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CAMPUS LIFE
New Trotter facility name sparks worry in students
NEWS
Faculty named to prestigous society 4 professors join National Academy of Sciences >> SEE PAGE 3
NEWS
New FDA decision restricts e-cig use
Students voice mixed reactions in response to naming of new building
Regulations call attention to University study >> SEE PAGE 8 Ann Arbor Pioneer High school hosts electronic-waste recycling event on Saturday.
OPINION
Don’t waste your presidential vote
With high rates of unfavorability in both parties, every vote counts >> SEE PAGE 4
ARTS
Prince celebrated at the Blind Pig Prince Dance Party brings fans of all ages together at local concert venue >> SEE PAGE 7
SPORTS
‘M’ softball enters postseason Big Ten Tournament begins Friday in Happy Valley >> SEE PAGE 12
INDEX Vol. CXXVI, No. 115| © 2016 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS .................................... 2 OPINION ...............................4 ARTS ......................................6 CLASSIFIEDS.........................8 SUDOKU................................ 2 SPORTS................................10
Thursday, May 12, 2016
JEREMY MITNICK/DAILY
By RIYAH BASHA
‘U’ and Ann Arbor schools address e-waste recycling Residents drop off electronics for proper disposal By IRENE PARK Daily Summer News Editor
The University of Michigan’s Office of Campus Sustainability partnered with Ann Arbor Public Schools for the University’s annual e-waste recycling event — which aims to help community members dispose and recycle electrical or electronic devices — Saturday in Pioneer High School’s parking lot. The annual event began in spring 2008, around the same time the Climate Savers Computing Initiative — a campus campaign aimed at promoting sustainable computer use — and Sustainable Computing program began at the University. Since then, events have collected 1,792 tons of e-waste. The events are open to anyone who wants to recycle his or her e-waste, including non Ann Arbor residents. E-waste specifically refers to any discarded electrical or electronic devices, including cell phones,
televisions, stereos and wires. Last year, the United Nations Environment Program referred to it as the fastest growing waste stream in the world. A study in 2013 estimated a 33 percent growth of e-waste worldwide by 2017, about 72 million tons total. Incorrect disposal of e-wastes can create serious health hazards, especially in developing countries, where developed countries often dump their e-wastes. Many electronic gadgets contain toxic metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium, which can seep into the ground and contaminate water sources. Exposure to such toxic metals can cause damage to the nervous systems, kidneys and bones of both adults and developing fetuses. MaryBeth Stuenkel, University Information and Technology program manager and a volunteer at Saturday’s event, said recycling e-waste is not only a way to reduce the amount that ends up in landfills or water, but it’s also a way to reuse valuable resources for new electronic products without harming the environment. For example, producing one ounce of gold requires mining and
processing seven to 11 tons of ore, but gold can also be extracted from e-waste. “It’s a double reason to recycle (the e-waste),” Stuenkel said. “They are dangerous to the environment plus they are valuable resources that can be reclaimed and reused. That benefits the environments in another way — if you have gold from recycled materials, then you don’t have be mining for gold.” Stuenkel said the most common items people recycle at the events are old television sets. Unfortunately, these television sets do not contain as much precious metal that can be recycled as computers do, according to Stuenkel, adding that old televisions comprise mostly of plastic and glass. Stuenkel also mentioned that she and rest of the University’s Sustainable Computing program were surprised by the increasing turnout of e-waste recycling in Ann Arbor since 2008, with the number of cars attending increasing from 3,548 in 2010 to 7,000 in 2015. “When we started doing this in 2008, we expected the number of cars dropping off the waste to taper off,” Stuenkel said.
Daily Summer News Editor
Several students voiced concern over the University of Michigan’s decision to name the new building which will house the William Trotter Multicultural Center after Regent Mark Bernstein and his wife, Rachel Bendit. The building’s new name — Bernstein-Bendit Hall — comes after the University laudeda $3 million gift from the couple three weeks ago. The donation will help build the new facility, which will move from its current Washtenaw Ave. address to a more centrally located spot on South State Street. A number of students protested the name on social media, arguing it erased the legacy of the center’s current namesake: William Trotter— the prominent Black activist and co-founder of the Niagara Movement, a civil rights organization founded in 1905. Trotter director Jackie Simpson refuted these claims. She said the legacy of both Trotter will remain intact despite concerns surrounding the decision to rename the center. “I’ve heard many student concerns that the legacy of Trotter was going away,” Simpson said. “It’s not going to happen.” University President Mark Schlissel addressed the controversy in an open letterposted on the Trotter Center’s Facebook page, in which he drew comparisons to the Ford School of Public Policy — named for former President Gerald See TROTTER, Page 9
2 NEWS
Thursday, May 12, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SACUA continues to discuss upcoming year plans
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Warde Manuel, director of athletics, discusses the importance of communication between faculty and the University’s Athletic Department at the SACUA meeting in the Fleming building on Monday.
SUDOKU
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reduce the number of meetings The committee also discussed The committee decided to send throughout the summer months. the possibility of expanding the at least one SACUA member to In another effort to increase Senate Assembly. LSA professor each of the Regents meetings faculty transparency, the and SACUA member Silke-Maria in a public capacity to keep committee discussed a proposal Weineck pointed out that the members of SACUA informed on to require all Senate Assembly Senate Assembly was no longer administrative affairs. Committees to publish their representative of the faculty due Schultz then moved to meeting minutes, as well as to the faculty’s increasing size. request a volunteer to attend archiving SACUA meeting “The faculty has tripled and the biennial meeting of Alcohol material on Mbox — a Univeristy the Senate Assembly has stayed and Other Drugs — a division of file sharing platform. It was not the same number,” Weineck said. the University Health Service http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ made clear whether this material Pharmacy professor and focused on preventing substance would be open to the public. SACUA committee member David abuse. He said the SACUA Smith suggested an increase in representative should bring the the number committee’s of Senate former proposal Assembly to increase members and, the number of MEDIUM consequently, Friday morning increasing classes to the the number meeting. required for “Remember quorum would the Friday affect decrease morning class the efficacy of initiative was the Assembly. nipping away “That might at a problem, have a negative effect,” Smith that’s reducing by one day a said week –– one night a week –– our SACUA Chair William students indulging too much,” Schultz, a professor in the Schultz said. “But I think it would College of Engineering, also be nice to perhaps even consider questioned whether SACUA what further things we could do, accurately represented the entire because it certainly is a problem.” University’s faculty, offering the Additionally, Schultz possibility of reserving a SACUA expressed a desire to publish seat for a faculty member from a newsletter once or twice a the Flint or Dearborn campuses. semester, summarizing the Schultz also stated an actions and accomplishments of initiative to add attendance SACUA, and a desire to promote at the University’s Board of greater committee involvement Regents Meetings to the duties in the newsletter, as opposed to it © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com MID-DAY RUN of the SACUA liaison — a being a sole effort of the SACUA member who sits in on other chair, as it has been in previous Univeristy bodies as an observer. years. Generate and solve Sudoku, Super Sudoku and Godoku puzzles at sudokusyndication.com!
