ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Thursday, April 7, 2016
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LSA senior Katrina Strauss marches with activists to call for better sexual assault prevention and awareness on East Liberty Ave. Wednesday.
Rally aims to increase local awareness of sexual assault Take Back the Night hosts event to promote sharing stories
and community members to the gathering downtown on Wednesday. Since its founding in 1877 in response to fear and violence experienced by women in England, the Take Back the Night movement has spread internationally, aiming to promote a safe space for survivors to share their stories in a supportive community. The annual marches aim to raise awareness about and stand up to
By MADELEINE GERSON Daily Staff Reporter
The 38th annual Take Back the Night rally in Ann Arbor drew students, faculty
sexual violence. University Students Against Rape and the Ann Arbor chapter of Michigan Take Back the Night sponsored the Ann Arbor march and rally, with funding and support provided by Central Student Government. Ann Arbor residents Tom and Pam Swider have been leading Ann Arbor’s chapter of Take Back the Night for the past eight years. They both said they feel a strong commitment to the
cause, noting that they work continuously throughout the year to prepare for the rally and march. Pam Swider introduced the event, saying the intention of Take Back the Night is to start a dialogue about violence. “This event is a way to start a conversation about something no one wants to talk about,” she said. “Most importantly, we are here to give survivors a voice and See RALLY, Page 3A
Sexual misconduct regulations now include genderbased harassment
By RIYAH BASHA and CAMY METWALLY Daily Staff Reporters
The University of Michigan released the full text of its revised sexual misconduct policy on Wednesday after a nearly year-long revision process, cementing an array of previously reported policy changes, including an expansion of what is considered prohibited conduct, adjustments to the enforced definition of consent and the consolidation of sanctioning and appeals procedures. The new policy is nearly double the length of the current document, and the first update since 2013. Much of the text of the document is significantly more stringent and includes
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Nursing event in A2 discusses global health Students and faculty gather to talk initiatives, plans for future By ALEXA ST. JOHN Daily Staff Reporter
This week, students, faculty members and alumni from around the world celebrated the University of Michigan School of Nursing’s 125th year anniversary comprised of a series of events and lectures as part of a three day symposium on global health. Tuesday, the first day of the event, was primarily dedicated to student and faculty research projects as part of the nationwide Annual Research Day. Held at the Sheraton Ann Arbor Hotel, 50 students and Nursing faculty members displayed posters on their research. Professors both at the University, as well as nationwide, also gave lectures. At the beginning of the
conference, Nursing Dean Kathleen Potempa announced a gift of $1 million recently awarded to the School of Nursing from the Robert and Sara Rothschild family foundation. This donation, made by Sara Rothschild, a Nursing alum, will work to create the Rothschild Global Health Scholars Program at the University and continue to encourage global health initiatives through the School of Nursing. This program, along with others at the School of Nursing, aim to provide resources for students to work worldwide with faculty and other partners. In a speech at the symposium, Potempa discussed her appreciation for the Rothschild gift and emphasized the importance of the funding inpromoting and furthering global health at the University’s School of Nursing. “We’re talking a lot about philanthropy today and its tremendous effect on global health,” Potempa told See NURSING, Page 3A
in-line definitions of terms and the investigation process, unlike the current one. The new policy will go into effect June 1, and will now be known as the the University of Michigan Policy and Procedures on Student Sexual and Gender-based Misconduct and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence. In a March interview with the Daily, University President Mark Schlissel said the lengthy revision process, which included various town-hallstyle meetings to gain student input and a sexual misconduct survey administered in January 2015, was necessary to address student concerns. “We have been working hard for many months to update our policies and procedures to make them more clear, to keep them as fair as possible and to create a process that renders a timely decision so people can move forward in safety and their educations,” he said. Expanded scope of prohibited conduct See MISCONDUCT, Page 2A
Plans for E. University apartments see updates High-rise would replace Lucky Kitchen, Mia Za’s and Pita Pit AVA RANDA/Daily
Linh Nguyen, associate director of multi-ethnic affairs and Antwaun Stanley, staff mentor for the Office of New Student Programs at the Resource Fair and Networking Reception, speak following the First Generation Symposium Wednesday at the Alumni Center.
Symposium talks needs of first-generation ‘U’ students Facilitators explore how to create comfortable, supportive campus By WILL FEUER Daily Staff Reporter
Wednesday in the Michigan League, the Office of the Vice Provost of Equity, Inclusion and
Academic Affairs, along with a variety of other groups, hosted a symposium on First-generation college students. Ann Hower, director of the Office of New Student Programs, said the goal of the event was to help first-generation students feel comfortable in the environment of the University of Michigan and aid them in them succeeding academically and socially. “The end goal is to help (firstgeneration students) thrive on
campus and successfully meet all of their academic and social goals and make sure the system is set up to accommodate these students,” she said. The event, which opened to a turnout of nearly 150 students, a little more than half of whom were undergraduate students, facilitated a series of smaller group workshops that aimed to address how first-generation students continue to struggle even after See SYMPOSIUM, Page 3A
By LYDIA BARRY Daily Staff Reporter
Contractors of a new 14-story high-rise near the University of Michigan campus have submitted an updated site plan for a residential building designed for future students and faculty within the coming years. The building would replace three residential homes, as well as restaurants Lucky Kitchen, Mia Za’s Italian Cafe and Pita Pit, all of whom have agreed to sell their properties. The building developers, Collegiate Development Group, along with Ann Arbor architecture firm J Bradley Moore & Associates Architects, Inc. said at a Citizens’ Participation Meeting last month that they hope for a August 2018 opening date. Similar to other student See HIGH-RISE, Page 3A
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ON THE DAILY The full list of performers and events for the Unviersity of Michigan’s SpringFest were released Wednesday, including Canadian rapper SonReal and a slate of Detroit-focused programming. The fifth annual SpringFest, hosted by MUSIC Matters, will take place Wednesday, April 13th. The daylong festival aims to encompass all things Michigan, with activities on the Diag and an evening charity concert featuring hip-hop group Migos. During the day, activities such as a fashion show, a Michigan spin
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on the hit TV show “Shark Tank,” Greek life-led philanthropy efforts, a showcase of student startups and more will be set up along the Diag and North University Ave. The event’s themes include innovation, arts, sustainability, social identity and community service on campus, as well as recognition of student leaders. SonReal will perform across from Kraus on North University Ave. during the day. Students will also have the opportunity to paint a piano which will be donated to a school in Flint or Detroit.
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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R–Texas) and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D–Vt.) each won their parties’ respective primaries in Wisconsin on Tuesday night, CNN reported. These results come at a crucial time for Sanders and Cruz, who are both attempting to close the gap on frontrunners Hillary Clinton (D) and Donald Trump (R).
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The festival will also include food trucks along the Diag from places such as Detroit BBQ Company and Bearclaw Coffee. In keeping with the event’s sustainability efforts, the trucks will be a completely waste-free. SpringFest’s main event — the Migos concert — will begin at 8 p.m. at Hill Auditorium. Proceeds from it will go towards Music Matters’ proposed summer leadership camp for underprivileged Detroit youth, which is slated to launch in 2017. Tickets for the concert start at $10 for students and $20 for the public.
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The Michigan Students account tweeted about upcoming SpringFest events.
“Look at my DAB! @Migos is going to be live at @ MUSICMatters_UM’s Spring Fest!? HYPE!” —@UmichStudents
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2A — Thursday, April 7, 2016
— CALEB CHADWELL
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Michigan basketball player Aubrey Dawkins announced Wednesday he will transfer to Central Florida to play for his father, Johnny Dawkins. The elder Dawkins became the Knights’ head coach on March 24 after formerly coaching Stanford. >> SEE SPORTS on 5A
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The Detroit Free Press reported that Fiat Chrysler will have to lay off 1,300 workers at its plant in Sterling Heights, Mich. The plant currently produces the Chrysler 2000 sedan, but recent increases in demand for crossovers and SUVs in the U.S. market have caused sales of the model to plummet.
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Shakespearean political theory
Networking in Women’s entrepreneuship the workplace
WHAT: Washington University Prof. Joseph Loewenstein will discuss how Shakespeare’s works contain crucial connections to modern political theory. WHO: English Language
WHAT: Workshop aiming to train women to better lead by becoming effective project managers. WHO: Center for
and Literature WHEN: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Hatcher Library, room 100
Entrepreneurship WHEN: 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: Laurie Robert H. Engineering Center, GM rooom
WHAT: There will be a
WHAT: Lecture on child literature from New York Times bestselling children’s author R.J. Palacio. WHO: University of
WHAT: Miami University Prof. Karen Dawisha will discuss what the Russian president’s actions mean for the world. WHO: International Institute
WHO: Student organization FreeHearts WHEN: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. WHERE: The Diag
WHEN: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work, room 1636
MISCONDUCT From Page 1A Under the revised policy, the University’s Office of Institutional Equity is tasked with investigating not only instances of reported sexual misconduct cases — whichnumbered 172 in 2015 — but also incidents of reported stalking, intimate partner violence and gender-based harassment. The policy’s definition of gender-based harassment outlines actionable cases as ones relating to “actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.” OIE will investigate any conduct that creates a “hostile environment” for the claimant, even if the act is not sexual in nature. Stalking and intimate policy violence were previously included in the policy as prohibited activities, but will now be separate categories. Holly Rider-Milkovich, director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness
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WHEN: 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Museum of Art, Stern Auditorium
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Center, said in a March interview with the Daily that the expansion was necessary to ensure the University’s compliance with federal regulations including the Clery Act and Title IX. “Our (goal) … is to be as inclusive as possible of the kind of misconduct that we see as being related to these issues, as well as respond to federal and other emerging guidance,” she said. Because of the expansion of the policy to include gender-based harassment and interpersonal violence in addition to sexual assault and harassment, University administrators have said they expect to see an increase in the number of Title IX cases reported and investigated. In January, OIE’s annual sexual misconduct report showed a 33-percent increase in the number of misconduct reports from 2014 to 2015, while the number of cases investigated by OIE remained the same. Of the 172 cases received by OIE in 2015, 29 were investigated, 66 were referred to the Review
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Human Examining trafficking event Vladimir Putin visual demonstration to raise awareness on the prevalence of human trafficking in the United States and state of Michigan.
