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Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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CRIME
Anti-Semitic, racist emails distributed on list servs SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Abdu Murray, author and Michigan alum, speaks about “What Does it Mean to Be Human” at Hill Auditorium on Tuesday.
Christian apologists draw 3,500, talk meaning of human worth, value Spiritual leaders speak about theology, philosophical context of religion at Hill Auditorium KAELA THEUT
Daily Staff Reporter
What does it mean to be human? More than 3,500 students and Ann Arbor residents filled Hill Auditorium on Tuesday night to grapple with this very question and listen to
Christian apologist writers Ravi Zacharias and Abdu Murray discuss questions of value, morality and human worth in the context of a Christian faith. Christian apologetics is a branch of Christian theology that uses historical evidence, philosophical reasoning, as well of other forms of academic
inquiry to defend the religion against criticism. One of the speakers, Zacharias, is the founder of the Ravi Zacharias International Ministries based in Toronto, which promotes this school of thought. Murray serves as the North American director of these ministries. Sponsored by Christian
student organization Michigan Cru, the event was centered on the idea that humans are not collections of random atoms, but replete with intrinsic worth provided by God. The presenters believe in the modern loss of self-worth, and how humans derive their value from others, See CHRISTIAN, Page 3A
Students in engineering, computer science list servs received threatening emails ALEXA ST. JOHN & ALEXIS RANKIN
Managing News Editor & Daily Staff Reporter
Tuesday night, at least three racist emails were sent out to University of Michigan Computer Science and Engineering undergraduate students. The subjects of the first two emails was “African American Student Diversity” and the third read “Jewish Student Diversity.” The first two emails read: “Hi n*****s, I just wanted to say that I plan to kill all of you. White power! The KKK has returned!!! Heil Trump!!!!”
The third reads: “Hi you fucking filthy jews, I just wanted to say the SS will rise again and kill all of your filthy souls. Die in a pit of eternal fire! Sincerely, Dr. Alex Halderman.” The emails were sent by three separate University uniqnames — all of which are administrators of the listservs, potentially indicative the listservs via the University’s online contact server, MCommunity, may have been hacked. University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald could not provide further information, but confirmed the University had been apprised of the situation. See EMAILS, Page 3A
Authors present award-winning book A2 tobacco CSG passes purchasing about poverty in the United States resolution ANN ARBOR
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
age kept 21 despite law
Over 600 gather to hear about disconnected experience living on $2 a day
Monday Council meeting highlighted discrepancy between state, local stance
Kathryn Edin and Luke Shaefer presented their book “$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America” — which won the 2016 Hillman Prize for Book Journalism and made The New York Times’ list of “100 Notable Books of 2015” — to approximately 600 visitors Tuesday night at Rackham Auditorium, followed by a book signing. Edin, a professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, has been conducting research in American poverty for more than 20 years. Shaefer is a professor of social work at the University of Michigan and director of the Poverty Solutions initiative, which seeks strategies to prevent and alleviate poverty. The book tells stories of real people who live on $2 per day, depicting their poor living conditions. Shaefer described the book revealing the effects of changing public policy on families, looking specifically to low-wage work and affordable housing. According to Shaefer, the most meaningful part of writing the book was the opportunity to meet people and go places he had never seen before. He pointed out how stratified and separated today’s society is. “In many ways, we are
ANDREW HIYAMA Daily Staff Reporter
Councilmember Julie Grand (D–Ward 3) expressed her desire to clarify the city’s Tobacco 21 ordinance is still in effect Monday at a City Council meeting, despite an opinionissued by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette claiming the ordinance is in conf lict with state law. The ordinance, which was passed Aug. 4 and went into effect Jan. 1, raises the minimum age for tobacco purchase from 18 to 21. “It’s been widely reported that an opinion issued by the attorney general last week has invalidated our Tobacco 21 ordinance, and that is simply false,” Grand said. “While the attorney general’s opinion does have implications for the actions of those who work for state agencies, he does not have the power or authority to invalidate our local ordinances.” Schuette’s opinion is not the only opposition the ordinance has faced –– the ordinance See CITY, Page 3A
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disconnected, those with means and those without,” Shaefer said. “It is almost like we are living parallel lives. We are in the same places, but never in the same spaces.” Currently the authors are working with filmmaker
Jennifer Redfearn to turn the book into a documentary. They showed her the places they had visited themselves while working in the field. “This has been such a remarkable experience because we have just
happened in on situation after situation that just amplify the themes of ‘$2 a day,’ ” Edin said. The authors also spoke during the event about the story of a woman they only See $2, Page 3A
for IsraelPalestine
Student body decides to host lunch, debates merit of political involvement RHEA CHEETI
Daily Staff Reporter
HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily
H. Luke Shaefer, co-author of $2.00 a Day with Kathryn J. Edin, discusses their book and poverty solutions in Rackham on Tuesday.
