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FUNDINGS
‘U’ professor wins grant of $500,000 for research
NEWS
Clinton adds to college
affordability plan
New proposals echoe rhetoric of Bernie Sanders >> SEE PAGE 2
NEWS
Hospital opens new
Dus’ work looks at obesity and the relationship between sugar and the brain
mental health center Facility will use cuttingedge ECT therapy
>> SEE PAGE 3
OPINION
Hashtag Activism Columnists discuss the perils and pitfalls of activism in the age of social media. >> SEE PAGE 5
ARTS
Mayer Hawthorne returns to A 2 Artist performs homecoming concert at Power Center >> SEE PAGE 6
LAURA MEYER/Daily
Ann Arbor Township Supervisor Michael Moran speaks at the Washtenaw County Board of Commisioners Wednesday
County calls for EPA action on groundwater City of Ann Arbor still undecided on superfund site position By BRIAN KUANG Summer Daily News Editor
SPORTS Bottom named to coach team U.S.A Swimming coach will be assistant coach in Rio >> SEE PAGE 12
INDEX Vol. CXXVI, No. 123| © 2016 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS ................................... 2 OPINION .............................. 4 ARTS ..................................... 6 CLASSIFIEDS......................... 8 SUDOKU................................ 2 SPORTS................................ 10
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Citing more than three decades of disappointment with state environmental regulators, local authorities in Washtenaw County are increasing their support for the designation of a toxic plume of groundwater as an Environmental Protection Agency superfund site — a federal designation for areas in need of major clean up of harazdous substances. Such a move would prompt federal intervention that would largely bypass the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, though other local officials have expressed reservations that doing so would merely hurt local property values and undermine
the DEQ’s efforts. Improper wastewater disposal by the Ann Arborbased company Gelman Sciences from 1966 to 1986 created a large plume of the carcinogenic toxin 1,4-dioxane underneath Ann Arbor, as well as Scio and Ann Arbor Townships. The gradually expanding plume has contaminated groundwater, forced the closure of more than 100 private residential wells and is expected to reach the Huron River in the coming decades and potentially contaminate Ann Arbor’s water source at Barton Pond. Wednesday evening, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously for a resolution supporting a petition to the EPA for superfund status. The Commission joins the Scio Township Board of Trustees, which voted in favor of a superfund petition June 20, and Ann Arbor Charter Township — a separate municipality from the city of Ann Arbor — that passed
its own resolution of support in March. Despite the outcome of the vote, the Ann Arbor City Council has not formally voted on a superfund petition, and Mayor Christopher Taylor — as well as several councilmembers — told the Daily in March that a premature petition could bring unintended harm to property values. Wednesday, Taylor told the Daily the city is still unsure of whether or not it will back a petition for superfund status — though he didn’t rule out eventually supporting such a petition — and that he doesn’t expect City Council to debate the issue in the immediate future. “The question of whether or not to seek superfund status is a complicated one,” Taylor said, pointing out that city staff members are continuing to work with other county stakeholders to understand the issue. “If we were to seek See GROUNDWATER, Page 9
By ALEXA ST. JOHN Daily Staff Reporter
The Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program — which invests in innovative biomedical research — recently awarded Monica Dus, University of Michigan progessor of of molecular, cellular and developmental biology $500,000 for her research on the relationship between sugar and the brain — an important factor in obseity research. The Foundation has been awarding candidates since 1976, requiring each to exhibit attention to innovation and global issues, focus on creating lasting solutions and a dedication to leadership. The grant has previously been awarded to professors and researchers nationwide, including those from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University and the University of California system. The grant will got toward Dus’ research on how the environment shapes one’s eating habits. Dus’ grant began July 1, and she will receive a $100,000 payment annually over the next five years. Dus said the application process for the grant was extensive. Only a select number of universities can apply for the Rita Allen Foundation’s grants, which significantly reduces the pool of eligible candidates; however, Dus had to first participate See OBESITY, Page 8
2 NEWS
Thursday, July 7, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Clinton campaign adds to higher ed affordability plan New additions reflect collaboration with Sanders By LYDIA MURRAY Summer Managing News Editor
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took pictures with churchgoers after speaking at the House of Prayer Missionary Baptist Church in Flint on February 7th.
ICED TEA
Puzzle by sudokusyndication.com
Hillary Clinton’s campaign announced Wednesday three new features to her New College Compact plan, which aims to address the increasing student debt burden. The announcement follows a private meeting last month between Clinton and her primary opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I–Vt.), in which they discussed the differing aspects of both candidates’ college affordability plans. Sanders touted free undergraduate tuition at all public institutions, which made the candidate popular among students. Clinton’s plan, originally introduced in August, focuses on making college affordable by reducing the need for students to take out loans while also increasing financial aid from public institutions. One addition to Clinton’s NCC borrows largely from the Sanders platform with promises to eliminate costs for middle class families by providing free tuition for those with an annual income of up to $125,000 at in-state institutions. According to a press release, this addition will cover 80 percent of all families. However, the plan requires an initial income threshold value of $85,000, which will then rise annually by $10,000 for four years. Students for Sanders president Nicholas Kolenda, a rising LSA junior, said while Clinton’s new additions still do not go as far as Sanders’ plan, the new strides are an important merger beween the two campaigns. “This isn’t completely tuitionfree college, technically, as it leaves out the top 10 percent,” he said. “Even though they can afford it, I’d like to see it be completely tuition-free and public. But it is
tuition-free for a vast majority, so it’s a big improvement over Clinton’s original plan and a good compromise between the two plans.” Despite this collaboration, Sanders has yet to officially endorse Clinton, despite stating that he plans to vote for her in November. College Democrats chair Collin Kelly, a rising LSA junior, said the expansion is an important addition to Clinton’s original efforts to address college affordability. “Secretary Clinton’s original college affordability plan would have gone a long way to alleviate some of the burden of student debt, and her updated plan improves it by responding to our needs with an even more progressive, accessible and extensive plan,” he said. The second new aspect of the NCC is a moratorium on student debt, which Clinton plans to enact through an executive action at the start of her presidency. This threemonth period, in which federal borrowers would not have to issue payment installments, would give borrowers time to research all of their repayment options through the Department of Education to find the best options to save money. The final addition furthers the protection of Pell Grants — federal aid for students with financial need — through restoring yearround funding, which would help students pay for options like summer classes or other educational pursuits during summer months. Kelly said the updated plan reflects the needs of students across the country, which he believes will help drive a Democratic victory in November. “This shows that Democrats are hard at work to produce real, effective solutions to the challenges faced by students across the nation,” he said. “It’s clear which party listens to and supports the interests of students and young people. And we know that, when students vote, Democrats win.”
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Thursday, July 7, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NEWS 3
HOSPITAL
University set to open new treatment center for psychiatric therapy The facility will specialize in electroconvulsive treatment By BAILEY TUCZAK For the Daily
The University of Michigan Health System’s Department of Psychiatry is set to open a new treatment facility on Monday, July 11 under the supervision of Daniel Maixner, associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Electroconvulsive Therapy Program at the University. The space will be entirely dedicated to the practice of electroconvulsive therapy, a treatment created to relieve symptoms of patients with varying mental illnesses by means of brief, controlled seizures. Once completed, the $3.6 million project will have transformed 9,500 square feet of the old University Hospital south wing into an advanced treatment suite. What once held unused operating rooms will now be home to cutting-edge ECT. According to Maixner, ECT use has been drastically increasing since the late 2000s, going from about 1,000 treatments to more than 2,000 treatments in the United States per year. However, its use has been limited in some states, with laws in place that require states to incorporate age guidelines and limits. In Texas, for example, children under the age of 16 are not allowed to receive ECT as a treatment method. The University’s ECT program incorporates widespread treatment of all ages. Maixner said he does not mind the extra paperwork that accompanies this variety, because depression and mental illness know no age. The move will make the ECT treatment more efficient since it will combine services that were previously separated between the first and ninth floor into one area. Maixner said this enclosed space will help ease the transition between rooms for patients, giving them the feeling of a more controlled, secure environment.