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Panel and 78 did not fall within the scope of the policy. Detailed definitions of consent, incapacitation and coercion The updated policy outlines a more comprehensive definition of consent and provides students with a clearer expectation surrounding its meaning. While much of the language remains the same in both versions, the new policy clarifies certain ambiguities in the current guidelines that only explain consent as a “clear and unambiguous agreement.” The new revisions elaborate on the definition of non-verbal consent, stressing that it is “not to be inferred from silence, passivity, or lack of resistance,” and noting that non-verbal cues “may not be sufficient” to gain consent. It also encourages students to gain affirmative consent, stating that not only must consent be given, but that it also must be actively sought, noting that the individual who initiates a specific sexual act “is responsible for obtaining Consent for that activity,” and emphasizing expectations regarding accountability. A 2015 Michigan Daily report on one student’s experience with the University’s sexual misconduct policy found several discrepancies between SAPAC’s definition of consent — which encourages verbal, affirmative consent — and the University’s enforced definition of consent under the current policy. The new policy’s definition of consent addresses many of those discrepancies. In addition to consent, the new policy further explains the definition of incapacitation, providing students with clearer-cut questions to determine whether someone meets the criteria. At an October roundtable hosted by the SAPAC, students voiced concern about policy definitions surrounding both consent and incapacitation, emphasizing the ambiguity of such words. The revised policy states
that the University evaluates incapacitation cases by asking if the person initiating sexual activity was aware that the other individual was incapacitated and if “a sober, reasonable person, in the same situation” would been able to determine if the other individual was incapacitated. If yes is the answer to either one of the above questions, the policy says there was no consent and there was most likely a policy violation. While the current policy already says consent cannot be obtained through force, the new definition also specifically bars individuals from initiating sexual activity through coercion, or triggering fear in another person. Increased disclosure of witness identities and sexual history Another new addition in the updated policy includes a clause allowing the consideration of “Prior or Subsequent Conduct of the Respondent” and “Prior Sexual Contact Between Claimant and Respondent” during investigations. The policy document clarifies that this information would never be used as evidence or to evaluate character, but would instead serve to determine pattern and intent of an incident. According to the policy, the knowledge would be used in a limited number of cases if the information would “help the Investigator understand the manner and nature of sexual communication between the two persons.” LSA senior Laura Meyer, volunteer co-coordinator for the Networking, Publicity and Activism Program at SAPAC, expressed concern about this practice in a recent interview. She said such policies stem from a larger, underlying issue of how consent is defined. “What I would really like to see is a verbal standard,” Meyer said on consent. “Not one that relies on trying to understand body language but something that relies on verbal, enthusiastic, affirmative, sober, coercion-free consent.” The new policy also requires witness names to be disclosed
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to both parties during an investigation, which Meyer also cited as a concern, saying it could potentially be a negative for some groups on campus. “We know from the campus climate survey of sexual misconduct that people in closeknit communities on campus are more likely to experience sexual misconduct, and so I think that the identification of witnesses is potentially a negative for those communities,” Meyer said. She noted that other schools have implemented similar policies with the aim of making the process fairer, and said she hopes the University evaluate the success of the effect of the new clause. The updated policy states that the University will review the policy as a whole each year, making appropriate modifications as needed. Restructuring of sanctions and appeals process The new policy completely restructures the process of sanctioning respondents found to be in violation of the policy. Currently, a sole representative from the Office of Student Conflict Resolution determines sanctions, with the aim of preventing instances of the prohibited conduct in the future and correcting negative effects. Under the new policy, OSCR will still facilitate the new process but its role will change to overseeing a separate sanctioning board composed of two faculty or staff representatives selected by the vice president of student life and the University president, as well as a student chosen by Central Student Government. The addition of a CSG appointee was debated at multiple SAPAC roundtable talks in discussing policy revisions, with some students expressing concerns that a representative appointed by CSG would not be representative of the entire student body. In an interview Wednesday, CSG president-elect David Schafer, a LSA junior, said he appreciated including a student presence in the process and believes it is a step toward greater transparency. “Going forward, there
must be a continued focus on transparency and accountability throughout this process,” Schafer said. “Micah (Griggs) and I look forward to working with all of the involved stakeholders.” The new policy does not delineate whether the student representative will be a member of CSG or the student body at large, which Schafer said was a concern. “While I believe that students must definitely be represented on the Sanctioning Board, I believe the clause referencing CSG involvement must, in greater detail, specify the process by which the student representative will be chosen,” he said. A third change to the sanctioning process impacts the procedure for appeals once sanctions are given. Under the new policy, if either the respondent or claimant takes issue with the sanctions or findings, they may appeal decisions to an external, thirdparty reviewer. The current process directs appeals to an Appeals Board, which consists of one student appointed by the Central Student Government, one faculty member appointed by the Faculty Senate, and one administrator appointed by the University President. The impartial reviewer in the new policy will be chosen by the office of the general counsel in consultation with the vice president for student life. The general counsel and vice president for student life are currently Tim Lynch and E. Royster Harper, respectively. “The External Reviewer will be a neutral party, most often an attorney outside of the University with significant legal experience, knowledge, and judgment,” the policy reads. In a March interview, Schlissel acknowledged that implementing the policy will require education and awareness efforts on campus, but said he hopes to engage the entire University community to create reform on the issue. “Our overarching goal is to make campus as safe as possible,” he said.
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Dr. Vanessa Kerry speaks about her organization, Seed, at the Nursing Symposium Tuesday.
NURSING From Page 1A attendees. “The Rothschild Global Health Scholars will help us expand our global programs for students, both undergraduate and graduate, who intend to build their careers to work-study and research in places around the world.” Among the most significant of the symposium events included a Wednesday talk by keynote speaker Vanessa Kerry, CEO and co-founder of the Seed Global Health Service Partnership and daughter of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Her speech, titled “Promoting Workforce Development: The Importance of Nurses and Midwives,” focused on Seed, which deploys U.S. health professionals to strengthen health care and provide health service to countries with limited access worldwide. Kerry also discussed what she described as an inequitable worldwide distribution of health care, geographic shifts in health care workers and faculty shortages in health care leading to limited nurse training — tying them all to the importance of innovation in spreading nursing throughout the globe. “The idea is simple,” she told attendees. “We’re called Seed Global Health because we’re planting seeds through education, with the idea that if you plant one seed, you are going to get a force of educators that will continue to plant and grow and cultivate a new generation.” Nursing senior Emily Boltey attended the event and had a poster in Tuesday’s event showcasing her work on breast cancer. She said she especially enjoyed Kerry’s talk about the Seed organization and creating global health partnerships.
RALLY From Page 1A give them a chance to celebrate their journey to recovery.” SafeHouse advocate and survivor Quinn Davis shared her story as the featured keynote speech of the night. Davis said she studied abroad and worked with children in Thailand while coming to terms with the aftermath of rape. “I was only a surrogate for the rape,” Davis said. “I am too busy nurturing myself to nurture a toxin I did not create and never wanted.” Davis said she was first able to begin the process of moving forward by turning to dance. She said while she has made progress in the long battle of moving forward, every day she is still reminded of the assault. “After the rape, dance was one of the only things that felt mostly unchanged,” she said. “It reminded me that my body is for me. It went from something that I did to something that I had to do.” Volunteer psychological counselors, who were identifiable by white arm bands, were available throughout the march to those who needed them. Some also wore teal arm bands and were available for attendants who wanted to identify as survivors and seek counseling. Ann Arbor resident Tom Swider introduced the demands of the Take Back the Night supporters, which included “No means no” and “We demand safety everywhere.” “We gather tonight to demand recognition that sexual violence
“It’s been really nice how they’ve emphasized the role of nursing in global health since nursing is such a large workforce,” Boltey said. “I really like how (Kerry) emphasized the importance of increasing the partnership between physicians and nurses.” Overall, Kerry stressed the need for global initiatives in health care to improve the educational opportunities for nurses and the availability of care for those in countries with less accessible medical practices, an idea reiterated frequently in the following student and faculty lectures. Ellen Lavoie Smith, director of the School of Nursing Ph.D. program, said the event was important in promoting nursing as a global initiative, especially with regard to the expansive network of students who have graduated from the School of Nursing and have used their education to encourage worldwide health initiatives. “It’s really exciting for me to be able to think about how does this all apply to the kinds of things that I’m interested in and my research program,” Smith said. “And how can I, in turn, encourage my students that I mentor one-on-one but also the students in the program as a whole to be able to think about global opportunities.” Clinical Associate Prof. Stephen Strobbe, winner of the symposium’s faculty poster award for his research within the Washtenaw Health Initiative opioid project, echoed Smith’s sentiments and said the event increases recognition about health concerns being both local and global. “We have a number of shared priorities around the globe, and this is one way for us to be able to share information, interventions, successes and to collaborate and
work together to address these global problems and to improve global health,” Strobbe said. “Happily, the University School of Nursing has been on the leading edge of global health responses and this is another example of our collaborative efforts.” Nursing senior Asa Smith, who had a poster in Tuesday’s event showcasing his research on HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, said he enjoyed presenting his work because it allowed him to gain research experience and will help him narrow down his focus for a Ph.D. program. “From my perspective, it’s a really great opportunity to work on research projects, put together a poster and really own a part of research and really take that into your own hands,” Smith said. “I’m looking to just see about learning some more information about the global aspects. It’s just good to keep cognizant about global issues from a nursing perspective.” Nursing alumni and former roommates Lori Prentice and Shirley Dunbar, both of whom graduated from the School of Nursing in 1957, also attended the events Tuesday and Wednesday and said they were particularly interested in the growth of the field. Prentice said she wants to see the field of nursing expand and contribute more to the global experience. “It makes me smile and broadens my mind about what’s going on in nursing,” Prentice said. “There are always sick people, and there are always needs. If there’s always needs, there’s always nursing of some sort. When I graduated 60 years ago, we didn’t have this global experience.” The event will continue through Thursday morning and early afternoon, with further discussions and lectures related to global health.
is in our communities and unite to take a stand against the cycle of violence,” he said. Before the initial speechs, local singer Ashley Franso, student-run dance team Cadence and various University of Michigan clubs and organizations worked at tables to provide information about their respective missions as well as resources they provide. Participating organizations included the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, the Spectrum Center, Body Peace Corps, the African American 490 Challenge and Free Hearts, among others. LSA freshman Kalei Glozier, a member of Spectrum Center’s community engagement team, said his organization decided to table because of the importance of including the LGBTQ community in the conversation around sexual assault. “Rape does happen in the LGBT community, and sometimes it is taken as not as important, especially among gay men,” Glozier said. “We wanted to promote safe sex and consent.” Margie Pillsbury, head officer of the University Police’s Special Victims Unit, gave a speech about the founding of her unit and the role it has with addressing and providing resources on campus regarding sexual violence. “In 2015, the University created the Special Victims Unit because we realized that sexual assault and personal crimes are not like other types of crimes that police investigate,” she said. “When a person who you know and trust violates your body by assaulting you or raping you, it is
not so easy to just call the police and make a report.” She said the goal of the unit is to investigate sexual assaults, domestic violence, stalking and child abuse, adding that she hopes her team’s work will make a difference concerning prevention and support. “We want to make things easier for survivors so they have the options they need and deserve,” she added. “We want to change the culture and be the change agent.” Take Back the Night student leader Audrey Parenti, an LSA senior, became involved in the event after attending the rally her freshman year. Parenti said sexual violence is a pressing issue on campus that needs to be addressed. “I think there is a lot more that needs to be done,” Parenti said. After the speeches and statements of demands, members of the audience grabbed posters, signs and balloons in preparation for the march portion of the event, which commenced outside of the Michigan Union. Students and community members gathered and chanted in unison, chanting “two, four, six, eight! No more violence, no more rape!” LSA senior Naoshin Khan, co-president of an anti-human trafficking club on campus known as FreeHearts, said events such as Take Back the Night are important as sexual assault and abuse is an issue that is not receiving enough attention at the University. “I feel like sexual violence is not talked about on campus,” Khan said. “It is the duty of the University to increase awareness and take actions on preventing future crimes from occurring.”
apartment complexes near campus, the building is planned to feature a study lounge, fitness room, sky lounge and outdoor sky terrace. Similar to other apartment buildings such as ArborBlu, Landmark and Zaragon, it will have micro-apartments, studio and multi-bedroom units available for rent with prices ranging from $900 to $4,770. There will also be 53 off-street parking spaces, as well as a Zipcar, which will be offered to residents according to the updated site plan. Additional bedrooms were also proposed in the updated site, bringing the total to 343 beds. The space, located at 611 E. University Ave., next to Zaragon Place Apartments, is proposed to have entrances on both East University Avenue and on Church Street according to the updated site plan. The site was originally multiple properties on both East University Avenue and Church Street, but will be combined into one property should the plan be approved by the city of Ann Arbor. City Planner Alexis DiLeo said she sees this project as one of
SYMPOSIUM From Page 1A being admitted to the University of Michigan. “It’s not enough to provide access to first-generation students,” said Dilip Das, assistant vice provost for academic affairs.“We have to provide an opportunity for them and other disadvantaged students to flourish in the same way advantaged students expect to flourish when they come here.” At one workshop, Dwight Lang, a faculty adviser to first-generation students, said first-generation students are at the highest risk of dropping out. “I always worry about those kids in the fall,” Lang said. “If they don’t feel connected to the university quickly, they are at risk of leaving.” In another workshop, Rod Freidhoff, Engineering Advising
Thursday, April 7, 2016 — 3A several that will remove properties and redevelop the area, instead of the more common development of green underdeveloped spaces. “This proposal, as well as most of the recent development throughout the city, would indicate that the city is no longer just being developed and is now being redeveloped,” DiLeo said. “Redevelopment often takes people by surprise. Most expect that a vacant lot will be developed some day, but they do not often anticipate an existing one- or two-story building, or a house, will be demolished to make way for a larger development.” Councilmember Kirk Westphal (D–Ward 2) said he understands the reasoning behind another student high-rise being built on campus. “From my standpoint, I’d sure rather folks be able to live near where they need to go rather than drive there,” Westphal said. “If there still is in fact a healthy market for this type of housing, most people I speak with agree that close to campus is the best place for it.” The Ann Arbor Design Review Board, which consists of two landscape architects, two architects, one planner, one developer and one contractor, reviewed the site in February and
offered feedback to the developers. Their main reservations of the proposal were the excess private vehicle entrance space as well as the consistency between this building and the local area. “The proposed development is not consistent with the tower tops of the block or the South University character area,” a statement from the board reads. “The South University area has the greatest concentration of pedestrians anywhere in the city, their comfort, safety and needs must be prioritized over private parking.” There have also been some public concerns about the rapid pace of neighborhood growth in Ann Arbor in general over the past few years, but Westphal said he believes that the public will see this location is the best option. “In general, the public has said over and over that they believe downtown is the best place for highdensity residential and commercial buildings, so in terms of the scale of the project, it fits with what the public expects,” Westphal said. “Of course Ann Arbor’s landscape has changed downtown quite a bit in the past decade, so there is certainly concern about the pace of that change.”