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Vol. CXXVII, No. 25 ©2016 The Michigan Daily
Despite the mixed reactions from CSG’s last meeting, a resolution aiming to host an Israeli-Palestinian lunch to foster dialogue passed with 18 in favor, nine opposed and five abstentions. However, the student assembly debated heatedly over the details of the resolution and CSG’s handling of the debate, with LSA Representative Eli Schrayer voting “no with rights” against his own resolution to continue the conversation. The resolution was in response to CSG’s previous meeting that involved Palestinian and Israeli conversation. Since 2002, pro-Palestinian group Students Allied for Freedom and Equality has presented resolutions to the body asking it to support the group’s request of asking the University’s Board of Regents to divest from certain companies operating in Israel. The group believes the business practices in Israel and the products produced contribute to the oppression of Palestinians. The last CSG meeting had the closest vote See CSG, Page 3A
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6
SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................7
News
2A — Wednesday, February 8, 2017
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ON THE DAILY: HOTLINE BLING Though it won’t a come as a surprise to many, a new University of Michigan publicationfound most people pass waiting time by using their cell phones. The study, released Monday afternoon, is co-authored by Daniel Kruger, a research assistant professor at the University. Kruger’s study — conducted in restaurants and lobbies across Ann Arbor — found that 62 percent of people waiting for a beverage or food, at a bus stop, or in a waiting room used their cell phones to pass the time, with 55 percent of people began using their phone in less than 10 seconds. “Some of our questions include, ‘How does usage of cell phones relate to people’s interactions in real-life social space?’ “ Kruger told Michigan News. “The best way to answer
certain kinds of questions may be through observational methods.” By using information from the service providers, Kruger found college students are on their phones up to five hours every day, but also paid attention to the social contexts in which students use their phones. “The accuracy of selfreported cell phone usage rates has been called into question as it only moderately correlated with objective server log data,” the study reads. According to the Michigan News release, Kruger envisions his findings as part of a bigger picture issue of the effects of cell phone use on social interactions. “If everyone is stuck to their screens, they’re not going to be interacting with other people around them,” Kruger said. “Are people going to be losing their social skills because they just
don’t interact with other people, especially strangers? It has very real implications for social cohesion and social capital at a
larger societal level, if people just aren’t talking to each other.” - KEVIN BIGLIN
U-M College of LSA @umichLSA
L AW L E C T U R E
U-M’s very own #FabFive star @JalenRose is getting his own comedy pilot! #GoBlue #JalenVsEverybody
Aristephanies @Aristephanies So much fun to work with @tedxUofM. Can’t wait for the event on Feb 8th! #DreamersandDisruptors #Phiregroup @phiregroup #Branding
HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily Mila Versteeg, Law Professor at the University of Virginia, discusses the impact of constitutional rights at the School of Social Work on Tuesday.