Maixner added that increasing the size of the ECT unit will also improve the patient experience, with quiet and comfortable surroundings targeting the specific needs of the facility’s patients. Individual interview rooms for pre- and posttreatment care have also been added to the program, in which patients will complete comprehensive rating scales before and after ECT, as well as other questionnaires to determine the treatment’s success level. The facility will also be tripling in size, which will allow the program to treat more than double the amount of patients as before, most of whom suffer from severe depression. Maixner said many people with depression are reluctant to receive treatment, despite the prominence of the disease. “The problem with depression is that a third or more of people can become resistant to treatment,” Maixner said. “So if there’s at any given time 15 or 20 million people that might have some form of depression in the U.S., a couple million people have some form of resistance to treatment.” Maixner said ECT induces remission on a much higher percentage in comparison to medicine, and it also is an option for patients who have tried different types of medicine with no success. “I always try to teach the young doctors and students that with medications, historically when they’re tested for outcomes in depression, they’re trying to prove that the drug will get you at least 50 percent better,” he said. “But, you know, to me 50 percent better is not good enough. You wouldn’t want to be half way depressed, right? You just wouldn’t want to do that if you don’t have to.” However, according to Maixner, one major drawback of ECT is the stigma with which it is associated. While the term “electroconvulsive therapy” may remind patients of psychiatric scenes in old movies, the doctors urge people not to be so quick on their judgments. Maixner said ECT has evolved into a safer, more trusted method of treatment through the decades, and many studies to ensure its safety.
LAURA/Daily
LSA Junior Humza Shaukat speaks at a candlelight vigil for the victims of an the airport attack in Istanbul on Thursday.
Students hold vigil to honor the victims of Istanbul attack Ceremony held in the Diag to remember lives lost By ISHI MORI Daily Staff Reporter
About 20 students gathered on the Diag Thursday evening to participate in a candlelight vigil for the victims of a terrorist attack on Turkey’s Istanbul Atatürk Airport this past week. The attack occurred Tuesday, when three men opened fire in the airport — armed with guns and explosives — and dentonated their devices, killing a total of 44 people. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the assault, but the three have been linked to ISIS. The vigil was organized by the Muslim Student Association, which invited the Turkish Student Association to also participate. Many at the event wore red and white, the colors of Turkey’s national f lag, to demonstrate solidarity with the victims and their families.
LSA senior Farhan Ali, a member of the MSA who led the event, said events like these are important because they show how victims and their families are not alone. “It’s important to commemorate the lives of those who were lost through the hands of injustice,” Ali said. “Doesn’t matter if you’re Jewish, Christian, Muslim; I think it’s important to always say your prayers.” The vigil began silently at about 8:30 p.m. Ali and Rackham student Ziah Dean led the group in prayer for the victims and offered their reactions to the attack. Dean, a member of the Muslim Graduate Students Association, said he wanted to show through the vigil that there is still some good left in the world even though tragedies like the Istanbul airport attack happen often. “There’s so much going on (in the world) that it’s hard to come together for every single instance in which (attacks) happen,” Dean said. “But the more often we come together (and) ref lect the better, because it really brings us to
our humanity of feeling each other’s pain even though they may be far away. For us to come together here and ref lect on it is important just to remind us of the good that we have and just being thankful for what we have.” LSA senior Ibtihal Makki, also a member of the MSA, echoed Dean’s sentiments of humanity and compassion. “I like to come to events like these whenever I can,” she said. “I’m not Turkish or of Turkish descent, but I think it’s important to show solidarity with other people regardless of whether you identify with them.” Rackham alum Selin Nurgun, who has family in Turkey, said vigils like these give people the hope that lets them move on. “I think it’s important to realize that you’re not alone because sometimes you can be hunkered down by fear and sadness, and you can get it inside your head and think that the world is an awful place,” she said. “But when you step out of that and come and see support and see friendly faces of all different shades of the world, it’s comforting.”
4 OPINION
Thursday, July 7, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Learning from Twitter
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
A
JEREMY KAPLAN EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
BRADLEY WHIPPLE MANAGING EDITOR
Moving beyond “we are one”
ll throughout elementary and middle school, I was taught the value of equality was of utmost importance. ELENA My classmates HUBBELL and I were taught that we must “treat everyone the way that we would like to be treated,” the Dr. Seuss mantra “a person’s a person, no matter how small” and the prevalent belief that “we are all one.” In my opinion, this is good advice to give young kids. Informing children that all people deserve respect — no matter how different they appear to be from you — attempts to teach them not to stereotype one another. But as I matured into an adult, the morals and values that I was taught didn’t mature along with me, and these “we are all one” morals often remained in my mind, as the simple and limited way they were taught by my kindergarten teacher. The horrific Orlando shootings that occurred this past June during Pride Month were followed a few weeks later by the Twitter hashtag #HeterosexualPrideDay. Created in an effort to celebrate heterosexuality, Heterosexual Pride Day was disrespectful to those who have been discriminated against based on their sexual orientation and was also incredibly useless, as heterosexuality, as least in America, has never been something one couldn’t be proud of. In the same vein, movements like All Lives Matter and Men’s Rights Activism are all created out of a false understanding of what
ostracism actually is. But, many argue, “If we are ‘all one,’ then why can’t I as a cis/abled/straight/ white/Christian/man celebrate my identities?” Indeed, why is pride in privileged identities so looked down upon? Those who decide to take pride in privileged identities seem to have a basic misunderstanding of what pride is and why it exists. Perhaps for someone from a privileged identity, pride appears to be exclusive and clique-y, a movement meant to exclude others who don’t share the said identity. But this ignores how, for those whose identities make them a target, celebrating these identities is, in itself, a rebellion. For those who identify as LGBTQ, taking part in the events during Pride Month means finally being able to celebrate an identity that has most likely put them at risk of bullying, harassment and even losing their jobs or housing. The same goes for taking part in pro-Black, proMuslim, or any pro-movement of a minimized identity. The reason these holidays and movements exist at all is in response to the prevalent beliefs that seek to destroy them. These holidays and movements weren’t created to exclude anyone else — they were created so that these identities could continue to exist. Privilege is hard to confront, I understand. As Americans, we are all taught that success comes to those who work hard and try their best. So, if you live a life that is relatively easy, it is comforting to think that this is the result of
you or your ancestors’ hard work, and that a painless lifestyle is your reward. It’s hard to confront the fact that everything you have, that everything your family has, could also be the result of luck as well as a strong will and determination. Sometimes it is hard for us to confront our privilege because of the struggles that we have faced in our lifetimes — if someone has grown up impoverished, it may be hard for them to realize they might have a type of privilege that, nevertheless, makes life easier for them than it would be for someone else. I understand and I sympathize, but we have to do better. Many of us have been taught that “a person’s a person, no matter how small,” and “we are all the same,” but this basic understanding of humanity often offers us a distorted view of how the world actually works. If we are to assume that “we are all the same,” it is difficult for the privileged to accept that someone may be experiencing life in a different, harder way. It is, perhaps, this lack of understanding that may lead some to believe that, if a few identities are allowed to have their own history months or Pride Month, they are also deserving of this kind of treatment. Those with privilege need to realize that our identities — which we never have to think or worry about — do not need to be celebrated and do not need to be honored. We need to stop assuming that everyone’s experience has been the same. —Elena Hubbell can be reached at elepearl@umich.edu.
