2017-02-02

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Ann Arbor, Michigan

THE B-SIDE

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The Girl Issue. CAMPUS LIFE

‘U’ arcade now home to student made video games PAUL AHNN/Daily

New MichiGames system showcases creations by Engineering affiliates

The Ross School of Business hosted a demonstration titled #OneRoss in support of international students at the Ross School of Business on Wednesday.

Ross community shows solidarity with international U-M students

Faculty panel clarifies questions on immigration ban following demonstration ALON SAMUEL & AARON DALAL Daily Staff Reporters

Hundreds of students, faculty and staff filled the lobby of the Ross School of Business on Wednesday for

#OneRoss, a demonstration showing solidarity and support for international students affected by President Donald Trump’s controversial executive ordersigned into law last Friday. The order restricts entry to the United States for citizens of seven majorityMuslim countries for 90 days,

even if they are dual-citizens, and suspends refugee programs for 120 days. The demonstration lasted about 20 minutes, during which participants — many of whom were students who had left class to attend — packed the stairway and lobby of the Business School and listened to Ross Dean Scott

Derue and Business graduate student Jerry Won, president of the Ross Student Government Association, speak. Attendees distributed and wore red pins representing cultural tolerance and racial diversity. In addition to the demonstration, Business See ROSS, Page 3A

SEAN DEW

Daily Staff Reporter

The Fred C. Shure Lounge and Engineering Learning Center in the Bob and Betty Beyster Building on North Campus is no longer all work and no play. A lone-standing arcade system — called the MichiGames arcade — has been installed and is now used to showcase studentmade video games. Despite its appearance, the MichiGames arcade differs from traditional gaming units. The arcade system features four Xboxesque controllers instead

of joysticks, which allow for more complex and sophisticated gaming, including the option for multiplayer. Currently, the system hosts five games — three made in the fall 2016 EECS 494 class, Game Design and Implementation, and two others created earlier this year at Wolverine Software’s Game Jam, an annual competition where teams have 48 hours to create a complete video game. MichiGames arcade was first developed by Austin Yarger, an Engineering graduate student and EECS 494 instructor. See ARCADE, Page 3A

Panel highlights “failure factories,” LSA reps. Trotter institutional racism in school systems hosts ecoapprove

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

CAMPUS LIFE

textbook resolution

Journalists and University faculty explore segregation in Florida schools

Proposal to change Arabic dept. materials passes unanimously

In December of 2007, the Pinellas County School Board of Pinellas County, Fla., discontinued its integration policy. Violence and a decline in student performance struck the school systems, and in 2015, the Tampa Bay Times released “Failure Factories,” a five-part investigation of the effects on both students and the community. As part of The Livingston Lectures and the Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium, Lisa Gartner, Michael LaForgia and Nathaniel Lash, lead reporters of the investigation and 2016 Livingston Award winners, joined Prof. Tabbye Chavous as well as moderator Prof. Brian Jacob for a panel Wednesday afternoon at the Ford School of Public Policy to discuss the investigation itself. The speakers also spoke about the reforms and changes in policy that have resulted from the national recognition of the issue. The investigation began with Gartner and Cara Fitzpatrick, also of the Tampa Bay Times, when they noticed differences in test scores between students among local schools. Cara had previous experience with four other large districts in Florida before reporting

MOLLY NORRIS For the Daily

LSA Student Government voted on a resolution Wednesday evening to change the current textbook used in Arabic classes at the University of Michigan. The resolution passed unanimously, with 28 votes for and zero against or abstaining. The book in question is called “al-Kitaab fii Ta’allum al-Arabiyya” — commonly referred to as “al-Kitaab” — which translates to “The Book in the Learning of Arabic.” The authors of the resolution are representatives LSA senior Ibtihal Makki and LSA juniors Nicholas Fadanelli and Ryan Gillerist, who also published a petition earlier this month on the issue. According to the resolution, students take issue with the textbook because they believe it is highly politicized, which they think violates LSA’s promise to respect other cultures. When introducing the resolution, Gillerist outlined what he called the “problematic” nature of the textbook. See LSA SG, Page 3A

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JORDYN BAKER Daily Staff Reporter

for the Tampa Bay Times, and had noticed that Black students in Pinellas had lower standardized test scores than those in the other school districts she had covered. “Simultaneously, Lisa, who had come from Washington, was interested in looking at the punishment of Black children in our schools, in particular young Black kids,” LaForgia said. “She requested

some data that showed that young Black kids in our school district were being punished at rates that far outstripped the rates that white kids were being punished. It seemed like they were being punished more harshly for minor, hard to define offenses.” When they began their research, their data showed even more striking results. They found in the Pinellas

school district, 84 percent of Black elementary students were failing state exams. As the schools continued to become more segregated, the test scores of their students continued to decline. “Today they score worse than any school in the county,” LaForgia said. “They score worse than almost any school in the state. Ten See POLICY, Page 3A

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Michael LaForgia, investigations editor for the Tampa Bay Times, talks as part of the Livingston Lecture Series at the Ford School of Public Policy on Wednesday.

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INDEX

Vol. CXXVII, No. 21 ©2016 The Michigan Daily

feminism discussion

Group evaluates the intersection of climate change and femininity MATT HARMON Daily Staff Reporter

The University of Michigan Environmental Justice Dialogue Series hosted a workshop Wednesday night on the intersection between feminism and environmental justice. About 15 students and Ann Arbor residents shared their experiences and opinions in a roundtable discussion at the Trotter Multicultural Center. The program originated last fall in the Sustainable Living Experience learning community in the Oxford residence hall. According to the group’s Facebook page, the organization aims to connect individuals who are “interested in learning more about Environmental Justice, or how environmental degradation disproportionately burdens low-income and majority black/brown communities.” The dialogue series started last September. This month’s dialogue, as pointed out by attendees, was held the on same day the Army Corps See FEMINISM, Page 3A

NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6

SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................7

News

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ROSS From Page 1A faculty held a dialogue on the ban later in the day featuring immigration lawyers and University of Michigan faculty. Though no specific plan for the protection of students with refugee status has been released by the administration, as requested by a petition signed by more than 1,400 students, faculty and staff, the International Center issued a statement with recommendations for students who may be impacted. Echoing sentiments from a statement made by University President Mark Schlissel, Derue stated that there was still considerable uncertainty around the implications of the executive order but reaffirmed solidarity and support, as well as a commitment to keeping the Business School a safe and diverse environment. “We are from the U.S., we are from Iran, we are from Somalia,” Derue said, mentioning two of the seven majority-Muslim countries

ARCADE From Page 1A “It turns out that there are a lot of people around here making games,” Yarger said. “They are this beautiful combination of engineering, art, music, design and writing, but we noticed a problem. Students who were putting their hearts and souls in their games, they get played at the showcase at the end of the semester, and then disappeared. They end up up in some dusty hard drive somewhere.” The cabinet for the arcade was purchased and donated by University alum Todd Newman, with funding for internal work provided by the Departmental Computing

FEMINISM From Page 1A was ordered to push through and finish the Dakota Access Pipeline. According to reports, protests have been concentrated near Lake Oahe, a segment of the Missouri River, in recent days. Many University students have spoken out against the pipeline. Facilitator Noor Ahmad, an LSA senior, outlined the history of ecofeminism for the group. The movement, she said, began in the late 70s and early 80s in academic spheres and centers around the brief that in order to push back against female oppression, combating climate change and environmental decay is an important step. The workshop began by comparing the relationship between the female gender and environmental issues such as fracking and oil pipelines. Detroit resident Lane Lewis said these infrastructures resemble the pressure put on women to continually provide

LSA SG From Page 1A “The textbook that’s used in the Arabic program, as well as 96 percent of the Arabic programs around the country ... it’s politically charged,” she said. “By the end of the first semester, you’re able to say, ‘My grandfather was a general in the army, my mother is a human rights lawyer who specialized in the Middle East’ but you can’t say, ‘My cat is orange.” Makki, the main author of the resolution, is the daughter of Lebanese immigrants. She believes the textbook needs to be replaced, and pointed out the seemingly backward order in which the book teaches Arabic vocabulary. “The problem isn’t the words; the words are not bad in essence,” she said. “The problem is that

from which entry into the United States has been suspended. “We are all global citizens, and we will demonstrate an unwavering commitment to a diverse and equitable community where we can all come together, live together and work together.” First-year MBA student Rachel DeLeon helped organize the event and told the Daily that the purpose of #OneRoss was to support fellow students affected by the executive order. “We have classmates that are going to be affected by this,” Deleon said. “We want to represent love and support for (them).” In an email sent to the Ross student body, Won included a personal statement from Business graduate student Banafsheh Bagheri, an IranianCanadian whose travel has been severely restricted. “If I left the country, I may have to say goodbye to Ross, I may have to say goodbye to the career I have been working so hard on, I may have to say goodbye to the future I’m building for myself,” Bagheri

said. “Not being able to leave the country means that I won’t be able to see my family, that they won’t be able to visit me.” In the evening, the

We are all global citizens, and we will demonstrate an unwavering commitment to a diverse and equitable community

Ross Student Government Association organized an open panel to address concerns and questions from the community. Approximately 100 people attended the panel which included immigration lawyers as well as University of

Organization of EECS. The current games hosted on the system consist of three competitive action racers and two tricky puzzles, though there are more to come, according to Yarger, who, in addition to developing the system, is its sole curator. “Making a game for an arcade is actually quite different than a computer or system,” Yarger said. “I go around to the Game Jams and showcases and find games that could be adapted to our system, but are also popular, the ones people want to play.” Besides offering a break in between classes, the system has also sparked the imagination of students around campus. Engineering senior Antonio Fernandez is looking forward to discovering

what additions could be made to the current system. “(I’d like to see) some kind of virtual reality, maybe gloves, so that you could move the characters without using the buttons or sticks,” Fernandez said. Engineering junior Thomas Bartlett, is the developer of “Agent O’Hare,” one of the games available to play in the cabinet, is excited about his game reaching the public. “Prior to putting the game in the MichiGames cabinet, the only people who had really played it were the other sleepdeprived developers at the Game Jam event,” Bartlett said. “Having the game available to the whole public anytime seemed like a great way to make sure our hard work wasn’t for nothing.”

for the world. “There’s a lack of language for our responsibility to the earth, and even that ‘mother’ language is frustrating to me because it suggests a maternal giving and giving and giving and giving,” Lewis said. “I think that it’s important that we realize it’s not an unlimited resource.” Engineering graduate student Josh Woods said Americans should not sacrifice technological advancement on the whole when attempting to combat environmental damages. “I find that whole talk about consent and giving agency to the earth, it seems like muddling of the waters a little bit,” Woods said. “I wouldn’t want that to hamper any advancement on any level unless it’s going to pollute the waters with something like Standing Rock.” The discussion migrated to climate change and its effect on women all across the world. Issues such as lack of representation in politics and negative health effects were

also brought up. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change website, “Women’s unequal participation in decisionmaking processes and labour markets compound inequalities and often prevent women from fully contributing to climaterelated planning, policymaking and implementation.” Rackham student Teona Williams said while she was conducting research in Kenya, she noticed first-hand how women will be affected by climate change because of their work on farms around the world. “I was researching in Kenya where there’s mostly women farmers but they don’t own the land. They don’t own the product they produce,” Williams said. “They physically are close to the land. Then we think of things like climate change and that’s why they’re going to face the brunt of those impact because they are doing that natural labor.” The night concluded with a guided meditation session.