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Concert Band WHAT: The concert band, under the direction of Graduate Conductor Stephen Meyer, performs “Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.” WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. WHERE: Hill Auditorium
Timothy Monger’s Amber Lantern WHAT: Michigan native Timothy Monger performs a record releasing show of his third solo album, Amber Lantern. WHO: The Ark WHEN: 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. WHERE: The Ark, 316 S. Main St.
Improv as Cross-Cultual Gateway WHAT: Edward Sarath, professor of jazz and contemporary improvisation, reflects on his performances in South Korea. WHO: Nam Center for Korean Studies WHEN: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work, Room 1636
Mindfulness@Umich WHAT: A guided meditation session free for all students and faculty. WHO: Newnan LSA Academic Advising WHEN: 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. WHERE: Cooley Building, Room 2918
Basic Knife Skills
Honey 101, Take 2
WHAT: Keegan Rodgers, head baker at the People’s Food Co-op, gives a workshop on basic knife skills, including knife safety, storage and care. WHO: People’s Food Co-op Ann Arbor WHEN: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Ann Arbor District Library
WHAT: Back by popular demand, Zingerman’s will teach on the nuance and varieties of honey. WHO: Zingerman’s Delicatessen WHEN: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Zingerman’s Delicatessen
Steve DiMare
RASHEED ABDULLAH Daily Staff Reporter
The death of a loved one, the grief of never being able to see a loved one’s corpse and knowing their final wish was never granted were all topics discussed in the panel “Six Feet Over, Six Feet Under” Tuesday evening in the Michigan Union. The panel featured experts on the laws and measures surrounding death and palliative care — health care directed at making the lives of individuals with a terminal illness feel more comfortable. The experts dispelled misconceptions surrounding hospice and discussed the importance of advance directives — legal documents specifying actions to be taken
It would definitely be helpful for students and their families to have this sort of knowledge mentioned that putting off advance directives creates many consequences after the death has occurred. If students die and their parents have not taken the proper advance directives, the parents might not be allowed to see their children before days of
EARLY 2 RISE & LATE 2 BED. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com
why are backpacks not water resistant? someone make this happen.
WHAT: The 2016 M-Prize winning Calidore String Quartet performs pieces by Haydn, Dvorak and Brahms with Music, Theatre & Dance students. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: 8 p.m. WHERE: Earl V. Moore, Britton
Maddie Fyke
Shirley Verrett Awards Ceremony
@fykmad
WHAT: The UM Women of Color in the Academy Project will present its 6th annual Shirley Verrett award to Anita Gonzalez. WHO: Center for the Education of Women WHEN: 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Walgreen Drama Center, Stamps Auditorium
Grateful for those in Confress who DID try to keep DeVos out. And even more grateful for the teachers in my life who deserve better.
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Lecture dispels misconceptions about measures surrounding death preparation government intervention. Merilynne Rush, a registered nurse, invoked the Sandy Hook tragedy as a prime example of how not attending to advance directives can be devastating to a family. “This is what the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School victims had to face,” Rush said. “The parents couldn’t see their children until their bodies were forensically examined by the government.” Rush also discussed hospice and its role in palliative care. Rush said a common misconception is that hospice is like giving up on life, but it is really about making the last years of a people’s lives more comfortable and even extending their lives. The panel also discussed how, while it is clear not preparing for such situations could bode consequences for families, many people still avoid them because of their lack of acknowledgement of death. Wrock said the topic of death makes people uncomfortable, leading them to avoid talking about it. She added that most of the logistics surrounding death and its aftermath are unknown to the public. Business junior Greg Graham mentioned how important it is for students to have this knowledge as it greatly affects them and their families. “It affects all of us and our families and there are certainly a lot of people in our college who have grandparents who are starting to go through medical issues,” Graham said. “It would definitely be helpful for students and their families to have this sort of knowledge.”
