ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
RESEARCH
Study aims to increase concussion prevention
Researchers aim to use new technology to reduce injury in high-contact sports KRISTINA PERKINS/Daily
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) enjoys a warm welcome from the crowd at the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center on Monday.
In first visit to Michigan, Sanders talks student debt Political candidate addresses packed EMU audience By CAITLIN REEDY and LYDIA MURRARY Daily Staff Reporters
More than 9,000 people cheered and stomped their feet in response to the arrival of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D–Vt.) at
Eastern Michigan University’s Convocation Center Monday. Sander’s visit was his first to the state of Michigan during his campaign and comes just three weeks before the Michigan primary on March 8. Sanders will return to Michigan on March 6 for a Democratic debate held in Flint. At the Monday rally, he largely addressed familiar topics surrounding his campaign, many of which had
personal connections to the mostly young, local crowd — including issues pertaining to Flint, higher education and youth voter turnout. He also touched on recent events, referencing U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, who died on Saturday. There is immense speculation about whom President Obama will choose as his nominee to replace Scalia,
and how much resistance that nominee will face from the Republican majority in Congress. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a statement Saturday that he thought the seat shouldn’t be filled until the next president takes office. Calling the GOP’s response to Scalia’s death an example of the party’s doctrine, Sanders said it was their chance to prove See RALLY, Page 2
By ALEXA ST. JOHN Daily Staff Reporter
Researchers at the University of Michigan are aiming to make progress toward encouraging safer equipment for athletes and raising awareness about common brain injuries that can occur on the field — an issue of rising concern in both professional and college sports — through new helmet technology. A new sports-helmet prototype capable of dissipating impulse from impact and taking kinetic energy away from the skull and brain while playing high-contact sports is being developed by a team in the College of Engineering. Though helmets currently used for sports like football are intended to protect against skull and brain injuries, this new prototype aims
OPINION
ADMIN
Brett Graham: For Sanders, idealism is key By BRETT GRAHAM Daily Columnist
Disco and folk music filled what little space remained in the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center. Having spent hours outside, enduring frigid temperatures and seemingly endless line, a crowd of 9,000 was chomping at the bit. Anxious to see their champion, applause broke out every few minutes, whether it was the long pause that followed “Disco Inferno” for no apparent reason or the campaign aide who walked out to stock the podium with bottled water. When it was finally time, after more than a few false starts, the applause that welcomed Bernie Sanders to his first campaign stop in Michigan could only be described in one word — thunderous. Disco and folk music filled what little space remained in the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center. Having spent hours outside, enduring frigid temperatures and seemingly endless line, a crowd of 9,000 was chomping at the bit. Anxious to see their champion, applause broke out every few minutes, whether it was the long pause that followed “Disco Inferno” for no apparent reason or the campaign aide who walked out to stock the podium with bottled water. When it was finally time, after more than a few false starts, the applause that welcomed Bernie Sanders to his first campaign stop in Michigan could only be described in one
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 33 LO: 10
word — thunderous. As I scanned the crowd, I searched for common denominators between the “Grandmas for Bernie” and the college students, the young woman wearing a hijab in the fifth row and the group of elderly Black women who sat near the aisle. White and Black, old and young, privileged and poor, people of every creed and sexual orientation stood shoulder to shoulder. Together, they screamed and waved signs, stomped their feet and lifted their arms above their heads like a gospel choir at a Sunday mass. Regardless of the issue he discussed, the support was loud and it was unanimous. Why? Because Sanders supersedes the labels that have dominated this campaign cycle with the simple fact that he is an idealist. The media introduces and perpetuates these labels until they are taken as gospel by the average voter. Establishment versus outsider, big money versus individual donations, party endorsements versus appeal to millennials are all ways in which the race for the Democratic nomination has been framed. But none of them captures the central issue of pragmatism and the role it plays in our politics. Perhaps the best example thus far has been the controversy over the term “progressive.” In response to doubts raised by the Sanders campaign about her liberal credentials, Hillary Clinton fired back by branding herself as See SANDERS, Page 4
to step beyond that with new understandings about how the brain becomes injured. Co-author of the study Ellen Arruda, a professor of mechanical engineering, said the project began by looking at applying lightweight materials to the blast and impact associated with highcontact sports. “It’s only recently that we’ve understood traumatic brain injuries,” Arruda said. “The helmets that we’re using weren’t designed to protect the brain; they were designed to prevent skull fracture … Now that we understand that they also have to protect the brain, we realized that literature had virtually no information on how to go about doing that … no one carefully looked at what it would take to optimally reduce the force and impulse of an impact in a helmet design over and over and over again.” Arruda said she and her colleagues specifically researched football and were thus well prepared to try to initially See HELMET, Page 3
Regents to hear updates on building initiatives Body will also vote on new Master of Science in Nursing program By CAMY METWALLY Daily Staff Reporter
RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily Lawrence Ross, author of “Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America’s Campuses,” discusses racial prejudice on college campuses in the Michigan League on Monday.
Speaker examines role of institutions in race relations Researcher focuses on Greek life in discussion of racism on campuses By SOPHIE SHERRY For the Daily
More than 100 people filled the Michigan League ballroom Monday night to hear author Lawrence C. Ross discuss research highlighted in his latest book “Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America’s Campuses.” The event aimed to both dis-
GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
cuss Ross’ research and prompt audience members to reflect on how his findings regarding race relations on college campuses apply to the University of Michigan, organizers said. Courtney Monroe, council adviser for the Office of Greek Life, planned the event along with the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs and the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies. Members of the Panhellenic Council also attended and lead a Q&A session after the event. The event began with libations offered by Prof. Elizabeth James from the Department of Afroamerican and African
NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Listen to Kanye West essentials online MICHIGANDAILY.COM/SECTION/ARTS
INDEX
Studies, which are given as a sign of respect and acknowledgment for those who have passed. During the event, Monroe said she asked James to deliver these libations in the spirit of Black History Month, saying it was important to peacefully reflect and pay homage to those who made it possible for everyone to be at the lecture and at the University. Ross began his lecture by reciting an infamous chant from the University of Oklahoma’s chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon that made national headlines in 2014. A video showed members of the fraternity chanting “they would never let a n****r See RACE, Page 3
Vol. CXXV, No. 74 ©2016 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
The University of Michigan’s Board of Regents has released its agenda for its February meeting this Thursday in the Michigan Union. This week, the regents will hear updates on several investment reports and construction projects, and will discuss other reports from Central Student Government and the University community. Construction Projects The plant extension report outlined several projects that are currently in the planning stages. The most costly of those projects is the construction of the new Biological Science Building, funded by LSA and Office of the Provost resources, which is estimated to cost about $261 million. The BSB will house the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, both of which are currently in the Edward Henry Kraus Natural Science Building. The new facility will connect to the Life Sciences Institute, allowing for greater and easier See REGENT, Page 2
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 CL ASSIFIEDS.................6
SUDOKU.....................2 ARTS.........................5 SPORTS......................7
News
2 — Tuesday, February 16, 2016
EYE ON ART
TENTS & TABLES The Michigan Daily is introducing a new rotating item, Tents and Tables, that seeks to highlight campus activities on the Diag and near the posting wall in Angell Hall. Camp Kesem held a ChickFil-A fundraiser Monday in front of the Mason Hall posting wall. The organization fundraises throughout the year to send children whose parents have cancer to camp during the summer. LSA sophomore Katherine Boss, a development coordinator at Camp Kesem, said the organization tries to fundraise to send as many kids as they can to camp. “Obviously the kids are affected by (their parent’s cancer) and so we fundraise for them all year to send them to camp for free so it’s not a financial burden on the family, so we can get as many kids as possible,” Boss said. Boss said each counselor at Camp Kesem has to raise $500, which makes the organization’s
overall fundraising goal about $110,000. She said the organization has thus far raised a little over half of that money. Volunteers drove to Toledo, Ohio to get the nuggets and sandwiches from Chick-Fil-A at 7:30 a.m. and spent about $230, so the organization is hoping to at least fundraise more than that amount of money. Another organization in front of the posting wall Monday was Michigan Mazaa, a group that was founded four years ago that aims to raise money and awareness for organizations that help fight human trafficking in Southeast Asia. Saturday, Michigan Mazaa will hold its annual Bollywood Dance Fusion competition in the Michigan Theatre. It spends all year preparing for this event. LSA junior Rohit Agarwal, who is the treasurer for Michigan Mazaa, said representatives from the organization have been out in Angell Hall for the past week to sell tickets for the competition.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
“This is a great place to market, everyone usually comes by the posting wall and looks at what we’re doing,” Agarwal said. “It helps not only sell tickets but also raise awareness for what we’re doing.” Agarwal said Michigan Mazaa usually sells about 1,000 tickets for the show. Many of the tickets are purchased online, but many sales also come from students who purchase the tickets at the table in front of the posting wall. To garner more attention, there is a TV next to the table that features clips from the competition. Some of the audience members at the competition are also from out of state because the competition features groups from across the country. Agarwal said he hopes the organization is able to spread awareness about the problem of human trafficking. -RACHEL COHEN
420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com SHOHAM GEVA ROSE FILIPP
CLAIRE ABDO/Daily
Arts Programming Coordinator Graham Hamilton preps the art gallery in East Quad for the next show on Monday.
The Last Sonatas
Woodhead lecture
Classical dance show
Strings showcase
WHAT: Renowned pianist Sir Andras Schiff will perform all three of his “The Last Sonatas” concerts in Ann Arbor. WHO: University Musical Society WHEN: Today from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. WHERE: Rackham Graduate School, Rackham Auditorium
WHAT: Visiting University of Arizona Prof. Susan Stryker will lecture on the history of gay liberation and reproductive freedom. WHO: Institute for the Humanities WHEN: Today at 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Rackham Graduate School, East Conference Room
WHAT: Ananda Shankar Jayant will present a collage of solo classical Indian dance performances. Dance styles include Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi. WHO: SPIC MACAY at the University of Michigan WHEN: Today from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Museum of Art, Helmut Stern Auditorium
WHAT: String performance from University students. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Today at 3 p.m. WHERE: Earl V. Moore Building, Britton Recital Hall Please report any error in the Daily to corrections @michigandaily.com.
separate campaign stops in Flint for opponent Hillary Clinton, in the race for the Democratic nomination — on Feb. 7, Clinton herself, and a few days later, her daughter Chelsea Clinton. During his speech, Sanders said he met with residents of Flint earlier that day but did not make any official appearances while there. Both Sanders and Clinton have criticized the state government for their slow response to the Flint water crisis. Clinton has brought the issue to national attention by referencing it during two recent Democratic debates, calling the current efforts insufficient. Sanders — echoing several state and national groups who have heldprotests in recent weeks — has taken a harder stance, calling for the resignation of Gov. Rick Snyder. During his remarks, Sanders said prior to his
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
President Barack Obama said he will wait until the Senate is in session to appoint a replacement for associate Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia, the Hill reported. Obama said he remembered Scalia as a man with “colorful opinions.”
2
Taylor Swift won Album of the Year at the 2015 Grammy Awards show Monday night. Song of the year went to Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud, the New York Times reported.
3
Rapper Kanye West stated he was $53 million in debt before his appearance on sketch-comedy show Saturday Night Live, reported Billboard magazine. The rapper was previously reported to be $16 million in debt.
meeting with Flint residents he did not fully understand the gravity of the crisis. “I really did not know how ugly and how horrible and how terrible what is going on in our community (is),” he said. “It is beyond my comprehension that in the year 2016, in the United States of America, we are poisoning our children.” Sanders also touched on his plan for addressing student debt and making public colleges and universities tuition free. Sanders’ plan calls for taxes on Wall Street speculation — which would require banks to pay a fee for various financial transactions included under the umbrella of speculation such as stocks and bond trading — to finance the tuition-free college initiative. U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D– Dearborn) has co-sponsored legislation that addresses the loan-refinancing issue Sanders calls for, though she is supporting Clinton in the race.
http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ wrestling, tennis, gymnastics REGENTS and women’s rowing teams.