F
eminism is a complex issue that fundamentally deals with dynamics and relationships MADELINE between women, men, NOWICKI society, race, class, politics, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability and a whole host of other large, abstract ideas. Feminism is far from new, but since around 2014, “culture (has) become a feminist issue.” That was the year of Beyoncé’s iconic 2014 Video Music Awards performance. The Internet, especially Twitter, exploded with activity and excitement following Queen Bey’s display of empowerment. Apart from Beyoncé’s performance, we’ve seen UN Women’s 2014 social media campaign #HeForShe, which encouraged men to take up the issue of gender parity and state their position as allies for women. We saw #YesAllWomen arise in 2014 to uncover the issues of daily oppression. We’ve seen #EqualPayDay in 2016 discuss the gendered wage gap. We saw #CarryThatWeight arise in 2014 in response to the epidemic of mishandled campus sexual assaults. We’ve seen the disgusted response to the abysmally lax June sentencing of a violent rapist who attended Stanford. Everyone on Twitter gets 140 characters to declare whatever they want, virtually uncensored. All you need to participate is Internet access. The issues discussed on Twitter, however, often reflect those important to privileged feminists. Problems faced by educated, middle- or upper-class, straight, white women often gain more attention than the issues of less wealthy women, women of color, transgender women, nonheterosexual women, etc. The mainstream dialogue on Twitter, consolidated in its trending topics, doesn’t always necessarily embody intersectionality, especially the issues of women who share membership in other minority or
oppressed groups. This is especially concerning because Twitter trends are designed at their core to inform the user base about important topics by broadening their horizons to see what others are discussing. If trends are biased, as they so often are, towards the privileged, then a cycle of focusing only on the issues discussed by certain powerful groups of people will perpetuate. And this will occur despite the strong communities speaking out on alternative and more honest realities. But social media can work against this honesty by inducing a groupthink, tunnelvision mentality. Sifting through users to find diverse content is definitely possible. However, this is simply another barrier to an otherwise open, equalizing platform for free speech and understanding. Younger people are the demographic of social media sites, and if they are exposed only to one wave of feminist discourse because of these barriers, they will face the often invisible problem of ignorance. Twitter is simply the starting point. It allows me to listen to women speaking directly and honestly about their lives, and I am grateful that it had a role in changing me from a relatively uninformed girl into someone who can learn from women experiencing life differently than I do. It is exciting to participate in #Hashtag Feminism, but it is important to not become simply a product of a fledgling wave of feminism, one that developed out of hashtags and campaigns, one that is wide-reaching and with the potential for an engaging and wellrounded discourse but still falls short in terms of representation. If your goal is to learn from social media, it is important to follow people who do not share all of your experiences. It is important to not only embrace but also actively seek intersectionality. —Madeline Nowicki can be reached at nowickim@umich.edu.
INTERESTED IN CAMPUS ISSUES? Every Tuesday 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.
Thursday, July 7, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
OPINION 5
Two different Michigans Utilize the power of social media
A
Thrillist article from more than a year ago claiming that Michigan is the best state has RYAN ROOSE reemerged and is being shared quite a bit on Facebook. The justification centers on tourism, boasting the rising brewing industry, the seemingly endless shorelines and the beauty of the Upper Peninsula. The article even guides readers unfamiliar with Michigan to “listen to the dulcet tones of Michigan tourism pitchman Tim Allen.” As important as tourism is to the state of Michigan, I don’t think it’s fair to evaluate Michigan exclusively on its tourist attractions. Seeing such positive attitudes toward the state brings me joy. But I worry that by focusing on the positive aspects of Michigan, we will forget the negative aspects that cripple the lives of many poor communities. Michigan’s setbacks need to remain at the forefront of the discussion until we can begin to correct them. We can’t overlook that Detroit and Flint both fall in the top three most dangerous cities in America. While parts of Detroit still carry the city’s rich history, and Midtown and Downtown continue to grow and develop, the school district and neighborhoods in the city are still falling apart. The city’s unemployment rate is still nearly 10 percent, more than double the statewide and national rates of 4.7 percent. To make matters worse, Metro Detroit has the highest concentrated poverty rate of the top 25 metro areas in the country. The term “working poor” applies especially well to the area, as many of the impoverished people have jobs. Urban poverty isn’t the only problem Michigan faces, as rural poverty is also a serious ailment plaguing the state. Eleven of the poorest counties in the state of Michigan are rural. Often referred to as the hidden poor, rural communities with high poverty rates often go unnoticed mainly because of their isolation from metropolises. Additionally, these rural communities are often the places suburbanites
build their summer homes, pushing poor populations further into the shadows of beautiful lake houses and cabins. Spending most of their time in Ann Arbor, I think many Michigan students, through no fault of their own, become blind to the economic struggles many residents in Michigan face. When we venture to Detroit, we visit downtown and take the expressway back to Ann Arbor. We see what tourists see when they visit Detroit: the bustling, gentrified areas of downtown where abandoned houses and crumbling schools are out of sight. We often miss the bigger picture, and consequently struggle to grasp the legitimate concerns that face the city and many parts of the state. As a lifelong resident of the state of Michigan, I love the state I call home. I can’t wait to visit the microbreweries in my hometown when I turn 21. I love heading downtown to watch a Red Wings game. I can’t complain about the miles of sandy beaches that guard the outside of both peninsulas, either. However, the aforementioned features are, as the Thrillist article indicates, major tourist attractions. Though tourism is a huge part of Michigan life, it is not the main part. Michigan’s endless shorline is not a valid excuse to ignore the economic problems that plague rural and urban regions of the state. Perhaps these problems will be fixed over time, but, until they are, Michigan will remain home to two vastly different realities: one where craft beers, endless beaches and majestic wildlife are the main focus, and another reality where poverty and lack of economic growth are the dominating features. Celebrating Michigan’s vibrant tourism culture is understandable, but even in the midst of our celebration, we cannot overlook the significant setbacks many communities face. We may not have immediate solutions to these problems, and that is fine. But, until progress is made, the economic struggles that hurt poor communities cannot escape our evaluations of the state. —Ryan Roose can be reached at rooserj@umich.edu.