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Thursday, May 12, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
HEALTH
NEWS 3
New study links education to depression in Black men New University research finds high school diploma increases risk factors By ALEXA ST. JOHN Daily Staff Reporter
Despite the fact that an education acts as a protective factor against depression for most social groups, it is conversely a risk factor for depression among Black men, according to a recent University of Michigan study. Soon to be published in Frontiers in Public Health, the findings suggest certain intersections of race and gender
can lead to negative mental and physical health conditions with relation to education. Shervin Assari, University professor of psychiatry and lead author of the study, said this research — along with other studies he has done regarding the interactions between race, gender and depressive symptoms — has important social and public policy implications. Assari used data from the Americans’ Changing Lives study from the University’s Institute for Social Research. The study followed a nationally representative sample of more than 3,600 men and women for 25 years from 1986 to 2011. The longitudinal study collected
data regarding a range of social, psychological and behavioral factors, according to its website. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5.6 percent of Blacks experience moderate depressive symptoms as compared to 4.3 percent of non-Hispanic whites. For the most recent study, Assari focused on two outcomes — depressive symptoms and the number of current medical conditions — to survey how education can protect against depressive symptoms in white men, white women, Black women and Black men. Assari said there are multiple things that can be considered protective factors — aspects of
ACADEMICS
‘U’ faculty members elected to join the National Academy of Sciences Four new inductees bring total University membership to 29 By ISHI MORI Daily Staff Reporter
Four University of Michigan faculty members were elected as members to the National Academy of Sciences — one of the highest honors in academia in the United States —Tuesday. Members of NAS are selected for their exceptional achievements and contributions to research and their responsibilities include advising the members of the federal government on science, engineering and medicine. The University’s four inductees join 2,291 active members and 465 foreign associates. This year brought 84 newly elected members to NAS nationwide. The professors inducted — Stephen Forrest, Judith Irvine, Susan Murphy and Melanie Sanford — also bring the total number of active University faculty members in the NAS to 29. Irvine, the Edward Sapir Collegiate Professor of Linguistic
Anthropology, was elected for her research on language use in African social life, such as in local politics, in creating and expressing social hierarchy and in the making and destruction of social difference. Irvine found her election to the NAS to be a joyful surprise, as her field is uncommon among NAS members. “I was completely astonished to be elected to NAS – an unlookedfor honor and… unusual for my field,” Irvine wrote in an e-mail interview. “There are linguists in the Psychology section but not so much in Anthropology, though some in the past.” Forrest, the Peter A. Franken Distinguished University Professor of Engineering and Paul G. Goebel Professor of Engineering, was already elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2003 prior to his NAS election. Forrest, who specializes in electrical engineering and material science, was elected to the NAS for his lifelong work that led to breakthroughs in the understanding of soft materials, which can be easily deformed by thermal stresses or fluctuations at
room temperature. His previous election to the NAE was based on the exploitation of the materials and structures he developed for applications including fiber optic communications and displays. Forrest wrote in an e-mail that his goal is to secure a more sustainable future with his research , adding that his membership in the NAS can bring him one step closer. “I work at the very interdisciplinary boundary between materials, physics and engineering, primarily on photonic (that is optical) devices for displays, lighting and solar cells,” Forrest wrote. “Since lighting and solar cells both affect our use and generation of energy, you can see that I have a deep interest in sustainability and helping the world toward greater independence from fossil fuel.” Murphy was elected for her research on mobile health platforms, specifically for developing algorithms for wearable devices which deliver individually tailored treatments. Murphy is the Herbert E. Robbins Distinguished University Professor of Statistics, a research See FACULTY, Page 9
life which promote health and well-being — but his research focused solely on education and income. “These types of resources help the individual avoid risk and minimize the consequence of risks when they happen,” Assari said. “When you have education, education is the risk resource for you not to get the medical conditions that lower-educated or people with lower education would be at higher risk for. These are types of social resources that an individual can use to navigate.” The study looked at how baseline education — such as the number of years in school or the type of degree or credentials earned — influences behavior.
Assari wanted to see how baseline education could predict change in depressive symptoms and chronic medical conditions over 25 years. According to Assari, for both white men and white women, having a high school diploma is protective against depressive symptoms, yet for Black women, having these credentials neither protects nor increases the risk. For Black men, however, education correlates with an increase in the risk of depression. “In all groups, (education) is protective with one exception, which is Black men,” Assari said. “If other people have a high school diploma, they are definitely not at higher risk of See EDUCATION, Page 9
4 OPINION
Thursday, May 12, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Bring back the written word
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com LARA MOEHLMAN EDITOR IN CHIEF
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FROM THE DAILY
Don’t waste your vote Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have the highest unfavorability ratings of any Democrat or Republican nominee ever running for the presidency. This phenomenon has a plethora of implications for our democracy, but one of the most problematic is the creation of the #NeverTrump campaign and its cousin #BernieorBust. #NeverTrump is a rallying call from Republicans, such as Paul Ryan, who categorically refuse to support their party’s presumptive nominee for any number of reasons: questionable behavior on the campaign trail, general bigotry, total lack of a coherent policy platform and serial lying. On the other side, there are lingering questions regarding Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server, passage of the 1994 crime bill, receiving six-digit payments for speeches before Goldman Sachs executives and perceived lack of authenticity. All of this stands in stark contrast to the ideological purity of her competitor, Bernie Sanders. Many voters who have rallied behind these two hashtags feel as though the candidate affiliated with their identified majority party is totally unsuitable to be president. To this end, these citizens have proposed either voting for a thirdparty candidate as a protest vote, writing in the name of a candidate they would have rather endorsed or simply staying home on Election Day. This impulse is understandable given how unpalatable the presumptive nominees are to some voters. All of these decisions, made in protest, if done without considering the consequences, all accomplish the same thing for our American political system: nothing. A protest vote can serve an important function in many democracies throughout the world. In multi-party parliamentary systems, a protest vote can help close the gap between parties and prevent a single one from establishing a
ruling majority. However, because the U.S. presidential election only has two major primary candidates, a protest vote cannot institutionally accomplish this goal. People who band together around #BernieorBust are by definition averse to compromise. This purity can be commendable, but compromise is essential to our political system. Many people accept the importance of bargaining in the abstract, but when it comes time to actually do so, they fall short. By adhering to an unyielding ideaolgy, voters spoil elections for themselves. One only has to look back to 2000 to see how a mere 2.7 percent of the vote going to Ralph Nader swung the results to Bush, who very few Nader supporters considered a second choice. Thus, it’s important for people who have so much trepidation about a Clinton or Trump presidency to seriously consider what they want the country to look like in four years.
There are, however, valid reasons to vote for a third party. When a third party reaches five percent of the popular vote, it receives federal funding for the next election cycle. Therefore, if you believe that our nation can break out of a two — party system (despite the sizable obstacle presented by our single-member, plurality-rule election system), then voting for a third party is a worthwhile decision. Regardless of the way in which one ultimately votes, it is important to do so while giving serious thought to the issues our nation faces. Simply writing in a bygone candidate’s name is just as bad as sitting home and not voting. As you start to consider the candidates as the choices become clear, consider what your individual vote will do. Even when there may not seem to be a clear-cut candidate for a given party to support, every vote counts. Make sure to use yours wisely.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Roland Davidson, Caitlin Heenan, Jeremy Kaplan, Madeline Nowicki, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Kevin Sweitzer, Brooke White.
A
little while back, I was texting a friend from home. We were catching up and I told her that my grandfather ANNA had just passed POLUMBOaway, so I’d gone LEVY to Florida for the funeral. Almost immediately, she texted me back a red heart emoji. When I saw it, I was touched. But at the same time, I was a little taken aback, maybe even a little frustrated that she hadn’t written something like “I’m so sorry for your loss” or “Let me know if you want to talk.” Nonetheless, there could have been a variety of reasons why she didn’t say any of these things. As students, we are incredibly busy, so we may not have time to respond to every e-mail or every text with incredible detail. In fact, we shouldn’t expect these types of responses all the time, and I do not fault her for not responding with more than an emoji. They are, after all, there for us to use. So why wouldn’t we? But this moment got me thinking. As technology use is rapidly increasing and expanding, Facebook stickers, emoticons, emojis and GIFs have changed the way we communicate, but not necessarily for the better. Ever since the advent of Facebook, its users have been clamoring for a “dislike” button to pair with the “like” button. And though there is no indication that feature will be an option any time soon, at the end of February 2016 Facebook gave its users the ability to respond to a post on their newsfeed by clicking on one of five emoticons. The choices? “Love,” “haha,” “sad,” “angry” and “wow.” Now, people aren’t forced to default to “liking” a post. According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook added the emoticons because they want users to be able to “express empathy and make it comfortable to share a wider range of emotions.” Facebook Product Manager Sammi Krug said this gives users the ability to “authentically react” to Facebook posts, adding that this new feature is an “easy” thing to do that “opens a lot of doors.” Zuckerberg and Krugs’ statements indicate that they see the solution to a lack of emotion over Facebook to be animated happy and sad faces. Now, not only can you “like” something, but you can also “love” something. But to me, these statements are problematic. Don’t get me wrong. I think emoticons and emojis have a place in our communication. In fact, it would be cool if someone were to “love” a picture and comment.
I believe an emoticon could be a nice supplement to a comment, but it shouldn’t replace one — especially if the subject is very important or serious. We need to think more about how we use these emoticons and emojis, as we often, too willingly, replace a written sentiment with a little animated face or GIF. By adding these emoticons, some can express anger about a New York Times article regarding the shootings in Brussels, for example, by simply clicking on the “angry” face emoticon. And by making “reacting” this easy, I believe we lose truly authentic and thought-out written comments. In this way, we are essentially telling people that clicking the “love” emoticon is the same thing as typing out “I love you” or “This is a great article.” Similarly, these emoticons also emphasize a one — size — fits — all mentality. Take, for example, the “wow” emoticon. By clicking that, you could be saying, “Wow, that is really terrible” or “Wow, this is amazing,” which can be problematic given that an emoticon can’t easily distinguish between the two, unless someone takes the time to clarify what it means. Words allow us to convey different levels of emotion that an emoticon cannot. If a post pops up on your newsfeed about the passing of one of your friends’ loved-ones, I am sure it could make you sad and you may feel inclined to click the “sad” emoticon. But then, right after, if a news story about the closing of your favorite store pops up, that may also make you feel sad, but it’s likely a different level of sad. What are you going to do then? Click the “sad” emoticon? To me, these events are different and elicit two different levels of sadness. I would feel odd using the “sad” emoticon for both and just leaving it at that. It is my belief that these emoticons don’t encompass all emotions, nor do they always do a good job of conveying what we actually mean to say without some explanation. That is where words can and must come in. Although many see Facebook’s newest feature as a blessing, finally a way to more accurately express how you feel about something, I am wary to accept it without reservation. I would like to see the written word make a comeback. And the best way to do that is to give us fewer ways to hide behind GIFs, emojis and emoticons. Or if you are going use emoticon, maybe write a little something to go along with it. —Anna Polumbo-Levy can be reached at annapl@umich.edu.