you’re learning to say (United Nations and army general) before you learn how to say the colors, and the days of the week, and the months of the year; things that you would need if you were to go to an Arabic-speaking country and try to get around or try to communicate with people. You would need to know how to say these basic vocabulary words, which is how other languages at this university are taught. It’s making it seem like if you were to go to the Arabic world, you would probably talk about politics more than you would ask someone if they want to get lunch.” Makki also takes issue with the website corresponding with the textbook, which she says portrays Arabs in a very stereotypical light. “There’s an online component where you watch videos and the characters in it are represented in a very Orientalist way, where

the women who are college-aged are not allowed to leave their house,” she said. “They only have aspirations to be stay-at-home moms.” While Makki acknowledges many students take Arabic with intentions of using the skill for political purposes, she believes there should be a separate class for students wishing to expand their political vocabulary. This way, people like Makki who simply want to learn the language for the sake of learning the language don’t have to be subjected to the political “framework” that is being forced upon them with the current textbook. Fadanelli also pointed to the form of the language that it teaches. It instructs students on the formal structure of the

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Michigan officials and faculty. The panel advised students, faculty and staff on travel plans and how to address the swift change in immigration policy. Panelists included Michael Carlin, an Ann Arbor area immigration attorney and University officials Donica Varner, from the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel, and Scott Manley from the International Center. The panel began by informing the audience on the definition and scope of an executive order and what this particular order means for University students. The panel discussed how the order essentially revokes existing visas and may have residual effects, disrupting travel plans for those affected into the summer. The main message to anyone from the listed countries was not to leave the United States, but instead, the panel emphasized vigilance regardless of where students are from. The panel advised travelers to have an immigration attorney on call and told students to carry all forms of documentation that

POLICY From Page 1A Florida elementary schools have similar failure rates. Take away privately run charters, and there are eight, take away schools for children with disabilities or behavioral problems, and there are six, take away a non-traditional early learning center, and look what’s left. The five elementary schools in Pinellas county’s Black neighborhoods.” To supplement the educational data, they found violence in the schools has also been on the rise. They continually heard stories from parents stating that their children were having difficulty learning because of violence and disruption in the classroom, hallways and overall school climate. One mother described to the reporters the degree to which her daughter was bullied in school. “She ended up laying down in the car pickup line in the path of oncoming cars and telling the teacher that she didn’t want to live anymore,” LaForgia said. “We found that children at these schools have been shoved, slapped, punched or kicked more than 7,500 times since 2010. The equivalent of eight times a day, every day, for five years straight.” They found the inclusion of personal stories like these to be crucial in crafting a distinctive account of the incidents students and parents face on a day-to-day basis. Gartner was at the head of interviewing people to validate data, and found the statements she received to be

Thursday, February 2, 2017 — 3A

they could — even a transcript. “We speak to CBP (Customs and Border Protection) officials on a weekly basis and sometimes all they are looking for is that you’re a degreeseeking student in good standing,” Manley said. Panelists also outlined the logistical grievances of the order. “Individuals that had to enforce this at the point of entry had no clue,” Varner said. “The confusion and chaos has been in the roll out.” Later, the room was opened for discussion and the audience could ask specific questions in an effort to quell their uncertainties. Though the panelists could provide helpful advice to some, a common answer was: “I do not know.” Business senior Michael Yashaya, president of the Ross Student Government Bachelor of Business Administration Council, explained how the immediate implementation of the order was dealt with by the SGA. “The nature of how everything was executed left us with very little time, but we

extremely helpful. “The human storytelling we did for ‘Failure Factories’ went a long way, I think, in turning that data and these policy decisions into realities that played out for real people struggling to get their kids not even an amazing education, but an adequate education,” Gartner said. Since the time of the

The human storytelling we did for ‘Failure Factories’ went a long way, I think, in turning that data and these policy decisions into realities

investigation, several policy changes have been made at all levels of the educational system. At the district level, an eight-person team was hired to oversee the schools in the district, re-interviews have been held for all teachers and a minority achievement officer has been hired. They also reduced the allowed number of days that students can be suspended and opened centers for these suspended students to receive tutors and counseling. At the federal

wanted to make sure that any student who had any questions could attend a forum where those concerns were able to be voiced in front of experts,” Yashaya said. Some students in the audience declined to be interviewed by the Daily, citing an email that told them to direct all media questions to University officials and the personal nature of the effects the executive order has. Business graduate student Ricardo Dancuart was concerned about the state of affairs but expressed thanks to the community for all of its support. “I am not from a country that is having a problem right now, but I am from South America and maybe today I’m all right, but I don’t know if tomorrow there’s going to be a problem,” Dancuart said. “There has been a lot of support from the community, not only from the dean but also from other students. Even from my classmates there were some very nice messages going on. That was a very good gesture from the University and its students.”

level, the Department of Education opened a civil rights investigation into the district. “Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education, and his successor John King came down to Campbell Park Elementary,” Gartner said. “They spoke there and put a lot of pressure on the superintendent. They called what had been done there ‘education malpractice’ and a ‘mandated disaster.’ ” Education junior Gabrielle Rubinstein attended the discussion and highlighted the importance of understanding the issues that affect schools around the country. “This specific situation that they’re talking about is something that is happening all over, and I was really interested in hearing the journalistic perspective of it,” Rubinstein said. “Usually you don’t hear about that because there are many sides that come to issues with education, so it’s important to hear all sides to find out the real truth.” Abbie Stull, also a junior in the School of Education, found the panel to be informative in relation to the process of the investigation. “The overview that they gave at the beginning was very helpful to understanding the entire process that they went through,” she said. “I thought it was just great overall; it talked a lot about education in that school specifically, and I felt that I learned a lot about that situation.” The Livingston Lectures will host its next event, “Leaks, Whistleblowers and Big Data: Collaborative Journalism Across Borders” Feb. 20 in the Rackham Amphitheatre.

Opinion

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4A — Thursday, February 2, 2017

LAUREN SCHANDEVEL | COLUMN

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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.

FROM THE DAILY

Make the U more affordable

O

n Jan. 18, The New York Times’ The Upshot published a report with statistics detailing variation in student income on college campuses in the United States. The statistics reveal the University of Michigan’s disproportionately high number of wealthy students on campus. Sixty-six percent of students come from the wealthiest 20 percent of Americans, and only 3.6 percent come from the poorest 20 percent. The study fundamentally illustrates that the University is not doing enough to promote socioeconomic diversity on campus. The University must do more to promote socioeconomic diversity by more actively promoting financial aid and scholarships, as well as work to retain students once they come to the University through more affordable living. The University’s current policies to assist low-income students only go so far. While the HAIL scholarship, which provides full-ride scholarships to high-achieving, low-income students, is certainly a good start, it focuses on alleviating the student debt of a select few, rather than increasing socioeconomic diversity overall. Furthermore, the University must make sure that it is doing its part to make students more aware of the possible financial aid that is available to them. Financial aid documents are also long and often confusing, requiring months of rigorous financial work to grant students access to necessary assistance; the University needs to give students more tools to help them fill out these long and complicated forms to get the aid they need. In the 2011-2012 year, 2 million students qualified for federal aid, but about 14 percent of students didn’t know how to apply and 9 percent said it was too much work to apply. What’s more, the CSS profile is another requirement the University has for students who wish to apply for grants and scholarships, an even more comprehensive and detailed set of forms students applying for any University aid must fill out. In light of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan, the University must work to make campus more affordable once students have arrived, otherwise the DEI’s main goal to create a better campus climate won’t be enough to attract and retain students of low socioeconomic backgrounds. We also believe

that the University must take a more active role in alleviating external costs that may create barriers to low-income students. A study by the Urban Institute shows that four-year institution room-and-board costs are growing significantly. While on-campus housing used to provide students with cheaper housing, this report shows it is now only 7 percent cheaper to live on-campus. This problem is especially salient in Ann Arbor, as increasingly unaffordable housing creates obstacles for students who already find it difficult to pay their tuition. Compared to other Big Ten schools, on-campus housing at the University is on the more expensive end of the spectrum. In fact, many University students live in Ypsilanti instead of Ann Arbor because of steadily growing housing costs in Ann Arbor. Increasing programs to assist in these additional expenses would decrease obstacles to students. Other schools around the country have been doing a considerably better job at promoting socioeconomic diversity on their campuses through several different specialized programs. Denison University, Grinnell College, University of Southern California and Williams College allocate extensive amounts of funds toward highly specialized programs that help recruit lower-income students and offer assistance with admissions. Denison and Williams fly in thousands of lowincome students to tour their campuses and provide those students specialized assistance

with applications free of charge. These initiatives can help explain why these colleges have greater socioeconomic diversity on campus. In 1997, the state of Texas passed a bill in which the top 10 percent of students in each high school in Texas receive automatic admission to any public university in the state. Though the bill was later ammended to allow universities like the University of Texas at Austin to limit automatic admits to the top 7 percent, this bill is still a good example for states and universites to follow. Although Texas’ 10 percent plan isn’t an entirely nuanced approach to increasing diversity on campus, it’s a step in the right direction in increasing lowerincome students’ access to top public universities. We believe that the University has a duty to act as an agent of upward social mobility. The University should streamline the financial aid process by removing the CSS Profile, while supplementing and increasing funding for programs like the HAIL Scholarship that are aimed at recruiting and retaining students from lower socioeconomic status homes. Once students arrive on campus, the University must work to retain students by providing low-income students means to cover Ann Arbor’s lofty living costs. Diversity is what makes any institution strong, and without increased steps to improve socioeconomic diversity to make our campus welcoming for all students, the University risks remaining socioeconomically divided.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and op-eds. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while op-eds should be 550 to 850 words. Send the writer’s full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com. FRANNIE MILLER | CONTACT FRANNIE AT FRMILLER@UMICH.EDU