@Steve_DiMare
M-Prize Winning Guest Recital
Event aims to educate public about importance of advance directives on an individual when they can no longer make decisions. Attorney Rebecca Wrock
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EMAILS From Page 1A “We are aware of an email such as the one you describe and our IT security team is looking into it,” he said. “I’m not even sure what names are that may be associated, but clearly that’s one of the first things they’ll be looking at, is whether someone’s account has been compromised.” The uniqname of J. Alex Halderman, a professor of computer science and engineering, was used in the original emails sent out. His name was also signed at the bottom of the third antiSemitic email. Halderman acknowledged the incidents in an email statement to the Daily early Wednesday morning. “This evening many EECS undergrads received emails with racist and antisemitic content that appeared to be addressed from me or from my Ph.D. student Matt Bernhard,” Halderman wrote. “These messages were spoofed. Matt and I did not send them, and we don’t know who did. As I teach in my computer security classes, it takes very little technical sophistication to forge the sender’s address in
CHRISTIAN From Page 1A rather than from Christianity. Murray discussed the importance of the “Golden Rule,” the concept that rather than treating others kindly because of a selfish desire for reciprocal kindness, humans should empathize with all humans and foster relationships bound by love. “I want to leave you with that,” he said. “Because if we take in that message, and live as somebody else, regardless of their beliefs, regardless of their creeds, regardless of their backgrounds, regardless of their ethnicities, if we can take in that message and live like that, then maybe our correct idea of what it means to be human will ultimately be restored.” Murray also believes relationships are failing due to humans passing judgement onto others rather than deriving intrinsic worth from God. “Our sense of connectedness is cracked,” Murray said. “If our connection to God is cracked, our connection to each other is cracked.” Zacharias expanded upon Murray’s idea of intrinsic worth by explaining how relationships are what help make human beings unique, despite being made in the image of God. “How God manages this is absolutely remarkable, by introducing the notion of the family and love between the fellow human being,” Zacharias said. “While you and I share
an email.” Halderman also addressed this incident as in response to his position as an election security expert. “This appears to be a cowardly action by someone who is unhappy about the research that Matt and I do in support of electoral integrity,”
This appears to be a cowardly action by someone who is unhappy Halderman wrote. “We study cybersecurity and elections, and in recent months we were involved in efforts to recount the presidential election to confirm that the outcome hadn’t been changed by a cyberattack. I wrote about why these efforts were necessary shortly after the election. In any case, the content of these emails is contemptible, and I’m sorry that the EECS student body was subjected to them. The university is aware of the situation, and I expect an
the image of God, you have a distinctive uniqueness where your relationships give you the privilege of a kind of love that they cannot give to anybody else. You are in a relationship with that privilege to God.” Zacharias said citizens put too much value in their governments rather than in their own self-worth.
If we can’t even talk to each other in a civil way, we are sending a horrible example “Some nations actually believe that the value of an individual is made by those in power,” he said. “That’s not what the Bible reminds you and me; it reminds us that you are made with such essential worth and intrinsic worth.” Zacharias ended the event with his disappointment in the amount of social division in the modern world. He questioned what civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. would think of the hatred being spewed — believing that the words of intolerance send a terrible message to today’s youth. “What has happened to us now?” Zacharias said. “If we can’t even talk to each other in a civil way, we are sending a horrible example to our young — to say that unless you think like me, I’m going to be intolerant of you.”
News official response soon.” The University Division of Public Safety and Security also tweeted a message stating actions are being taken in an investigation of these incidents. In response to the emails, a post was made in the public Computer Science Facebook group for the University. Comments on the post speculated as to how and why the messages were sent. “The uniqname is probably being faked to a moderator/ owner on the group so the email will bypass moderation,” one comment reads. “The name is being set to the victim’s name along with reply-to field so he receives the complaint.” Engineering junior Noah Martin-Ruben wrote in an email interview he would not speculate the named senders are at fault. “It looks like the person sending the emails is trying to anonymize themselves by using a fake, somewhat untraceable email,” Martin-Ruben wrote. On the same Facebook page, it was speculated that the emails did not come from the senders they appeared to. Instead, posters believed the messages were routed from a fake emkei.cz email.