From Page 1
SUDOKU HARD
4
3
6
1
2
3 9 7
9
6 3
3
1
2
9
1 5 4
6 9
8 4
1
transportation of lab supplies. It will include new laboratories, offices, classrooms and some of the museum collections currently in the Ruthven Museums Building. Sports-focused projects made up a significant portion of the construction planning. These projects include $18.7 million renovations to the Intramural Sports Building and a $168 million South Campus athletics facility. The Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus Athletics South Competition and Performance Project is funded by the Athletic Department, which received a $100 million gift from University alum Stephen Ross. The construction plan for the 310,000-square-foot facility is designed to support male and female studentathletes in track and field, cross country, soccer, lacrosse,
© sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. PRE-SPRING BREAK SLUMP. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com
Generate and solve Sudoku, Super Sudoku and Godoku puzzles at sudokusyndication.com!
Letters to the Editor 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
schlaura@michigandaily.com emkerr@michigandaily.com
opinioneditors@michigandaily.com
SENIOR OPINION EDITORS: Jeremy Kaplan, Ben Keller, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Jason Rowland, Stephanie Trierweiler
WHAT: Brian Fies, author of “Mom’s Cancer,” will discuss his award-winning and acclaimed webcomic and graphic novel. WHO: Department of American Culture WHEN: Today from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Ann Arbor District Library
Sudoku Syndication
Corrections corrections@michigandaily.com
Claire Bryan and Regan Detwiler Editorial Page Editors
WHAT: Architect Nina Rappaport will present “Vertical Urban Facotiry,” a discussion of modernist and contemporary factories in terms of technology. WHO: Taubman College WHEN: Today from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Art and Architecture Building
that they do, in practice, follow the text of the Constitution. “I say to my colleagues in the U.S. Senate, my Republican colleagues, you talk about the Constitution a whole lot. How about obeying the Constitution and start holding hearings when President Obama nominates the next Supreme Court Justice?” Sanders said. “Talk about cowardice, obstructionism. Here you have the Constitution clear as can be.” Speaking more broadly during his remarks, Sanders
News Tips
SENIOR NEWS EDITORS: Allana Akhtar, Alyssa Brandon, Jacqeline Charniga, Katie Penrod, Emma Kinery ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Riyah Basha, Marlee Breakstone, Desiree Chew, Anna Haritos, Tanya Madhani, Camy Metwally, Lydia Murray, Caitlin Reedy, Alexa St. John. Brandon Summers-Miller
WHAT: Stressed by exams and papers coming up in the next few weeks?The Atrium of Pierpont will have painting, crafting, drawing, canvases and free food. WHO: Center for Campus Involvment WHEN: Today from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Pierpont Atrium
said he was pleased by the large crowd attending the rally, noting that the issues he focuses on require the attention of everybody. The crowd was comprised of residents and students from all over the state wanting to witness the candidate in person, including LSA senior Lucy Licht. “I was really interested in seeing what the real-life energy was like,” Licht said. “I’ve watched Bernie on TV and read stuff about him but I don’t think I really captured the experience of the excitement and energy of everyone coming together to hear what he has to say.” Sanders’ visit follows two
news@michigandaily.com
Laura Schinagle Managing Editor Emma Kerr Managing News Editor
Cartoonist presentation
RALLY From Page 1
734-418-4115 opt. 3
EDITORIAL STAFF
Architecture lecture series
WHAT: This workshop will discuss what graduate student instructors can do to improve student retention in engineering. WHO: CRLT-Engin WHEN: Today from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. WHERE: Lurie Engineering Center
Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 rfilipp@michigandaily.com
Newsroom
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
What can GSIs Craft the Stress Away do?
Editor in Chief 734-418-4115 ext. 1251 sageva@michigandaily.com
New Master of Science in Nursing The regents will also vote on the approval of a new Master of Science in Nursinggraduate program through the School of Nursing. The MSN will serve as a path to the Doctorate in Nursing Practice, which the report cites as important for preparation for national certification and licensure. It is designed for those who have completed a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. The School of Nursing’s governing faculty has already approved the 36- to 37-credithour curriculum. If the regents approve, enrollment may begin in Fall 2016. Central Student Government Central Student Government also submitted a report to the regents outlining several of its recent operations and goals.
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
Managing Online Editor
nivkarki@michigandaily.com
SENIOR WEB DEVELOPERS: Dylan Lawton and Bob Lesser
Levin Kim Managing Video Editor
SENIOR VIDEO EDITORS: Michael Kessler, Abe Lofy, Emma Winowiecki
Demario Longmire, Gaby Vasquez, Ryan Moody, Sarah Khan Michigan in Color Editors 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.
Sanders said higher education is key to maintaining a competitive economy, and characterized student debt as a “punishment” for individuals seeking education. “Everybody knows that for our economy to be strong we need the best education,” he said. “How insane is it to punish people for the crime of trying to get an education? That is why as part of our legislation, we are going to allow people to refinance their debt with the lowest possible interest rates.” Recent surveys suggest a large base of Sanders’ supporters come from younger generations — particularly those of college age. In New Hampshire, Sanders won 83 percent of voters under the age of 30, The Atlantic reported. Sanders promised college students in the room a future without mounting student debt and higher minimum wage, but cautioned the crowd that they
must remain active in their campaigning and get friends and peers out to the voting booth. “Your job, in every creative way, is to determine and make certain that every American is actively involved in shaping the future of our country, not just the 1 percent,” Sanders said. Sanders also stressed that a true political revolution requires action from the bottom up. To take power away from the 1 percent — a rallying cry of the Sanders campaign — movement must come from the masses, he said. “Real change never takes place from the top on down … real change takes place when people by the tens of millions look around and say you know what, the status quo is just no longer acceptable,” Sanders said. “It’s got to change. When the people lead, the leaders follow.”
The report includes updates from the Course Evaluation Committee, which includes both student and faculty representatives. Members of CSG and the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs have been collaborating to improve the evaluation instrument and create fairer data release policies and mechanisms. According to the report, the Course Evaluations Instrument Review Committee has entered the final stages of selecting appropriate evaluation questions, and the Policy Committee is currently drafting a disclaimer to be used upon the release of course evaluation data. CSG filed a Michigan Freedom of Information Act request in December for the University to release course evaluation data. The report expressed CSG’s disappointment about the delays in the process. Additionally, the Faculty Senate’s Student Relations
Advisory Committee recently voted to not recommend one of six CSG proposals, which would have allowed students to “formally share their feedback on amendments proposed by the Faculty Senate or Executive Officers.” “We are disappointed in the Faculty’s decision to vote this down, as it is only fair that students are given the same opportunity to comment on amendment proposals that the faculty and administrators have,” CSG wrote. “Any change proposed to our student code of conduct should have ample opportunities to have students voice their opinions — and the SRAC’s decision to vote this down makes it difficult for students to share their thoughts on any proposed changes.” The Office of General Counsel, along with E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, will now review amendment proposals, and the final decision will be made by University President Mark Schlissel.
For more news, visit michigandaily.com
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NEWS BRIEFS
NAACP threatens mass civil disobedience if Flint infrastructure is not repaired The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, says it will recommend disruptive civil disobedience on a mass scale in Flint if Gov. Rick Snyder does not present a plan with a clear deadline for replacing the piping infrastructure in the next 30 days, the Detroit Free Press reported. Snyder recently released his budget recommendation for the upcoming fiscal year which allocates $195 million for Flint with $25 million of that immediately available for the city’s infrastructure needs. Of Flint’s pipes there are approximately 5,000 known lead lines, 25,000 made of known and unharmful materials and 10,000 pipelines of unknown material. Cornell Brooks, national president of the NAACP, said he expects a comprehensive timeline, deadline and budget for replacing the waterlines in the city. The pipe’s corrosion was a result of the switch from Detroit city water to Flint River water in April 2014. The switched caused lead to contaminate the water resulting in reports of adverse health effects by residents.
Schlissel recommends new position of VP for information technology University President Mark Schlissel is recommending that the Univeristy create the new position of vice president of infomation technology and chief information officer. The Board of Regents will consider Schlissel’s recommendation Thursday, according to a press release. The new information vice president would report directly to the current president and serve as a member of the executive leadership team. For Schlissel, this new position is important because the ability for the University to harness the power of information. “To optimally position the University for the future this is a critical domain , I propose a new vice president of information tecnology,” he said. “This position will ensure that information strategy is appropriately considered.” The responsibilities of the new position would involve creating a integrated information technology strategy for the University across all colleges and campuses. Schlissel will begin his search to fill the position following the approval by the Board of Regents.
‘U’ awarded $3 million to move health intervention program to Chicago The School of Public Health has been awarded a $3 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health to be used over the next five years, The University Record reported. The grant will fund research to determine if the Fathers and Sons Program — an initiative to strengthen the father-son bond in order to reduce risky youth behaviors — can impact AfricanAmerican fathers and sons in Chicago. The program was originally funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and saw successful implementation in Flint after partnering with several community based organizations. The parenting program encouraged communication and other factors that lead to a decrease in behaviors such as sex, violence and racial issues. -LYDIA MURRAY
HELMET From Page 1 develop the prototype helmet technology, called Mitigatium, for the Head Health Challenge III. This competition was created to encourage the development of materials that better absorb or dissipate harsh impact. The prototype Arruda and her colleagues are developing has different capabilities than traditional football helmets already in use, the team said. “It has the ability to dissipate impulse, or take kinetic energy out of the brain, (and) prevent it from being transferred to the brain,” Arruda said. “It does that by visco-elastically dampening the stress wave as it goes through the helmet.” Co-author Michael Thouless, professor of mechanical engineering, said before beginning the prototype, the researchers worked together to look at the mechanics of impact and try to understand what aspects of the mechanics actually contribute to injury. According to the NFL 2015 injury data report released in January 2016, in 2015 there were a total of 271 concussion incidences in both the preseason and regular season, with only 37 concussive injuries occurring during practice and 234 occurring during a game. This report indicates that 2015 holds the highest amount of concussions in the past four years. 2014, only one year before, held only 206 total incidences. At the University, the question of how to handle concussions in athletes gained significant attention over nowformer football coach Brady Hoke’s actions regarding thensophomore quarterback Shane Morris’ concussion in the Sept. 27, 2014 game against Minnesota. Morris was involved in a hard head-on hit, yet continued to play despite what was later confirmed as a concussion. Speculation arose that Hoke took the wrong steps in ensuring Morris’ safety and health for the sake of the game. Former University Athletic Director Dave Brandonspoke with the Daily following the incident in 2014 to discuss the importance of student-athlete health. Brandon resigned from the University soon after the incident. Hoke told media sources that he was unaware of Morris’ condition during the game. University President Mark Schlissel later also released a statement, demonstrating concern for the health of student
RACE From Page 1 in SAE.” Ross said he believes the way administrators at the University of Oklahoma handled the issue demonstrates his theory “Three Izes Equal A Miss.” The theory suggests that when large institutions are accused of systemic racism they individualize, minimize and trivialize the issue. Before Ross took the stage, Monroe acknowledged that reflecting on race relations at the University would be a difficult conversation to have for some students. Several incidents have drawn attention to racism at the University in past years. In 2013, the University’s chapter of Theta Xi planned a “Hood Ratchet” themed party,which resulted in the fraternity’s suspension. Also in 2013, a twitter campaign driven by the #BBUM inspired social media users to share their experiences with race and racism on campus. “We accept this challenge with the understanding that Michigan has always been a place where we explore the realities that make us uncomfortable,” Monroe said. Ross’ research has focused on four areas of campus racism; the legacy of segregation, campus symbolism, the Inter-Fraternal and Panhellenic Council and racial microaggressions. Though Ross divides his book into four areas of racism, he said he believes each are interconnected and all create a sense of ostracism for students of color. Ross acknowledged that while the University’s campus may not have blatant symbols of racism, many campuses throughout the country do, citing examples ranging from buildings to football sta-
News athletes and apologized to Morris, his family and his teammates for the way the situation was handled. The incident, among others, led to the Big Ten moving to institute independent medical spotters during games. Associate Kinesiology Prof. Steven Broglio said concussions can have a multitude of effects on any athlete. Broglio said concussions are typically seen as an alteration in mental status with or without loss of consciousness. He added that in many cases, symptoms include disorientation, feeling unbalanced or mental confusion. Because it is not possible to complete a CT scan, MRI or X-ray to determine if an athlete has a concussion, the diagnosis is purely based on clinical evaluation. Oftentimes, Broglio said players might not report their injury in fear of having to leave the field. “Certainly it’s an issue if (the athlete doesn’t) report their injury to a medical professional,” Broglio said. “Only about 10 percent of the (concussion) injuries result in a loss of consciousness, so it’s very easy to hide the injury if you’re an athlete.” There are many cases in which the athlete continues to play during the game but reports their injury afterward, Broglio said. He said this might be because head injuries do not always result in concussions. “(However), signs and symptoms can slowly develop and that can be anywhere from 40 minutes after the impact to days after the impact,” Broglio said. “Certainly athletes that continue to play after they’re concussed, if they chose not to report, they are going to prolong their recovery period. If an athlete is suspected of the injury, then they should be immediately removed from play and then evaluated by a trained professional.” However, this does not necessarily happen as sports become more competitive, Broglio said. Researchers Thouless and Arruda found that in the mechanics of a concussion, there are two parts of a hit that matter in determining medical outcome: the force and the impulse, which are both developed during an impact. The first trial for the prototype only had to meet the Head Health Challenge’s entry requirements, Arruda said. Researchers dropped a weight on the prototype and measured the rebound height of that weight.