M

Internship blues

ost days, my college during the recession in 2008 and education truly feels ending up in specimen processing at like the great equalizer. the Detroit Medical Center. The University of Michigan is In the months leading up to the home to the children end of winter semester, of doctors, lawyers it is an uphill battle of and artists; children explanation. I need the who grew up taking experience. I can’t work exotic vacations and full-time at a restaurant. boarding at expensive I know my boss told me schools; children who I could come back and know the function of bus tables any time, the smaller outer fork but I don’t want to. The in a table set — and it University gives out is, by some miracle, scholarships for interns. LAUREN my home, too. No, you don’t have to pay Together we SCHANDEVEL for it. complain about exams, Last summer, I immerse ourselves convinced them to let in student organizations, hunch me stay in Ann Arbor to work over our homework with coffee on a congressional campaign. in hand, willingly engaging in an This summer, they want me at unspoken inter-class camaraderie home. While my friends scatter every day. However, there are themselves across the globe — drawbacks to attending a school traveling, camping, taking coveted where the median family income positions in D.C. — I will retreat of its students exceeds the value of to the one place where I have my house; subtle reminders that, complete financial security: my while I may share spaces with the dingy, unremarkable suburb. So elite, I do not always share their much for leveling the playing field. opportunities. And each time As much as it sucks, my summer rolls around, it never fails experience is commonplace for to jolt me back to reality. lower-income students pining To put it bluntly, my parents after glamorous summer plans, don’t see the merit of unpaid and it isn’t just a matter of funding internships. To them, working them, either. We know there are for free seems outrageous — a resources. Believe us, we’ve scoured complete waste of time. After all, the scholarship websites and how am I supposed to pay off my could probably recite verbatim the student loans if I don’t save up descriptions of specific scholarship what I earn during the summer? packages to you. No, a lot of our After dropping out of commu- struggle has to do with guilt. Some nity college, my dad waited tables of us have to work to provide for our and worked as a disc jockey on the families; others simply cannot get side before landing in the central their parents to warm up to the idea supply unit of St. John Hospital (“You’re away during the school in Detroit. My mom, on the other year, why do you have to leave for hand, grew up on a farm in small- the summer, too? We miss you!”). town Michigan and worked four So each year, while our peers jobs in high school and college to gain valuable experience in their pay for her associate’s degree in sec- respective fields, we unwillingly retarial science. For a time, she was set ourselves back — because, a medical transcriptionist (that’s not surprisingly, employers will how I learned the term endoscopic almost always take the guy who retrograde cholangiopancreatog- wrote policy memos for four raphy), before bouncing around months on Capitol Hill over the

girl who worked in the stockroom at her local Kroger. While the University does all it can to provide students with financial resources for internships, most scholarship packages only cover the cost of housing and food for the duration of the program, which nets zero by the end of the summer. For those of us with families who may not understand the experiential value of unpaid work, it is almost impossible to convince them that working for free in our field of interest is ultimately more beneficial in the long run than laboring at a service job for minimum wage. I implore the University to consider the barriers low-income students encounter when seeking internships and subsequently train advisers to understand and accommodate this. Whether that entails connecting them with paid options or simply preparing them for conversations with their parents on the subject, a little consideration can go a long way. Once the dorms close for the summer, not everyone has the means to continue their education outside of the classroom; some are forced to withdraw to a reality that is worlds away from the luxuries of campus. And when you are consistently knocked back on your ass every May after spending a school year steadily advancing with your peers, things can seem pretty hopeless and unfair. For many, the months between winter and fall semester serve as a painful reminder that, while they may rub elbows with their wealthier counterparts eight months out of the year, matching or even outdoing them in academics, they will never quite fit in with them. It is an inequality that is overlooked and under-appreciated, and one that will always cause me to dread the arrival of spring. Lauren Schandevel can be reached at schandla@umich.edu.

NICHOLAS TOMAINO | COLUMN

R

The mythology of illegitimacy

hetoric since the supporters can be put in a “basket inauguration has not only of deplorables,” the contention perpetuated a narrative that Trump is not a legitimate that Donald Trump is not a president effectively questions the legitimate president, authenticity of nearly but has also invoked half of the American fear as a would-be public who voted for mandate that those of him and for change. us who merely hear its These Americans words might be called included decent to action. A productive people with diverse dialogue has not been backgrounds and encouraged; rather, religious beliefs from the left has focused varied cultures and NICHOLAS on unilateral criticism races. and a hateful rebuke of On “Meet the TOMAINO Donald Trump. Press” two days I listened, incredulously, to the after the inauguration, Kellyanne words Ashley Judd and Madonna Conway, counselor to the selected for their speeches at the president, introduced the dubious Women’s March the day after concept of “alternative facts” to we, as a country, celebrated our challenge reports that Trump’s peaceful transition of power — a inauguration was far less attended hallmark of our democracy. I felt than Barack Obama’s. Sadly, both somewhat embarrassed by, at the she and Sean Spicer, Trump’s very least, their lack of civility. The press secretary, remind me of the speeches suggested that Trump famous quote from Shakespeare’s bathes in Cheeto dust, that he has Hamlet, “The lady doth protest too traded a “Hitlerian” mustache for a much, methinks.” In contesting toupee, and that we, the American media reports comparing Trump public, must refuse “to accept this and Obama’s inaugural attendance new age of tyranny,” in which numbers or presidential approval “being uniquely different right now ratings, for that matter, Spicer and might truly be considered a crime.” Conway seem ready and willing to Such incendiary and insulting dispute the claims of illegitimacy, rhetoric complements a dialogue and in doing so, they make them that attempts to represent Trump’s appear relevant. Trump similarly presidency as illegitimate. appears to seek legitimacy in This type of rhetoric suggesting that he lost the popular deliberately invokes feelings vote because of voter fraud. of mistrust, vulnerability and However, instead of giving credence protest. Notwithstanding the to skeptics of his popularity, he value of a women’s march as an needs to remember that the results opportunity for dialogue and of the popular vote are irrelevant solidarity on behalf of shared views since in our system the Electoral and values, remarks like these College determines who wins the were a call to action to those who presidency. did not vote for our 45th president President Trump and his and to those inclined to join an advisers need not tune into the ever-growing voice inspired by noise of insurgency if it insists on an insurgency. One need look using foul, antagonistic language no further than Saul Alinsky’s to spread unsubstantiated fear “Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic of tyranny or imminent loss of Primer for Realistic Radicals” to constitutional rights. When Bill appreciate the collective action and Clinton beat Bush senior, when antagonistic tactics at the core of George W. Bush beat Clinton and the “not my president” agenda. when Obama took office eight Here’s the problem: This years ago, a significant number of proclamation of illegitimacy is not Americans saw their candidates merely mythological — it further lose, yet shared optimism, for divides America, even though social and economic progress was its advocates seek to assign sole the basis, at least in theory, for accountability for divisiveness to offering hopeful support. Trump. Similar to Hillary Clinton’s I dare say that public outrage on comment that 50 percent of Trump par with what we have witnessed

since the inauguration of Trump would have been rebuked strongly by the media and many Americans had this occurred following Obama’s inauguration. Trump’s early executive orders to build a wall, rollback the Affordable Care Act and his most recent travel decree are evidence of not only his authenticity, but also of his embrace of his legitimate position. Similarly, Trump’s most recent proffering of uniquely qualified Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and his deliberate and strategic selection of his cabinet reflect his legitimacy. Furthermore, the Electoral College proved his legitimacy by electing him as president. When interviewed on ABC on Jan. 24, Trump acknowledged his own belief that torture and waterboarding work, but unequivocally stated that he would defer to CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary General James Mattis on such issues. I ask you, if this does not resemble legitimacy, what does? Sure, Trump’s own rhetoric has been, and likely will continue to be, incendiary. But, so too is the rhetoric — often hypocritical and inflammatory — of those who cling to identity politics and behave with antagonism. Messages like Judd’s and Madonna’s are proffered expressly to incite fear and to dampen optimism for economic and social change that prompted many Americans to elect Trump. Mutuality and collaboration are the way forward; alternative facts, by either the right or the left, are not. President Trump is unquestionably a work in progress. Our democracy affords us with the First Amendment right to freedom of speech. So, though I tire of the too often specious criticism of Trump and its hateful rhetoric, it will strengthen his resolve to deliver favorable results for all Americans. In other words, the endless protest and rebuke that I anticipate over the next four years will likely foster his execution of his vision — which got him elected. Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. So, for the sake of our great democracy, let’s agree on the mythology of illegitimacy. Nicholas Tomaino can be reached at ntomaino@umich.edu.

Sports

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

ICE HOCKEY

Lavigne draws from past, fights adversity ORION SANG

Daily Sports Editor

There wasn’t a specific play that Hayden Lavigne was injured on. Rather, it was the “accumulation of the game,” the result of facing 27 shots from then-No. 9 Minnesota, made only worse by improper care of his groin. Regardless of how it happened, it felt tight after the game, and the freshman goaltender missed the Michigan hockey team’s series the next weekend against Michigan State. It was the second stretch this season that Lavigne has missed extended time. The first took place over two weeks in November and December, when Lavigne was sick and missed both the series against Lake Superior State and then-No. 6 Penn State. Both the illness and injury couldn’t have happened at worse times for Lavigne. Before falling sick, he looked poised to grab the lead in Michigan’s still-ongoing goaltender competition. He had posted two shutouts in his first four starts and led the team in both save percentage and goals-allowed average by a wide margin. When he returned from his first ailment in the Wisconsin series, the opening results weren’t pretty. He gave up six goals on 27 shots as Michigan suffered a 7-4 loss against the Badgers. “I think he was getting confidence and momentum, and he got sick and he missed four games in a row,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “... It’s the same thing with any of our guys that are out for any time. If you’re out for a couple weeks, it’s tough to get your legs going and your head going and get your confidence back right away.” Lavigne, though, recaptured some of his early-season momentum the following night. He saved 34 of 35 shots as the Wolverines salvaged a split against Wisconsin. Then, Lavigne stopped 36 shots in the Great Lakes Invitational, giving his team — in a game in which its offense went missing — a chance to beat Michigan Tech. But as soon as he had gotten back on his feet, the Minnesota game and resulting injury followed. Now, Lavigne is back in the same position he found himself while sick: trying to fully recover while maintaining his level of play from earlier in the season. Still, the adversity he’s faced this season is nothing compared to the path he took to Michigan. After committing to Michigan in 2013, Lavigne spent nearly three years bouncing between teams in the United States Hockey League. He was cut from his first two teams — the Tri-City Storm and the Waterloo Black Hawks — all while Michigan’s coaching staff delayed his enrollment, waiting for Lavigne to emerge as the player they recruited. At one point, while transitioning from one team to another, he sat in the stands for over a month, watching his team play without him. He eventually caught on with the Bloomington Thunder, putting up the best stats of his junior career, and joined the Wolverines this fall. “Obviously, it’s not the same type of adversity I’ve been through, but at the same time, going through those trades and cuts taught me how to be mentally tough and deal with

adversity,” Lavigne said. “… That really taught me to be invested in practice and doing what I can, controlling what I can control, not stuff that’s outside of myself. Those things definitely prepared me for the injuries that I’ve had this year and the illnesses.” Lavigne’s early successes surprised some because of his long-winding path to Ann Arbor. Senior goaltender Zach Nagelvoort is the most experienced of Michigan’s trio in net, while freshman Jack LaFontaine was a third-round pick by the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. Yet, Lavigne has arguably outplayed both when he’s been given the chance. “Hayden’s done a nice job coming in here,” said assistant coach Billy Powers. “I think obviously his numbers bear that out. … I just think the start that he’s gotten off to is a credit to his ability to handle adversity and stay focused. That, clearly, I think has been an advantage for him having three years of junior experience. Clearly, all the work he put in prior to Michigan and dealing with the highs and the lows have really helped him be ready for this. “... I would be willing to bet Hayden probably brushes small things off like nothing because he’s been through much worse.” Added Berenson: “... I liked what (Lavigne) was doing in his early games. We had a bad team game in Vermont that didn’t help him any, but outside of that, I thought he was making progress. … Now, who was going to surface (in the starting competition), I don’t think we were in a rush at that point, but Hayden made a good first impression. Let’s put it that way.” While it would be easy to imagine a freshman player fretting over whether he fell in the pecking order because of his illness and injury, Lavigne continues to remain unfazed. His struggles in the USHL have shaped him into the player he is today. A tight groin, after all, is a much different ordeal than spending three years in small Midwestern rinks waiting for your shot. “I think that’s helped him a lot more than he knew at the time,” Berenson said. “He didn’t know at the time how this story was going to be played out, and I think now, his experience is going to be huge. Hopefully, he doesn’t have any more adversity this year, but what he’s gone through so far, he seems to have handled it pretty well.” So Lavigne, equipped with the lessons of his junior travels, did what he knows best: He went back to work, whether it was rehabbing his groin or watching film. He started practicing once again this past week and may play this weekend against No. 11 Ohio State. And once again, he’ll try to return to his early-season form — or better. “I think I’ve just got to put that in the back of my head and know that that’s how I can play,” Lavigne said. “But at the same time, that’s the past and people are only going to look at how I finish the rest of the year. I don’t want to be that guy that started off really hot and fell apart.” Added Berenson: “(Lavigne) knows he can do it. He’s got some confidence. … Of course, every day in practice is kinda like trying out for your position in the game. … We’ve got players that are trying out every day just to get into the lineup, and I think it’s a similar thing for Hayden.”

