ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Daily Arts writers rank their favorites
THE
T S BE
From albums to songs to TV shows, directors and movies — it’s the Best of 2016 B-Side
» See insert
OF
michigandaily.com
2K16 ANN ARBOR
Taxi service refuses ride to visiting blind prof. University cuts ties with company following repeated complaints
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
People mingle at the grand opening of Blau Hall on Oct. 21.
KEVIN BIGLIN
Ross restructures supply chain management masters program
Daily Staff Reporter
On his way to attend an accessibility event hosted in Ann Arbor by the University of Michigan Council for Disability Concerns in early December, the Ann Arbor Metro Airport Shuttle denied service to Stephen Kuusisto, a Syracuse University education professor who is blind. Kuusito said he was denied service because he had his guide dog with him. Days before traveling to Ann Arbor, while still at home in Syracuse, Kuusisto phoned Ann Arbor Metro Airport Shuttle based on a suggestion
Top-ranked curriculum updated to keep pace with changing job market CAITLIN REEDY Daily Staff Reporter
Due to evolution within the demands of the supply chain industry, the University of Michigan Ross School of Business recently updated its Master of Supply Chain
Management Program. The enhanced program is expected to better prepare students for the future and help the MSCM to maintain its ranking among the top five best programs in the country. Business Dean Scott DeRue said in a University press release that maintaining the
program’s prestige will help future generations of students stay updated in an evolving field. The program will help graduates in future job searches as well as create more intimate relationships with industry partners. “With these new offerings, we are preparing the next
generation of leaders for the dynamic and complex supply chains of tomorrow,” DeRue said. One central change to the program includes shortening it from 12 months down to 10 months. Previously, students obtained summer internships, See ROSS, Page 3A
from a University list of approved services. Despite being recommended by the University, the taxi owner told Kuusisto he would not give him a ride with his guide dog. “The guy was perfectly cheerful, until I mentioned I was blind and have a Seeing Eye dog,” Kuusisto said. Kuusisto said the University took the taxi company off the list of recommended services immediately following his incident, and sent the service a cease-and-desist letter to stop them from using the University’s logo. The University may have separated itself from the See TAXI, Page 3A
University researchers determine Minimum State acts wage in MI the most popular emojis worldwide to play at
GOVERNMENT
sees small increase
Ann Arbor salaries largely unaffected by scheduled 40-cent hike CALEB CHADWELL Daily Staff Reporter
Ringing in the new year brought good news for employees throughout Michigan when the state minimum wage increased by 40 cents — from $8.50 to $8.90 per hour — as a part of the Workforce Opportunity Wage Act. The state bill, which passed in 2014, aims to gradually increase Michigan’s minimum wage from the 2014 rate of $7.40 an hour to $9.25 by the beginning of 2018. With the current increase to $8.90, Michigan has the 15th-highest state minimum wage in the country, according to the Detroit News. Stagnating wages were a theme of the recent presidential election, with one in every five Americans worried about wage reduction, according to a 2015 Gallup poll. President-elect Donald Trump has said he supports an hourly minimum wage of $10, but thinks states should decide what exact number it should be See WAGE, Page 3A
GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
ELECTION
Crying-laughing face, heart and heart-eyes face outshine the rest SOPHIE SHERRY & RIYAH BASHA Daily News Editors
The world can’t stop laughing — or at least over text. The crying-laughing face is the world’s most popular emoji, researchers at the University of Michigan and Peking University determined in a joint study, according to a University press release published in December. Emojis — ranging from simplistic smiling faces to animals to flags to eggplants— have been seen more recently with the rise of smartphones and social media sites, allowing users to simply place an image instead of spelling out longer messages or reactions. The University study examined emoji usage from 3.88 million active users from 212 different countries and regions from Sep. 1 to Sep. 30, 2015. Nearly one-third of the active users analyzed in the data study consisted of users in the United States, though Brazil and Mexico also held heavily dominant users. Wei Ai, a doctoral student at the University’s School of Information, authored the study report, one of the first large-scale analyses of emoji usage. “(Emojis) are becoming the ubiquitous language that bridges everyone across different cultures,” Ai said in
the press release. The red heart and heart-eyes face ranked second and third, respectively. The study also factored cultural attitudes and norms into emoji usage. The researchers found that users from different countries had considerable divergence in emoji usage, variance which was mainly related to differences in cultural backgrounds.
Texters from countries highly valuing individualism such as Australia, France and the Czech Republic sent more happy emojis. In societies more concerned with uncertainty, such as those in Portugal, Chile and Peru, however, users tended toward emojis expressing negative feelings. The widespread use of emojis presents an opportunity for researchers in fields ranging
from linguistics to data science. According to the study, emojis are shared worldwide, and research questions previously restricted by language and geographic barriers can now be studied using the icons. “Research questions that previously rely on smallscale user surveys can now be answered through analyzing large-scale behavioral data,” the study reads.
DA N C E B R E A K
ARNOLD ZHENG/Daily
Engineering student Alexander Mize and School of Music, Theatre, and Dance student Lilliana Talwatte showcase their swing dancing skills at M-Swing’s Open Swing Night in the Michigan League on Wednesday.
For more stories and coverage, visit
michigandaily.com
INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 2 ©2016 The Michigan Daily
inaugural festivities
Two high school bands prepare for performance at Trump inauguration MATT HARMON Daily Staff Reporter
Two Michigan-based drill teams — the Mid America Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team and the Michigan MultiJurisdictional Mounted Police Drill Team and Color Guard — along with Michigan high school bands and orchestras, will be performing in President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration parade later this month. The Presidential Inaugural Committee released the performance selections on Dec. 30 for Trump and his Vice President-elect Mike Pence’s inauguration ceremony, which will take place Jan. 20 in Washington D.C. following the candidates’ official inauguration. “People from every corner of the country have expressed great interest in Presidentelect Trump’s inauguration and look forward to continuing a salute to our republic that spans more than two centuries,” said PIC CEO Sara Armstrong in a press release. See TRUMP, Page 3A
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6
SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................7
News
2 — Thursday, January 5, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ON THE DAILY: MICHIGAN WINTER RANKED 2ND WORST IN U.S. In a recently compiled list of all 50 states by their respective winter’s level of misery, the state of Michigan came out as having the second-worst winter, behind only Minnesota. The online travel site Thrilllist considered a variety of factors when ranking the states, such as those with most unbearable winters, including temperature, local anecdotes and poor traffic condidions. The site stated Michigan’s winter is notable for its length: beginning in October and historically not ending until April, when much of the country is already welcoming spring. While research indicates that other states ranked lower on the list may have subzero temperatures or higher average snowfall, Michigan is unique for its lack of sunshine and constantly gray skies, according to the site. Bison Messink, Thrillist deputy editor and a self-described “recovering Michigander,” also noted in the report that other aspects
of winter, like snow sports, do not salvage Michigan because of the state’s unfavorable topography. “Overnight, the road freezes,” Messink wrote. “In the morning you wake up and it is still dark. … You actually look forward to proper snowfall, just to cover the dirt. Even then, you do not go skiing, because there are no hills.” Indeed, as students return for second semester at the University of Michigan, which is uniquely named “winter term”— rather than the common “spring term”adopted by many other universities like Ohio State and the University of Pennsylvania— skies will be consistently gray in Ann Arbor this week, and low temperatures expected to drop to 10 degrees Fahrenheit after sunset. These conditions, which will persist for at least three more months and also described by Messink as “Godforsaken,” inspired Michigan’s
high ranking on the list. All contributors to the lsit are familiar with the various states, but the top states are notorious even among debaters of weather. “(We) have both experienced the personal hell that is winter’s
Harper @HarperHahey
awkwardly long, frigid embrace,” editors Matt Lynch and Kevin Alexander wrote for Thrillist. “And so began an intense period of research and debate. … This is one of those things where you probably actually want to finish last.”
I just got 9 emails in a row from umich. I did not miss this
NEWS YEARS RESOLUTIONS
UM Sch Public Health @UM_SPH
Student exercise at the Intramural Sports Building on Wednesday.
‘Jonas’ has taken up a rather permanent residence on the NW corner of the SPH grounds. Our first resident @UMich squirrel. #AnnArbor
PAUL AHNN/Daily
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Transforming Mobility Lecture
Snowflake Making Workshop
WHAT: Dr. Lawrence “Larry Burns, former vice president of research, development, and planning at General Motors will give a lecture on the future of transportation. This is the first of a six-part lecture series. WHO: Osher Institute WHEN: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. WHERE: Rave Theater
WHAT: Snowflake master Dr. Thomas Clark shares his papercutting techiniques and helps participants experiment with their own designs. WHO: Gifts of Arts WHEN: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. WHERE: UMH-Gift of Arts Gallery, Taubman Health Center North Lobby, Floor 1
Love Story: the Musical
Tin Pan Alley and Early Jazz WHAT: An acoustic trio will play early jazz and blues on piano, cello, guitar, banjo and ukelele. WHO: Front Porch Swing band WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Silvio’s Organic Pizza, 715 N. University Ave.
WHAT: The Michigan premiere of this London West End musical takes on the classic Eric Segal novel and movie about a young couple in love in the ‘60s. Tickets are $25. WHO: Ann Arbor Musical Theater Works WHEN: 8 p.m. WHERE: CCC Stage, 1600 Pauline Blvd.
Tiny Budda Yoga Anniversary Party WHAT: The Tiny Budda Yoga Studio will be celebrating its second year at its Ann Arbor location. WHO: Tiny Budda Yoga Studio WHEN: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. WHERE: Ann Arbor Distilling Company, 220 Felch St.
Israeli Dancing WHAT: Dancing instructor Cheryk Fekt and DJ Amnon Steiner will be teaching a variety of Israeli dancing, started with easy dances and moving to intermediate at the end of the class WHO: Jewish Community Center WHEN: 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. WHERE: 2935 Birch Hollow Dr.
Theyoncé @wonderrstruckkk
Graduate Concerto Competition Finals
Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase: Mike Stanley
Kelley Phillips @kelleyAphillips
WHAT: Stanley, a Chicago-based observational comic, is known for his snappy delivery and poetic suggestions. WHO: Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase WHEN: 8 p.m. WHERE: 212 S. Fourth Ave.
DNC hacked, US election hacked..but no one can tell us if Najee Harris is coming to Michigan? Seems unfair. #GoBlue
420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com
Researchers factor economic climate, quality of life into annual ranking SOPHIE SHERRY Daily News Editor
The American Institute for Economic Research ranked Ann Arbor as the best small metro college destination on its 2017 list of top U.S. college destinations, released Wednesday morning. This ranking evaluates college metro areas based on their quality of life, economic climate and student demographics. The rating system is also broken down into large metros, midsize metros, small metros and towns. According to the AIER website, quality of life and demographics played a larger role than economic climate in this year’s top rankings on the AIER College Destination
SHOPPING ON A BUDGET.
Quality of life and demographics played a larger role than economic climate transit, walking, biking and other alternatives to cars. “Another characteristic of a great city is its abundance of ‘third places,’ that is,
puzzle by sudokusyndication.com
places that are neither work nor home, where people can gather,” the AIER website states. “These spaces may be parks and plazas or bars and pubs.” Researchers at AIER analyze the economic climate of a destination by looking at youth unemployment rates, labor force participation of the working-age population, presence of workers in STEM fields and rent. AIER researchers selected Ann Arbor as the top small metro due to the substantial number of graduates living in the area and the high level of diversity and affordable homes. The researchers claim these features attract many younger residents. “(Ann Arbor) unsurprisingly has the highest percentage of college graduates in our Small Metro category, along with relatively high diversity, many restaurant and entertainment options, and good public transportation access,” the website states. “Ann Arbor offers lower rents than coastal cities with similar amenities.” The University of Michigan itself has been listed in many college rankings in the past year, including being ranked as the number one public university in the country by the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, the world’s number one public college ranking by the global education company Quacquarelli Symonds and 27th nationally among all colleges and universities in 2017 in the U.S. News and World Report annual ranking. Tallahassee, Fla., and Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C., took the second and third rankings, respectively, on the site’s small metros rankings.
Describe Ann-Arbor weather: The feeling of sharp needles going through your face causing excruciating pain as the wind hits you.