diums named in honor of racist figures. He noted in particular a building at Clemson University built and named after Benjamin Tillman, a 19th-century governor of South Carolina who is known to have espoused racist views. “When you still have buildings to this day like Tillman’s buildings that still stand, typically that building is spray painted almost every single day because they are basically saying we need to get rid of this,” he said. “Because what you are basically telling them is not only do you not belong there but these buildings, these honors reflect the values of the University.” Ross is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and an advocate for Greek life, but said he discovered in his research that Interfraternal Council and Panhellenic organizations have been the source of the most consistent instances of racism on college campuses over the past 40 years. Many IFC and Panhellenic members do not actually know what is happening in their communities, he added, so they cannot adequately address issues with race relations. “This lecture is called ‘Know Better, Do Better’ and unfortunately what typically happens, my IFC and Panhel friends do not actually know what’s happening, so they can not do better, and so we see the exact same thing,” he said. The final area of racism Ross discussed were racial microaggressions, which he referred to as “A Four Year Plan to Drive Black Students Completely Crazy.” Ross said he believes racial microaggressions are the hardest to translate to those who do not personally
Tuesday, February 16, 2016 — 3
The testing Arruda and her colleagues are doing now uses a cylindrical prototype, to which they added a skull and brain surrogate using materials that are similar in mechanical properties to a real skull and brain, Arruda said. Using the cylindrical skull and brain, the researchers put layers of helmet material around it and allowed the prototype to roll. Researchers then filmed the trial to observe the speckle pattern, which shows and measures strain on the brain on the surface of the brain, and saw how it stretched and deformed. They were then able to compare the calculations of their helmet design versus existing helmet designs. Arruda and her colleagues are one of five finalists in the Head Health Challenge, to which they will send their refined version to compete by the end of the year. She said the researchers are currently focusing on finding the best combination of materials for optimal performance. However, she noted that no matter what the outcome of the competition, she believed overall better technology needs to be put into helmets. Current helmets are easily cracked or broken during high-contact sports such as football, and producers of the equipment have not yet begun to reduce the force and impulse of an impact. As a result, helmets would ideally be replaced more often. However, this solution is not practical in the long-term, Arruda said. “You can’t just stop the game after every impact where the
helmet has been fractured and get a new one,” Arruda said. “It’s not only impractical from the standpoint from the flow of the game, it’s very costly. A strategy like that would probably never make it down to the little kids playing football who often don’t have very expensive helmets.” Thouless agreed with Arruda, saying football helmets are unlike helmets used for activities such as riding a bike. If a person falls off their bike, his or her helmet likely cracks to dissipate the energy from the fall, and is replaced before the next use. With football and other high-contact sports, this is a less practical system. In addition to better quality helmets, Broglio said he thought that to resolve the issue there was a need for better-defined rules in games such as football, hockey and lacrosse, stricter enforcement of them, harsher penalties for violating the rules and better education about concussions. However, research in the field on the impact of concussions — and therefore, how they should be approached — remains contested. In a presentation in December 2014 by Jeffrey Kutcher, the national director of the Sports Neurology Clinic, Kutcher addressed misconceptions about concussions, specifically the distinction between a concussion, post-concussion syndrome and chronic effects of playing sports. Kutcher was previously an associate professor of neurology at the University, director of the NeuroSport program and a Michigan football team physician. Despite some findings, Kutcher
said in an interview with the Daily on Sunday he believes there are many misconceptions about concussions even today, particularly an overemphasis on the concussion itself. “The vast majority of these injuries do not result in any longterm problems,” Kutcher said. Rather than being a progressive problem, Kutcher said in many cases potential effects might include having a one-time decrease in the brain’s ability to form cognitive tasks. “(Long term effects are) not about how many times a concussion has occurred,” Kutcher said. “More, it’s about how many times that brain has experienced force … For each individual, there’s going to be the amount of force that will become problematic. We don’t know what really sets those thresholds, those levels, but we do know that it’s a multifactorial thing.” In contrast, an article published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology, of which Broglio was a co-author, observed an association between the number of concussions resulting in a loss of consciousness and greater variability of reaction time in various tasks. The study noted that its claims support similar findings done in previous research that has observed a relationship between concussive injury and impairments in cognitive tasks. However, the study added, “further research is needed to better address the apparent importance of sensory and attentional demands for detecting concussion related deficits.”
experience them. “Because people always say, ‘Well you know you talk about racial microaggressions how bad can they be?’ ” he said. Ross concluded his lecture by saying that anyone, regardless of skin color, can fight for racial justice. He encouraged audience members to learn to acknowledge racism in their homes and communities.
“Get out of your comfort zone when it comes to your place in racism,” he said. “A lot of times when we come to college we think we are the enlightened ones.” In an interview after the event, LSA freshman Alexandrea Somers said she was shocked by the findings of Ross’ research. “I am a first-year student, so this was really enlightening to show that there are so many insti-
tutions that come into the college experience and those do shape and mold the presence of race on campus,” she said. Another student, LSA freshman Salwan Butrus, said he attended the event because of an interest in the topic. “It has always been an interest of mine, racism on campus, especially related to Greek life,” he said.
Opinion
4 — Tuesday, February 16, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Approaching international work
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.
SANDERS From Page 1 This distinction, though, results in an odd willingness among liberals to forsake the ideas they support, from health care as a human right to tuition-free higher education, as fantasies. People who align idealistically with Sanders will find themselves hailing pragmatism and drifting toward Hillaryland, saying, “In a perfect world, I’d vote for him, but I just don’t think he can pull it off,” or “Programs like that may work in Sweden, but I can’t see them being implemented in the United States.” David Brooks’ column “Livin’ Bernie Sanders’s Danish Dream” bemoans the naiveté of millennials, supporting “a guy who fundamentally wants to reshape the American economic system, and thus reshape American culture and values.” He points out to Sanders’ supporters the litany of horrible problems that plague European countries operating under this brand of socialism, including long wait times at the doctor’s office and universities, as he puts it articulately, becoming “less good.” Allow me to rebut. Sanders’ idealism is attempting to reshape the economic system not to alter American values, but rather to produce a system more compatible with our values of equality and economic liberty. Living in poverty and debt due to hospital bills, a minimum wage below the poverty line or tuition spikes should not be commonplace in the wealthiest country on the planet. When Democrats read articles like Brooks’ and make concessions about the principles driving Sanders’ campaign, for the sake of “realism” or of winning the general election in November, they lose the touch with the very basis of American liberalism, the idea that the pursuit of equality and respect for the rights of the individual result in a better society for all. Critics are not wrong when they point out, as they frequently do, that Sanders repeats himself a lot. He recycles riffs about income inequality, campaign finance and the criminal justice system. But why is this a problem? What better indication could there be for Democrats that he will not sub-
scribe to the custom in presidential elections of “running to the center of the road” in hopes of attracting moderates and independents when November comes? As his remarks came to an end, the 74-year-old senator from Vermont reminded his faithful that “thinking small” is part of the status quo. He then called on them to “think big,” but the crowd was unsatisfied. Hearing the impression of his thick New York accent rippling through the crowd, Sanders obliged and corrected himself —think “yuuuuuuge.” And why not? The best campaigns are composed of ideas, like Obama’s in 2008 preaching “Hope” and “Yes We Can.” Of course, pragmatism is important in the public discourse. But in campaign season, with four years of governing ahead of the 45th president to iron out the kinks and navigate the legislative challenges, pragmatism cannot define your vote. That is misplaced caution, casting a ballot based on what others tell you, rather than what you believe, is possible. If you do not believe that health care is a human right, that higher education should be debt-free or that the minimum wage should be $15 per hour, do not vote for Bernie Sanders. However, if you support those ideas but will vote for Hillary Clinton because she’s more realistic, take a minute to consider whether that vote would truly represent you. Idealism is not a vice. Idealism drives the Sanders campaign. Idealism made thousands upon thousands of feet stomp and shake the arena Monday afternoon. Idealism attracts voters from every generation to the same, singular man. Idealism won the New Hampshire primary and nearly tied the Iowa caucus. Bernie Sanders is a 21st century Don Quixote, tilting at windmills to undo wrongs and bring justice to the world. So, instead of running scared or clinging to a fabricated definition of pragmatism, liberals should recognize Sanders for what he is: their very own knight. —Brett Graham can be reached at btgraham@umich.edu.
The market for ghostwriters
J
on Bellion is set to release his debut album under Capitol Records. On his journey to a record deal, to complement the music he was giving away for free, Bellion wrote songs for larger recording artists. Just for writing the chorus to Eminem’s hit single “The Monster,” Bellion made six figures in royalties. This market for ghostwriters enables ZACH musicians like Bellion to BROWN fund their projects and continue to release music for free. In fact, it’s possible for songwriters uninterested in fame to make a living only writing for other people. Despite the financial gains that ghostwriting presents, this practice impedes creativity in the music industry. The idea of writing music for someone else is strange. Music is supposed to be personal. While collaboration in the industry is common, there is a fine line between collaboration and ghostwriting. Though I disagree with the practice of ghostwriting, I can understand the struggling songwriter who needs the money. I can also understand the talented songwriter who doesn’t seek fame. But what about the platinum-selling recording artist that takes credit for someone else’s work? The reason artists who have already sold out arenas, won Grammys and built platforms for themselves still feel compelled to take advantage of other songwriters is a simple business decision. Hits pay the bills, which is why some top-tier artists sacrifice originality for guaranteed cash cows. After a hit song gets tirelessly run through Top 40 radio, racks up millions of streams and downloads, leads to sold-out shows and perhaps gets licensed for use on a Taco Bell commercial, it is amazing how much money it generates for both the singer and original writer. The idea that hits pay the bills has come to dominate how the music industry operates — from the way record labels construct rosters of artists to how albums are promoted to the market for ghostwriters. Record labels roll the dice by signing dozens of art-
ists in hopes that a few overachievers can cover the costs of the rest of the company. It sounds incredibly inefficient, but this reflects the large disparity in earnings that songs can generate. Plenty of the biggest radio smash hits of recent years had ghostwriters. Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home” was written by Majid Jordan. Cee Lo Green’s “Forget You” was written by a young Hawaiian kid named Bruno Mars. Even Michael Jackson’s “You Are Not Alone” was written by future R&B star R. Kelly. Others are easy to find because writing credits are public and you can always find out if your favorite song was ghostwritten through a quick Wikipedia search. Ghostwriting also occurs in another way that’s equally bothersome. Record labels will prop up their young and untested talent by almost spoon-feeding them hit singles. R&B singer Alessia Cara is the perfect example. In August, Cara released her debut project under record label Def Jam. Def Jam took a risk on Cara, who was first discovered as a YouTube cover singer. To minimize the risk of an inexperienced songwriter, Def Jam put Cara in the studio with several more experienced songwriters and, just like that, her chart-topping single “Here” was born. Justin Bieber’s “Baby” similarly helped kick off his career, though Christina Milian was one of many artists credited with writing the hit. It’s a slightly different form of ghostwriting, one initiated directly by the labels themselves, but the consequences have the same negative effects on creativity in the music industry. These problems inevitably arise when music, or any art form for that matter, becomes a profitable enterprise. The solution involves a world where there is less demand for ghostwriters and more integrity for the music. The burden is on the superstars. Don’t rush an artist like Frank Ocean to put out his next album even though it’s been four years since his last. If it takes Ocean another four years, so be it. At least it’s his own.