“I think that’s helped him a lot more than he knew at the time”

“I don’t want to be that guy that started off really hot and fell apart”

Thursday, February 2, 2017 — 5A

Evaluating the first half of Michigan’s Big Ten season BETELHEM ASHAME Managing Sports Editor

Last season, the Michigan men’s basketball team flew through the first half of conference play en route to a 7-2 record before subsequently managing just three victories over its final nine games. The Wolverines ultimately finished with a 10-8 conference record that secured them an eighthplace finish in the Big Ten — the lowest of any team above .500 in conference play. This season, Michigan (4-5 Big Ten, 14-8 overall) currently sits in a four-way tie for seventh place halfway through the conference season. The Wolverines lost only one of those games by double digits, against Illinois in Champaign on Jan. 11, but they also won only one by that margin — against Indiana at Crisler Center last Thursday. While many of those contests came down to the wire and could have gone either way down the stretch, the bottom line is that Michigan didn’t do enough to win more games than it has lost. Before the Wolverines kick off the second half of their Big Ten slate Saturday versus Ohio State, the Daily evaluates Michigan’s performance so far in 2017. Offense: B+ Through their first nine games, the Wolverines have been carried by their offense. Boasting an average of 74.1 points per game — good for sixth-best in the conference — Michigan has the ability to score from anywhere on the court. The Wolverines are shooting 47.8 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from beyond the arc, ranking them second and fifth, respectively, in the Big Ten. They crossed the 90-point plateau twice, in wins over Nebraska and Indiana. While Michigan needed to score that many to beat the Cornhuskers in a shootout, it blitzed the Hoosiers while holding them to just 60 points. Four of the five players in the Wolverines’ starting

lineup average double-digit scoring totals. Senior guard Derrick Walton Jr. leads the way with 15.1, while wing Zak Irvin averages 13.2. Both have capitalized on the impulse to make their final seasons count, coming up clutch in crunch time on multiple occasions, often from the free-throw line. Redshirt sophomore DJ Wilson and sophomore forward Moritz Wagner have emerged as viable options for Michigan inside the paint. Averaging 13.4 and 12.4 points per game, respectively, the pair of big men provide an interior presence that the Wolverines sorely lacked a year ago. The duo replaced redshirt junior guard Duncan Robinson and senior forward Mark Donnal in the first rotation, but the two veterans continue to make their presence felt off the bench. Junior guard MuhammadAli Abdur-Rahkman, the sole starter who averages less than 10 points per game, has struggled to duplicate his breakout campaign from last year, but still averages 7.6 points from the ‘2’ spot. While the offense is far from Michigan’s point of weakness, it still has room for improvement in the second half of the conference season. Defense: D+ In order for the Wolverines to turn their Big Ten fortunes around, the defense needs a serious adjustment. Michigan sits dead last in the conference in both opponents’ field-goal and 3-point field-goal percentage, allowing a rate of 51.8 and 48.9 percent, respectively. While the Wolverines haven’t given up absurdly high point totals often — the most scored against them was 86, and that was in an overtime loss to Iowa — their losses have come in moments when they are beaten on that side of the floor. In four of its five losses, defensive lapses came along with poor timing for Michigan. Against both Iowa and thenNo. 17 Wisconsin, late defensive breakdowns cost the Wolverines

ERIN KIRKLAND/Daily

Michigan coach John Beilein’s team has nine games to improve its standing.

relatively winnable games. Meanwhile, in the first half against Maryland and in the second half against Michigan State, substantial runs swung the momentum in the direction of the opposition. Only at Illinois did the Wolverines fall apart on defense throughout the entire game. Though Michigan has struggled to stop its opponents from scoring, its strong suit is keeping them from scoring second-chance points. Forceful on the backboard, the Wolverines average 31.4 rebounds per game, good for second in the Big Ten. Wilson leads that effort with an average of 5.6, and Walton bolsters him with the next best average of 5.1 per game. While rebounds seem to come naturally on the defensive end, Michigan sits in dead last in the conference in yet another statistic, with a minus-3.7 rebounding margin because the Wolverines average just eight offensive rebounds per game. Without a major improvement on the defensive side of the

Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Thursday, February 2, 2017

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

ball in the second half of the season, Michigan will struggle to contend in the Big Ten. Second half outlook: Though the Wolverines currently sit under .500, they have the potential to finish out the conference season on a much higher note. Michigan should have winnable games left against Ohio State (3-7), Minnesota (3-6) and Rutgers (1-9). It already defeated Indiana (5-5) and Nebraska (4-5) and has the ability to replicate those feats, even though the Wolverines will go on the road where they have yet to win a game this year. They were within striking distance of Wisconsin (8-1) and Michigan State (5-4) in Madison and East Lansing, respectively, and playing at home in those rematches could provide the difference. That leaves Northwestern (7-2) and Purdue (6-3) as likely losses. Last season, Michigan started strong and then fell apart. This season, a reversal could be in store. Predicted record: 11-7

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Sports

6A — Thursday, February 2, 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

‘M’ hosts second “Signing of the Stars” MIKE PERSAK

Daily Sports Editor

While last year’s inaugural “Signing of the Stars” was a celebrity-laden showcase, the 2017 edition of the event simply featured Michigan coaches, players and alumni. That may seem underwhelming. Yet, when softball coach Carol Hutchins took the stage, the entire crowd rose to applaud her. And when former wide receivers Braylon Edwards and Devin Funchess appeared on stage with former quarterback Jake Rudock, the crowd stood again to cheer. It was a ceremony that showcased the Wolverine fan base’s support, no matter the sport. “It was just a thought that I had — we had — to make it more about Michigan,” said Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. “From the band, the cheerleaders, the drumline, coaches, players, parents — make it about the family. Make it about the family that we are at the University of Michigan.” The choice may have also been a reflection of the recruiting pitch Michigan gave this year’s recruits. The Wolverines secured their best recruiting class of all time, and for some of the commits, the family-feel of the event was exactly the reason they came to Ann Arbor. “That feeling of home, that feeling of family at Michigan, that’s the reason why I’m here right now,” said incoming freshman defensive back Benjamin St-Juste. “A lot of schools were offering me a bunch of stuff like Michigan — playing time, all that stuff. But like, you want to wake up in the morning and feel comfortable with where you’re at. And Michigan offered that. You feel like home, you feel like family. That’s what’s great about Michigan.” The feeling of family was

TOP OF THE CLASS the 10 best signees of 2017

Donovan Peoples-Jones WR, MI Aubrey Solomon DT, GA Cesar Ruiz C, NJ EVAN AARON/Daily

Luigi Vilian DE, CAN

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh sought to develop a family atmosphere at the second edition of “Signing of the Stars”.

most evident when Michigan invited Larry Prout Jr. to the stage at Crisler Center. Prout — who was born with spina bifida, cloacal exstrophy and massive omphalocele among a multitude of other illnesses that have required more than 90 surgeries in his 15 years — has been championed by the Michigan football program. He was made an honorary member of the team in October and received a trip to watch the team play in the Orange Bowl. On Wednesday, Prout took the stage with his family, danced a little bit, held up the block ‘M’ gloves he was wearing and used

the moment to promote C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. The crowd rose for Prout, and once again, a family-like atmosphere engulfed Crisler Center. “It means so much to me,” Harbaugh said. “Never has that resonated more. We brought home our seventh child a day ago. … There’s no better word in the English language to me than family, and this is this family of ours: the University of Michigan.” Of course, the event still retained much of its pomp from last year. Between the marching band, a University group of drummers and the comedy of the

“It was just a thought I had ... to make it more about family”

emcees — Jason and Randy Sklar — there was a somewhat raucous atmosphere throughout. At the end of the event, Harbaugh took the microphone. After all the incoming freshmen had been announced and discussed, after all the past Michigan players had been given their proper recognition and after the countless standing ovations had been given, he put an exclamation point on the event with his now-famous catchphrase. “Who’s got it better than us?” Harbaugh asked. The crowd responded in unison: “Nobody!” Based on the on-field product in past years, it’s a sentiment that could be argued. But to the players and coaches within the Michigan football program, after today’s celebration, it’s obvious they believe it’s true.

Drew Singleton LB, NJ Ambry Thomas DB, MI Jordan Anthony LB, MD Chuck Filiaga OT, TX Tarik Black WR, CT Dylan McCaffrey QB, CO Design By Alex Leav

Solomon, Collins choose Michigan on National Signing Day ORION SANG

Daily Sports Editor

Tom Brady was in Houston preparing for the Super Bowl. Migos and Jim Leyland were nowhere to be found. And then, over an hour before the ceremony even started, Michigan’s top remaining target picked the Wolverines on national television and faxed his letter of intent to Ann Arbor. So while this year’s “Signing of the Stars” might have had less star power and suspense than its predecessor, National Signing Day — a day that has become like a holiday for those who follow recruiting — was no less sweet for the Michigan football team as it closed out its best class since recruiting rankings began. Unlike last year’s class, which also ranked among the best in the nation, this year’s class came together much more smoothly for Michigan.

In 2016, the Wolverines received a flurry of commitments in the final few weeks of January before sweating out the signatures of Rashan Gary, Devin Asiasi and Lavert Hill. This year, though, Michigan’s class was nearly full before National Signing Day. But once again, Jim Harbaugh and the rest of the coaching staff waited on pins and needles for the decisions of several recruits. The day got off to a slow start for Michigan. In the span of fewer than 30 minutes, two of the remaining four targets went off the board when Mekhi Becton and Willie Gay picked Louisville and Mississippi State, respectively. The Wolverines, though,

would close strong. At 10:30, Aubrey Solomon pulled out a white Michigan hat on ESPN, punter Brad Robbins committed during the event, and later in the afternoon, Nico Collins tweeted out a video of his commitment to the Wolverines. Solomon’s final decision ended what had been a long-winding recruitment. The five-star defensive tackle from Leesburg, Ga., originally committed to Michigan during an unofficial visit in the summer. But he decommitted shortly after, citing a recruiting letter in which his name was misspelled. In the world of college football, recommitments very rarely occur, and it appeared Solomon would end up with a different

“For two years, he’s been one of the top guys on the board”

team when he named Alabama as his leader in early January. Yet the Wolverines came out on the right side of Solomon’s second choice of the process, beating out the likes of the Crimson Tide, Southern California and Georgia. In doing so, they added a crucial piece to next year’s team, as Michigan lacks depth on the interior of the defensive line, and perhaps earned a symbolic victory as well. Solomon’s high school, Lee County High School, was the site of a satellite camp hosted by Harbaugh and the coaching staff in June. Solomon was also heavily pursued by Nick Saban and Kirby Smart, two coaches who spoke out early and often against

satellite camps. “For two years, he’s been one of the top guys on the board,” said defensive coordinator Don Brown on ESPNU. “It will be nice to see (Solomon) and Rashan (Gary) play next to each other at times, so we’re very, very excited about it. “We think we’ve addressed a number of needs, but it was a nice gift today, that’s for sure. … We’re excited, there’s no question … he’s going to be a great compliment in our four-down system.” Collins was a victory for Michigan’s staff in the same vein. The 6-foot-5 receiver, ranked as a four-star recruit, is from Pinson, Ala. and was considering Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana State in addition

“We think we’ve addressed a number of needs”

to the Wolverines. Michigan rarely signs recruits from the deep south that are wanted by teams like the Crimson Tide or Bulldogs, yet on Wednesday, they got two that rank amongst the nation’s best. Many of Michigan’s mid-year enrollees spoke Wednesday about recognizing the opportunity they have to play early in their careers, especially considering the Wolverines graduated most of last year’s team that finished just short of making the College Football Playoff. They will be significantly younger next year, and there will be growing pains along the way as inexperienced players find their way onto the depth chart. But as Brown pointed out Wednesday, those inexperienced players are talented. And after Michigan put the finishing touches on its bumper crop of a recruiting class, Brown’s assertion only rings truer.