A
few days ago, I came across an op-ed in The New York Times, “Angry Tweets Won’t Help African ANNA Lions,” where POLUMBOthe author, LEVY Richard Conniff, implores people to do more than just tweet angrily about issues they care about. Last year, as Conniff pointed out, when Zimbabwe’s prized lion, Cecil, was shot by a Minnesota dentist, organizations condemned the doctor and people took to social media, expressing outrage over the lion’s killing and the larger issue of “trophy hunting” — selectively hunting game and often keeping parts of the animal as a trophy. Conniff emphasizes that simply expressing anger and frustration over an issue is not enough. And he is right. We need to do more than express anger through tweets or simply show solidarity through changing our profile pictures. But those are places to start, and we’d do well to encourage it and suggest more ways to help. It is time that we embrace the power of social media and use it. Just as words aren’t enough alone to change a situation, criticizing those who are trying to help a cause stops short of the real issue surrounding social justice. We should be saying: This is great, and we want more. Though I do not love certain aspects of social media, there is no question that it is powerful. News and information are traveling faster than ever before through these channels. I find out about events and read articles I wouldn’t have if they hadn’t popped up on Facebook and other forms of social media. So, instead of criticizing people for changing their profile pictures to show their solidarity with France or for tweeting their anger about the killing of Cecil
the Lion, we must acknowledge that these things are a start and then encourage people to take these steps further and use social media to share donation links, important petitions and articles. While we could be critical of social media all the time, there are ways in which we could utilize social media to progress dialogue about issues of social justice and to enact change, which is a crucial missing part of our dialogue. Despite the ways that social media has changed our private lives and our relationships with friends and family, it can help spread the word about important causes and issues. As television and news stories focused the nation’s attention to police
Angry tweets could help jumpstart an important movement.
brutality against demonstrators during the civil rights movement in the ‘50s and ‘60s, today, images and stories shared over social media focus our attention on many causes, shining the spotlight on something that might otherwise be lost. Words can be a powerful way to begin a discussion. Spending too much time dwelling on past times, and wishing away Facebook, Instagram and Twitter won’t do us any good. By the first few months of 2016, Facebook had 1.65 billion active monthly users, almost 20 percent of the world’s population. As of June 2016, there were 500 million monthly Instagram users. Whether or not I am always happy with how these
platforms have changed and shaped our society, social media is here now, and it would be in our best interest to work with these platforms and not against them. Furthermore, to reach the millennial generation and generations to come, which will be born in the age of rapidly expanding technolog y, we have to adjust and acknowledge social media’s large presence. It’s time that we change our tune. I agree that throwing out a tweet about a recent tragedy or something we see as unjust isn’t where we should stop, but it does no good to brush someone aside because you don’t think they are doing enough. That can only shut down the conversation. There are so many issues that I want to help address, but I can often feel overwhelmed. Where do I start? How can I help? By bringing the conversation to mediums such as Facebook, it can help a big task feel more achievable, giving me more confidence that I can help make a change. Conniff mentions in his piece that we need organizations, such as the United Nations, the European Union, etc., to put money toward causes such as saving endangered species. I agree, but one way we can go about achieving this goal is disseminating information and spreading the word through social media. And, who knows? Angry tweets could help jumpstart an important movement because, once issues begin to appear on social media, it helps put the issue on the world stage, raise awareness and fuel action to create legislation to address these issues. Instead of being critical and telling people they aren’t doing enough, we need to encourage them to do more. —Anna Polumbo-Levy can be reached at annapl@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Roland Davidson, Caitlin Heenan, Elena Hubbell, Jeremy Kaplan, Madeline Nowicki, Kevin Sweitzer, Brooke White.
6 ARTS
Thursday, July 7, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FILM REVIEW
‘The BFG’ wonderous despite thematic issues
CONCERT REVIEW
Legendary director’s latest packs strong visual punch ANDREW RABAH/Daily
Mayer Hawthorne returns to old stomping ground for Ann Arbor Summer Fest.
By DANNY HENSEL Daily Arts Writer
“The witching hour, somebody had once whispered to her, was a special moment in the middle of the night when every child B+ and every grown-up The BFG was in a deep, deep sleep, Walt Disney and all the Pictures dark things came out from Rave & Quality 16 hiding and had the world to themselves.” Anyone who has read Roald Dahl’s 1982 classic children’s novel “The BFG” knows the quiet moments of the witching hour are magical enough to awe both the youthful and the aged. Dreams, fed through a trumpet from the titular big friendly giant to the people of London, can amaze, stun, terrify and stupefy. Legendary director Steven Spielberg’s latest, an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel, written by the late Melissa Mathison (“E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”), is a return to the fantastical films of his past. From “E.T.” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” to the later, more maligned “Hook” and “A.I.,” Spielberg has continued to construct a universe of realized childhood dreams, with marvelous characters and stunning visual imagery to match. “The BFG” follows that big friendly giant (Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies”) and a small girl named Sophie (newcomer Ruby Barnhill), whom he snatched up from her orphanage, as they try to stop the other man-eating giants from eating innocent people. It’s the latest in the canon of Spielberg special effects films, and it knocks the others out of the park — visually, at least. From the first shots of the BFG weaving through
DISNEY
“A couple of peepin’ Toms.”
the cobblestone streetscape of London in the early morning hours, turning on a dime to hide from pedestrians and cars, the careful choreography of the film is clear: whoever is responsible for the film’s visual effects should be lauded heavily. Perhaps the most stellar example is a captivating dream-catching sequence in the shadows of a mythical tree laden with floating specks of dream stuff. The magic doesn’t stop at grandiosity: in between the scenes of the massive world around Sophie, some of the film’s most heartfelt moments come in the intimate shots, close ups on her and the giant. The performances, for the most part, are equally extraordinary. Rylance, transformed into a giant through motion capture technology, acts with genuine warmth. He acts through the technology, not despite it; every eye movement or nervous smile feels so true. The other giants, led by The Fleshlumpeater (the wickedly funny Jemaine Clement, “Flight of the Conchords”) are a bit more cartoonish, but it’s forgivable, like their wildly rambunctious fits. Meanwhile, on the formal end of the film, the Queen (Penelope Wilton, “Downton Abbey”) and her maid (the always underrated Rebecca Hall, “Frost/Nixon”) and butler (Rafe Spall, “The Big Short”) are prim and proper, exuding a regality that borders on excessive, heavily contrasting the savage life of the giants with the orderly customs of Buckingham Palace. In the middle is Sophie, our
protagonist. Barnhill embodies the archetypal young Spielberg character — precocious yet perpetually in awe of what she purports to already know. While Spielberg has an incredible track record of coaching wonderful performances out of young kids, somehow Barnhill just doesn’t live up to expectations. Her voice is showy (think Veruca Salt in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”) and her words are obvious exposition. Dialogue flows unnaturally as if she was specifically cued to say each line. Thankfully, where the writing may falter, Spielberg’s regular below-the-line trio of composer John Williams, editor Michael Kahn and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński realize Spielberg’s cinematic vision. Williams’s music swells at just the right moments, sucking the audience into his regular partner’s world. Kahn keeps the film moving quickly, but is able to linger on the moments that really count. Kamiński expertly navigates around the complications motion-capture may pose as he follows Sophie to assure us it’s her story. Spielberg has been consistently crafting masterpieces since 1975’s “Jaws” literally invented the blockbuster. Of his now thirty movies, at least a full third could be considered perfect films. Though “The BFG” doesn’t match the genius of some of his prior efforts, there’s enough here to satisfy fans. While Spielberg’s grasp on the film-going audience may be flickering, the moments of brilliance are still there, as strong as ever.