Center Director, noted that a prevalent theme was show to better involve faculty in the process of creating an environment where these students can thrive. “Do we ever see students paralyzed by the number of choices presented to them?” he asked. This idea of mentorship continued to be a recurring theme throughout the day. Many speakers agreed mentorship was the best and most practical way to integrate disadvantaged students into the University, saying mentoring could give these students a sense of belonging in such a competitive environment. Deborah Greene, University public affairs and media relations representative, said during the event she thought professors taking interest in these students is key to the students’ experiences. “When a professor begins to take interest in first-generation students
they begin to think, ‘I didn’t know anyone was really willing to invest time and care in me,’ ” she said. In addition to the workshops, many University organizations came to the event to show students how to get involved on campus. Pilot — a program offering leadership and development opportunities to students in struggling communities around Michigan — was one such organization, and Pilot member Dakotah Feil, an Engineering sophomore, said the group is excited to welcome all firstgeneration students who want to get involved. “The majority of our members are first-generation students, and we do a lot of work with underrepresented students on campus, so we’re really looking for new members,” she said. “We’re just looking for passionate people.”
Opinion
4A — Thursday, April 7, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ALEXIS BARKIN | OP-ED Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com SHOHAM GEVA EDITOR IN CHIEF
CLAIRE BRYAN AND REGAN DETWILER EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
LAURA SCHINAGLE MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FROM THE DAILY
Standards significantly raised
T
The University of Michigan’s new sexual misconduct policy, now called the University of Michigan Policy and Procedures on Student Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence, is drastically more expansive than its 2013 predecessor, and even its pre-released September 2015 draft. The policy gives the University more precise tools for determining what exactly sexual misconduct is in questionable circumstances, investigators the tools to convict perpetrators who may have slid by under the old policy and the campus community at large the tools to understand the intricacies of consent and incapacitation in nuanced situations. This new policy favors the claimant in numerous ways and will likely increase the number of assaults punished, thereby raising the standards around sexual activity and changing the culture around sexual assault on our campus. It also represents significant steps forward in several areas, but will require noticeable efforts by the University to align the rightfully strict standards in the policy with societal standards about gender and sex. In contrast to the previous policy, the new one clearly outlines the full process of reporting a sexual misconduct case to the University, uses gender-inclusive language and expands the scope of its definitions of consent and incapacitation. It also changes the role of witnesses and of the review panel and appeals process, as well as brings intimate partner violence and stalking underneath the scope of this singular policy and process. The new policy is also vastly more transparent and organized about the process a student will embark on when they report a case of sexual misconduct. Significantly, it notes the distinction between the two different justice systems a student can report a case to: the University and/or the police. Though under the old policy, students were advised to report to the University’s Police Department in addition to filing a report to the University, the new policy explains that reporting to the police is a completely separate process than the one students will undergo at the University. Additionally, the policy offers resources — including specific phone numbers — for students to use to contact of variety of police forces. While the Department of Education — which is currently investigating several Title IX complaints — and countless student activists believe the University has a responsibility to investigate and punish students for sexual misconduct, there is a national debate over whether universities are not equipped to investigate cases of sexual misconduct. Regardless of whether one believes the University should legislate these cases, the fact that the two processes are explained in a clear and detailed manner helps better educate our student body and aids in making options for students more clear. Last April, the Daily brought to light the University’s inadequate definition of consent, noting it did not specify that silence and inaction did not equate to consent. The new policy specifically states, “Consent is not to be inferred from silence, passivity, or a lack of resistance,” also adding that “non-verbal communication” is not consent. This crucial change will raise the standard for consent. A respondent can no longer claim they had consent because the other party didn’t actively resist. Along similar lines, this new policy explicitly defines what constitutes coercion and force, both of which would render one unable to give consent. Another significant change to the definition of consent is the clarification of who is held responsible for obtaining consent. Unlike the old policy, this new policy places direct responsibility on the party who “initiates a specific sexual activity” to obtain consent. This creates a distinction between respondent, initiator and claimant. This wording makes it explicitly clear that if the respondent, assuming they are the initiator, has failed to obtain consent, then that party will be found responsible. This seems likely to increase the number of respondents found responsible for misconduct. The new policy also goes further to stress that a past sexual or dating relationship does not mean a person has automatic consent for current or future sexual activity, and that consent must be granted “each time (sexual activity occurs).” This is an important addition, as sexual assault in dating and romantic relationships does occur, and a previous relationship should not indicate that someone has consented for future sexual activity. To take this an additional step forward, the new policy unequivocally states that if a person withdraws consent (which can happen at any time) “sexual activity must cease immediately.” These additions protect the rights of all students engaging in sexual activity at all levels of engagement.
Rightly linked to the definition of consent in the new policy is the definition of “incapacitation,” which has been dramatically expanded upon. According to the new policy, a person is incapacitated if they are in “a state beyond drunkenness or intoxication” and cannot make “informed, rational judgements.” The policy also acknowledges that intoxication varies from person to person, depending on a multitude of factors including body weight, tolerance level and food consumption. By recognizing that each individual’s level of intoxication is unique and can fluctuate based on these reasons, the University is taking a commendable step to broaden the definition of intoxication so more claimants can correctly posit their incapacitation, and so all parties can accurately gauge of when someone is incapacitated. On that note, the new policy also explicitly reminds students of state amnesty laws on drinking and extends protection against University disciplinary actions to underage students who report instances of sexual misconduct while intoxicated. The depth at which the new policy discusses how evidence is evaluated in the University’s response process is appreciated and will also have a measurable impact on the frequency that sexual misconduct is reported. Potential complainants now have the ability to review exactly how evidence gathered during the process will be collected and evaluated, as well as by whom, and all sides have the opportunity to understand how their conduct will be evaluated by an investigation. In addition, the appeals process now includes a review by an external party, preferably one with legal expertise. Given how much discussion currently goes into making the process fair for both sides, the option of the opinion of an external reviewer on both the evaluated facts, and the process should resolve most procedural inequities. Adding greater cross-campus equity, a student appointed by the Central Student Government will now sit on the board that will determine sanctions for students found guilty, adding to the process the student voice on these important issues. Despite the heavy lifting this new policy does to raise the standards of sexual activity, there are steps in the process that are still questionable. Witnesses will now be required to be named to all parties in an investigation. While this new addition strives to make the process more equitable, we can’t help but be concerned that witnesses will be less likely to come forward if they know they must be named given that witnesses frequently have strong relationships with either side. The detailed processes in the new policy mostly balance the rights of the complainant and the rights of the respondent; however, we feel that there is more that could be done to protect witnesses, given the sensitivity of the issues at hand and the likely personal connection between witnesses and the students in question. In many ways, this policy is the change students, student groups, administrators and a national public eye has been looking for. But it is also a double-edged sword. The standards this policy enforces will likely cause an increase in the number of respondents found responsible for misconduct, and that may cause students to experience a disconnect between the sexual standards they are taught in society versus the standards they are held to on our campus. However, though the disconnect may be large now, with the awareness this policy raises and educational opportunities posed, through enforcing this policy the University will be participating in one of many steps toward a better campus climate.
Self-care is not an indulgence “Caring for myself is not selfindulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” –Audre Lorde This month, I have taken up drawing. I spend hours sketching bodies, all of which resemble myself in one way or another. I have a process: Sketch, erase. Breathe. Sketch, erase. Breathe. Outline soft lead with silky black gel. Breathe. Pastels, purple on top of green. Smudge. Breathe. Smudge in white to make it lighter. Breathe. Smudge until rainbows envy the colors dyed upon my fingertips. Keep smudging until I forget to count my breaths. When we talk about unhealthy relationships at the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, we tend to solely speak about abuse in intimate relationships. Abuse is an all-encompassing word because it can define a variety of actions. At SAPAC, we define abuse in a multitude of ways. Abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional or financial, to name a few. An action is seen as abuse when a perpetrator instills tactics to gain disproportionate power or control over their victim — I have used the word victim here because not all survive from instances of intimate partner violence. Power dynamics and abuse within IPV are specific to each partnership. Abusive relationships are complex and reflect the perpetrator’s and victim’s social identities. Presently, society still has a difficult time identifying IPV and its complexities. However, we are beginning to make progress labelling IPV, defining the nuances and identifying the signs. Identifying abusive romantic relationships is difficult, but the conversation is in motion. That said, something we rarely ever talk about, even at SAPAC, is abuse in non-romantic relationships. When abuse happens in non-romantic relationships, society rarely defines a perpetrator’s actions as abuse. Instead, these relationships may be seen as toxic or time-consuming. It is time we change the discourse around abuse in non-romantic relationships. Oftentimes, society views abusive relationships between friends or families as “conflicts” rather than violence. The word “violence” implies the survivor has a loss of control. The word “violence” implies the survivor cannot escape. The word “violence” implies urgency. Yet, when a nonromantic partner takes violent or
abusive actions against a survivor, society often tells the survivor to work it out, apologize, let it go. I am aware that people have offdays. Sometimes a comment can be snide or an intended joke can be stated too harshly. I do not consider these actions abusive. Rather, I am speaking to tactics that a family member or friend constantly inflicts on survivors to gain control in a relationship. I am speaking about abusive behaviors that manifest into survivors’ daily lives. I am speaking about constant language survivors cannot escape, barriers that create isolation, threats that make them chain-lock their doors, physical attacks that bruises their skin or instances of sexualized violence that are not deemed serious. We need to start analyzing and defining these harmful tactics as abusive in both romantic and non-romantic relationships. We need to legitimize the helpless, distraught or fearful feelings that survivors may have in all forms of abusive relationships. It is important to acknowledge that people have a variety of reasons for staying in unhealthy relationships. If people do not want to end unhealthy relationships, this is their choice. As a friend and ally, there are some important ways you can support a survivor of both IPV and nonromantic relationship abuse: 1. Demonstrate to your friend what a healthy relationship looks like by providing unconditional love and support. 2. Listen and believe them. Validate their experiences. 3. If they ask for resources or alternate options for their situation, brainstorm some. Create lists together. 4. You can tell them, “I’ll be here for you if/when you are ready to leave this relationship,” but do not argue with them about what they need to do. This is their life. As their ally and friend, respect their ability to make choices. Most importantly, we must understand that all relationships are complex, and we must navigate them accordingly. Recently, I have finally come to terms with identifying as being a target in an unhealthy relationship. As previously mentioned, this past semester I have taken up sketching. I do it on the days when her mental health controls my daily life. I do not blame her, but rather, I blame her unhealthy psychological state. For the past decade, I have spent much of my life trying to navigate an illness that doctors have yet to find treatment for.