WHAT: An annual competition for graduate and undergraduate students. The winner will perform their piece at an upcoming SMTD concert. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: 4:00 p.m. WHERE: Hill Auditorium
Ann Arbor tops list of small metro college destinations in the country Index. To measure quality of life, AIER researchers looked at the presence of art, entertainment venues and restaurants, as well as commuter use of public
Follow @michigandaily
Tweets
EMMA KINERY
Editor in Chief 734-418-4115 ext. 1251 kineryem@michigandaily.com
NEWS TIPS
HUSSEIN HAKIM
Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 hjhakim@michigandaily.com
ARTS SECTION
PHOTOGRAPHY SECTION
news@michigandaily.com
arts@michigandaily.com
photo@michigandaily.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
NEWSROOM
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
EDITORIAL PAGE
734-418-4115 opt. 3
CORRECTIONS
opinion@michigandaily.com
SPORTS SECTION
sports@michigandaily.com
corrections@michigandaily.com
ADVERTISING
dailydisplay@gmail.com
Editorial Staff
AMELIA CACCHIONE and EMMA RICHTER
REBECCA LERNER
Senior Photo Editors: Zoey Holmstrom, Evan Aaron, Claire Abdo Assistant Photo Editors: Claire Meingast, Emilie Farrugia, Sinduja Kilaru, Sam Mousigian, Marina Ross
Managing Editor
Managing Photo Editors rebler@michigandaily.com
ALEXA ST.JOHN
Managing News Editor alexastj@michigandaily.com Senior News Editors: Riyah Basha, Tim Cohn, Lydia Murray, Nisa Khan, Sophie Sherry
photo@michigandaily.com
LARA MOEHLMAN
Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com Deputy Statement Editor: Matt Gallatin Yoshiko Iwa Statement Lead Designer: Katie Spak
ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY and REBECCA TARNOPOL Editorial Page Editors opinioneditors@michigandaily.com Senior Opinion Editors: Caitlin Heenan, Jeremy Kaplan, Max Lubell, Stephanie Trierweiler
BETELHEM ASHAME and KEVIN SANTO
Managing Sports Editors sportseditors@michigandaily.com Senior Sports Editors: Laney Byler, Mike Persak, Orion Sang, Minh Doan, Chloe Aubuchon, Sylvanna Gross, Chris Crowder Assistant Sports Editors: Rob Hefter, Max Marcovitch, Avi Sholkoff, Ethan Wolfe, Matthew Kennedy, Paige Voeffray
ANAY KATYAL and NATALIE ZAK
Managing Arts Editors arts@michigandaily.com Senior Arts Editors: Tess Garcia, Dayton Hare, Nabeel Chollanpat, Madeline Gaudin, Carly Snider Arts Beat Editors: Caroline Filips, Danielle Yacobson, Danny Hensel, Erika Shevchek, Matt Gallatin
MICHELLE PHILLIPS and AVA WEINER
Managing Design Editors
design@michigandaily.com
DANIELLE JACKSON and TAYLOR GRANDINETTI
Managing Copy Editors copydesk@michigandaily.com Senior Copy Editors: Marisa Frey, Ibrahim Rasheed
DYLAN LAWTON and BOB LESSER
Managing Online Editor lesserrc@michigandaily.com Senior Web Developers: Erik Forkin, Jordan Wolff
ABE LOFY
Managing Video Editor video@michigandaily.com Senior Video Editors: Gilly Yerrington, Matt Nolan, Aarthi Janakiraman, Emily Wolfe
JASON ROWLAND and ASHLEY TJHUNG
Michigan in Color Editors michiganincolor@michigandaily.com Senior Michigan in Color Editors: Christian Paneda, Tanya Madhani, Neel Swamy, Adam Brodnax, Areeba Haider, Halimat Olaniyan, Sivanthy Visanthan
ELLIE HOMANT
Managing Social Media Editor Senior Social Media Editors: Carolyn Watson, Molly Force
Business Staff
SONIA SHEKAR
EMILY RICHNER
National Accounts Manager
Sales Manager
ANNA HE
Special Publications and Events Manager
Digital Marketing Manager
JESSICA STEWART JULIA SELSKY
Local Accounts Manager
CLAIRE BUTZ
Production and Layout Manager The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University OF Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for September-April are $225 and year long subscriptions are $250. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.
News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TRUMP From Page 1A The Three Oaks-based Mid America Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team, an equestrian drill team featuring a variety of horse breeds, will send a group of 44 women and 18 horses to Washington D.C. Upon being selected, Debbie Dunphy, team coordinator and captain, said in an interview with the Harbor County News she was shocked and knew they had to kick it into high gear.
It makes me a little upset that we’re still going on this trip even though it wouldn’t be safe for my friends of color
“I really couldn’t believe it,” Dunphy said. “There’s so much to do but they don’t give us a lot of time.” On the other hand, this will be the Michigan MultiJurisdictional Mounted Police Drill Team & Color Guard’s third inaugural parade, having performed in both of Barack Obama’s inauguration celebrations in 2008 and 2012. The organization is famous for choreographing intricate drills with horses. Adena Collens, a senior at Berkley High School in Berkley, Mich., is a member of her school’s orchestra program. Every four years, the orchestra travels to Washington D.C. to perform in the WorldStrides Inauguration Heritage Festival and attend the presidential inauguration.
ROSS From Page 1A but a new experiential course now directly pairs students with companies during winter semester to complete a project. With this change, students will spend more time on the Ann Arbor campus in order to gain a more in-depth experience in
(The minimum wage increase) is not going to be that big of an impact
Minimum Wage Increase in the State of Michigan (2000-2017)
10 9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
But this year, Collens said she opted to stay behind. “Personally, I’m not politically aligned with Mr. Trump but at the same time, my dad is going to chaperone on the trip and we both were concerned for our safeties,” she said. Collens cited the violence that has been promoted at Trump’s rallies as one of the reasons she would fear for her safety if she went on the trip. She also said race is an important factor behind to why some of her friends will not be heading to Washington D.C. with the orchestra. “I’m white, so I wouldn’t personally be targeted for my race,” Collens said. “I have friends who aren’t, and that’s the reason why they cannot go. It makes me a little upset that we’re still going on this trip even though it wouldn’t be safe for my friends of color to be in the crowd for hours.” As for the rest of the inauguration celebration, many musicians in recent months have outwardly rejected Trump’s inquiries about performing. Acts such as Elton John, Kiss, Celine Dion and others have publicly declined offers. When asked why the Mid America Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team accepted the job, Dunphy said her team put politics aside and decided to represent the organization as citizens of this country. “We’re doing this because we’re Americans,” she said. “We look at this as an honor.” In response to musicians refusing to play, Collens said she is supportive of people who stand by their morals but will not judge acts that choose to perform. “People should believe in what they believe in and support the people that support their own beliefs, but I do also know that there are some circumstances where corporate pressures and the pressures of being a freelance musician, it’s difficult to say no to a gig,” Collens said.
the business school. The shift in scheduling also accommodates the scheduling of corporate recruiting. Other changes to the curriculum include a larger focus on the data and analytics of key trends within the supply chain management industry, in addition to focuses on leadership development and general
service, but Kuusisto’s main concern still remains. Because he was denied a cab and an alternative route to get to the campus from the airport, Kuusisto says his civil rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act have been violated. “The law is very specific,” Kuusisto said. “If you have an allergy, you’re not obligated to take somebody with a Seeing Eye dog, but you are obligated to get them a ride.” The story went viral on social media after Kuusisto wrote a blog post about it on Dec. 3, the day before he traveled to Ann Arbor. In the post, he wrote about his experience with the owner of the taxi company and posted the driver’s phone number on his Facebook page. In response, many reporters contacted the owner of the taxi service. “I was subjected to absolute harassment by the man who picked up the phone, who said he didn’t have to transport my guide dog,” Kuusisto said. “When I told him it was the law, believe it or not, he said, ‘Trump’s victory changes all that.’ He was nasty, brutish and shouting at me.”
People responded with absolute disgust. There were plenty of other people to call for a ride
This incident holds relevance following the recent presidential election of Donald Trump. The presidentelect’s campaign has not touched heavily on public concerns about disability accommodations. During the election season, Trump was criticized for seemingly mocking a reporter with a congenital joint condition, imitating the limited movement in his arms. “I merely mimicked what I thought would be a f lustered
business education. Students within MSCM will also take an action-based learning course, the Supply Chain Consulting Studio, to gain real-world experience in a corporate environment. The new MSCM now includes a corporate advisory council — a group comprised of industry leaders to serve as advisers, mentors and partners to MSCM
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
Year
Source: United States Department of Labor
TAXI From Page 1A
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
of these jobs, you come in at a little bit higher rate.” Engineering sophomore Jason Wozniak works as an entrance monitor at the Michigan Union, and agreed with Kurtz’s assessment. Wozniak did not foresee any incremental increase impacting his long-term income, as he does not expect to work many minimum wage jobs in the future. “I’m no expert in economics, but I don’t see this affecting me in the immediate future since I already make above $8.90/hour,” he said.
2001
1
2000
set at, CNN reported. Minimum wage in 18 other states also rose on Jan. 1, 2017, according to the Wall Street Journal. Students employed through the University of Michigan generally make above the state minimum wage. Many jobs such as University dining hall positions, pay students hourly starting wages of $9.40 to $13.40. LSA freshman Kelly Wester predicted the increase would benefit students already saddled with fees. “Most of my things went towards things I needed for school, so any increase in wages would’ve definitely helped me out,” she said. “It may seem small but I think the cumulative impact of a minimum wage increase can make a huge difference in the life of a worker.” According to the Student Employment Office database, there were 3,151 University and non-University job openings for students as of Wednesday evening. Furthermore, as of November 2016, Ann Arbor has a 3 percent unemployment rate, below Michigan’s 4.9 percent rate. The wage curve theory suggests that because of this surplus of jobs and low unemployment, wages in Ann Arbor tend to be higher. Many non-University employers in Ann Arbor like Starbucks Coffee also offer pay above the minimum wage. Eric Kurtz, a supervisor at the
Starbucks in the Ross School of Business, said student workers at the chain would most likely not be affected by the minimum wage increase. “(The minimum wage increase) is not going to be that big of an impact, because a lot of our students get hired in at around the $9.50- to $10-an-hour rate anyways,” Kurtz said. “When you have to talk to the public as much and be as skilled as you do at some
Wage (USD)
WAGE From Page 1A
Thursday, January 5, 2017 — 3
reporter trying to get out of a statement he made long ago,” Trump later said in a statement, adding that he had “tremendous respect for people who are physically challenged.” Ari Ne’eman, president of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, said in an article on Disability Scoop disability issues have generally remained a bipartisan issue in the past, with advocates working together to keep special education and other programs in place. “One of the challenges here is that the (Trump) campaign was not very specific about disability policy plans, and those areas that they were specific about concern us,” Ne’eman said. Reactions on Yelp and Facebook supported Kuusisto following the incident. As of Wednesday, the Ann Arbor Metro Airport Shuttle has one star on Yelp. “NEVER USE THESE BIGOTS! This company denied service to a nationally respected professor because he is disabled and has a guide dog,” one user from New York wrote on the page. “The operator spouted some nonsense about how being a Trump supporter allows him to discriminate against disabled people.” Kuusisto said overall there was outrage toward the events he wrote about. “People responded with absolute disgust,” Kuusisto said. “There were plenty of other people to call for a ride. The head of the University Library, Charles Watkinson, came and picked me up. And then when I had to go home, they arranged a car service.” Kuusisto said he would have looked the other way had the driver told him he didn’t take dogs and hung up. Instead, he said it was more unsettling than that, because the driver told him he “did not care” about his rights and would not give him an alternative means to campus. “This got out of control,” Kuusisto said. “He was rude to me and discriminatory. This is not normal by any means. It was just an unusual incident.” The owner of the taxi service, who asked to remain anonymous for this article, said he regrets the incident and is sympathetic toward those with disabilities, stating he has served blind people in the past. The only difference, he said, is that this was his first
faculty and students. Massachusetts Institute of Technology currently has the top-ranked MSCM program, according to U.S. News and World Report. Similar to the University’s program, MIT’s MSCM is a 10-month program entirely on MIT’s campus. Different from the University’s program, though, MIT’s
encounter of serving a blind person with a guide dog. “I have respect for everyone,” the owner said. “But I do have allergies. Honest to goodness I
One of the challenges here is that the (Trump) campaign was not very specific about disability policy plans was worried about having the dog. I have to take care of my car; it’s how I run my business. This was a big lesson for me, though, and in the future, I’m going to keep taking care of everyone.” Since the story went viral, the owner said he has been receiving messages from reporters and people online calling him “deplorable,” an insult made towards Trump supporteres following a Sept. 9 speech by Hillary Clinton wherein the Democratic candidate referred to “half” of Trump’s supporters as such. The owner said this, along with the reviews on Yelp, does not accurately ref lect what happened. “This is a sensitive issue to me,” the owner said. “This was the first time in my life I’ve been in this situation. I totally regret the incident. I made a mistake, but I’m not a bad person and this had nothing to do with politics. If given the chance, I would do it over again.” Kuusisto said in his blog post the owner said he didn’t want dogs because they are “dirty.” The owner denied this, though, and said the reason for his apprehension was due to his allergies. The owner said though he didn’t offer an alternative means for Kuusisto to get to campus, he tried following up to offer him a ride in a voicemail. “He changed some of the words,” the owner said. “I did offer him a ride after he called, and left him a voicemail. Jack Bernard, chair of the University Council for Disability Concerns, said though discrimination of
program incorporates a month abroad for real-world experience rather than something like the Business School’s action-based learning course. Bill Hall, a Libertarian on the State Board of Education who is the head of sustainability at FiatChrysler Automobiles, said in the press release he was excited to provide career guidance and
any kind is unacceptable, the amount of support Kuusisto received at the University event he attended was uplifting. “Of course, it was unsettling for Professor Kuusisto and it is never good for anyone to intentionally discriminate against someone because she or he has a disability,” Bernard said. “The response to this incident was an abundant outpouring of support for Professor Kuusisto. Individuals in the community offered him airport-to-hotel ride service, others sent notes, still others discussed the matter on social media.” Since the incident, the taxi service has altered its website, with a heading on its website stating: “We’re prompt 100% committed professionals and are proud to serve and respect our veteran clients and clients with disabilities.” Regardless of the gesture, Kuusisto said, he has filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Despite the situation, Kuusisto remarked on the positive response and
I totally regret the incident. I made a mistake, but I’m not a bad person and this had nothing to do with politics
welcome he received from the University community during his visit. “I certainly didn’t feel unsupported,” Kuusisto said. Bernard added, though, the University is taking no specific action other than removing the taxi company from the list of services. He said the best ways to resolve situations like this is to be more welcoming and equitable to those with disabilities. “What we saw here was diversity, equity and inclusion operating as it should — where individuals in the community work as individuals and as part of groups to respond to make the campus a more inviting place,” Bernard said.