Hawthorne has prodigal return By MERIN MCDIVITT Daily Arts Writer
The audience — a mix of students here for the summer, townies and adults in their 50s and 60s — looked like they would have been at home at a Beethoven showcase. The Power Center is also a venue better suited for polite, muted applause than raucous crowds and wild dancing. Yet Mayer Hawthorne, Ann Arbor’s homegrown neo-soul star, whipped his polite, well-behaved audience into shape. By the end of the singer’s well-timed concert and enthusiastic encore, the crowd was swaying and dancing to Hawthorne’s pulsating, buoyant hits. This concert marked a watershed moment in Hawthorne’s music career — it’s the first time he’s performed a mainstage, ticketed event in Ann Arbor. Earlier events, such as his hugely successful Sonic Lunch concert in the Michigan Theater several years ago, saw a full house, but no tickets were needed for the free concert. He has performed countless times in town and has a strong support base, but some wondered how much fans would shill out to see an act they previously enjoyed for free. Luckily for Hawthorne, plenty made the leap to the ticketed event to show their support. After a brief DJ opener, Hawthorne and his band struck their signature poses and leapt right into the first syncopated number. “It’s good to be back home,” Hawthorne said. He kept the small talk to a minimum, packing in as many
songs as possible. Though, he did take time to reflect on how far he’s come, remarking that he couldn’t believe he was on the Power Center stage after seeing concert after concert there growing up. Hawthorne performed a steady mix of new and old hits, which half the audience could and did sing along to, as well as a few unexpected covers. His signature style suited his updated music well: a slim suit and tilted fedora
“It’s good to be back home.” were exchanged for a gold lamé blazer and matching kicks halfway through the show. He’s a diva — is there a male equivalent of diva? — in the best sense of the word. He’s surrounded himself with an extremely talented band, with beats, backup and on-point dance moves. With them, he’s gracious with the spotlight, directing plenty of attention to their individual talents as well. Years ago, Hawthorne got himself a stage name, assumed his suave, worldly stage persona and started making music here in Ann Arbor. Timed to coincide with the release of his fourth studio album, this tour featured the best of his smooth, upbeat crooning. The woman in Hawthorne’s hit song “The Walk” may walk her “high heels right out of my life,” but here’s hoping that the singer doesn’t walk out of our lives anytime soon.
Thursday, July 7, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MUSIC REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
ARTS 7
Blood Orange’s latest ‘Love’ this book a sharp commentary By SOPHIA KAUFMAN Daily Arts Writer
“Freetown Sound” is a mix of eclectic sounds and messages By SAM ROSENBERG Daily Arts Writer
30-year-old British multi-instrumentalist Dev Hynes may not be the most well-known musician, but his status as a singer, songwriter A and producer makes him one Freetown of the most talented hidden Sound gems working Blood Orange in the industry today. From Domino playing for 2000s dancepunk band Test Icicles to going solo under the moniker Lightspeed Champion (now changed to Blood Orange), Hynes has written and produced songs for Sky Ferreira, Carly Rae Jepsen, Solange Knowles, FKA Twigs and Florence and The Machine. Other than his expertise in music production, what makes Hynes such a skilled musician is his drive to push against both sonic and thematic boundaries, making music that challenges the status quo. This fearless passion fueled his acclaimed 2013 sophomore effort Cupid Deluxe and his newest album as Blood Orange, Freetown Sound, propels Hynes even further into groundbreaking territory. Like other great concept albums, Freetown Sound is a record as personally relevant as it is socially conscious, incorporating both universality and specificity. On the one hand, the album’s core influence stems from Hynes’s connection to his father, whose hometown of Freetown, Sierra Leone appears in the title. But, even more so, the record is a celebration of difference, identity and cultural unity, particularly that of Black and queer pride. According to a recent Instagram post, Hynes dedicated this album to “everyone told they’re not Black enough, too Black, too queer, not queer the right way.” While Freetown Sound is cer-
DOMINO
“Insert artsy fartsy quote here.”
tainly long (its 17 tracks stretch to about an hour), listening to the whole album song-by-song is a gratifying and mesmerizing experience. Freetown benefits not only from Hynes’ breathy vocals and gifted songwriting, but also from the album’s eclectic fusion of soul, hip hop, jazz, New Wave, calypso and pop. Throughout the record, Hynes successfully imbues his own worldview into the woozy rhythms, powerful lyrics and suitable samples of each track. Tropical standouts “Augustine” and “Best to You” find Hynes channeling different sides of his personality, the former embracing his African heritage and the latter embracing that of a lover. “Hands Up” is a catchy yet unnerving anthem that spotlights the #BlackLivesMatter movement, with Hynes recognizing the victimization of young Black kids in the song’s chorus (“Keep your hood off when you’re walking ‘cause they / Hands up, get up, hands up, get up”). The song also acts as a companion piece to the slightly superior “Sandra’s Smile,” a dizzying, synthheavy, Sandra Bland-referencing tune Hynes released back in 2015 as a non-album single. However, when Hynes isn’t political, he softly and beautifully sings of unrequited love, heartbreak and loneliness on woeful tunes “With Him,” “Squash Squash” and “Better Than Me.” In addition to being an album that encompasses creative expression, Freetown Sound is an intensely collaborative record, the majority of those collaborators being women. Though the artists helping Hynes go uncredited, they heighten Freetown Sound’s already incredible foundation, as well as highlight the
album’s feminist overtones. The impressive list includes Blondie lead singer Debbie Harry on “E.V.P.,” Zuri Marley on “Love Ya,” Carly Rae Jepsen on “Better Than Me,” Nelly Furtado (yes, the Nelly Furtado) on “Hadron Collider,” Empress Of’s Lorely Rodriguez on “Best to You” and New York-based singer Ava Raiin providing background vocals on multiple tracks. Hynes also samples Atlanta slam poet Ashlee Haze’s “For Colored Girls” on the fierce opener “By Ourselves,” where she praises rapper Missy Elliott and acknowledges the significance of representation of Black women in the media. Freetown Sound is to Hynes what Lemonade is to Beyoncé, To Pimp a Butterfly is to Kendrick Lamar, and Black Messiah is to D’Angelo. The album is not only a compelling, kaleidoscopic record with personal and political undertones, but also a powerfully evocative mosaic of thought-provoking themes and messages that blend together almost effortlessly. Freetown Sound is a triumph for Hynes, especially as it effectively conveys the singer/ songwriter’s struggle to find a place to call his home. He was born in London and lives in New York City, but Hynes goes even deeper by illuminating his Freetown roots. Just as important is Hynes’s ability to speak, write and sing about some of the most topical issues of today. In light of ongoing police brutality targeting Black people and the recent tragic shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Freetown Sound is not just a tribute to these oppressed groups, but also a stark reminder that we cannot ignore the harsh realities that surround us every day.
