Ann Arbor, MI
MichiganDaily.com
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Ann Arbor Pioneer High School senior Dea Chappell marches on State Street during a Black Lives Matter protest Saturday in wake of recent instances of police brutality across the nation
SINDUJA KILARU/Daily
Nationwide police brutality sparks dialogue on local law enforcement Over 1,000 march through downtown for Black Lives Matter protest By ANDREW HIYAMA Daily Staff Reporter
inside
More than 500 people gathered Wednesday at the Michigan Union to march through downtown Ann Arbor in protest of police brutality. After congregating at the Union, the protesters walked down State Street and Main Street, stopping several times along the way before
regrouping at the Diag to have several people address the crowd. The Ann Arbor Police Department escorted the protest, directing traffic away. The protest follows a recent streak of police violence — videos showing fatal police shootings of two men, Alton Sterling of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile of St. Paul, Minnesota, launching a flurry of nationwide protests. A shootingspurred by a lone gunman last Thursday at a protest in Dallas claimed the lives of five police officers. A vigil for the victims was held last Thursday in Ann Arbor, and a smaller march Saturday through downtown was
NEWS
Four more years City council votes to put term extension on November ballot proposal >> SEE PAGE 2
OPINION
Prioritize Oversight Police oversight commitee will keep city residents and police on the same page >> SEE PAGE 4
also organized in response. Community-police relations in Ann Arbor have been sensitive since the 2014shooting death of Ann Arbor resident Aura Rosser by police officer David Ried. The county prosecuting attorney ruled Ried’s actions “lawful self defense,” though some residents were dissatisfied and skeptical of the results of the investigation. In December 2015, the Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission put forth a 42-page report, recommending an independent audit of AAPD practices and the implementation of a civilian oversight board to independently review complaints against police officers. Although City
ARTS
Can we trust ‘Mr. Robot’? USA drama returns with dark, chilling premiere
>> SEE PAGE 6
Council voted in March to eagerly accept these recommendations, AAPD Chief Jim Baird expressed skepticism of the need for increased local oversight and stressed nothing be implemented until after an audit in a June memo. Currently, the implementation of the HRC recommendations remains stalled, though money has been set aside in the city’s fiscal year 2017 budget for an auditor. City Councilmember Sumi Kailasapathy (D–Ward 1), who also is liaison to the HRC, told The Daily in an interview Wednesday she expects a resolution to hire an independent auditor soon — which would precede ordinance changes to implement an oversight
SPORTS
Michigan vs. Notre Dame After a three-year hiatus, the rivalry resumes in 2018 >> SEE PAGE 11
body — but was unable to provide an exact timeline. Kailasapathy added she did not believe the implementation of increased oversight was a reaction to deteriorating trust, but rather a check-and-balance on local government. “This is not an indictment of our police force. This is about setting up checks and balances,” Kailasapathy said. The atmosphere of the protest was high in energy, with marchers constantly chanting, “Hands up, don’t shoot,” as well as, “No justice, no peace” and “hey, hey, ho, ho, these racist cops have got to go!” See PROTEST, Page 9
INDEX Vol. CXXVI, No. 124| © 2016 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS ................................... 2 OPINION .............................. 4 ARTS ..................................... 6 CLASSIFIEDS......................... 8 SUDOKU................................ 2 SPORTS.................................. 11
2 NEWS
Thursday, July 14, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
City Council votes to put election reform on November ballot Ann Arbor residents will vote on proposal to extend city council term limits By BRIAN KUANG Summer Daily News Editor
In November, Ann Arbor residents will vote on a ballot measure that would extend the terms of city councilmembers and the mayor to four years — with the goal of boosting voter turnout in local elections — following a 7-4 vote by City Council Wednesday evening. However, a parallel resolution seeking to overhaul municipal elections into non-partisan blanket primaries — where party identification would not be listed for candidates — failed in a 7-4 vote. The two resolutions were Sudoku Syndication for introduced debate by Council with the intention of
comprehensively reforming local elections to boost sagging voter turnout. Currently, the mayor and each city councilmember must run for re-election every two years, with five council seats up for election in any given year. Because there are no high-profile, top-ballot races — such as presidential or congressional campaigns — in odd-numbered years, voter turnout in August primary elections are often half of even-year numbers, and odd-year November turnout can be as low as one quarter of the corresponding even-year. By extending terms of office for city councilmembers and the mayor, half of council would be up for re-election every two years during a high-profile general election that would drive turnout for down-ticket races. Furthermore, many municipal races are not meaningfully contested in November due to
Ann Arbor’s partisan election for Republican candidates in Ann system, which is only used by two Arbor is due to the ideological other cities in Michigan. makeup of the city and not a To be on the November ballot, result of any flaw in the city’s candidates for city office must win election system. either the statewide Republican The extended-term ballot or Democratic primary election proposal was approved 7-4 with in August, unless they are Councilmembers Lumm, Eaton, independent. However, given Kailasapathy and Graydon the demographic makeup of Ann Krapohl (D–Ward 4) voting http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ Arbor, no candidate has sought against, while the parallel election to municipal office as resolution seeking to overhaul a Republican in Ann Arbor for municipal elections into nonover a decade, meaning many partisan blanket primaries failed races are simply uncontested in 7-4 with only Councilmembers November. City Councilmember Kirk Westphal (D–Ward 2), Jane Lumm (I–Ward 2) remains Lumm, Chuck Warpehoski (D– the sole non-Democrat on City Ward 5) and Kailasapathy voting MEDIUM Council. in favor. If a non-partisan election Regarding term limits, were to be adopted, then the top Councilmember Sabra Briere two receivers of votes in each (D–Ward 1) argued that evenAugust primary race would year elections would not only be guaranteed to advance to exclusively improve voter the November ballot, even if turnout, but longer terms it would mean two Democrats increase continuity of leadership would face against each other. and allow councilmembers to Councilmember Sumi pursue longer-term agendas. Kailasapathy (D–Ward 1) Councilmember Jack Eaton supported putting the non- (D–Ward 4) countered Briere’s partisan election proposal to the point, saying that more frequent November ballot, saying party elections for city office would labels in municipal elections force councilmembers to be more often project inaccurate accountable to their constituents impressions of individual and engage the public more candidates to voters. frequently. Eaton also argued that However, other even though turnout is higher in councilmembers, including even-year elections, many voters Mayor Christopher Taylor, in those elections simply vote argued party labels still along party lines without fully © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. played an important role in understanding city issues, while SUMMER LOVIN Puzzle by sudokusyndication.com informing voters on the values voters in lower-turnout oddof candidates. Furthermore, years would be better engaged in Generate and solve Sudoku, Super Sudoku and Godoku puzzles at sudokusyndication.com! Taylor said the lack of viability local issues.
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Thursday, July 14, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NEWS 3
ANN ARBOR
Candidates for City Council debate on televised forum Issues include taxes, city development and transparency By ISHI MORI, KEVIN LINDER, and BRIAN KUANG Daily Staff Reporter, Summer Daily News Editor
Ann Arbor community members mourn the loss of Alton Sterling on Thursday in the Diag.
