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LEFT: Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh said he was “bitterly disappointed” with the officiating of Saturday’s game between the Wolverines and Ohio State. CENTER: Buckeyes running back Curtis Samuel runs toward the end zone on the final play of the game; Samuel scored. RIGHT: Michigan safety Dymonte Thomas and Ohio State receiver Noah Brown go at it during the game. Ohio State won, 30-27, in a double-overtime clash at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
Ohio State escapes Wolverines in double overtime
Michigan pushes archrival to brink in Columbus, but Buckeyes mount two fourth-quarter scoring drives, win on final play JAKE LOURIM
Managing Sports Editor
COLUMBUS — A couple of minutes after 4 p.m. Saturday, with a sea of gleeful Ohio State fans forming around him and chanting his name, Urban Meyer was doubled over. After defeating the Michigan football team for the fifth time in five years, the Buckeyes’ coach collapsed in relief, stood back up and paused
for a moment amid the delirium. He walked slowly from the northwest corner of the field at Ohio Stadium to just outside the southeast tunnel, with a police officer on either side of him, each holding his back in support. Meyer, who took the Ohio State job after taking the 2011 season off due to health concerns, waited to do a postgame interview with ABC. “Shelley,” he whispered to the police officers, asking for his wife. They echoed her name,
trying to find her in the chaos. Meyer looked exhausted. Everyone did. The second-ranked Wolverines pushed the Buckeyes to the brink in a four-hour war Saturday afternoon. And yet Ohio State escaped in double overtime, 30-27, on a 15-yard touchdown run by Curtis Samuel on the final play. “I thought our guys have worked incredibly hard,” said a dejected Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. “They have done
everything that they could, and they’ve done it so very well. I’m really proud of our players, yes.” Michigan, with its best team since 2006, lost for the 12th time in 13 editions of this rivalry. Few of those, if any, will hurt more than this one. The Wolverines’ last and best chance to put away a monumental win came on the penultimate play of the game. Ohio State took the ball second in double overtime, after Michigan scored on a Kenny
Allen field goal to take a 27-24 lead. The Wolverines forced a 4th-and-1, a down and distance that has rescued them before. This time, Barrett faked a handoff and kept the ball, taking a hit from Michigan safety Delano Hill and running into a block at the 15-yard line. The officials reviewed the play, one of many on Saturday that will live in the memories of those who saw the game. But the call stood. On the next play, Samuel scampered
in untouched for the win. Michigan and Ohio State traded touchdowns on the first possession of overtime, with the Buckeyes needing just two plays to reach the end zone. But only late in the game did they begin to show that firepower, after the Wolverines controlled most of the game. As it has for most of Harbaugh’s tenure, Michigan relied on its defense. Even against the electric See FOOTBALL, Page 3A
‘U’ says white nationalist leader hasn’t Detroit to University be home to received invitation to speak on campus sees slow
STATE
ENVIRONMENT
Pistons in Sept. 2017 NBA team will relocate to Little Caesars Arena along with Red Wings JACKIE CHARNIGA Daily News Editor
Last week the Detroit Pistons, who have been playing at The Palace of Auburn Hills for the past 28 years, announced that they’d be coming back to the city to play in the newly minted Little Caesars stadium next season. The move was announced by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores and Christopher Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. Little Caesars Arena, which is already slated to house the Red Wings, is owned by Olympia Development, part of Illitch Holdings of Michigan. See PISTONS, Page 3A
In Washington Post profile, Richard Spencer says he plans to give speech at UM, other colleges RIYAH BASHA
Daily Staff Reporter
Richard Spencer, a prominent white nationalist who coined the term “altright,” a movement promoting white supremacist ideals, announced public speaking engagements at the University of Michigan and Texas A&M University in a Washington Post profile last Tuesday, though the University confirmed he has not been formally invited by the University or student groups. “I think there’s going to be a huge crowd,” Spencer said in the article about the appearance. Throughout October and November, anti-Black, anti-Muslim, anti-women and anti-LGBTQ posters were found around campus featuring symbols associated with the alt-right movement, such as images of Pepe the Frog garbed in KKK robes and blackface. The meme was officially designated as a hate symbol by the
Anti-Defamation League in late September. The posters spurred numerous protests, faculty-sponsored discussions on campus climate and a campus-wide anti-hate speech campaign, but the University was unable to locate anyone who put up the f lyers. Spencer — who heads a right-wing think tank called the National Policy Institute — told the Post he watched a video of about 1,000 students staging a walkout at the University two weeks ago and chanting, “No alt-right! No KKK! No racist USA!” “We’re getting under their skin,” Spencer said. “I take a sadistic pleasure in that.” University spokeswoman Kim Broekhuizen denied any invitation extended from University-affiliated groups to Spencer. “We do not have any confirmation of a student group (or groups) inviting Mr. Spencer to U-M,” she wrote in an email statement. Texas A&M, the other
school Spencer claimed to be visiting, also released a statement last Wednesday clarifying the appearance had not been cleared by university officials and distancing the school from any connection to Spencer. “There has been deep concern expressed by our Aggie community about an individual planning to speak at our campus,” the statement reads. “Our leadership finds his views as expressed to date in direct conf lict with our core values.” Spencer made headlines the week after the election for hosting an alt-right gathering in Washington, D.C. celebrating Presidentelect Donald Trump’s victory with neo-Nazi salutes of “Hail Trump” and “Hail victory,” the English translation of the Nazi slogan “Sieg Heil.” Spencer’s speech at the gathering promoted refrains about white people “awakening to their own identity.” Students on all ends of
the political spectrum at the University similarly expressed concerns about the possibility of Spencer appearing on campus. LSA junior Grant Strobl, founding chairman of the University of Michigan chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, a student organization that has invited provocative conservative speakers to campus, such as Milo Yiannopoulos, stressed in an email interview that YAF was “obviously not” affiliated with alt-right figures like Spencer. “Conservative ideas undermine and are not compatible with the alt-right,” he wrote. “Conservatism has no place for racism.” Rackham student Austin McCoy linked the racist posters repeatedly discovered on campus to white supremacists reaching out to disgruntled white students in the wake of University President Mark Schissel’s Diversity, Equity and See SPEECH, Page 3A
progress on green goal
In ‘U’ survey, awareness about sustainability stays largely the same MAYA GOLDMAN Daily Staff Reporter
Findings released last week from the annual University of Michigan’s Sustainability Cultural Indicators Program survey show that faculty, staff and students are making progress with sustainability activities, though some students doubt the commitment and ability of the University to maintain an ongoing sustainability plan. The Sustainability Cultural Indicators Program, launched in 2012, is a joint effort between the Graham Institute and the Institute of Social Research. The survey part of the program, is given to a random sample of students, staff and faculty from See SUSTAINABILITY, Page 3A
‘The Game’ of inches After an Ohio State comeback, the Michigan football team lost a doubleovertime heartbreaker that will live on in rivalry lore for years
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2A — Monday, November 28, 2016
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ON THE DAILY: OSU FANS MOCK FLINT WATER CRISIS AT GAME Before Michigan’s last football game of the regular season, the Ohio State branch of the satirical website Barstool posted a tweet showing a group of individuals in OSU garb with the sign, “Michigan Girls: More Diseased than Flint Water”. The tweet referenced the ongoing water crisis in Flint, which has sparked significant health concerns for residents and garnered national attention for over a year. The crisis started after the city switched water sources to the Flint River without using anti-corrosive treatments, causing lead to leach out of the pipes and into the water. It has been linked to medical issues in Flint residents, especially children, which include severe bone pain, crumbling of the teeth, and cancer. The website, a sports blog
targeting a largely young collegeaged male audience, posted the photo Saturday Both Michigan and Ohio State fans reacted negatively to the OSU Barstool tweet, which has been posted for over 10 hours. Students from both the University and Ohio State requested for the tweet to either be deleted or the account to be terminated. Others directly criticized the parent company, Barstool publications, for the remarks. The main site has come under fire due to jokes deemed offensive before, like in 2012, for jokes regarding sexual assault. According to the Huffington Post, many protested Barstool’s own concert tours in support of sexual assault victims. State Sen. Jim Ananich (D-Flint) said in an interview with NPR earlier this month
that Flint residents are still struggling to have clean water to drink. “And I think, as a resident of Flint, and my neighbors, I can tell you we don’t feel the urgency that I think that
Tweets
this crisis deserves,” he said. “(Flint citizens) need to have the health, nutrition and educational services to help with the children that were hurt and seniors and other folks that have been damaged.
UM Health System @UMHealthSystem
WE DID IT! @umich won the #BloodBattle against @OhioState 2,363-2,355! Thanks to all who donated and/or volunteered!
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I’m going to have to marry a guy who went to umich cause I need someoe who understands this FEELING
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Santa listens to childrens’ wishes during the the 2016 Kerrytown Tree Lighting Festival in the courtyard of the Kerrytown shops Sunday.
Maryann Struman
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Duderstadt Center Open Lab
Johns Hopkins economist lecture WHAT: Laurence Ball will argue the Federal Reserve had the legal authority to save the Lehman Brothers and lessen the financial crisis. WHO: Center on Finance Law WHEN: 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: Hutchins Hall, Room 120
WHAT: The Duderstadt Center will premiere a week of open workshops, presentations and practice sessions centering on their operations. WHO: Duderstadt Center WHEN: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: Duderstadt Center
Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers talk
Bass Trombonist recital
WHAT: Jason Furman, President Obama’s chief economist and cabinet member, will lecture on policy. WHO: Ford School of Public Policy WHEN: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Weill Hall, Annenberg Auditorium
WHAT: Randy Hawes from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra will come to campus to perform. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Earl V. Moore, Britton Recital Hall
@mastruman
CCI Fitness Programs: Zumba
Legacy Lab Workshop
WHAT: The Center for Campus Involvement invites students to Zumba their end-of-semester troubles away. WHO: Center for Campus Involement WHEN: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. WHERE:Michigan League, Underground
WHAT: This series of workshops is designed to help students engage with their selfawareness and identities. WHO: Sanger Leadership Center WHEN: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Ross School of Business
Causes of Long-Distance movement
Technology Adoption in the Community
WHAT: Guest lecturer Allison Shaw from the University of Minnesota will discuss two types of migration in organisms. WHO: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology WHEN: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: Dana Natural Resources Building, Room 1040
WHAT: School of Information Prof. Joyojeet Pal will discuss the transition from keypads to touchscreens in India. WHO: University Library WHEN: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. WHERE: Harlan Hatcher Library, Room 100
University professor helping to urge Clinton to file for recount CAITLIN REEDY Daily Staff Reporter
J. Alex Halderman, University of Michigan professor of electrical engineering and computer science, is currently leading a group of computer scientists and election lawyers from around the country who are urging 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to call for a recount in three swing states won by President-elect Donald Trump — Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. While Clinton hasn’t moved forward on filing for recounts, Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein has filed for a recount and filed a petition in Wisconsin last Friday with the state’s Election Commission
campaign in private. On Nov. 17, the lobbyists had a conference call with Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta and Marc Elias, the campaign’s general council, urging the campaign to file for a recount based on their expertise and evidence found in those three key swing states. In the initial count, Trump won the presidency with 290 Electoral College votes to Clinton’s 232. Assuming he won Michigan’s 16 votes as well — the race has not yet been certified in the state because the margins are so narrow — Clinton would have to overturn results in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania to f lip the Electoral College. In Wisconsin, Halderman and the other activists found through statistical analyses that Clinton received 7 percent fewer votes in counties that used electronic voting machines rather than optical scanners and paper ballots. Extrapolating this analysis shows that Clinton may have lost up to 30,000 votes in total throughout Wisconsin, a state she lost by only 27,177 votes. The group found no clear evidence of hacking or manipulation in Wisconsin, but did come to the consensus that this pattern qualifies for an independent review. The White House is also suspicious of the Russian government, which was recently accused of hacking the Democratic National Committee.