“Hits pay the bills, which is why some top-tier artists sacrifice originality for guaranteed cash cows.”
—Zach Brown can be reached at zmbrown@umich.edu.
A
s I boarded the Ethiopian Airlines plane last summer, prepared to embark on a 10-week research project examining family planning policy and messaging among a small subset of Ethiopian women, I noticed a surDANNY prising amount SACK of passengers wearing a creative array of T-shirts supporting orphanages, medical clinics and various other honorable causes. Due to our proximity, I could not help but overhear their conversations. They talked at length about their excitement at the prospect of bettering the lives of Ethiopians. They extolled the perceived benefits of their trip, providing humanitarian assistance to Ethiopians, but neglected to mention anything about what would happen after their departure. Their conversation touched on an interesting internal dialogue about international development work that continues to fascinate me. To start, there is nothing wrong with wanting to help people less fortunate than you, and I am by no means suggesting that any of the people on my plane had nefarious intentions. That being said, the notion that we can fly somewhere for a few days or weeks, partake in some feel-good project and actually make substantive change is rather perplexing. This was not the first time I confronted the issue of how to appropriately conduct work abroad. After emigrating from South Africa at age 8, I returned as a 12-year-old and had the opportunity to visit an HIV/AIDS orphanage in Soweto, a township outside of Johannesburg. While there, I met an 11-year-old taking care of her younger siblings
following their parents’ deaths, who shattered my illusions about the Rainbow Nation. Collecting soccer cleats for the orphans as my Bar Mitzvah project certainly made me feel better. A few years later, during my freshman year, I participated in an Alternative Spring Break trip to Nicaragua, where we bumbled our way through diabetes awareness meetings and clinic maintenance tasks. In the process, my Spanish improved (marginally) and I gained a new perspective on how inconsequential short-term work can be. Neither of these experiences seemed to have a lasting, sustainable impact on the people I was supposedly helping. Surely there is a better way? William Easterly, co-director of the New York University Development Research Institute, has written on the tendency of aid work to look for the “Next Big Idea” to save the world, when no such idea exists. His book “The White Man’s Burden” discredits the propensity of well-meaning people to pursue grand gestures of assistance that, in reality, struggle to change anything. He advocates tapping into the entrepreneurial spirit endemic to areas lacking institutional support in an effort to empower locals to incrementally better their communities. This approach, however, is not particularly helpful for an undergraduate student who lacks the resources to undertake such a project. How, then, can we as students make a lasting impact, despite the fact that we don’t have the option to actually embed ourselves in a community and allocate the necessary time and resources to enable its people? Listening to my fellow travelers, the cliché “first, do no harm” came to mind. When we go abroad, we must be sure to mitigate any inadvertent negative effects on those we intend to help. This principle appears to apply when we are
undertaking short-term work and should shape community service work in any context. However, if we have greater ambitions while traveling than having a new experience, we must accept the responsibility to do some research. A quick Google search yields at least 74 non-governmental organizations and 41 associations working in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. There are likely more dispersed throughout the country. This suggests that we should hone our focus on a project or an organization, particularly if it’s based abroad, that heavily involves local actors and focuses on building a bilateral partnership, such that its involvement means that foreign intervention is no longer needed down the road. This works to mitigate the fact that, as expressed in Easterly’s book, international work is grounded in a history of ulterior and often unsavory motives. One route, which I took in Ethiopia, is to work with an institution that focuses on capacity building and partnership through reciprocal educational experiences, and training and retention of local expertise. Michigan, for example, has impressive programs, one of which I’ve worked with, in Ghana and Ethiopia for students to do just that. With all of this in mind, perhaps the ultimate goal should be to avoid the paralysis that occasionally accompanies nuanced thinking surrounding international development — which may work to dilute and potentially undermine progress — and instead focus on doing work that has been shown to succeed in the specific context of what we want to accomplish and where we want to accomplish it. If you’re more confused about the impact of international work than when you started reading, though, don’t worry; as per usual, so am I. —Danny Sack can be reached at sackd@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Caitlin Heenan, Jeremy Kaplan, Ben Keller, Minsoo Kim, Payton Luokkala, Kit Maher, Madeline Nowicki, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Jason Rowland, Lauren Schandevel, Melissa Scholke, Kevin Sweitzer, Rebecca Tarnopol, Ashley Tjhung, Stephanie Trierweiler, Hunter Zhao
Social change from the ground up
L
ast Thursday, I attended parts of the #UMBlackout: Mobilizing Black Communities for Radical Transformation in the Digital Age symposium, organized by the UM Social Work Community Organization Learning Committee and campus-wide RABAB partners. Among JAFRI the dialogues of race, social networking and the #blacklivesmatter movement came one that I found particularly challenging: how to act as an ally. I sat in on a workshop titled The Promises and Pitfalls of Allyship in the Digital Age in which James Mohsin, who works for the National Center for Institutional Diversity, spoke on allyship, which is taking actions to speak up for people of a marginalized group that you do not belong to. He spoke on the importance of language, particularly the differentiation between using the word ally as a verb versus a noun. This distinction is crucial when evaluating the extent to which we act as allies. As Mohsin put it, “There’s a big difference between being an ally and working as an ally or acting as an ally or currently standing in solidarity with.” He continued, “The truth is if we are not actively speaking always in that moment, we are not being an ally in that moment.” Through understanding this, we can also more easily recognize when self-proclaimed allies are not acting as allies. For example, a person who claims to be an ally and thus justifies making racist jokes because they “have a Black friend” or “understand the joke” are not, in that moment, acting as an ally. Instead, they are perpetu-
ating ideas that have negative consequences on real people’s lives, which they justify because of their “allied status.” Thus, the importance of acting as an ally is, when done right, meant to be a humbling process. It should not be about you. Now, of course there will be times when we can try our best to connect with other people by using our own experiences. I have found in my own experiences as a Muslim woman who wears hijab that I have a higher ability to sympathize with members of other marginalized communities, but I do not, nor will I ever, fully understand what it is like to be a member of any group other than my own. Striking the balance between acting as an ally and overstepping the line into ignorance of an experience of another group is something I constantly struggle with. When three Muslims — Deah, Yusor, and Razzan — were murdered in a hate crime written off in many media sources as being on the basis of a parking dispute, I began to understand how communities have to carry the burden of deaths, especially when they are hate crimes. This tragedy also brought attention to Abdisamad Sheikh-Hussein, a 15-year-old African American Muslim boy who was killed in a hit-andrun car crash, who received very little media or community attention. Though the deaths of these Muslims are not caused by police brutality, nor do I wish to create a comparison between the two, taking a step back and trying to understand as best I can is something I strive to do. Thus, it is important to bear in mind that allyship is not about centering the voice of the ally, but instead about amplifying marginalized voices. This is why notions like #AllLivesMatter are problematic, as they diffuse attention from the suffering of Black men and women and undermines their voices. As Mohsin said in his workshop, “You
do have to do this and you don’t get a reward for it. You shouldn’t get a prize for being an ally.” He later continued, “It’s not the groups you belong to that make you an ally, it’s what you do in those moments.” No social activist title or job, or even political status, entitles people to say slanderous things even behind closed doors because if they do, they are not being an ally. I also attended a panel discussion later in the day, where I got the opportunity to ask a panel of Black social activists about acting as an ally. The answer that resonated with me the most was from Morgan (Mo) Man Willis, a consultant who has led the Allied Media Conference since 2012, who said, “You should also talk to your folks. Allyship is not about inserting yourselves into other communities and being like, ‘I’m here, put me to work!’ That’s great, we need that, too, but allyship is really about when nobody’s watching, you are still standing for the things that you declared allegiance to.” She later continued, “How are you talking to your folks who are embodying their own forms and functions of anti-Black racism or sexism or other problematic oppressive ideas.” This struck a chord with me because when I reflect on my own life, community and sphere of influence, I can see how easy it can sometimes be to forget that it is in our personal lives or smaller social media spheres where we can have the greatest impact. We know how our own communities and friends sometimes view racial and multiethnic groups in a negative light, and we are regularly granted opportunities to change that. It is the unglamourous work of speaking up in these situations that creates social change from the ground up. —Rabab Jafri can be reached at rfjafri@umich.edu.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Tuesday, February 16, 2016 — 5
TV REVIEW ALBUM REVIEW
ABC
Tfw white people find out you’re Black. TAYLOR GANG
We can’t show it to you, but he’s cuddling with Mary Jane in this pic.
Khalifa’s latest album is terrible After all these years, Wiz is tired of his own crap By SHAYAN SHAFII Daily Arts Writer
I never thought Wiz would still be around for this long, but full credit to him for dragging out his career into 2016. It’s hard D to believe Kush Khalifa & OJ came out six years ago, Wiz Khalifa and in revisiting that semi- Taylor Gang nal project, it’s more than apparent that this dude has completely run out of ideas on his newest album, Khalifa. 2010 saw Wiz break through as one of the standout MCs of the 2010 XXL Freshman class – one of the strongest ever with Freddie Gibbs, Big Sean and Fashawn. I remember this with great detail because it marked the birth of the DatPiff era and the resurgence of mixtape-rap. Wiz was cool to all my 14-yearold friends and me because he could rap about weed all day and never run out things to say; Mary Jane has and always will be his muse. Yet, like his fans (who are definitely too old for this shit now), Wiz’s career hasn’t aged so well. There’s nothing wrong with his one-dimensionality;
Pusha T has rapped about cocaine for 20 years and it still hasn’t gotten old. The problem is when the artist himself loses sight of his raison d’etre. On Khalifa, Wiz sounds tired of his own shit, like he sighs before he hits each joint. The Khalifa experience is almost an exercise in cringing. One of the earlier cuts is a track titled “Celebrate,” where he rhymes “Rolex” with “mo’ sex.” Naturally, you have to wonder what reason Wiz even has to celebrate; what was the last major development in his career as a rapper? In the six years since Kush & OJ, all he’s given us are watered down versions of “Mezmorized.” What happened to all of that youthful energy? What happened to the poetry he used to conjure about Polo socks and expensive sunglasses? This album is so unimaginative that he unironically starts a verse off with “One for the money” … all that’s missing is a Skizzy Mars feature. On “City View,” he spits “All this paper got me shitting in public.” After cleaning off the water I spat onto my computer screen, I ran the song back because I was almost certain I’d misheard him. Lo and behold, it’s right there in the first fortyfive seconds. Nah, we’re not letting that slide this year. The album has a few negligible features from the Taylor Gang crew, but the one surprising inclusion is Travis Scott. Including the rap-game chame-
leon on Wiz’s album is a dead giveaway that he’s lost all sense of direction. Travis has a proven track record of shape-shifting into the flavor of the month, and sadly it’s gained a lot of commercial traction. People actually get excited about Travis Scott features these days, and “Bake Sale” is one that your friend rocking DC shoes will likely text you about. “Call Waiting” is another album cut that highlights the descent of Wiz, namely because it’s just a weaker but more commercially appealing version of “Huey Newton.” The end of “Lit” is actually so generic that it sounds like a parody of itself: “I’mma get money n***a / I’mma get money / I’mma keep it real / and I love getting high.” Dude sounds like he just picked up “Rap Music for Dummies” and is still going through tutorials. Just like “the guy on the couch” from “Half Baked,” Khalifa is essentially a reminder that Wiz has overstayed his welcome. At this point he’s just polluting the hip-hop scene with recycled weed paraphernalia, and no one really knows what he’s going for. Many will argue that he’s more “lyrical” than recently celebrated artists like Young Thug and Playboi Carti, but I would argue that Wiz is simply more decipherable and less expressive. Khalifa is what happens when you run out of ideas, but how about just making something that genuinely moves people?