Regardless of their religious views, students in attendance shared the opinion that the speakers presented interesting points and thought-provoking ideas. LSA sophomore Mary Kate McNamara said she appreciated how the talk allowed people of many different worldviews to come together and discuss a topic relevant to all humans. “I really liked the Q&A at the end,” McNamara said. “I found it very interesting and refreshing that people with such different world perspectives, whether they are Christian, of another religion or non-religious, could discuss a topic as important as human worth and dignity with such respect for one another.” LSA senior Erin Finn said she was excited to take part in a forum where the Christian perspective on the purpose of life was illuminated, as too many people view Christianity as a strict set of rules rather than guiding purpose of life. She explained that message of the speakers and how they voiced her beliefs accurately to a large group of people, resonated within her. “Ravi and Abdu really touched on how Christianity is about an ultimate gift of love from God, and how God’s love for us gives our life purpose,” Finn said. “They noted how this his necessitates nothing from us, but rather arises from our intrinsic worth as human beings made in God’s image. As a Christian, I was really happy that other people could hear what I actually believe, not what they might think I believe.”
CITY From Page 1A passed with two dissenting votes, from Councilmember Jack Eaton (D–Ward 4) and Councilmember Jane Lumm (I–Ward 2). “I am vividly aware of the cost of smoking, but I can’t support this ordinance,” Eaton said in a July City Council meeting. “The Michigan Tobacco Products Tax Act says that we shall not impose any new requirements or prohibitions pertaining to the sale of tobacco, and that’s exactly what we’re doing here. I think that when there’s a state law that tells us not to do something, we’re ill-advised to do it regardless of how passionate we are about the intent behind the law.” The opinion, also issued Monday, was requested by state Sen. Rick Jones (R–Grand Ledge). In it, Schuette argues state law preempts local laws in this case, and that it is specifically in conf lict with the state’s Age of Majority Act. “The Act expressly bars laws that prescribe duties, liabilities, responsibilities, rights and legal capacity of persons who are 18 to 20 years old that are ‘different’ from those who are 21 years old,” Schuette wrote. “The Age of
$2 From Page 1A recently met during the filming process. The woman, whose name was not given, was waiting for a local food pantry to be opened with two other men, as she had not eaten in four days, only to be turned down by the food bank for not having a mailing address. Toward the end of the event,
CSG From Page 1A yet, with 34 against and 13 in favor. Schrayer said the lunches would not be open to the public nor to students in general, but to only a select group. “We can very easily get this funding from other places, but we think it’s a really good thing for CSG to pass,” Schrayer said. CSG President David Schafer, an LSA senior, was opposed to the idea, as he believes that it’s not within CSG’s jurisdiction to fund resolutions of that nature. “Quite simply, it’s not CSG’s place to judicate on international conflicts and international issues,” Schafer said. “Our scope is narrow, our priority, first and foremost, is to address pressing campus issues, and how students on this campus feel. I’ll be very honest, when people come up to me and say, ‘David, why is CSG considering (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions), it
Wednesday, February 8, 2017 — 3A
Majority Act’s rejection of a difference of laws for those between the ages of 18 to 20 years as a class from those 21 years and older was predicated on the existence of a duty, liability, responsibility, right, or legal capacity related to the sale or furnishing of tobacco products.” Though the minimum age of 21 for the purchase of alcohol in the state appears in conf lict with this act, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in 1984 that the general provisions in the Age of Majority Act “did not alter” the Liquor Control Act passed by the state legislature, which raised the minimum age for purchase from 18 to 21. Noting that Schuette’s opinion did not have legal weight, Grand implied the opinion also might be factually incorrect. “Not being an attorney, I won’t comment much on the legal merits of the opinion, except that I would like to point out that the attorney general has been wrong before,” she said. Furthermore, Grand questioned the motives of Attorney General Schuette in issuing the opinion, saying it was a failure of his duty to protect the health of Michigan residents, and making her own motives clear. “We have a couple public
officials who are supposed to defend the health of Michigan citizens,” she said, referring to Schuette and Jones. “Why would they have the audacity to make it easier for our youth to have access to tobacco products?” Grand referenced a study, published in March 2015 by the Institute of Medicine, which concluded that Tobacco 21 ordinances would achieve their intended effect of preventing adolescents from taking up smoking in the first place. “The committee concludes that overall, increasing the (minimum age of legal access) for tobacco products will likely prevent or delay initiation of tobacco use by adolescents and young adults,” the study reads. “The age group most impacted will be those age 15 to 17 years.” In addition to adolescents who have access to tobacco through older friends or siblings, the ordinance also targets 18-to-20-year-olds who may be on the path to addiction, Grand said. Though the ordinance does not provide any resources for people under 21 who are already addicted, Washtenaw County and the University of Michigan both run tobacco cessation programs to assist residents and students struggling with tobacco addiction.
