knows ... Jakab is taking a little nap. If you wanna be her lover, email gillianj@umich.edu.
Daily Arts Writer
Winter break is nothing if not an endless buffet of voluptuary temptations. Almost two weeks at home in San Diego and another in Chicago offered up the requisite enchiladas from my family’s go-to Mexican place, Thai green curry for Star Wars screenings, a lazy brunch of frittata and a citrusy kale salad, a luxuriant New Year’s Eve feast in a subterranean den that began with risotto and ended with chocolate cake and then plenty of dark, muddy red wine that stained my lips crimson, Bloody Marys with extra horseradish and whiskey cocktails that staved off the Chicago chill — among other things. But January is the icy month of atonement, a thought that echoed when I opened my refrigerator — after a long and decadent birthday weekend in Chicago — to reveal its spartan shelves and the lone survivors who had grimly soldiered on. When replenishing the refrigerator seems a particularly insurmountable challenge, I want a dish that comes together not from an involute choreography performed by a troupe of ingredients, but arises from a few good alliances between wholesome, leafy compatriots. And when the weather takes on
the climate of a refrigerator, I want something that simmers, boils and melds into itself on the stove. In short, what I longed for was lentil soup, the humble little dish that is both edifying and indulgent. The lentil harkens back to Ancient Grecians, who very much enjoyed them; their playwright Aristophanes said “you, who dare insult lentil soup, sweetest of delicacies,” perhaps a hair defensively, in one of his plays.
The lentil hearkens back to Ancient Grecians. The soup starts with a generous gloss of olive oil in a big pot — more than you would think necessary at the peak of New Year’s austerity — and a roughly chopped bouquet of vegetables: 1 carrot, 1 yellow onion, 1 leek, 3 cloves of garlic. But the magic of lentil soup is its chameleon form — substitute celery for the carrot, green onions for the leek and shallots for the onion, or whatever other root vegetables lurk in your pantry. The point is
to chop as finely as you have the patience for, but uniformity is little prized. I chop roughly and quickly. Sauté in olive oil until everything has compressed and their aroma begins to make your kitchen feel hospitable again. After 10 minutes, add a very long glug of whatever wine or beer you have and a cup of dried green lentils, plus a can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes and another 2-3 cups of water. Stir and bring to a simmer. Add a palmful of salt, a pinch of hot smoked paprika, some stalks of thyme or bay leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice that will cut through winter. After this, cover and walk away. 45 minutes is enough time to read half of the London Review of Books you were gifted for Christmas, or for the more abstemious, take a brisk and nippy walk. And in 45 minutes, the hard, little lentils soften into velvet, and the shards of carrots, onions, leek, tomatoes, and garlic deliquesce into a silky base. The lemon and dark wine lend a richness to the stock not often found in vegetarian fare. I ladle it into a saucer and drizzle with more lemon and a shower of green onions, but it is equally good with a few drops of olive oil, a piece of au courant avocado toast, or a handful of simply dressed arugula.
EPISODE REVIEW The room goes silent, the moment of truth awaits and the knife goes in, only to reveal the juicy, pink center of a B perfectly cooked MasterChef steak. Gordon Ramsay FOX starts the 100th Episode applause and the crowd goes wild. Hungry foodies all over the nation salivate as they watch celebrities take the “MasterChef” stage for a shot to win $25,000 on behalf of a charity of their choosing. For the 100th episode, four
rounds of celebrities rumbled through the culinary arena, each with their unique mystery box of ingredients and 60 minutes for the competing stars to live out their “MasterChef” dreams. First up were “Empire” cast members Ta’Rhonda Jones and Kaitlin Doubleday, followed by a couples’s round with Terry Crews (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) and his wife Rebecca King — Crews battling for the best cupcake against Boris Kodjoe (“The Last Man on Earth”) and Nicole Ari Parker (“Rosewood”). Lobsters were poached, cupcakes were decorated and Gordon Ramsay needed “a touch more
salt.” But most anticipated in the “MasterChef” special was the appearance of today’s “it” girl, supermodel Gigi Hadid, who went head to head with fellow Victoria’s Secret Model Devon Windsor. Hadid, the self-proclaimed foodie of her famous girl squad, tore up the kitchen as she crossed off one of her ultimate bucket list items. Two hours later, as the celebrities said goodbye to their “MasterChef” glory, the rest of the world was just a bit hungrier and a lot more skeptical of the raving reviews the culinary professionals dished out to the amateur contestants. — Danielle Yacobson