Thursday, May 12, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Say nice things about Michigan
O
ne of my best friends on campus is from Pennsylvania, and every once in a while we get into KEVIN a repetitive SWEITZER debate over the relative importance of the states. In my view as a lifelong Michigander, the natural beauty and industrial prowess of Michigan puts it pretty high on my list of notable states. However, for my out-of-state friend, it usually falls somewhere in the bottom half of the states, usually somewhere between Delaware and Wisconsin. Even though this debate has been raging for the entire year, we still have our own perceptions about the state in which we both currently go to school. The problem with this isn’t that my friend and I disagree over the ranking of the states. The problem comes from our knowledge of Michigan. I have spent 19 years on this peninsula, and have been everywhere from the streets and skyscrapers of Detroit to the mighty Mackinac Bridge that crosses into the Upper Peninsula. On the other hand, many nonMichigan natives drop out of the sky at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, shoot straight across Wayne and Washtenaw Counties on I-94, and never — save for an occasional trip to the Ypsilanti Meijer — leave the city of Ann Arbor. This is a huge problem, as it perpetuates many negative narratives about Michigan among our student body. I’ve heard students at the University of Michigan criticize every part of this state. Be it false statements about violence in Detroit or cruel jokes about the water crisis in Flint, everything seems to be on the table for criticism from students, many of whom have no experience outside of Ann Arbor. Our university, the University of Michigan, doesn’t simply
bear the name of this great state for merchandising purposes. This great academic institution was built on the backs of many Michiganders spanning all the way back to 1817. The tax dollars of Michigan residents fund the University and have done so for almost two centuries. While some may argue that the existence of high out-of-state tuition rates justify any misunderstanding of the University that may exist, I hope that any student at this school can understand exactly what Michigan means. It’s not just saying “Go Blue” and hailing to the victors, but also knowing “Michigan, My Michigan” and seeking a pleasant peninsula by looking about us. I hope that students at this fine educational institution can get the chance and opportunity to learn more about the state of Michigan in a positive way. Whether it’s biking through the streets of Detroit, camping on the beaches of Lake Michigan or even taking a horseback tour of Mackinac Island, summer brings a lot of chances for students to get out of Ann Arbor and into the rest of Michigan. There is a notion that two drastically different versions of Michigan currently exist. The Michigan I know and love is a great state, a state that built the nation and a state that provides for this University. In order for us to reconcile my Michigan with the notion of a rusted-out wasteland, commonly held by inexperienced Michiganders, we must experience the greatness of this state. So the next time I hear someone talking about the Upper Peninsula or Detroit in a bad way, I’ll challenge them to experience Michigan like a true Michigander, not just a flyby student. —Kevin Sweitzer can be reached at ksweitz@umich.edu.
INTERESTED IN CAMPUS ISSUES? Every Monday at 7 pm, the Daily’s opinion staff meets to discuss both University and national affairs and write editorials. E-mail opinioneditors@michigandaily.com to join in the conversation.
OPINION 5
UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE AND FACULTY COALITION FOR ETHNIC STUDIES | MICHIGAN IN COLOR
The future of ethnic studies
On Monday, April 11, more than 100 students and faculty members gathered in the Michigan League for The Future of Ethnic Studies, a teach-in organized by a broad coalition of graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Michigan. The goals of the event were to develop interest and investment in ethnic studies across the University and to build structures of collaboration and coalition among graduate students, undergraduates and faculty of color. We organized this event to encourage the growth of ethnic studies programs and demonstrate to the University administration that there is a need for these units to secure more resources, especially in light of the University President Mark Schlissel’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Ethnic studies programs across the country are experiencing a moment of crisis and opportunity. We see these crises manifesting from San Francisco State University, where the first ethnic studies programs were founded and where the administration is threatening devastating cuts to its budget, to here at the University of Michigan, where the slow attrition of faculty of color and ethnic studies faculty constitutes its own crisis. At the same time, college campuses in the past year, from Yale to Mizzou, have mobilized en masse to make their demands for racial justice heard. As the University designs its plan for diversity, equity and inclusion, we need to ensure that the histories, cultures and communities that make this campus diverse remain a central feature of the curriculum. The event on Monday was the product of several years of faculty and student activism. This vision for this event is shaped by the graduate students in the Asian/ Pacific Islander American Studies Program in the department of American Culture. In the past few years, seven faculty members have left the A/PIA Studies Program, and only two faculty have been hired by the department. There has been one graduate course offered in A/PIA studies since 2013, and no graduate instructor positions for classes in A/PIA studies. Undergraduate enrollment in the program has also dropped dramatically in the last five years. However, these problems are not
unique to A/PIA Studies. This university does not support ethnic studies but asks for our units to do the labor of educating a largely white and affluent student body of issues on race and ethnicity. The lack of support for ethnic studies is apparent both inside and outside the classroom — faculty of color are departing this institution in droves; graduate students are continuously invalidated by their departments if their work addresses issues of race, gender, sexuality and ability; and undergraduates are left to deal with a campus climate that allows for racist parties to be thrown by fraternities and for public spaces to be chalked with messages of hate. The macro and the micro cannot be separated. The lack of institutional support for classes that address issues of difference and identity is reflected in the interactions between students and faculty that leave people of color fearful and tired of every-day acts of racism. This is not the first time students have gathered out of concern for ethnic studies. In 2008, graduate and undergraduate students organized the Campus Lockdown teach-in, an event protesting the lack of institutional support for recruiting and retaining a critical number of faculty in ethnic studies, women’s studies and other departments. The 400 attendees of the event brought to the University’s attention that only three percent of faculty are women of color, and many of these few faculty were forced to continue teaching at other institutions because they were not supported by the University. The organizers of The Future of Ethnic Studies teach-in follow the footsteps of the 2008 coalition in our push for more resources to support faculty and students of color at this institution. Our framing around the future of ethnic studies is intentional. While ethnic studies programs around the country are being cut and reorganized, our goals are not just to defend ethnic studies programs from institutional attack, but also to push ethnic studies beyond its current boundaries to transform and grow. Rather than simply respond to crises in the University by advocating for a return to what once was, we can put forward our own visions of what ethnic studies could be. What would ethnic studies look like if we imagined
different forms of relation beyond the “food group” model that keeps African American, Arab and Muslim American, Asian/Pacific Islander American, Latino/a and Native American studies in our own departments and programs? How might ethnic studies challenge divisions between the classroom and the community to cultivate ethical practices of community engagement? Or help us develop the tools to fight for racial, gender and economic justice in and beyond the University? The University’s plan for diversity, equity and inclusion is a moment of opportunity. However, we can’t let the terms of this conversation be confined and defined by the administration as a push for multicultural inclusion rather than racial justice. The current framing of the conversation on diversity, equity and inclusion is to include more people of color without radically transforming the exclusionary ways in which this institution is already run. As Barbara Ransby reminded us during the Speak Out for Racial Justice in 2014, “If we’re going to embrace the notion of diversity, it has to be one that is contextualized and that is unapologetically political. We can have a Baskin-Robbins, pick your favorite flavor of diversity, which is cosmetic and decorative, or we can have a version of diversity that says inclusion is based on the history of exclusion and oppression.” What would it mean for us in ethnic studies to reframe the conversation on diversity, equity and inclusion to be a conversation about racial justice? In other words, how can we call into being a university that challenges injustice in its own structure and in its surrounding communities? A university that is responsible to Aura Rosser, who was murdered by the Ann Arbor Police Department, a university that is responsible to the residents of Flint, who have been abandoned by the state, a university that is responsible to the surveilled communities in Dearborn, a university that is responsible to the communities whose land this institution is built on and a university that is responsible to the students, faculty, staff and workers upon whose labor this institution thrives?