‘Scandal’ is back and needs to change it up By BEN ROSENSTOCK Senior Arts Editor
“Scandal” seems to follow a similar pattern every half-season or so. After each season of crazy, convoluted plot, the show presses the B reset button, leaving all the Scandal characters in a Season Five state of relative Midseason peace. Olivia Premiere Pope (Kerry Thursdays Washington, “Django at 9 p.m. Unchained”) ABC begins each season by spending a few episodes tackling cases of the week with Pope & Associates. These episodes recall a calm USA political procedural, there to ease you gently into the undoubtedly batshit serialized story to follow. The fifth midseason premiere, “It’s Hard Out Here for a General,” takes this route again. Olivia, Huck (Guillermo Díaz, “Stonewall”), Quinn (Katie Lowes, “Big Hero 6”) and newer associate Marcus (Cornelius Smith Jr., “All My Children”) tackle the case of National Security Agency head General Diane Peters (McNally Sagal, “Pleasantville”), whose boyfriend is suspected of leaking classified NSA information from her personal computer. While Olivia works to defend her client and find the whistleblower who caused the leak, Jake Ballard
(Scott Foley, “Grey’s Anatomy”) works under President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn, “The Last Samurai”) to prevent crucial information from reaching The Washington Post. Olivia and Jake, still sleeping together despite their long-dead emotional relationship, find themselves at crosspurposes, with Jake working to have Peters removed for keeping classified files on her PC. The NSA leak plot works well because the major players have personal stakes; Olivia is faced with opposition from one exboyfriend, so she tries to contact another ex to help her out, but Fitz doesn’t answer her call. The ending twist of the episode, though, reveals that there are significant repercussions even beyond these initial stakes. It turns out Jake was the one who orchestrated the whole thing, framing Peters’s boyfriend and forcing her resignation to take her place as the head of the NSA. Still in the role of Eli Pope’s (Joe Morton, “Eureka”) obedient surrogate son, Jake seems to be the new villain of “Scandal.” This is probably the right move; the series has failed to find a real purpose for Jake since his introduction in season two, and making him this season’s villain justifies him staying around a bit longer. As entertaining as this all is, “Scandal” has reached a point in its five-season run where so many betrayals and dalliances have occurred that nothing feels quite as fresh or urgent as it did back in the season two Defiance
arc. When Olivia first embraces Jake near the beginning of the episode, it doesn’t come as a surprise, especially because it’s layered over with “Scandal” ’s typical Motown soundtrack that comes out for scenes of violence or sex. And the continued existence of Eli Pope on this show is mindboggling by now, his interminable monologues still peppering every scene he’s in. How can Olivia happily dine with her father and sleep with Jake after all that has transpired between them? Since “Scandal” has no plans to drop Olivia in an entirely new setting with a new cast of characters, this isn’t a problem that can be easily solved until the characters acknowledge the abusive nature of their relationships. At least Olivia and Fitz’s breakup is sticking for now; theirs is the one relationship that actually has been called out for its toxicity. There are hints of other moves towards change, too. Abby Whelan (Darby Stanchfield, “Mad Men”) has a fun subplot where she deals with being Fitz’s “work wife,” and Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young, “Criminal Minds”) is still on the path to the White House, writing a memoir under Olivia’s guidance. Between Jake’s switch to the dark side, the lack of Olivia-Fitz interaction and Cyrus Beene’s (Jeff Perry, “Grey’s Anatomy”) powerlessness in the position he once loved, this halfseason has the potential to really shake up the status quo. That’s what “Scandal” needs right now.
FILM REVIEW
‘How To Be Single’ is real and hopeful When Kanye West was too cool for me KANYE WEEK
By RACHEL RICHARDSON Daily Arts Writer
By CATHERINE BAKER Daily Arts Writer
I distinctly remember when I heard my first Kanye song. I was 10 years old, and my neighbor across the street (who was clearly much older and wiser at the ripe age of 12) was showing off her recently acquired iPod (which was shiny blue and very exciting). I managed to convince my mother to allow me out of the house after dinner and ventured to the end of our driveway. My neighbor biked around and skidded to a stop in front of me. She held out one earbud and “Gold Digger” flooded through my head. It was glorious. Aside from being much cooler than my small, 10-yearold brain could comprehend (seriously, any song that said “fuck” was out of my league), “Gold Digger” led me to gain a new understanding of the world. While my mother probably didn’t know I was listening to Kanye, I started devouring anything I could get my hands on. With no iPod of my own to speak of, I resorted to listening to other people’s devices through one earbud. (As a side note: my first iPod would be
brought by Santa next Christmas and shamelessly, “Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat was the first purchase.) I was 12 when I heard “Heartless” on the radio. This revelation led to a new era in my life of taking songs much too seriously and memorizing rap verses to whip out as a hidden talent. I sang like a woman scorned and impressed people with my ability to perform both the background sound effects and echoes at junior high dances. I was a true one-woman show.
I distinctly remember when I heard my first Kanye song. In 2009, Kanye infamously interrupted Taylor Swift at the VMAs, effectively splitting the population in half — you were either with Kanye or against him. While I may have strayed away from Kanye for a time, I can thank him for deepen-
ing my love for Taylor. In the year following that interaction I was head of the Taylor Swift Defense Squad and perfected the art of crying on cue to “White Horse.” Now that I’ve distanced myself from this emotional turmoil, I see that Kanye showed me confidence in its ultimate and perfected form. Never before had I seen someone stand up so blatantly for what they believed to be true. It was inspirational and intimidating, all at the same time. After I began paying more attention to Kanye in the public sphere, I became aware of the statements he was making. I started listening to his albums in order and in full and realized that at his core Kanye is simply an artist. From aggressively preaching self-confidence, self-love and true ambition, Kanye has fully and wholly created a brand that extends far beyond the music industry. And after recent Twitter fights with Wiz Khalifa and lyrics dissing Taylor Swift? I think he knows exactly what he’s doing. (And Kanye, if you’re reading this, I’m in the market for a new pair of Yeezys.)
“How To Be Single” doesn’t want to be the typical rom-com. Rather than an overbearing presence of mushy feelings or B raunchy sex scenes, we get How To portrayals of typical relation- Be Single ship struggles Warner Bros. faced by ordi- Pictures nary people. It’s amazing Rave & Quality 16 that the film manages to adequately develop both the narrative and the characters since it follows a whopping ten different individuals, centered on twentysomething paralegal Alice (Dakota Johnson, “Fifty Shades of Grey”). After she and her “soulmate,” Josh (Nicholas Braun, “Freaks of Nature”), decide it’s over, Alice meets Robin (Rebel Wilson, “Pitch Perfect 2”). She’s the typical Rebel Wilson character, a hilariously loud-mouthed party animal with a strong sense of self-awareness. Accompanying Alice’s narrative are the stories of her workaholic sister, Meg (Leslie Mann, “Vacation”) and bartender, Tom (Anders Holm, “Workaholics”). Holm commendably provides a natural depth to the average 20-year-old man. He doesn’t overact, but simply exists as his character. At first, with his somewhat cynical tone and slight
cockiness, Tom exudes fuccboi, but slowly, the layers strip away. When he shares intimate moments with Alice, he reveals a gentler, more honest side. Tom isn’t afraid to admit that all guys reiterate the same manipulative lines just to get girls into bed, yet he’s well aware of what it’s like to truly love someone. Meg serves as a representative for the subset of women who avoid love to focus on their careers. However, the root of her hesitancy toward love is her desire to maintain completely control of everything. Mann convincingly portrays an overwhelmed but highly capable woman until she gets pregnant. Her “pregnant woman” outbursts are too sporadic and too violent, making her seem more on the verge of mental insanity than someone dealing with fluctuating hormones; one second she’s throwing a chair and the next she’s calmly whispering. With regards to her lover Ken (Jake Lacy, “Carol”), who is the receptionist from Alice’s law firm, Lacy either exhibits too much emotion or none at all. He also makes Ken seem too clueless about blatantly obvious things, but boys are stupid, so that’s more forgivable than his drastic emotional shifts. Overall, “How to be Single” is profoundly feminist. Even its feelgood soundtrack is dominated by female artists. Anthems consist of Taylor Swift’s “Welcome to New York” introducing the setting and
Hailee Steinfeld’s “Love Myself” playing with the end credits. These anthems keep the empowerment flowing even after the film’s end. It’s one of my favorite end credit sequences ever — it uses symbols rather than pictures to represent the characters, demonstrating that people are defined by more than physical qualities. The best part of the film is undeniably Rebel Wilson; it couldn’t have drawn the laughs without her. Continuing Fat Amy’s humor in “Pitch Perfect,” Wilson’s character constantly spews puns, but this time they’re about dicks, not a cappella. Robin encourages Alice to play (in her own words) sexual monopoly, where you pass go and collect 200 dicks. She makes the point that Alice gets “trapped in dicksand,” the act of conforming to a man’s desires. Playing off a typical rom-com trope, the funniest instance not attributed to Wilson is when Alice walks out of a hotel, just after having her epiphany and proudly declares to the cab driver that she is going home. Completely ruining the moment, the cab driver snipes back with, “I don’t know where the fuck you live!” Thoroughly entertaining and impressively empowering, “How to be Single” captures what it’s like trying to live and love in the real world. Through its strong sense of identity, the film reminds us that best parts of life are the moments when we can completely stand on our own two feet, defined by no one other than ourselves.
Arts
6 — Tuesday, February 16, 2016
FILM REVIEW
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
STYLE REVIEW
PARAMOUNT
Have y’all ever seen “Tron?” The end of the Tron where everything light up?