SINDUJA KILARU/Daily
At vigil, students and community mourn police brutality victims Speakers discuss recent shootings and perspectives on lives as Black people By IRENE PARK Summer Daily News Editor
Thursday night, students and other community members gathered at the Diag to hold a candlelit vigil dedicated to Alton Sterling, who was fatally shot by Baton Rouge police officers outside a convenience store Tuesday in Louisiana, and Philando Castile, who was fatally shot Wednesday in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, at a traffic stop by a police officer. The vigil was organized by a group of several University of Michigan students, who did not represent a specific organization on campus but collaborated in light of the recent events. LSA junior Nikole Miller, one of the organizers, said she was motivated to organize the event because of her family. “When you have men in your family, it hurts you,” Miller said. “I woke up this morning crying. When you feel that kind
of pain, you know you have to do something.” The vigil featured several speakers from the University community, who shared their perspectives on the recent events, life as a Black person and racism in general. A few speakers discussed the details of the recent events, emphasizing that the shootings were not justified and that there is a deadly pattern in the interaction between the police and the Black community. LSA junior Arlyn Reed, who is also a Central Student Government representative, said this pattern is in part due to racism, and the lack of trust between young Black men and the police. “What we should be able to plainly see is that this is in part — and I want to emphasize ‘in part’ — fueled by white supremacy, which reinforces the idea that Black bodies are inherently dangerous and feeds into the irrational fears about Black people,” Reed said. “What we should also be able to plainly see is the deadly disconnect between the young African American men and the police.” LSA junior Mariah Smith shared her experiences growing
up as a Black person, saying that initially she was afraid to be Black but she has embraced her identity as she grew up. “To me, being Black meant being a slave, being powerless, being fearful and being unintelligent,” Smith said. “But now, I’m learning to embrace my Blackness. Being Black means something totally different to me now. It means intelligent, being strong, being powerful, being everything they said we aren’t.” Many people of diverse racial backgrounds attended the vigil. Some of those in attendance who were not Black referred to themselves as “allies” of the cause. Rebecca Elias, a social worker in Ann Arbor, said she attended the vigil because she has been fighting against racism and the oppression of vulnerable people for many years. Elias said that when she saw the video of Castile’s death, she was outraged by how the new generation will grow up witnessing the consequences of discrimination. She specifically mentioned Castile’s 4-year-old child, who was present in the car with Castile’s fiancée when Castile was shot. See VIGIL, Page 10
Ann Arbor City Council candidates appeared Tuesday evening on a televised forum on pressing local policy issues on the Community Television Network. The forum featured candidates from Wards 1, 4 and 5 on different time slots. Wards 2 and 3 are uncontested this year. Ward 1 Ward 1 featured incumbent Sumi Kailasapathy (D), Jason Frenzel (D) and Will Leaf (D). Kailasapathy is a certified public accountant at Edwards, Ellis, Armstrong & Co., a downtown accounting firm. Frenzel is the volunteer and stewardship coordinator for the Huron River Watershed Council. Leaf is the co-founder of online sunscreen company Natural Skin and Hair. During the 45-minute program, the candidates traded opinions on a range of issues including traffic congestion, election reform and balancing the city budget. A particular topic of contention was a redacted portion of e-mails regarding the construction of a planned Amtrak station. Frenzel said that, though he supported maximum transparency, he also felt that there was a justified reason for city staff to withhold information. “I think in (the e-mail) conversation we need to realize what’s the situation,” Frenzel said. “We don’t as a public understand what that conversation is and what it was, why it was redacted. In my honest opinion, I know our staff to be strong, professional leaders in their industry … and I think challenging our staff in a public forum isn’t necessarily a valid way for an organization to behave.”
On the contrary, Kailasapathy said she is for greater transparency, especially since the documents in question will not jeopardize national security. “We are elected officials; I am not going to put this on the staff,” Kailasapathy said. “As elected officials, we have a duty to our residents to be transparent. And this, we need to remind ourselves, is regarding the location of a train station.” When asked about how to balance the budget, all three agreed that restructuring current city spending can increase revenue. Kailasapathy said the city can increase revenue by revisiting the tax capture policies of the Downtown Development Authority and the Local Development Funding Authority. She pointed out that the revenue for these entities increased by 50 percent over the last four years and advocated redirecting that income to city funds. Leaf argued that rezoning residential areas and allowing for more commercial enterprise can create more urban neighborhoods and increase tax revenues. He also strongly supported privatizing public parking, arguing that the city’s current monopoly on parking leads to an unneccessary loss of revenue. In a question pertaining to the city’s dioxane plume issue, Frenzel strongly criticized the state’s Department of Environmental Quality for its failure to control the spread of the plume. “The dioxane plume has been a known issue for 35 plus years,” Frenzel said. “It’s basically a status quo, and that’s extremely unfortunate. As an environmentalist, we know that the DEQ has been understaffed and beholden to corporations for a long time. I think we really need to fight hard to ensure that is no longer the case.” All agreed that Ann Arbor should look for other funding options when it comes to See FORUM, Page 8
4 OPINION
Thursday, July 14, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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
JEREMY KAPLAN EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
BRADLEY WHIPPLE MANAGING EDITOR
FROM THE DAILY
A proactive approach to police oversight The shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile have, yet again, sparked Black Lives Matter protests across the country, as well as in our own backyard. A candlelight vigil was held Thursday evening in the Diag for Sterling and Castile. As many as 200 community members marched through Ann Arbor Saturday afternoon and almost 1000 marched Wednesday night to protest police brutality and support the Black Lives Matter movement. The many voices crying out for justice have proven that police violence is an issue worth discussing to Ann Arbor citizens. As we see more of these voices of the Black Lives Matter movement and others speak out, we also see the formation of new policy platforms that hope to mitigate police brutality. For instance, “Campaign Zero,” which aims to create a world where “police don’t kill people,” has proposed a multitude of practical solutions. Among them is the notion of increasing community oversight of police officers. Policies like this one would greatly help to reduce the countless tragic, police-related deaths and should be enacted to ensure the safety and well being of all individuals. Baton Rouge, St. Paul, Staten Island and Ferguson. These are the names of cities that have suffered from extreme police brutality. But what about Ann Arbor? In the November of 2014, Aura Rosser, a 40-year-old Black woman, was fatally shot by an Ann Arbor police officer when she reportedly would not put down a knife aimed at the officer. The officer involved in the shooting, David Ried, was not indicted, though many local residents criticized the apparent lack of transparency of the investigation — similar to national speculation surrounding transparency in police misconduct cases. Though the details of the Rosser shooting contain far fewer egregious actions on the part of the police compared to these other cases, lessons can still be learned from the judgment of the police. One of these lessons should be
that civilians must be involved in the response to incidents such as this, just as “Campaign Zero” recommends. In March, the Ann Arbor City Council voted to consider a set of recommendations put forth by the Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission. One of the recommendations — to increase civilian oversight — has been opposed by Police Chief Jim Baird, for the time being. One of the Human Rights Commission’s recommendations was the use of an independent auditor to review the Ann Arbor Police Department’s policies and practices regarding misconduct — a process Baird would like a report from before enabling civillian oversight. As the current conversation stands, the civillian oversight committee would — independently of the Police Department — review complaints against police officers. Shooting
after shooting has proven there is no time to wait. While we understand the desire to table the topic of a civilian oversight committee, the wellbeing of citizens should be a proactive matter, not a reactive one, and discussion on how a potential oversight committee would function should continue. Police brutality has happened and will continue to happen in every city across the nation, including our own, until we take a stand against violence. Let’s have this conversation now, in our own town, to ensure these tragic shootings do not continue to occur in our communities in the near or distant future. Ensuring safety and justice under the law for all citizens demands a call to action. Let Ann Arbor be the example the nation so desperately needs; let’s be the change.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Roland Davidson, Caitlin Heenan, Elena Hubbell, Jeremy Kaplan, Madeline Nowicki, Kevin Sweitzer, Brooke White.