In the past, I let her severe episodes control me. In the present, I am slowly learning how to take care of myself. I have come to terms with the fact that though this behavior is not her fault, it is also not my responsibility to constantly endure the attacks, threats and manipulation brought on by her psychological disorder. Now, when an episode begins and a flood of texts pour in, instead of falling into a pit of despair as I used to, I have begun to sketch: Pencil tracing paper, soft lead fading into coarse sheets. You are worthless. Black ink seeping into cracks of paper. You don’t deserve happiness. My breasts take on earthly hues, contrasted against my pink belly. I don’t love you. I am a goddess — strong and brilliant— if only on paper. No one loves you. Smudge the colors. LEAVE ME ALONE. Smudge them until my fingers bare vibrant, Aurora Borealis calluses. YOU ARE WORTHLESS. Keep smudging until her insults start to sound meaningless. Through sharing my experience, I hope to convey the idea that we need to begin dialogues surrounding unhealthy, non-romantic relationships while expanding on dialogues surrounding abusive romantic relationships. The way I handle the relationship with her is unique to my personal circumstance. I do not think this should be everyone’s solution; however, I do think selfcare is an important practice for everyone to indulge in. Self-care allows us to avoid burn-out from our daily stressors. When I first began my journey of self-care, I felt guilty about diverting my attention from someone I loved dearly, but I have recently begun to accept that, to sustain my being, I must take care of myself. I need to brush off the words, bandage the emotional wounds and practice constant forgiveness. Sketching, along with talking to my family unit, is the best way I have learned how to handle the situation, if only for a moment. For anyone who is struggling in an unhealthy relationship, whether it is intimate or non-romantic, please know that you are worthy. — Alexis Barkin is a SAPAC network publicity activism student volunteer co-coordinator.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Gracie Dunn, 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 ELENA HUBBELL | OP-ED
My conflicted relationship with class
Whenever my sister and I visit my uncle, we can always be sure to hear him say “So how is Snobbyville?” By “Snobby-ville,” my uncle is referring to Ann Arbor, and, more specifically, the University of Michigan campus. My sister and I, being the first people in my family to attend this institution, are often subjected to this kind of anti-U of M talk. For the most part, it’s because of sports — my cousins who went to MSU will tease us whenever Michigan loses a game. It’s not anything that any student with family members from opposing universities hasn’t gone through, but for some reason, I can’t help but to see some depth to my uncles “Snobby-ville” jokes. Of course it’s not the most sophisticated of quips (my uncle is not a comedian) but it highlights some of the underlying opinions that many people hold towards the University of Michigan. Mainly, that the students here are mostly conceited and annoyingly privileged. I grew up in a town where attending this university is a big deal. To the average citizen of a rural town in northern Michigan, where the biggest industries are agriculture and tourism, somehow managing to go to the same institution that a former president attended is monumental. Out of my graduating class of about 90 students, a whole five students attend this University — a number to celebrate in my hometown.
Suddenly, it’s like we were a part of this elite, privileged class made up of the people who were lucky enough to attend the University of Michigan. My experience on this campus has been quite different. The feelings of exclusivity and specialness ended almost immediately after arriving on campus. It’s not that anyone explicitly tried to make me feel left out, but hearing my classmates talk about the connections their family had and the experiences and opportunities they had been afforded made me realize that, for the first time in my life, I was part of a lower, less wealthy class. I started to see myself as some redneck from a hick town who, only managed to get here on a fluke. Incidents like the taping of University student Jake Croman yelling at an Uber driver and the destruction of the Treetops resort last winter have only further increased my feeling of loneliness. As someone who has worked in the service industry I could easily identify with the Uber driver or the workers at the resort, but to the rest of the world I was a part of the elites who often harassed the working staff. The fact that I was here partly on a scholarship and partly on my dad’s life insurance exacerbated this feeling of loneliness and unworthiness. I’m not the only one who feels this way. Other students I’ve met from lower socioeconomic
backgrounds have spoken about feeling like an outsider here. Part of it might be that students from similar backgrounds like mine are so few and far between here on campus that I get excited whenever I meet one. I don’t see this necessarily changing, as the 2010 University of Michigan Student Profile reported that nearly half of in state freshmen come from families that earn more than $150,000 a year. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if it weren’t paired with the fact that tuition to universities is skyrocketing. Attending high-profile, major universities is becoming more and more inaccessible to students from poorer backgrounds. Getting a good education is key to social mobility, but without access to this education, social mobility stops. I firmly believe that universities should be affordable in order for a society to function. Making the University of Michigan more affordable wouldn’t make it any less snobbywe’re the leaders and the best, after all. But making education at this university more affordable might help this campus lose its overly respected reputation as a place for the elite, and gain the reputation as a place where voices from all backgrounds are heard and respected. — Elena Hubbell is an LSA sophomore.
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, April 7, 2016 — 5A
BASEBALL
Lugbauer’s power on full display in Wolverines’ win Sophomore homers twice to energize Michigan in 5-0 wins By ETHAN WOLFE Daily Sports Writer
LIZZY XIONG/Daily
Sophomore right-hander Ryan Nutof threw five scoreless innings and struck out four batters in Michigan’s 5-0 win over Bowling Green on Wednesday.
‘M’ blanks Bowling Green By NATHANIEL CLARK Daily Sports Writer
Less than 19 hours before the start of Wednesday’s game, the No. 17 Michigan baseball team suffered its largest 0 BGSU defeat of 5 MICHIGAN 2016, a 9-5 loss to Notre Dame. Yet on Wednesday, the Wolverines (3-0 Big Ten, 21-6 overall) made Tuesday’s shortfall seem like ancient history as it topped Bowling Green, 5-0. Wednesday was the sixth time this season they shut out an opponent. “The beautiful thing about baseball is that each day is a new opportunity,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “If we were to dwell on anything that happened yesterday, it would just set us up negatively for today. Yesterday had nothing to do with today.” Sophomore right-hander Ryan Nutof got the start for Michigan and pitched a gem, throwing five scoreless innings, giving up four hits, walking two batters and striking out four. Nutof’s record improved to 4-1 with the win.
“(Nutof) was in attack mode,” Bakich said. “He was getting strike one and strike two and was very efficient with his pitch count. To be able to put up five zeros on the board was exactly what we needed because the game was very much in question.” The hero of Michigan’s offense Wednesday was sophomore first baseman Drew Lugbauer, who launched a solo home run over the right-field wall in the bottom of the second inning to put the Wolverines on the board. He later blasted a two-run homer to right in the seventh to put Michigan ahead, 5-0, and fell just short of knocking another one out of the park in the third when he hit a fly ball to the center field warning track. “I’m just trying to do as much as I can do to help (the team), whatever I need to do,” Lugbauer said. Bowling Green (2-4 MidAmerican, 11-17 overall) threatened to score in the top of the fifth when it put runners on first and second with one out. After getting the next batter out, Nutof walked Falcons’ right fielder R.J. Williams to load
the bases. But Nutof got out of the jam when he got Bowling Green left fielder Matt Smith to fly out to Wolverines’ senior center fielder Cody Bruder. “Having a team like ours behind me actually helps with my confidence,” Nutof said. The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth, when sophomore third baseman Jake Bivens came to bat with a runner on third and two outs. Bivens proceeded to single to third base to drive in a run. On the next at-bat, senior left fielder Matt Ramsay smacked a double to left field to score Bivens and extend Michigan’s lead to three. Ramsay then stole third base with junior designated hitter Carmen Benedetti up to bat to move within 90 feet of home plate. But Benedetti couldn’t bring Ramsay home as he popped out to left field to end the inning. Benedetti did, however, pitch 1.2 innings of shutout relief, giving up one hit and two walks while striking out one in the process. He followed junior right-hander Keith Lehmann who pitched a
scoreless sixth frame. “It’s always nice to see (the bullpen) come in and stay connected as a team and as a staff,” Nutof said. “It creates momentum for us into our next games.” The Falcons put up one more comeback effort in the top of the eighth when they put runners on first and second with two outs, which prompted Bakich to pull Benedetti in favor of sophomore right-hander Bryan Pall. Pall got Bowling Green catcher Tyler Greiner to ground out to third to nip the Falcons’ rally in the bud.w Junior right-hander Jackson Lamb came on to pitch a one-twothree ninth inning to earn his second save of the year. “Lamb is throwing downhill with his fastball,” Bakich said. “He looks really good. He looks confident, he looks composed. He’s attacking the zone.” Wednesday’s victory improved the Wolverines’ 2016 record at Ray Fisher Stadium to 6-0. They will have more opportunities to add to their home win total when they begin a three-game set against Minnesota on Friday.
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Thursday, April 7, 2016
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle DOWN 1 Finger-pointing pronoun 2 Its first champion was the Pitt. Pipers 3 Decorates, as a royal crown 4 Waffle __ 5 Flags 6 Tessio in “The Godfather” 7 Rhododendron varieties 8 Star of “Dracula” (1931) 9 Risqué 10 Seek damages 11 Ruckus 12 Hot 13 Just the right amount 18 Aerie fledgling 22 Many a soap heroine 23 Briefcase fastener 24 Where Lima is 26 Deep gulfs 27 Adult cygnet 29 Mostly-shavedhead hairstyles 31 Classical guitar family name
36 Volcano near Catania 37 Online icon 38 Fruity wine drinks 39 City fooled by a horse 40 Betray boredom 42 Not ephemeral 44 Hit the roof 45 “To Kill a Mockingbird” theme
46 Burdens 47 Tracey of sketch comedy 51 ’30s V.P. John __ Garner 54 Pearl Harbor site 56 March time? 58 Hailed transport 59 Wildcatter’s find 60 In times past 61 __ master
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04/07/16
“He’s a guy who can change the game with one swing.”
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Regular patterns 7 Mass robes 11 __ time 14 Madrid-based airline 15 Bantu language 16 Keats’ “still unravish’d bride of quietness” 17 *Big-time 19 Barnyard noise 20 Topeka-to-Peoria dir. 21 Spiny houseplant 22 Rwandan ethnic group 23 Reporter’s query 25 Pundits 27 Baseball commissioner before Manfred 28 “May I get a word in?” 30 *Local legend sought in a 1999 horror film 32 Round building 33 Thumbs-up 34 Low-tech propeller 35 Most swanky 37 Whistleblower’s request 41 __ card 42 Ancient greeting 43 1986 #1 hit for Starship 44 *Oatmeal sweetener 48 Bamboozle 49 Sri __ 50 Pretend 52 MD for women 53 Old French coins 54 Cantina crock 55 Something to come up for 57 St. whose motto is “Forward” 58 *She voiced Princess Fiona in “Shrek” movies 62 Press into service 63 Cries of clarity 64 Very cold period 65 Brit. leaders, the last four of whom begin the answers to starred clues 66 Bakery output 67 Parable feature
After watching Matt Ramsay’s three-homer game against Northwestern last Friday, sophomore first baseman Drew Lugbauer wanted to get in on the fun, too. In Wednesday’s game against Bowling Green (2-4 Mid-American, 11-18 overall), Lugbauer smacked two home runs over the right-field wall, a solo shot in the second inning and a two-run bomb in the sixth, to lead the Wolverines’ offense in their 5-0 victory. He finished the day with two homers in four at-bats, and three runs battedin. “Seeing the guys get quality at-bats in front of me was nice insurance,” Lugbauer said. “That helped me out and got me going. Anytime someone does something like that it’s a good a reception (by the team).” Added Michigan coach Erik Bakich: “He’s a guy who can change the game with one swing. He’s been doing a good job of keeping the ball in the middle and making loud contact these past few games. It was good to see Drew get some big hits for us. We certainly needed them.” Tied 0-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Lugbauer’s first homer put Michigan ahead 1-0, a lead the Wolverines never gave up.