connections to the program’s students. “The restructured Ross MSCM Program, fueled by its progressive curriculum, highimpact, action-based learning module and close collaboration with the corporate sector, is destined to accelerate its production of elite supply chain innovators,” he said.
Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4 — Thursday, January 5, 2017
LAUREN SCHANDEVEL | COLUMN
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com
ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY
EMMA KINERY Editor in Chief
REBECCA LERNER Managing Editor
and REBECCA TARNOPOL Editorial Page Editors
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Carolyn Ayaub Caitlin Heenan Jeremy Kaplan Max Lubell Alexis Megdanoff
Madeline Nowicki Anna Polumbo-Levy Jason Rowland Ali Safawi Kevin Sweitzer
Rebecca Tarnopol Ashley Tjhung Stephanie Trierweiler
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
COREY DULIN | COLUMN
“Give Donald Trump a chance” COREY DULIN
T
o the man who told me to give Donald Trump a chance: Well hi, how are you? I hope you are having a nice time ice skating with your granddaughter — my friend and I were until you reminded us of what the majority of Americans think is the country’s latest blunder. It’s funny that you picked us out to talk about this. What gave us away? I know we fit the demographics of Hillary Clinton supporters: We are both college-aged women and I’m Black, but we left our “Stronger Together” signs at home. You got us, as much as I tried to tone down my liberalism to keep everyone in the suburbs of Michigan calm, you saw right through me. You seem like a nice person and I appreciate your openness, politeness and maturity when discussing Donald Trump’s win. I am not taking it as well as you are. You are happy but I am left in a numb and groggy state similar to when I got my tonsils removed. I am surprised that Trump won the election, but I am mainly disappointed. “Really,” I think to myself on a daily basis, “people really chose him?” Obviously, it is not fair to demonize Trump supporters. Just because he was endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan doesn’t mean all of his supporters are racist. He makes statements that condone sexual assault, but not all his supporters agree with these remarks. When people decide to vote for a candidate, they make that decision based on many different reasons. The importance of the economy, national security and other issues caused Trump voters to overlook his inflammatory remarks. While racism and sexism are issues some people may be
able to compromise on, for me they are not. This is probably because I am a Black woman, but you do not have to be a minority or a woman to realize that these issues are serious and not something to just write off. You may not think about these matters as much as I do, but if you are at all aware of the United States’ history and legacy of racism and sexism you would pay attention to them. If a candidate constantly criticizes women in a way that reduces them to their appearance, that is a major problem. If a grown man claims that a president’s birth certificate is not valid because he looks different and has an uncommon name, that is ridiculous. Expecting a president not to be racist or sexist should not be too much to ask. You need to explain how you reconcile voting for Trump, a man who clearly disrespects women, with having a granddaughter. Did you think about how your granddaughter would feel if Trump treated her the way he treats Megyn Kelly or Rosie O’Donnell? Were you aware of the sexual assault allegations directed at him and did you hear what he called “locker room talk?” While voters expect presidential candidates to be critical of their opponents’ experience and ideas, it is not OK to lob insults like “nasty woman” at them. Even if you don’t identify as a feminist, I think that we can both agree no woman should be reduced to something that Trump, or anyone, can grab and insult as he has bragged about doing. You also told me to give people like you a chance, but I think you need to be more concerned about whether or not the man you elected is willing to do that. Entrusting the task of bringing jobs back to America to a man who uses
overseas manufacturers seems counterintuitive. The same businessman who criticizes China’s trade policies and says that they hurt U.S. businesses has his clothing manufactured there. Doesn’t this contribute to the problem? You may have been one of the voters stressing the need for a relatable “Washington outsider” — but Trump does not seem to be the best fit for this idea. He’s a billionaire — not exactly your average Joe. Technically, he is a “Washington outsider” in the sense that he has never held public office. That does not mean he can relate to most Americans or will be able to implement policies that benefit the majority of Americans. Trump was born wealthy; he has lived in an ivory tower for all his life and hasn’t taken much interest in the lives of others until recently. The man you elected is hilariously unqualified to be president. Honestly, why would you give the presidency to someone with absolutely no experience? By that logic, if I need surgery I should just overlook all the surgeons with years of experience and ask a random rich guy to carry out the operation. I feel as though I have no choice but to give Donald Trump a chance since he won the election. I cannot scream “I object” while he takes the oath of office and expect that to stop anything. But I also cannot look at his presidency with an open mind when his statements and actions show that he is a self-serving, racist and sexist man. Telling me to give him a chance is like telling me “don’t knock it until you try it” about something that I know I detest.
JOE IOVINO | CONTACT CARTOONIST ATJIOVINO@UMICH.EDU
“Happy New Year”
Corey Dulin can be reached at cydulin@umich.edu.
S
Lessons in communication
ometimes, after spending Quick disclaimer: It’s always months at a time nestled a good rule of thumb to avoid in the liberal enclave of talking politics with someone who Ann Arbor, I forget that my is steadily drilling a needle into hometown is representative of your skin — just as you would with, a demographic that dismisses say, a hairdresser or your distant my political relatives. But this views as complete time, the conversation garbage. Moreover, seemed inevitable and if I had bothered to a little urgent. interact with that I winced as he demographic at sterilized his tools and all — I mean really arranged the ink in tapped into their front of him. economic anxieties “I’m not a fan,” I and understood said. their desire for He went to work, LAUREN dramatic political both of us speaking change — I probably SCHANDEVEL over the buzz of the would have seen the needle at this point. events of 2016 coming from a I glanced down to make sure mile away. But I didn’t, so it he wasn’t drawing a penis or was just as much of a surprise writing “capitalism rulezzz” on to me as it was to everyone else. my arm or something. We were I came to this realization the all good. other day, after being tattooed “Did you vote for Hillary, then?” by a Trump supporter. he asked, tracing the outline of the Our conversation began the design above my elbow. second I swung my legs onto “Yeah,” I replied. his massive leather chair. He “She’s so corrupt, though.” asked where I had gotten my “She wasn’t perfect.” other tattoos done, and I told No use in poking the bear. him that I had gone to a few Onward. shops around town and one in Our discussion lasted, in Ann Arbor, to which he replied, total, about half an hour. “That’s pretty far.” It moved from our favorite We were in Center Line, presidents (his was Reagan, about 45 minutes from campus. mine was FDR), to socialism It was familiar territory — a (“I’ve never seen a socialist sister city of my hometown. country thrive like America I explained that I live and go has”), to Steve Bannon (“Yeah, to school in Ann Arbor, which that pick threw me for a loop.”) prompted him to ask my major I explained that you can love (political science), and my your country and still work career goals (“Do you want to diligently to improve it. He didn’t be a politician or something?” buy it. “Fuck no, I don’t.”) He explained that the It was a natural progression billionaires in Trump’s cabinet from there, so eager to jump off became so wealthy because they the tips of our tongues as it has were experts in their field. I didn’t been for everyone for the last buy it. month: By the time he had finished, “What do you think of neither of us had convinced the Trump?” other of anything.
We exchanged pleasantries, and that was that. I toggled with the message of this column for a while, spending some hasty paragraphs marveling at the humanity of the average Trump supporter. In the end, it felt too contrived. The notion that Trump supporters are people is not a breakthrough discovery, after all. There is something to be said about the qualities that drew people to Donald Trump — the anti-establishment rhetoric, the businessman mentality, the crudeness that is so often mistaken for honesty. I could spend pages speculating about what these people thought the president-elect would do for them, how he would help. But this isn’t a think piece, and if I’m being honest with myself, my geographic proximity to workingclass Trump supporters doesn’t make me an expert. In fact, after spending years putting distance between myself and them, and having so fundamentally diverged in our ideologies, I can hardly claim to share their experiences anymore. “OK, go look in the mirror,” he finally ordered, wiping the blood and ink away with a cloth. I crossed the room to admire his work. “You think you’ll come back here for your next tattoo?” I nodded and handed him a tip as he wrapped my arm in plastic. “Who knows,” he called as I turned to leave, “Trump’s so unpredictable, he could be the best president we’ve ever had or the worst.” “I guess we’ll discuss it next time,” I replied. Lauren Schandevel can be reached at schandla@umich.edu.
ORGANIZATIONAL AND COMMUNITY MULTICULTURAL PRAXIS LAB | OP-ED
T
Consistent inclusivity needed
he recent election of Donald Trump as president-elect of the United States has re-opened a discourse on the state of race and racism in our country. Instances of police brutality continue to dominate television headlines, online news outlets and social media feeds. This fall, racist messages appeared on the campuses of Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan. And, very specific to the experiences of Latina/o individuals, our president-elect has vowed to deport millions of undocumented people and build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border — plans that don’t seem all that outrageous considering the 2012 Arizona v. United States ruling that allowed for racial profiling and plans that have prompted concerned students to urge the University to declare itself a “sanctuary campus.” The University, and the state of Michigan as a whole, has a predominantly Black-white narrative when it comes to race. However, Latina/o communities have grown at the University since the late 20th century. Though the Latina/o student population at the University of Michigan has increased over the past 20 years, it still rests at just more than 5 percent. As this population continues to grow — both at the University and across the country — we need to broaden our conversations about race and campus climate to include a more diverse group of people. Qualitative data from the 2014 Latina/o Campus Climate Survey revealed that a majority of Latina/o University students experience racism on our campus. In fact, 59.3 percent of Latina/o respondents reported negative experiences based on their identity. One student wrote: “The hostility and unwelcoming behaviors I experienced is something I do not wish upon anyone. It is already hard enough having moved away from home, and when all I wanted to do is make friends and meet people, these experiences are among those that made me question whether I will ever fit in.” Latina/o respondents said they most commonly experienced microaggressions, followed by
racism and isolation. Thirty-one percent of all those surveyed felt these negative experiences had affected their ability to continue in their academic program. Seven percent explicitly stated having had serious thoughts about terminating their studies. Importantly, students reported negative comments and experiences from faculty, staff and other students. If the University wants to improve the campus climate for Latina/o students, the administration should commit to making some serious changes. Perhaps some of the issues experienced by Latina/o students at the University would be resolved if the number of Latina/o students, faculty and staff were to increase. Unfortunately, due to the 2003 Supreme Court case Gratz v. Bollinger, the University is prohibited from using affirmative action in its admissions decisions. Even so, there are alternative mechanisms that the University could use to improve the campus climate for Latina/o students and other students of color. At St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, for example, students, faculty and staff are encouraged to take advantage of diversity training opportunities on campus. Although the University has a number of student groups available for Latina/o students, the 2014 study suggested that many students were not aware of these groups or the events they put on. Visibility for these groups may create more feelings of inclusion on campus. Through access to student demographic information from the Office of Admissions, the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives and Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs are at a strategic position to assist incoming Hispanic students and the various student groups by channeling information on organizations, events and programs during orientation events, to faculty advisers and to students directly. The University could also take steps to improve its accessibility for Latina/o students. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, students with
a family income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line are guaranteed enough scholarships and grants (possibly supplemented by work-study) that they are able to graduate from college debt-free. By adopting a tuition structure of this nature, the University would likely attract and retain a more diverse student population. Further, the University has extended in-state tuition benefits to undocumented undergraduate students. Extending these tuition benefits to all undocumented graduate students would help to ease the financial burden experienced by some Latina/o graduate students. We are at (another) pivotal moment in the University’s history. Twenty-seven years ago, a strategic initiative called The Michigan Mandate (brought about by heightened racial tension and student protests sparked by hate crimes including racist fliers posted around campus) attempted to recruit and support a more diverse student body, faculty and staff. Since then, Supreme Court cases like Gratz v. Bollinger have detracted from improvements brought about by The Michigan Mandate and made race-targeted admissions practices illegal in the state. At the same time, Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin affirms the fact that striving for a diverse student body and seeking the educational benefits associated with that diversity should remain a priority in our country. Last fall, under University President Mark Schlissel, a new strategic initiative was launched. While this initiative incorporates some of the suggestions from other universities, uncertainty remains. Will it be effective? Is another strategic initiative what we need, or is it a Band-Aid that will fall off in another 20 years?