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J. Alex Halderman says swing state results have statistical anomalies to have all votes recounted. Stein plans to file petitions in Michigan and Pennsylvania as well. Stein’s actions now leave many Clinton supporters hopeful as they approach the Dec. 13 deadline for Wisconsin to release the recount results. Halderman, director of the University’s Center for Computer Security and Society, and voting-rights attorney John Bonifaz believe there is evidence that the results from the aforementioned states were manipulated or hacked. Halderman found the results questionable in counties that relied on electronic voting machines instead of paper ballots or optical scanners. While the group has not spoken publicly about the matter, they are lobbying heavily with the Clinton
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SUSTAINABILITY From Page 1A across the University. Though the survey has been given annually since 2012, Robert Marans, one of the co-principal investigators of SCIP and a research professor at the ISR, said SCIP data will not be collected this year. “It’s partly (because of) budget, but also we’re not seeing the kind of changes we were hoping to see,” Marans said. “And the general feeling is that trying to change people’s behavior is a slow process. The annual survey shows small changes here and there, but for the most part, no changes.” The survey will resume in the fall of 2017 and will then be administered every other year, with hopes that more significant changes will be observed in the
data with a larger gap between surveys. There are currently four longterm sustainability goals for the University, created under University President emeritus Mary Sue Coleman in 2011. These goals, which are implemented by the same program that distributes the survey, outline University initiatives on climate action, waste prevention, a healthy environment and community awareness. SCIP was created as part of the community awareness goal and tracks the “culture of sustainability” on campus. The data showed an increase in community awareness of areas of sustainability, such as travel, transportation and food. The full report also shows the campus community has become more knowledgeable about waste prevention, and has increased recycling and reusing of materials both on campus and at home.
News Beyond the survey, SCIP is currently piloting several projects on campus to increase awareness of sustainability. In Bursley Residence Hall, an experiment to increase composting opportunities beyond the dining hall is currently in place. Marans said the experiment began last January and will be extended to other residence halls if successful. “If you want to order pizza, what do you do with the leftover pizza and the box and all that stuff in the room?” Marans said. “If Bursley residents know more about composting(after this experiment), do more composting, than students in other residence halls, then we can say, ‘Hey, that experiment was worthwhile; we should take it to other residence halls.’ ” Students around campus are also getting involved in sustainability in various other ways on their own. LSA senior Jayson Toweh,
Harbaugh ‘bitterly disappointed’ by officiating after nail-biting loss Michigan’s coach cites late spot, ‘gift interference’ penalty after defeat JACOB GASE
Daily Sports Editor
COLUMBUS — When the Michigan football team loses to Ohio State, especially in games decided by just a few points, there are often plays that haunt Wolverine fans for decades. The 2006 game, possibly the biggest in the rivalry’s history, brought Shawn Crable’s momentum-changing, helmetto-helmet hit on Buckeye quarterback Troy Smith. The 2013 game ended with an attempted 2-point conversion by Michigan, where Devin Gardner’s potential gamewinning pass was picked off and denied the Wolverines a monumental upset. The 2016 version of “The Game” — the teams’ most important showdown in 10 years — ended in heartbreak again for No. 3 Michigan, which fell to No. 2 Ohio State, 30-27, in double overtime. Yet again, there will be plays Wolverine fans will have ingrained in their minds for a while. But this time, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh directed the blame elsewhere. “I am bitterly disappointed with the officiating today,” he said. “That spot … the graphic display is the interference penalties. The one not called on us on Grant Perry, (who) clearly was being hooked before the ball got there. The previous penalty they called on Delano Hill — the ball is uncatchable and by the receiver.”
FOOTBALL From Page 1A trifecta of Barrett, Samuel and running back Mike Weber, coordinator Don Brown’s unit dominated. The Wolverines gave up just 206 yards on 50 carries. They sacked Barrett eight times, piled up 13 tackles for loss and added an interception. But the offense could never deliver the clinching blow. Down 3-0 in the second quarter, having gained 26 total yards on its past four drives, Ohio State intercepted a pass from redshirt sophomore quarterback Wilton Speight and returned it four a touchdown. Early in the third quarter, the Wolverines had a chance to take a 17-7 lead when Speight fumbled the snap on the Buckeyes’ 1-yard line. And after Michigan did take a 17-7
SPEECH From Page 1A Inclusion plan, which aims to improve campus climate. “The goal of white nationalists has been to appeal to disaffected white students who may be unhappy with the University’s diversity initiatives,” he wrote in an email interview. “This is one
There was a third-down pass from Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett that sailed incomplete well beyond his receiver’s reach, only for Michigan senior safety Delano Hill to get whistled for pass interference. There was another third-down pass, this time from the Wolverines in the second overtime, where sophomore receiver Grant Perry received no call from the officials despite appearing to have his arm hooked by a defender. And, most crucially, there was a 4th-and-1 conversion by Barrett in double overtime, which the referees ruled a first down and upheld after review — if he had been ruled short, the game would have been over, and the Wolverines would have escaped with a 27-24 victory. Those final controversial plays were the decisive ones, but they weren’t the first times the officiating crew drew Harbaugh’s ire. Late in the third quarter, he was incensed after a potential Ohio State false start was ruled an offside penalty by the Wolverines. Harbaugh tossed his play card into the air and spiked his headset into the ground, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that further baffled him. “(The referees) could have been watching the game rather than being concerned about (me),” Harbaugh said. “If you throw a hat, you throw your script toward your sideline, that’s a penalty? I asked (the referee) that, and he said, ‘Well,
it is in basketball.’ “I go, ‘Well, this isn’t basketball.’ ” Harbaugh reiterated his disappointment several times in a heated, eight-minute postgame press conference, but he wasn’t the only one feeling it. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Wilton Speight chose his words carefully after the game, physically stopping himself from criticizing the officials’ calls in the overtime periods. Fifth-year senior defensive end Chris Wormley made his thoughts a little clearer — he was a part of Barrett’s decisive conversion, shoving the quarterback backward with his right arm as Hill hit him low. “I think he was short,” Wormley said. “But I guess the refs saw something different. You’ve gotta play through those types of calls, those types of adversity.” Michigan made plenty of other mistakes — a stagnant fourth quarter offense and a few costly turnovers let the Buckeyes back in the game in the first place, and running back Curtis Samuel ran 15 yards to the end zone untouched on the game’s final play. But in the end — like some fans might for decades to come — Harbaugh found himself unable get past the controversial calls. “We’re probably just going to keep beating a dead horse here,” he said to end his press conference. “You know how I feel.”
lead, it gained just 30 yards on its last four possessions when it could have put the game away. The Wolverines led for more than 56 minutes of regulation, sent the game to double overtime and could have ended the game on multiple occasions. If they had, they would be heading to the Big Ten Championship Game next Saturday night with a chance to advance to the College Football Playoff from there. Now, Michigan’s playoff hopes are all but gone. “We make our case on the field, if you’re going to make any arguments or cases,” Harbaugh said. “We feel like they’ve done everything they can possibly do, and they’ve done it very well.” Harbaugh’s team shuff led off the field after the game, trying to elude the masses as the opponent’s fans
rushed the field for the second time in three weeks. In the postgame mayhem, Meyer couldn’t meet up with his wife, though he did embrace his son in a long hug. Then, when he took the podium at his postgame press conference, his wife called him. “She said, bring a gallon of milk home on the way home,” he quipped. He said he did not remember what happened after the game, only the Samuel touchdown, one few will ever forget: “We motioned the tight end across, two backs in the backfield. We expected them to be bear, bear defense, and pressure. And the left tackle, Jamarco (Jones), did a nice job sealing it. Tailback led, Mike Weber, and Curtis scored, and we won.” Curtis scored, and Ohio State won. Michigan was as close as it has been in a while. But the Buckeyes’ dominance lives.
of the reasons why the first set of racist posters appeared on Monday, September 26, the week before President Schlissel formally released the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (plan).” McCoy wrote he also frequently undergoes severe Twitter backlash from altright accounts, highlighting a pattern of intense, often faceless, online harassment by alt-right social media bots. LSA freshman Kori Thomas, who
tweeted of racist posters she discovered outside South Quad Residence Hall last month, faced dozens of tweets riddled with racial epithets and insults. “White nationalists not only seek to create a safe space for themselves … but to provoke a backlash that may prove their claims that those opposed to racism and white supremacy oppose their free speech rights,” McCoy wrote.
a Program in the Environment major, is the president of Students for Clean Energy, the chair of Central Student Government Sustainability Commission and an administrative liaison for the Students for Sustainability Initiative. He said students are becoming increasingly involved in part because they see a lack of interest from the administration. “One reason that we’re really active is because a lot of people involved in sustainability organizations do not believe that the University itself is making any large commitment towards being more sustainable,” Toweh said. Other students said they wanted to University support on sustainability, such as in Greek Life. LSA sophomore Aliza Sitrin, a member of Delta Phi Epsilon sorority, wanted to introduce composting to her house but ran into barriers due to potential cost and smell. Eventually, she and the
PISTONS From Page 1A University Regent Denise Ilitch (D) is a co-president of Ilitch Holdings alongside her brother Christopher. In a press release, Gores championed the project, noting the family’s longstanding relationship with the city. “I am so impressed by the vision of Chris Ilitch and his parents,” Gores said. “We admire everything Mike and Marian Ilitch have done in Detroit and the passion they have for the city. Their dedication has served as a catalyst for so much investment and we are proud to join them in this effort.” However, some University students, including LSA freshman Claire Westerlund, believe the Palace is a bit too far to go for a basketball game. Westerlund wrote in an email interview that growing up in Oakland County between Southfield and Birmingham is why she has only been to one Pistons game. “I definitely will go to the new stadium to watch a basketball game,” Westerlund wrote. “I am by no means a
Monday, November 28, 2016 — 3A friend she was collaborating with decided to drop the project. Currently, the sorority house has recycling bins but Sitrin says she doesn’t know of any other plans to increase sustainability efforts. Marans acknowledged that the SCIP survey shows that communication from the University about sustainability is an area that could use improvement. “There are signs up in the Fishbowl and all over, but no one reads them,” Marans said. “We need to do a better job communicating.” Toweh said based on his experiences, he would like to see the University launch an online educational program similar to AlcoholEdu could help students learn more about practices like conserving energy and washing clothes in a sustainable way. “Currently you have a lot of people who are really informed and really invested, and a lot
of people who would be more invested if they knew what the impact was,” Toweh said. “The whole concept is just staying alive. If people care about sustaining life as it is, caring about sustainability is a key thing.” Though the survey has been given annually since 2012, Marans said SCIP data will not be collected this year. “It’s partly (because of) budget, but also we’re not seeing the kind of changes we were hoping to see,” Marans said. “And the general feeling is that trying to change people’s behavior is a slow process. The annual survey shows small changes here and there, but for the most part, no changes.” The survey will resume in the fall of 2017 and will then be administered every other year, with hopes that more significant changes will be observed in the data with a larger gap between surveys.
basketball fan but it seems like a fun activity. With the new location, it will be much easier to make a day of it.” She added that in the new location the Pistons will be closer to other attractions in Detroit where she can go with friends before a game, such as the Eastern Market or the Detroit Institute of Arts. “I always thought it was weird that the Detroit Pistons
of fans. An out-of-towner wouldn’t be as motivated to come to a game and tour Auburn Hills versus getting to see Detroit and their team play.” The arena, which is being lauded for its potential to attract capital to the area, has received some backlash in the community. In October, contractors of the project faced fines of nearly half a million dollars, according to Crain’s Detroit, for not hiring enough local workers. According to a city ordinance, local labor must make up at least 51 percent of the total work. To ensure the Pistons’ relocation would be profitable, Gores had a sports expert research the venture, the Free Press reported. Mark Rosentraub, professor of kinesiology at the University, determined the move would bring with it construction jobs, increased value of ticket sales for games and concerts and jobs both at the site and potential spin-off locations. The total impact is projected to be $596.2 million relocated to the Detroit area. According to the company, the stadium will open Sept. 17 2017.