EVAN AARON/Daily

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh managed to reel in an impressive recruiting class, signing two five-star recruits, 19 four-star recruits and eight three-star recruits.

B

The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, February 2, 2017

Design By Carly Berger and Julia Margalit

the b-side

2B — Thursday, February 2, 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

MICHIGAN DAILY

MICHIGAN DAILY

The Women’s March: What we saw and where we go from here Senior Arts Editor Madeleine Gaudin tells of her and other’s experience at the Women’s March and meditates on the heavy uncertainty that is the future MADELEINE GAUDIN Senior Arts Editor

On January 21st, I was one in a million — one in more than 3 million people who marched in the Women’s March on Washington and its sister marches worldwide. There were marches in each of the 50 states, including thousands of people in Alaska who marched through negative temperatures and falling snow. Crowd scientists estimate the marches are the largest protest in American history and that the crowds in Washington D.C. outnumbered those at Trump’s inauguration three times over — a fact that’s apparently made POTUS very upset. That’s where I was the day after the inauguration — Washington D.C. I f lew in on Friday, the day of the inauguration. Trump was preparing to be sworn in while I was 39,000 feet above the country, and became president shortly after I touched down in Baltimore. I met my mom there. She’s

None of us had participated in this sort of protest before, but we all felt the weight been fighting this sort of fight much longer than I have. She’s a teacher, and has taught in public schools in Chicago and Baltimore — schools that serve predominantly minority students, schools where every student qualifies for free lunches, schools with the lowest reading scores in their city. She knows what’s at stake. We marched with my mom’s college roommate (from her time at the University) Lori and her daughter Kira. None of us had participated in this sort of protest before, but we all felt the weight of the political moment too heavily to remain silent. It’s hard to say whose idea it was to go. I remember calling my mom in the yard of Betsy Barber — a place that I felt safe for public crying — on the morning after the election. I’ll never forget how upset I was that day, how quiet campus was, the way we all looked at each other as if to say, “I’m sorry.” But when I spoke to her she reminded me that it was going to be OK. Because we were going to fight. And we

weren’t going to stop fighting until it was OK. I’m so grateful I got to go with my mom, the woman who raised me to be strong and smart and outspoken. The person off whom I’ve modeled much of myself. LSA sophomore Kellie Lounds was also one of the 500,000 people who descended on the National Mall that day. She drove all the way from Ann Arbor to D.C. with a group of female students from the University. “I felt like I was going to regret it if I didn’t go … because I knew it was going to be a historic amount of people showing up. I had been feeling sort of down — especially with the inauguration and I knew that I needed something to jumpstart me.” As a member of University’s chapter of College Democrats and chair of the female-interest sub-group, FemDems, Kellie Lounds knows that activism doesn’t end when the march does — a concern of many activists who were wary of the march’s ability to motivate the public in the long term. “I think it’s a good place to start. The fact that 500 (or however many hundred) thousand people showed up matters because it shows that people care. But I don’t think it’s the end-all-be-all solution,” Lounds said. That “where do we go from here” sentiment was something shared among many of the women I’ve spoken to before and after the March. For Lounds, the next step is to be a better ally for those who are affected more acutely by Trump’s policies, as well as for those who have largely been pushed out of mainstream activist movements. “While I was at the March I didn’t really think about this at all but after we got done I read a lot of articles about how a lot of signage and messaging wasn’t very trans-inclusive,” Lounds said, “It made me check myself and be like, ‘You showed up and that’s good, but you can always be a better ally.’” The March forced a lot of people to check their places as activists, myself included, and woke some people up to the necessity of their voices in an ongoing fight for justice and equality — a response that many felt was overdue. LSA sophomore Hannah Foster echoed that sentiment, calling on her peers to remain attentive to issues that might not impact them directly. “More than anything I think it’s important to educate ourselves about the new policies being put in place,” Foster said, “to keep ourselves from becoming apathetic about the

injustices happening now — which can be hard to do when these policies don’t affect you personally.” That’s something I’m guilty of, not showing up until my rights were at stake. That sort of reversal of attitude made many people whose rights have always been on the line feel uncomfortable about the march. Much has been written about the division that still exists among a group of

That’s something I’m guilty of, not showing up until my rights were at stake seemingly — if only by location — united people. The worry that people were only marching for themselves seemed to be the lingering concern shared among many following the March. To some extent I would say, yes, I’m sure many of the people who flooded the streets of D.C. the day after the inauguration would not have been there had Trump’s promised policies (which we’re now seeing put into place at an alarming speed) not affected their lives directly. It was the first time at a major protest for everyone in my group, but I’m sure it won’t be our last. As a sign at a #NoBan protest suggested, protests are going to become a regular activity for many who got their first taste at the Women’s March. This delayed response was understandably frustrating for many whose lives have been monumentally shaped by public policy long before the Trump era. Foster recognizes what’s at stake for many people in this country under a Trump presidency. “It’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of things I feel the need to speak out against and I’ve had some difficulty figuring out how to begin,” Foster said. “It helps to stay connected with other people who also feel obligated to work against some of what is happening.” Because in addition to unifying a group of like-minded people, the March highlighted the divisions that exist even within liberal, progressive activism. Divisions along the lines of race, sexuality and religion were still visible, even at an event designed as a unifier. What the Women’s March did is set a precedent for how to respond to the inevitable injustices of this presidency.

Since that day protests have erupted across the country in response to the greenlighting of the Dakota Access and Keystone Pipelines and, most recently, to Trump’s ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries. The Women’s March was the first, and many feared it would be the last. And while the subsequent protests haven’t brought out the same numbers, their size relative to their spontaneity seems to be owed — in a small part at least — to the example of activism set by the Women’s March. “Being in D.C. with hundreds of thousands of other people who shared my concerns was absolutely surreal,” Foster said of the lasting power of the march. “I left empowered and energized when before I felt scared and helpless. I’ll never forget it.” For LSA sophomore Ana Patchin, she felt that her hope for the country — which had dampened since the election — was energized at the March. “I was standing outside the Smithsonian Museum of American History, and I watched as a crowd of people carried a copy of the Constitution that they had crafted out of burlap down Constitution Avenue,” Patchin recalled. “That image has stuck with me. It serves as a reminder to me of how each and every day the people have the opportunity to carry the values that we believe in.” Patchin described how hard it had been for her to believe in the goodness of America after the election — a feeling I, and many others, shared. She described a feeling of pride in the country on that morning and a great hope for its future as she joined the crowds on the mall. “Every day I am finding so many reasons to feel disheartened,” Patchin said. “However, the march, and the action that people all across the U.S. have taken as a result, gives me a great deal of hope.” While the Women’s March on Washington set a precedent for national activism, the same happened on a local level as thousands marched right here in Ann Arbor, in a sister march organized by Progressives at the University of Michigan and Michigan to Believe In. “It all happened so fast,” said Public Policy junior Claire Cepuran, who organized the march with LSA sophomore Brad McPherson and LSA sophomore Robert Joseph. They didn’t know they were marching until early January, when Michigan to Believe In reached out to them about co-sponsoring the event. “Following the election there were a lot of people feeling upset and like they wanted to do

MICHIGAN DAILY

something and get involved and show their solidarity somehow, but they didn’t really know how and this seemed like a really good outlet for that,” Cepuran said. She felt a deep connection to the March and what it stood for, and was motivated to march for many of the same reasons other women were. “Gender issues have always been really important to me … that’s why the women’s march was so cool and was so close to my heart,” Cepuran said. “I’ve always sort of felt that inequality.” Cepuran, McPherson and Joseph run Progressives at the University of Michigan, a student organization started at

For activists of all ages, the big question is still: What can I do next? the end of last semester with the goal of getting more progressive candidates into office on the city, county and state levels. “I think there are a lot of progressive people, young people especially, who are not feeling represented by the Democratic Party,” Cepuran said. “We’re hoping to flood them with all of these young passionate people who want change.” The meeting I attended last week attracted students as well as many Ann Arbor residents who feel passionately about similar causes. Everyone was eager to help in any way they could. For activists of all ages, the big question is still: What can I do next? “There are two parts to making real change: You have to have the activism that focuses on expressing that there is a problem and then you have to focus on actual legislation and pushing for more parity between genders in government or in, say, the presidential cabinet,” McPherson said. So now we’re on part two. The problems have been exposed, and are continuing to be exposed every day. We know

what’s wrong. But it’s going to be hard to maintain the same level of energy that was achieved on January 21st. I know I’m never going to forget how it felt when I got off the train at Judiciary Square and saw people lined up all the way down both sides of the platform. Or how it felt to hear someone in our car start singing “This Land is Your Land.” But what I’m really never going to forget is how it felt on November 8th, watching the results come in as I sat in my friend’s apartment — the weight of the grief. And I’m never going to forget my dad calling me last Sunday to tell me how upset he was that his country, as a nation of immigrants, could turn against refugees looking for safety in a country that prided itself on its inclusivity. I’m never going to forget how different it feels scrolling through my Twitter feed tonight, seeing piece after piece of my country fall apart and how it felt to stand on the top on the risers across from the National Archives and see people from the White House to the Capitol who believe, like I do, that America is better than a racist in an ill-fitting suit. I’m lucky to have gotten to march with my mom. To have been able to fight alongside someone I know will never stop fighting for me. I’m so lucky to have been raised by people who set such a strong example of what it looks like to love and fight — and to forgive. But I can’t just be lucky anymore. It’s time to make action out of the values I was raised with. Because it’s not just about surviving until midterms anymore. The March made it clear to me that this is much more urgent than I would have ever previously allowed myself believe. At the end of the day it’s (sort of ) simple: An international disease of hatred has produced a regime determined to turn an already divided nation against itself. It’s infuriating, but the best thing we can do is to stay angry, and to find in the midst of that anger some love for one another. The Women’s March on Washington wasn’t perfect and it wasn’t the end, but what it did do was light a fire in the hearts of people of all ages and remind us that America is still worth fighting for.

the b-side

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Thursday, February 2, 2017 — 3B

COURTESY OF EMILY MALAN

Photographer Emily Malan

ARTIST

IN

PROFILE

Emily Malan on travel, sexism and getting money Photographer and Cupertino native talks career development COURTESY OF FRANCESCA KIELB AND MADISEN BATHISH

Pieces of Stamp senior’s collection available at the OVRKLL pop-up shop

AVERY FRIEDMAN

Stamps seniors launch girl-power pop-up shops Kielb and Bathish add flare to thrift through their brand OVRKLL in pop-up shops featuring other Stamps women SARAH AGNONE Daily Arts Writer