the authors stressed the need for action to be taken. “Whatever those things are that we do, it is maybe not so much what you do, as how you do it,” Shaefer said. Shannon Powers, a University alum who now works at the Chelsea District Library, initially read the book as part of the Washtenaw Reads Planning Committee. “It was so informative, but in a great way,” Powers said. “It was very narrative … so you
were able to raise awareness and reach a larger audience as it was accessible to the average person.” Kathy Daly, an Ann Arbor resident, said she appreciates how the book is so farreaching, and added that she finds it groundbreaking. “It’s sort of low-key as it recounts stories of how people are trying to survive,” Daly said. “At the same time, because it is low-key, it is infinitely profound.”
has no place in CSG’ — I believe that BDS is far more relevant to CSG than this resolution, because BDS more directly impacts students on this campus. This is judicating on a conflict that ostensibly has no effects on the students on this campus directly.” Schrayer disagreed, believing CSG is the right avenue to address campus climate. He said if Jewish student organization Hillel sponsored the event, it would look too biased. “I think this is 100 percent a student government issue because it’s campus climate, it’s how students on campus are dealing with one another and their everyday lives on campus; people feel this every single day,” Schrayer argued. “If not here, then where is the place? This is why I ran for student government, to bring issues that affect my community here. We’re simply buying food for people to come together and I don’t see a downside to that.” Rackham student Rep. Andy
Snow expressed that the amount requested wasn’t outside of the CSG budget’s means, and stated that the resolution was showing initiative in trying to improve campus climate. “This is 200 bucks, and we have approximately $20,000 — that’s 0.01 percent of the money we have for the next month,” Snow said. “I don’t think it’s going to work at all, but I see no reason why it’s not worth trying when they’re the only people who have tried to do something through here. I find the pushback on this absolutely ridiculous.” Schafer responded to Snow, emphasizing that BDS has had little consistent change when presented to the body and that his opposition to the resolution was not because of its financial aspects. “We’ve given BDS the same chance that we’ve given this resolution, and every year BDS has failed, OK?” Schafer said.