“I always thought it was weird that the Detroit Pistons didn’t actually play in Detroit.”
didn’t actually play in Detroit,” Westerlund wrote. “If you live somewhere downriver, even if you were a huge fan, it’s not worth the trek, especially on a weeknight. Having the stadium right downtown will give the team a greater draw
Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4A — Monday, November 28, 2016
CHRIS CROWDER | COLUMN
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STUDENTS OF CAPS IN ACTION | OP-ED
Faculty must address mental health
A
n open letter to the faculty of the University of Michigan: Over 40 percent of students at the University of Michigan reported having felt so depressed that it was difficult to function at least once during the school year. Additionally, approximately 11 percent said they seriously considered attempting suicide at least once in the last school year. There are now more mental health and well-being student organizations on campus than ever. Clearly, mental health awareness and resource availability are topics that resonate with many students at the University. It is for this reason that we, CAPS In Action, a new student organization within the University’s Counseling and Psychological Services that “puts the CAPS initiatives in action,” would like to inform you of some of the biggest mental health concerns that students face on this campus and what role you can play to combat these statistics. The faculty at the University play one of the biggest roles in students’ lives. Mental health is shaped by a community, so it is important that students are able to turn to their professors and Graduate Student Intructors for support and understanding. The key to helping fellow students is accessibility and communication. Professors’ voices are important, and we will respect what you have to say. We know that you want your students to succeed, and we want to suggest ways to support our academics and health. School can be hard, and mental health often takes the back seat to final grades. In a highly
competitive environment and with the pressures of multiple exams and papers bearing down over short periods of time, it becomes a challenge to balance studies with mental wellness. Without enough time to relax, some students develop a toxic mental health lifestyle. Therefore, we seek campus resources. However, fear takes over as our issues remain unaddressed. The most common of these fears is that of authority. We are reluctant to open a dialogue with our professors about our mental health issues because campus is a professional environment and showing weakness is not a professional trait. When we work up the courage to seek advice and help from instructors, we are sometimes met with disbelief and requests for medical proof. Our mental illnesses and health are real, and CIA’s hope is to encourage faculty to not only become more aware of the prevalence of mental health issues on campus, but also to take part in addressing them. When professors offer support and understanding, students notice. CIA member Aaron Brown recounts such an instance: “My professor continually highlighted the importance of mental health issues, (and put) mental health ahead of grades and assignments. Her office hours were always open to students to discuss any problems they faced, especially in light of the campus climate after the election. It was comforting to know I had someone to talk to.” As an easy first step, we would like to encourage you to incorporate new mental health language in
your syllabi, like that which has been proposed by Central Student Government. Incorporating this statement in your syllabi will demonstrate your support for students’ well-being. Secondly, we would appreciate promoting an inviting environment in your courses. Actions such as friendly emails before and after stressful exam periods, asking how we are doing and letting us know that we can come to you with mental health concerns would go a long way. We ask that you emphasize the value of self-care, especially during times like the upcoming finals week. With that in mind, remind us that we are valued and perhaps recommend ways for staying relaxed. We would also appreciate you to continue your guidance a few weeks prior to final exam week on how best to prepare. These reminders are very helpful in keeping us studying long-term and not cramming last-minute allnighters in. Finally, we ask that you treat mental illness the same way you treat other illnesses. Though we as students are doing our best to fight the shame associated with mental health topics, the stigma can still, at times, be debilitating. Your leadership and central role in our lives can play a critical part in our fight to break down mental health barriers, and we look forward to the achievements we can make together at the University of Michigan. Sincerely, The Students of CAPS In Action. Students of CAPS in Action is a new student group at CAPS.
STEPHEN MITCHELL | OP-ED
I
My own white words
n the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, I, like many others, experienced an amalgam of emotions: frustration, anger, fear, guilt, shame. In particular, in a way more than ever before, I have felt the overwhelming presence of my privilege as a white man in the United States. As CNN reporter Van Jones put it, “This was a whitelash against a changing country.” In my own processing of the result, one overarching theme was guilt and shame. I felt I should be apologizing without end to the people I love on this campus who witnessed, many without shock, hate — hate directed at them and their loved ones — win the most powerful seat in the world. I asked myself, “What can I do? Is there anything I can or should do?” In conversations about the election, I felt more than ever the weight behind my own voice. I felt my words, from the mouth of a white man, fill up the conversation space, newly empowered and looming ever more forcefully. I quickly came to two key realizations. First, no one should ever be told how to feel. The flood of tone policing I witnessed in the aftermath of the election astonished me, as if there was nothing to grieve, as if there was nothing to fear. And the voice this came from most frequently was again from the mouths of white men. Astonishingly, this came frequently from liberal white men, calling on minorities to not give up hope and rally together to fight back while showing complete blindness to what a
position of privilege it is to be able to feel better so quickly about what has just happened. I would, with as much patience and kindness as I can express, implore my white male friends to please allow people to feel what they are going to feel and to validate those feelings. Allow the women in your life to feel what they feel in response to a self-described sexual predator living in the White House. Allow the LGBTQ people in your life to feel what they feel about Trump’s vice presidential candidate Mike Pence, who wrote on his campaign website, “Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior,” a euphemistic description of gay conversion therapy. Allow the people of color, Muslims and immigrants in your life to feel what they feel about a man who empowers and emboldens, through his words and actions, racism and xenophobia in a way not otherwise possible. The second realization I had in the aftermath of this election: I am not doing enough. As I felt in the most tangible sense imaginable the weight of privilege surrounding me, I wondered why I had not used this strength for something positive. I have power as a white man. Undeserved power, but power nonetheless. I have felt complacent in simply ensuring that I mitigate the harmful effects it could have on those without it. A “do no harm” approach is no longer going to cut it for me. It is not enough for me to voice shock and outrage and
wonder, “How could anyone vote for that man?” They did. And I feel it’s my responsibility to find out why. Why did they decide that their desires were great enough to justify that man’s rhetoric and the words and actions of his supporters? Why did they decide they had so much to fear that they would support this decision? Finally, I know that I must also proceed with caution. Being an ally is a position that requires tremendous humility and care. I recognize that I am not a champion. I am not a hero. I do not deserve and in fact reject any credit whatsoever for any change I may contribute to bringing about. I am reminded of the words and attitude of Frederick Douglass when he was invited to speak on the women’s suffrage movement two decades before the passage of the 19th Amendment. I know that an ally’s role is to first and foremost “to take back benches and wrap themselves in silence.” It is not my role to preach to the choir when there are so many other members of that group more eloquent, intelligent and moving than myself who could speak instead. However, I can contribute to the difficult work of showing those who refuse to listen the beauty of those voices. I can validate and recognize fear and pain and seek solutions to overcoming them in due time. And I can continue to recognize the weight of my own white words and continue to desperately seek ways to use their power to shape a better future. Stephen Mitchell is an LSA junior.
I
Fighting for your mental health
went to Counseling and said than done. This would mean Psychological Services two going to see a doctor to provide times this past month to sign medication if you need it, seeing a up for counseling again. I saw a therapist (they can be expensive, counselor last year, and talking but insurance can help if you to someone about my feelings have it) or talking to a friend or helped tremendously family member. I had with my anxiety. a hard time making In that semester, this choice. I pushed I was able to love it off further and myself even more further, but eventually and understand how my girlfriend helped to better take care me to contact an of myself mentally. in-town counselor This semester, I to talk about how to thought I could get deal with my anxiety by without seeing again. Students can CHRIS someone but came to tell a friend that they CROWDER need help contacting the conclusion that I needed to return. someone or have Each time I went into CAPS, I conversations with someone they realized that there were at least can trust. I recommend seeing five people signing up to receive a professional, but any sort of their first session of counseling, counseling that isn’t putting any which was mind-boggling to me pressure on an individual is better because I was there for just 10 than not being able to talk through minutes each day. How many your feelings at all. more new people walk in each With CAPS not having enough day coming for help, too? time or people to take care of After receiving my initial everyone in the way they need, consultation appointment, I those who need help cannot was told there wouldn’t be any continue to wait. The pressures open appointments until at least of meeting school deadlines, January. I wasn’t frustrated maintaining relationships and with the staff because they competing with the rest of your couldn’t do anything about it, class are issues that do not go to but I immediately realized the rest. Those who have reached out problem here: It’s not that CAPS for help have already taken a big has too few staff members, it’s step in attempting to get help and that the rigor of the University cannot get discouraged if they of Michigan itself is not healthy have to wait. for students. Yes, college is not Mental health continues to a walk in the park and gives carry a stigma — it’s important virtually every student extreme to recognize that seeking aid difficulty, but the culture of work does not mean the individual is and competition is particularly weak, but rather that they are burdensome at this school. CAPS strong. So many people keep this conducted a study that shows as a secret, but the odds are many one-fourth of the University have multiple friends who share population reported they’ve had this experience. I have felt alone thoughts of suicidal ideation. at times in my anxiety, but have That number could be higher found care and felt understood today, which is something that in finding and talking to friends we cannot simply accept and not who have gone through the same make changes. anxieties as me. CAPS does have a 24/7 hotline I’ve had anxiety at this that students can reach out to University over multiple for emergencies, but admittedly, things, including not feeling the hotline can only do so much. as competent in my studies Mental health can be a battle compared to my peers. I’ve lost every day, especially with the sleep planning my responsibilities consistent demands the culture of and feeling stupid after I bombed the University puts on its students. an exam. These feelings are Students must act autonomously normal, and competition is toward their mental health, bound to happen at one of the though I recognize this is easier top institutions in the world. But
the University can do to better address this culture and help those who are struggling to find support for their mental health. It is not the University’s job to babysit its students, but it should emphasize caring for them as a top priority because it is an overall life priority. I have a professor who allows excused absences for mental health days. It meant the world to me. I felt cared for and understood. This is the type of culture that I hope the rest of the University, both students and staff, will embody. Mental health struggles are real and should not be swept under the rug. There is a large need for mental health services at Michigan. We are students fighting hard to stay afloat in our classes, extracurriculars and postgraduate opportunities. There are so many of us with anxiety and depression, among other things, which can be triggered by the culture here, traumatic experiences or by a preexisting condition. Don’t wait for help. Keep fighting for it. Your mental health is yours to own, and you cannot shy away from it. You may not need a therapist, but at least talk to someone you trust to talk about how you feel, because you are not alone in your fight. It’s on the University community to change this culture of competitiveness and to move closer to promoting a better mental health environment. Without so many pressures, many students may not be struggling with feelings of inadequacy and stress. The University is responsible for making the campus accepting of those who need help and to continue making the campus a more mentally stable environment. But the key to improving mental health lies within the individual. The student must attempt to take care of themselves because nobody can make the decision for them. They should ask for help if they can’t get to that point, but it’s imperative that they do, because the mental health problems will continue to mount if they’re not treated once they’re out in the real world. Chris Crowder can be reached at ccrowd@umich.edu
DAVID DONNANTUONO | OP-ED
A solution for the refugee crisis
L
aw Prof. James Hathaway, founder and director of the University of Michigan Law School’s Program in Refugee and Asylum Law, spoke earnestly to a group of Michigan students at a lecture on Nov. 9 about a situation whose urgency should be ubiquitous even in the wake of this month’s contentious election. The state of the global refugee system is in many ways egregious, marked with an unequal assumption of responsibilities by states, horrible conditions for asylum-seekers and specious incentives for a number of actors. The refugee crisis of the past five years has made this already dire problem far more salient in the Western world, and Hathaway insists sticking with the status quo is not an option. The most prominent flaw in the current refugee system is the astoundingly asymmetrical distribution of displaced populations. According to Hathaway, given the lack of international cooperation and growing reluctance by many developed states to take in refugees, approximately 85 percent of global refugees reside in poorer countries, many of them contiguous to the conflicts from which refugees are fleeing. Consequently, Turkey, Jordan, Iran, Pakistan and others have been forced to shoulder a tremendous burden with Western support being more superficial than palpable at times. Hathaway pointed to one eye-opening statistic that is illustrative of this reality: Western nations spend more in processing the claims of the 15 percent of world refugees entering Western countries than in assisting the 85 percent of refugees living elsewhere. Perhaps the greatest barrier to the West’s collective engagement with the world’s refugee problem is our effort to circumvent the issue itself. Between the European Union’s deal with Turkey to deflect refugees back to the Middle East and growing anti-refugee rhetoric from elected officials,
many developed nations have not yet acknowledged that the global refugee crisis is a problem that we all have a responsibility to help solve. As it stands, the majority of the world’s refugees live in harsh conditions, uncertain of what the future holds, faced with ever-growing contempt from the countries with the greatest means to support them. Hathaway did recognize a silver lining amid the disarray: A solution already exists; we simply need to operationalize it. The UN Refugee Convention of 1951 — signed by the United States and 146 other countries — insisted upon a collective system in which all participating countries take on a level of responsibility for the inevitable and dynamic surges of refugees. It declared that refugees are entitled to arrive to a country without permission, granted rights to empowerment such as work and mobility and called for measures to facilitate refugees’ eventual return home. Instead, the system that exists today is characterized by “10 countries doing 60 percent of the world’s refugee work simply due to geographic coincidence,” Hathaway said. Instead, Western nations seem more concerned with the crime of smuggling and the dilemmas of cultural and economic integration than with the well-being of the world’s most vulnerable population. The now-commonplace political mantra of the “dangerous refugee” justifying a ban on their entry is suspect, as there is no indication that refugees are any more dangerous than American citizens or other migrants. Even then, our vetting process could hardly be more thorough. The West’s concerns are certainly legitimate but should not entirely supersede the responsibility we have assumed through our signing of the Refugee Convention, our continuous intervention abroad and our tremendous economic prosperity.