Hardly a week goes by without an article popping up on Facebook or Twitter analyzing the current situation regarding the love lives — or lack thereof — of millennials. “They’re doomed,” the Labor of Love: critics always seem to sob. The Invention “All they do of Dating now is hookMoira Weigel up.” “Romance Farrar, Straus is dead” has and Giroux become a battle cry, though what war we’re fighting is still unclear. Some blame technology, some blame party or hookup culture, some blame feminism — the list continues, each reason more ridiculous than the last. Moira Weigel’s “Labor of Love: the Invention of Dating” traces the idea that romance has sputtered out through history, mapping out where and how courtship and dating started and how it has evolved over time. She reveals how people have always been worried — dating has, in fact, died several times. And people have never not been preoccupied with marriage; she concludes her introduction with a shrewd observation that may alarm students stressing about the intersection of careers and relationships. “If marriage is the long-term contract that many daters still hope to land, dating itself often feels like the worst, most precarious form of contemporary labor: an unpaid internship,” Weigel writes. “You cannot be sure where things are heading, but you try to gain experience. If you look sharp, you might get a free lunch.” Weigel’s style is blunt; she lands her points neatly, the emphasis always hitting home where it needs to. Dating customs change as the economy changes; privacy is a recent invention; dating has always seemed to be “work for women and recreation for men;” beauty is currency for women; gay bars preceded single bars for straights. “Labor of Love” is a quick and informative read that makes it easy for readers to retain the information after they’ve finished. Weigel highlights how customs and traditions that seem routine and normal to us now would be
shockingly inappropriate in the past, but it also shows how the opposite is true. Parents and other people have always been worried about the sexual promiscuity of college kids. Before there was DTRing (defining the relationship), there was going steady, and, before there was going steady, there was calling (the kind without phones). Before there was hooking up, there was necking, and, before there was necking, there was petting. In other words, teenagers have always been misbehaving in the eyes of their elders. Who knew? Weigel does a fantastic job of exploring dating and relationships with a lens towards class differences, inviting readers to consider fresh perspectives as to why we value the institution of marriage the way we do and to learn about the myths surrounding women’s biological clocks. Her book is sprinkled with anecdotes that provide insight into social mores of different times, which she then fleshes out well with nuanced analysis. But the book is lacking in some significant areas. Weigel dedicates a substantial amount of time to online dating, or dating apps, but never addresses one of the biggest gender divides regarding meeting people online: women are much more likely to be scared that their date could be a potential rapist or serial killer. Relatedly, she glosses over how the pervasiveness and threat of sexual assault colors the experiences of women on college campuses. She also glosses over many of the social difficulties that members of the queer community still face, painting a much sunnier picture of current realities than many members of that community would like. The conclusion almost completely negates the validity and possibility for total satisfaction in a single life and hints at the importance of reproduction in all relationships. This teleological ending point may feel insulting to those who don’t feel the need or want to think about it, for any reason, at any point in their lives. “Labor of Love” delivers on its promise of a fresh and fun — at times even poignant — perspective on love, dating, sex, relationships and marriage and the intersections of those four. But as for proof that romance isn’t dead? Keep looking.
8 NEWS
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RELEASE DATE– Friday, July 1, 2016 RELEASE DATE– Thursday, July 7, 2016
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OBESITY From Page 1 in a competition within the University of Michigan that selected which professors would represent the University in the application process. Dus added that the grant is crucial for young scientists due to reduced funding available in the biomedical field. Without such funding, she would be unable to hire and train scientists and graduate students, resulting in slower research progress. Dus said this grant allows her the opportunity to explore a topic that has not received much research attention in the past. “This really gives me the ability to focus on this really new question and have a few graduate students working on it for the next five years and build enough momentum so that I can make a case to the government that this is something really important to study and now have a ton of data that shows that it’s not something risky anymore,” Dus said. “It’s really a game changer for young scientists like me.” Also a member of the Michigan Nutrition and Obesity Research Center and the Michigan Diabetes Research Center, Dus said she was always interested in how the environment — which includes pollution, stress or other intangible factors — changes the brain. Dus said she particularly focuses on diet as a form of environment because diet can change depending on the amount and the type of food and nutrients that are consumed. “It’s also really relevant to today’s society because we have this biomedical crisis,” Dus said. “About 1.6 billion people … are either overweight or obese in the United States. If you have 10 people in a room, eight essentially out of 10 will be overweight and about half of those obese. It’s a really huge public crisis because today we’re dying of chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer, and essentially Alzheimer’s, which are all linked to obesity.” Dus uses fruit flies in her research to study how the brain sees sugar — particularly focusing on real versus fake sugar
— because the flies have a similar physical structure to humans and exhibit complex behavioral patterns. In her research, Dus measures the changes in fruit flies’ metabolism, weight, the amount of food they eat and their behaviors and learning abilities. Dus’ research ultimately shows that real sugar is absorbed by the brain differently than artificial sugars, which is indicative of why people have trouble controlling themselves around foods made with real sugar. “Your brain actually mostly only sees the real sugar,” Dus said. “If you look at the micronutrients that we ingest the most in the last 50 years, it’s mostly sugar; it’s not really fat.” Robert Denver, chair of the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Department, agreed, saying it is important to link the environment and human behavior, especially in obesity research. He said it’s crucial for the department — particularly those focusing on this type of research — to receive grants so the basic processes leading to overeating can be understood and prevented. “For many years there’s been an obesity epidemic in the United States, and it has actually spread throughout the world,” Denver said. “In 2013, the American Medical Association officially recognized obesity as a disease, which was a move that has actually caused physicians to pay more attention to the condition. Today it is estimated we spend around almost $200 billion on obesity-related illness in the United States … there’s a lot of interest in understanding the causes of obesity and finding ways to treat it and to reverse it.” Denver said obesity has a lot to do with one’s eating habits, behavior and the reinforcement of eating habits. “There are reward centers in the brain that, when you eat a very highly palatable food, it just makes you want to eat more of it,” Denver said. “Since the early to mid-1970s, much of the food that is produced — processed food — has been engineered to be highly palatable … it causes people to want more and eat more and it ultimately leads to this reinforcement of the behavior.”
“This really gives me the ability to focus”
Thursday, July 7, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NEWS 9
Ann Arbor Dioxide Plume Map
1-250 ppb 250-1,000 ppb 1,000-2,000 ppb 2,000+ ppb Source: Scio Residents for Safe Water
GROUNDWATER From Page 1 superfund designation, we would probably require a large amount of community input and a full understanding of how successful (the) EPA has been with respect to other dioxane sites in Michigan, what we could hope to achieve by obtaining that designation and frankly what risks we’d run by doing this.” Scio Township Supervisor Spaulding Clark — who supports a superfund designation — told the Daily before the county’s vote that whether a superfund petition is ultimately pursued may rest with the city of Ann Arbor’s decision. Clark also said he has more confidence in the EPA than the DEQ to manage the contamination, and that he believes concerns about loss in property values are unfounded because affected properties still have access to public water and that the contamination has been long-known to realtors and home buyers. “If both the county and the city have no interest in making
this a superfund site, my guess is it won’t happen,” Clark said. “I think the reality is that Ann Arbor Township and Scio Township are awaiting a decision by Ann Arbor Township and the county as to whether they want to get into this.” Although the DEQ and Pall Corporation — which acquired Gelman — have maintained a network of monitoring wells to track the plume since 1992, Washtenaw County locals have long been critical of the state’s response, and the Flint water crisis re-energized public attention in January. In March, the DEQ promised to revise groundwater safety standards for 1,4-dioxane to be in line with EPA cancer risk guidelines, which would grant the Michigan Attorney General standing to take new legal action against Pall Corporation for more thorough cleanup and remediation activities. In a June interview, Robert Wagner, chief of the DEQ Remediation Division, told the Daily the new regulations are on track to be submitted to the state
“The question of whether or not to seek superfund status is a complicated one”
legislature for approval in its 9-month timeframe. Nonetheless, a persistent dissatisfaction with the DEQ’s bureaucracy was visible in the county commission’s meeting, particularly with Commissioner Yousef Rabhi (D). “We’re dealing with an organization that has ignored us for too long … that has set timelines and then broken their timelines, and I personally have no interest in continuing to be fooled by an organization that isn’t being held true to its own standards,” Rabhi said at the County Commission session. “I don’t believe it is the fault of the staff on the ground … but the DEQ
is fundamentally flawed in its structure; the DEQ does not serve the people of Michigan, it serves the interests of the polluters and the corporate interests.” The County Commision’s Wednesday resolution also called for Governor Rick Snyder (R) to expedite the passage of the new water standards by the state legislature. State Rep. Jeff Irwin (D–Ann Arbor), who represents most of Washtenaw County, told the Daily in late June that, despite his past frustrations, he has been encouraged by the DEQ’s latest efforts and believes a rush to petition for EPA intervention would undermine this progress.