Full list of contributors at
michigandaily.com
Organizational and Community Multicultural Praxis Lab
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, January 5, 2017 — 5A
Wolverines capture first B1G victory against Penn State Michigan comes back, hangs on late against Nittany Lions to give John Beilein his 200th career win with the program BETELHEM ASHAME Managing Sports Editor
Redshirt sophomore forward DJ Wilson spent what seemed like an eternity suspended in mid-air, but PENN STATE 69 when he MICHIGAN 72 came down to earth, he had an alley-oop pass from senior guard Derrick Walton Jr. in his hands. Slamming it home with authority, Wilson gave the Wolverines a 61-60 lead with just under three and a half minutes left on the clock and sent the Crisler Center crowd into a frenzy. Wilson’s dunk put an exclamation mark at the end of the Michigan men’s basketball team’s 20-6 run, in which the Wolverines roared all the way back from a 13-point deficit to take their first lead since the 16-minute mark of the first half. “As a point guard, I remember a lot of plays, and that one I think was probably the most ecstatic Crisler has gotten for us,” Walton said. “It was such a big play because of the way it happened and the run we (were) on.” A chaotic end-of-game sequence ensued, but with clutch performances from Walton and fellow senior captain Zak Irvin, Michigan managed to hold on to beat Penn State, 72-69, for its first Big Ten win of the season. In the remaining three minutes, the Wolverines (1-1 Big Ten, 10-4 overall) kept trying to put the game away, but the Nittany Lions wouldn’t go down with a fight. Irvin hit two tough jump shots and Walton knocked down both of his free throws, but Penn State (1-2, 9-7) answered back with a trey
to close the lead to two with 46 seconds left on the clock. Walton responded with two more free throws, but another Nittany Lion three made it a one-point game with just five seconds left. Irvin finally sealed the deal with two more free throws to give Michigan its winning score of 72-69, as Penn State’s half-court buzzer-beater attempt fell short. “Our seniors, who were not on their ‘A’ game, were certainly nothing short of spectacular in those last five minutes,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “They made the foul shots, they made the big plays, they threw the (alley-oop), they did a lot of great things.” The Wolverines fell behind early in the contest, struggling to generate an offensive push throughout the first half. They shot just 42.3 percent from the floor and went 1-for-9 from 3-point range. Outside of Wilson and sophomore forward Moritz Wagner, who scored eight and seven points, respectively, in the first half, Michigan looked lost on the offensive side of the ball. Michigan continuously settled for forced shot after forced shot, leaving coach John Beilein visibly frustrated on the sideline. The lack of movement around the perimeter and the lack of penetration by the ball handlers cost the Wolverines multiple opportunities to develop any sort of rhythm. Those struggles were only amplified at the other end of the court, as Penn State had its way in the paint. The Nittany Lions — particularly forward Lamar Stevens, who had 13 points in the first half alone — sliced through Michigan’s defense at will. The Wolverines missed
EVAN AARON/Daily
Michigan coach John Beilein earned his 200th win at the helm of the program, as the Wolverines defeated Penn State at Crisler Center on Wednesday night.
several defensive assignments, giving Penn State a number of clear looks at the basket. “They drove us where they wanted to in the first half, and we let them,” Beilein said. “We were not physical defensively at all in the first half. Our starting five is not a physical team defensively. We must become that. … That’s the only way you’re gonna survive at this level.” The Nittany Lions took a 36-29 lead into the locker room at the half, but it could have been much worse for Michigan had it not been for Penn State’s seven turnovers — off of which
the Wolverines scored eight points. Michigan made multiple attempts to put itself back into the game in the second half, with Wagner acting as the main catalyst of the comeback effort. In rapid succession, the sophomore made a tough layup, forced an over-and-back violation, and knocked down a 3-pointer to shrink Penn State’s lead to just two with 17:42 left in the frame. But the Nittany Lions answered right back, as forward Mike Watson imposed his will in the paint while catalyzing the offense on the perimeter. His
teammates reaped the benefits, sinking three straight 3-pointers to open up a 14-point lead. When it looked as though hope might be lost, with some Michigan fans beginning to head toward the exits, redshirt junior guard Duncan Robinson emerged with five straight points, including one of his trademark 3-pointers, to reduce the lead to eight. “Duncan got a quick five, and it was down to eight,” Irvin said. “... It changed the whole game. All the momentum swung our way and at that point, we really just took off with the game.” That 20-6 run, from the 11:22
minute mark to the 3:28 minute mark — which Robinson ignited and Wilson emphatically ended — made all the difference in a game the Wolverines could easily have lost. Instead, they found a way to win, and to top it all off, they gave Beilein the 200th victory of his Michigan career. “We just thanked him and he thanked us,” Walton said. “We’ve won a lot of games together, and we’re just proud of him, happy for him. He’s a great coach, future Hall of Famer in my opinion, and he deserves every bit of it. He’s worked really hard to get where he is.”
Michigan seniors step up in crunch time Thome serves as sign Irvin, Walton combine for 22 points, eight rebounds, six assists in second half WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MINH DOAN
Daily Sports Editor
At the under-12 minute media timeout during the second half, the Michigan men’s basketball team found itself down 12 with a Penn State one-and-one free throw opportunity coming. The Wolverines huddled around senior wing Zak Irvin, who repeated over and over that Michigan wasn’t going to fall short and drop to 0-2 in the Big Ten. “Our emotional leaders said we’re not going to lose this game,” said redshirt sophomore forward DJ Wilson. “(Michigan) coach (John Beilein) drew up some great plays for Duncan (Robinson) and he knocked them down. … From there on out, we had all of the momentum.” Beilein then intervened in the timeout before play resumed and drew up a play to get his 3-point specialist Robinson open.
The Wolverines (1-1 Big Ten, 10-4 overall) ran the play on the ensuing possession, getting Robinson open for an open jump shot. Michigan quickly got the ball back the following play and found Robinson open again behind the arc. Robinson hit the shot to close the deficit to seven as the Wolverines came roaring back to win, 72-69, against the Nittany Lions (1-2, 9-7) at Crisler Center on Wednesday night. “The team really looks for the seniors, especially Derrick (Walton Jr.) and myself, especially during those moments,” Irvin said. “I knew something needed to be said to be able to motivate our guys and light the fire under us. I’m happy it worked.”
Added Beilein: “I didn’t have to say anything. The (players) were all charged up and extremely upset with each other. I didn’t have to say a whole lot … and the rest took care of itself. We needed that.” As Wilson mentioned, it was the seniors who led the huddle during the under-12 timeout. But they also led out on the court with their play. Besides an alley-oop dunk from Wilson that was assisted by Walton, the upperclassmen trio of Wilson, Walton and Robinson scored the majority of Michigan’s points in the final 12 minutes. The two seniors — Walton and Irvin — especially, were key to the Wolverines’ victory down the stretch. “Our seniors, who were not
“They’re our leaders vocally, and they lead by example.”
EVAN AARON/Daily
Senior wing Zak Irvin scored 14 points and tallied four rebounds in Michigan’s win against Penn State on Wednesday.
on their ‘A’ game, were certainly nothing short of spectacular in those last five minutes, ” Beilein said. “They made the foul shots, they made plays, they threw the (alley-oop). They did a lot of great things and committed to their defense.” After putting up a combined stat line of six points, two boards and no assists in the first half, the duo changed course, finishing the second half with a combined 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. “We knew we had to make adjustments (at half ),” Irvin said. It was a similar performance to Michigan’s last game against Iowa on New Year’s Day, when the Wolverines lost an 86-83 heartbreaker in overtime. In Iowa City, the duo also combined for 22 points in the second half and overtime after Walton mustered just three points in the first half. Irvin didn’t fare much better against the Hawkeyes, as he was held scoreless in the first frame. But Wednesday, while the trend was the same, the result was different — the Wolverines escaped with a victory on the back of timely shooting from their most experienced players. It’s an encouraging sign from a team that seemingly plays better when its emotional leaders shoot well. “It’s everything (when the seniors are playing well),” Wilson said. “It’s big time. They’re our leaders vocally, and they lead by example. So when we see them getting it going at the end like they did at the end of the second half, it changes everything.” The question now is if the seniors can string together a complete game — something they proved they could do in New York City — on a consistent basis. If they can, Thursday night showed Michigan has a favorable Big Ten slate ahead of it.
of Michigan’s identity ETHAN WOLFE Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan women’s basketball team is familiar with the added intensity of Big Ten basketball. After a solid 9-3 start to nonconference play in the 2015-16 season, the Wolverines faltered, going just 8-10 against conference foes and narrowly missing the NCAA Tournament. This year, Michigan had another hot start. It went 11-3 in non-conference play this season and hopes to improve upon its Big Ten record from a year prior. It already has two double-digit wins against conference basement dwellers Rutgers and Wisconsin. But upcoming games against top-25 teams like Maryland and Ohio State may paint a clearer picture of the kind of team that the Wolverines really are. But sophomore center Hallie Thome’s promising play in her first two Big Ten games this season revealed two completely different styles of play that Michigan can execute at a high level. Against the Scarlet Knights, Thome was quiet but efficient. The 6-foot-5 center posted 10 points and five rebounds, with most of the offensive damage coming from the long-range shooting of freshman guard Kysre Gondrezick and junior guard Katelynn Flaherty. It wasn’t the most noteworthy outing for Thome, but just four days later, she flipped the script. Thome had a career game against the Badgers on New Year’s Day, registering 37 points on 13-for-15 shooting and 14 boards as Michigan cruised to an easy win. Even though Wisconsin had the height to match Thome — with five players over 6-foot-2 — she still managed to have her way down low and tally over half of the Wolverines’ 73 points. Her dominance also improved her season totals to 14.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and earned Thome her first career Big
Ten Player of the Week honor. “(Thome) ran the floor extremely well in transition,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “She has such great hands and such great touch around the basket. She hadn’t had a game like that yet this season (or even) in her career. ... She was an incredible player.” This Michigan team is known for its outside shooting. It is seventh in the country in 3-point field goal percentage (40.5) and has three effective scoring guards in its starting lineup. But Thome’s timely performance revealed that the Wolverines have the capability to be not just a threat beyond the arc, but all over the court. According to Barnes Arico, her team’s offensive efficiency and Thome’s outburst can be attributed to putting Gondrezick in the lineup, who has been able to spread the floor and prevent double teams on often-targeted players like Flaherty and Thome. Thome’s offensive onslaught also provided assurance that Michigan’s depth could rival more competitive teams. Even with four players in foul trouble — including Thome — going into halftime against the Badgers, the Wolverines still found a way to make adjustments and score 73 points. “The third quarter seems to be our quarter this year,” Barnes Arico said. “In both league games so far, we’ve been able to adjust. It’s taken a little bit of time, but in the third quarter we’ve been able to take advantage of opponents.” Sixteen games into the season, and with one of its best starts in program history, it seems that Michigan is finally starting to form its identity. And to the misfortune of opposing teams, that identity is rooted in its circumstantial malleability — Michigan is able to modify its play to match the conditions of a game. But the question that remains to be answered is if it can do it right after tipoff, before its tougher conference games get out of hand.