Hathaway proposes an “insurance-like” model to implement the framework laid out by this convention. Each country would take on certain financial and human responsibilities based on various characteristics (GDP, amount of arable land, demographics, etc.). These quotas would be agreed upon and distributed fairly in order to assuage the ongoing movement of refugees. In this model, refugees’ countries of arrival would not necessarily be their final destination, but rather their point of access to the international system. If states don’t believe that each and every new arrival becomes 100 percent their responsibility, they will be less inclined to unnecessarily lengthen their vetting process and hamper their transportation, which would simultaneously diminish the power of the refugee smuggling industry. Hathaway estimates that such an approach could lead to a third of refugees returning home within six years, another third remaining in contiguous countries and the final third finding a permanent home elsewhere. Today, the Western world is yet to truly undertake a collective, systemic solution to the plight of the global refugee population. Instead, our discourse has centered around whether the refugee crisis should be our concern, rather than how we can ultimately resolve it. As a result, we have more or less perpetuated the state of limbo in which many refugees find themselves, while leaving a massive burden on less prosperous nations simply because of their geographical coincidence. A model like Professor Hathaway’s, which distributes this tremendous burden both sensibly and equitably, would lead to a more cooperative international community that lives up to its decades-old promises of bringing justice to the world’s most vulnerable and underrepresented population. David Donnantuono is an LSA junior.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Monday, November 28, 2016 — 5A
TV NOTEBOOK
COMMUNITY CULTURE NOTEBOOK
‘Andre’ is glorified WTF
My love for the Berlin Philharmonic
Off-beat Adult Swim staple is supremely underrated TV
Their performance in Ann Arbor solidified their top-notch status DAYTON HARE
NABEEL CHOLLOMPAT Daily Arts Writer
“The Eric Andre Show” is TV’s hardest sell. Sure, it airs on Fridays at midnight on the adult-oriented version of Cartoon Network — and that sentence alone has surely already lost me a few readers — but I’m so ardent in my “Ranch!” fervor that it’s a wonder my proselytizing hasn’t gotten me blocked from multiple contacts. Yet, despite innumerable pleas to friends, family and coworkers, my conversion rate is dispiritingly low. I can’t say I’m surprised. Eric André’s (“Man Seeking Woman”) underappreciated series, which recently completed its fourth season, is a collection of compact, 12-minute bursts of pure, unbridled energy. It is (at the risk of using up all my adjectives too early) at once explicit, uncomfortable, hilarious, graphic, deadpan, raunchy, disgusting, absurdist, ironic, awkward, progressive, horrifying, manic and the televised embodiment of WTF. It is, in one word, a miracle. Ostensibly a parody of public access talk shows, “The Eric Andre Show” is the brainchild of the irrepressibly insane comedian whose name — and sensibility — it bears. Each episode features André as the odd, insecure host of a late-night show alongside comedian Hannibal Buress (“Broad City”), who literally does nothing more than stand on the side of the set and chime in with random asides. The title sequence features a live band, and then André subsequently tackling the drummer of said live band, as well as destroying his purposely cheap-looking set, on every single episode. And guests — many of whom simply have no idea what they’ve signed up for — are subjected to “interviews” that are abruptly spliced between on-thestreet segments. That’s about as much formal structure as the show cares to have; beyond this, anything goes. Prerecorded segments are YouTube-ready, hidden-camera sketches that transgress the boundaries of comfort and good taste and, in some cases, the law. A few personal favorites: the aforementioned recurring series,
“Ranch It Up,” in which our host spouts non sequiturs borne of an untethered writers’ room to passersby on the street before chugging a bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch; one in which André, covered in cereal and adorned with a dog collar, moans to subway passengers that he “did not, unfortunately, get the job at the Froot Loops factory” and proceeds to pour milk all over his crying face; another subway sketch in which André, dressed as a mailman and rocking Heelys, begins to rip apart letters and fake mail to the horror of people nearby, all the while screaming “I HATE MAIL! I HATE MAIL!” and ending with a lovely performance of the pan flute; and the crown jewel, a recurring sketch called “Bird Up!” that, in one episode, inexplicably ends with André, in a neon-green super suit and a toy bird glued to his shoulder, fingering the mouth of a woman on the street while repeatedly chanting the phrase, “YAH BOOBAY.” Yes, I know what you’re thinking — 126 years of editorial freedom, all culminating in that sentence. Celebrity interviews are similarly odd. André’s stated mission is to make his guests as uncomfortable as possible. And by extension that means his viewers, too. Just as the camera often jarringly cuts to Buress doing something incredibly stupid, like screaming into a bite of a Hot Pocket, we are often treated to the most intimate, awkward and discomfiting of host-guest interactions. André alternately cranks the heat up on his set to sweltering levels, places cockroaches underneath his guests’ seat cushion, literally flashes Seth Rogen or, in one notorious sequence, prompts a genuinely heated walkout from Lauren Conrad after eating fake vomit from his desk. The series’ comedic sensibility borders on nihilism, and it is the medium’s most fully formed simulacrum of utter anarchy. And in between moments of complete disgust, you realize that there’s much more brains behind the art. It’s entirely plausible to detect, in André’s show, a scathing critique of the concept of modern American celebrity, or a cleverly disguised satire of racial politics in late-night television. And that
subtext belies André’s prodigious perceptiveness and intelligence — something not normally associated with a show so devoted to lowbrow dick jokes and 420 references. If the static sameness of late-night television is the unquestioned norm, then “The Eric Andre Show” is here to detonate the status quo with a brashness that veers toward hyper-masculine arrogance, but is nonetheless revolutionary. Since their inception, talk shows have been constructed to mitigate the masses, to cast the widest net and reel in the largest audience by substituting inoffensiveness where dissidence might be more potent. This show isn’t interested in that. A Berklee College of Music graduate, André toys with conventions like the “in-house band” in ways that are ostensibly base but slyly subversive. The host, who traded in the stand up bass for stand up comedy less than a decade ago, is more concerned with in-your-face humor than the air of smugness that often permeates shows like “The Daily Show” and “Last Week Tonight.” His influences are less Johnny Carson and more “Space Ghost Coast to Coast”; the show operates like an absurdist’s pastiche of “Jackass,” “Da Ali G Show” and Tyler, The Creator’s short-lived “Loiter Squad.” And while there’s much to deconstruct, there exists the timeless pleasure of simply appreciating a show willing to traffic in comedy that is at once gleefully tasteless and legitimately boundary-pushing. I find it difficult, however, to write about this marvel of a series and capture the distinct and exhilarating experience of actually watching it. To put it bluntly, this is the only show not named “Veep” currently on air that can elicit sincere tears of laughter in the solitary confinement of my bedroom. So while the arbiters of good taste might deem “The Eric Andre Show” too niche for a mainstream audience, I bristle. That’s a fair characterization, sure, but it also misses the point. “The Eric Andre Show” is brilliant, uncomfortable and proudly, defiantly not for everyone. I plan to keep watching.
Daily Arts Writer
A couple of weekends ago you might have noticed a host of welldressed people streaming down the sidewalks in the vicinity of the intersection between North University Avenue and South Thayer Street. Or perhaps, if you drive, you might have found yourself bumper-to-bumper in the sort of traffic jam normally reserved for game day. Either was rather likely, and the occasion was something which hadn’t happened since 2009 — the Berlin Philharmonic was in town. My guess would be that it took around $81,000 to bring them across the ocean, given the price of airfare and the number of people. Tack on the expense of organizing everything, the negotiation with venues, the booking of hotels, the food, the chartering of busses and it doubtlessly amounts to a small fortune. In the end it must have been profitable, I suppose, but whoever managed it must have been a logistical mastermind with Herculean endurance, and I wouldn’t want their job for the world. Which is to say I’m really glad that someone did it, because the result of all that effort was a fantastic experience for thousands of people. As a bit of background, the Berlin Philharmonic is widely considered to be one of the top four or five orchestras in the world, competing with the likes of the London and Vienna Symphonies. So to say that I was excited when it was announced they would be coming to Ann Arbor is an understatement. I bought my ticket well in advance, and looked forward to it all semester and all of the summer before that. I even spent a few days in Berlin in August, and while there declined to seek out any performances that might be happening, in anticipation of the Ann Arbor concert. It certainly wasn’t a disappointment. Berlin’s reputation is well deserved, and the direction of Simon Rattle was stellar. I might even go so far as to say it was the best orchestral performance I had ever witnessed, and I’ve seen a fair few. Throughout
the concert, the ensemble of over a hundred musicians played as if one. Every gesture was shaped together, each stream of sound perfectly balanced against the others. And the sounds they made were marvelous. The sweeping motions of the strings felt as if they were lifting you off the floor, and when the brass section played with all their might you felt it reverberating in your bones. Aside from awe at the orchestra’s technique, the performance also left me with a few thoughts. The program I watched was in two parts: the second half was Brahms Symphony No. 2, a fairly conventional orchestral choice (and a personal milestone — I’ve now seen all the Brahms symphonies live), and the first half was a non-stop performance of music by Schoenberg, Webern and Berg, collectively known as the Second Viennese School. This was not a conventional choice. In fact, I’m fairly certain that until Berlin I had never attended an orchestral concert with music by any of those three, let alone all of them on one program. And in a word, I was thrilled — though not everyone agrees with my ecstasy. I think I might be in the minority in this, but I love atonal music. While most people feel that it’s ugly, weird and just all around unpleasant to hear, I find it to be beautiful, colorful, expressive and liberating. And when you think of atonalism, it’s the three composers of the Second Viennese School who immediately come to mind. Partially because Schoenberg “invented” atonality, he and his pupils Webern and Bern are inextricably bound-up with it, but since that trio there have been countless composers who followed their footsteps, the atonal aesthetic coming to be the primary feature of 20th century Modernist music. Many of them have influenced the way that I work and think as a composer, so to hear the original atonal masters was a valuable experience. After the concert I overheard many of the conversations going on around me. Many of them went something like this: “I wasn’t really sure about the first half, but the Brahms made it all worth
Classifieds
it.” I found a similar sentiment expressed throughout the comment section of the University Musical Society website. And I understand why people might feel that way. I don’t agree with them, but there was a time when I might have, and it’s not my place to say someone’s musical taste is wrong. Coming to love atonal music was a long process, hours upon hours spent listening as I slowly started to understand the syntax and unlearned many of the assumptions I had about what music was. That’s not necessarily for everyone, but that is what everyone heard at the Berlin concert, which is why I find Maestro Rattle’s choice to include this music endlessly fascinating. What should be included in an orchestra’s repertoire? Whose opinions should carry the most weight when deciding? On the one hand, part of an orchestra’s role is to “entertain,” so to speak. When someone goes home after an evening at the symphony it’s generally assumed that they should have had a good time. It follows that the tastes of the audience should bear upon the programming decisions. But orchestras also serve as champions of the arts. They should, ideally, expose people to types of music they have never really experienced, and promote works both by living composers and from periods that are less popular. In addition to providing enjoyment, they should challenge their listeners. The latter role might even be more important. The classics and sure-fire hits don’t need championing — they’re already ensconced in our culture. At the end of everything, an approach like the one Rattle took is probably the best. Mixing the tried-and-true with the unconventional on the same program ensures balance. Ears searching for old favorites and exciting new worlds are both appeased. And by putting the Second Viennese School on a major program, it goes a long way towards normalizing them, and making them seem less new. Not that there’s any rush — the last of the three only died 65 years ago, after all.