However, Irwin also noted he does not have a firm position on superfund designation. “I am as frustrated as anybody else about how the cleanup has been administered around the Gelman site, and I think the DEQ is part of that frustration,” Irwin said. “But I feel as though they’ve finally started to move in the right direction for this cleanup, and now that they’ve been working with us as partners, it might be a bad time to shift to a new partner. (The EPA) might be better, the EPA might take the situation more seriously, but they also might not, and they may also take a long time getting to the point that the DEQ has now been brought to.”
10 SPORTS
Thursday, July 7, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Shelina Zadorsky’s road to the 2016 Olympic Games
FILE PHOTO/Daily
In her senior year, Shelina Zadorsky captained the Michigan women’s soccer team that reached the Elite Eight in the 2013 season.
By BRADLEY WHIPPLE Summer Managing Editor
Shelina Zadorsky has always dreamt of competing on the world’s biggest soccer stages — either as a World Cup contender or an Olympic athlete. Once the London, Ontario, native ended her storied career for the Michigan women’s soccer team in 2013, she debuted for the Canadian National Team and traveled the world to play professional soccer in pursuit of those dreams. Zadorsky has worked tirelessly in that twoyear span, waiting to see which major opportunity came first. When Zadorsky missed the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada, she had one last goal: qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics. Mission accomplished. On June 25, Canada Soccer and the Canadian Olympic Committee unveiled the 18-player women’s soccer roster that included Zadorsky, who is looking to be the starting center back alongside Kadeisha Buchanan. “It’s incredible just knowing
that it’ll be such a big stage,” Zadorsky said. “I’m more excited than anything. I’m excited about the team connection we have and just the work we’ve been putting in as a team. We have incredible individuals and incredible leaders in our staff, as well. To play with the likes of Christine Sinclair and Diana Matheson and these veterans that have been there and know what it takes, to be able to learn from them, show up, do my absolute best and not only play for Canada but our goal is to win for Canada. “Getting on the podium, that’s my goal, that’s our goal and I’m excited to see that happen.” Zadorsky’s path toward Rio has been long in the making — nine years exactly. In 2007, Zadorsky made her debut with the Canadian Youth National Team under coach Bryan Rosenfeld. Later in 2008, she scored two goals for her team en
route to a bronze medal at the CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship. From 2010 to 2012, Zadorsky joined the Canadian U-20 Women’s National Team, which earned a silver medal at the 2012 championship in Panama. That same year, Zadorsky co-captained the FIFA U-20 World Cup team that competed in Japan. During those two years with the U-20 team, Zadorsky was also making huge strides at the collegiate level with Michigan under head coach Greg Ryan — who had spent three years coaching the U.S. Women’s National Team. When Zadorsky arrived in Ann Arbor in 2010, the Wolverines were in a major rebuilding phase. But the arrival of Zadorsky marked a turning point in the program, as she was part of what would become arguably the program’s most successful and
“Getting on the podium, that’s my goal, that’s our goal.”
memorable senior class by 2013. Zadorsky started every game her freshman year as Michigan wedged itself into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years. In 2011, the Wolverines lost seven players to injury or illness, giving Zadorsky the opportunity to shine on Michigan’s backline. That season, she scored her first goal and started all 19 games on defense. After a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2012, Zadorsky captained the team with Holly Hein, Meghan Toohey and Nkem Ezurike (Michigan’s alltime leading scorer) in their run to the 2013 Elite Eight. With one goal and nine assists, Zadorsky had her best season yet, and she was ready to take her game to the next level. That same year, Zadorsky made her senior debut with the Canadian national team, giving her an opportunity to pursue
soccer after Michigan. “I knew I still wanted to play, and I knew I had an opportunity with the Canadian national team,” Zadorsky said. “I had a little bit of improving to do and just maturing and growing.” After graduating, Zadorsky also signed her first professional contract with Perth Glory in the Westfield W-League in Australia. In just her first season with the club, she made 14 appearances and scored one goal as Perth Glory placed first in the league at the end of the regular season. Rather than stay in Australia, Zadorsky spent the 2015 season competing for Vittsjö GIK, a football club in the Damallsvenskan, which is the country’s top women’s soccer league. During the 2015 season, she appeared in 18 of 22 games.
“I knew I had an opportunity with the Canadian national team.”
See Zadorsky. Page 11
Thursday, July 7, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
“It’s been awesome,” Zadorsky said. “It’s kinda been a bit of a whirlwind going from tournament to tournament and just learning from the best players and really improving my game.” In July 2015, Zadorsky also participated in the Pan American Games in Toronto, which she described as a “smaller-scale Olympics.” Though Zadorsky had spent the past two years traveling the world in pursuit of an Olympic dream, she somehow found herself rooming with Ezurike, who was also representing Canada in the games. “It was like college all over again, which was really great,” Zadorsky said. “It’s such a small soccer world, but it’s great to see her doing well too.” Unfortunately for the reunited duo, Canada fell in the bronze medal match to Mexico, which had rostered then-senior midfielder Christina Murillo — Michigan’s 2015 captain and former teammate of Ezurike and Zadorsky. “It was like college all over again, which was really great,” Zadorsky said. “It’s such a small soccer world, but it’s great to see her doing well too.” Unfortunately for the reunited duo, Canada fell in the bronze medal match to Mexico, which had rostered then-senior midfielder Christina Murillo — Michigan’s 2015 captain and former teammate of Ezurike and Zadorsky. Though Michigan’s 2013 senior class are no longer together, they have still kept in touch in part because they all run the same soccer-centric lifestyle. Former midfielder Tori McCombs is also getting married this October, and the senior class, including Zadorsky, will be bridesmaids. Zadorsky hasn’t forgotten to stay in touch with the coaching staff, and said she occasionally emails Ryan and associate head coach Dean Duerst. After the 2013 season, Ryan had emphasized that he would focus on helping his seniors transition to the professional soccer world in
order for them to fulfill their goals. According to Zadorsky, it was less about Ryan’s connections in the soccer world and more about physical preparation. “Ultimately, I think it was more of his training and his coaching that helped me get to the level I needed to get to and then I was able to branch out and find my own connections,” Zadorsky said. “At the same time, he was always such a great reference to have, he would always speak highly of us and he was always supporting us in that way.” Part of Zadorsky finding her own connections has involved hiring a business manager and creating her own website, which includes a biography, media gallery, her agent’s contact info and information on her involvement with the Canadian National Team and the National Women’s Soccer League. Most recently, Zadorsky began her first season with the NWSL’s Washington Spirit based out of Boyds, Md. Luckily for Zadorsky, she was part of a historic fourth season for the NWSL, which is now the longest-running American women’s soccer league. “The other leagues before this have folded, but this one is growing and is going to stay around for quite some time,” Zadorsky said. “It’s really cool to be a part of the fourth season.” Having to adapt to a fasterpaced NWSL, Zadorsky said her technical ability has grown “leaps and bounds.” At this level, it has to: everyone is stronger and everyone is faster, so her touches need to be better and her decision-making needs to be quicker. “(In college), everyone’s still developing and has a lot of room for growth through college,” Zadorsky said. “At this level, people have so much experience and you just bring another level of professionalism to it. That comes with all the things on and off the pitch that’s a bit different because it is your job — you’re not juggling school and soccer, now you’re a true professional.” Not only has the speed of the game
SPORTS 11
“It’s been a whirlwhind going from tournament to tournament.”