Sports
6A — Thursday, January 5, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
After midseason wake-up call, Kile finally Michigan dominates at increasing his production for the Wolverines Orange Bowl Classic WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
ORION SANG
Daily Sports Editor
It had been an ignominious period for the Michigan hockey team. After taking an early lead in the first period, the Wolverines allowed Wisconsin to score five goals in the second to take a commanding 6-3 lead. Michigan was on the ropes, desperate for a solution to the Badgers’ onslaught. They wouldn’t find one from senior forward Alex Kile. Kile checked a Wisconsin player from behind as the second period came to a close, earning him a game misconduct while forcing his team to kill a five-minute power play. “I knew he was frustrated, but he’s just got to contain that,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “It wasn’t a vicious hit. In fact, it didn’t even have to be called a penalty. But it just looked bad for your leading scorer to put your team in that situation, and I told Alex, ‘That’s part of your learning process ... self-control and understanding (you’ve) been through this before and (you’re) not going to let (yourself) get caught up in it.’ ” Added Kile: “(Berenson) was pretty mad at me, and he let me know about it. I’m always a player that responds positively to a negative situation. (Berenson’s) gotten on me in the past, and I feel like the next game I’ve always been a pretty good player. … It’s okay if he yells at me, because he knows I can take it, and I feel like I respond well to those kind of things.” The misconduct penalty was perhaps the low point of what had been a long season up until that point for Kile, who came into the year carrying the burden of being both the team’s leading returning scorer and one of its captains. Both were roles Kile had anticipated taking on as soon as several of his former teammates announced they would be leaving early for the NHL. Over
the offseason, he worked on becoming a more vocal leader — Kile previously described himself as being a more quiet kid in the locker room — while also training extensively to increase his stamina. By the time the season rolled around, Berenson noticed the senior’s offseason effort, going on the record multiple times to praise Kile. It was especially gratifying for him to hear Berenson’s comments after he had worked to steadily improve each season since arriving in Ann Arbor. “I came in as a freshman and didn’t really play that much,” Kile said. “I’ve proved myself ever since the beginning of sophomore year, so it’s definitely something that I’ve earned but it’s something that I’m not taking for granted. For someone like Red to give you compliments like that, it means a lot just being who he is.” Despite all the preparation and praise, though, Kile — and the rest of his team — limped out the gate. He struggled to turn strong play into production, going on four and seven-game goal droughts, all while his team stumbled to a 7-8-1 start through the first half of the season. “(Kile) really felt that this was not necessarily his team, but this was his time,” Berenson said. “He’d been part of a high-scoring machine last year, but when we lost all of those guys, now he looks around and it’s just him. He embraced that. “I can’t tell you it’s gone smooth for him — I think it’s been a challenge. Maybe he hasn’t had the supporting cast. He was playing with two freshmen for the first number of games, and playing pretty well but not playing as consistently and productively as he would like, or that I would like.” Kile reminisced about playing on the same line last season with two seniors in Boo Nieves and Justin Selman, who he called
The sixth-ranked Wolverines won all 12
events, setting records in nine of them KATIE CONKLIN Daily Sports Writer
EVAN AARON/Daily
Senior forward Alex Kile has scored three goals in his previous three games.
“proven” and “mature” players. Kile believed the trio had a natural swagger that made it easy for them to score, whereas this year, he thinks the entire team is having trouble finding that same type of confidence — thus struggling to produce. Meanwhile, Berenson felt that Kile, burdened by high expectations, was pressing too much on the ice and becoming frustrated — something which only compounded the issue, occasionally leading to bad penalties like the misconduct against Wisconsin. Though his penalty hurt the team in the short term, it may end up helping Michigan in the long run. Kile referred to it as a “wake-up call,” especially after his conversation with Red. That has certainly been reflected in his play in the three games since: after tallying just two goals in his first 14 games played, Kile now has three in as many games, scoring once against Wisconsin and twice against Michigan State in the Great Lakes Invitational. The recent uptick
has coincided with the return of sophomore forward Cooper Marody from a suspension — Marody has played on the first line with Kile for the past two games and assisted on both of Kile’s goals against the Spartans. “It’s obviously not the first half of the season I wanted or our team wanted — I think every individual on our team can say that,” Kile said. “I just feel like with (Marody) back, it’s a clean slate. He’s a player that I wanted to play with at the beginning of the year and then he (was) ineligible. We aspire to do big things — we talk about it all the time — and I think we are going to be two of the better players in the Big Ten in the second half of the season.” Added Berenson: “We put (Marody) and (Kile) together, and I think they’re going to get something going here. It was good to see (Kile) get a couple against Michigan State. In the meantime, he’s playing hard and he hasn’t lost a beat. I don’t think he’s got discouraged over all this. I think he just got more convinced that he’s gotta do it.”
It was New Year’s Eve, and the Michigan women’s swimming and diving team returned to the water. Only this time, the sixthranked Wolverines were on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico, ready to ring in 2017 with each other. Dipping and dodging stray sparks, Michigan enjoyed the holiday’s firework show and an evening off, all while knowing practice would be later the next morning. It was the team’s annual training trip to the Florida Keys, allowing the athletes to relax while continuing to prepare for arguably the most important leg of the season — three Big Ten dual meets, as well as the conference and NCAA Championships. The trip, Michigan coach Mike Bottom specified, was not only to improve in the water but also to bond and celebrate the Wolverines’ success in the classroom. To do so, Michigan took a break from its books and backstrokes for a beach day. Ironically, no swimming was involved — only wading and some minor splashing ensued. Most of the trip, though, was spent in the water practicing. With two available pools, the Wolverines had eight hours of available training facilities each day, typically clocking in two four-hour sessions. Though strenuous, Michigan quickly
reaped the benefits of the intensive training in the Orange Bowl Classic on Jan. 3 in Key Largo, Fla. at the culmination of the trip. “We broke the meet record in almost every event,” said senior Madison Horton. “It was awesome.” And it was not an exaggeration. The Wolverines came in first place among the six teams competing, winning all 12 events and setting meet records in nine of them. Four Michigan swimmers came out on top in multiple events, including sophomore Siobhán Haughey (100-meter freestyle, 200-meter IM), freshman Vanessa Krause (50-meter butterfly, 100meter butterfly) and juniors Clara Smiddy (50-meter backstroke, 100-meter backstroke) and Emily Kopas (50-meter breaststroke, 100-meter breaststroke). “That’s how they learn to be champions,” Bottom said. “They go into these opportunities to race, and they figure out how to get better.” And get better, they did. “It’s a team thing,” Bottom said. “They help each other and push each other as individuals. That’s why this team does so well, because they have bonded not only in the pool, but outside in the classroom and in the community. That’s what helps them to understand what being a champion is all about.”
“They help each other and push each other as individuals.”
Wolverines energized from annual trip to South Florida CHRISTIAN NEUBACHER Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan men’s swimming and diving team has spent the last week in Florida, training and preparing for the next stretch of its season. With important Big Ten meets against Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan State coming up in the next month, the trip to the Sunshine State was a worthwhile change for the 12th-ranked Wolverines. The trip, which is an annual tradition for both the men’s and women’s teams, provides them with the opportunity to split time between training and enjoying the break from school. Senior Jack Mangan emphasized that the team used the opportunity to energize and prepare for the upcoming season. “We’re excited,” Mangan said. “That was such a good block of training for everyone. You need guys who really believe in what they’re doing.” The team made sure to leave time to build chemistry on dry
land, outside of the many hours spent in the pool. Mangan — a two-time NCAA All-American and two-time Big Ten champion — emphasized that swimming is a tough sport, in which good team chemistry is integral to having a successful season. “The culture is moving in a positive direction,” Mangan said. “The trip was a great bonding experience.” The Wolverines are coming off a handful of solid performances during the fall. But their most recent outing was the Georgia Invitational in early December, where they finished sixth out of seven. Michigan coach Mike Bottom said the trip to Florida was a great opportunity to build on what had been working well during the fall, while also emphasizing the bonding aspect of the trip. “We had some great training sets,” he said. “We watched swimmers get better.” Michigan capped off its trip by taking part in the Orange Bowl Classic in Key Largo, Fla. on Jan. 3.
The Wolverines won the competition, championing 11 out of 12 individual races, with senior Vinny Tafuto and freshman Jacob Montague each winning two events. Tafuto won the 50-meter butterfly and 100-meter butterfly, with Montague winning the 50-meter breaststroke and the 100-meter breaststroke. Michigan finished first with 275 points, beating Texas A&M, George Mason and Middlebury. The Wolverines also won the two team relays during the tournament, finishing first in both the 200-meter medley and the 200-meter freestyle. Michigan’s solid performance at the tournament should give it good momentum and confidence heading into the next few months. Mangan said he and his fellow Wolverines were both excited and motivated from the trip to Florida. His message was simple: “We’re coming in with fire in our bellies and ready to fight for Michigan.”
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Michigan coach Mike Bottom’s team finished first at the Orange Bowl Classic in Key Largo, Fla. on Jan. 3.