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FILM REVIEW
Historical war drama ‘Allied’ holds streaks of greatness, but disappoints Newest film from director Robert Zemeckis is both slow and boring shown to be competent spies, but that alone isn’t enough to capture Daily Arts Writer one’s attention and hold it for any amount of time. A slow movie may not have Some of the blame also has to the action or pacing to keep an go to the performers, in particular audience’s attention, but there is Brad Pitt (“Fight Club”), who plays always something to Max Vatan. It’s keep them invested, something of an be it character understatement or performance. to call Pitt a “good “Allied” Director Robert actor,” and he has Zemeckis (“Back improved with Rave & Quality 16 to the Future”) has age — as his turns done well with this in “Inglorious Paramount Pictures type of movie in the Basterds,” past; “Cast Away” “Moneyball” and and “Flight,” both “The Tree of Life” slow moving character pieces, can attest. It’s hard to say what his rank among his best work. His problem is in “Allied,” but he comes newest film, “Allied,” is a different across as flat for the bulk of the story. During the first half, it offers runtime. Even at Max Vatan’s most the viewer next to nothing to emotional, most intense moments, invest in, and by the time it gets the he seems almost incapable of story rolling in hour two, it’s nearly emoting beyond slightly raising too late. his voice or pouting. It’s telling Not all of these failings can that his best moment on screen is be blamed on Zemeckis, because a scene in which he shuffles a deck the script from Steven Knight of cards in magnificently over-the(“Peaky Blinders”) is at least top fashion. partially accountable as well. That blame doesn’t necessarily For the first half of the movie, extend to the entire cast though. scene after scene passes without Marion Cotillard (“Inception”) making any significant progress gives a layered performance as in the development of character Marianne Beauséjour once the or plot. It seems to be biding time script gives her something to work until something exciting finally with, and is unarguably the best, happens at the end of the first most interesting part of the movie. act. At this point, the characters The script calls for her to be would ordinarily be holding the potentially duplicitous, yet likable film together, but neither of them enough that the viewer roots for are all that engaging. They’re both her to be truthful, and she walks JEREMIAH VANDERHELM
C+
the line with ease. Jared Harris (“Mad Men”) doesn’t get as much screen time in his supporting role as Max’s commanding officer, but even he adds more humanity and emotion to the affair than Pitt. To the movie’s credit, “Allied” does get progressively more interesting as the story comes together. As Max begins to look into the accusations levelled against his wife, the viewer is forced, to a certain extent, to put themselves in his shoes. It’s hard at that point not to feel a little sympathy for him, even if he is the least fascinating part of the ordeal. Zemeckis even manages to draw out the suspense in a couple scenes; a sequence taking place under the cover of dark in a French jailhouse is particularly memorable for its intensity. It’s ultimately sad that that same intensity — or at least level of engagement — did not spread to the rest of “Allied.” It clearly holds the markers of greatness. Zemeckis has directed some of the most iconic films ever made, Pitt and Cotillard are both spellbinding when they’re operating at the top of their game and Knight proved with “Locke” that the man can write a minimalist script with the best of them. Here, much of that talent feels squandered. “Allied” isn’t a complete loss, as it does slowly become an aboveaverage romantic thriller near its climax, but it is certainly a disappointment.
RELEASE DATE– Monday, November 28, 2016
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
FOR RENT
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 “Get lost!’ 6 Google __: geographical app 10 Ruth with bats 14 Egypt’s capital 15 They may clash on a movie set 16 Environmental sci. 17 *Power source that plugs into a computer port 19 Physics particle 20 Andes, e.g.: Abbr. 21 Against 22 Make amends (for) 23 *“Airplane!” flight number, to the control tower 26 Boats with double-bladed paddles 29 Forget to include 30 Mosque leader 31 Address for Bovary 33 Having one flat, musically 36 *Carl Icahn or Michael Milken 40 Billy the __ 41 Father or son New York governor 42 Head, to Henri 43 Suffix with joke or pun 44 Gratify 46 *Castle gatebusting weapon 51 Going on, to Sherlock 52 Lily pad squatter 53 Sock hop site 56 “The Mod Squad” cop 57 Home of the player at the ends of the answers to starred clues 60 Actor Estrada 61 Be complicit in, as a caper 62 Giraffe kin 63 Exec’s asst. 64 TiVo predecessors 65 Jotted down DOWN 1 Film on stagnant water 2 Film credits list
3 Barbecue fare 4 Smile shape 5 Iroquoian people, or a hair style named for them 6 Fred or Ethel of old TV 7 Texas A&M athlete 8 19th-century master of the macabre 9 Old Rus. state 10 “Get lost!” 11 Follow, as a tip 12 Trailblazing Daniel 13 Roundheaded Fudd 18 Yucatán years 22 Jungian inner self 23 Pack (down) 24 Calf-roping event 25 Poet Khayyám 26 Punt or field goal 27 Mine, to Marcel 28 One of 100 between end zones 31 Native New Zealander 32 Source of quick cash, briefly 33 Brainstorm
34 Butterfly catchers 35 For nothing 37 Eight-musician group 38 Regretful sort 39 Bulleted list entry 43 Heavyset 44 Plum’s title in Clue, briefly 45 Blue or black water of filmdom 46 Hay bundles 47 Burning
48 Mixer with gin 49 Player referenced in 57-Across’ clue, briefly 50 Southern side dish 53 Tiny biting insect 54 “Eek!” 55 Hotel room cleaner 57 Cleveland cager, for short 58 “Easy as” letters 59 Old studio letters
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NOW. @michigandaily By Jake Braun ©2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
11/28/16
6A — Monday, November 28, 2016
Arts
FILM REVIEW
Beatty is back with ‘Rules’
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TV REVIEW
1950s-set Hollywood dramedy squanders star-studded cast is under contract at RKO, which itself is run by Hughes (though Daily Arts Writer the film gets the timeline wrong: Hughes in fact sold the studio in “I don’t appear in public very 1955). She and her mother, lovingly often, but I think I should go out played by Annette Bening (“The more.” Kids Are All Right”), are driven So says Howard Hughes, by Frank Forbes (the absolutely the legendary and mysterious wonderful Alden Ehrenreich, industrialist, to “Hail, Caesar!”), an impressionable another new young child at the Hughes hire and conclusion of “Rules a relatively devout Don’t Apply.” The “Rules Don’t Apply” Methodist. same can be said Though Rave & Quality 16 for Warren Beatty, forbidden by the notoriously Hughes’s bans 20th Century Fox reclusive and on hanky-panky quiet actor (and between drivers director, writer and and stars, as well producer) who portrays Hughes as their respective religiosity in the film. This is Beatty’s first (Forbes is, in fact, engaged), the directorial effort since 1998’s two quickly develop a passionate “Bulworth,” and his first acting relationship, bonding over shared role since 2001’s “Town & professional shame over their Country.” In other words, it has distance from their boss, the been a long time coming for fans of illustrious Hughes. But as the two the mid-to-late-century icon. The continue to establish themselves film, too, has been gestating for a in the business, and grow closer long time — Beatty allegedly began to Hughes in unexpected ways, developing it after an encounter their lives grow increasingly with Hughes in the early 1970s. complicated. They begin to But development hell can, question social mores and their appropriately, be damning, and place at RKO. the film’s disjointed screenplay Much like the two’s time in sometimes infringes on its time- Hollywood, “Rules Don’t Apply” tested material (see “The Aviator” itself can be sliced into two halves. for Hughes, “Hail, Caesar!” for The first is one of enchantment; 1950s Hollywood). tightly edited and beautifully It’s 1958. Dwight Eisenhower is shot, Hollywood is a land of the country’s president, Marilyn expansive opportunity and one Monroe its biggest star. Church of its titans, Hughes, is reserved membership soars as businesses to mysteriously dark spaces. The rapidly expand. The U.S. is fighting second is one of disillusionment, the Soviet Union, with nuclear or perhaps the erraticism that fears abounding. In Hollywood plagues Hughes. The bonds among the studio system reins, firmly Hughes, Forbes and Mabrey controlling its stars, both fresh- are strained and tested, and an faced and weathered. intoxicating high of an all-tooMarla Mabrey (Lily Collins, rare encounter with a legend in “Mirror Mirror”), an aspiring front of the camera fizzles into a young actress, arrives in throbbing hangover. Scenes drag Hollywood from a strict Baptist on for far longer than necessary, upbringing in Virginia. Mabrey or they only add more material to DANIEL HENSEL
B-
the convoluted plot. The laughs (which are relatively consistent towards the beginning) come far too infrequently. And throughout the film, overwrought drama, both in dialogue and cliché imagery, can suffocate the screenplay’s lightness. But “Rules Don’t Apply” has an undeniable charm. There’s a scintillating dynamism and confidence about 1950s Hollywood, and its extravagant offices, studios, houses and cars are beautifully brought to life in the film. Establishing shots seem to have been filmed with an old camera, rendering Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Acapulco like the faraway postcard destinations they had been at the time. The size and quality of the cast is astounding. Legendary actors appear in relatively small roles, like Ed Harris (“Pollock”), Martin Sheen (“Badlands”), Paul Sorvino (“Goodfellas”), Alec Baldwin (“Still Alice”) and Candice Bergen (“Gandhi”), to name a few. A scene with Steve Coogan (“The Trip”) is riotously funny. Ehrenreich and Collins, both up-and-coming stars, are the true highlights. Arguments between the two explode with timeless passion and sexual urgency. “Rules Don’t Apply” is stuffed with the thematic material — religiosity, capitalism, gender, psychology, wealth — that could make the film truly special, but Beatty doesn’t go all the way. What’s missing is some unifying theory, some answer, to the eternal question of Hughes: what really made him so crazy? Hughes fascinates Beatty, like the rest of us, but “Rules Don’t Apply” doesn’t resolve any confusion. That’s not to say every good film has to have a well-constructed argument, but when a modern master takes nearly 20 years between his films, it’s reasonable to expect better.
TNT
That bone structure thooooough.
‘Behavior’ lacks the extra punch Michelle Dockery is strong in otherwise lackluster TNT drama can with an entire monologue. As the British actress steps into a Daily Arts Writer drastically different role as junkie ex-con Letty Raines, exchanging There was a time when we corsets for plunging jumpsuits thought Miley Cyrus would and pointed upper-class English forever be remembered as snobbery for a meandering Hannah Montana and Emma Southern drawl, something goes Watson inescapably missing. It’s more as Hermione than just the Granger. Today, initial shock of it’s almost comical watching Lady to recall Miley as Mary — I mean, “Good Behavior” a Disney star and Letty Raines — Series Premiere unfair to limit puke in someone’s Emma’s success driveway with Tuesdays at 9 p.m. to the Harry a bad hangover. TNT Potter franchise. The biggest Sometimes, disappointment drastic changes of Dockery’s new are necessary to paint an actor role is not in her performance — in a different light and give which is emotional and believable them the room to explore a new and touching — but rather the character. Maybe that’s what show’s inherent structure, or “Downton Abbey” ’s Michelle rather lack thereof. Dockery thought she needed As Letty, Dockery steps into a when she signed on for TNT’s role of a broken women, separated “Good Behavior,” because there’s from her eight-year-old son by nothing quite like seeing Lady a restraining order, addicted to Mary smoke out of a DIY crack drugs and back to her old ways pipe to send the message that she’s of stealing booze and designer done with the 20th century. clothes from expensive hotel Dockery’s performance as rooms. She’s the “bad-ass with Lady Mary in “Downton Abbey” baggage,” but this isn’t enough is iconic: with her icy beauty, to create a complex and enticing witty remarks and effortless sex female lead. Letty is unstable appeal, she elevates a character and emotional, characteristics separated by an entire century that lend well to establishing to someone acutely relevant to an immediate sympathy to her the modern viewer. She can do and her situation. However, it’s more with a perfectly manicured ultimately her flexible moral raise of an eyebrow than some compass and often unmotivated DANIELLE YACOBSON
B-
decisions that alienate her character. The story has striking loopholes: Letty knowingly seduces a contracted assassin Javier (Juan Diego Botto, “Zorro”) only to decide to warn the target the next morning, then retreats again after shakily pointing a shotgun at the assassin/onenight-stand. Her emotional trajectory is manic, illuminating jarring inconsistencies in plot and character. As a result of her unpredictable inclinations to occasionally do the right thing, Letty is sucked into a dangerous relationship with Javier. For some unexplained reason, Javier decides that he needs Letty to help with his assassinations and now “owns” her with the promise of getting her son back. Their love affair is supposed to be hot and steamy, but falls flat with the lack of genuine connection. “Good Behavior,” however, is cinematically engaging. The camera doesn’t shy away from moving into distorted images, going out of focus as Letty falls off the wagon, and successfully builds suspense with extended shots scored in complete silence. Without thinking too hard or too long on its inconsistencies, the series is objectively entertaining; the fast-paced action translates well on screen and the camera naturally loves Dockery. But only time will tell whether “Good Behavior” is able to stick around for the long haul.