6 ARTS
Thursday, May 12, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TV REVIEW
‘Good’ finale dismays “Good Wife” finale fails to properly honor series. By ALEX INTNER Summer Managing Arts Editor
“The Good Wife” said goodbye after seven seasons with an episode that didn’t take much time to celebrate the show, its B characters or anything The Good that made it great. Instead, Wife for better or Series Finale worse, it put the focus on Sunday at 9 p.m. closing the CBS story arc of the past several episodes. To me, that’s a damn shame. Over the course of its remarkable, yet imperfect sevenyear run, this show built a stable of characters who deserved more appreciation than a plot-based finale like this one allows. The finale didn’t do as much as it could or should have to show off what made “The Good Wife” so fun to watch and exciting at its peak. The main focus of the series finale is the conclusion of Peter Florrick’s (Chris Noth, “Sex and the City”) trial for deliberately setting free the son of a major donor while he was the Illinois State’s Attorney. The trial has been ongoing for several episodes, and it seems like an odd way to spend the final episode. The key source of drama is Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies, “ER”) and Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski, “Chicago”), Peter’s lawyers, trying to find some way to present new evidence to the jury, thinking it might help their case. The story meanders along through the episode, as writers Robert and Michelle King (“In Justice”) somehow find a way to add more twists than were already done in earlier episodes. While it was nice to return to the courtroom, there wasn’t enough here to justify spending a substantial chunk of the series finale on a boring, episodic storyline like this. Where the finale did look back on its run was in its moments between Alicia and Will Gardner (Josh Charles, “Sports Night”).
Alicia, questioning whether she wants to choose Peter or Jason Crouse (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, “The Walking Dead”), ends up fantasizing conversations with her former lover, Gardner. In these fantasies she makes realizations about her case, but she also talks to him about their relationship and the law they practiced. Until Charles left in the middle of the fifth season, Will and Alicia’s connection was one of the cornerstones of the show, so to have them together again onscreen made of a highlight of the episode, especially because it allowed the finale to actually look back on the series’s run. The oddest choice of the entire episode occurs in the final scene, where “The Good Wife” ends on a moment of bitterness. After Alicia stands by her husband through his resignation announcement, she runs offstage thinking she saw Jason in the doorway. It turns out not to be him, but as she turns to walk back to the stage, Diane walks by and slaps her across the face for revealing Diane’s husband’s affair in courtroom testimony, and Alicia is left alone. So, “The Good Wife” ends with a slap. It’s a bitter and angry choice by the Kings. Though there’s no need to artificially insert a happy ending, at the beginning of the finale, Alicia and Diane are at a point of mutual respect, trying to build an all-female law firm. The episode had to work to get the characters to a point of tension like this, and the legwork just wasn’t there to support this final twist. That kind of artificial character work shows what was missing from this finale, the authentic drama that made the series great in the first place. When “The Good Wife” was at its peak, the story twisted and turned in new and surprising ways, without ever feeling like it was too much or too crazy. Each scene flamed with tension or crackled with energy as the cast members bounced off one another. The series would always go 10 or 15 minutes before cutting to a commerical, often using the time to build and build to the point where I forgot there were even breaks to take. Never was this more true than in season five. I’m rewatching the opening of the episode “Hitting the Fan” as I write this, and watching Will
confront Alicia about her plan to leave the firm … the feelings of betrayal are palpable. Something the finale sorely lacked was this dramatic tension, or any kind of character-based payoff like “Hitting the Fan” had. Some of the credit for “The Good Wife” remaining so good for so long belongs to this fantastic ensemble, in which each member, from Margulies at the top to guest stars at the bottom, crafted wellrounded characters with poise and skill. I will always remember the series for taking advantage of New York City’s long list of actors, bringing in everyone from Broadway stars Baranski and Alan Cumming (“Tin Man”) in series regular roles, to actors like Martha Plimpton (“Raising Hope”), Michael J. Fox (“The Michael J. Fox Show”), Carrie Preston (“True Blood”), who is probably my favorite of the show’s guest stars as Elsbeth Tascioni, and David Hyde Pierce (“Frasier”). That barely scratches the surface of the deep roster of talent this series employed. (In fact, the finale also pissed me off by completely wasting an appearance from “Bunheads” star Sutton Foster, who was barely onscreen at all). “The Good Wife” also represents a faded breed of network drama, one that tells a serialized story over the course of 22 episodes. The broadcast business model is changing — to the point where some shows don’t need to reach the traditional 100 hours to become successful. In fact, Margulies has said that nothing would convince her to do another 22-episodes-per-season network drama. For me, there’s still value in a show that can maintain its story over this many hours, and, if the industry goes towards shorter seasons as predicted, “The Good Wife” will go down in history as one of the last carriers of that torch. I may have had problems with elements of the final season and how “The Good Wife” spent its time in the final episode, but I will dearly miss the drama. Over its seven-year run, it gave the television landscape fascinating legal cases, beautiful character moments and brilliant dramatic payoffs that few on network television have come close to matching.
MUSIC REVIEW
WARNER BROS. RECORDS
Drums are cool, apparently.
‘Boxes’ resorts to tried and true By SOPHIA KAUFMAN Daily Arts Writer
The most played song on my iTunes library in 10th grade was probably The Goo Goo Dolls’s “Slide” from Dizzy Up the Girl in 1998. It was B the song that first introduced Boxes me to the band. The Goo I fell in love Goo Dolls with the guitar rhythm that Warner Bros. felt weightless, Records a cascading opening melody and lyrics that, as cheesy as it sounds, hurt to listen to — just the way songs do when they ring true. The Goo Goo Dolls’s latest album, Boxes, doesn’t feature anything as poignant or tightly crafted as some of their previous work, but that doesn’t make it any less pleasant to listen to. Boxes reveals a more mellow side to the group. As always, frontman John Rzeznik’s voice adds a bit of texture to the song’s sentiments without pulling focus from the song as a whole — which is almost always a good thing. However, the album’s first song, “Over and Over,” feels bizarrely too young for this album and The Goo Goo Dolls as a group. It would be the kind of fun mindless track you forget you’re actually listening to until it stops, if it weren’t for the chirpy chorus of “Turn it up!” This kind of chirpiness works better later on in a light, dancing piano melody in the song “So Alive.” “Souls in the Machine,” which follows it, picks up the pace a little bit; it feels like the antithesis to something like Pink Floyd’s “Brick in the Wall.” When the chorus of “Flood” hits, it’s more gentle than you
expect, making it much more pleasant and somehow more subtle, despite its obvious lovesong-like quality. “The Pin” and “Boxes” deal with the less passionate parts of a love story: with the comfort and safety that comes with a love that feels like a home. The first lyrics of “Free of Me” — and the way they’re sung in an ever-so-slightly petulant tone — sound unusually similar to Simple Plan. The next two songs, “Reverse” and “Prayer in My Pocket” follow suit. The beginning of “Lucky One” sounds like a mashup between a Taylor Swift and a Sam Smith song (I promise, it’s true). “Long Way Home,” the final song on the album, includes a sprightly piano sequence, emphatic drum beats and a familiar return to home — a warm way to round out the album. Boxes is, more than anything, comfortable. The Goo Goo Dolls fall back on safe melodies, unsurprising beats and lyrics that feel like they could have come from an Imagine Dragons or One Republic album. The amount of repetition and the similarity of styles to other artists in the album stand out. It feels slightly been there, done that — nothing like the freshness of songs like “Slide,” “Iris,” “Black Balloon” or dancing-in-therain kind of hits like “Rebel Beat” or “Last Hot Night.” The sentiments are comfortable and comforting in their familiarity, but they don’t make me laugh or cry or do anything other than find comparisons to other songs. Nothing sticks with me, which is slightly disappointing — especially considering that “Slide” is probably still within the top ten of my iTunes, even five years after I’d heard those opening four measures.
Thursday, May 12, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
EVENT REVIEW
MUSIC REVIEW
ARTS 7
Life’s a party: Blind Pig Grips falls in celebrates Prince’s music ‘Bottomless Pit’ Packed party honors the life and music of late rock star
By SAM ROSENBERG Daily Arts Writer
By ADAM THEISEN Managing Arts Editor
First of all, I had no idea this many people liked Prince. I mean, obviously, the outpouring of love and grief in the days following his death was overwhelming, but among people my age, that I actually talk to? We had never said much of anything about him beyond maybe “Kiss.” Prince was one of my mom’s favorites, and I really only knew and enjoyed him in that context. But the Blind Pig’s Prince Dance Party last Saturday was packed, and not just with older folks. It might have been as much as 75 percent kids in their twenties, with the rest filled out by middle-aged fans who were in their teens and twenties when Purple Rain came out. They were all excited and ready to dance. I don’t quite love Prince enough where I can go at it with his music for three hours and know every single minute, but wow, I don’t know if anyone can scale the heights of his best songs. Even if I don’t know the albums front-to-back, tracks like “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” “Controversy” and “Delirious” all killed, effortlessly guiding our bodies into sweaty frenzies. There was a great moment when the DJ spun “When Doves Cry” and tossed in the first verse to “Little Red Corvette” during an instrumental break. As “Doves” concluded, it led right into that 0-to60 chorus of “Corvette,” blowing up the whole room in the process. Beyond that, “Darling Nikki” and “Kiss” were both highlights. The former, a song so nasty that it’s the reason those “Parental Advisory” stickers on CDs exist, was surprisingly easy to dance to, even with its slow, grinding tempo. “Kiss,” meanwhile, is the tightest, funkiest, most ecstatic three minutes ever put on tape, and it caused such a commotion that my friend even hit somebody in the face during her rush to get back to the dancefloor (everyone was fine). Then there was “1999,” for my money the best song about party-
PAISLEY PARK RECORDS
Rest in peace, you sweet man.