B
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, January 5, 2017
T S E B THE
OF
2K16 Design by Ava Weiner
the b-side
2B — Thursday, January 5, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Best Student Productions of 2016 1. Peter and the Starcatcher
Michigan’s theatre department took on a new challenge this season with their performance of “Peter and the Starcatcher.” As the prequel to the famous story of “Peter Pan,” the Tony-award-winning play performed at the Power Center this past December. What made this show stand out among other SMTD performances was the unique adversity the theatre department faced, as a musical it is a departure from their typical lineup (other recent productions include “The Arabian Nights” and “Henry IV, Part I”). Yet, even with a small pit band, continuous musical scores and dance numbers, the theatre department did a fantastic job adapting to the musical performance style. This production involved cross
departmental collaboration, like merging lighting, props and costuming for certain scenes. The immense effort put into rehearsals was definitely shown in the performance as the cast and crew worked seamlessly in set changes and effects. “Peter and the Starcatcher” answered questions that I’ve had lingering since I was a child. However, it taught me more than just how Tinker Bell came to be. This show exemplified the concept of taking chances and constantly seeking something out of our comfort zone. It’s for that audacious kid that is still deep within all of us, itching to experience one more journey while we are still young. — ERIKA SHEVCHEK
2. The Drowsy Chaperone
Performed in the Lydia Mendelssohn theatre, SMTD’s musical theatre department did a wonderful job with their production of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” a hilarious and upbeat show set in the Roaring 20s. The story follows an old, lonely man as he shares a vinyl record of his favorite musical — also titled “The Drowsy Chaperone” — with the audience and watches it come to life in his apartment. The cast
4. Midnight Book Club
and crew did an impeccable job with all aspects of the show, including elaborate sets and costumes, comedic timing and vocal harmonies. The show kicked off the musical theatre season wonderfully. A perfect mix of funny, lighthearted, sentimental and deep, it was the perfect show to lighten the mood. It will be worth watching what the musical theatre department presents this term. — ELI RALLO Add one cup of laughter, a pinch of funny people, three tablespoons of hilarity and what do you get? A recipe for fun and Midnight Book Club’s first show of the year. Midnight Book Club is one of the several improv troupes here on campus. They specialize in a specific type of improv called long form where the show is entirely
3. Roméo et Juliette
SMTD’s production of Roméo et Juliette was creative, entertaining and powerful. Staged in the 1950s, world-famous director Paul Curran aligned the story of “Roméo et Juliette” with the radicalism of the modern era. Through this decision, Curran brought out the intensity of how Romeo and Juliette’s environment effected their decisions. The University’s Opera Theatre students were made up on the spot and that scenes branch off of one another to continue jokes. The auditorium was buzzing with an air of contained excitement, and after watching this group, I can say I was certainly not disappointed. I was laughing out loud at all of the jokes made, and each member of the group was electric with energy and
truly impressive; the striking professionalism blew audiences away. The enthralling fight scenes and chemistry between the performers made for a convincing, incredible performance. With the relatable modern aspect of working through differences, combined with the modern setting, this production was unique and unforgettable. — ALLIE TAYLOR
humor. Midnight Book Club is a group you do not want to miss this semester. — ELLIS HYMAN
Best Films of 2016 1. “La La Land” We are lucky to have movies in our lives, and “La La Land” is living proof. It’s a classic in the making, thanks to the star power of the magnetic Emma Stone (“Birdman”), the almost superhumanly charismatic Ryan Gosling (“The Nice Guys”), and the deft directorial hand of Damien Chazelle. The characters sing and dance their way into our hearts as we are immersed in a beautiful cinematic world of primary colors, music, art, dreams, fears and love — so much love. In a year filled with cynicism, anger and so many mediocre and instant-
ly forgettable movies, “La La Land” is a breath of fresh air. It does exactly what a good story is supposed to do by carrying audiences on a complete emotional journey, one devoid of any trickery, manipulation or shortcuts. “La La Land” is sincere in a way that wasn’t supposed to be possible anymore. But it is possible. Thank you, “La La Land.” You shine so very brightly. — ASIF BECHER
4. “Arrival” “Arrival” is surely the best science fiction movie of 2016. In a sort of linguistic mystery, Amy Adams (“Nocturnal Animals”) and Jeremy Renner (“American Hustle”) must decipher the language of the “heptapod” aliens whom have landed their 12 ships across the Earth and discover their purpose on our planet. Both actors deliver engaging performances that are highlights of the film. “Arrival” is not only visually entertaining in the way that
any good science fiction movie should be, but thought-provoking as well. After watching the movie, one can’t help but discuss the logic of the film with others, and its commentary on the role of language, politics and human society. — JOSEPH WAGNER
Best New Directors of 2016 3. Daniels (Scheinert, Kwan) Daniel Radcliffe’s performance in “Swiss Army Man” might have been one of the best of 2016, but there are two other Daniels who deserve even more of the credit for this bizarre masterpiece: Daniel Scheinert and Dan Kwan, the collective “Daniels” who directed and wrote the film. After establishing themselves with a number of short films and music videos (like that famously weird video for “Turn Down for What”), the Daniels really made a name for themselves this year with their
feature film debut, a gloriously indescribable fantasy-comedydrama … or something. “Swiss Army Man” feels so much like it comes from such a singular mind that it’s initially surprising to learn it was borne from collaboration. With any luck, the Daniels will be around for a long time, filling the coming years with movies at once hilarious and deeply moving. — BEN ROSENSTOCK
2. “Moonlight” Though it challenges prevailing conceptions of masculinity, sexuality, poverty and race, to describe “Moonlight” in terms of symbolism or theme would be to misunderstand its beauty. At its heart, “Moonlight” is simple: It’s a story about Chiron, a black boy coming of age in Miami. Told in three parts, each titled after one of Chiron’s nicknames, the camera moves fluidly with its characters to paint a searing portrait of their inner lives. We see Chiron meek and small, tormented by bullies and bashfully approaching his first homosexual encounter. We see him ashamed and worried about his drug-addicted mother (Naomie Harris, “Spectre”), finding a
father figure in Juan (Mahershala Ali, “House of Cards”), a crack dealer who cares for him in his own home. We see Chiron older, bigger, growing different, staying the same. It’s a refreshing and unflinching realism. There are no arcs of conclusion other than those initiated by the characters themselves. The social commentary comes not by way of agenda, but from the reality of life. Rather than create characters to be vehicles for universal themes, “Moonlight” eludes generalization, choosing instead to step into Chiron’s life and make all of its facets visible. — VANESSA WONG
5. “The Lobster” How does one describe the most idiosyncratic film of the year? “The Lobster” is what would happen if a bunch of aliens who had never been to Earth before made a documentary about modern human mating rituals. Dating, marriage and the single life are absolutely skewered by surrealist director Yorgos Lanthimos (“Dogtooth”), whose completely absurd sci-fi premise (if these singles can’t find a partner in
45 days, they’re to be surgically transformed into an animal of their choosing) only obscures the much darker true subject of the film — the bizarre hurdles our species jumps through to engage with love and sex. Colin Farrell (“In Bruges”) roots this brilliant satire in a fascinatingly dry performance that he isn’t receiving nearly enough awards attention for. — JACOB RICH
1. Kelly Fremon Craig As I get further away from it, I’m coming to respect “The Edge of Seventeen” more and more. It’s a thrilling return to form for that American staple — the coming-of-age teen comedy — and the woman behind the camera is a major talent to be heralded. “Seventeen” is better written than it is directed, but Kelly Fremon Craig knows the quality of the script she’s written. It’s spiky, full of edgy jokes and elegantly constructed scenes of dialogue; take, for example, any of the scenes between Nadine and Mr. Bruner (a testament to Craig’s direction that she was able to coax this hilarious of a performance out of Woody Harrelson (“True Detective”)). Her choices are also nuanced; she conveys a remarkable facil-
ity with the subtleties of her characters, and it’s a monumental achievement — on both her part and that of Hailee Steinfeld’s (“True Grit”) beautifully modulated performance — that Nadine is impressively irritating and heartbreakingly sympathetic in equal measure. Really, it’s Craig’s ability to legitimately achieve emotional poignancy that imbues her work with an uncommon sense of urgency. If Craig is the spiritual successor to John Hughes, then I’ll be unspeakably happy. And if she chooses any other direction, I’ll be just as excited; rarely are feature debuts more emotionally perceptive than this one, and rarely do they herald such a promising future. — NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT
4. Robert Eggers “The Witch” could be the most carefully made movie of the year. In preparation for filming, director Robert Eggers painstakingly researched and recreated a Puritan New England homestead using period-appropriate tools and materials. He could tell you the exact dimensions of the windows and how many candles you would need to light a room. All that research and precision (all five years of it) paid off for Eggers. “The Witch” is completely immersive. Eggers pulls his audience so deep into the world of the film that the horror unfolds in tiny moments all around
us. It’s claustrophobic — a difficult feeling to create at the edge of the colonized world. The family has all the space they need and yet Eggers makes it feel as if they are on top of each other, and we on top of them. Eggers is working in a very old, but cinematically overlooked corner of horror. He’s walking in the world of Edgar Allen Poe and Mary Shelley — heavy-velvet Gothic horror — and it’s wonderful. Eggers could be the director the genre needs to pull it back to its roots and propel it back to artistic relevance. — MADELEINE GAUDIN
3. “Manchester By The Sea” In the grand tradition of “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Manchester by the Sea” is arguably the hardest film of the year to get through, yet it is also one of the most rewarding. Anchored by titanic lead performances from Casey Affleck (“Ain’t Them Bodies Saint”) and Lucas Hedges (“Moonrise Kingdom”), the film is a mournful, achingly human study of grief and coping that is simultaneously funny, heartbreaking and poignant. Director Kenneth Lonergan (“You Can Count
on Me”) uses his newest movie to examine sorrow and life in a way that few do; there’s no classic climax here, no concrete resolution — there’s only two people desperately trying to navigate their rapidly changing circumstances, and the way Lonergan brings those characters and that struggle to life through flashbacks and humor reveals the director’s maturity and elevates “Manchester by the Sea” to masterpiece levels of filmmaking. — JEREMIAH VANDERHELM
6. “Sing Street” A high school boy becomes enamored with a girl and will do anything to win over her attraction. This plotline is just about as cliché as they get. Add a catchy New Wave-inspired original soundtrack, multidimensional characters and a heartwarming story, and the result is one of the most endearing coming-of-age movies in years. Irish filmmaker John Carney’s (“Once”) musicalcomedy tells the story of Cosmo Lawlor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) and his goal to create a New Wave band in order to win over the heart of Raphina (Lucy Boynton, “Miss Potter”), an aspiring model. Cosmo’s band, surprisingly, performs
many tracks that would blend in seamlessly on an ’80s radio station. In the spirit of Duran Duran and other New Wave sensations, the soundtrack reintroduces what made New Wave so much fun — even if some of it hasn’t aged too well. Amidst family conflicts and bullies, Cosmo’s older brother, Brendan (Jack Reynor, “Transformers: Age of Extinction”), is his driving force. “Sing Street” is as much about the music and romance as it is self-discovery and making sacrifices for loved ones, showing the complexities of adolescence, family and love. — WILL STEWART
2. Trey Edward Shults Filming a perfect horror movie is really hard, but filming one with none of the traditional elements of the genre, and without professional actors, and without a budget, is nothing short of Herculean. But Trey Edward Shults, by casting his entire family and using their home as a set, did just that with “Krisha.” With his aunt, Krisha Fairchild, starring as the titular recovering alcoholic returning to her family for Thanksgiving, Shults created
a masterful take on the terrors of family gatherings. Shults’s camera methodically soars in a contained space, stealthily dropping in on characters to reveal their conversations. “Krisha” is at once lyrical and horrifying, that rare mixture of utter terror and beauty. And to accomplish that with next to no resources indicates a supremely bright career ahead —DANIEL HENSEL
5. Travis Knight Stop-motion animation is one of the most complex and intricate cinematic art forms, and one of the most breathtaking if done successfully. With his directorial debut “Kubo and the Two Strings,” stop-motion maestro Travis Knight demonstrates his mastery of both technique and storytelling. The film follows the journey of young Kubo, as he fights to protect his family’s honor while fulfilling his yearning for adventure. Knight’s brilliance is evident in the way in which he crafts the film’s animation to create a world built from origami — the film is constructed from folded paper-like segments that move together to create
a cohesive and dynamic aesthetic. Knight also weaves Japanese mythology, tradition and ideals with Western narrative techniques in a seamless fashion. A seasoned professional in the world of stop-motion, Knight has worked with the esteemed Laika Entertainment to head critically acclaimed projects like “Coraline” and “ParaNorman.” His directorial work on “Kubo,” however, sets him apart from other names in the industry as a director to watch; his work carries a force of creative innovation unseen in the previous hallmarks of stop-motion. — SYDNEY COHEN
the b-side
3B — Thursday, January 5, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Best Singles of 2016 1. “Ultralight Beam” Kendrick Lamar Before the pro-Trump rants and the Kim K drama and the hospitalization, there was a beam. It captivated and guided, but above anything else, the beam enveloped. On The Life of Pablo, an album with so much punch, it says something, a lot, to kick it all off with this sensitive admission of wrongdoing. Well, it’s also somewhat of a plea for redemption. Or it’s both, and a lot more. It’s gorgeous. The organ! It stays grounded in its sanctity. The choir! Kanye has forced himself into a conversation of divinity in a manner only he could pull off. He wanted us to buy into this preaching, that he is a god, and we kind of did buy it. But
now he’s the one most in need of a ride on the beam, simultaneously enticing others to revel in its benefits while not actually rapping. The real rap belongs to Chance the Rapper, who delivers that verse — the one that miraculously and successfully conf lates humble beginnings, earnest success, and pompousness. Bolstered by TheDream and prayers from Kelly Price and Kirk Franklin, the total product is a message that reverberates even for the most unholy. Desperate, devout, and fulfilling all at once, it’s complete Kan-tharsis at its finest. — JOEY SCHUMAN