B
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | November 28, 2016
Ohio State 30, Michigan 27
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily DESIGN: Michelle Phillips, Anjali Alangaden
Instant classic, C
OLUMBUS — The play was called 29 lead. Curtis Samuel took a handoff going left. His blockers created a tunnel. He burst through it, jumped over the goal line and stretched his hands as wide as he could MAX to the fans in BULTMAN the north end zone. It may go down in history as one of the enduring plays in one of college football’s great rivalries — not because it was exceptionally drawn up (though it was), but because it ended an iconic game that may outlive those who saw it live. The nation’s No. 2 team beat the No. 3 team, and then fans stormed the field. That doesn’t happen in games where the home team is favored. But this was Ohio State and Michigan,
Business trip The Michigan women’s basketball team spent Thanksgiving in the U.S. Virgin Islands and came away with two victories
» Page 3B
with the highest stakes in a decade. No celebration was unworthy. That’s the significance of what happened at Ohio Stadium on Saturday: Ohio State 30, Michigan 27. There will be time to rehash what was or wasn’t. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh offered plenty of thoughts in the moments following the game, when he said he was “bitterly disappointed” with the officiating. He thought one hold went uncalled, one pass-interference was called unjustly and one spot — on fourth down in double overtime, no less — should have given his team a victory. None of it matters. None of it’s changing. It took two overtimes for the Buckeyes to beat Michigan, but they did it. They twisted the most jagged of knives through the hearts of those who dared to hope. They did it in the last game of the regular season, and they did it in a year where the Wolverines looked like one of
the nation’s four best teams. Ohio State coach Urban Meyer called it an instant classic, and he’s right. Harbaugh said the implications of the rivalry weren’t on his mind. Both are probably true. That’s because instant classics don’t happen without heartbreak, “bitter disappointment” or whatever you’d like to call it. The ingredients of despair and ecstasy are exactly the same. In his postgame press conference, Harbaugh stuck up his hands and showed how far from the first down he thought J.T. Barrett was on a double-
eternal anguish
overtime 4th-and-1. With Ohio State down three, Barrett rushed forward, took low contact from Delano Hill, and stretched toward the first-down marker. Afterward, Harbaugh asked reporters what they saw on the TVs upstairs. “Short,” they agreed. The referees did not. They saw Barrett collide into Hill and fall just over the line of gain. The replay officials did not see enough to overturn it. That’s how these things go. Harbaugh has a legitimate gripe, but legitimate gripes are
worth exactly zero wins. Instead, they are worth years, even decades, of anguish. Harbaugh may be able to eventually rid himself of that burden with other games, other calls that do go his way and maybe even a championship. But he will never be able to undo what happened on the north side of Ohio Stadium on Saturday. His team might have avoided it by gaining more than just five yards in the fourth quarter, or not committing one of its three turnovers, one of which occurred at the Buckeyes’ 1-yard line. But it’s too late for all that. Nothing will ever change the outcome. The game will be preserved, exactly the way it unfolded, for eternity. After Harbaugh expressed his displeasures, Meyer held court in the southeast corner of the stadium. It couldn’t have been more different. There was Meyer, the victor, entirely flummoxed. He was asked all kinds of questions, including
what he thought his chances were when his team was down 17-7 in the third quarter. “I don’t know,” he responded. “We won the game.” As the questions continued, Meyer found refuge in a clever response. Asked about an unsuccessful fake punt call, he said: “On the last play, we ran a stretch to the left. It’s 29 lead, is the call, and Curtis scored.” Asked about his health, he started, “Curtis…” before laughter finished the sentence for him. On if he remembered anything from after the game: “Yeah, Curtis scored.” It was that simple for Meyer. Harbaugh didn’t even mention the play. That’s the difference between being on the winning and losing ends of a game like Saturday’s. Harbaugh is left looking back on what went wrong, remembering the calls that could have been different. Meyer doesn’t have to remember anything. History will do it for him.
The new ‘Game’ Jim Harbaugh proved Saturday — and for the past year — how much the Ohio State rivalry means
» SportsMonday Column, Page 2B
SportsMonday
2B — November 28, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTSMONDAY COLUMN
‘The Game’ lives up to the hype
J
ust after 10 a.m. Saturday, Jim Harbaugh led his Michigan football team off the buses and walked through the gates of Ohio Stadium. Harbaugh said Monday that he had not been back since he JAKE last played LOURIM quarterback there in 1986. He did not say much else about his team’s biggest rivalry. Does he embrace the rivalry with Ohio State? “I do.” Does he enjoy it? “I do.” Does he look forward to it? “Yes.” What makes him look forward to it? “Competition. That’s the best part about it.” It was always obvious that the rivalry known as “The Game” is more serious, more intense and more important than any other, no matter what sense Harbaugh gave in the media. Saturday’s unforgettable double-overtime thriller was just another example of that. Sometimes you end up on the wrong end of those games, like Michigan did Saturday. But you can’t say “The Game” wasn’t fun, and that’s good for everyone. Since he arrived at Michigan almost two years ago, Harbaugh has been coy about hyping up the Ohio State rivalry above the others. We don’t know too much about how he treats it on a weekto-week basis. Here’s what we do know about Harbaugh: He knows how to motivate his team for the biggest game of the year, his comments in press conferences notwithstanding. Senior safety Dymonte Thomas said Harbaugh will drop motivational quotes to show the significance of his team’s next
game. Last Monday, before a team meeting, Harbaugh gave the players one quote in particular — “I can’t say it, because it had a little word in it,” Thomas joked — that stuck out to them. “I can’t say the word, but it was something about how you can’t be something for the rest of your life, or in your whole life,” Thomas said. “He just said, you kind of look at it, we haven’t beaten them in so long. So he said it’s time for us to stand up and stick up and do something for yourselves. “You have a bully, and he continues to bully you each and every day. And in order for you to get that bully to stop bullying you, what do you gotta do? You gotta go in there and punch him right in the nose. And you gotta continue to punch him in the nose until he don’t want no more.” Ohio State has bullied Michigan for more than a decade. The Wolverines entered Saturday having lost 11 of their past 12 games to their archrival, and a few of them weren’t close, including Harbaugh’s first as head coach last year. In that game at Michigan Stadium, the Buckeyes did what they pleased offensively, trampling Michigan for 369 rushing yards and 42 points in the rivalry’s most lopsided game since the Rich Rodriguez era. Saturday in Columbus, the Wolverines did what Harbaugh urged them to do on Monday: They went in there and punched Ohio State right in the nose. They dominated the game for three quarters, allowing the Buckeyes just 24 total yards from the end of their first drive until halftime and leading for all but 3:46 of regulation. Michigan just didn’t have enough punches in the end, when Ohio State survived with a 30-27 victory. But it was clear
the Wolverines heard Harbaugh’s message. Here’s what else we know about Harbaugh: He has just the right makeup to make that motivation mean something. Monday, a reporter from The Columbus Dispatch asked Harbaugh to describe himself, saying that some people call him crazy and some call him “crazy like a fox.” Harbaugh wasn’t receptive to the question. He doesn’t talk about himself: “I don’t know that my personality really, how relevant that will be to the ballgame this week. Probably irrelevant.” His players know what they see, though, and when asked the same question, fifth-year senior defensive lineman Chris Wormley had an interesting insight. “I think with all the good coaches, you gotta be wired a little differently,” Wormley said. “A lot of the great ones do things differently. I’m sure (Ohio State coach Urban) Meyer does and has done things differently, successful coach. With Coach Harbaugh, he does things differently.” Few can deny that. A year ago, Harbaugh’s team lost by four touchdowns against an Ohio State program that has been the class of the Big Ten for the five years Meyer has been in charge of it. Over the past year, everything Harbaugh did — the grueling four-week bowl camp, the Spring Break trip to Florida, the monthlong satellite camp tour, the allout quarterback competition, the dominant early-season victories — it all prepared Michigan to go into Ohio Stadium and finally knock off the Buckeyes. Even once the season started, the Wolverines were preparing for this game. They kept their starters as fresh as any group in the country. They tested all of the
GRANT HARDY/Daily
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh prepared his team all year to play “The Game” again, and it lived up to the billing.
weapons they would need. They installed a formation with nine players in a straight line behind the center. They did everything, and then they gave Ohio State all they had. Which brings us to the last thing we know about Harbaugh. Not that there was any doubt about the importance of “The Game” in the mind of the coach who grew up in Michigan, played quarterback for Michigan, idolized Bo Schembechler and once guaranteed that his team would beat Ohio State before it actually did, but Saturday showed that significance all the same. Before the game, Harbaugh went through warmup drills with the quarterbacks, catching
their passes like he always does. Then, he engaged in a cordial handshake with Meyer, for whom he has, by all accounts, tremendous respect. But when the whistle blew, Harbaugh was emotional and tenacious. He grew more irate than ever at the officials, though admittedly in a game where there were more controversial calls than ever. And then he slammed them in his postgame press conference, saying he was “bitterly disappointed” — to use a Schembechler phrase, for good measure. It is not a good look for Harbaugh to come into his postgame press conference and spend almost the entirety of
it criticizing the officiating. It may cost him a fine from the Big Ten if the conference makes a ruling Monday morning. It may even cost him some points with the all-important College Football Playoff committee this week when the members decide Michigan’s postseason fate. But that was Jim Harbaugh’s rivalry week, for better and worse. In an era many have trumpeted as the second coming of Schembechler and Woody Hayes’ “Ten-Year War,” Saturday proved to be quite a second battle. Perhaps Harbaugh won’t say it. Perhaps it won’t quite measure up next year. But “The Game” is “The Game” again, and let’s all be grateful for that.
Fourth-quarter struggles prove costly Michigan falls to No. 1 VOLLEYBALL
KELLY HALL
Daily Sports Editor
COLUMBUS — Jourdan Lewis scooped up the squib kick and ran. If he could find the right holes and cut the perfect path, he would give the Wolverines their first win over the Buckeyes in five years. After a disappointing fourth quarter that saw No. 3 Michigan go three-and-out on all three of its possessions and collect just five total yards while No. 2 Ohio State (8-1 Big Ten, 11-1 overall) found new life through quarterback J.T. Barrett, Lewis had the chance to save the day. He sprinted down the field as Ohio State fans who had assumed overtime held their breath. There was no time left on the clock, and with the game tied at 17, anything could happen. Lewis cut left across the field after weaving through defenders for 40 yards, and then, finally, the Horseshoe exhaled. Cornerback Joshua Norwood took him down on the Buckeyes’ 43-yard line, and the game would
indeed go to overtime. As Lewis picked himself up, he shook his head in disappointment of what could have been. His run was a fitting cap to a disastrous quarter, and Ohio State would retain its momentum through two overtimes, ultimately coming up victorious, 30-27. The game didn’t have to end in disappointment for the Wolverines, though. Had they continued to play the way they did throughout the first three quarters, the Buckeyes would have needed much more to win. “We were just playing lights out that first three and a half quarters,” said defensive end Chris Wormley. “They got some plays, they have good players — I mean, they go to Ohio State, they have good players. So, we need to make a few plays at the end and the outcome probably would have been a little different, but I thought we played pretty well for the most part of the game.” The Wolverines headed to the locker room at halftime with a 10-7 lead after pure defensive
domination held the Buckeyes to just 81 offensive yards in the first half. Ohio State had converted only one of seven third-down attempts, and J.T. Barrett was 5-for-11 for no touchdowns. The Buckeyes’ lone score came off a 16-yard pick-six by Malik Hooker. But Ohio State looked minimally better after the break, and then like a completely different team in the final quarter. In the fourth quarter alone, Barrett rushed for 71 yards and threw for another 59, and running back Curtis Samuel caught two passes for 23 yards. “J.T. didn’t start out very good,” said Ohio State coach Urban Meyer. “We had some misfires. We weren’t playing very well. … We had some protection issues. And the pass game is a constant. It’s either protection issues or a misfiring, and I thought the receivers played decent. … They just keep swinging. It’s a very, very good defense we faced.” Meanwhile, Michigan’s offense stopped producing. All three of its fourth-quarter possessions
amounted to just 3:53 of game time, allowing Barrett to wear out the defense further. Cracks in the Wolverines’ defensive armor began to show as the Buckeyes gained seven first downs in the fourth quarter (Michigan had none) and 127 yards. Both units faltered in the final frame, but the Wolverines thought their defense was strong enough to lead its team to victory. “It’s a bummer, you know,” said redshirt sophomore quarterback Wilton Speight. “I feel like I let the defense down with the game that they played. It stings.” When asked if he thought Michigan played well enough to win, he responded right away. “Yeah, absolutely.” But as he said it, Buckeye cheers traveled from the concourse and permeated through the walls of the press room 45 minutes after the end of the game. The Wolverines may have done enough to win in the first three quarters, but not in the fourth.