New ‘Zoolander’ is a total disaster Ben Stiller’s sequel almost ruins the beloved original By MADELEINE GAUDIN Daily Arts Writer
“Zoolander 2” is an absolute mess of a movie. Coming is years after the original, it almost feels more like a remake than a sequel. The Dplot familiarly follows Zoolander 2 vain, stupid Paramount and really, really ridicu- Rave & Quality 16 lously goodlooking male models Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller, “Night at the Museum”) and Hansel (Owen Wilson, “Midnight in Paris”). They’re back to, yet again, battle the evil Mugatu (Will Ferrell, “Daddy’s Home”) to save the fashion world. But this time, it’s personal. Mugatu plans on killing Zoolander’s son because since he’s directly descended from the first ever male model, his blood is essentially the fountain of youth. If the plot feels familiar, that’s because it’s more or less the plot of the original. The only surprise in “Zoolander 2” is the number of celebrity cameos. Most of the cast is credited as playing themselves,
and most seem to be nothing but distractions from the boring and repetitive plot. Surprisingly, the most successful cameos are delivered by Justin Bieber and Neil deGrasse Tyson. The film opens with a strong and funny bit in which Bieber is brutally murdered but stays alive long enough to post a final selfie. Some are tragically underdeveloped, like Kiefer Sutherland (“24”) as a member of Hansel’s communal polyamorous relationship. And most, like a promising yet disappointing Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Imitation Game”) as a trendy, androgynous model, are just filler for a very empty movie. The only way “Zoolander 2” surprises its audience is by making them say, “I can’t believe that guy would be in this movie.” This sort of over-the-top satire of male modeling was daring in 2001 when the idea of male vanity was still taboo. However, in a world of Biebers, Kanyes and men who get famous taking selfies on Instagram, that humor feels a little outdated. The fashion world is still ripe for a satirical takedown, but doing so through the lens of male modeling is no longer effective. “Zoolander 2” dips its toe in humor pointed at other aspects of the industry — the world’s biggest designers help orchestrate a ritual sacrifice promising to unleash the foun-
tain of youth. But because Marc Jacobs and Anna Wintour play themselves (and are therefore clearly in on the joke), they serve to only further the satire of Derek and Hansel rather than provide a vehicle by which to poke fun at other aspects of the fashion world. Unfortunately, the movie decides to remain too derivative of the original and gets itself stuck making the same jokes about the same people. For a movie barely longer than ninety minutes, there is a lot going on. So much so, that it feels like a movie of subplots, with no driving storyline. There’s an underdeveloped bit about Derek’s reconciliation with his son (newcomer Cyrus Arnold). The plot that seems to set the film in motion — someone is killing all the good-looking people in the world — is all but abandoned by the halfway mark. “Zoolander 2” needs at least another hour to complete everything it sets out to do, but knows its audience could not stand a minute more. “Zoolander 2” is so bad it almost retroactively ruins the original. It’s a soulless, charmless tangle of a movie relying too heavily on the cult success of its predecessor. The humor falls flat, the characters are dislikable at best and the plot simply doesn’t exist. The most satisfying moment of “Zoolander 2” is when the credits start to roll.
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
DOWN 1 Step between landings
2 Part of UPS 3 Unit-pricing word 4 Hoosier hoopster 5 Grace opening 6 Sounds from a stable 7 Vineyard vat 8 Approximate touchdown hr. 9 Vier und vier 10 Hawaiian root 11 Feature of most fedoras 12 Newspaper hires, briefly 13 Vote for 19 __ on the back 21 Spotted members of the lynx family 24 Laptop buyer, for one 25 Month after juillet 27 See 16-Across 28 Urge (on) 31 Energetic 32 Outpatient treatment sites 34 Upscale hotel chain 35 Printer resolution spec. 37 __ Nashville: country label
38 Bering and North 39 Like graduation caps 40 St. with a panhandle 41 Steph Curry’s org. 45 In Europe, say 47 Daughter of Muhammad 48 Enjoyed the ice 50 Comfy slip-on 51 “Tootsie” actress Jessica
52 Word with Downs or salts 53 Slowly eat into 55 Ad writer’s award 56 Feathered brooders 58 Dated PC hookup 59 “So that’s it!” 60 Bob Cratchit’s boy 61 I believe, in texts
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
FOR RENT ! NORTH CAMPUS 1‑2 Bdrm. ! ! Riverfront/Heat/Water/Parking. ! ! www.HRPAA.com ! 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 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 4 BEDROOM HOUSE NORTH CAMPUS/HOSPITAL 1010 CEDAR BEND ‑ $2400 + utilities PARKING & LAUNDRY 734‑996‑1991
xwordeditor@aol.com
02/16/16
4, 5 OR 6 BEDROOM HOUSE 1119 S. Forest ‑ May or September $2800 ‑ $3500 based on number of ppl Tenants pay all utilities. Parking and laundry available Showings M‑F 10‑3; 24 hour notice required. www.deincoproperties.com 734‑996‑1991 5 BEDROOM APT Fall 2016‑17 $3250 + $100/m Gas & Water + Electric to DTE, 3 parking spaces 1014 Vaughn #1 ‑ multilevel unit w/ carpet CALL DEINCO 734‑996‑1991 6 BEDROOM FALL 2016‑17 Central Campus House 335 Packard ‑ $3800 + Utilities Parking, Laundry, Lots of Common area www.deincoproperties.com 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 Mark McClain ©2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
02/16/16
Yeezy extends Ye’s brand for Season 3 By ANAY KATYAL For the Daily
Jarring. That’s really the only apt descriptor for the evening I experienced on Feb. 11, 2016. The city of Ypsilanti, Michigan is a far cry from New York City. It’s a Midwestern sprawl, the antithesis of everything New York represents as a city. And yet, here I was, posted up in the town’s local IMAX theater, anxiously waiting for a stream of Kanye West unveiling The Life of Pablo and Yeezy Season 3 at Madison Square Garden. I was clearly far removed from the Fashion Week travails of New York, but I was still surrounded by levels of hype that might make one think otherwise. The absurdity of the situation sort of left me feeling like some side character in a hypebeast-laden episode of “Seinfeld” (in an alternate reality where “Seinfeld” is still on TV, Jerry sports Yeezy Boosts instead of Nike Airs and Kramer always laments his inability to purchase “fire jawnz”). Swaths of people overtook an awkward corner in the theater,
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Mud wrap venue 4 Bridge, to Botticelli 9 On a cruise 14 Knock gently 15 Unalaska inhabitant 16 With 27-Down, striped holiday treat 17 Tycoon Onassis 18 Add to the language 20 North Atlantic hazard 22 Perching on 23 Unusually high temperatures, often 26 Letters used in old dates 29 Beirut’s country: Abbr. 30 __-Cat: winter vehicle 31 Skin-and-bones sort 33 Fish and chips option 36 Wonton, e.g. 38 Law enforcement slogan 41 Felix Unger et al. 42 “Atlas Shrugged” author Rand 43 Many opera villains 44 Grassland 46 Uncertainties 49 Braying beast 50 Dessert with swirls 54 Canyon feedback 57 Ice-T or Jay Z 58 What the starts of 18-, 23-, 38- and 50-Across can be part of 62 “Who am __ judge?” 63 German river, to Germans 64 Adult insect 65 Not quite lge. 66 Chore list entries 67 Web surfing tool 68 Beverage suffix
FX
“Bruh, why’d you torrent every season of ‘Gilmore Girls?’ You know that shit’s on Netflix!”
IDEAL SMALL OFFICES/STUDIOS 2nd Flr UM Campus‑ Short or Long Term Leases. Call 860‑355‑9665 campusrentalproperties@yahoo.com
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
FOR SALE 2 UNIT CORNER HOUSE 2200 sq ft Useful as offices & residence. Occupied. $176000 Uptown Clinton 734‑231‑1504
SERVICES THESIS EDITING, LANGUAGE, organization, format. All Disciplines. 734/996‑0566 or writeon@iserv.net
HELP WANTED DOMINICK’S HIRING FOR spring & summer. Call 734‑834‑5021.
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 areas 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
HAPPY TUESDAY!
a space a lot of them likely wouldn’t occupy if it weren’t for an event cobbled together by their self-appointed cultural idol. People were slapping hands, commiserating over their mutual fascination of what was about to unfold. Shoes were being compared, outfits were being complimented. The occasional streetwear meme was screamed out by a suburban teenager wearing fake Yeezys and a Champion hoodie. It was clear that Ypsi’s Rave Cinemas wasn’t used to being a hotbed for such commotion, or such clientele. Everyone patiently waiting in line for the showing aesthetically blended together. Audience wardrobes were fairly limited in their color palette (myself embarrassingly included). Save for the occasional candy-apple red Air Max or absurdly loud Supreme jacket, desert brown, olive green and black seemed like the only colors that people felt were appropriate to wear — a fitting homage to the subject of the show, I suppose. It was clear that attendees sought to gussy themselves up in their best streetwear outfits, akin to a suburban family wearing their nicest clothing to Easter mass. Collectively, it felt like I was in the middle of an amalgamation of street style caricatures more than anything else. When the stream began, it was obvious that my theater wasn’t an isolated case. A camera panned over a packed Madison Square Garden, displaying a similar demographic of people, all of them with bizarre, concurrent expressions of excitement and shock on their faces. It was clear that the public bought into Kanye’s hype over this event, both in New York and around the world. My MSG counterparts spent hundreds of dollars on seats, commemorative jackets and sweatshirts, and the opportunity to be distantly graced with the presence of the esteemed Kanye West. West claimed there were 20,000 individuals present. I believe it. In addition to that impressive number, people like myself were also streaming the event at multiplexes across the globe. People paid to watch West’s extravaganza of his fashion, music and miscellaneous creative visions. I paid to watch this. Fascinating. The clothes conveyed wellcrafted symbolism thanks to Vanessa Beecroft, an artist and creative that frequently works with Kanye West. Models were carefully placed on towering platforms in the pit of the venue. The scene was reminiscent of the sobering images of Rwandan refugees Kanye had chosen to display on invites to the event. Whether or not it was intentional, considering today’s global political climate, MSG felt culturally topical that night. West’s latest collection was a definitive continuation of the aesthetic he has so carefully crafted in past seasons. Models were largely wearing stretchy leggings, over-sized sweatshirts and shearling coats, in addition to the notorious Adidasmanufactured sneakers and boots. Save for some of the more
creative outerwear and refreshed footwear, much of the collection was fairly basic. It did its fundamental job as “clothing.” It was wearable. The large reliance on technical fabrics falls in line with today’s continuing trend of “athleisure” clothing. The color palette of cocoa brown, wine red and burnt turmeric was a nice change of pace. Everything was fine. Kanye didn’t really fuck up, so he can find solace in that. Outside of that, though, there really isn’t much else to be said. Sure, West has a passion for fashion. Whether this passion is as evident in his clothes as he thinks is something I’m unsure of, though. If anything, West’s passion is rooted in his ability to use fashion as a vehicle for communicating his thoughts and visions. His clothes give outsiders a look into his mind, into his emotions and his creative process. And while that’s all fine and dandy (and definitely something he does far better than some of fashion’s old guard), for all the noise Kanye and his Yeezy collections make, unlike West’s own psyche, the clothes leave little to be remembered. Don’t get me wrong; the outerwear is solid, and the hype the footwear garners is fairly merited. There’s a turtleneck that I’ll probably (and unabashedly) try my hardest to purchase, even if it means setting an alarm and waking up hours earlier than usual to make it happen. But considering that parroting “Kanye is only just getting into the game! Kanye needs his time to develop!” was how fans tried to calm critics of his first two collections, one would rationally expect a more substantial progression in the Yeezy aesthetic. Here, we are left with a lot of the same of what we’ve already seen, bar a color palette update. Sometimes, I think Kanye is only dedicated to his clothes as a means of furthering his brand image and identity. Sometimes, I don’t know. Whatever the industry and supposed “critics” like myself want to think, long lines meandered around the event’s merchandise stands at Madison Square Garden. Four friends and I paid $35 to see the event, as did thousands of others. People paid attention to what West had to say. Objectively speaking, we wasted a Thursday evening listening to soon-to-be-released music, watching emotionless models unveil expensive clothing, hearing a mad creative speak his mind. Speaking personally, we had a memorable cultural experience on the graces of one of our favorite artists. If West pulls a similar stunt for Season 4, I can see myself indulging again. Why? I can’t succinctly say. West has a mystique next to none, not only on the hip hop scene, but the creative scene as a whole. The man, and his various rambling, muddied rants, has a charm, well beyond the music he makes. Though West’s clothes don’t really have the merit he strives for, his various creative pursuits still leave me artistically satiated and wellentertained. In the end, I guess that’s all I really want.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Tuesday, February 16, 2016 — 7
Huntley owns second Senior Night ‘M’ top B1G team BASEBALL
By MAGGIE KOLCON
in preseason polls
For the Daily
The Michigan wrestling team is going to have a huge hole to fill at the 197-pound weight class come next season. Sixth-year senior Max Huntley wrestled his last regular-season match Friday night at Cliff Keen Arena, winning against Purdue’s Drake Stein with an impressive 16-1 technical fall. Huntley is in his third season as a captain for the Wolverines, a first in Michigan wrestling history. He is undefeated in dual meets this season, along with his upperweight teammates and fellow captains, juniors Adam Coon and Domenic Abounader. Huntley’s bout was highlighted by an early 10-1 lead before the end of the first period, which allowed him to add two more single-leg takedowns to end the match with 40 seconds remaining in the third period. “I was pretty confident,” Huntley said. “The only thing I was worried about was that Adam (Coon) was going to get a pin, because I’m leading the pin count for the team. You get an award at the end of the year, and if Adam would have gotten a pin, it would’ve been tied, so I’m not too upset about that.” Despite Michigan coach Joe McFarland’s jokes about bringing him back for a seventh season, Huntley will finish his collegiate career this March. The sixthyear wrestler participated in the Senior Night ceremony last year before the NCAA granted him eligibility for another season, but he was not keen on walking through it again. “When I wasn’t there yesterday, they took a team vote to see if I should get off the hook,” Huntley said. “I guess I lost the vote by a huge mass decision. But I made an agreement with (McFarland) that
By SYLVANNA GROSS Daily Sports Writer
DAVID SONG/Daily
Sixth-year senior Max Huntley won on Senior Night at Cliff Keen Arena against Purdue on Friday.