W
Perez for VP
ith the conclusion of the 2016 presidential primaries, presumptive Democratic KEVIN nominee Hillary Clinton SWEITZER has turned her attention toward presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump and the November showdown that awaits them. While the 2016 election cycle has proven itself to be anything but normal, America finds itself at a crossroads once again: one key milestone remains that still mirrors the bygone days of presidential election campaigning. The “veepstakes,” as they are so cleverly called by many a political pundit, is the mandatory process of choosing a vice presidential candidate to run and campaign with the nominee. As the name suggests, this process is more of a sweepstakes than it is about political clout, as the vice president rarely carries as much responsibility or respect as the president. In the early days of this nation, the vice president was chosen as the second-place finisher in the general election. As one can easily imagine, this did not work out well, and as the two party system emerged, the parties started nominating their own candidates for vice president. This election year is no different, and despite all of the calamity associated with the election, Clinton will choose a Vice President. Every four years, pundits across the nation talk about the benefits of every political player for vice president. However, at the end of the day, the role of the vice president is someone who can advise the president, serve in the cabinet and perform the duties of the president in the case of the president’s departure from office. The last thing that Clinton needs when campaigning against Trump is another boring white man from Ohio (sorry, Sherrod Brown) or another lifelong politician with a history of shady contributions (sorry, Tim Kaine). Additionally, she cannot afford to risk flipping a Senate seat to the Republicans in a swing state (sorry, Cory Booker). Even worse would be an inexperienced or potentially unprepared politician who may not be able to perform the duties of vice president (sorry, Julian Castro). The only person fit for the current political climate of 2016 is someone who can use economic experience to appeal to everyday Americans, while understanding the
complex social identity issues that are present in our nation today. That’s why I urge Hillary Clinton to choose the Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez as her vice presidential nominee in 2016. The son of Dominican immigrants, the Harvard educated Tom Perez spent much of his young life in the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice, working primarily in the areas of migrant worker exploitation and hate crime prosecution. Once he jumped into the political landscape, he served as the director of the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation before becoming the head of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. Perez isn’t simply a Latina/o person who will fire up the base, he is an avid fighter for civil rights and the rights of working Americans. As assistant attorney general, he led many investigations into police violence and LGBT access to education, both of which are extremely important issues in our nation today. As Secretary of Labor, he has been seen as a progressive leader, and has the support of many organized labor groups, including the largest congress of trade unions, the AFL-CIO. Clinton can work to repair any hard feelings with the Bernie Sanders camp by choosing a progressive labor leader as her running mate. Perez has spent his entire career fighting for what is right and what is just. This is the exact type of leadership that Clinton hopes to have and can work towards with Perez. By choosing Tom Perez as her running mate, Hillary Clinton will be cementing her candidacy as the candidacy of equality, fairness and the rights of all Americans. She already has the foreign policy and economic experience to be a great leader, and can use Perez’s experience in civil rights advocacy and labor relations to address the key social issues of importance to our country. Donald Trump is not a traditional presidential candidate, and the 2016 election is one of the most nontraditional elections of all time. If Clinton wants to win in November, she must do her best to ensure that her entire campaign is on the same page and has the same goals in mind. Clinton/Perez 2016 will do just that, and is the best team to defeat Trump in November. —Kevin Sweitzer can be reached at ksweitz@umich.edu.
Thursday, July 14, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
DEE JORDAN AND CHUKWUKA MBAGWU | OP-ED
On race relations Dear Constituents, Once again, race and racial interactions are front and center in our national conversation. Our collective thoughts and prayers are with the families, loved ones, friends and community of those lost during the acts of violence perpetrated in the week that our nation celebrated its independence. Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Sgt. Michael Smith, Senior Corporal Lorne Ahrens, Officer Michael Krol, Officer Patrick Zamarripa and Officer Brent Thompson represent a growing number of Americans who have fallen as a result of indiscriminate violence and brutality. Death is neither Black nor white. Every life is valuable, and each loss of life is a tragedy. It is evident, now more than ever, that our country must continue meaningful and relevant dialogues on race relations, hate, fear and healing. As student leaders we hear you, we are grieving with you, and we too are struggling to make sense of it all. There is nothing that could ever be said to rationalize the lack of compassion and aggression that has plagued our country so much this summer and for decades. Unfortunately, these tensions are not new, and they can even pervade our campuses. They stem from deep-seated frustrations and learned resentments, creating a false sense of “us and them.” Let us not allow these ideas to consume and divide us. Let us continue to challenge our perceptions, our peers, our professors, our administrators and our public servants at all levels. How do we overcome? Is it possible for us to ever reach race equilibrium? As students, the exchange
of perspectives, ideas and understanding is critical in moving us forward. We need to cultivate a campus culture that is safe and inclusive of all students; one that encourages honest, uninhibited dialog ue on racial issues. We must bring these conversations into spaces that students occupy, whether they be our labs, departments, classrooms and beyond. It is necessary to develop avenues to engage the ally and majority community to support marginalized groups. Don’t be afraid to participate in these discussions. Talk to one another. Inaction is not an option. Across our campuses, we must be more resolved in our demand for unity, justice and structural equality in all phases of our education. Request racial literacy training. Enroll in culture and race theory courses. Explore racial and ethnic intolerance subjects. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve our graduate and professional student colleag ues at each of our institutions, no matter how difficult the challenge. As presidents of the graduate governments at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, though competitors in the Big Ten, we stand united in our resolve to empower you to challenge the status quo, confront all forms of inequity and create the best campus environments for graduate education in the state of Michigan. —Dee Jordan is the President of the Michigan State University Council of Graduate Students. Chukwuka Mbagwu is the President of Rackham Student Government.
OPINION 5
JASON ROWLAND | MICHIGAN IN COLOR
Nothing has changed As Americans, we pride ourselves on how far we’ve come from the disturbing times of slavery and segregation. We view stories like the following, which occurred in a small Southern town during the early 1940s, as bestial and archaic, instead of recognizing how they directly affected the events of today. As a young man walked past a young woman, he was accused of piping out a “wolf call” whistle in her direction. Though this was undoubtedly irksome for the woman in question, the townsfolk responded in an excessively severe manner — for the man had the misfortune of being born Black in a country where white was, and continues to be, the more privileged shade. Word quickly spread through the town, and, as a result of the growing outrage, the man fled north to Philadelphia. However, the man’s best friend was later found dead behind a 50 gallon gas can deep in the woods. The killers couldn’t tell, or more likely simply didn’t care about, the differences between the two. After arriving in Philadelphia, the fleeing man joined the army to fight for his country in the Second World War. He died during combat in Italy — giving his life for a nation that wouldn’t give anything for him. This man’s story will not be found in the pages of a history book or in any documentary; however, it is present in my family’s conversations. This man’s name was Osborne Ellis, and he was my grandmother’s uncle. It’s easy to say what happened in the past is done and over with, but doing so only creates room for gross ignorance surrounding modern-America’s issues with race. All four of my grandparents were well
into adolescence or adulthood during, or before, the outbreak of the Civil Rights Movement — meaning a significant portion of their childhood was spent in a time and place where events like these occurred with relative frequency. Because many opinions, viewpoints and habits are formed during childhood, my grandparents’ generation carried their worldview, which was crafted by living in a violently discriminatory society, into adulthood, shaping how they raised the next generation of Americans — a generation that includes my, and many of my peers’, parents. Like clockwork, social reproduction ensured that my parents’ generation imprinted upon us the perspectives that their parents, who grew up in Jim Crow America, taught them. Though the past may seem distant, we are closer to segregation than we’d like to imagine. When people ask why African Americans can’t simply forgive and forget, they assume we have a choice to move on from the decisions of the past — decisions, by the way, that were made without the consent of African Americans, despite the fact that these decisions radically inf luenced our livelihoods. We never chose to be systematically profiled and imprisoned. We never chose to be red-lined into destitute neighborhoods. We never chose to be denied opportunities based on the pigmentation of our skin. How can we “forget” these obstacles when they are still restraining us in 2016? Asking us to forgive and forget implies that we’re the ones keeping the legacy of segregation alive.