GRANT HARDY/Daily
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Wilton Speight couldn’t lead Michigan down the field for a clinching drive in the fourth quarter of the loss Saturday.
Nebraska in four sets PAIGE VOEFFRAY Daily Sports Writer
The No. 18 Michigan volleyball team was on a 6-1 scoring run, trailing No. 1 Nebraska in the fourth set. Scrappy defensive plays gave the Wolverines the edge in the waning points, but they had already fallen too far behind to catch up to the Cornhuskers. The deciding point was a Nebraska kill by Mikaela Foecke, which went off the Michigan block and landed out of bounds, securing the Cornhuskers a 3-1 win and the Big Ten championship. Nebraska (18-2 Big Ten, 27-2 overall) seemed to be in control of the match from the start. The Wolverines (119, 22-10) only secured their first lead in the beginning of the third set. The Cornhuskers held Michigan to just a .020 hitting percentage in the first set, meager compared to their .139. Though the Wolverines stepped up their offense in the second set, their defense paid the price. The Cornhuskers dominated with a .500 hitting percentage and easily took the set, 25-17. Michigan went into the break down 0-2, and it had to make some adjustments if it hoped to come back against a strong Nebraska team. It came into the third set on a roll and, following an ace from fifth-year senior outside hitter Kelly Murphy, the Cornhuskers called a timeout. The timeout proved ineffective for Nebraska, though, as the Wolverines came back with a 4-0 run. It seemed as if Michigan was going to force a fourth set
easily, but the Cornhuskers kept the Wolverines on their toes by saving six set points. Fortunately for Michigan, sophomore outside hitter Carly Skjodt ended the set with a kill that hit off the Nebraska block and landed out of bounds. The Wolverines fell behind quickly in the fourth set. Michigan coach Mark Rosen tried to slow the Cornhuskers’ momentum by calling timeouts, and even by getting a net violation overturned, but Nebraska was too effective on all sides of the ball. Michigan fell in the fourth set, 25-21. Junior middle blocker Claire Kieffer-Wright impressed not only in Saturday’s match, but also throughout the season. Kieffer-Wright finished the match with 13 kills and has proven she will be an important player for the Wolverines in the postseason. “She’s been one of our most consistent performers offensively,” Rosen said. “And not only her execution side of the ball, but I think her personality and her leadership has been great.” Despite the loss to Nebraska, the Wolverines finished with a winning Big Ten record – a good sign with the postseason on the horizon. They will enter the NCAA Tournament as the No. 12 overall seed, which is a testament to the stiff competition they’ve faced throughout their conference play. They will face American in the first round on their home court at Crisler Center. “I think we’ve gotten a lot better because of the strong competition and now we go to postseason really prepared,” said Rosen. “We’ll try and take it one match at a time.”
“We’ll try and take it one match at a time.”
SportsMonday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
November 28, 2016 — 3B
Michigan beats Mount St. Mary’s Michigan salvages Wolverines use first-half run to coast to victory, rebound from Wednesday loss ICE HOCKEY
series split at Yost
ORION SANG
Daily Sports Writer
No matter how intricate a team’s offense may be — and John Beilein’s scheme is certainly MSM 47 among MICHIGAN 64 the most complex — the system can only work if players are making shots. So when No. 25 Michigan shot just 19.2 percent from the field against South Carolina on Wednesday, including a dismal 7.7 percent from behind the arc, the offense could only be described as sluggish. That certainly wasn’t the case early Saturday night, when the Wolverines returned to Crisler Center to beat Mount St. Mary’s, 64-47. Michigan (5-1) got off to a blistering start — shooting 7-15 on 3-pointers and 43.3 percent on all field goals — to stake themselves with a comfortable lead after a slow defensive start. “It was huge,” said senior guard Zak Irvin. “After how poorly we shot the ball in South Carolina, we definitely wanted to come out and set the tone. Big bounce-back game for us, so it was nice to see the first three of my shots go in. It was a good feeling.” The Mountaineers, led by nine early points from 5-foot-5 guard Junior Robinson, took an early 12-8 lead in the first half. But then junior guard Muhammad-Ali AbdurRahkman knocked down a 3-pointer, senior forward Duncan Robinson hit a midrange jumper and senior guard Derrick Walton Jr. drained another 3 to give Michigan a lead it would not relinquish for the rest of the night. The Wolverines ended the first half on a 25-4 run that was capped off by a personal
LANEY BYLER
Daily Sports Writer
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Senior forward Zak Irvin scored 14 points and added four assists in Michigan’s win against Mount St. Mary’s.
seven-point spurt from Moritz Wagner, during which the sophomore forward’s offensive arsenal was on full display. Wagner drained 3-pointers with ease and took defenders off the dribble, creating hesitation with an array of pump-fakes and jab steps. After the Mountaineers opened up the second half with a quick 6-2 run to cut Michigan’s lead to 12, the Wolverines responded in kind off the strength of three more 3-pointers from Robinson and redshirt sophomore forward DJ Wilson. The improved shooting
was even more impressive considering Mount St. Mary’s entered the game allowing its opponents to make just 29.9 of their long-range attempts. While Michigan shot well throughout the game, finishing with a 43.6 field-goal percentage and a 40.7 3-point percentage, the Wolverines struggled with turnovers. A sloppy few minutes toward the end of the game saw Mount St. Mary’s cut Michigan’s lead to just eight, bringing the Mountaineer bench to life. But Irvin, who finished with
“We definitely wanted to come out and set the tone.”
THE MICHIGAN DAILY TOP-10 POLL Each week, Daily sports staffers fill out ballots, with first-place votes receiving 10 points, second-place votes receiving nine and so on.
14 points, stemmed the tide with a mid-range jumper from the elbow that seemed to snap his team out of its funk, and Michigan finished the game on an 11-2 run. “(Mount St. Mary’s) fought hard,” Irvin said. “They cut it back to, I think it was eight points, with four or five minutes to go, so for us to end it on an 11-2 run is huge. We always talk about finishing strong, and I was glad to play a part in that.” Added Beilein: “We have a big game with Virginia Tech on Wednesday. We get a day to rest. For us to travel to South Carolina ... (we) learned some valuable lessons from that game. And then to have this challenge right now, it was a bigger challenge than anyone would think, so we’ll take the ‘W.’ ”
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Wolverines finish 2-1 in Paradise Jam Michigan tops No. 25 Gonzaga and Winthrop, then falls to No. 10 Florida State MAGGIE KOLCON Daily Sports Writer
1. ALABAMA: Led by Jalen “The Truth” Hurts, Nick Saban’s team could win its first national title since earlier this year.
2. OHIO STATE: He was short.
3. CLEMSON: What Dabo Swinney did to the Cocks was certainly not Christian.
4. WASHINGTON: OK, but if they lose...
5. MICHIGAN: Harbaugh: Keep it cool. Inner Harbaugh: Shatter the headset into a million pieces.
6. WISCONSIN: As Ric Flair once said, “To be the man, you’ve gotta beat the man. Unless you’re Wisconsin.”
7. COLORADO: A win by the Buffs could send the Daily football beat to Pasadena. No pressure, though.
8. OKLAHOMA: Dede Westbrook isn’t the Heisman winner we need, but he’s the one we deserve.
9. PENN STATE: There’s going to be a mercy rule if the Nittany Lions matchup with Alabama in the CFP, right?
10. WESTERN MICHIGAN: P.J. Fleck will row his boat all the way to Tampa if it means the CFP committee will finally acknowledge his team.
Freshman forward James Sanchez’s goal came out of nowhere. One second, everyone was LSSU 1 watching MICHIGAN 4 two Lake Superior State players pass the puck. The next, Sanchez had taken the puck from the pass and shot it into the Lakers’ net for the Wolverines’ third goal of the night. This goal led to No. 16 Michigan avenging a 3-1 loss to Lake Superior State (7-6-0) on Friday. The Wolverines (5-5-1) turned the tables on the Lakers, cruising to a 4-1 victory Saturday. The contrast between the first period of both games couldn’t have been stronger. Where the Lakers outshot the Wolverines on Friday (8-6), Michigan dominated the first period Saturday, 12-5. Friday, it took the Wolverines the entire first period to get into motion, but Saturday, it only took them four minutes to score their first goal. One of the similarities between the two games, though, came from who scored that goal. Junior forward Tony Calderone scored both first goals — this time, though, the goal came four minutes into the first period, when a knot of Lakers and Wolverines formed in front of Lake Superior State’s goal. Calderone managed to push the puck into the net to put the Wolverines up, 1-0. “Obviously, we lost a lot of scoring (last year), so someone’s gotta step up,” Calderone said. “I’m just trying to do my best to fill the role, but I know (those) are pretty big shoes to fill, but I’m trying my best and we’ll see how it goes.” However, Laker forward C.J. Hayes canceled out Calderone’s goal with one of his own at the
15:17 mark. Diego Cuglietta brought the puck down the ice and close to the net on senior goaltender Zach Nagelvoort’s right, and passed it to Hayes on Nagelvoort’s left at the last minute to score the goal. The second period featured the same intensity as the first, with no break from either team. Junior defenseman Sam Piazza attempted a goal with a clean shot directly in front of the net, but Lake Superior State goaltender Gordon Defiel denied it with his arm. Laker forward J.T. Henke came close to a goal as he wrapped behind Michigan’s goal to tuck the puck into the net, but overshot it in front of Nagelvoort instead. It was finally senior defenseman Nolan De Jong who was able to break the tie off an assist from sophomore forward Brendan Warren. Warren snagged the puck and passed it to De Jong, who managed a clean shot directly past Defiel to push the Wolverines to 2-1 at the 9:16 mark. Lake Superior State attempted to close the gap multiple times throughout the remainder of the second period, but with no luck. Laker forward Jake Hand brought the puck close to the net, but Nagelvoort made a quick glove save to keep the Wolverines’ onegoal advantage headed into the third period. Like Friday, Saturday’s game boiled down to the final period. But this time, it favored Michigan. Sanchez’s goal pushed the Wolverines to a two-goal lead, one that the Lakers couldn’t break. Sophomore defenseman Nicholas Boka also managed to replicate the Lakers’ empty-net goal Friday, as he scored one with 49 seconds remaining in the game. And with no additional goals from the Lakers, the Wolverines switched places with Lake Superior State to claim a 4-1 victory.