ing ever written. Composed during peak nuclear anxiety in the early ’80s, “1999” recasts parties not just as mere diversions or excuses to get crazy, but rather as the best possible response to annihilation. The song has a brilliant beat for dancing, but it gets its power from the conviction that parties are the natural high point of life, not a frivolous distraction. Given that we were having so much fun at the Blind Pig that night, “Life is just a party / And parties weren’t meant to last,” was a line that hung over the whole night. I left a little too early to hear what surely would have been the main closers: “Raspberry Beret,” “I Would Die 4 U” and, of course, “Let’s Go Crazy.” But my night ended on “Purple Rain,” which was totally fine. It’s never been my favorite Prince track, but in a room where everyone was a little drunk and primed to belt it out, it was a beautiful thing. I ended up between two middle-aged women who were dancing with their husbands but kept reaching over to each other and singing together. And then one of them ran her hand through my sweat-drenched hair. The night was amazing, but I must admit to having some mixed feelings about it. It was, essentially, a funeral. We were all gathered in the room because an artist had died, and we all felt this was the best way to celebrate and remember his life. Is it weird that we were dancing at what’s traditionally a somber occasion? I’ve thought about it a lot, and I don’t think so. When Bowie died earlier this year, I spent hours and hours listening to his music, mostly by myself, kind of somberly reflecting on who he was and what
he meant. In retrospect, it felt more like dwelling than mourning. I honestly didn’t feel like the process was complete until I was at a party a few months later. “Let’s Dance” was on the playlist, which I had helped put together, but it ended up accidentally being the extended dance mix version that’s seven minutes long. Ordinarily, putting on a remix like that of an ’80s song would kill a party, but that night it was perfect. People got up on couches to dance and bond and overcome anxiety and just do their thing to a great beat, even if it was long and unfamiliar. It was caused by Bowie, and it was one of the highlights of the night. To me, that’s now a huge part of his legacy — how he brought people together with his art, not just because it was critically beloved and legendary, but also because he got friends cheering on other friends dancing on couches in a city he never set foot in. I’ve listened to so much Prince in the days since he passed — probably more than I ever did when he was alive. It has been mostly a private experience, but the Blind Pig, I think, is where the real truth of the artist became clear to me. I know nothing about Prince beyond the music he gave to the world, so there’s no way we can know for sure, but I really believe he would’ve smiled if he had seen a diverse group of Michiganders going non-stop to all his songs. Prince never played the Blind Pig — I’d be surprised if he’d ever even heard of it — but his spirit was still in all of our movements. Like Bowie’s legacy lives on in those couches in that house on Ashley Street, Prince will forever be in a disco ball on 1st.
Despite having a relatively new career, Death Grips has already made a significant name for itself. The Sacramento trio C+ has released five records, Bottomless two instrumental projects, an Pit EP and a mix- Death Grips tape in the past six years, com- Third World/ pleting each in Harvest Records almost rapid succession and occasionally without any prior notice to the public. Their music has attracted the attention of Icelandic singer Björk, Robert Pattinson (of “Twilight” fame), and even Adidas. Through mixing genres of metal, punk, hip hop industrial and electronic, Death Grips has become one of our generation’s most compelling music phenomenons, which is strange considering they decided to call it quits after releasing their “final album,” The Powers That B, in the spring of 2015. Of course, that wasn’t the case, as they announced late last October that they were embarking on a world tour and were in the process of creating their newest album, Bottomless Pit. Though they continue to showcase a tireless ambition and impeccable craft, it was only a matter of time before Death Grips’s music became predictable. In addition to being the band’s most chaotic and harshest record to date, Bottomless Pit lacks the captivating hooks, hard-hitting lyrics, cohesive thread and gravity-defying heights of their previous efforts. For a band known for having an erratic, experimental sound, Death Grips keeps their material relatively polished. Yet Bottomless Pit feels like an unfortunate misstep, with 13 songs piling on top of one another and creating a numbing, messy listening experience. Tracks like the heart-stopping opener “Giving Bad People Good Ideas,” the unnervingly noisy “Spikes” and electro-punk
thrasher “Three Bedrooms In a Good Neighborhood” are irksome compared to songs from 2012’s The Money Store and 2013’s Government Plates. Like their past works, these tracks are injected with a nihilistic abandon and an abrasive sound, but they don’t seem to push hard enough to break Death Grips’s thematic and sonic mold. Promotional single “Hot Head” starts with a promising muzzled synth loop, which is then gradually drowned out in a muddled heap of raucous guitar riffs and twitchy electronic blips. “BB Poison” is similarly frustrating, building off an irritating warped sample that verges on giving a listener a migraine. The zany “Bubbles Buried in the Jungle” weaves in and out like a dangerous driver on the freeway as it changes tempos unexpectedly twice within the song. However, Bottomless Pit is not without the strengths and creative talent of its producers, drummer Zach Hill and instrumentalist Andy Morin. With frontman Stefan “MC Ride” Burnett’s feral roar and streamof-consciousness raps, the three Death Grips members elevate the album’s tired formula on certain tracks. Jittery highlights “Eh” and “Trash” finds MC Ride voicing his frustrations with society, the former thrusting him in a sea of problems he could care less about and the latter venting about the negative effects of consumerism. The album’s shortest song, “Ring a Bell,” is also its best, exhibiting all of Death Grips’s best qualities while adding a shimmering guitar riff to boot. Undoubtedly, Death Grips will continue to perplex, amaze and mystify audiences. Though Bottomless Pit may not be the ideal example of their current state as artists, Death Grips doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon — unless the band momentarily disbands again. Perhaps if they shift and tweak their conceptual focus, Death Grips can propel forward into much darker, more emotionally taut territory.
8 NEWS
Thursday, May 12, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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Updated FDA e-cig regulations highlight University research Study disproves perception of e-cigarettes as gateway drug By ALEXA ST. JOHN Daily Staff Reporter
E-cigarettes — considered an alternative to traditional cigarettes since their introduction to the market in 2003 — are batterypowered products which vaporize a flavored liquid, which is inhaled by the user. E-cigarettes are sometimes used as tools to quit smoking. According to a 2014 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 22 percent of adults ages 18 to 24 had tried an e-cigarette, and about four percent of adults used e-cigarettes every day or some days. The rising popularity of e-cigarettes has raised concern as to how e-cigarettes would be regulated and marketed, and whether they would be treated the same as traditional cigarettes with regard to public policy — despite minimal research conducted on the health effects of e-cigarettes. For example, despite popular belief, e-cigarettes contain many of the ingredients traditional cigarettes do, such as nicotine, unknown chemicals, flavorings and colorings. A previous University study indicated that both teenage e-cigarette users and their parents wish to see e-cigarette regulation in public places, another concern that accompanies the product. Last Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it will regulate e-cigarettes and other products — such as cigars and hookahs — in the same way it regulates traditional cigarettes and tobacco. According to the announcement made Thursday by Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell and FDA commissioner Robert Califf, restrictions will be placed on the sale and distribution of e-cigarettes and other tobacco
products, including age restrictions and advertising and promotion restrictions for public health purposes. Sarah Cherng, a Rackham student and lead author of the University study, agreed that there is a large debate surrounding the potential harms and benefits of e-cigarettes. “We’re seeing a very large increase in high schoolers and adolescents using electronic cigarettes,” Cherng said. “On one hand, there are people who are very concerned that electronic cigarettes are going to act as a gateway to traditional smoking initiation. Whereas, on the other hand, there is the harm reduction type research … (which believes) e-cigarettes can actually help with smoking cessation — help current smokers stop smoking.” The researchers used data from resources such as the National Health Interview and the CDC showing previous and current national rates of smoking, as well as statistics on the growth rate of e-cigarette usage, to come up with a simulation model. Cherng said the researchers wanted to perform a quantitative analysis to see whether e-cigarettes act as a gateway to smoking initiation or as an aid for current smokers who need to quit. There has so far been few studies looking into the health differences of using a traditional cigarette and an e-cigarette, as well as little research on the long-term effects of using e-cigarettes as a cessation device. According to the University study, a 20 percent increase in the rate of smoking cessation would correlate to a six percent reduction in overall smoking popluation by the year 2060. On the contrary, for smoking rates to increase by six percent in 2060, smoking initiation would have to increase by 200 percent — an unlikely occurrence, according to the researchers. “Based on the patterning of e-cigarette use among adults right now … their use is primarily concentrated among current See CIGARETTE, Page 9
Thursday, May 12, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TROTTER From Page 1 Ford, a University alum — although it is housed in Joan and Sanford Weill Hall. “It’s still the Ford School, named after one of our most cherished alumni, but the building is named after two donors who helped us realize the vision for the new facility,” Schlissel wrote. “In both the Ford and Trotter cases, the donors shared U-M’s vision for what their gifts could do for our campus.” Schlissel also referenced an April 29 meeting between himself, E. Royster Harper, the University’s vice president for student life, and representatives from the Black
FACULTY From Page 3 professor at the Institute for Social Research and professor of psychiatry at the Medical School. Murphy was unavailable to comment for this article. Sanford, the Moses Gomberg Collegiate Professor of Chemistry and an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, was youngest of the four inductees, and the only professor in the group to have started working at the University after the new millennium. She was elected for her 130 published papers on the development of new chemical reactions that enable the production of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals,
EDUCATION From Page 3 depressive symptoms over time unless they are Black men.” However, these findings do not suggest Black men do not know how to use their education, Assari said. On the contrary, for Black men, each year of education increasingly protects the population from engaging in risky behavioral patterns. Rather, it is the persistent societal segregation and social barriers present an increase in the risk of depressive symptoms for Black men, according to Assari. He explained that negative social barriers lead to a restricted access to jobs and an unequal pay, both of which lead to the potential development of depressive symptoms.