2. “Formation” BEYONCÉ “Formation” is an unabashed salute to the power of womanhood — more importantly, to the fortitude of Black, southern womanhood. Partnered with the striking images in the music video of various Black women over time, the track transcends the confines of pop music and becomes an instance of protest. Bey is refusing to be limited by her race, place of birth or gender, and rallies against such boundaries with lyrics f launting her wealth alongside her heritage. “Formation” wraps social issues — police brutality, the disenfranchisement of women, regional and racial stereo-
types — in an alluring pop packaging. Lines like “I got hot sauce in my bag, swag” seem meaningless on the surface, but, when preceded with “Earned all this money, but they never take the country out me,” become seeped in cultural significance. This kind of nuanced wordplay, along with its undeniably infectious musicality, makes “Formation” one of 2016’s most important tracks. No wonder Beyoncé is called the Queen. — CARLY SNIDER
3. “Nikes” Frank Ocean No song off Frank Ocean’s Blonde better epitomized the album’s surreal mass appeal than “Nikes.” It’s a slow, meditative track that barely has a beat and features vocals pitched up beyond human range, but it managed to lead off one of the most talkedabout and beloved albums of the year. “Nikes” contains all aspects of what makes Ocean so compelling. It’s got the hazy cross-faded imagery, the detached-at-the-party vibe that has been part of Ocean’s arsenal since his early hit “Novacane,” but it also takes the time to pay respect to Pimp C, A$AP Yams and Trayvon Martin, as Ocean’s own mor-
tality looms over all the song’s thoughts and actions. But he balances out “Nikes” with his underrated sense of humor. “You got a roommate he’ll hear what we do / It’s only awkward if you’re fucking him too,” is the now-famous closing line, but don’t sleep on the early couplet: “Said she need a ring like Carmelo / Must be on that white like Othello.” As sparse as it sounds at first listen, “Nikes” reveals something new each time you return to it, and it’s another tremendous accomplishment for one of our most multi-dimensional, enigmatic modern pop stars. — LAUREN THEISEN
4. “Cranes in the Sky” Solange When I first heard this song, I thought Solange was singing about birds. I thought the cranes in her sky were big, long-necked, migratory birds. I thought it was about movement and escape. It wasn’t until I did a quick Genius lyric search for this blurb that I came across all this talk about construction. Supported by Raphael Saadiq’s serene orchestral bass, “Cranes in the Sky” f loats. Stripped of meaning and intention, it’s light and dreamy. Solange’s vocals are soft and the lyrics are simple, but there’s something else that lurks beneath its surface. “I tried to drink it away / I tried to put one in the air / I tried to dance it away / I tried to change it with my hair,” the song begins. What is this “it” that Solange wants so desperately to escape? The song itself doesn’t give an answer — there’s never an antecedent. But for me, and I’m sure many others, “it” is
the communal loneliness of womanhood, and more specifically Black womanhood. It is the force that constantly pull women away from each other — an idea that is made strikingly tangible in the track’s accompanying video, where shots of Solange alone in the desert are interspersed with her lying down, her limbs interwoven with those of other women. With this track, Solange beautifully captures the absurdity of loneliness in a hyperconnected world, as well as its inevitability. In that way, “Cranes in the Sky” is a song of opposites. The best hint towards what the “it” might be comes in the chorus, where Solange sings “Well it’s like cranes in the sky / Sometimes I don’t want to feel those metal clouds.” Her loneliness looms over her like a crane, an image steeped in both hope and fear no matter which type of crane you think it is. I still think it’s about birds. — MADELEINE GAUDIB
5. “Pick Up the Phone” Young Thug ft. Travis Scott
There was much fanfare in the last year about the “tropical vibe.” It seethed less successfully on some abrasive EDM tracks, brought Justin Bieber back to the radio (because, why not?) and soared on some of the year’s biggest songs. Sometimes, though, trends work. “pick up the phone,” a collaboration between the distinctive Young Thug and the notably less distinctive Travis Scott, is by far one of the best examples. The production doesn’t scream “Look, we’re on an island!” but its influence is clear. It’s the Goldilocks principle at
obvious play: not too much, not too little, but just right. Young Thug might occasionally sound the blabber of a baby, but it’s still perfect. Travis Scott yelps in background, but it’s still, you know, masterful. Everything just falls into place. Also, it just happens to bang. Like, really, really bang. It warrants every replay, every screamed “I know you’re home baby!” I don’t care how many times you heard it in the basement of that frat — “pick up the phone” is still one of the best songs of the year. — MATT GALLATIN
6. “715 CREEKS” Bon Iver
Justin Vernon’s 22, A Million marks a sort of departure for the artist, away from his traditionally folk-based, acoustic music to a more experimental, electronic sound. It’s kind of like what Kanye did with 808’s & Heartbreaks. And that’s a fair comparison to make seeing as the two are friends, and make music together — this new Bon Iver project is heavily reminiscent of their collaboration “Woods.” That track was an obvious precursor to “715 Creeks,” a standout track which features only Vernon’s vocals and a synthesizer. It’s
here the artist best demonstrates the streng th of his vocals, the intensity of his lyrics, and the inventiveness of his production to create something completely engrossing but totally heartbreaking. Listening to the song is exhausting, but in a cathartic way; it feels necessary and right, but that doesn’t make the emotional impact any less severe. — RACHEL KERR
Best TV Shows of 2016 1. “Atlanta”
It’s not, I don’t think, hyperbole to say that “Atlanta” redefined what’s possible on television. A scarcely present plot, a two-episode stretch (out of 10) without its star appearing on screen, an allBlack cast — before Donald Glover’s FX marvel, if these attributes were not entirely unheard of, they were quite definitely not the norm. Now, truly, anything’s a go. In its richly nuanced, quietly cinematic debut season, “Atlanta” was a lot of things: one week a whip-smart entry into the canon of music television (give all the awards to whoever chose “Elevators (Me & You)” to close out the finale), the next a gorgeous ode to Black female friendship, the next an outlandish satire of cultural appropriation (is that even the
right phrase to characterize that indescribably perfect half-hour of TV, “Juneteenth”?). Yet, through it all, its themes were never heavyhanded, nor were its politics didactic. And while “Atlanta” ’s essential draw was in legitimate surprise, everyday hustle this series, unlike many, actually cared to depict: people just trying to make some money. That reductive logline might not be the most grabby, and there are no chase scenes or explosions to be found here, but “Atlanta” is the most thrilling, exciting show in recent memory. What few boundaries the TV industry has left have been defiantly obliterated, the doors definitively kicked down; I can’t wait to see what’s coming next. — NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT
2. “Stranger Things” This year, the ’80’s were “in” (Adidas Superstars, anyone?) and “Stranger Things” capitalized on the decade’s sci-fi nostalgia in all the right ways. From the fantastic synth-alt music score to the emotional return of ’90’s it-girl Winona Ryder (“Girl, Interrupted”), the Netflix original is hands-down this summer’s breakout hit. Heavily influenced by 80’s films and novels — with references to “E.T.,” “Poltergeist” and “Carrie,” to name a few — “Stranger Things” follows the mysterious disappearance of 12-year-old Will Byers in eight addictive episodes generously strewn with homages to cult favorites. But even those who weren’t around in the ’80’s (which I wasn’t) or are largely unfamiliar with the classics of the sci-fi/hor-
ror genre (which I’m not) still find “Stranger Things” spell-binding, wonderful and universally touching. The series, with its Spielbergesque small-town Indiana setting and impressive performances from adult and child actors alike, is able to play on a complex and varied range of emotional planes, seamlessly tapping into raw parental protection and boundless childhood imagination in the same episode. I found myself sporting a ridiculous smile on hour four of my “Stranger Things” binge because sweet nostalgia hit as I remembered when I, too, ate Eggo waffles and rode bikes into fantastical adventures after school. — DANIELLE YACOBSEN
3. “Orange is the New Black” “Orange is the New Black” dropped arguably its best season this year, yet again managing to transition between gut-busting comedy and heartbreaking drama with ease. Subtly challenging the series’ own empathy-for-everyone creed, the fourth season gave us an honest depiction of prison privatization and showed the potentially fatal consequences that can result from power structures built on racism, sexism and brutal dehumanization. Sexual assault, unjust solitary confinement, even murder
— these are the threats the women of Litchfield Penitentiary face. While a controversial late-season death left audiences divided, the final episode paid tribute to the beloved character with an elegiac flashback sequence depicting a magical trip through Manhattan. The season ended with a PR nightmare, a prison revolt and the most joyful, yet simultaneously most devastating final shot of TV in 2016. — BEN ROSENSTOCK
4. Veep In its fifth season, “Veep” changed hands from creator Armando Iannucci to David Mandel, who followed in the former showrunner’s footsteps with the same acerbic humor. Though Mandel did not shy away from toying with the show’s characters with arduous plots and unexpected setbacks, the show’s biting tone and sardonic portrayal of American politics continues to shine in its relentless, dark absurdity. “Veep” also continues to be anchored by Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ (“Seinfeld”) deft portrayal of the scathing, unlikable Selina Meyer, who we nonetheless root for. Mandel’s adeptness at evoking pity
for a comically horrible character explores who Selena is at heart, making this season one of “Veep” ’s most compelling. In finding Selena at her worst, the series is unexpectedly propelled forward using its greatest strengths. Like Selena’s maladroit political team, Mandel bravely forges ahead in a new direction with an unexpected end to the season’s arc. In doing so, Mandel explores who Selena and the show is at heart, aided by the constant stream of bureaucratic screw-ups at the hands of one of TV’s funniest ensembles. — SHIR AVINADAV
5. “The Americans”
I’ve never quite seen a show pull off the feat that “The Americans” has. The show made the jump from good to great between its first and second seasons, became one of the top shows on television in its third and somehow got even better in its fourth. The series follows an undercover Soviet spy couple living in America during the ’80s. With two kids and a travel agency, the live a seemingly normal life. This year’s episodes of “The Americans” pushed Philip and Elizabeth more than it ever has before. It continued to show how the rough nature of their lives affects those around them, including their daughter, Paige, who continues to be drawn into their secrets. Philip has to deal with Martha, an FBI secretary whom he “married” (under another name and hairstyle), as her role as an
asset to the KGB becomes increasingly dangerous. Really, though, the series is about Philip and Elizabeth. Matthew Rhys (“Brothers & Sisters”) and Keri Russell (“Felicity”) continue to do amazing work portraying the couple, bringing their struggles with their roles as parents, their relationship with their country and the difficulty of their work to life. Not only are the performances and story strong, but the series also continues to be a master of the tension-and-release storytelling method. It’s both deeply emotional and nail-bitingly tense. The show has two more seasons left on its run, and if they’re anything like this year’s episodes, they’ll be mustsee television. — ALEX INTNER
6. “Game of Thrones” “Game of Thrones” continuously draws viewers further down the rabbit hole, and there was no exception in the explosive sixth season. The series took this past season as an opportunity to probe deeper into the politics of power and the devastating consequences of control. From start to finish, the sixth season pulls from these pillars in a refreshing manner. And though the majority of the season focused on the silent power struggle between King Tommen (DeanCharles Chapman, “Before I Go to Sleep”) and Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey, “The Purge”) in Westeros and the war between House Stark and Bolton in the North, “Game of Thrones” built an intricate web
that hooked viewers with superb feats in acting and cinematography. One of the greatest strengths of “Game of Thrones,” especially showcased in the sixth season, lays in its cast. With a compelling cast taking the reigns, it was nice to see “Game of Thrones” taking advantage of their broad range of talents. For confirmation of the show’s genius in storytelling, one can look no further than the season finale, “The Winds of Winter.” nd many more this past year, that “Game of Thrones” succeeds in pushing the boundaries of television. Winter is finally here, and the cold has never been so promising. — MEGAN MITCHELL
7. The People V. O.J. Football player-turned-criminal O.J. Simpson regained some spotlight this year, but not in the way you’d expect. Preceding Ezra Edelman’s incredible fivepart documentary “O.J.: Made in America” was Ryan Murphy’s just-as-phenomenal “The People v. O.J. Simpson,” the first season of his “American Crime Story” anthology series on FX. While the former gave a comprehensive look at the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson as a figure in American culture, the latter focused on the notorious homicide of Simpson’s ex wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, showcasing its effect on Simpson, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. (“Snow Dogs”) in a comeback role, as well as everyone involved in the trial. As predictable as the show may be, “The People v. O.J. Simpson” defies almost every possible expectation, boosting its Jeffrey Toobin source material with an outstanding Emmy-winning cast, immersive cinematography, brilliant writing and a nuanced perspective into the so-called “trial of the century.” Had it been put in the wrong hands, the FX show would have been a disaster or simply a middling, somewhat passable piece of television. Luckily, that isn’t the case, as Murphy and screenwriting duo Scott Alexander
and Larry Karaszewski (“Goosebumps”) remain true to capturing the authenticity and intensity of the events surrounding O.J.’s trial. In addition to being a dramatized account of the O.J. trial, “The People v. O.J. Simpson” touches upon topics that are just as relevant and timely as ever: the toxic pervasiveness of the media, the racial turbulence in L.A. post-Rodney King riots, the overt sexism thrown against prosecutor Marcia Clark (Sarah Paulson, “American Horror Story”) and more. Even when we think our society has progressed since 1994, it’s amazing that these issues can still resonate today. But perhaps the strongest element of “The People v. O.J. Simpson” is the acting, which transformed the famed players of the O.J. trial into engaging, three-dimensional characters. While Paulson gives the performance of a lifetime as Clark, Courtney B. Vance (“Office Christmas Party”) and Sterling K. Brown (“This is Us”) shine in their breakout roles as defense lawyer Johnnie Cochran and prosecutor Christopher Darden, respectively. Within its mere 10 episodes, “The People v. O.J. Simpson” spins its story into something that is not only worthy of great entertainment, but also of necessary viewing. — DANIELLE YACOBSEN