he would have to walk out with me at least, but he hoodwinked me and didn’t go out there. He had a pretty good laugh.” McFarland has had ample opportunity to get to know his oldest team member. Throughout his time at Michigan, Huntley has accumulated five varsity letters and 78 wins for the Wolverines. “He’s going to be a hard one to replace, I’ll be honest,” McFarland said. “Anytime you get a guy like that that’s got all that experience and has wrestled really well for you, you hate losing those guys.” But Huntley still has an important postseason to guide his team through. It won’t be his focus or his drive that makes the biggest impact in his opinion, but
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Michigan leans on No. 1 doubles pair Success by RuderHook, Minor spurs victories for Wolverines By ORION SANG Daily Sports Writer
Sophomore Mira RuderHook and freshman Brienne Minor were in a tight match. The No. 1 doubles team had traded games back and forth with Notre Dame’s Quinn Gleason and Monica Robinson, and now needed to hold serve, up 5-4, to clinch a victory. With the game score 40-0 in favor of Michigan, Minor unleashed a serve at her opponent’s backhand. The return landed out, and the duo won their match to secure the doubles point for the Wolverines. The pair is now 4-0 in dualmatches this year, was ranked for the first time this week at No. 26 and has proven to be crucial to the team’s success in doubles. When No. 8 Michigan wins the doubles point, it bodes well for its overall success in the match. Following their win against Notre Dame on Sunday, the Wolverines are now 5-0 in dual-match play after winning the doubles point. Minor and Ruder-Hook have been the most consistent doubles pair for the Wolverines, staying together while coach Ronni Bernstein has switched up the No. 2 and 3 doubles teams recently. “It’s just clicked from the beginning,” Bernstein said. “They enjoy playing with each other.” For Minor, playing with Ruder-Hook has been a good experience mentally. “We know how to calm each other down if we’re nervous or
not playing our best,” Minor said. “We started playing regionals at the beginning of the year and (coach) thought we complemented each other really well. We set each other up really well. We stuck with it and had some good results.” On Sunday, it was clear the two had a lethal on-court connection. Minor and Ruder-Hook were both active at the net, constantly moving to get in position for volleys. “It’s hard to get balls by them at the net,” Bernstein said. The pair also kept the Fighting Irish uncomfortable by returning their serving with several different positions. And when Michigan was serving, there were several moments during which the Wolverines moved and attacked as if they were one. “They’re both aggressive,” Bernstein said. “They complement each other. (Minor is) good at the net, moves well and has great groundstrokes, and (Ruder-Hook) comes forward. They’re intimidating when they’re playing well.” Minor and Ruder-Hook not only get along well on the court, but off it as well. “I love playing with (Minor),” Ruder-Hook said. “We really like each other as people so I think that helps.” Added Minor: “We hang out all the time. We both like to eat a lot.” As Michigan enters the bulk of dual-match play, the continued success of its No. 1 doubles team will go a long way toward helping the team secure more victories. “That doubles point is big,” Bernstein said. “It’s a lot easier to win three singles matches as opposed to four. We work on it a ton. But to have our top team in the lineup doing so well takes some pressure off the other kids.”
rather his sense of humor. “A lot of teams I’ve been on have been very serious,” Huntley said. “We’re in the locker room and everyone is sitting there with brows furrowed. (It’s) tough going through a whole Big Ten season like that. You can ask a lot of guys, I kind of joke around a lot, try to keep it a little lighter. That’s a small thing, but over the course of how long a college season is, I think it does kind of help.” The Wolverines have followed Huntley’s example of keeping things light, most notably during senior Cody Vanderhagen’s plea for a job offer in his Senior Night introduction. From the looks of Michigan’s 13-2 season, it’s ability to have fun with the sport has worked. Even the pregame
meals are a bit of a joke. “That’s funny because me and (Abounader) eat the exact same meal,” Huntley said. “Every time, both of us eat the exact same thing. It’s such a crappy meal, because it’s bagels and cream cheese dunked in soup, and it doesn’t sound good. But it’s like a Stockholm Syndrome where you start to love it. ... It’s kind of becoming one of my favorite meals.” Huntley will be wrestling in the Big Ten championships in two weeks, when he will have an opportunity to better last year’s fifth-place finish. Regardless of the outcome, one thing is for certain: The impact Huntley has made on Michigan wrestling over the past six years will be long-lasting.
Preseason accolades mean little to the Michigan baseball team. Instead, the rankings are an award for last year’s work, rather than any true prediction for the coming season. “It doesn’t matter if you’re ranked top 25, or if you’re a lowerranked team,” said senior lefthander Evan Hill. “You still have to compete in every single inning and in every single pitch.” The Wolverines are currently ranked by two different sources, Baseball America and the NCAA, at the No. 15 and 25 slot nationally, respectively. Michigan is the only Big Ten team to appear in the top 25, and the the only cold-weather school as well. “We just try to improve by one percent every day,” Hill said. “We talk about that all the time. Pitching and defense win championships, and that’s something we put a precedent on in our program. And maybe people see we have both those strong suits going into this season.” Despite the Wolverines’ indifference, the commendations are quite impressive. Notably, just this week, the team was also picked by a committee of conference coaches as the favorite to win the 2016 Big Ten Baseball Championship. Hill, his teammates and the coaching staff all mirror his sentiments that these rankings will have no effect on their play. “It’s nice to be recognized for hard work,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “But those rankings fall in the uncontrollable zone. It really has no impact on the outcome of the game, and it has no
impact on our training. These guys are going to strive to improve daily regardless of ranking.” Currently in his fourth season, Bakich led the team to win the Big Ten Tournament last year. The 2015 Michigan team (14-10 Big Ten, 39-25 overall) went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008, but its season ended with a disappointing loss to Louisville during the NCAA Regionals. Much of that team, however, is returning to the current roster, which boasts some individual awards as well. Notable returning players include sophomore infielder Jake Bivens, who was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year last year. Additionally, junior lefthanders Carmen Benedetti and Brett Adcock were both named to the College Sports Madness preseason All-Big Ten first team. Though the players, and the team itself, humbly disregard the attention, there is one stat that does matter to the coaching staff. “We lead the nation in freshman All-Americans the last three years,” Bakich said, “which isn’t a stat I’m boasting about, just making a point that we’ve had success with the freshmen making an impact.” Of the freshman class, four players were named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team last year, including Bivens. Additionally, the team boasted three Wolverines in the MLB First-Year Player Draft and eight Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans — the most in the nation under Bakich’s first three years. “We try not to worry about the past that much,” Bakich said. “It’s just a point of reference.”
Jackson’s hot hand leads ‘M’ By AZALEA HINOJOSA Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan men’s lacrosse team fought for a hard-earned win against Colgate (0-1) on Sunday, just barely slipping past the Raiders, 9-8. The Wolverines (1-1) will be losing one of their key players when the season comes to a close. But until then, senior attackman Kyle Jackson continues to lead the offense. Jackson, who started at midfield for three seasons, has already found success in his new role as an attackman — tallying eight goals in just two games. In the season opener against North Carolina, Jackson matched his career high of four goals, and did it once again in the matchup with Colgate. Twenty seconds after junior midfielder Mikie Schlosser scored the first goal of the game, Jackson netted one of his own. By the end of the first quarter, Michigan led,
4-1, with Jackson scoring on two quick shots. The Ontario, Canada, native is used to the toughness that accompanies the contact sport, so when a player on the opposing team initiated a quarrel by walking up to him and giving a slight push, Jackson used it as motivation. “There was frustration on both ends,” Jackson said. “But I like a little bit of physical activity. It makes it a little more enjoyable for me.” Throughout the game, Jackson fought hard for the ball and raced around the net in search of the perfect scoring opportunity. The 5-foot-9 attackman found himself scrambling among 6-foot defenders, which occasionally resulted in a few tough hits to the turf.
As the third quarter came to a close, Schlosser calmly cradled the ball down the field before realizing the clock had just 10 seconds left on it. At that point, he quickly cleared the ball down to the goal at the opposite end, where his teammates anxiously waited. Jackson, who was just a few feet away from the goal, stretched his stick out to catch the ball, and took a shot as he was falling to the ground — notching his third goal of the match. Known by his coaches and teammates as “K.J.”, Jackson was listed as one of three Wolverines on the Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch list. His dominant performances thus far have made it hard to miss him on the field. But Jackson isn’t focused on the statistics he achieves individually.
“We just let K.J. be K.J.”
Instead, what matters most to him is the growth of the team. “Personal accomplishments don’t mean a whole lot to me,” Jackson said. “But as a team with a great win like this, that’s more than I could really ask for.” Senior midfielder Mike Hernandez notched a goal of his own but took the time to give credit where it was due. “We just let K.J. be K.J.,” Hernandez said. “He makes things happen for himself. He’s so versatile and good with the ball.” Added Michigan coach John Paul: “(Jackson’s) so explosive. He’s got such an incredible stick and sense around the goal. It just adds a dimension in that lefty spot that we haven’t had.” This win marks the first of its kind in program history, as the Wolverines have never defeated a ranked team. Jackson and his teammates are hopeful that this will be just one of many programdefining wins as the season unfolds.
SINDUJA KILARU/Daily
Senior attackman Kyle Jackson has scored four goals in each of Michigan’s first two games this season, including four against Colgate over the weekend.