Student Union, which initially called for the relocation of Trotter two years ago with the #BBUM campaign — a viral public discussion on the experiences of Black students — and has been at the forefront of advocating for the center’s new central campus location and therefore increased accessibility. BSU programming chair Jamie Thompson, an LSA junior, voiced disapproval of the new building’s name in an e-mail interview with the Daily last week. Thompson wrote that, although she understands the Multicultural Center itself will retain Trotter’s name, she still disagrees with it being housed in a facility named after Bernstein and his wife. “Black students have fought for
positron emission tomography (PET) imaging reagents, battery components and fuels in a more efficient and environmentally friendly manner. Standford said none of this would have been possible without the support of her department colleagues and undergraduate and graduate students of her research group. She also expressed her gratitude to fellow NAS member Robert Grubbs, her Ph.D. advisor and Noble Prize winning chemist at Calinforia Institute of Technology. “(Grubbs) has been an amazing advisor, mentor and advocate for me throughout my career,” Sanford said. “He is a terrific scientist and person, and I am constantly inspired by his enthusiasm and approach to both science and his students.”
“There is this intersection of gender and race which works as a huge barrier in this country, not only just race,” Assari said. Assari said these findings raise the question as to whether this research is something new, or whether society has known and allowed this to occur. “We knew discrimination and racism exist, and we knew that education doesn’t benefit to the same level to the Blacks but, to my understanding, that we never knew— that it may increase risk of depression,” Assari said. Ultimately, Assari hopes public policy can be altered to eliminate social barriers. In the mean time, he hopes that clinicians, while treating Black males, keep in mind the correlation between depressive symptoms and an elevation in education level.
the last 40 plus years to provide a space on our campus for ourselves and for the promotion of diversity on our campus,” Thompson wrote. “What will it mean for students, and students to come, to see building after building all named after white men? At the end of the day, the University will operate as a business — caring more about monetary gifts than the feelings of its students and alumni.” Thompson also criticized Schlissel’s Ford School/Weill Hall analogy, pointing out the inherent differences between the two buildings in a public Facebook post. “Unlike the Ford School of Public Policy, Trotter is not a college,” Thompson wrote. “Trotter stands outside of the academic realm and
CIGARETTE From Page 8 smokers,” Cherng said. “Any potential effects that e-cigarettes have on smoking initiation or the overall smoking prevalence in the United States is going to have a much smaller effect than if e-cigarettes have an effect on smoking cessation or an increased smoking cessation because we have so many more current smokers using e-cigarettes.” Consistent with the team’s finding, statistics from the American Lung Association show that 76.8 percent of people who recently used e-cigarettes in 2013 also were traditional cigarette smokers.
serves as a social setting for students ... It serves as an environment for students of color to have a space of their own.” The University emphasized Bernstein and Bendit’s history of civil rights advocacy, highlighting the couple’s work with groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission as well as a number of Jewish community service organizations at the April 21 Board of Regents meeting. Regent Bernstein applauded the role of student activists in securing the multicultural center’s relocation in a press release. “Rachel and I are honored to support the legacy of all who have advanced the enriching and
Cherng said further research is imperative for future debates and policymaking about e-cigarettes. “Because the evidence is so scant right now about whether or not they actually do increase smoking initiation among never-smokers versus their effect on cessation, in terms of the policy implications, it’s important to contextualize that in e-cigarette regulation,” Cherng said, adding: “if we can start focusing people towards the potential benefits of e-cigarettes and also enact legislation that helps prevent young kids from using them, then what we expect is that there is a potential of a huge benefit resulting from e-cigarette use if they increase cessation.” Paula Lantz, associate dean for research and policy engagement, echoed Cherng’s statements and
NEWS 9
empowering mission of Trotter since its founding — the generations of U-M students who have been activists for diversity, and the current U-M students whose advocacy helped guide the vision for this new building,” Bernstein said in the statement. “Their movement inspires our gift.” Simpson additionally underscored the importance of student involvement with “A New Trotter” — the student committee responsible for planning and designing the new center. She also previewed events hosted by the Trotter Center aimed at educating the student body on the history of
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said in an email interview that there is merit to the argument that too much regulation for e-cigarettes could be detrimental. “(Many) are concerned that the FDA might “over-regulate” e-cigarettes, in that it will make it harder for e-cigarettes to be used as a harm reduction approach or smoking cessation tool for current smokers,” Lantz said. “While much more research is needed... the Cherng simulation model forecasts demonstrate quite clearly that, under any reasonable set of assumptions, the harm reduction and smoking cessation gains will significantly outweigh any increase in youth smoking due to e-cigarettes. This supports the concerns that over-regulating e-cigarettes will be bad for public health.”
10 SPORTS
Thursday, May 12, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
The bullpen catcher, the ‘mom’ and the sliding specialist By AVI SHOLKOFF Daily Sports Writer
Seven games this season, fans of the Michigan softball team received cardboard cutouts of a senior Wolverine. It is a day to honor the player and her contributions to her team. They are shown on the scoreboard, applauded during introductions and cheered on by the crowd. For the four senior starters, it is a day of extra incentive. All eyes in the stands look for a towering home run or dazzling strike out. But while Michigan’s senior bullpen catcher didn’t get to see the field on the day named after her, Lauren Connell wasn’t upset. She knew her role. In fact, every Wolverine has a role. For most players, the roles are typical. Get on base. Lay down a sacrifice bunt. Throw strikes. Get ahead in the count. But a group of three seniors fulfill three roles not always present during gameplay. One brings humor and constructive criticism to her pitchers. Another dedicates herself to her teammates, focusing on solving their problems and helping with their needs. The third pushes herself and her fellow pinch-runners to succeed in crucial moments. Connell arrived at Michigan four years ago after a record-setting high school career. Four years later, she’s finishing up her fourth year as the team’s bullpen catcher, a position that Michigan coach Carol Hutchins calls the most challenging role on the team. Olivia Richvalsky has tallied just two hits in her time as a Wolverine. Still, her role transcends that of the traditional outfielder, as players call the constant pinch-runner the “team mother,” who never shies away from offering a helping hand. Mary Sbonek dreamt of playing for the Michigan softball team for years. Once she arrived in Ann Arbor, she tried out and eventually earned a spot as a pinch-runner. Now, she prepares the younger pinch-runners for the future. “You’re not going to have all Sierra Romeros,” Hutchins said about the All-American senior second baseman. “You’ve gotta have different types of roles.” Last weekend, the three seniors played at Alumni Field for the last time in their Big Ten careers. In the final inning, Hutchins substituted
Connell, Richvalsky and Sbonek — as a pinch runner — in the game. During the final moments of the regular season, the three received their chance to shine. Last Saturday, Richvalsky caught the final out of the game to cement Michigan’s regular season conference title. It was her first putout of the season. And now, beginning with this
as the bullpen catcher. She loves spending time with pitchers and mentoring them. It wasn’t always like that, though, especially for a player who led her high school in career home runs and runs scored. “Going from one of the main players on the team to a bullpen role was a little bit different,” Connell
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Lauren Connell plays an important role for her team as its bullpen catcher.