Whenever an African American is senselessly g unned down by the police, like we’ve seen over the past few days with Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, I’m angered that people still ask, “How could this happen in America in 2016?” Though most people who ask that type of question are simply too optimistic about the state of race relations in this country, failing to acknowledge these realities turns a blind eye to the deep-rooted racism in American culture. Until people begin to recognize the reality of race relations in this country — that segregation and oppression have never truly disappeared, they’ve simply taken up new names and forms — nothing will ever change. The deaths of Sterling and Castile are not isolated incidents. Their lives have just become a number on the long list of victims of systematic racism in this country. Until people begin to recognize the reality of race relations in this country, police brutality will continue to plague the AfricanAmerican community, employers will continue to give white applicants preference over their Black counterparts and the cycle of oppression will remain healthy and strong. This is no different than what has been happening in America since the beginning, only now it’s done in more subtle ways. Obviously, some progress has been made. But in the grand scheme of American race relations, we’re still living in the shadow of the Jim Crow era. When people start having these realizations, maybe we will be greeted with compassion rather than condemnation. But I’m not holding my breath. —Jason Rowland is an LSA sohpomore.
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.
6 ARTS
Thursday, July 14, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TV REVIEW
Can we trust the man behind ‘Mr. Robot’? Season premiere a chaotic look at protagonist and world
PITCHFORK FESTIVAL
Happy New Year! Wait, shit, wrong time of year.
P4K fest offbeat
By MATT BARNAUSKAS Daily TV/New Media Editor
On Sunday, USA Network released the first half of the twopart “Mr. Robot” season two premiere for a limited time on several social A media sites. Mr. Robot This is a review of that half. Season 2 There are Premiere few, if any, Wednesdays television shows with at 10 p.m. the kind of USA rapport “Mr. Robot” has with its viewer. The show’s use of an unreliable narrator in the form of protagonist Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek, “Need For Speed”) engenders an uncertainty in viewers. However, series creator — and now sole director — Sam Esmail (“Comet”) didn’t just settle for narration, but also actively asked us to become a part of the series as Elliot’s lone, albeit imaginary, confidant — even going as far to have Elliot call us “friend.” But as the true depth of Elliot’s disturbed mental state reveals itself, we’re forced to reevaluate everything we’ve seen and realize we can’t trust Elliot because, ultimately, Elliot cannot trust himself. But as Elliot narrates his “loop” — the strict daily regimen he practices in an attempt to contain the chaotic Mr. Robot (Christian Slater, “Pump Up the Volume”) side of his personality — we’re drawn back into our relationship with the Elliot that was established in the first season. Only when we realize Elliot isn’t addressing us, but his therapist, Krista (Gloria Reuben, “Saints and Sinners”), do we recognize things have changed between us and Elliot. The mistrust we’ve been feeling is a two-way street, as Elliot no longer fully trusts us with what he knows. This shrouds events
MUSIC FESTIVAL PREVIEW
By ANAY KATYAL Summer Senior Arts Editor USA
Is this just real life? Is this just fantasy?
in even more ambiguity, while introducing us, the audience, to a form of mental voyeurism that challenges our complicity in what we’re watching. Did Elliot permit us to witness his session with Krista, or are we peering into something that was meant to be private?
The series breeds paranoia in the first hour. In a modern world of instant and constant connection, loneliness pervades throughout “Mr. Robot.” The series’ distinct visual style frames its characters in off-center close-ups, isolating individuals, even when they’re in a crowded room. Now, we join the cast in their solitude as our anchor, Elliot, keeps us at arm’s length. The first-half of the premiere keeps us in the dark and leaves many questions partially or completely unanswered — what happened to Tyrell Wellick, where is the rest of fsociety, what side is Whiterose on, etc. These lack of conclusions force us to look harder, searching for answers in places we perhaps shouldn’t explore and reaching for connections with possibly the wrong people. The series breeds paranoia in the first hour by effectively removing most elements of trust in us and Elliot. Only when we look into Elliot’s mind are we united with our protagonist
through uncertainty. Dominated by Mr. Robot, Elliot’s mind is always at war with itself. Malik embodies the vulnerability of Elliot, trying to keep on a mask of control as what lies underneath threatens to break through at any moment. On the other side of the spectrum is Slater’s Mr. Robot, a twisted manifestation of Elliot’s deceased father who represents the worst things the man can do. Precariously kept in check by Elliot’s “loop,” Slater plays Mr. Robot as a caged animal, snarling and lashing against his cage, and the bars are bending. All this is played out on a battlefield where the rules are always changing and never certain. Suspense lingers whenever Mr. Robot comes into the frame and reality is called into question. Meanwhile, many characters are caught in the crossfire of this mental warfare. Darlene (Carly Chaikin, “Suburgatory”) desperately continues to wage a losing war against “Evil” Corp, even when Elliot and most of society have scattered to the winds. Gideon (Michael Gill, “House of Cards”), one of the few beacons of good in the series’ world, finds himself under investigation and pleading for Elliot to do the right thing while Mr. Robot looms in the background. As Mr. Robot holds a knife to his former employer’s neck, we, and Elliot, can only hope what we’re seeing isn’t real as the knife cuts and blood flows. Every scene in “Mr. Robot” has the potential to descend into a nightmare of madness, leaving the viewer to question — which dream will come true?
This year, Pitchfork celebrates its titular festival’s 11th year — arguably enough time for it to be considered among the summer’s bonafide musical events. Pitchfork In its decade- Music Festival long existence, the festival has July 15, 3-10 moved from its p.m.; July 16, cheaper, folksy, 12-10 p.m.; July fringer roots 17, 12-10 p.m. to something Union Park; that resembles Chicago, Ill. a more mainstream, large- $65 single-day pass, scale fixture $165 three-day pass — presumably with more of a corporate twist thanks to their recent takeover by publishing giant Condé Nast. Some might fear the oft-touted “beacon of musical counterculture” that is Pitchfork may be on the verge of selling out to commercialized interests as a result, but talking to Pitchfork president Chris Kaskie could convince you that the publication’s adherence to quality, consistency and culture has yet to waver. “Ultimately, our goal is to be both a resource and a place to celebrate discovery,” Kaskie said. “Whether it’s fill in the gaps or expose and cover music as it gets noisier year-byyear, our prerogatives don’t change.” It’s a credo that has bound Pitchfork since its inception 20 years ago, and defines the festival and the company’s other initiatives to this day. The latest iteration of the festival boasts a typical (and welcome) smorgasbord of artists representing a wide variety of genres. From ambient artist Oneohtrix Point Never, to contemporary soul musician Blood Orange and indie sweetheart Sufjan Stevens, the festival deviates a bit from what audiences might usually
expect from a token summer music festival. It’s that kind of difference that Pitchfork prides itself in. “I don’t think festivals are something to be homogenized,” Kaskie said. “I think live music is as important as ever. I think you can argue that discovering is as important as ever — and as hard as ever — and I think when you create an event that is a carbon copy of about, you know, an innumerable amount of other (festivals), it’s not very inspiring to us.” Though the festival benefits from greater financial and corporate support than previous years, the philosophy and culture seem to remain intact. “(Being) different is what we offer, and it really comes down to, you know, the prioritization of the music over the party and not the other way around,” Kaskie said. “We want people to walk in and know what Pitchfork Festival is [about] regardless of whether or not they’re aware of any of the bands there.” With just three stages littered across Union Park, all hosting a wide range of artists, the festival effectively functions as a vehicle for music discovery and appreciation more than simply being an opportunity for mindless debauchery (at least relative to its competitors). As Kaskie put it, “...we try to build a program that is reflective of Pitchfork readers specifically, and more broadly, what we feel music looks like.” The latest iteration of the fest looks to be no different, with the expectation that somewhere around 50,000 people will overtake Chicago’s Union Park this weekend. Despite having its fair share of doubters and naysayers, Pitchfork is ready for yet another successful summer that embodies the publication’s offbeat persona.