I had no idea what I was in for upon reaching the prominent pillared, white house on Tappan, but after talking to Art & Design seniors Madisen Bathish and Francesca Kielb, I was happy to learn about the exciting yet relatively secret new brand they’d created. After only a few minutes of sitting in their kitchen and talking about fashion, their latest project and their hopes for the future, it was clear they had done something extraordinary with an inspiring purpose. As two extremely talented Art & Design students, the prospect of graduating college with only an Art & Design major poses both incredible opportunity and, all-too-real, vulnerability. As members of the next generation of young artists, Bathish and Kielb possess exciting potential with their brilliant work, impressive résumés and bold femininity. Kielb was a former Managing Design Editor of the Daily. However, becoming a female entrepreneur with a major in Art & Design presents a daunting amount of pressure to overcome in the next four years. Even as progressive strides are made in regard to unbalanced aspects of the world, like the gender wage gap, women still face disadvantage, a dynamic brought to light constantly in the wake of the recent election. Graduating as an

Mostly designer, all chic and obviously opulent Art & Design student presents its own challenges, including a known lack of employment opportunities many majors are said to ensure. In an effort to reduce federal spending, the Trump administration plans to defund the National Endowment for the Arts, which provides essential funding in grants to the exhibition and cultivation of the arts. Despite taking up less than .003 percent of the nation’s yearly budget, cuts would have a drastic effect on the

artistic community nationwide, especially for upcoming artists such as Bathish, who is hoping to pursue fashion merchandising, and Kielb, who is pursuing curation after graduation. Faced with this pressure and a passion to support like-minded women in the arts, the two came up with a trend-setting idea to take thrown-away clothing and transform it into something more fabulous. Their brand is called OVRKLL, and its resurrection of forgotten clothing makes an exclusive, sought-after look possible for any maximalistconscious woman. Over Winter Break, Kielb approached Bathish, remarking on the girls’ uncanny ability to sort through racks and piles of old, unwanted clothing. They realized they both loved the vintage look best found at thrift stores, and realized their ability to find the hidden gems could help others find the same exciting look every girl wants, but decides she doesn’t have the time, money or effort for. After rooting through Salvation Army racks on any given day, the two would pool their findings: a tank from Dior, vintage tees, brand name jeans, a silk robe and faux fur accessories. Mostly designer, all chic and obviously opulent. Their hunts yielded a surprising amount of brandname merchandise with the potential to form an iconic look. With an eye for potential and detail, the pair repurposed their findings with embellishments and alterations. The two showed me some of the latest treasures from their collection. Holding up their latest treasures, Bathish donned a pink bomber jacket, sporting a lip patch she’d crafted herself, while Kielb pulled out a black satin robe, complete with an Alexander McQueen label. While Bathish works with more of a fashion background, interested in the design and creation of clothing, Kielb is especially interested in the curative, marketing process. Kielb put it jokingly: “We both want to do what the other doesn’t” — making them the perfect team for the continuation of the brand. When describing their own style and the look of OVRKLL, the two used one word over and over again: maximalism. It’s most easily described as an aesthetic rejection of minimalism, a difficult concept to execute in the world of art and fashion. For them, however,

the idea is simple. Maximalism, as Bathish said, consists of “things you wouldn’t usually put together being put together to look fucking epic.” Seen in collections by the likes of Gucci and Prada, maximalist clothing is elaborate and luxurious, but lacking responsibility and accessibility. OVRKLL intends to take on a perspective that challenges the value we hold in our clothing, proving

When describing the look of OVRKLL, the two used one word over and over: Maximalism maximalism is possible without the price tag and excessive use of new materials. As they put it, “Through our own vision, we make something fabulous out of recycled means.” Better yet, OVRKLL is part of a collaborative effort that goes beyond its own magnificent clothing and accessories. Kielb and Bathish have also created a pop-up shop for “women makers,” in which to sell OVRKLL the creations of numerous other female artists in the School of Art & Design. Other artists and designers can sell their works and take home full profit with no cuts required for a place in the pop-up shop. The overarching hope is for the effort to take on a life of its own with more and more student artists taking part over time. The first pop-up shop is scheduled for Feb. 4 at Amer’s on Church Street. The two hope to transform the back of the deli into a fresh venue complete with drapes, screens, decorations and clothing racks for a boutique-y vibe. However, supporting the space for themselves and other artists costs money — more than one would think — which has encouraged the two to apply for an ADC Grant from the Art & Design School. They hope the space can grow into a unique opportunity for female entrepreneurs. Their newest collection can be seen on Facebook and Instagram at @SHOPOVRKLL.

Daily Arts Writer

Emily Malan — a freelance photographer whose client list stretches from Vogue to Airbnb — believes her work is “more interesting than just a pretty girl and a pretty street.” Malan’s grandparents were the first Chinese family to settle in Cupertino, the northern California city that now hosts Apple Inc.’s headquarters. “My grandparents owned a f lower farm so there were chrysanthemums and a f lower stand that they sold them at — that whole area was just orchards” Malan said. A few generations later, the demographics shifted, the photographer’s high school was “70 percent Asian and 30 percent white.” Raised in a creative household, Malan first picked up her mulit-media artist mother’s camera at the age of 12. “Having a family with an artistic background is an advantage,” she said, but her mother warned she’d “rather have me not be an artist because she knows how hard it is.” Malan looked challenge in the eye, though, enrolling in photography classes at a local community college as a highschooler to “get a level up” in the field. She went on to earn her BFA in photography from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. in 2010. “I definitely didn’t have a lot of work when I was first starting out” she said. But after spending five years in LA after graduation building her professional network, Emily Malan is in demand. This season, her travel schedule buzzes with jobs in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Southern California for the Coachella music festival. When I spoke to her, she had

just returned from Couture Week in Paris — before that, she attended Men’s Week in Milan. “You kind of turn into a local,” Malan continued, “immersed in culture, meeting people — you’re on your own most of the time.” Over years of traveling, the photographer has grown comfortable with the “idea of being a city-dweller.” This notion shines through in her work; some of Malan’s most striking and vibrant photos are her “street style” shots. “I’m really inf luenced by

Why am I the only girl here? What’s going on? cities,” she said, noting how some photographers “use the street as a background and the cool person wearing the cool clothing but there’s no story being told with it — I’m more interested in telling a kind-of narrative.” At November’s Pitti Uomo men’s trade show in Florence, Malan was hired by Barney’s to shoot behind the scenes of the Tim Coppens runway show. “They wanted to tell a story with it, the runway, the getting ready, the makeup and the hair,” she explained. “I was like: ‘okay I can do this pretty easy, pretty straightforward.’” But once she arrived backstage, Malan couldn’t help but zoom in on the set’s solely-male atmosphere. “I was the only girl photographer backstage — literally the only one.” She recalled thinking,

“‘Why am I the only girl here? What’s going on?’” As a female who frequently finds herself in a crowd of male-dominated lenses, Malan’s gender has acted as the impetus for the minimization of her talent, work ethic and professionalism. “One of the guys that shoots for GQ and Vogue, he definitely does not like girls around, backstage he would walk into my shots,” she said of her experience in Florence. Yet she mentioned that another male colleague put his opinion bluntly: “Girls should have a place in the field.” “People have tried to take advantage of me because they think I’m just some girl,” Malan recounted. Undoubtedly, though, the photographer has earned her prominence as a strategic player behind the runway and in city streets. She’s professional, poised and confident in her capabilities, but despite her success, Malan remains eager to push her potential and refine her artistic eye. “Creativity is inherent but also you need to learn it by looking” she noted. “I try to always say yes to experiences, you never know what’s going to happen — small things do lead to good things.” The good things keep coming for Malan: In just a week, the photographer will be heading to New York Fashion Week, and at the end of the month, she’ll shoot Paris Fashion Week. Even so, the artist’s impressive schedule doesn’t quench her thirst to look and learn. “I’m curious to know what else is out there,” she remarked. Malan accented the value of this curiosity in aspiring young artists — as well as the virtues of hard work and self worth. “Don’t think that in order to get where you want to be that you need to sleep with a man,” she said, “and make sure you get your money.”

SINGLE REVIEW Despite being relatively small and new, Flyte have consistently brought out some of the most outstanding singles and EPs of the last few years. Now building to their debut album, “Echoes,” a single released on Monday, marks their first release since “Please Eloise” in 2015. Finding inspiration in nostalgia, both lyrically and musically, “Echoes” is an ethereal walk through bittersweet lyrics and punchy synths. Although the song just about reaches the threeminute mark, there is

emotion packed into every second, and the humming bass and synths take centre stage. That is in no way to say that this isn’t Flyte “Echoes” Island Records

just as captivating lyrically, though. Tackling the hard truths of forgetting and reminiscence, singer Will Taylor evokes relatable post-break up emotions through the repeated refrain, “they remember

the echoes.” Another talent that Flyte have honed so well is harmonizing, perhaps exemplified on a cappella videos posted on Facebook recently, but here it plays a subdued part. It suits the sound perfectly. “Echoes” is a true short, but sweet song — so nostalgic, yet it only toes the line of sadness. Flyte are experts at emotional writing, and their first single in two years shows that this talent is not going anywhere. — Megan Williams

the b-side

4B — Thursday, February 2, 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

in this series, three daily arts writers in varying states of mind do the same activity and write about it.

this week’s event:

‘Lemonade’ ft. Twins STF_umich Girl’s organization She’s the First

She’s the First makes moves for girls globally University chapter promotes potential, equality and connections among their members and girls worldwide Although the majority of their organization involves women, Daily Community Culture Editor they are eager to recruit more men into the group. “If we don’t educate half “We are trying to get guys the world, we can’t work as involved,” Terachi added, efficiently and as advanced as “because girls education we would like to,” said LSA affects everyone, not just sophomore Luna Terauchi, women.” With that goal in Membership Coordinator of mind, about 10 percent of the She’s the First, when speaking club’s members are now male. about women around the world LSA senior and STF’s who do not receive education. Events Coordinator, Mona As powerful as these words Iskandarani, shared a are, they do not even slightly personal anecdote of how her sum up all the objectives “She’s grandmother, a child of 12, was the First” has for the future. not sent to school because she A non-profit organization, was a girl (they educated the She’s the First, sponsors girls boys instead). “It’s stripping in low-GDP countries that a fundamental right away allows the girls to graduate primary and secondary schools. Globally founded in 2009 and with a chapter opening up at University of Michigan in 2012, STF has been creating opportunities for young women all around the world who have the potential, but do not have the educational resources. “The organization fundraises and has social awareness events that provide from people because of their information about what we are gender,” she said. “We (STF) raising money for and why,” are thinking about all the said LSA junior and STF’s injustice in the world.” President, Heidi Haas. The organization is The group has partner consistently going after these organizations in other third- problems both on a global and world countries where they national scale. Last summer, can easily find and help girls Haas and Terachi attended a who belong in STF. leadership summit in New York “There is so much potential City where they interacted that goes untacked when with larger corporations you have all these girls who which support She’s the First. could contribute something What was most humbling for really meaningful to society,” the team was when they met said LSA sophomore and two girls who were sponsored Global Awareness Program in the organization. It was Representative, Ishani Mathur. a moment that “brought the However, She’s the First cause to life,” Haas said. represents more than just Even with so many women women in foreign countries in such faraway places, the who are in need of education. board felt as though they, They are a standing emblem too, grow up with the girls by in the area of global female staying connected through the oppression — a loud voice journey. The club exchanges that can be heard in this sea letters with the scholars and of unjustified women’s rights. are able to see the impact that ERIKA SHEVCHEK

Education is what is giving people power

is being made on both the girls and on the club. Additionally, the group doesn’t shy away from other issues. They are always considering the health and well-being of the girls and their families, their day-to-day lives and unfortunately, the discomfort and fear society creates around being female. The board understands that talking about these issues with these girls is a way to handle them. At a place like the University of Michigan, where different perspectives economically and racially create a heavy influence, the members of STF take these viewpoints into consideration. “We (STF) are about equality and education. Education is the main thing that is separating us from these girls. Other than different cultures, there is nothing physically or mentally different, but education is what is giving people power. And these girls deserve to have equal power,” said Business sophomore and Vice President, Emily Fletcher. And as Haas reflected on what being a woman meant to her, she concluded: “I always remember that there are more difference within each sex than there are between sexes. We are living in a very progressive time, but not everything will fall into place right away. Although there a lot of women’s issues that need to be solved, I am really excited because this is the first time women’s issue are being valued.”