Up 3-0 in the sixth inning, Lugbauer hit a nearly identical shot to add to the cushion for Michigan (3-0 Big Ten, 21-6). Prior to the game, Lugbauer’s only dinger of the season came on an inside-the-park homer in Michigan’s March 19 game versus Oklahoma State. He nearly hit a third against the Falcons, but was robbed at the warning track in center field in the third inning. “(Ramsay) told me I was catching up to him,” Lugbauer said. “I didn’t think about it. I just thought about sticking to the approach and hitting the ball hard.” All that junior lefty Ryan Nutof (4-1) needed to earn the victory was Lugbauer’s second inning blast. Nutof shutout the Falcons and allowed just four hits in five innings. Junior lefties Keith Lehmann and Carmen Benedetti, junior right-hander Jackson Lamb, and sophomore right-hander Bryan Pall combined to finish the final four innings. Collectively, they blanked Bowling Green and gave up only one hit. Nutof was happy with the performance of the pitchers, and he spoke glowingly about how supportive the offense has been as of late. “It’s awesome seeing guys like (Ramsay) and (Lugbauer) having multi-homer games,” Nutof said. “It’s so much fun and brings a lot of energy to the dugout.” Fun and energy were welcome sights for Michigan one day after losing, 9-5, to Notre Dame. But whether the Wolverines can continue this energy without the help of multi-homer games remains to be seen.
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Sports
6A — Thursday, April 7, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Roster decisions loom for Michigan Beilein on recruits:
“Just watch and see”
By JACOB GASE Daily Sports Editor
By LEV FACHER As things stood on March 24, the Michigan men’s basketball team had four incoming recruits and just three scholarships available. But when asked about the team’s scholarship status for next season, Michigan coach John Beilein told WTKA Radio, “It usually works itself out.” Two weeks later, it already has. Last Tuesday, the team announced that sophomore forward Ricky Doyle had been granted his release and would transfer. Wednesday morning, the Wolverines revealed that sophomore guard Aubrey Dawkins would follow Doyle out the door, heading to Central Florida to play for his father, recently hired head coach Johnny Dawkins. Beilein no longer has to worry about having too many players on scholarship in the fall, but now, with one extra scholarship spot, he has a decision to make. Does he offer that spot to graduating senior guard Spike Albrecht, who, not seeing a place for himself on next year’s roster, recently announced his intention to play out his remaining year of eligibility as a graduate transfer? Does he add a late recruit or bring in a transfer of his own to help fill a team need? Or does he simply leave the scholarship spot open and build his 2017 class? “Anything is possible right now,” Beilein said in his seasonending press conference Wednesday afternoon. “We’re going to look at all the options that we have. ... What does the team need? What do we have to do to plug some of the gaps that we really have? We have some interesting questions we have to answer, but I can’t give you those all right now.” Beilein mentioned that Michigan had deficiencies in
Daily Sports Writer
LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
Aubrey Dawkins announced Wednesday he would transfer to Central Florida, where his father is the head coach.
scoring, passing and defense this season, and the team needs to figure out the best possible way to shore those up. Though Beilein has come under fire lately for his reservations about graduate transfers within conferences — he plans to meet with new Athletic Director Warde Manuel, University president Mark Schlissel, hockey coach Red Berenson, women’s basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico and football coach Jim Harbaugh to further discuss the issue — he has no issues with the concept of transfers in general, and may use it to his advantage. “I have nothing against graduate transfers at all,” Beilein said. “I would consider transfers from other schools, fifth-year graduate transfers (to fill the spot).” Giving Albrecht his place back
WOMEN’S TENNIS
on the team might seem like the easy solution, but with junior guard Derrick Walton Jr. back to run the point again next season and another point guard arriving in the form of Xavier Simpson, Ohio’s 2016 Mr. Basketball recipient, Albrecht and the Wolverines may no longer be the best fit. Though Michigan might be able to benefit from Albrecht’s leadership and experience, it also could be better off adding another wing player to replace Dawkins. Though the two sides will discuss the possibility of a return — and Beilein understands that more backlash may come from letting a fan favorite like Albrecht walk — Beilein reiterated that the needs of the team as a whole come first. “I’m always gonna measure everything twice so I can cut once and find out what is the best
for Michigan basketball, in the long range of the program and the short range of the program,” Beilein said. “I’ll make that decision. (If ) we take hits either way, we take hits either way. That’s the job of the Michigan basketball coach — not to go against public sentiment, but to do what’s best for Michigan basketball.” The Wolverines aren’t currently expecting any further attrition, but Beilein acknowledged the possibility and expects the final scholarship count to become clearer in the next few weeks. Any further status discussions — such as the possibility of reclassifying junior forward Mark Donnal, who has two years of eligibility remaining but had his redshirt status removed before this season — will take place later.
SOFTBALL
Wolverines upset Lineup flexibility 8th-ranked Duke makes Michigan more dangerous By PAIGE VOEFFRAY Daily Sports Writer
The No. 11 Michigan women’s tennis team is no stranger to playing ranked opponents. In fact, it welcomes the challenge. As Wednesday’s match wound down, all signs pointed to No. 8 Duke walking away with the victory, but the Wolverines refused to go down without a fight. Michigan (5-0 Big Ten, 13-4 overall) rallied back from a 3-0 deficit to upset the Blue Devils, 4-3, in Durham, N.C. “We talked about being loose,” said Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein. “I wanted them to go in with no pressure on them. Obviously Duke’s a great team, and I just wanted them to step up.” At the beginning, this could have been anyone’s match. All doubles pairs were evenly matched, but it was senior Ronit Yurovsky and junior Sara Remynse at No. 3 doubles who were the first off the court with a score of 6-4. Sophomores Mira Ruder-Hook and Alex Najarian were not far behind, though, with a different result. They were down early in the match and couldn’t recover, losing, 6-3. The winner of the No. 1 doubles would secure the doubles point for their team, and it appeared the Blue Devils (8-2 ACC, 15-4 overall) would take it. Duke broke Michigan’s serve to go up, 5-3, challenging the Wolverines to defend a match point. But freshmen Brienne Minor and Kate Fahey had something else in mind, rallying back to force the match into a tiebreaker. But, they eventually succumbed to Duke’s No. 19 doubles pair, ultimately losing the match, 7-6. The loss of the tiebreaker and doubles point seemed to take its toll on Michigan in singles play. The Blue Devils won five out of six first sets, and things didn’t look good for the Wolverines. Following a successful weekend
for Ruder-Hook, something was missing in her 6-0, 6-1 loss. “It was a tough matchup,” Bernstein said. “The (Duke) girl played well, and Mira just had a rough day.” Remynse finished shortly after Ruder-Hook, losing, 6-2, 6-1. Duke needed only one more singles win to clinch the match, and Michigan had a lot of work to do. Still, it was clear the Wolverines knew what was on the line as they appeared much sharper in their second sets. No. 18 Minor was the only Wolverine to win her first set, but it was a battle even for her. She narrowly won, 7-5. She was the first to put Michigan on the board, winning the second set, 6-2. After Fahey and Najarian each dropped the first set, they both rallied to win the second set, 6-0 and 6-1, respectively. Then Fahey and Najarian accomplished what seemed to be the impossible — they won their third sets and tied the match at 3-3. The No. 1 singles match would decide the ultimate winner. It was up to Michigan’s captain, No. 16 Yurovsky, to lead her team to a victory. After losing the first set, 4-6, to Duke’s No. 25 Beatrice Capra, Yurovsky needed to make a change. She won the second set in a tiebreaker, moving onto the third. With her confidence up and victory in her sights, she could not be stopped as she went on to win the third set, 6-3, securing the upset for the Wolverines. Yurovsky was greeted by the team rushing her court before she even had the chance to let the victory set in. This win proves this team is not limited to success just in their conference, and that the Wolverines have the potential to be one of the top teams in the nation. “It just shows what kind of team we can be,” Bernstein said. “It’s probably one of the best wins. It just showed tremendous heart.”
By ORION SANG Daily Sports Editor
As the No. 1 Michigan softball team continues to rank among the nation’s best offensive teams, it does so while keeping its batting order relatively flexible. It ranks first nationally in team scoring average and on-base percentage, second in home runs per game, third in slugging percentage and fifth in batting average. Michigan coach Carol Hutchins shifts around her lineup, moving players both up and down throughout the course of the season to match the ebbs and flows that their hitting undergoes. “You see kids get hot and kids get cold,” Hutchins said. “You kinda go with the flow. You try not to react — kids are going to hit for average. Sometimes they’re going to be 3-for-3 or 0-for-3. But at some point, if it looks like they’re just not clicking in the order, you may move them around, you might put them down in the order to get them going. It may inspire them, it shakes them up enough, it helps them get better pitches down in the order.” One player who has moved around the order this season is junior shortstop Abby Ramirez, who has both hit near the top of the lineup and at the bottom. Ramirez is currently batting ninth as she returns to form after an ankle injury. “What I have learned is that
basically in any position you’re in, don’t try and make it any bigger than it is,” Ramirez said. “A lot of times people think there is more pressure at the top of the lineup than at the bottom. When I did get moved to the top of the lineup I tried my best not to think about that and just basically do the same thing I was doing at the bottom.” That approach has helped Ramirez hit at a .373 clip, which gives her the fourthhighest batting average on the team. And the lineup isn’t just flexible in its sequence — even with the offense’s success thus far, there is room for players to work their way into the order. Sophomore infielder Amanda Vargas is one example of a player who has gradually increased her at-bats this season, starting regularly now as a designated player. “It’s definitely never set in stone,” said senior second baseman Sierra Romero. “We have a lot of players on our team who want to be in the lineup. It’s always a competition and always a challenge, but it’s good competition. “Everyone’s working for that starting spot. Amanda has been doing a great job as our (DP). She showed so much potential when Hutch was randomly throwing her in — she was hitting bombs. So Hutch was finally like, ‘We need to get her in the lineup.’ She’s a perfect example of doing what’s asked and now she’s in the starting lineup.”
“It’s always a competition and always a challenge.”