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FILM REVIEW
TV REVIEW
ARTS 7
‘Captain Fantastic’ an ‘Night Of’ dread and misfortune endearing look at life By ALEX INTNER
Summer Managing Arts Editor
Sundance film takes a look at what it means to be a parent By DANNY HENSEL Daily Arts Writer
Say what you will about the hyper-commercialization of film, Marxist cinema is still alive — at least in a limited way, living as it Awould in an Captain American capitalist Fantastic society: on the fringes. Bleecker Street In “Captain State Theatre Fantastic,” a on July 22 family that ascribes to these same values also finds itself removed, by choice, from the grasps of mainstream society, settled in rural Washington. At the head of the Cash family is Ben (Viggo Mortensen, “A History of Violence”), a man who, with his wife, has propped up a remote settlement to teach their children about life in a way a standardized education could not. They exercise daily, hunt for their own food and read constantly. The Cash family has established an intellectual utopia to create “philosopher kings” of their children — in which the word “interesting” is banned — anyone who expresses an opinion is invited to explain it to open ears and celebrations of Christmas are left by the wayside in favor of Noam Chomsky Day, to honor the beloved linguist. When Ben’s wife dies, the dynamics of the family change considerably, forced to enter and confront American society to attend her funeral. This proves quite the challenge for the Cashes, who pride themselves on their intellectual and physical strength. As Bodevan (George MacKay, “Pride”), the oldest child, cries in frustration to his father, “Unless it comes out of a book, I don’t know anything!” Bodevan, or Bodie for short, may be able to
BLEECKER STREET
When you pull up to the function all fitted
parse between “Trotskyite” and “Trotskyist” while declaring himself as a Maoist, but he is far from competent at talking to girls. The five other children, whose names—Kielyr, Vespyr, Rellian, Zaja and Nai—are meant to signify their unending uniqueness in the world, also struggle to adapt to their surroundings. Only Rellian (Nicholas Hamilton, “Strangerland”), a rebellious tween, expresses anger at his father for bringing the family out to the western wilderness. “Captain Fantastic” is, above all, a master class in emotions, a study of how actors can remain human even when their characters are far from relatable. Individuals who live in the forest and are taught to hate organized religion, schools, medicine — really anything at all — are few and far between, yet the six children are so believable at their core, so dedicated to their father’s teachings that it’s impossible not to sympathize with them when their grandfather threatens to take custody. Ben is a complex and rather compelling character by default, but Mortensen brings a dedication and heightened intellect to the role that flashes when he speaks his rather non-flashy dialogue. Frank Langella (“Frost/ Nixon”) plays Ben’s father-in-law with gravitas, bringing a quiet yet looming and brooding presence to the film’s chief antagonist. Kathryn Hahn (“The Visit”) and Steve Zahn (“Dallas Buyers Club”) blend in perfectly as supposedly “good” and “responsible” parents who have subscribed to the American consumerist parenting guide en masse that the Cash family so
despises. Though, the film can stumble when it succumbs to, instead of subverting, easy choices. Bodie’s cultural blank spots are taken to their logical extreme — literally being unable to speak to a girl when he sees her or, later, proposing to wed a girl after meeting her that day. He may have only read books, but surely they had protagonists wait before proposing marriage. The symbolism is also a bit too pronounced. The family only listens to classical music and the film dispels with a typical film score for something more rustic, so, of course, “My Heart Will Go On” from “Titanic” blares through the speakers in a grocery store. The family drives around in a converted school bus, painted green and retrofitted like an RV, a clear allusion to the family’s unorthodox translations of what happens in a typical American household and life. Yet, ultimately, the film is a success because it’s unafraid to explore and often defend the family’s experimental living. Writer and Director Matt Ross (“28 Hotel Rooms”) clearly did his research, diving into the worlds of Noam Chomsky and the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek, whose theory of over-identification as a strategy to upend societal norms clearly informed the family’s method of scaring cops away from arresting Ben. The line is repeated continuously throughout, but it’s ultimately true: “We’re defined by our actions, not our words.” We may criticize our society to no end, but Ross has actually shown us what we could be.
If you look at HBO’s drama offerings beyond the massive hit that is “Game of Thrones,” you’ll find a pretty barren cabinet. A While “The The Night Of Leftovers” has critiMiniseries cal acclaim, Premiere it’s ratings are not near- Sundays at 10 p.m. ly strong HBO enough to anchor anything on its own. The upcoming “Westworld” has been in a tumultuous development and production cycle for years now — either a sign of creative turmoil or a struggle to find what they want the show to be. And, most embarrassingly, HBO rolled back its season two renewal of “Vinyl” after realizing the massive creative revamp the drama would need wasn’t worth their resources. So, this year, they were forced to give their summer drama slot to a smaller miniseries that has also been in development for a while (originally intended to be a vehicle for the late, great James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos”, who retains a posthumous executive producer credit), a show that wouldn’t usually be thought of as a network anchor. The move seems to have paid off from a business perspective, as the drama premiered to significantly higher ratings than last year’s “Show Me a Hero.” Creatively speaking, “The Night Of” is HBO’s best series premiere since “Hero,” as its slow build of a story hooks you in a slow and painful manner. “The Night Of” ’s premiere follows a night gone horribly wrong. While Nasir (Riz Ahmed, “Nightcrawler”) is on the way to a party in his father’s cab, Andrea (Sofia Black D’Elia, MTV’s adaptation of “Skins”) gets in. She leads him on an adventure across town before bringing him home for an evening of drugs and sex. However, when he wakes up in the kitchen, he walks over to
the bedroom to find her brutally stabbed to death and blood everywhere. He runs, but is caught by the police for an unrelated crime. Brought to the station, the police find the murder weapon on his body and proceeds to question him about the crime (which he has no memory of ), at least until lawyer Jack Stone (John Turturro, “The Big Lebowski”, in a role originally planned for Gandolfini) shows up and starts to help Nasir.
Its slow build of a story hooks you The episode unfolds this story methodically across its hourplus runtime. It takes nearly a half-hour for Nasir’s full encounter with Andrea to play out. As it continues, the sense of dread builds. The show is completely aware you know something bad is going to happen to them, and it uses that to build a palpable sense of tension. As Nasir gets arrested for a completely different act, you know they’re going to figure out he was at the scene of the murder (in fact, the cops who arrest him are called to the scene while he’s in the car and bring him to sit in the car outside of the building he just left). It plays with your knowledge of what happened and made me physically uncomfortable in the best way possible. By the end of the first episode, we have no idea where this story is going. Heck, we don’t even know if this is a case of mistaken identity or if Nasir committed the murder when his memory falters. In this case, we’re as in the dark as the main character, and it’s going to be exciting to see how the series deliberately unravels its story. While a single miniseries is not enough to come close to securing HBO’s drama future, “The Night Of” gives hope that the pipeline might not be as barren as reported.