The Michigan women’s basketball team has made its mark in the record book early this season, scoring over 100 points in three straight games for the first time and going on a jaw-dropping 52-point run against Howard. But this weekend at the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands, the Wolverines finally met their match. They swept past No. 25 Gonzaga and Winthrop at the beginning of the tournament, and ended with their biggest game of the season thus far against No. 10 Florida State. Michigan couldn’t advance its winning streak to seven games, falling to the Seminoles, 76-62, in the Wolverines’ third game of the weekend. “I definitely thought that we got worn down a little bit,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “We played against a really great team, and for a long period of time we were really even with them.” Early in the game, Michigan went down, 8-2, and spent the remaining seven minutes of the first period playing catchup. The Wolverines spread the scoring out, with freshman guard Kysre Gondrezick coming off the bench at the 5:11 mark and contributing five points. After the first quarter, Michigan trailed by only one. In the second quarter, Michigan earned its first lead of the game thanks to a 3-pointer and jumper by junior guard Katelynn Flaherty, but wasn’t able to maintain it. Florida State’s scoring was relentless, and by halftime, the Wolverines were once again down, 32-28. Then, 15 second-half fouls killed Michigan’s momentum. The Seminoles never gave up the lead, despite doubledigit efforts from Flaherty (18
points), Gondrezick (17) and sophomore forward Hallie Thome (13). “They’re a top-10 team, so they’re used to having these games,” Thome said. “They’re able to handle themselves and all the pressure and not freak out. Towards the end, unlike Gonzaga, when we played them we were able to handle ourselves and play with ease. I think for Florida State, we kind of just let it go. It could’ve been because we were mentally fatigued, so instead of just being on point with everything we kind of got a little freaked out.” Added Flaherty: “Coming out of that game we need to work on a lot of things. Especially defense, not fouling so much towards the end, and then offensively, executing plays, not having as many turnovers. Those helped their tempo of the game.” While the Wolverines’ first loss wasn’t how they would’ve liked to end the tournament, there were still plenty of positives throughout the weekend. Thome and Flaherty were both named to the all-tournament team, and Michigan notched its first win against a top-25 team since 2014. Friday vs. Winthrop (1-6): Friday’s game against Winthrop could have been another opportunity for Michigan to hit the century mark. Instead, the Wolverines fell 24 points shy of that number, but still won, 76-39. Even with the impressive margin, Barnes Arico was still not satisfied. “We couldn’t get going,” Barnes Arico said. “It took us definitely that first quarter to get going. I thought our second
team really came in and gave us that energy and that burst that we needed.” Michigan went deep into the bench, allowing all four freshmen onto the court. Munger and Brozoski also played, with 22 and 21 minutes, respectively. Munger scored 11 points, breaking into double digits to join Thome, who had 12, and Flaherty, who scored 17. Despite their strong scoring, the Wolverines weren’t performing at their peak. “We talked about it at halftime,” Barnes Arico said. “We were short … everyone besides Hallie on all of their shots. But I didn’t mind that as much as I minded our energy and our turnovers. We talked about turnovers, we wanted to hold it to six and we had 11, and we said in the second half we wanted to try to keep it under five. And I think we did.” Thursday vs. No. 25 Gonzaga (4-2): Going into Thursday’s game, the Wolverines were facing their first ranked team of the season after a long flight. Still, they came out on top, beating the Bullldogs, 78-66. Michigan has struggled in the first few minutes of play in its last two home games, going down 6-0 against both Western Michigan and Howard. But against Gonzaga, the Wolverines showed up to play. After two minutes, Michigan was up 9-2, thanks to five points from Flaherty, two from Thome and two more from senior guard Danielle Williams. Those three got the ball rolling for the Wolverines, and they never let up, leading the game for the entire 40 minutes. Flaherty went off in
“It’s definitely a fun experience, but it is a tiring one.”
the first half, tallying 17 points and ending the game with a team-high 22 points. She also tacked on seven assists to tie her career high. Senior guard Siera Thompson ran the court as well, scoring 21 points and going 5-for-6 on 3-pointers. She now has more 3-pointers than any Wolverine in history. The closest Gonzaga came to taking the lead was in the fourth quarter, when Michigan led by just four points. “We had a lot of games like last year that came down to the final minutes,” Thome said. “And this year we were able to beat the stats and just push through it. … It was just exciting to see that we were able to finish games when it came down to the last final minutes.” While Thompson and Flaherty show up in the box score as the difference makers, the players coming off the bench were a huge factor in the Wolverines’ win. “I think (sophomore guard Boogie Brozoski) and (sophomore guard Nicole Munger) really stood out, especially the first game,” Flaherty said. “Munger hit a big 3 in the corner and had a charge. Boogie has just been a great spark off the bench, she knows how to control the game and get everyone involved. I think she brings a swag to our team and makes us a lot tougher.” The road trips aren’t coming to an end, either. Coming off of the weekend, Michigan will practice for three days before jetting off to face Georgia Tech in Atlanta. “We’re going to take it game by game,” Thome said. “We’re going to be road warriors and just do what we usually do. … It doesn’t matter what gym we’re in or how many hours we’ve been on flights. It’s definitely a fun experience, but it is a tiring one, and I think we’re ready for it.”
SportsMonday
4B — November 28, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FOOTBALL
The good, the bad and the ugly: Ohio State KELLY HALL
Daily Sports Editor
For as heartbreaking as the Michigan football team’s 30-27 double-overtime defeat in Columbus was, there were plenty of joyful moments for Wolverine fans at Ohio Stadium. For the first three quarters of the game, it seemed as if Michigan would be able to cruise to victory the potency of its defense. It would have been difficult to predict what happened in the fourth quarter and in overtime, but quarterback J.T. Barett and running back Curtis Samuel breathed new life into the Buckeyes while the Wolverines floundered. The Daily breaks down the good, bad and ugly moments from No. 3 Michigan’s loss to No. 2 Ohio State. The good
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Michigan’s defense delivered a mostly dominant performance Saturday, but the Wolverines allowed a late surge to Ohio State and lost in double overtime.
Five Things We Learned
Wolverines came within striking distance of upset, but couldn’t finish the win MAX BULTMAN
Managing Sports Editor
Have you had time to digest it? The No. 3 Michigan football team fell, 30-27, in a crushing double-overtime loss to No. 2 Ohio State. At 10-2, the Wolverines are likely bound for the New Year’s Six, and yet they are still reeling after a hardfought game that will go down in history. Here are five things we learned from “The Game”: 1. Michigan couldn’t close it out. The Wolverines dominated Ohio State for two and a half quarters. They led 17-7 at one point, and that lead would have been larger if not for an untimely pick-six thrown by redshirt sophomore quarterback Wilton Speight. But behind a fourth quarter in which Michigan gained just five yards, the Buckeyes came all the way back. First, a Jerome Baker interception late in the third quarter gave the Buckeyes great field position in the red zone. Then, a pair of penalties backed the Michigan defense up to its own 4-yard line. It is noteworthy to understand that the Wolverines were stellar on
defense nearly all day. There is a very real chance they could have forced a field goal. But they didn’t, and the comeback was on. In the fourth quarter, Michigan’s offense just didn’t do enough to secure the win. Even after Ohio State’s Tyler Durbin missed a 21-yard field goal, it couldn’t put together a clock-killing drive. It had its chances, it just couldn’t convert. 2. Wilton Speight is a warrior, even in a loss. Yes, he made a handful of mistakes. His two interceptions and fumbled snap on the Buckeyes’ 1-yard line proved costly, and there’s no ignoring that. But man, Michigan’s quarterback sure came up big by playing at all. He wouldn’t say what his injury was or what percentage he was playing at, but he couldn’t have been feeling completely healthy. So yes, the interceptions were damning, but the level at which he played was still enough to give the Wolverines a chance. He finished 23-of-36 passing for 219 yards and two touchdowns, even without throwing deep. He kept relatively cool in an exceptionally difficult place to play. You certainly can’t ask for much more out of a
player whose status was totally uncertain coming in. 3. J.T. Barrett still Michigan’s number.
has
Barrett had been held in check all day, but in the fourth quarter and overtime, he surged. Even if his final carry, a play that will live forever, appeared to be just short (both in person and on video), it stood, and it counts as part of another strong game for Barrett rushing. His 135 yards on the ground came exactly when his team needed them, and though he was sacked eight times, he never seemed rattled. It wasn’t his finest game, but it was just enough to win. 4. The two best teams in the conference aren’t heading to Indy. It’s a weird reality, but it’s true. After what happened at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, it’s tough to argue anything else. Michigan and Ohio State both beat Wisconsin, and the Wolverines beat Penn State by 39. The Nittany Lions beat the Buckeyes, but they didn’t beat an Ohio State team that looked like the one that showed up Saturday. And yet, Penn State and the
Badgers are playing for the conference title this weekend. The winner will have a trophy saying it’s the best in the Big Ten. But anyone watching Saturday’s game could tell you that’s probably not enough to overcome the eye test. Michigan and Ohio State are the Big Ten’s best, and conference commissioner Jim Delaney is probably none too happy that neither is going to have a chance to make that official. 5. Bold Prediction: Jabrill Peppers will not get invited to New York. There was a time when Peppers looked like a lock to be at least a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, but his candidacy has thinned since. He has a punt return touchdown against Colorado, two rushing touchdowns against Rutgers and one against Michigan State. He’s one of the best players in the country, and no one is questioning that, but without a signature game against Ohio State, it will be tough to garner an invite. Peppers still had seven tackles and an interception, but he was stymied on offense. He should still be an All-American. But he probably will not get that coveted trip to New York.
It really seemed like Michigan’s defense did all it could to secure Michigan’s first victory over Ohio State in five years. Safety Malik Hooker provided the Buckeyes’ lone touchdown of the first half, bailing out his offense by snagging redshirt sophomore Wilton Speight’s pass and taking it 16 yards to the house. The Buckeyes’ offense sputtered to just 81 first-half yards, and Barrett struggled with his passing game in that frame as well, throwing 5-for11 for just 40 yards under Michigan’s constant pressure. Barrett was sacked eight times total, but he was able to step up his game in the fourth quarter when his team needed it most. We’re placing Wilton Speight in the “good” category for now (more on that later) due to his performance following an injury that kept him out of the Indiana game last week. If any pain still lingered, he did a good job of playing through it, as he went 23-for-36 passing for 219 yards and two touchdowns. In one of his more impressive plays on Saturday, he threw a bullet to fifth-year senior Amara Darboh on 4th-and-goal in the game’s first overtime to secure passage to a second overtime. Fifth-year senior kicker Kenny Allen was solid yet again, making both of his field-goal attempts and averaging 47.4 yards per punt. He had three punts over 50 yards, and had a few that pinned Ohio State within the 10-yard line. The bad Despite Speight’s performance, he had to be mentioned again in this section for a few crucial plays. After Peppers’ interception gave the Wolverines great field position, Speight fumbled the ball
on the one-yard line. Speight said that there was a communication problem between him and the center due to the Horseshoe’s crowd noise, but that thirdquarter score could have given the Wolverines the cushion it needed to win. Speight also threw two interceptions, but on his first (Hooker’s pick-six), his arm was knocked as he launched the ball out of the end zone. His second pick was less forgivable. Late in the third quarter, Jerome Baker intercepted his pass and carried it all the way to Michigan’s 13-yard line, setting up Mike Weber’s touchdown rush that put Ohio State within three points of the Wolverines. Michigan lost all of its momentum in the fourth quarter, going three-and-out on all three of its possessions and collecting just five offensive yards compared to the Buckeyes’ 127. The Wolverines’ defense started to crack after being forced to play for the majority of the final frame, and it allowed Ohio State to get within fieldgoal position twice. Buckeye kicker Tyler Durbin missed his first 21-yard field-goal attempt, but he nailed his second one from 23 yards out to send the game to overtime. The ugly Durbin’s missed field goals sent fans into a tizzy. His 37-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter sailed wide left after the Buckeyes marched 72 yards down the field on their first possession of the game. When he missed the chip shot in the fourth quarter, it looked like it might cost his team the game. He would be able to put it all together minutes later when it counted most, though. After the game, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said he was “bitterly disappointed” with the officiating. He was most upset with the spot that gave Ohio State a first down in the second overtime, opening up the gates for Samuel to run in a touchdown after Michigan was able to just hit a field goal. Harbaugh also insisted that sophomore wide receiver Grant Perry was being tackled before the ball ever got to him, and the pass interference call on senior safety Delano Hill looked to be uncatchable by the receiver. Harbaugh was also visibly angered during the game, throwing his play card toward the sidelines and smashing his headphones into the ground. Michigan received an unsportsmanlike conduct for that display, which put Ohio State on the Wolverines’ fouryard line. Two plays later, Weber would punch in a touchdown.