Michigan men’s basketball coach John Beilein could lose as many as three players from his 2015-16 roster to transfers, NOTEBOOK and he’s facing the prospect of further attrition — not just among his players, but among his three assistant coaches. Beilein acknowledged Wednesday that at least one of his assistants has received interest from other schools for their head coaching positions. The trio of Bacari Alexander, LaVall Jordan and Jeff Meyer has been with Beilein for the past six seasons. Alexander, a Detroit native, is among the rumored candidates for the head coaching vacancy at Detroit. He played for the Titans during the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons after transferring from Robert Morris. Alexander was in the mix for the job at Wisconsin-Green Bay last offseason; Meyer was reported at that time to be among those receiving interest from Liberty, where he served as head coach for 16 seasons and remains the winningest coach in school history; and Jordan was reported as a finalist for the job at Butler before the 2013-14 campaign. None of the opportunities have panned out — yet. “There is some interest from some other universities, and I’m thrilled about it,” Beilein said. “I think that this is long overdue. They are really ready to be (head) coaches. The fact that we’ve been together for six years — that doesn’t happen very often.” Beilein declined to confirm that Alexander interviewed with Detroit and didn’t say which other coaches have received interest, if any. There’s no short list of candidates to fill the potential vacancy, but Beilein said he doesn’t anticipate any issue filling the position should the need arise. “I don’t want to lose any of them,” Beilein said. “But if they have the opportunity, I think it’s great.” BEILEIN TALKS RECRUITING CLASS: Barring the unforeseen, Derrick Walton Jr. is a lock to play the majority of minutes next season at point guard. But who backs him up remains in question, and hinges on whether senior Spike Albrecht returns for his fifth year of eligibility and whether incoming recruit Xavier Simpson proves ready for the rigors of the Big Ten. “He plays the game the right way,” Beilein said of Simpson. “He’s an elite passer. … We’re counting on Xavier to come in and be one of those guys, because of his talent and the need for him to play right away. We hope he’s going to be ready to do that.” Beilein also spoke briefly to the perception that his two incoming big men, 7-foot Jon Teske and 6-foot-10 Austin Davis, are longer-term projects who might not be ready to contribute during their
freshman seasons. “I would respond: Just watch and see what happens,” Beilein said. Michigan is relatively set at the ‘5’ spot anyway, with rising junior forward Mark Donnal looking to keep his spot in the starting five and rising sophomore Moritz Wagner poised to make substantial jumps after an inconsistent but hugely promising freshman year. CAMP SANDERSON NOT BEHIND HEALTH ISSUES: As injuries have piled up over the past several seasons, Beilein has at times discussed the prospect of reevaluating the Wolverines’ training routines and overall workloads in order to ensure fatigue and stress don’t contribute to missed time. Even with senior Caris LeVert suffering his third lower leg injury in three seasons, Walton missing time for the second straight year, Albrecht missing the majority of the season with dual hip injuries and a smattering of other health issues plaguing the program, Beilein says strength coach Jon Sanderson’s famed “Camp Sanderson” summer workout programs don’t hurt — if anything, they help. “They were all isolated injuries, and none of them were in the exact same area,” Beilein said. “It could just be coincidence that it’s all happened during this time.” Moving forward, there are some preventative measures the team could take to gain a better understanding of who might be overworking themselves during practice. “We’re looking into using workload-type of chips in our uniforms, in our shoes, to see what we can do,” Beilein said. “The times that we experimented with them this year, Derrick Walton was working at a completely different level than some of our other guys were. You don’t notice that — they’re all practicing, but one guy’s going a little harder than everybody.” Beilein did leave things on an optimistic note for LeVert, who had surgery in New York two weeks ago and is projected as a likely second-round pick in the NBA Draft on June 23. Once LeVert recovers from his most recent surgery, Beilein said he expects him to be entirely done with the current, injury-riddled chapter of his career. SCHEDULING TWEAKS: Michigan has opened its last two seasons with games against Division II schools: Northern Michigan in 2015-16 and Hillsdale College the year before. The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee is thought to ignore games against Division II opposition. The Ratings Percentage Index — among the committee’s mostused tools — disregards those games entirely. “I’m rethinking the idea of playing a Division II team,” Beilein said. “That may be something we want to examine in the future. … I always like to keep the money here and do what we could within the state.”
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
John Beilein has a four-player recruiting class coming in for next season.
the b-side B
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, April 7, 2016
E XP LO R E PHOTOS
PEOPLE
Love thy Father, Love thy Food — Anay Katyal, Daily Arts Writer
So You Want to Cure Your Meat — Giancarlo Buonomo, Daily Food Columnist
Mojo Voyeur Speaks Out — Emma Kinery, Daily Arts Writer
Design by Anjali Alangaden and Lauren Siegal
the b-side
2B — Thursday, April 7, 2016
A pork adventure with Giancarlo By GIANCARLO BUONOMO Daily Food Columnist
I had an odd dream the other night, odder than usual. I found myself standing next to my mother in the kitchen of my childhood home, without any idea of how I got there. On the granite countertop, there was a large sheet of wax paper, which bore four raw, skin-on pork cheeks. “We’re curing them today, right?” I asked, as I moved my hand towards one. My mother slapped it away. “We’re braising them today,” she said. Without speaking again, she heated an enamel pan on the stove with some olive oil and seared each cheek, skin-side down, like she used to do with chicken on Friday afternoons when I was a child. I heard the skin sizzle, and woke up. Freud thought that dreams were difficult to understand because they were the result of displacement and condensation, of real-life anxieties expressed through vignettes. “When in a dream something has the character of a spoken utterance — that is, when it is said or heard, not merely thought, and the distinction can usually be made with certainty,” he writes in “The Interpretation of Dreams,” “then it originates in the utterances of waking life, which have, of course, been treated as raw material, dismembered, and slightly altered, and above all removed from their context.” In my case, Freud was right about raw material, dismembered and slightly altered. This past school year, I have found a new hobby: curing meats. Pork cheeks, mostly, but also pork shoulders and beef rounds. Off in the corner of my dingy little basement, I may have as many as eight hunks of salted, spiced meat hanging at one time. Each piece of meat is tied with twine and hangs on a coatrack pole I liberated from my closet. I began curing for simple enough reasons. I like cured meats, but they’re expensive in Ann Arbor. I like cooking, and wanted to try something more advanced. I wanted to feel more Italian. I wanted to do something out of the ordinary. The first cured meat I made was guanciale, the salted, airdried pork cheek that flavors many classic pastas in Rome. Properly cured, it tastes like pure pork, with fat that is somehow both crunchy and tender. I special-ordered two cheeks from the local butcher, and found a simple recipe online that required neither the addition of sodium nitrites (a
preservative which gives hams and salami their cured flavor), nor a climate-controlled chamber. Salt, sugar, some aromatics, the cheeks and time. Each cheek resembled an irregular slab of bacon covered on one side by pink skin, with a few bristles still attached. They looked, when held at the right angle, like cheeks. I placed them in a plastic bag with the cure for about a week, and then hung them in the basement to dry, with no idea how they’d turn out. I’ve never been so happy to see mold. On the thirteenth day of curing in my basement, my pork cheeks each had a small patch of white powder on their skin-side, a sign that some airborne strain of the penicillium genus had decided to make their home there. Penicillium molds can produce penicillin, the antibiotic compound hailed as a godsend in the twentieth century for its curative powers over both battlefield injuries and gonorrhea. There wasn’t any Nazi schrapnel or clap f loating around my basement, I presume, but the dusting of penicillium would protect my meat from more sinister microbes. I was proud of my pork cheeks. I would inspect them daily, running my finger along their surface, feeling them go from tacky to crusty. I’d make puerile jokes to friends who came over (“Want to go to the basement and see my meat?”). I pored over recipes, trying to find the perfect ones to gift with my precious meat. More than pride, though, I felt a sense of awe. I had no real idea what I was doing. I couldn’t tell you what the ambient temperature of the basement was, or the reduction in water weight over the weeks as the cheeks slowly dried out. Those friendly penicillium molds could very easily have been unfriendly ones. I was a foodobsessed amateur at the mercy of air and water and microbes. After three weeks, I brought a cheek home to my family for Thanksgiving, wrapped gently like a newborn. On the granite counter in the kitchen, I cut into the cheek and revealed a shining core, mostly fat with a comically small swoosh of pink meat. We fried small pieces in an enamel pan with olive oil, to make a pasta sauce. They tasted perfect. I’m now on my third round of curing pork cheeks. Whenever I look at them, I feel a bit happier. Not because I anticipate eating them, or because I feel manly or sophisticated, but because they’re a desire realized. A small one, an ephemeral
one, but a desire that started out as a thought and ended up on my dinner plate. I’ve thought a lot about what my pork-cheek dream the other night meant. Some anxiety about the future, perhaps. A fear of adulthood, a dread of time, a sense of shame, I’m not really sure. I have many hopes for the future, but whether they’ll be realized I do not know. I think about this uncertainty constantly and uncomfortably. But I still have my cheeks hanging in the basement, a hope realized by nothing but air and time. *** Guanciale (cured pork cheek) Two pork cheeks, skinon (Order them at your local butcher shop) One half-cup of coarse kosher salt One half-cup of brown sugar One bunch of fresh thyme Four cloves of garlic, crushed One tablespoon of crushed peppercorns Step 1 Wash pork cheeks under warm water. In a bowl, mix together the salt and sugar. Rub the mixture vigorously into pork cheeks, making sure to cover them completely. Step 2 Place cheeks in a large plastic freezer bag. Add the thyme, garlic, pepper and any remaining salt and sugar, and place bag in refrigerator. Allow to sit for six days, turning bag over every two days to redistribute cure. The salt and sugar will begin pulling the moisture out of the cheeks. Step 3 After six days, remove cheeks from bag and discard any liquid. Give the cheeks a quick wash in warm water to remove excess cure. Step 4 With a sharp knife, puncture each cheek near the top and run a length of kitchen twine through the hole, tying it off to form a loop. Step 5 Hang the cheeks in any cool, dark place you have — a basement, a spare closet, even a garage. Place a pan of salted water underneath them so they don’t dry out too quickly. White mold is beneficial. Green or blue mold isn’t, and should be scrubbed off with a dab of vinegar. Step 6 After three weeks, the cheeks should have shrunk a bit and smell like a delicatessen. Cut off the skin and any yellowish fat, and the remaining f lesh can be sliced up and fried like bacon, tossed into a pasta or added to vegetables.
EPISODE REVIEW The title of Sunday’s episode of “Girls” makes cringeworthy sense once you find out what the plot driver is — an experiential play that Adam (Adam Driver, “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens”) is B+ in about the Kitty Genovese Girls murder case of 1964 in New Season 5, York City. The Episode 7 play frames Sundays at Hannah’s 10 p.m. (Lena Dunham, HBO “Happy Christmas”) discovery of Jessa (Jemima Kirke, “Tiny Furniture”) and Adam’s morethan-friends relationship. The shots of the play, which span beautifully lit alleyways and fire escapes, are the aesthetic indulgence of “Hello Kitty,” but they also highlight the theme of the episode (not that anyone involved in “Girls” would admit to having themed episodes). “Hello Kitty” is about communication — or more precisely, the sometimes humorous and sometimes
HBO
bittersweet lack of it. As always, everyone in “Girls” is so wrapped up in themselves that they can barely grasp things that are right in front of them — like the fact that Hannah and Fran (Jake Lacy, “Carol”) are horribly wrong for each other, as seen through their vastly different ideas about how, when, where and to whom it is appropriate for Hannah to be flashing her vagina (but maybe that’s just me). Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet, “Mad Men”) takes a backseat in this episode, as does Marnie
(Allison Williams, “Peter Pan Live”) a little bit — although Marnie casually dismissing Adam and Jessa to Hannah as their “second-tier friends” is hilarious. This season of “Girls” has seen Marnie rediscovering something. I’m not sure what it is — her voice, a measure of independence, astonishing levels of annoying self-satisfaction — but it’s building to something for sure. And Allison Williams is doing a phenomenal job of making you grit your teeth and roll your eyes in exasperated anticipation of it. - SOPHIA KAUFMAN
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ALBUM REVIEW
BAYONET RECORDS
Is that Jessie from Toy Story 2??
Dreamy Frankie C. infused with truth By SELENA AGUILERA Daily Arts Writer
Frankie Cosmos’s Next Thing is an indie-rock album that gets so personal and deep you feel like you personally A know the band. You can Next Thing hear every Frankie piece of the Cosmos members in the music. It’s Bayonet Records constructed so intricately that every song is a malleable piece of artwork, waiting to be molded by your individual perceptions and feelings, and that’s why it’s so goddamn beautiful. Next Thing opens with the song “Floated In,” with a simple drum beat matching the guitar. Greta Kline’s (Frankie’s real name) voice chimes in with its soft charm, singing “I floated in and started livin” as feathery synths begin to make an appearance. This song sets the mood for the entire album: simplistic, yet emotional, with lyrics that are pure poetry. “Floated In” ends with Kline asking, “What are you doin” and “If I Had a Dog” begins as it discusses common fears and insecurities instilled in everyone, with the lyrics “Am I still so sad / Is that pretty lame / Everybody says your decisions are OK.” The angsty confusion comes to a halt for a few moments as the album continues into “Embody” where things get personal as the lyrics reveal names of specific friends and things that create peace in Kline’s mind. The album continues, with each song becoming a new favorite, as the sensual lyrics complement the dreamy instrumentals, making the
album feel raw and alive. Kline’s soft voice projecting dark feelings and confusing depression embodies the way people interact with their own emotions perfectly. Living in a world where mental health issues aren’t completely accepted, we find that in multiple situations we hide from our innermost feelings out of fear of being vulnerable. We try to project somewhat perfect personas. These projections are embodied by the enjoyable instrumentals in Next Thing as the lyrics speak to true emotions that are yanked outside of our “perfect” exteriors with every note Kline hits.