weekend’s Big Ten tournament, the three players will participate in their fourth consecutive postseason with aspirations of one final Women’s College World Series appearance. This is the story of three seniors who perform different types of roles. This is the story of a bullpen catcher, a “team mom,” and a sliding specialist. *** The bullpen catcher: Lauren Connell had a distinguished high school career for West Lafayette (IN), starting all four years, serving as a team captain in her senior season and playing both catcher and third base. During her first visit to the University, Connell fell in love with Ann Arbor’s atmosphere and the familiar midwest lifestyle. She learned that Michigan sought a bullpen catcher, and though it would bring fewer moments at the backstop for Connell, it was a chance she couldn’t pass up. “The opportunity to play for such an incredible team, with such a great reputation — this is a team that’s still playing in June — that’s what I (wanted) to do,” Connell said. “As soon as I stepped on campus, I knew that this was where I wanted to spend the next four years of my life.” Now in her senior season, Connell has fully embraced her role
said. “Contributing in a different way than what I was used to, it was a transition, and it’s been a role that I’ve really accepted and I think I’ve done well in.” The Wolverines’ pitchers agree with her. Fifth-year senior righthander Sara Driesenga has spent nearly her entire Michigan career throwing to Connell, who she says isn’t afraid to tell the pitching staff if they aren’t hitting the zone, or if a particular motion isn’t flowing well. “(Connell) sees the changes in how we’ve (the pitchers) gotten better,” Driesenga said. “She expects us to hit our spots and do all these things which maybe we struggled with more a couple years ago.” The Wolverines’ roster lists Connell as a catcher. She crouches during practices, catches pitches and warms up starters during games. But because of her daily interactions and constant mentoring, Connell sees it differently. “I almost consider myself a part of the pitching staff,” Connell said. “I think their successes, I like to take part in them as well … Especially when our pitchers have been doing so well over the past four years. I really feel like I’ve played a part in that.” For others on the team, Connell’s most important asset may be her humor. Since she seldom sees
opportunities in games, Connell has found ways to contribute from the dugout. Connell, Richvalsky and Sbonek each emphasized the importance of the Michigan softball sisterhood. Hutchins frequently speaks about the role of each Wolverine. It is up to each player to simply ‘do her part’ for Michigan. Connell’s part oftentimes involves telling jokes that can make even the most serious on the team crack a smile. “Michigan softball… we do well and we have fun,” Connell said. “Not silly, goofy fun, but just having fun and all being together. It’s kinda weird thinking of being funny as a role on the softball team, but I think it helps us just stay in the moment and help us not worry about other things.” Romero, who met Connell at freshmen orientation, remembers her humor from that first encounter. “She was hilarious, right from the get-go,” Romero said. “You can even ask Hutch. “Some of the things that come out of her mouth, you’re like … ‘How’d you even think of that?’ ” The humor aspect of Connell’s role may be the most enjoyable and perhaps the easiest. What she finds most challenging, however, is separating the relationships built with her pitching staff off the field with her job as the bullpen catcher. “Sometimes, the pitchers need someone to say ‘Hey, you need to do better at this, that’s not good enough right now,’ ” Connell said. “So it’s kind of difficult for me sometimes to come out of my role as a friend, and really hold them accountable.” When asked about her favorite experience throughout her fouryear career, Connell paused for a moment. While Connell did not see the field in Game 2 of last season’s Women’s College World Series, she relished her team’s comeback win — even if she didn’t directly contribute to it. “It was so fun to just see our team will ourselves to victory,” Connell said. “(To) force Game 3, playing in that moment was such a ‘pinch me’ moment for all of us. We were literally living our dreams.” *** The ‘Mom’: During games, Olivia Richvalsky can be seen on the basepaths, organizing cheers or mentoring Michigan’s freshmen. Richvalsky loves working with
the new players upon their arrival in Ann Arbor. Whether it is during practice or a game, she loves hearing their questions and assisting them with challenges they confront. She invites them to team meals and other team-wide events. “I’ll cheer for them like a mom would,” Richvalsky said. “I’ll make signs. I truly share in (their) success.” Richvalsky spoke of meeting with her two co-captains — Romero and junior outfielder Kelly Christner — to delegate responsibilities. Because Romero and Christner are often on the field during games and giving team-wide orders during practice, it is up to Richvalsky to connect on a more individual-based level with the players. “Kelly and I might not be so easy on some people so we’ll yell something at them, and they might get a little upset,” Romero said. “And we’ll say, ‘Liv, we need you to go calm them down, we just yelled at them.’ ” Richvalsky added: “Sometimes Kelly can really get onto someone, and I can come back and say ‘Hey, do you know why Kelly said that? Do you know why that instruction makes sense here?’ (I try to) make sure that everyone understands why things are how they are.” Richvalsky displayed tremendous resilience in coming back from a leg injury and multiple surgeries. Through an intense year-long rehabilitation process in which she faced both physical, she tirelessly pushed to return and to contribute. She constantly participates in extra work on the basepaths to prepare herself for game day opportunities. “Any opportunity that I have out there is so much more rewarding because of what I went through,” Richvalsky said. “It still drives me to work out on off days, go the extra mile to continue to get better because nothing is ever enough.” Her determination stemmed from her love for her fellow Wolverines, missing them tremendously during her absence. And while she acknowledges her role as the team’s “mom,” she reiterated the sisterhood concept explained by Connell. “I look at those girls like my little sisters,” Richvalsky said. “I wouldn’t want them to feel like anything other than family.” While her tenacity and persistence are certainly admirable, See SOFTBALL, Page 11
Thursday, May 12, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SOFTBALL From Page 10 perhaps most important is the maternal atmosphere that Richvalsky brings to the Wolverines. She even devotes herself to securing a ride home for every player. In order to promote team-wide harmony, Richvalsky strives to recognize each player’s learning style. It is her goal to ease the freshmen transition and she constantly offers comfort. “Liv is kind of like the mom,” Romero said. “She keeps everything and everyone under control.” “I worry about these girls,” Richvalsky said. “I want their success more than my own. More than anything else, I want the team’s success. (I want) each of the individual girls to achieve their own goals.” *** The sliding specialist: When Mary Sbonek first arrived at Michigan in the fall of 2012, she aimed to fulfill her life-long dream of playing for the Wolverines. After playing travel-ball in high school, she felt she should at least try out. Hutchins heard of Sbonek from a cousin who knew one of Sbonek’s relatives, who had mentioned her speed on the basepaths. Sbonek first participated in a separate workout away from the team. Then, she spent two weeks working with Michigan’s players, as a trial period of sorts. These two weeks were filled with uncertainty as Sbonek was unsure of her fate. “That was nerve-racking,” Sbonek recalled. “I was still kind of trying to make the team.” But after some time had passed, Hutchins pulled her aside and told her she had made it. After weeks of hard work and anxiousness, her dream had been realized: she was
finally a Wolverine. Michigan’s players ensured that she would have no trouble integrating with her new teammates, quickly welcoming her. ”Once you’re on the team, I don’t view anyone differently, if they are a walk-on,” Driesenga said. “All of us are equal members of the team.” Added Romero: “We’re one big family, and right away, we let them know whenever we’re going out to eat. Whenever we’re going to go do something as a team, they’re brought in right away.” As a veteran pinch-runner, Sbonek works with sophomore outfielder Nikki Wald, who will be the first off the bench once Sbonek and Richvalsky depart. The drills in practice — often running back and forth during a game-like simulation — and open communication have allowed Sbonek and Wald to forge a teacher-to-student connection. This bond leads to greater support during the moments when Hutchins will call their names and insert them on the basepaths. One thing Wald may have difficulty picking up from her mentor is Sbonek’s unique slide at home. It perplexes even a threetime All-American.
“All of us are equal members of the team.” “She slides but then turns over, swipes it with her back hand and it’s a spin move, so that way the catcher can’t tag her,” Romero said. “I could never do that in a million years. I don’t know how she does that.” Because Sbonek is often the first pinch-runner off the bench, she is
MAZIE HYAMS/Daily
Senior outfielder Olivia Richvalsky is regarded as the team ‘mom.’
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MAZIE HYAMS/Daily
Mary Sbonek has carved out a role as a pinch-runner after making the team as a walk-on.
also first runner to gauge the arms of the outfielders and the accuracy of the catcher. It can be tiring to pinch-run. Practices often consist of time spent on the basepaths waiting for commands from the coaching staff. They provide tremendous assistance as the baserunners during defensive drills. And besides pinch-running preparation, they still need to do hitting and fielding drills with the other members of the team. Sbonek loves the role she won after a tryout years ago and hopes to have memories as enjoyable as last year’s World Series experience. “(I love) being able to score the runs,” Sbonek said. “I can go faster on the basepaths for my team than the person who is there. That’s why I’m there. So if I can come in and score a run, that’s great.” *** As three of the oldest players on the team, it is Connell, Richvalsky and Sbonek’s job to organize cheers in the dugout while Michigan is on the field. The cheers provide another chance for these three role players to add to Michigan’s success. “Liv, Mary and I do a great job of keeping everyone who’s not in the game, cheering for the people on the field,” Connell said. “When the people come off the field and when we’re at bat, to (try) get as loud and crazy as possible.” And while the on-field players focus on the pitcher in the circle or the batter at the plate, they still recognize the support of their teammates. “When I’m at second base, and they do one of their cheers, or when the pitcher gets a strikeout, I see them getting into it,” Romero said.