Sports
8 — Tuesday, February 16, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
LeVert: “I was thinking positive” Tate remembers MEN’S BASKETBALL
bond with LeVert
By SIMON KAUFMAN Daily Sports Editor
Despite injuring his lower left leg in December and potentially hurting his future NBA Draft stock, Caris LeVert said he never worried during his recovery. Monday, two days after returning to action in the Michigan men’s basketball team’s win against Purdue on Saturday, the senior guard addressed the media for the first time since his Dec. 30 injury at Illinois. The leftleg injury sidelined LeVert for 11 games. The injury occurred late in the second half of Michigan’s game in Champaign when LeVert’s left foot landed on the foot of an Illini player as he drove toward the basket. “It was definitely a little scary when it happened,” LeVert said. “It was a bang-bang play. It was kind of sore after the game, but, you know, God doesn’t make mistakes. I wasn’t too worried about it, just worried about how I could get better from it.” Following the injury, Michigan coach John Beilein said LeVert’s road to recovery would be a dayto-day process but never gave specific details regarding the timetable of his return or any information regarding the injury. Asked if not discussing the details of the injury was a matter of protecting his draft stock, LeVert said it was a program decision he made with Beilein, his mother and the team physician. He did confirm that it was a rest-only recovery and that no operation was performed on his leg. In his first game back Saturday, LeVert came off the bench for the first time since his freshman season. He logged 11 minutes — all in the first half — took only one field-goal attempt and a free throw, both of which he missed, and collected five rebounds. LeVert gave a few reasons for his unimpressive performance
By KELLY HALL Daily Sports Editor
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
GRANT HARDY/Daily
Senior guard Caris LeVert missed 11 games since his lower left-leg injury against Illinois on Dec. 30.
against Purdue. “I haven’t played in about six weeks,” LeVert said. “I was a little nervous getting back out there, and just game flow. I really don’t have a great rhythm right now, but it’s coming back to me.” He did say he was sore afterward, but Michigan’s co-captain said the pain was more from just playing and not specific to his left leg. “It’s just soreness like with playing,” LeVert said. “If you don’t do something for six weeks, your body’s going to be sore, so I’d say that’s the majority of my soreness.” LeVert said he does plan to play Tuesday against Ohio State, but that going forward, his playing time would be a game-time decision. Saturday, he didn’t know if he’d be able to play until after the pregame warmups. Beilein said that, in the future, they’ll reevaluate his ability to
play each day. “Pain is still going to be his guide,” Beilein said. “If he’s feeling any soreness anywhere in his body, right now, we’ll pull him out and wait. This is important that he takes his time in getting back to full strength.” During his absence, sophomore guard Muhammad-Ali AbdurRahkman replaced him in the starting lineup and paced 10 points per game during that time. Meanwhile, junior guard Zak Irvin has begun to find his shooting touch after starting the season off streaky, and junior guard Derrick Walton Jr. has been capable of stepping up when the Wolverines need him most. Michigan’s play during LeVert’s absence — including wins over then-No. 3 Maryland and thenNo. 18 Purdue — make game planning for future opponents difficult given the fluidity that the lineup has now.
Five things: ‘M’ tops Badgers By MINH DOAN Daily Sports Editor
The Michigan hockey team was 27 seconds away from coming out of Madison with six points. Instead, Wisconsin forward Cameron Hughes found fellow forward Luke Kunin alone on the back post, where he ripped a one-timer past Wolverine senior goaltender Steve Racine to knot the game at four in the dying moments of regulation. The two teams played to a scoreless overtime period before Michigan won the shootout, 1-0, with three saves from Racine and a goal from junior forward JT Compher. The shootout win left the Wolverines with two of three possible points from the game and five of six points on the weekend. After being tied for first with Minnesota in the Big Ten standings coming into the weekend, the Gophers took over sole possession of first place with a clean sweep of Ohio State. Here are five things we learned from Michigan’s trip to Madison this past weekend. 1. Once again, Racine is strong between the pipes. The Wolverines rarely get outshot. But on Saturday, Wisconsin outshot Michigan, 44-33. Usually, this doesn’t bode well for the Wolverines. Racine was up to the task all night, though, stopping 40 shots as well as all three penalty shots. Even on Friday, Racine bailed Michigan out multiple times on odd-man rushes to keep the game out of the Badgers’ reach. Overall, Racine stopped 60 shots, and after his outing last week against Michigan State, where he stopped 71 shots in two games, his performance bodes well for the Wolverines as the season’s finish line nears. 2. The defense is still a work in progress. If you think you’ve heard this line before this season, chances are, you probably have. The Wolverines give up an average of three goals per game and are
Tuesday, the Michigan men’s basketball team (9-4 Big Ten, 19-7 overall) will travel to Columbus to take on a middling Ohio State team that has only one win in the top-100 RPI. The Buckeyes’ lessthan-ideal start to the season included consecutive losses to UT Arlington, Louisiana Tech and Memphis in November, after losing star guard D’Angelo Russell to the NBA Draft following last season. Now, with Russell gone, the team’s leadership has fallen on sophomore forward Jae’Sean Tate and junior forward Marc Loving. Tate has done his part to keep the Buckeyes (8-5, 16-10) competitive, scoring 11.5 points per game in addition to Loving’s 12.5 points per game. Though Ohio State has been far from consistent, it has played tough recently, winning four of its last six Big Ten games. The Daily sat down with Tate — who has started every game this season for the Buckeyes — at Big Ten Media Day in October to discuss former high school teammate and current rival Caris LeVert, the unknown potential for a young Ohio State team and Tate’s expected contribution as a team leader. The Michigan Daily: I know that you were a teammate of Caris LeVert’s in high school. I heard a story about how he took a shot at the buzzer, and you tipped it in, and your team won 64-62 for the state title. What’s your relationship with Caris like?
“We have these sets of plays run for different people, depending on how they’re playing us,” Beilein said. “It gets to be this huge puzzle. … So now you’re going into a game, and you don’t know if he can play or not. It’s frankly not smooth right now, because we’re just trying to get him back.” During the recovery, LeVert admitted his lowest point was during the week that Michigan played Indiana and Michigan State. He didn’t get to play those teams last year, either, as he was sidelined following a foot surgery. Still, though, he said he never had any regrets about coming back this year and didn’t get worried about what this year’s injury might do to a potential future NBA career. “I wasn’t thinking that way the whole time,” LeVert said. “I was thinking positive. You know that’s what I came back for my senior year for, to play in games.”
KICKER
Thompson’s defense key to Wolverines success of late Junior guard shuts down opponents’ big guns with skill, not size. By TED JANES Daily Sports Writer
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Senior goalie Steve Racine has seen a resurgence of late between the pipes.
ranked 39th nationally out of 60 teams in team defense. One of Michigan’s problems this season has been its tendency to give up odd-man rushes. That problem was evident again this weekend, but Racine was able to limit the damage for the Wolverines in most scenarios. However, giving up four goals in one game to a team that averages 2.62 goals per game is concerning, and Michigan knows that work is needed on the defensive end. 3. The CCM line is pretty good. Yeah, I know, you already knew this. But week in, week out, the forward line of Compher, junior Tyler Motte and freshman Kyle Connor continues to score points, and bushels of them. This weekend, the trio combined for 12 points (five goals, seven assists) and was responsible for 55 percent of Michigan’s goals. 4. Dancs thrives on second line. After freshman forward Cooper Marody came down with mononucleosis, Michigan coach Red Berenson was forced to switch up his lines. Senior forward Justin Selman was moved into Marody’s spot on the third line, and sophomore forward Dexter Dancs was
moved up from the fourth line. And in that time, he has played well. Dancs has tallied two goals and an assist, and has a plusminus of +2 since his move to the second line. His goal Friday proved to be the game winner in Michigan’s 4-1 victory. 5. Bold prediction: Someone on the CCM line will win the Hobey Baker Award. Currently, Connor leads the nation in scoring with 48 points. But just five points behind him is Compher. And just a point behind Compher is Motte. In comparison, former Michigan forward Zach Hyman led the team last season with 54 points, while forward Dylan Larkin, who currently plays in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings, finished with 47 points. With at least eight games left in the season, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that all three players could pass Hyman’s total. In addition, Motte and Connor are No. 1 and 2 in the goals category, while Compher and Connor are No. 2 and 3 in the assists column. While it isn’t obvious which player on the line is in the best position to win it, all three should be in good consideration for the award.
Jae’Sean Tate: Me and Caris went to high school together; we won a state championship together. But I’ve been watching Caris since I was in about the seventh or eighth grade. Just to see him progress and where he came from — it’s crazy. I promise you, I kid you not, he could not dunk his sophomore year in high school and then he just worked over the summer and, I mean, he just went through the roof. He got blessed to get a scholarship to Michigan, and he’s taken off ever since. TMD: Are there any hard feelings there because of the rivalry? JT: I’ve run into him a couple times while I’ve been (at Ohio State). It’s always good to catch up with old friends. That’s like my brother. TMD: You said that you remember seeing him play in seventh and eighth grade. Did you ever play with him at that young of an age? JT: No, he’s about three years older than me, so I would just watch him play against the older guys … (Our competition level has) always been high. Just to play against him his last year, and he’s finally healthy, I’m looking forward to it. TMD: Earlier today, Ohio State coach Thad Matta mentioned that you were going to have to be a big part of this team. Is that a lot of pressure? JT: I wouldn’t say a lot of pressure, because I feel like history repeats itself. Like I said, with me and Caris, that year we won the state championship, he left, and then I was the older guy. A few years later, I’m in the same position, where I’m on a young team and I have to be a leader, so I’m prepared for it, and I’m accepting it now.
Siera Thompson is best known for knocking down 3-pointers and doling out assists, but it’s her defense that has been crucial to winning games. The junior guard on the Michigan women’s basketball team has shut down opponents’ best players all season, and lately, she has begun to show how important that truly is. Just two weeks ago, on Jan. 31, she forced Minnesota guard Rachel Banham to post a 1-for-10 effort from 3-point territory — Banham went on to tie the NCAA single-game scoring record with 60 points just a week later. And on Feb. 11, against Wisconsin, Thompson matched up with the Badgers’ best player, guard Nicole Bauman, and held her to just 10 points. Thompson’s defensive skillset doesn’t come from a menacing height or long wingspan, but simply her effort and mindset, as Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico always says. She has a meticulous eye for opponents’ tendencies and studies each with care leading up to games. “It’s my job to get the energy going on defense to try and stop the opposing team’s best players,” Thompson said. “I take a lot of pride and try my hardest to do that.” But Thompson hasn’t become the Wolverines’ top defender by practicing against the likes of sophomore guard Katelynn Flaherty — the most lethal scorer on the team (22.4 points per game, 2.4 assists). She
has reached these heights by playing against the boys that Michigan scrimmages against in practices. Thompson, at just 5-foot7, doesn’t look as dangerous as some of Michigan’s other options, but the work she puts in against the “practice boys” makes her just as strong. “Usually whoever is the best one, I’m guarding him,” Thompson said. “If you can guard the boys, you can guard almost anyone of our girls, because (the boys) are so athletic.” Playing against boys is common practice for women’s teams around the NCAA, allowing teams to gain experience against players with different physical advantages than they would be able to find in a reserve team made up of girls. “Defense — so much is effort, and so much is toughness,” Barnes Arico said. “(Thompson) has that probably more than anybody on our team. I wish that some of that defensive effort would rub off on everybody else.” Michigan’s defense gives up an average of 70.5 points, the eighth-best in the Big Ten. Eighth out of a 14-team pool puts the Wolverines (7-7 Big Ten, 15-10 overall) in the middle of the pack, but it’s below the standard Michigan hopes to reach. Thompson, though, is setting the pace, and she has earned Barnes Arico’s full trust in that realm. But while going head to head with the Badgers’ Bauman, Thompson recorded four personal fouls, one of the few times this season she has been in
danger of fouling out. It would have been far easier to just foul players like Bauman and Banham in pressure situations and force them to convert from the free-throw line, but Thompson is experienced enough — and Barnes Arico trusted her enough — to play smart without picking up a fifth foul. “Some games you have to feel out the refs,” Thompson said. “Sometimes they call more fouls than other games. That’s something I have to adjust to.” The Wolverines wouldn’t have been as successful on the offensive or defensive end if Thompson weren’t in the game. “She needed to stay in at that point,” Barnes Arico said. Lately, her defensive presence has been matched with an equally strong stint on offense, too. In Michigan’s current three-game win streak, Thompson is pacing 13.3 points per contest. Stops on defense lead to transition scoring, and her team-high 34 steals continue to boost the Wolverines. Thompson will face the challenge of stopping Shatori Walker-Kimbrough this week, in a rematch of the Jan. 14 close loss to then-No. 8 Maryland. The Terrapins’ guard is averaging 20.5 points through 14 Big Ten games. Last time she met with Michigan, she put up 15. This time, both teams have more on the line. Thompson will have to do more to stop her, and WalkerKimbrough will have to do more to score. It’s just another opportunity for Thompson to pad her already impressive defensive resume.
“It’s my job to get the energy going on defense.”