All 15 songs are three-minuteor-less pieces of cathartic art. During the tenth song, “Sinister,” Kline sings “Sometimes I get sinister / Can’t always be like Arthur / Sometimes I just feel sinister / Can’t always turn to Arthur,” displaying the confrontation of feelings and the fact that we can’t always feel OK, and that’s OK. The album also touches on deep insecurities like becoming an emotional burden to someone, as heard in lyrics like “Now that I know that every time I get sad you just hate me / You can go to sleep and sleep it off peacefully / I’ll be here all night feeling totally fucked” from “Is It
Possible / Sleep Song.” In the song, Kline depicts what it feels like to want help, but to be too scared to ask for it. This leaves someone to deal with strong emotions on their own which can lead to self-deprecation and maybe even the feeling of worthlessness. These feelings are depicted in the song “I’m 20” where Kline sings “I’m 20 / Washed up already / I’d sell my soul for a free pen.” These emotionally infused songs portray what dealing with emotions feels like in everyone’s head. It’s dark and lonely, and it’s easy to get lost unless we learn how to express ourselves. Next Thing is an emotional expression from Kline to us, a conversation that creates a deep connection with the entity of its songs. Next Thing continues with an existential crisis presented to listeners in under 20 seconds at the beginning of “Tour Good.” Kline sings “I don’t know what I’m cut out for / If there’s anything” as her voice fills with comfort for the void that the crisis has made. Kline gives reassurance that thoughts like these are in everyone’s brain, making the pain left by them all the more bearable. All 15 songs on Next Thing are three-minute-or-less pieces of cathartic artwork. Greta Kline never fails to project her full self in her music through Frankie Cosmos and that brutal honesty gives listeners something to connect with. The elements composed in Next Thing evolve together to create an existential life discussion that would be had at 3 a.m. on the swings at a park with someone you love in just under 30 minutes. It’s simple, emotional and too beautiful for words.
MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW I was originally going to review Andy Black’s “Stay Alive,” but it was so bad that I decided to listen to Alesso’s latest single, “I Wanna BKnow.” Now, let I Wanna it be known Know that I’m not the biggest Alesso fan of EDM/ dance music; I think it serves a fleeting purpose as far as music goes. Each EDM song has a lifespan of a few months at most before it vanishes into an irrelevant abyss — I personally don’t know of anyone who still listens to Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” or Swedish House Mafia’s “Don’t You Worry Child” — in fact, these may be the only EDM/ dance songs some of you can name off the top of your head. However, music isn’t always about the ephemeral. Sometimes it’s okay for a kind of shitty song to be amazing in that it captures a moment, a time in your life. Thirty years from now, I doubt future generations will listen to “Wake Me Up” or “Don’t You Worry Child,” but if any
DEF JAM
of us happen to listen to them again, they’ll remind us of the days when that’s all the radio played. And I think that’s the purpose Alesso’s latest single serves. “I Wanna Know” isn’t a “great” song. It won’t stand the test of time, the majority of the world will probably hate it and there’s no question that it lacks substance and creativity. But it’s catchy and being “catchy” is paramount in 2016. With a staccato guitar intro that eases into the techno beat those Swedish DJs have perfected so well, “I
Wanna Know” is the ultimate summer jam. Perfect for pool parties, driving with your windows down or just smoking kush with some friends, Alesso knows how to get you vibing. And with the right remix this song will be played at every club and bar over the summer; it may even be the song of the summer. But that’s just it — it will only be the song of the summer, if that, because at the end of the day it’s just not a great song. And let’s be real, great songs are all that really matter. - DANIELLE IMMERMAN
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Love your father, love your cuisine By ANAY KATYAL Daily Arts Writer
Sunday mornings at the Katyal household meant a welcome routine. At the strike of 11 o’clock, my father began preparations for either chocolate chip pancakes or waffles (at my brother’s discretion), and I’d fire up Netflix and stream an old episode of “Top Gear” we had yet to watch. As a family, we had our eyes collectively glued to the screen for the next two hours, laughing at wry English automotive jokes and enjoying the breakfast my dad poured his heart into making that morning. With our mouths full of chocolate and dough, if there was one time of the week we were truly a “family,” it was those Sunday mornings. When our stomachs had enough, we began our five hour affair of traveling two or three towns over to buy our family’s groceries for the week. Costco, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Caputo’s and whatever Indian grocers we felt like visiting were usually on the list. It was innate for us. It was a Sunday constant. Food was (and still largely is) the focal point of my family. Growing up, my father used to toil at the stove, making us dinner from scratch night after night. His food was sustenance for my brother and me, a means to keep us healthy and satiated. It was something I came to expect, something I never really thought about. It took some time to wrap my head around the significance of it all, but learning how uncommon his dedication was made me realize something. Those nightly dinners of palak paneer, daal roti or whatever else my father felt like whipping up meant a lot more than what I gave them credit for. Beyond their caloric value, the meals he made contained a sense of love and familial attachment, expressed through his labor and culinary ingenuity. Even beyond our kitchen, my family’s relationship with food was much of the same. Sometimes, the only way our family could leave the house was if we had a new restaurant to try in a part of town we’d never been to. We expressed wonder, awe and fascination over the meals we shared. At those times, we were unified both in our emotions and our thoughts. In Plainfield, Ill., where I called home growing up, our options for food were banal and few. Fried chicken from the local Jewel-Osco grocery, bland vegetable lo mein from a strip mall Chinese restaurant, oversalted and undercooked breakfast mush from Larry’s Diner. I guess the lack of a cohesive culinary landscape didn’t really come as a surprise for my father. The town is a bastion of everything we know and love about Middle America; there were farms within two or three miles from my house, and a cornfield in my high school’s backyard. It compelled my father enough to
lug his kids around from town to town just to find produce, snacks, meals and whatever else he felt like feeding us that was up to his standard. Our form of a vacation was driving into Chicago and trying a new restaurant we read about, and our form of therapy was strolling through the aisles of Trader Joe’s and picking whatever eclectic snacks we could get our hands on. It was what we did. Hours away from home, it’s something I find myself still doing when I’m in need of a pick-me-up. I remember strolling through the aisles of Caputo’s with my father on the weekends. He tried teaching me how to find the right mango once. Color, feel and consistency were all paramount factors in the search, he said. He insisted there was a character to each mango, and as a shopper it was my personal duty to separate the bad seeds from the good. I honestly used to think he was full of shit, but tasting the fresh, full flavor of those mangos he brought home taught me the artistry and emotion my father had for food. I remember the face he used to make when he found the right fruit. Sometimes I find myself making the same face. It’s funny. None of it really struck me as being bizarre growing up. My father’s mania over what he cooked and what he fed us became second nature in our household. I didn’t really understand at the time that food was an escape for my father. But even as a child I knew if something was up, making his kids a muffaletta sandwich was his way of saying “Everything is all right.” It became a canvas for him to express his creativity, a means to channel his soul. The strains of a 12-hour-a-day corporate job might have left my father in a feral, crazed stupor after all these years (I can only imagine that would be the case if I was in his shoes), but I guess cooking was an outlet to protect his sanity. At the end of day, the plates of food he arranged probably brought him satisfaction through a means other hobbies might not have been able to. Plopping plates of meals he arranged on the kitchen table with a face of unabated triumph, watching his family eat his food with expressions of primitive joy and satisfaction — those were the moments he valued most when he came home, I think. And watching my father paint portraits of love and soul through the meals he made led me down a path that embraced food along a similar vein. There were (many) days where my father had a habit of making something he had never cooked before — usually while we were watching “Chopped” or “Iron Chef.” Watching television chefs animatedly try to shoehorn durian or jackfruit or stinky tofu (or whatever other obscure fruits and vegetables you could imagine) into their various
dishes must have lit a bulb in his head. The shift from “bored man watching TV with kids” to “fervent man whose synapses won’t stop firing” was funnily abrupt and blatant. Sometimes those days excited me, but sometime I also sat in my living room with a mix of fear and awe at what was to come out of the kitchen in a few hours. Whether or not those experiments panned out (though they did more often than not), watching his process was what caught my attention more than the meals he cooked. He was an impassioned man in those moments, a man who couldn’t be pulled from his stove or oven no matter how much one tried. There were times when he’d ask me to come sit with him when he was preparing that night’s dinner. Sometimes, I indulged him. But looking back, I wish I had accompanied him more often. Watching him cook those nights felt like watching an artisan ply his craft, or watching a strained man expunge his stresses and worries through a labor of passion. No matter if he was at the grill, nursing the stove or chopping vegetable after vegetable on the countertop, the different lens through which he saw life from the graces of the food he was making was always evident. The effort he put in requited my fascination. The personal triumphs he expressed were met with my embrace. Nowadays, I waste my friends’ time by talking about some new condiment I found at Babo, the meat my father, brother and I smoked during the holidays, or my love for a dish at a restaurant I discovered a weekend or two ago. My friends sometimes like to parrot jokes about my pretentious obsessions, but when it comes to food I’ve always felt there to be a fine line between pretension and passion. I’m not sure if my love for food was a product of an innate predisposition my father and I happened to share, or a product of being caught in the middle of my dad’s illustrious form of an escape (or even just a result of pretentious inclinations). But the countless weekends I spent with him watching him cook, or binge watching Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” while my mother was at work, created a relationship rooted deeply in the virtues of food. Food is a passion for my father, and it’s a passion he couldn’t help but share with me. As a family, we’ve had our trials and we’ve had our tribulations, but food has been the constant that has bound us together. It’s how I learned to feel love and passion. That’s something I can only thank my father for. When people ask me what I miss most about home, I don’t really have a singular answer. I honestly couldn’t care less about any specific place or thing left back in Plainfield. Truly, if I could just see my father in the kitchen more often, that’d be enough for me.
MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW Rihanna’s “Kiss It Better” music video is just what it should be, just what the song lends itself to. A slow jam Athat feels Kiss it immersed in warm, sexy Better fuzziness, Rihanna it’s just the track to play laying scantily in bed, rolling over, flipping your hair, breathing the soft-spoken vocals. You know, just general feelin’ yourself vibes. Shot in black and white, the video opens with Rihanna under a white sheet (the only color of sheets worth having, might I add), nipple piercings and face visibly sheathed under the lacy fabric as a single dice shuffles to her belly button before three more emerge and move across her
ROC NATION
stomach to her pelvis, setting the slow and sultry tone. Moments before the first lyric begin, Rih emerges from the sheets, her dark curls nearly engulfing her head. The remainder of the video is Rihanna in an over-sized, pinstripe coat or a lace nighty (never pants, always heels) singing, vibing, generally missing her boo. She does
countless hair flips, slides her jacket on and off, and gives one wicked smile to the camera. It’s inarguably simple, but the dodgy lighting and expert fan use create a video that undeniably follows its song’s lead, expertly capturing the sexy loneliness that’s pervasive on “Kiss It Better.” - CHRISTIAN KENNEDY
Thursday, April 7, 2016 — 3B
FILM REVIEW
TOHO
It’s getting hot in here, so take a bath house hijink.