8 NEWS
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RELEASE DATE– Friday, July 8, 2016 RELEASE DATE– Thursday, July 14, 2016
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combating the pollution. When asked whether he would like nonpartisan elections and increased term limits for City Council, Leaf said he favors nonpartisan November elections because two elections — the primary in August and the general in November — puts an unnecessary burden on voters, citing the 6 percent turnout for Ward 1 in the last election. He also said that maintaining the two-year term limit allows for more pools of candidates. “Often we have incumbents unopposed right now, and I think we want to have a broad enough base of candidates that we have options,” Leaf said. “And if you make the requirements up to four years, I think you’re going to cut the number of people who are perfectly competent but aren’t ready for a four-year term.” Frenzel agreed on implementing nonpartisan elections, adding that it can increase student voter turnout. However, he said he prefers fouryear terms because it allows councilmembers to mature throughout their terms. In his closing statement, Frenzel touted environmental ethics for Ann Arbor residents. “As we see our tax base increasing at this point, we need to honor the ethic of Ann Arborites, the true understanding of who we believe we are,” Frenzel said. “And, to me, that means reinstating and promoting our green organizations to make sure we’re pushing forward our environmental ethic, which has in many metrics stagnated.” Leaf continued optimistically, saying that there is a solution for everything in Ann Arbor and that only strong leadership in City Council as a whole can allow for that. “Whether your problem is that people are speeding in front of your house, or you worry more about much bigger timescale problems … whatever your problem is, there’s a very good chance we can fix it,” Leaf said. “We can get it done.” Kailasapathy closed by listing her many accomplishments as an incumbent and her plans for the future. “I have worked with multiple groups dealing with cut-through commuter traffic, excessive street parking and such issues,”
Kailasapathy said. “And I will continue to support these types of efforts where residents’ safety and quality of life are being affected.” Ward 4 Ward 4 candidates Eric Lipson (D), Diane Giannola (D) and incumbent Graydon Krapohl (D) fielded questions on Tuesday in a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters concerning issues including balancing the budget, proposals that would change City Council elections from partisan to nonpartisan voting as well as change terms from two to four years in length, the dioxane plume and council transparency. The three candidates expressed polar views on certain topics, especially on the issue of a proposed train station project. The primary points of concern were the issue of City Council transparency and the simpler question of station building location. Lipson voiced objections to the redaction of information regarding communications between the Federal Railway Administration and city staff about station location. Lipson brought with him to the forum a document that showed near total redaction, using it as an example to describe the current state of City Council transparency as deeply flawed. “It is deeply disturbing to myself and many other citizens,” he said, holding the document up on display. “I would like to believe that a more open and inclusive government is the way that the city of Ann Arbor would like to see its government go. I am very concerned — there is a culture of secrecy which is being fostered and encouraged by the current council.” Giannola voiced a more neutral position on the issue, saying that she would opt to ask more questions rather than insist on release of information. Krapohl took the opposite stance of Lipson and was also one of the six council members who had voted against releasing the information to the public, saying there is still information from the federal agency for which the city government is waiting. “I didn’t support at this time releasing the information because I don’t feel that there is enough there for the public to make an informed decision,” he said.
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PROTEST From Page 1 Marchers were eager to get more people involved, encouraging many bystanders to join the protest. Many passing-by cars honked in support of the protesters, and some drivers got out of their vehicles to record the protest. Most bystanders either joined in the chants or observed in silence, but one woman, in response to the chants of “Black lives matter!” replied with: “All lives matter!” The climate between protesters and police during the protest was friendly, with several protesters shaking the hands of police officers and speakers calling for the crowd to thank the police department. However, protest organizer Diante Harris, a Kinesiology junior, said the department still has work to do build relationships with the community. Harris further argued that the need for increased civilian oversight doesnt necessarily imply the police department has been neglecting its responsibilities, adding that local officers should have nothing to fear. “The chief is probably just thinking that this is all out of spite, or, you know, a quick reaction, but as people who pay these officers to protect and serve them, and as people that are a part of the communities that these officers work in, I don’t see what bad could come out of having a say in some of the matters,” Harris said. “Right now the police chief doesn’t want to hear that in Ann Arbor. He believes that this is a local problem, and that everyone is overreacting because of what happened to Aura (Rosser),” he continued, to boos from the crowd. In front of a crowd of hundreds gathered on the Diag, Kinesiology senior Nas Ali lamented the death of Philando Castile, who was killed on the same street Ali lived on as a child, where his family still lives. “Last week, when Philando Castile passed away –– I live here, I go to school here, but that happened half a block from where I grew up,” Ali said. “The cop who killed him has pulled me over so many times, and I can’t even put into words the things that he has said to me. This time it changed. As much as I’ve grieved for everyone who has happened before, this time I wasn’t removed from it. It wasn’t St. Louis. It wasn’t Florida. It was in my backyard.” Harris also spoke to the experiences he’d had with police. “Growing up, I only saw them
when someone in my community was being arrested,” Harris said. “What do you think that does to you when you’re a kid, to your psyche? You’re going to not trust the police. You’re going to be afraid of the police.” Despite the distrust he described, Harris ended by encouraging unity. “We need more community involvement with our police officers,” he said. “And that’s the truth — I know not everyone wants to hear that. A lot of people don’t want any unity between the police officers and the community, but they are part of the communities whether we like it or not. And we are part of the communities that they serve, whether we like it or not.” Protester Johnny Anderson challenged stereotypes of protesters, saying their message wasn’t so unpalatable as some believed and that demonstrators like himself don’t condone violence. “Everybody has this vision in their head, that the revolution’s going to be this violent gunfire against the government,” Anderson said. “No, it’s going to be peace, it’s going to be this right here. This is the revolution right here. CNN ain’t coming here to see this peace, ain’t nothing to talk about.” Ann Arbor resident Brionne Fonville said that the revolution would require more than protesting and marching. “What I saw here tonight was beautiful,” Fonville said. “There’s so much power and potential in what we did, marching. But we need to start thinking about what we’re going to do next. You all have the same equal power and potential. I’m going to paraphrase Dr. King for a second, and all I want to say is think about what you’re doing with your life. Think about what you do every day. Think about the people you come into contact with and think about how you can use that to bend the moral arc towards justice.” AAPD Officer Thomas Hickey, while also encouraging communication between police and civilians, argued the AAPD has done much to engage its community. “I can tell you that at the Ann Arbor Police Department, we have been proactive about diversity and multicultural training,” Hickey said. “We probably go above the standard for training. We pride ourselves on staying current with what’s going on, and that makes for a better police department, and probably overall transparent. We have great communication with some of the folks here. Communication is basically the bottom line.”
RESEARCH
NEWS 9
Study shows marijuana affects user’s pleasure-related cognition Drug users feel less pleasure to monetary rewards compared to non-users By MADELEINE GERSON Daily Staff Reporter
According to a recent study conducted by University of Michigan researchers, long-term marijuana usage is associated with a decrease in the brain’s response time. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry medical journal, brought forth new information about the effect marijuana can have on the brain of a young adult user. Marijuana’s reputation as both a risky gateway drug and a harmless substance with medical benefits is a major component in the current legislation discussion surrounding its legalization. Currently, recreational marijuana is legal in four states — Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington — and Washington, D.C., and medical marijuana is legal in 20 states. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, California will vote this November on whether to legalize recreational marijuana. In Michigan, medical marijuana is legal and marijuana possession has been decriminalized by a total of 14 cities since November 2014. The majority of studies on longterm marijuana usage have been
associative and limited due to the fact that correlation does not imply causation. Mary Heitzeg, a University assistant professor of psychiatry and the senior author of the study, said her team’s study is the first longitudinal study about marijuana usage that is not refutable. “Our study is unique in that we actually look at brain activation measures over time as opposed to cross-sectional studies looking at marijuana users and non-users,” Heitzeg said. “Those studies cannot necessarily disentangle cause and effect.” The participants — 108 marijuana users in their early 20s — were asked to play a game while their brains were being scanned in a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. In each round, the players were informed they could either win money for winning the round or no money was at stake. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that affects the feeling of pleasure and pleasure-related cognition, and when people engage in rewarding behavior, levels of dopamine increase in the reward centers of the brain — the nucleus accumbens. The neuroimaging showed that, in participants who reported higher usage of marijuana, less dopamine was released. This means marijuana users felt less pleasure in response to the monetary rewards presented throughout the game compared to non-users. On the contrary, when