“(Ryan’s) coaching helped me get to the level I needed to get to.”
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Shelina Zadorsky ended her career with 81 games played, three goals, 15 assists and 21 points.
changed, but Zadorsky has noticed a changing fan base. At Michigan, she said everyone could unite around the block M and say “Go Blue.” Throughout the past few years, though, she has been able to reach an even wider audience with fan bases in Australia, Sweden and, most recently, Maryland. The bigger fan base has also brought an opportunity to mold young and upcoming soccer players around the world. How Zadorsky and her team interact with the fan community on and off the field doesn’t go unnoticed as fans wear their jerseys, share photos through Twitter and make signs for Zadorsky at games. “It’s really, really inspiring to see young girls looking up to you and wanting to work to be a professional,” Zadorsky said. “Hopefully I can inspire them in a positive way.” Zadorsky’s next chance to inspire her fans will come on August 5, when the Rio 2016 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament begins in Sao
Paolo, Brazil. The reigning bronze medalist Canadians will face Australia, Zimbabwe and Germany in Group F. This year has already been a successful one for the national team, which qualified for the Olympic Games in February and later won the Algarve Women’s Cup in Lagos, Portugal, after defeating Brazil, 2-1, in the championship match. The team has already developed chemistry as well, with Diana Matheson and Stephanie Labbé currently playing with Zadorsky on the Spirit. The national team will train together all of July, missing just a few NWSL games before the league goes on break in August. When Zadorsky returns to the United States at the end of August, she will have fulfilled her dream of representing home country in the Olympics. The only thing left to do? Return with a medal hanging around her neck.
“It’s inspiring to see young girls looking up to you.”
12 SPORTS
Thursday, July 7, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Bottom named an assistant coach for U.S. Olympic team By ORION SANG Summer Managing Sports Editor
Michigan head swimming coach Mike Bottom was named an assistant coach of the U.S. men’s team for this summer’s Olympic Games. “I’ve been dreaming about this since I was 10 years old,” Bottom said in a statement Sunday. “This is my Olympic dream. I’m ready to do whatever it takes to help the U.S. be successful in Rio. I can’t wait to get started.” Despite this being his first time coaching the U.S. team at the Olympics, Bottom has had a lot of experience at the Games — he has coached at the past five, and had also previously said that he would be coaching Michigan sophomore Mokhtar Al-Yamani and Al-Yamani’s country, Yemen, at this year’s competition in Rio. “In the past I’ve been with other small countries,” Bottom said at a press conference May 31. “The nice thing about coaching with a small country is that I can coach everybody. I’ve signed something that says I won’t coach against the U.S. team, so that gives me the freedom to do what I do.” Bottom, who coaches both the men’s and women’s swimming
and diving teams at Michigan, spent the early part of the summer in Ann Arbor helping current team members and alumni — as well as other athletes representing countries from across the world — train for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which have taken place over the past week. Bottom has been in Omaha for the trials as several current and former Wolverines have competed for coveted spots on the national team. Notable performances came from alum Connor Jaeger, who also swam at the 2012 Olympic Games, qualified for the 1,500meter freestyle and 400-meter freestyle by winning both events, while alum Tyler Clary, who won a gold medal in 2012, narrowly missed out on qualifying for this year’s games after finishing third in the 200-meter backstroke. Bottom will now get a chance to be part of the U.S. team for the second time in his life — he had previously qualified for the 100meter fly in 1980, but the U.S. boycotted that year’s games as they were held in Moscow during the Cold War. Now, close to 40 years later, he will look to help his country to success — this time, though, he will be out of the water.
MEN’S GOLF
Mueller talks about his experience
playing in U.S. Open as amateur Despite missing the cut, Mueller was able to keep up with the world’s best golfers By MATTHEW KENNEDY Daily Sports Writer
It was during his freshman year of college that Michigan junior Kyle Mueller realized he had a legitimate chance of one day qualifying for the U.S. Open. He had tried to qualify a few years prior, before coming to Ann Arbor, but missed out by five strokes. “I was an okay golfer in high school — not a great golfer,” Mueller said. “But when I got to Michigan my game started to develop, I became a better player and I got some confidence.” So when a year and a half later Mueller competed at the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier in Springfield, Ohio, it was no surprise that he was able to come in second place — securing his spot among the best in the world at Oakmont Country Club outside of Pittsburg, June 16-19. Heading into the week, the tournament didn’t feel all that different from the collegiate or amateur tournaments Mueller was accustomed to. He still had to sign his scorecard, he still had to think through what 14 clubs to put in his bag and most of all, he still had to shoot a low score. But for an amateur used to playing against other studentathletes, there was one notable difference: the competition. “When you’re driving in the front gates or driving
at the driving range, you’re surrounded by the best players in the world,” Mueller said. “It was pretty cool to just be surrounded by all these guys, and growing up you idolize these guys and want to be like them.” Mueller was surrounded by many of the world’s mostidolized players early in the week, playing practice rounds alongside defending U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth, defending British Open Championship Zach Johnson and twotime Masters champion Bubba Watson. He also played alongside James Hahn, whom Mueller had met six years earlier when Hahn was playing a tournament in Mueller’s hometown of Athens, Ga. Hahn stayed at Mueller’s house during the tournament, and has since been one of his favorite players. “I was definitely in contact with some of the best players in the world,” Mueller said. “I really got to pick their brains about what they were thinking about the course, course management and really just how they play golf.” When Thursday hit, Mueller played alongside professionals Richie Schembechler, a distant relative of Michigan great Bo Schembechler, and Derek Chang. On Thursday he shot a seven-over-par, 77, and on Friday he shot a three-over-par,
“Growing up you
idolize these guys and want to be like them.”
“I got to pick their brains about what they were thinking.”
RITA MORRIS/Daily
Mike Bottom coached in the previous five Olympic Games for other countries.
73, for a total of a ten-over-par, 150 — a decent score for a firsttime amateur, but alas below the six-over-par needed to make the cut and play on the weekend. “I would say I played a lot better than my score ref lected,” Mueller said. “I was a little disappointed I missed the cut; I felt that I had some silly mistakes throughout both rounds that could have easily been avoided, just stuff I don’t normally do when playing competitive golf. I wasn’t really nervous. I felt comfortable in both rounds.” But although his weekend ended early, the two days he spent in the tournament, in addition to the practice days earlier in the week, gave him a more important revelation than the one experienced during his freshman year: he felt comfortable amongst the best in the world. Where Mueller at first saw professionals as otherworldly athletes, he later saw entirely different things — human compatriots with the same motives and goals as he had. “I would pass Jordan Spieth in the locker room, and the first couple days I was there I was like, ‘Wow! That’s Jordan Spieth,’ ”Mueller said. “But by the end of it, he was just another guy trying to do what I’m doing.” For the rest of the summer, Mueller is scheduled to play in various amateur tournaments across the United States, culminating in the U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mi. — only 40 miles from Ann Arbor. These tournaments will feature the players Mueller is more accustomed to: high schoolers and college students trying to establish a footing for themselves. But as his week at Oakmont taught him, no matter the tournament, the competitors have the same goal, and no matter the competitors, Mueller can feel right at home.
“I played a lot better than my score reflected.”