the b-side
4B — Thursday, January 5, 2017
Best Albums of 2016 1. Blonde Frank Ocean In a year of anomalies, normbreaking and the unexpected, Frank Ocean remains his own island. When an artist can get hundreds of thousands of young people to watch paint dry on live stream over a two-week period, there’s something unique happening. It indicates a shift in what we interpret as “popular culture” or “mainstream music.” But Ocean is a master of subverting whatever your norms might be. It’s his world, and we’re just living in it. In an Internet era where every opinion is granted the same space on the screen, it even amounts to criticism and anger. As the most prominent gay hip-hop artist perhaps ever, there’s a lot that Ocean is expected to do and say, and when he doesn’t, questions hover. But like the genius of his music, he never follows the rules — your rules, that is. Ocean is revolutionary in his expression of his sexuality in that, at least through Ocean’s own voice, it garners little fanfare. He talks about having sex with women in one track, and men in another. Where so many artists have misleadingly co-opted queerness to gain attention (ahem, James Franco), Ocean does the opposite. He’s, well, frank about the struggles he faces as a man who loves other men (“Bad Religion” from his official
debut is one of the most powerful musical expressions of sexuality in decades), but never loud. It’s there, and you deal with it or you don’t. Ocean doesn’t care either way. When queerness, particularly male, is so often unapologetically stereotyped as flamboyant, dainty and in-your-face, it’s a refreshing, necessary perspective. That kind of subversion also happens to be astoundingly fruitful musically. Ocean has yet to release an official project which doesn’t exceed expectations, and Blonde is no exception. It’s less immediately approachable than Channel Orange or even Nostalgia ULTRA, but when it settles, what you find is one of the most beautiful, shattering pieces of sonic work in the last decade. The quiet build of “Ivy,” the tangibly downtrodden “Siegfried,” the crystal clear “Good Guy” — these are all sparkling, somber moments on a journey which will continue not just tomorrow, but years down the road. With Blonde, Ocean has created something which can be lived in, experienced; it can be taken apart and rearranged as you approach it with your own feelings and your own moments. Blonde, simply, is felt. — MATT GALLATIN
2. The Life of Pablo Kanye West Like all Kanye West albums, The Life of Pablo closes with a satisfying resolution. While “Wolves” doesn’t cap the actual track-list, it feels like the unofficial parting piece; unlike the 40-minute whirlwind that preceded it, Frank Ocean’s fleeting but sobering appearance after “Wolves” brought with it a certain sense of rest and stability. For only a minute, it felt like Kanye was going to be alright after the perplexing and often indefensible buildup to the album’s release. The seed of hope turned out being all we were offered, as 2016 had Kanye in a knots over a whole host of issues, including the kidnapping of his wife and anniversary of his mother’s death. It’s an important hindsight; his dynamic with the various guests on the album, and how he creates space for them, paints a bigger picture. The grandiosity of The Life of Pablo becomes unexpectedly intimate and relatable despite initial critical response to the contrary. Revisiting the album at the end of a bumpy year, it’s easy to reimagine the ranting on “Pt. 2” as part of what might be going on in Kanye’s head when he, say, cancels a show after three songs. Or perhaps the paranoia and insecurity of “FML” can be found in his recent hospitalization. But this album isn’t about bleached assholes and sex with
Taylor Swift so much as it is about trials and tribulations, as every Kanye album is. Though renowned for his ability to orchestrate unlikely collaborations, Pablo is surprisingly most gripping when Kanye is alone, frantically teetering between hopelessness and absurdly confident transparency. Throughout the album he alternates between the security of a group dynamic and the retreaded shelter of his character-defining thoughts. Not for the first time (see: Pusha T on Runaway), he channels the voices of others to clear the jumbled mess in his head. Tracks like “Ultralight Beam” and “Low Lights” hardly feature the voice of Kanye West at all. Yet they shed light on what he clutches onto most dearly to “get through the day”. “Freestyle 4” sees ‘Ye drunkenly snarl fantasies of having sex on the table at a dinner party: He blurs the line between spoken and unspoken, external and internal — what you do and what you want to do. The Life of Pablo is a meditated narration on a real life. It’s about those moments of privacy, depression, laughter, sex, love, confusion, helplessness; it’s about Ye, yes, but it’s also about me and you. — SHAYAN SHAFII
3. A Seat at the Table Solange Four years after her last official release — eight since her last proper album — Solange Knowles has returned with a genre-defying album that is triumphant, nuanced and deeply frustrated. A masterclass in both sonic and thematic cohesion, A Seat at the Table is an R&B album at heart — most of its melodies driven by piano and closely accompanied by percussion. These melodies, however, flow freely, visiting and revisiting the album in short stints, lending even more potency to the interludes that deliver the deeply personal points of the album’s story. In terms of race relations in the United States, that the past four years have been tumultuous is not a point that is up for contention. Thematically, Solange’s album is a summation of the anger, sadness and disappointment accumulated during these years, but also a demonstration of resilience. It is an unapologet-
ic exploration of what it means to be a Black woman today, an evaluation of progress (or the lack thereof ) and an affirmation and reinforcement of Black pride. I doubt that the significance and sheer power of this album can be overstated. A Seat at the Table carries more weight than I, as a white male, will likely ever understand, and I must admit that I do not trust in my ability to do justice to the album. Any word of criticism that I utter should be taken with a grain of salt, no word of praise necessarily trusted, no evaluation taken at face value. This album is beyond me — beyond many of us — and only if we acknowledge that can we hope to progress. What is ultimately and absolutely apparent, however, is that Solange has earned her seat at the proverbial table; what she’s telling us, all too clearly, is that no one should have to. — SEAN LANG
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
1. Canterbury House Each month, the Canterbury House, located at 721 East Huron Street, presents “A Night for Us: Colorful Soul,” as part of a concert series presented by “Artists of Color in Ann Arbor,” a student-formed organization conceptualized and executed by SMTD students Alexis Lombre, Brian Juarez, Mike Perlman and Tristan Cappel. Each month, a local student artist of color headlines a live concert, showcasing immense talent and passion for music and community. With free admission and free (delicious) soul food, the welcoming environment of
the Canterbury House is tangible; all are invited, all are embraced. This space offers and encourages discussion of social issues, the chance to meet those of similar (or completely different) opinions and mindsets and the opportunity to become part of a community and cause vital to the University of Michigan. Featuring some of the University’s most talented musicians, the performances are truly not to be missed. Their next event is January 26th at 7 p.m. — ALLIE TAYLOR
2. Ross Gay In September, Ross Gay read from his third book of poetry “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude,” a series of poems that explore the natural world’s beauty and all of the simultaneous joy and pain it encompasses. A few miles away from central Ann Arbor, at Lotus Farm, the picturesque backdrop led for an immersive experience of Gay’s lush imagery. Amid the twilight and blooms, Gay exalted everything from the musical names of plants to the dance of a robin, while still finding moments of
silence and stillness to honor loved ones gone too soon. He shared “essayettes” as well, anecdotes focused on “delight” steeped in humility that harkens back to an alternate definition of an essay as an attempt or trial — humorous musings on anything from nightmares to sneakiness. Gay’s work did, and still continues to, remind its readers of the small joys and ineffable bliss that persists amid an often gloomy backdrop. — MARIA ROBINS-SOMERVILLE
Best Community Events of 2016 3. Nick Offerman This past October the Michigan Theater hosted Nick Offerman, the man behind the beloved Ron Swanson of “Parks and Recreation” in honor of his new book, “Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Workshop.” At times, it was difficult to distinguish Offerman from his most celebrated character. Yet aside from physical characteristics, the two have little in common. Reading select passages from his new book, a collection of thirteen exploring his own and other’s
projects, Offerman pinpointed the singular love he and his character share — woodworking. Galavanting through his workshop, Offerman peppered his book with comments on his own and others’ woodworking technique, accompanied with a wit and insight he inevitably brought to the Michigan Theater stage and the Ann Arbor community. — NATALIE ZAK
Best TV Episodes of 2016 1. “Fish Out of Water” Bojack Horseman As an homage to Charlie Chaplin, Looney Tunes and Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation,” the tour de force “Fish Out of Water” is a masterwork in both animation and storytelling. Despite the lack of dialogue — the episode is almost entirely silent — “Fish Out of Water” compels in its wonderful, eyepopping visuals, as well as its zany and surprisingly poignant premise. When the hapless BoJack descends into the sea to promote his biopic Secretariat at the Pacific Ocean Film Festival, shenanigans immediately ensue. Without a cigarette to light, a vodka to drink or a voice to communicate with sea creatures, BoJack is both physically and emotionally lost in this unfamiliar environment, causing for some deeply unsettling (and hilarious) gags.
It’s a delight and a pity to see BoJack interact in this beautifully constructed abyss, which is a testament to the brilliant artistic vision of creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg. After going on an insane, death-defying quest to find Kelsey Jennings (Maria Bamford, “Lady Dynamite”), the woman fired from directing Secretariat, BoJack digs deep into his soul and writes: “In this terrifying world, all we have are the connections that we make.” It’s a bit of risk for a show built on excellent banter to solely rely on animation, but “Fish Out of Water” pays off tremendously in its experimental approach and reaffirms “BoJack Horseman” as one of the most touching, vibrant and genuinely thoughtprovoking TV satires currently on air. — SAM ROSENBERG
3. “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” People V. O.J. A key reason why “The People v. OJ Simpson” is among the best shows of the year is in how it brings the real figures of the case to life and makes them three-dimensional characters. No episode of the series does this more than “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia.” The hour focuses on Marcia Clark, the main prosecutor on Simpson’s trial. It depicts the toll the trial took on her, both in terms of her relationship with her family and her emotions. In the episode, her husband complains to the press about how she’s failing to take care of her chil-
4. “B.A.N.” Atlanta
While so much of TV watching is passive, the penultimate episode in season four of “Orange is the New Black” is anything but. The series has never been afraid to be political or controversial, readily employing what is considered taboo as an agent to explore the humanity of its characters. But in “The Animals,” this is taken a momentous step further. The episode culminates in a heartbreaking, nuanced
and complicated death of one of the series’ most beloved protagonists that inevitably transcends from the fictional screen to the messy, real world. With impeccable writing and nuanced storytelling, “The Animals” perfectly captures the tension that lies at the core of the entire series: Right and wrong is rarely black and white and good people sometimes do evil things. — DANIELLE YACOBSEN
Part of what made “Atlanta” such a success in its inaugural season was its unabashed willingness to take risks with the assuredness of a well established series, as it often turns to the surreal and unexplained to provide further insight on its unique subject matter and characters. Written and directed by series creator and star Donald Glover, “B.A.N.” proved to be the biggest dive the series took and it paid dividends. Framed as an episode of the fictional talk show “Montague” on the titular “Black America Network,” the episode focuses its spotlight on Bryan Tyree Henry’s (“Vice Principals”) Paper Boi as the program forces him to navigate several complex subjects, from transphobia to Black culture. Henry’s performance continuously ties the episode together as he conveys Paper Boi’s confusion, frustration
5. “The Magic of David Copperfield”
“The Americans” typically doesn’t traffic in big, show-stopping moments. Even when it must depict scenes that, on any other show, would be executed in showy, headline-grabbing fashion, the FX series applies the same rigor, patience and subtlety that it has become known for. “The Magic of David Copperfield” opens in several minutes of sustained silence, culminating in Martha’s heartbreaking departure; the episode ends with a seven-month
time jump, the family — ostensibly — in much better shape than it was before. What transpires between those bookending scenes is vintage “Americans:” pressure-cooker tension and all the cutting family drama that feeds into it. Every line, shot and character choice in this show is beautifully judged; “The Americans” is pulp as high art, narrative as sustained metaphor, the intra-familial psychological warfare of marriage, children and
2. “The Animals” Orange is the New Black
DON’T LIKE OUR LISTS? NOT ENOUGH DRAKE? WRITE YOUR OWN! Email arts@michigandaily.com
dren and she gets the famous haircut which the press makes fun of her for. Sarah Paulson (“American Horror Story”) won an Emmy for her performance as Clark and this episode was likely the centerpiece for that campaign. Her chemistry with Sterling K. Brown’s (“This is Us”) Chris Darden is another highlight, as Darden and Clark become closer. While the entire run of “The People v. OJ” was quite remarkable, this hour proved to be its best, mostly due to Paulson’s amazing work as Clark. —ALEX INTNER
and eventual clarity, saying, “It’s hard for me to care about this when nobody cares about me as a Black human man … where’s tolerance for people like me?” Meanwhile, “B.A.N.” ’s use of parodic commercials further bolstered its arguments, as Glover puts on a showcase in comedic writing, constantly raising the bar with each subsequent segment, ultimately culminating in a cereal commercial that steers into a shocking display of police brutality. In a first season that constantly challenges its form and structure, “B.A.N.” serves as a peak to “Atlanta” ’s many highs, confidently encapsulating the hilarious, perplexing and challenging tone that defined the show’s first brave steps in the landscape of television. — MATT BARNAUSKAS patriotism as Cold War spy thriller. As the episode ended, I was almost relieved at this relaxed sigh of a time-jump. But, as “The Americans” is wont to do, the show can’t resist a twist of the knife: Everyone in this family, just as every family must do, is feigning happiness. Paige is not contentedly hanging with Pastor Tim; she’s on assignment from her parents, and we see the remorse on her face. The Statue of Liberty has, indeed, disappeared. — NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT
CHECK OUT THE FULL LISTS ONLINE AT michigandaily.com/arts