researchers looked at the same participants’ responses to the reward of drug anticipation, there was a higher amount of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens — which could be a sign of addiction. Heitzeg explained that this could occur when a drug “hijacks” the user’s reward system, referring to when a user becomes dependent on a drug to experience the feeling of reward. “This means that something that would be rewarding to most people was no longer rewarding to them,” Heitzeg said. “This suggests but not proves that their reward system has been ‘hijacked’ by the drug, and that they need the drug to feel reward — or that their emotional response has been dampened.” The work of Heitzeg’s team has led to the rise of potential future research questions. Rackham student Meghan Martz, the primary author of the study, said non-drug-related rewards other than money could produce comparable outcomes. “This task happens to use monetary incentives, but there are a number of other non-drug related rewards that could also be tested, such as food,” Martz said. Martz added that the study is relevant in today’s politics since marijuana usage is increasing at a high rate, which may lead to a belief that the drug does not pose any severe consequences to health. “The legalization of marijuana See MARIJUANA, Page 10
10 NEWS
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CAMPUS LIFE
Vigil held to recognize lost lives from attacks in Iraq Attendees state frequency of Islamic State attacks does not lessen tragedy By ANDREW HIYAMA Daily Staff Reporter
More than 100 students and community members attended a vigil Friday night on the Diag to mourn the losses of the more than 290 people killed in the July 3 bombing of a shopping center in Baghdad, Iraq’s capital city. Many of the people at the shopping center were shopping for Eid al-Fitr, a major Muslim holiday and the conclusion to a month of fasting. The explosion was the deadliest
VIGIL From Page 3 “I couldn’t get the voice of the
in Baghdad since 2003, but it follows a growing trend of violence in Iraq. Since January 2014, the Iraqi Civil War between the Islamic State and the Iraqi government has taken the lives of more than 45,000Iraqi civilians. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the recent attack and said it was motivated by religious differences, according to the group’s statement. Karada, the district of Baghdad effected by the bombing, is made up of mostly Shia Muslims, a sect which the Islamic State labels as heretics. The Islamic State is composed of Sunni, a separate sect of Islam. Speakers at the vigil, however, said the polarization of the Sunni and Shia communities portrayed in the coverage of the attacks was inaccurate and politically
motivated. “I’ve noticed from the names there are Shia Muslims, Sunni Muslims, Kurds, Turkmen, much of the Chaldean Christian community,” Mehmed Yaqubi, an Iraqi refugee and recent U.S. citizen, said as he read a list of names of the victims of the bombing. “It was disheartening to say the least.” Attendees of the vigil expressed displeasure over the disparity in media coverage between the Karada attack and others also perpetrated by the Islamic State. Following the November 2015 attacks in Paris, there was an explosion of people taking to social media to express their sympathies, overlaying the French flag on their Facebook profile pictures, largely overshadowing the reaction to the bombings that
occurred in Beirut earlier that day. LSA alum Banen Al-Sheemary, who organized the vigil, said one of its purposes was to give victims of the attack the recognition they deserved but had not yet received. “I think it was important to organize this vigil to, one: raise awareness, but also talk about the double standard that, when these type of things happen, when brown or Black bodies are the ones being killed in such violent ways, that they’re not recognized by the media,” Al-Sheemary said. “So, I didn’t hear anything from any type of media source for the most part about this attack. To have nearly 300 people, the total is now –– I don’t like speaking in numbers, but almost 300 people died in that way, and just to not be recognized is just a very inhumane response. I think it’s
unacceptable that the world isn’t saying anything. The world isn’t showing their support for the Iraqi people.” Al-Sheemary pointed out that there was another bombing just the night before in Balad, Iraq, which took the lives of at least 40 more, and for which the Islamic State again claimed responsibility. Participants at the vigil stated that the frequency of the violence does not lessen the tragedy, and speakers encouraged attendees not to become desensitized to the loss of human life. “Iraqis are human too, and we still suffer regardless of how many times we are attacked,” LSA senior Asma Ali, who has lost several family members to similar occurrences of violence in Iraq, said.
4-year-old out of my head,” Elias said. “I can’t be okay with the fact another generation is experiencing these things because this colors (the child’s) world. She won’t grow
up ever feeling safe again.” Elias added that she felt frustrated during the vigil because people who should be at the vigil, such as people who are not aware
of the current events or are against the Black Lives Matter movement, were not present. “I have been to many events like this, and, even more powerfully this time, I thought the wrong people are at this event,” Elias said. “The people who need to be here are not. And I need to know, as an ally, as a human and as an advocate, what the next step is. How do we get people who are not our allies here?” On the same night, snipers opened fire at a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas, where a primary suspect was believed to have frustrations with police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. The snipers are believed to have targeted white people, specifically white police officers, and fatally injured five officers after shooting twelve. The shooting has sparked national conversations about the Black Lives Matter movement
and has drawn further attention to the victims of police brutality, such as Sterling and Castile. At the vigil, a petition calling for civilian oversight of police was circulated. Miller said the organizers were motivated to start this petition because it is dangerous for one group to have control of the justice system. “The justice system should not (be) placed in just one group’s hands,” Miller said. “We hope more can be done (with the overseeing group).” Miller added that different groups would need to come together in solidarity to make such changes. “The recent killings started getting a lot of publicity and now everybody’s getting on board,” Miller said. “We need more people onboard — we need police officers on board, we need Congress on board, we need the president after Obama to be on board … it can’t just stop here.”
MARIJUANA From Page 9 is a widely debated issue in our society,” Martz said. “Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the U.S., and perception of harm is decreasing.” Martz said the research about long-term marijuana usage and
response to rewards will add to the discussion about marijuana legalization and may or may not have the potential to modify the public perception of the drug. “Our study does not necessarily show that marijuana is good or bad,” Martz said. “Instead, it provides evidence that, over time, marijuana use may impact the way the brain responds to reward.”
Thursday, July 14, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS 11
FOOTBALL
Famed sports agent Leigh Steinberg hosting event at Michigan, talks Harbaugh: “Jim is an original” By ORION SANG Summer Managing Sports Editor
Leigh Steinberg has had quite the career. The famed sports agent has represented eight No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks, more than 60 NFL first round picks and countless other professional athletes across sports such as basketball, baseball and hockey, among others. At his peak, he was the most visible sports agent in the business, credited with helping to revolutionize the field of sports agency and serving as the inspiration behind the hit 1996 film ‘Jerry Maguire’ — in which Steinberg was portrayed by Tom Cruise. At his lows, Steinberg was an agent without any clients, struggling with alcohol abuse. Now, in his seventh year of sobriety and three years removed from receiving funding to restart his agency, Steinberg has rebuilt his career at Steinberg Sports and Entertainment, which currently represents 10 clients, including rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch — a first round draft choice of the Denver Broncos. Steinberg has also continued to work on other ventures outside of client representation, including projects on anti-bullying initiatives and concussion awareness, along with a book and film and television consultation. Though Steinberg says he has spoken at colleges throughout his more than four decade-long career — about his profession and its main tenets — he has opted for a new, additional approach over the past couple of years, one that he admits is more rewarding: “Leigh Steinberg’s Agent Academy.” “I’m deluged with requests and queries and resumes from people wanting to get into the sports industry,” Steinberg said in an interview with The Daily. “They
come in by the thousands. If you were to go to college campuses — and I’ve spoken on more than 80 campuses — you would find that the number one career path involves sports. Yet no one gives a practical education that helps someone with the core skills that they need to be effective. “So we were looking to try and see if we could be helpful to a new generation of sports agents and professionals who have ethics, values and ideals and truly are going to bring energy and passion to sports and to train them the right way.” A one-day educational seminar on the field of sports agentry, the Agent Academy dives into everything Steinberg believes an agent must learn and master. For instance, he puts his students through a recruiting exercise where they must practice recruiting an athlete and the athlete’s parents. Other exercises focus on negotiation techniques, marketing and branding through social media. There’s even a segment that teaches participants how to deal with a situation in which their client has gotten in some sort of trouble. “It’s fun and I think the participants get a great oneday education and everything you need to know about how to be successful,” Steinberg said. “Hopefully we’re bringing value and jumpstarting a whole new generation.” Perhaps the most crucial part of Steinberg’s approach as an agent and teacher is his emphasis on using athletes to create change. “My dad had two core values,” Steinberg said. “One was to treasure relationships, especially
The seminar emphasizes the off-field impact of the athlete.