My god this cinemotography. “Prayin to catch me” “Where do you go when you go quiet” holy shit I’m already dead and this started 2 minutes ago. She’s hitting me with her fuck I forgot what I was gonna say. This demon in my mind just asked if this video was overrated. God damn. Oh I remember! DudeShe’s hitting me with poetry !! Pure poetry!! Beyoncé almost plummeted to her death my heart just fell from my body. My jaw just dropped all this water came rushing out of this building during “hold up” it’s a Beyoncé tsunami!! Slant rhyme! I truly believe Beyoncé has the power of life and death. I can’t wait until Blue Ivy is old enough to watch this god damn will she be proud. B is the leader of this female mob and wow I have no idea where we are or what we are doing but I most genuinely feel like I have been initiated into the mob. Wait do we know how Jay-Z feels about this album?? does he finally feel bad for what he did? Or like ? Anger to apathy ahhhhhh Is that SERENA WILLIAMS ?? they look like they are in the same house as AHS Coven setting. “Daddy’s Lessons” love this song but the host of this apartment does not. Whoa the cup I’m drinking out of has lemons on it like how fucking convenient. Ok well now we are disrespecting B by talking get about Eminem. Ugh “sand castles” I feel tears coming on but my cotton mouth is too bad it’s drying up my tears. Wow props to Jay Z for being in this video and knowing that he is a DAMN CHEATER. IN THE PUBLIC EYE. I’m dead on “Freedom.” I think this is it here I go catch me now Wait pd (post death) the evolution of her hairrrr though — Daily Arts Writer

“I tried to make a home out of you but doors lead to trap doors” MY HEART. These words hurt enough when they’re not spoken by the soft voice of Beyoncé. Baked is giggling at her laughter at her own tears. I’m just waiting for “hold up” to come on so I can break it the fuck down. It’s on, Someone get me a bat. I hope if I ever go on a rampage my breasts look 1/15 as good as beys do here. Why does the cinematography in this sometimes remind me of Harry Potter, avadaka kadavra jay z. The outfit in “don’t hurt yourself” is everything I want to be in this life. (Minus the real fur, sorry bey, #meatismurder #morrissey) LOVE GOD HERSELF. “If Beyoncé doesn’t have suck his balls neither do I,” bored, quote of the century. This album makes me want someone to cheat on me. Baked doesn’t have a venmo. Is she Amish? A fourth party just reminded me about the fact that Eminem is “the skid mark on the underwear of America.” True. Beyoncé and I have the same Nina Simone record. I can die now, I am Beyoncé always. If you can listen to “Forward” without shedding a tear you are truly heartless. Goosebumps. I’m so emo. “Formation” is one of the most important things to come out of the last decade. Fight me. Replenish my wine. — Daily Arts Writer

She’s the First is more than a group of people supporting educational rights. They will continue to make great strides in creating equality for all people universally and inspiring others in the Ann Arbor community and beyond. For membership information, please contact hahaas@umich.edu.

TESS GARCIA

Senior Arts Editor

ALEXANDER WANG

Will womenswear remain a man’s world? The irony in an industry made for women dominated by men

Ghesquière, Tisci, Saab, Michele. Galliano, Lagerfeld, Gvasalia, Wang. Question: What do these things all have in common? Each of these men sit at the helm of a top-grossing women’s clothing label. Even the musical reference I just made can be attributed to a man. In 2016, only three of the world’s top 12 richest fashion brands boasted female creative directors. This is especially remarkable given that womenswear rakes in over $200 billion more of the industry’s income than men’s. Business of Fashion notes that although women account for the majority of those entering the industry, they represented only 40.2 percent of the 371 designers surveyed last fashion month. Even if certain fashion

Who let Sober Christian™ into this party? Oh wait. It’s his apartment. Doors lead to trap doors. Juxtaposition of the cornfield and the sleek black hoodie with zipper accents — never noticed before. Woman out here literally walking through water in a Roberto Cavalli gown. Is the baseball bat also designer? Bang bang! Mood: Calling yourself the “baddest woman in the game.” Beyoncé driving over every parked car in a monster truck is my mom when she comes to visit Ann Arbor. Beyoncé yelling is so hot. Only person who can make the word ‘pussy’ sound eloquent. Waiting in thorough anticipation of Serena Williams’ scene. Bang bang!!! She here! “If I saw Serena and Beyoncé next to each other I’d be equally in awe of both of them.” “She too smart to crave material things,” but they don’t hurt, am I right, custom Cavalli gown? Now I am borderline crying because police brutality has taken so many. The mother who hastily shakes her head no as she holds up a picture of her murdered son. America is not fair. Beyoncé is speaking to the metaphor of lemonade and the room is quiet. “Every single costume in ‘Formation’ needs to be in a museum.” YES CHRISTIAN. — Tess Garcia

houses were created by women at their time, they write, today they often have creative leaders that are men. Somewhere in the women’s clothing industry lies an alarming disconnect. Women may be underrepresented and underpaid in most other fields, but one would think that they could take internal control of the one that is, quite literally, made for them. Yet something continues to keep girl power from coming out on top. Are the meninists right? Does testosterone truly know estrogen better than estrogen knows itself? After 18 years of immersive research on female life, I can conclude that the answer is no. To tell you the truth, I don’t know what’s driving the male domination of this seemingly womanly territory. All I know for

certain is what is true of every industry: the existence of nuanced inequities among men and their qualified female counterparts. That, coupled with brandowner groups like Kering and LVMH being maledominated, could be enough to restrain even the most talented young female designer. I can’t write this article without acknowledging the handful of of incredible female designers that do exist. They’re scattered across the globe, from Milan to Tokyo to New York City, presenting young women in fashion with a silver lining surrounding the monogamous cloud that has loomed over womenswear from the beginning of time. “Monster,” the song I referenced earlier, is comprised of three verses. Rick Ross and Jay-Z present the first two, accompanied by Kanye West in the chorus.

Things change in the final verse: Nicki Minaj, one of few well-known women in the male-dominated rap world, takes over. She shows listeners who’s boss, dropping bars that must have left Rick, Jay and ‘Ye with their jaws to the floor. McCartney, Karan, Prada, Philo. Kawakubo, Versace, Sui, Ferretti. Not unlike Minaj, these female designers embody all that a woman in fashion should. Their poise and creativity produces billions of dollars in revenue for their labels each year –– the true embodiment of “think big, get cash, make ‘em blink fast.” They consistently leave the industry eager for what the future will hold, inspiring their up-andcoming counterparts along the way. Beneath the surface of womenswear lies a whole new generation of motherf*cking monsters.

the b-side

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Thursday, February 2, 2017 — 5B

ABC Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope in “Scandal”

Politics flop but show still shines in new ‘Scandal’ She’s nobody’s ‘Fair Lady’ but her own lady

BAY STREET THEATER

Modern adaptation of “My Fair Lady”

Scandal’s sixth season remains uncertain, but is deserting political roots DANIELLE YACOBSON Daily TV/New Media Editor

A long, long time ago – in 2012 – Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) was “handling” D.C.’s scandals in a white power suit, rigging a presidential election and having a secret, steamy affair with the President of the United States. Normal “Scandal” things. 2017, however, has proven to be no time for normal. With explosions, a murder (gasp!) and political inconsistencies galore, the sixth season premiere of the Shondaland drama returned without any intention of reining in the ridiculousness. “Scandal” made no attempt to hide its political leanings last season, as a parody of Donald Trump emerged in the form of sleazy oil-tycoon Hollis Doyle (Gregg Henry, “Gilmore Girls”). The stabs were anything but subtle, as the fictionalized nominee hopeful portrayed all-too-familiar characteristics of unsubstantiated candidness, an affinity for corruption and an unfortunate hair-do. Furthermore, the episode where fake-Trump is booted out of the running for the Republican nomination by ex-First Lady and senator Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young, “The Freebie”) is called “Trump Card,” just in case there was any ambiguity. This agenda comes as no surprise. Creator Shonda Rhimes, along with her three TGIT leading ladies Kerry Washington, Viola Davis (“How To Get Away With Murder”) and Ellen Pompeo (“Grey’s Anatomy”), released a powerful endorsement for Hillary Clinton in the spring of 2016. But the “Scandal” cast claims to be leaving real-world politics behind

as the sixth season promises to carry a different tune. With the first five episodes of the season filmed before the November elections, the narrative will be a counterpoint, rather than a parallel, to the current political outcome, Rhimes told the Hollywood Reporter. Perhaps it’s better this way, for politics was never “Scandal” ‘s strong suit. Instead, the series turns its focus to telling a compelling story and churning out some goddam entertaining drama. Season six opens in the final moments of the presidential election between Mellie Grant

Building complexity through pity is not the Shondaland style and the Democratic nominee Frankie Vargas (Ricardo Chavira, “Desperate Housewives”). The deciding state of the race – of all places – comes down to California. Irritating political paradoxes aside, Rhimes is a master of building compelling female protagonists. Only a handful of shows in recent memory have been able to pull off a character arc as drastic and fulfilling as the one portrayed in Mellie Grant. The once-detestable, scorned First Lady bitterly standing in the way of Olivia and Fitz’s star-crossed love affair has gradually – and surprisingly – transformed into the most relatable character on the show. Earlier seasons chipped away at the ice queen with trauma: a tub of fried chicken and moonshine in hand, Mellie’s narrative as a mother mourning the loss of her

son was heartbreaking and, for once, completely believable. But, ultimately, building complexity through pity is not the Shondaland style. Rather, strong women are formed when they rise in spite of adversity, and Mellie is the ultimate badass. Facing the setbacks that come with being a woman in politics to dumping the POTUS for her own shot at the oval office is ballsy, to say the least. She’s strong, flawed and wildly interesting. In a landmark fifthseason episode, Mellie filibusters against the defunding of Planned Parenthood (even though she’s a Republican, but we’ll let it slide). She, perhaps single-handedly, embodies the kind of optimistic, fictionalized politics that make “Scandal” different from the rest of T.V.’s D.C.-based dramas. This season also promises a continuation of the unlikely – yet totally amazing – friendship blooming between Olivia and Mellie. Both screwed over by the same guy and willing to go to any lengths for control of the White House, the duo stole the best scene of the season six premiere: commiserating in style, they drink champagne in a marble bathtub. Once you get passed the fuzzy politics and the occasional bouts of cringe-y writing, the sixth season premiere of “Scandal” delivered on the over-the-top theatrics we all knew to expect. Although the episode was (unfortunately) devoid of angsty side-eyes and hot-andheavy make out sessions in White House closets, it was nevertheless entertaining. Olivia Pope is finally back, this time with a ginormous red prada bag covering up her the actress’s baby bump, handling business as usual.