‘Thermae Romae’ full of bathouse hijinks By JOE WAGNER Daily Arts Writer
Who would have thought that there could be an entire movie based around bathing culture? Not me. And who B would have thought that Thermae its hijinks and Romae hilarity would transcend Toho culture State Theatre and time? Definitely, not I. “Thermae Romae,” based on the manga of the same name by Mari Yamazaki, released in 2012 and screened as part of the Cinemanga series presented by the Center for Japanese Studies at the State Theatre this semester, may lack character development and an actual plot but the movie is just a whole lot of fun. It’s quite unlike anything else out there and so weird that you can’t seem to look away. The film starts in ancient Rome where Lucius, played by Hiroshi Abe (“Still Walking”), is an architect struggling to come up with innovative ideas for the empire. While bathing in a thermae (a public bath in ancient Rome), he sits underwater to contemplate on architectural ideas. Suddenly,
he is sucked through a hole in the bottom of the pool. And here, the absolute peculiarity of this film ensues. Intercutting between a large male opera singer belting and Lucius swirling through water, he travels through space and time to modern Japan. He pops up into a Japanese bathhouse filled with elderly Japanese men. Having never seen the Japanese before, the protagonist mistakes them as a group from another part of the Roman Empire. He addresses them as “slaves” and “flatfaced.” The fact that Hiroshi Abe himself appears Japanese only adds to this comic time-space transplantation. Absolutely amazed by the technology of this people, Lucius takes mental notes on their bathing technology. He drinks a Japanese fruity milk in a jar and enters into a state of total awe about how delicious the substance is. After shedding tears over the beauty of this beverage, he is transported back to ancient Rome. The initial sequence is absorbing, hilarious and completely absurd. Having essentially no knowledge of bathing culture, whether it be Japanese, Roman or whatever other culture, does not impede
the enjoyment of this movie. Lucius is transported into this foreign world in the same way the viewer is thrown into the unknown realm of public baths. While learning about Japanese bathing culture, the viewer is engrossed by Lucius’s struggles in modern Japan and can’t help but laugh at the film’s oddities, whether they be a grown man crying over fruit-flavored milk or how an opera singer accompanies his travel through the worm hole. Lucius travels back and forth between current Japan, where he gathers bathing ideas, and the Rome of antiquity, where he implements them to the emperor’s approval for the majority of the film. However, the movie starts at about 100 miles per hour and just can’t keep up the pace. By midway through, the bathing culture jokes quickly lose the firepower they once had and the loose plot keeps an ever-waning interest. A large conflict introduced two thirds of the way through the movie only serves to create a vague climax in which Lucius architectural prowess is tested. “Thermae Romae” is worthy of a watch if only to experience a rare and totally authentic weirdness, which it doesn’t try to be but rather just is.
An Instagram voyeur talks hot Mojo guys By EMMA KINERY Daily Arts Writer
Chocolate chip cookies aren’t the only steamy things drawing undergrads into Mojo Dining: The new Instagram account @hotdudes_ mojodining also pays homage to the dining hall — a hotspot for hot guys. It’s so simple! Even hot guys have to eat! The feed is full of mildly attractive boys mid-bite accompanied by suggestive captions like: “I bet this hot dude is happy about mac & cheese week and would be happy to show you a ‘gouda’ time (winkyface emoji, cheese emoji)” and “Could it be his Valentine that he’s eyeing? Or the fresh plate of cookies what was just brought out? (two diagonal pink hearts emoji).” The gram which garnered the most likes is of “Mojo Flicka da Wrist” card swiper Darren. The account was created during finals week of fall semester, out of boredom and inspiration from the Instagram account @hotdudesreading. The creator, who asked not to be named, said she had late exams at the end of fall
semester and spent a lot of time in Mojo Dining Hall because she lives on the Hill. “There was nothing left to do besides study, so we ended up doing what we usually do to procrastinate — sitting in the dining hall for hours on end,” she said. That was when the account was born. “I follow an Instagram account: hotdudesreading, so as we sat there, feeling our saneness leaving us, one of my friends, jokingly at first, was like, ‘We should make a hotdudesinmojodininghall account!’ ” she said. But as we were nearing our third hour of sitting in the dining hall, the idea sounded better and better by the minute. So, as a result of our impending craziness, the account was made.” The account encourages viewers to submit photos of attractive Mojo diners by either sending the pictures through Instagram messenger or by using #hotdudesinmojo. As the account has gained attention — now yielding nearly 300 followers — more submitted phots have been featured. “In the beginning, I took most of the pictures, but as I
gained more followers, a lot of people started sending in pictures, so now, it’s about 50/50,” the creator said. “When I created the account, I didn’t think it would have gotten as big as it did. Now, I rely a lot on the submissions, since it’s not exactly an easy task to stakeout the dining hall and capture a photo of every ‘hot dude’ I see.” Capturing hot dudes in their natural habitat isn’t easy: The curator says there are tricks to it. “You gotta be stealthy, like a jackal.” The awkward angled, not always perfectly focused photos are a testament to that, but it’s also what’s appealing about the account. That, and the dudes. Initially the account included photos of guys the curator is attracted to, but including submissions has helped to diversify the feed to include a variety of types. “When I take the pictures, I take shots of and feature people I find attractive,” she said. “But for the submissions, I end up featuring pretty much every one I get, because everyone’s idea of attraction is different. Even if I don’t find them attractive, it doesn’t mean that they’re not.”
HAVE A GREAT DAY TODAY!
the b-side
4B — Thursday, April 7, 2016
NO FILTER
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FILM REVIEW
ABC
I’m still here babyyyyyyyy.
TV: Prevent a flash By ALEX INTNER Daily Arts Writer
A couple weeks ago, “How to Get Away with Murder” ended its second season at a series low rating. The finale brought in 5.29 million viewers and a 1.4 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. While that number might seem decent for a 10 p.m. drama in this day and age (in fact, it was the highest rated 10 p.m. show on ABC that week), when you compare it to its season one finale, it stops looking pretty. Last year, the finale of “Murder” earned 8.99 million viewers, and a 2.8 demo rating, which is double season two’s finale number. There’s no way to sugarcoat it, a 50-percent drop yearto-year is awful. While there are other factors at play here, including a similar drop for its lead-in “Scandal” in the 9 p.m. slot, it seems like a good chunk of the audience has given up on “Murder.” “Murder” ’s not alone. ABC’s lineup is populated with dramas that started well but faded over time. In its first season, “Once Upon a Time” averaged over a 3.0 in the key demo. The latest episodes have scored a 1.3, 1.3 and 1.1 in the key demo. “Castle” has also dropped substantially from prior seasons in both total viewers and the demo. Then, there’s the case of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” which started out averaging above a 2.0 for the first half of its first season, but barely registered at a 0.9 demo rating this week. The problem isn’t just at ABC either. “Supergirl” opened up to a strong, “Big Bang Theory”driven 3.1 in the fall over at CBS. By episode five, the series was
getting half that rating, settling in between a 1.3 and 1.8 depending on the week. The show lost about half its initial audience by the time it settled down. There’s also “The Muppets” on ABC, which opened to a solid audience of 9 million viewers and a 2.9 demo rating. However, by episode four, the show was only pulling low 1’s. After a hiatus where the show retooled and rebooted itself, the show opened to a 0.9 and only dropped during its winter run. These are examples of a trend which is pervasive across broadcast television. Viewers have shown they’re willing to sample shows, but they’re not necessarily willing to stick around. This is one of the hardest questions facing network executives today. What factors lead to viewers turning away from a show? How do you make your show a nice saute instead of a brief flash in the pan? What I find to be a big driver of drops between seasons is something driven by the necessity of TV scheduling — the long break. A network TV series will make at most 24 episodes in a year, leaving a substantial amount of time without it airing. When shows like “Murder” or “Rosewood” drop upon returning from a long break, it’s an easy thing to point blame at. However, because serialized shows do not repeat well, this is still the best way to schedule dramas, despite the potential for dropping. However, multiseason drops can also be associated with natural attrition. Pretty much every single show on TV suffers some sort of decline as they age. “NCIS,” for example, is averaging
a 2.26 in the key demo, which is down substantially from the 4.0 it averaged just three years ago. This trend is probably one of the hardest to avoid, as there’s no way to stop time. However, neither of those explain why new shows are suffering precipitous drops within a few episodes of their first airing, though it’s hard to come up with a general rule because of how individualized each case is. Take “The Muppets.” Its decline can be attributed to a pure audience rejection of its format, which featured a fighting Kermit and Miss Piggy and some more conventional sitcom elements. With “Supergirl,” it could be the superhero show didn’t mesh well with a CBS audience used to crime procedurals. Yet, for everything in TV which points to a trend, there’s something which bucks the trend. And last season, nothing worked to destroy conventional wisdom in how TV works more than “Empire.” Much has been written about how the music industry drama grew each week in total viewers and almost every week in the demographic, ending up at 17.6 million viewers and a massive 6.9 in the demo. While the show’s second-season numbers have not reached that high, the series is still averaging 4.77 demo rating. Not every show can be “Empire.” The series seems to be a special case where it caught on in a big way, and there doesn’t seem to be a clear way to prevent declines at the level of “How to Get Away with Murder” or “Scandal.” Networks have tried to be clever with scheduling or with formats to try to bring viewers in, but there’s no clear-cut way of keeping them once they arrive.
LITTLE BIG PICTURES
I love Splash Mountain!
‘Cart’ serves up an artful slice of reality By ANA LUCENA Daily Arts Writer
Female director Boo Ji-young seamlessly blends the line between art and activism in “Cart.” The screening I attended was part of the Afilm festival Korean Cinema Cart NOW, that Little Big showcases the Pictures development of Korean culture. Michigan Theater Before the film, a speaker from the University of Michigan Nam Center for Korean Studies, a key sponsor, explained that the film and the real-life incident that inspired it provoked a heated discussion on women’s rights and labor rights in South Korea that exists to this day. It was a privilege to learn more about the East Asian country while enjoying their cinema that has increasingly (and understandably) earned praise in the last decade. The film focuses on Sun-hee (Yum Jung-ah, “The Spies”) and divorced Hye-mi (Moon Jeonghee, “Mama”), two mothers who do not live with the fathers of their children. They work at a major supermarket chain as temporary workers, meaning their benefits are limited. In spite of the fact many temporary workers get stuck in this position for several years. Right away, we see the difference between the two women’s attitude towards
work: Sun-hee works overtime without pay to help her chances of getting a vaguely promised promotion from the company, while Hye-mi is unable to avoid conflict with entitled customers and struggles to subsequently apologize as demanded by her superiors. Both women comply with the supermarket’s regulations, though, as they are the only ones sustaining their households. The struggles women face to keep employment at all ages is illustrated in the wide variety of women who work at the supermarket as temporary workers, who are from all walks of life and in similarly precarious situations. There are recent college graduates who can’t get a better job, to elderly and poorly educated women whose ill husbands can’t work and everything in between. All of the employees’ stories were fit into the film, admirably presenting the entire scope of the central issue. Without any warning, all these women are suddenly fired without any respect paid to the stipulations of their contracts. Their company plans to avoid having to hire them as full-time employees under the law by outsourcing their jobs, brutally showing the impact such economic advancement has on human lives. They come together to apply for the creation of a union, but fail in doing so. The sisterhood they create as they find alternative means to protest their unfair termination
and to fight for their jobs back proves far more valuable. Taking into consideration the women’s diverse backgrounds, their united front is all the more impressive. Eventually, a full-time male employee agrees to be their leader alongside Sun-hee and Hye-mi as they host demonstrations against the supermarket chain. The men in “Cart” brilliantly play a critical role in presenting common opposing views when discussing gender equality in the workplace, without ever resorting to stereotypes that oversimplify the real patriarchy into villains with one-track minds. The way the busy, patronizing head executives of the supermarket chain repeatedly dismiss the protests as “sensitive” women getting out of control was very reflective of real-world enterprise. Not only did it show the sexist indifference fueled by business that allowed for the inequality to happen, but also their lack of understanding of the women’s economic instability that caused it. “Cart” not only brings awareness to unfair practices targeting vulnerable demographics in real life, but also manages to keep you engaged with well-paced setbacks and advancements that never feel derived. The additional star power of a lead singer from the popular K-pop group EXO having the role of Sun-hee’s son will peak the interest of anyone, really, who cares about Korean pop culture. Or women. Or workers. Or people.