with family, and the second was to try to make a meaningful difference in the world and help people who couldn’t help themselves. I found that in this field, because of the power of celebrity status for athletes, that they can really trigger imitative behavior. “One of the core philosophies that I’ve had since 1975 is the athlete as a role model. Going back and setting up a high school scholarship, a foundation at the professional level, all of which lay a foundation for the player’s second career.” The next academy takes place July 16 at the University of Michigan — an institution Steinberg has many ties to. His first first-rounder from the school was John Anderson, a
“I think the participants get a great one-day education.”
linebacker drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1978. Then, he went on to represent Jim Harbaugh, who was taken in the first round by the Chicago Bears in 1987, Desmond Howard and Amani Toomer. Steinberg has also spoke before at both the business and law schools at Michigan, experiences that influenced his decision to hold an academy in Ann Arbor. He also has the added benefit of being able to visit his friend and former client, Harbaugh, while in town. “Jim is an original,” Steinberg said. “You have to start with the fact that he’s really bright and intellectually curious. He loves to learn, loves to delve into a whole variety of issues. Jim could talk politics,
economics, culture, a whole series of things. He’s got a killer sense of humor (and) I’ve always found him to be really warm. He was a great team player with competitive fire and resilience. One day he called the Jim Rome Show and got in the Smack-Off, which very few professional athletes do. “There was no question he was going to transform Michigan because you take every part of what being a head coach is comprised of — he’s a devastatingly good recruiter, he can listen and adjust and never gives up. He can speak well to the public, alums like him, (and) he’s got so much toughness in him that it will elevate every player’s performance. So it’s no big surprise that he’s been a success everywhere he has gone.”
Steinberg was Harbaugh’s agent when he was drafted.
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Thursday, July 14, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wolverines earn preseason honors ‘M’-Notre Dame set to renew rivalry in 2018 FOOTBALL
Michigan canceled its series with Arkansas to make room for the matchup By ORION SANG Summer Managing Sports Editor
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Senior defensive back Jourdan Lewis was a semi-finalist for the Jim Thorpe award last season.
By ETHAN WOLFE Summer Managing Sports Editor
In its first year under head coach Jim Harbaugh, the Michigan football team finished 10-3 — capped with a 41-7 blowout victory over Florida in the Citrus Bowl — to ride a wave of momentum and hype into the offseason. That wave has only continued, as the National College Football Awards Association recently named seven Wolverines to preseason watch lists. Senior defensive back Jourdan Lewis and redshirt sophomore linebacker Jabrill Peppers each found their name on three watch lists. Lewis, who had 20 pass deflections and two interceptions last season, was put on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski, Chuck Bednarik and Jim Thorpe awards, in which he was a semifinalist last season. The Nagurski and Bednarik awards are decided by different organizations but are both given to the nation’s best defensive player, while the Thorpe award is given to the nation’s best defensive back. Charles Woodson is the only Wolverine to have won all three honors. A finalist for the Paul Hornung Award last season — presented to the nation’s most versatile player — Peppers found his name on this year’s watch list. Peppers was also placed on the watch list for the Nagurski and Bednarik awards. Peppers burst onto the
scene last season as a play-maker on both sides of the ball after missing most of his freshman year due to injury. The redshirt sophomore returned kicks and punts for the Wolverines while also playing a prominent role in the defensive secondary, tallying 5.5 tackles for loss and 10 pass deflections. Under new defensive coordinator Don Brown, Peppers will be a linebacker. Senior defensive end Chris Wormley is the lone representative from Michigan’s D-line. The returning team leader in sacks and tackles for loss with 6.5 and 14.5, respectively, Wormley reached the watch lists of the Bednarik and Nagurski awards after starting all 13 games last season and earning All-Big Ten third team honors. On the other side of the ball, junior center Mason Cole and senior tackle Erik Magnuson were both selected to the watch list for the Outland Trophy, which is given to the nation’s best interior offensive lineman. Cole — who switched positions from left tackle to center in the offseason — was also named in consideration for the Rimington Trophy, awarded to the top center in college football. Cole and Magnuson were both steady presences on the line for Michigan last year, each starting all 13 games and earning spots on All-Big Ten teams in 2015. Another Wolverine who has received considerable attention in the preseason
is senior wide receiver Jehu Chesson. Chesson was named as the No. 2 wide receiver to watch in 2016 according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. Chesson tallied 50 catches for 764 yards and nine touchdowns and capped off his season with five catches for 118 yards and a touchdown in the Citrus Bowl. Chesson, who also scored two rushing touchdowns and another off a kick return against Northwestern, warranted a first team All-Big Ten selection in 2015. Now entering his final season, Chesson has been placed on the watch list for both the Maxwell and Fred Biletnikoff awards. The awards are given to the nation’s best offensive player and wide receiver in college football, respectively. The only Wolverines to have won the Maxwell Award were Tom Harmon in 1940 and Desmond Howard in 1991, while Braylon Edwards took home the Biletnikoff award in 2004. The final Wolverine to earn preseason accolades was senior tight end Jake Butt, who was placed on the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award and the John Mackey Award, given to the best tight end in college football. Butt was a semi-finalist for the latter in 2015, in which he collected 51 catches for 654 yards and three touchdowns. Though Arkansas’ Hunter Henry edged Butt for the award, Butt was still honored as a first team All-American and the Big Ten Tight End of the Year.
One of college football’s most storied rivalries is due for a return after a three year hiatus. Thursday, the Michigan Athletic Department announced that the Michigan football team will resume its series against Notre Dame in 2018 and 2019. The Wolverines will first travel to South Bend before hosting the Fighting Irish the following year. Both games will replace Michigan’s two scheduled meetings with Arkansas, with Michigan reportedly paying a $2 million buyout to replace the Razorbacks, according to Ryan Krasnoo at SINow. Michigan will face Notre Dame on Sept. 1, 2018. The Wolverines will then host the Fighting Irish on Oct. 26, 2019 — moving that year’s matchup with Rutgers to Sept. 28 instead. “This is a game that holds great significance for the student-athletes and coaches who compete on the field,” said Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel in a statement released Thursday. “A great deal of credit goes to Coach Harbaugh and Coach Kelly for initiating the discussion of scheduling this series. This rivalry is also important for the fans of both programs, and we look forward to renewing one of college football’s great rivalries.” Added Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh: “The competition between Michigan and Notre Dame has created a fair, healthy and productive rivalry over time, and it brings out the best in both programs. We look forward to facing Coach Brian Kelly and
the Irish in the coming years.” The Wolverines and Fighting Irish have met 41 times since the first meeting between the two schools took place in 1897 in what was Notre Dame’s first football game. Since then, both teams have jockeyed for a position atop college football. Michigan and Notre Dame rank No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, in all-time wins, and No. 2 and No. 1, respectively, in all-time winning percentage. Michigan leads the all-time series with a record of 24-17-1, while the last 10 games between the two have been almost evenly split — the Wolverines hold a slight 6-4 advantage. In 2011, the two teams played in the first ever night game at the Big House and set the NCAA single-game attendance record. Michigan emerged with a 35-31 victory after a late touchdown pass from Denard Robinson to Roy Roundtree. The two met once more under the lights in 2013, when the Wolverines took home a 41-30 victory in a game that broke the 2011 attendance record with 115,109 people in the stands. But despite the history and popularity of the rivalry, the series was ended for a brief period of time. In 2012, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick announced that the school would be ending the rivalry after the 2014 season. Shortly thereafter, former Michigan head coach Brady Hoke said that the Fighting Irish were “chickening out” of the rivalry. Notre Dame, though, had the last laugh with a 31-0 drubbing of the Wolverines at South Bend in 2014, the last game before the short break. Manuel also stated that there are ongoing negotiations with Notre Dame over extending the series past the two currently scheduled meetings.
“It brings out the best in both programs.”