Daily Arts Writer Eli Rallo recounts her experience watching a reboot of the ‘Pygmalion’ classic through a modern feminist lens ELI RALLO

Daily Arts Writer

Over the summer, I had the honor of seeing the musical “My Fair Lady” at the Baystreet Regional Theatre in Sag Harbor, N.Y. I brought a hesitancy with me as I went to see the golden age Broadway musical for the second time in my 18 years. I carried with me an aversion to the show’s portrayal of feminist issues, misogyny and the weak view of women it creates. Eliza Doolittle, the protagonist, is a cockney f lower girl taken in by the extravagant Henry Higgins, who bets he can turn Eliza into a “proper lady” in six months. Higgins successfully transforms Eliza through misogynistic and tiring tactics which diminish her personality and qualities, ladylike or not. Higgins celebrates his success selfishly, completely leaving Eliza out. This leads to the creation of her polemical argument against Higgins at the end of act two. Despite Eliza’s anger, the show ends with a reconciliation of sorts between the two. The end begs the audience to accept that Higgins is a decent guy, disregarding everything he did to Eliza throughout the musicaland poses her as rather weak. Somehow, in the production I saw this summer, director Michael Arden (Director

of the Broadway revival of “Spring Awakening” 2015) was able to take the original text and completely transform its meaning. Through stylistic choices (the use of set, thrust style staging and mood blocking) and a tweak of that infamous ending scene, the show transformed from the story of a glorified misogynist being forgiven for his wrongdoings to that

I wonder a lot about the implications of these classic golden age musicals on society

of a woman going through a terribly oppressive time and walking away from it stronger. The show ends with Higgins alone on the stage while the cast stripped his entire home away from him until the stage was bare. Eliza appears in the doorway, takes one look at him and defiantly turns the other way. I wonder a lot about the implications of these classic golden age musicals on society. Pieces of theatre like “Oklahoma,” “Carousel,” “Kiss Me Kate,” “The King

and I,” “Damn Yankees,” are all well-known, continuously produced pieces from that era. Yet they all harbor undertones of misogyny and aren’t successful in providing the view today’s female audience needs. Each miserably fail the “Bechdel Test”–– a test created by artist Alison Bechdel to monitor the role of women in film and theatre. A piece passes the test if it includes a scene between two women in which they discuss something other than a man. It is appalling that these pieces of theatre, and countless others, cannot include dynamic roles for women. One could argue that the 1950s, the time in which most golden age theatre premiered on the great white way, are to blame. Being a decade of massive oppression for minority groups and women, it is inevitable that the theatre of the time would ref lect such injustices. There is something very relevant and important about the material Arden adopted and how he was able to transform it into something strikingly different from the original piece without changing the text at all. The piece provided hope for the musical theatre I’d like to see in 2017: less reliant on the strong, central male figure and more poised to give women an empowering role in a time during which they were objectified and pushed down.

COMMUNITY CULTURE COLUMN

If we only stopped to listen Opinions and ideas often lost to missing ears as Kadian describes in this week’s column Our problem is that we really don’t listen to one another. We are in stuck in a period of tension, conflicting views, fear, confusion — a product of merging different perspectives and different struggles, all while trying to find some common ground. Yet, so often we choose not to listen. It is not only in the form of ignoring the collective plea surrounding the major problems facing our world, but it is that most of us are aware of the weight of those topics. This inability to listen emerges in our everyday interactions with one another. That is, not solely in the topics evoking high levels of sensitivity that are covered on the news, but almost anything that could possible cause a differing of opinion. A conversation that begins something like this: “I love the winter so much, the snow is beautiful,” says the girl sitting next to me in lecture, while she looks out the window. I’ve instantly stopped listening. I don’t agree. I hate the winter with all my heart and constantly ask myself how

I’ve survived living in Michigan my entire life. Her opinion has not only provoked me to want to express my own, but also, has encouraged me to ignore whatever she has said about the “beauty” of the snow. I’m aware she’s speaking about why she loves the winter, but I have drowned the sound of her voice with the booming sound of my own thoughts about just how wrong I think she is. I have purposely chosen quite a superficial example, not for the sake of belittling my point, but instead to display that our tendencies to avoid listening to one another transfer into all facets of life, whether important or not. We listen for maybe a few words in, but the minute we hear something that sounds just a little off from what we think, we rarely keep listening. This happens all the time. The professor raises a question, hands go up in response and someone takes it upon himself or herself to share something that opposes the thoughts I have.Our inability to listen has

actually become the reason as one another. That’s entirely to why conflicting views cannot inevitable, and if you’re just be bridged in some way and realizing that now, maybe you why we’ve left very little room need to become more observant for compromise within our of the way the world functions. community. Our instinct is to If differing opinions won’t say: “I have found the fault” or change in our lifetimes, what “I don’t agree.” The girl sitting will is our response to them. next to me loves the winter and Ingrained in me is a habit of I hate it, so we cannot go on to shutting out others’ thoughts speak about things simply because I in the same way. want to respond with Because we don’t an objection that think the same way. reflects my personal Well, we’re going opinion, convincing to spend our entire everyone that I am, lives trying to find in fact, right. people who do. My parents have If my mind always told me: could stay in the “Bailey, you have conversation just a to start listening BAILEY bit longer to listen, to people around KADIAN I might realize that you. You will miss the girl who loves the winter so much if you don’t.” For might have a memory attached the amount of time I spend to this season or maybe has defending myself in opposition never experienced snow before to a point someone raises college or maybe doesn’t easily against me, I could spend the feel cold, like I do all months of time listening to what someone the year. had said. If I let the girl who Don’t get me wrong, the loves winter tell me why, I could problem is not that we have have waited to explain to her different opinions from why I hate it.

Mutual understanding — it’s something rare I think we’ve lost. Instead of trying to consider what position people may be coming from, I am so fixated on my own. That doesn’t mean someone’s opinion has to sway you to the “other” side. It is more a way of developing confirmation toward why you have come to your own conclusion, while also making an effort to meet the other person halfway. Winter is the worst season according to me and maybe many others. I could probably find and present research on the multitude of health benefits attached to other seasons or attack the amount of illnesses that circulate in the winter compared to other times of year. There are various ways to prove a point is correct, but that’s not my objective. It’s the process of getting there that matters. I always tell people: “We all only listen to what we want to hear.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor spoke at Hill Auditorium this past Monday and she shared

that during her first year as an undergraduate student at Princeton, she listened. She met many people, with many backgrounds that were entirely different than her own. And she listened. Beyond just being attentive, she really heard them. Today, she is so influential in the public sphere and can use her voice to project her beliefs to the public. She took the time early on to listen in order to develop a voice that projects such value and wisdom. If we just spent a little more time listening to people and truly hearing what they have to say, our responses to divergent views would probably be more appropriate. If you really want to find a platform for your voice to be heard, you must first listen to others around you. We live in a world of opinionated people, who are passionate about many things. In order to express your view, especially if you’re trying to say it is “right,” you have to hear what the other side says. Otherwise, how do you really know they are wrong?

Arts

6B — Thursday, February 2, 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

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WARNER BROS.

From Lit Girls to It-Girls: Characters as covetable as Insta stars TESS TOBIN

Daily Arts Writer

She’s only an “it-girl” if I want to steal her life. For me, that the line to be drawn for the definition. Trouble is, the girls whose lives I would like to steal the most are fictional imprints of the author’s imaginations. But that does not make me want their lives any less. Lady Macbeth The literal and metaphorical Queen of “Macbeth.” Was that a low-hanging sentence? Yes. But it was wholly necessary. She’s in a league way above her Shakespearean contemporaries; she isn’t whiney like Juliet and Ophelia, she’s bold, beautiful and bloodthirsty. Lady Macbeth is the ultimate badass; unapologetically ambitious and determined. In a time when women were thought of as nothing but disposable accessories, she mercilessly pursued power. Admittedly, her proclivity to murder is a little off-putting, but a girl’s got to have some flaws. Anne Shirley Red-headed and befreckled Anne Shirley of “Ann of Green

Gables” is nothing short of ridiculous. She personifies the term “extra” a century before it even came into existence. She is unabashedly melodramatic –– after accidentally dying her much loathed red hair green she wails that her life cannot possibly go on. But her over-the-top nature

I’m not immune to coveting these cool girls’ cool lives only adds to her endless charm and fuels her unparalleled sense of imagination. Hermione Granger The true hero of the Harry Potter series. Or, at least, to nerdy know-it-all girls like me. Those two buffoons would be no where if it wasn’t for Hermione’s logic, wits and ingenuity. Being a witch is undeniably cool,

but being the best witch in a wizarding school infinitely cooler. Eloise No one can pull off an egg cup hat like Eloise. The little diva, who lives in the Plaza Hotel, made life at The Plaza so alluring. Plus she was in possession of just about the coolest pets a six-year-old could possibly have: Weenie the pug and Skipperdee the turtle. Scout Finch Universally beloved. Arguably the greatest thing is to be loved by all, and “To Kil a Mockingbird” ’s Scout’s narration captures the heart of all. She’s intelligent, mischievous and genuinely good, in a way that perhaps only a child can be. I’ll admit it: I have dreamed of being a model after a Bella Hadid Instagram binge. Or a food stylist (which might be the best job ever) after scrolling through Molly Yeh’s picturesque page. But while I’m not immune to coveting these cool girls’ cool lives, I don’t lust after them the way I do with literary heroines. The lives of female protagonists don’t have to fall under the constaints of modern society, but instead are abound with thrill and melodrama.

ARISTOPHANES

Aristophanes presents a welcome wake-up call Taiwanese rapper floughts convention with spooky sound CARLY SNIDER Senior Arts Editor

Aristophanes spits and spins. Her delivery is slippery and sharp. In an instant, she switches from a whisper to a growl, creating sounds unlike anything I have ever heard. Her words seem to seep from her with ease and effortlessness, but they bite. Even if, like I, you cannot understand her slew of Mandarin, the punch of emotion is unmistakable. Though exquisite in her execution, Aristophanes is relatively new to the hip-hop scene. Hailing from Taipei, she began dabbling casually in the scene there only a few years ago. Growing up, she was exposed to very little pop

culture, making her aggressive jump into music all the more impressive and surprising. Unlike her male, Taiwanese counterparts, Aristophanes does not use her music as a stage for her swagger or to get a leg up towards a lush lifestyle — she is no braggart and has no desire to break into the American music scene. Despite her lack of intention, Aristophanes slipped into the American stream when featured on “SCREAM,” an arresting single from Grimes’s 2015 Art Angels. Her voice paradoxically drips with sex and malice, rapping: “You lie there / Struggling with the body f luid that is getting cold / Sticky, transparent, elastic f lowers in my palm.” She is not one to mince words,

talking about sex and the body with a gothic tilt. Her most recent track, “Humans Become Machines,” was produced by Grimes and is reminiscent of the pair’s previous collaboration — dicy and surreal. Her music makes my skin tingle; I feel hyperalert and slightly frightened, yet so much more alive. But it’s not only her sound; it’s her. Aristophanes herself is a force that demands to be felt. Nothing about her intersects nicely with American hiphop convention — not her gender, her nationality nor her contorted lyrical phrasings. In the hegemonic realm of hiphop, Aristophanes is a wakeup call; a blast of freezing, refreshing air.