“(The cheers) are nice because they take away that stress.” Each of the 24 Wolverines are expected to arrive at practice with a desire to perform their specific duty. Hutchins fills her Michigan roster with specialists. While many pitchers nationwide are versatile — starting on offense and in the circle — Driesenga and junior righthander Megan Betsa have yet to bat this season. Up and down the lineup, certain players are expected to hit for power, while others like junior shortstop Abby Ramirez are expected to focus on getting on base. Brandi Virgil came before Richvalsky and Sbonek, playing from 2010-2014. She served as a pinch runner for her four years, and once she departed, Sbonek and Richvalsky took her spot as the lead pinch-runners. The two work with Wald, who will anchor the pinch- running corps next year. Former bullpen catcher Becca Garfinkel, who graduated last year, caught pitches alongside Connell throughout her career. This year, Connell crouches in the bullpen next to sophomore Morgan Swift, who looks to take over the reins next season. It is a cycle of specialists that will continue, even after Connell, Richvalsky and Sbonek finish their Michigan careers. Just like the graduating members of the starting nine, the pinch-runners and bullpen catcher will be replaced next season. They won’t be filled by a player as clever and humorous as Connell, or as motherly as Richvalsky or as caring and motivated as Sbonek. Instead, the players will embrace these duties with their own unique qualities, and add their own
characteristics to them, just as Connell, Richvalsky and Sbonek did. ***
“They understand the importance of their role.” Lauren Connell probably won’t hit the walk-off home run to send Michigan to the WCWS. But she will spend hours preparing and laughing with Driesenga and Betsa in the bullpen during the postseason. Olivia Richvalsky may not receive the opportunity to bat with the bases loaded and the game on the line. Whoever does receive the opportunity will certainly be comforted and prepared by Richvalsky, whether it be a fellow senior or an anxious freshman. Mary Sbonek will see opportunities on the basepaths in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. And while these moments on the field may be brief, she strives to make the most of them, and perhaps will utilize her unique slide. The three will be fulfilling the roles established by Hutchins. And they will strive for success. “They don’t get a whole lot of opportunity, but they understand the importance of their role,” Hutchins said. “They are great role models for the kids behind them that will end up becoming role players.”
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Thursday, May 12, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
BASEBALL
‘M’ upset by CMU Michigan comeback attempt falls short in 8-7 defeat By ETHAN WOLFE Summer Managing Sports Editor
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Junior right-hander Megan Betsa won Big Ten Pitcher of the year for the second consecutive season.
Wolverines receive awards By ORION SANG Summer Managing Sports Editor
The No. 2 Michigan softball team was well represented when the Big Ten Conference released its 2016 all-conference teams and announced the recipients of its four individual awards Wednesday. Four Wolverines were nominated to the All-Big Ten First Team, four were named to the AllBig Ten Second Team and three claimed an award of their own: senior second baseman Sierra Romero was named Big Ten Player of the Year, junior right-hander Megan Betsa won Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and coach Carol Hutchins was announced as the Big Ten Coach of the Year. Romero, who won the award her freshman and sophomore years, has enjoyed a productive season both at the plate and in the field. She is hitting .488 this season with 16 home runs and 71 runs battedin. With a .963 fielding percentage, Romero has commited just five errors while tallying 58 putouts and 72 assists. This season, she has been honored as both the Big Ten Player of the Week and National Player of the Week, and is also a finalist for the Collegiate Player of the Year. For Betsa, this marks the second consecutive year she has been named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. The right-hander is 22-3 with a 2.05 earned-run average, and she is also averaging the most strikeouts per seven innings in the nation with 11.8.
Hutchins’s nomination is the 16th of her storied career as Michigan’s head coach, and it comes during a season in which expectations were perhaps the highest they have ever been in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines returned most of their team from last season, which ended with a loss in Game 3 of the Women’s College World Series against No. 1 Florida. But Hutchins has kept her team grounded all year, and even after a few early season losses, Michigan is playing like a championship contender. Michigan — which won the conference title for the ninth consecutive season — is currently on a 17-game winning streak and is poised to host an NCAA Regional as it enters the postseason. Romero and Betsa were joined on the All-Big Ten First Team by senior center fielder Sierra Lawrence and senior right fielder Kelsey Susalla. Lawrence, who has been named a finalist for Collegiate Player of the Year along with Romero, has been a steady presence atop the order for the Wolverines and boasts a batting average and on-base percentage both well above .400 alongside 10 home runs and 40 RBI. Susalla’s nomination is the first of her career, and comes during a season in which she is hitting .364 with 10 homers and 50 RBI. She has been a reliable hitter for the Wolverines in the middle of the lineup, having hit at both the No. 3 and cleanup spots this season. Meanwhile, sophomore first
baseman Tera Blanco, sophomore catcher Aidan Falk, junior third baseman Lindsay Montemarano and fifth-year right-hander Sara Driesenga were tabbed as members of the second team. Blanco, who has pitched occasionally, has had a breakout season at the plate, hitting .415 with 10 home runs and 57 RBI. At first base, Blanco hasn’t made an error all year. Falk has been steady behind the plate for her team after winning the starting job at catcher near the midway point of the season. She is hitting .321 with five home runs and 32 RBI. In addition to the second team nomination, Montemarano was also named to the Big Ten AllDefensive Team for her efforts manning the hot corner. In addition to her defense, the junior third baseman has also provided the Wolverines with some pop in her bat, slugging eight home runs among 16 extra-base hits. After missing most of last season due to injury, Driesenga has come back strong in her final year to provide her team with a potent 1-2 starting rotation. She boasts a gaudy 20-0 win-loss record, while also carrying a 2.26 ERA. Michigan begins postseason play Friday at the Big Ten Tournament, as the Wolverines continue their journey back to Oklahoma City. And the number of accolades earned Wednesday show just why Michigan is heavily favored to do so.
After a 39-run outburst in its three-game sweep of Rutgers last weekend, the No. 19 Michigan baseball team looked poised to continue its momentum against Central Michigan — a bottomfeeder in the Mid-American Conference. But the Chippewas had other plans. For the first six innings of Wednesday’s game, Central Michigan (8-10 Mid-American Conference, 16-33 overall) dominated the Wolverines (12-5 Big Ten, 34-13), and hung on by a thread to secure an 8-7 victory. Through six frames, Central Michigan pitchers Dazon Cole and Colton Bradley combined to no-hit Michigan. Even with four walked batters and five batters hit-by-pitch, the Wolverines’ offense failed to make good contact at the plate until the seventh. “You can’t take anyone lightly,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “You have to run your fastest race no matter who you’re racing against. This was a humbling day.” Michigan couldn’t find its way on the mound for most of the contest either. In the Wolverines’ previous meeting March 29 — a 9-7 win that saw a late rally by the Chippewas — Central Michigan batters used a slew of earlyinning singles, a double and two wild pitches to tag Michigan pitchers for eight runs. Wednesday, freshman lefthander Will Tribucher, who
tossed six innings of one-hit scoreless baseball against Eastern Michigan in his previous start, lasted just 2.1 innings and allowed five runs. Down 8-1 heading into the seventh inning, the Wolverines chances at winning looked bleak. But two walks and a single loaded the bases for freshman third baseman Jimmy Kerr, who was substituted into the game for fifth-year senior left fielder Matt Ramsay in the fifth. Kerr took advantage of the opportunity with a bases-clearing double to dig into the Chippewas’ lead, 8-4. A sacrifice fly from junior catcher Harrison Wenson added another run for the Wolverines. The following inning, a single by sophomore shortstop Jake Bivens and a fielder’s choice off the bat of Kerr scored two more runs to make it a one-run game. “When you have runners on, you have to move up them up or do what you have to do to get them in,” Bakich said. “Jimmy was a great example of that. Coming off the bench to get four RBIs … that’s hard to do.” In the ninth, Michigan got two runners on base, but three strikeouts stopped the Wolverines from scoring, and Central Michigan secured the win. “There’s no moral victories for making it close,” Bakich said. “We had some scoring opportunities that we missed in those early innings, and we wouldn’t have been in this position if we took advantage of those.” Being a non-conference game, the loss did not hurt Michigan’s chances in pursuing its first Big Ten title since 2008. But to accomplish this feat, it must prove that it can take care of business against weaker opponents.
“You have to run your fastest race no matter who you’re racing.”
“There’s no moral victories for making it close.”