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4A — Wednesday, February 8, 2017
GINA CHOE | OP-ED
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FROM THE DAILY
A
Don’t ignore disability
s the University of Michigan continually implements initiatives to create a more diverse, inclusive and equitable environment, one minority in particular has been neglected in the University’s discussions: students with disabilities. Given 19 percent of people in the United States identified as disabled in the 2010 census, it seems exceptionally remiss for the University to neglect the needs of such a large portion of our population. These issues are incredibly salient now, as the University is moving forward with $85 million renovations to the Michigan Union, which include re-outfitting the building, which originally opened in 1919, to be more accessible for students with disabilities. While the University was ranked the most “disability friendly” campus in the United States in 2016, there is still a long way to go in confronting the ableist culture that pervades everyday aspects of life on campus. The Michigan Daily Editorial Board implores the University to heed the voices of students with disabilities in order to ensure that all students, regardless of their ability status, feel included on campus. While the University is spending significant time and energy in the interests of diversity, equity and inclusion, the inclusion of those with disabilities has been ignored by almost all University plans outside of Union renovations. The University-wide plan uses vague language to refer to the need for inclusive design with only a single specific University-wide initiative to evaluate University web tools as screen-reader capable. While these initiatives are certainly laudable, we would have expected more thought to have gone into this significant issue across the University. In general, the overarching DEI plan includes little concerning the inclusivity of people with disabilities. While the Universitywide plan includes headshots of many diverse members of our community, the plan lacks a photo of a visibly disabled person on its front page, excluding those who identify as disabled from the get-go. It sometimes even uses language considered derogatory by people in the disabilities community; the one quote from a visibly physically disabled woman in the entire plan includes the term “handicap,” which many in the disabled community consider extremely derogatory. Moreover, LSA and the Division of Student Life, two of the largest units that deal directly with students, lack concrete efforts in their DEI plans to appeal to students with disabilities. While this board has previously identified significant issues with the DEI initiatives, co-opting the disabled experience in these plans while weakly dealing with the problems is unacceptable. These oversights manifest in the infrastructure of our campus, as students with physical disabilities have identified seemingly simple issues that have just been ignored by the University. Perhaps the largest issue is that buildings that comply with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations do not ensure that people with disabilities feel included in those spaces. While ADA-compliant buildings may include accessible pieces of infrastructure such as ramps or wide hallways, these implementations often segregate students with physical disabilities, who consequently must use alternate back or side entrances and roundabout routes to get to their destinations. Beyond entrances, many lecture halls have accessible seating only in the back, making it difficult for students to see, hear or participate, especially in a large room. Some of these design oversights even endanger students
with disabilities. For example, a significant number of West Quad’s “accessible” rooms are located on the fifth floor, creating potentially life-threatening danger for students with physical disabilities in the event of a fire or other emergency restricting use of the elevator. These design flaws send the message that students with physical disabilities are not wanted — or even safe — in our main spaces. In order to craft more inclusive building and service plans, it is crucial the University consults with several students with disabilities, as each student has different experiences and personalized needs and can provide a nuanced understanding of what it means to be a student with a disability on campus. For many able-bodied individuals, it is impossible to truly understand and think about all the obstacles a disabled individual might encounter on a daily basis. As a result, non-disabled administrators are unable to devise effective policies or solutions without taking the time to listen to students with disabilities. This inexperience can also lead non-disabled administrators to make assumptions on behalf of disabled individuals, and these administrators are usually uninformed and openly work against fully including disabled students when crafting policies that have everything to do with them. As of May 2016, the University serves the most students with disabilities in all of the Big Ten. According to the SSD’s 2015-2016 annual report, 2,277 students — including undergraduate, graduate and professional students — are registered with the office. Despite the numbers, the University has a disappointing number of specialist faculty members to help disabled students access equal opportunities on campus. The Services for Students with Disabilities office provides a variety of assistance options for students with learning, mental and physical disabilities. Over the past six years there has been a surge in SSD student enrollment, but the SSD budget has been nearly cut in half. There must be an increase in funding to SSD to ensure all students with disabilities can get individual help for their specific needs. An increase in funding would also allow the SSD to reach its full outreach potential, as many students are not aware of the services that SSD can provide. Finally, the University needs to tackle disability culture as a whole, ensuring all students feel safe and welcome on campus. While this task is a tall order, as it likely involves restructuring curriculum and course
requirements, it is a desperately needed step in protecting all students. There are currently many issues surrounding ableist culture that go unnoticed on campus. Those who are ablebodied are often not required to think in a way that includes perspectives of those with disabilities. Few classes are taught with units on disabilities and even fewer classes dive into the heart of curriculum on disabilities and disability history. For example, while it may seem important to have a class dedicated to the implementation of accessible buildings for students studying architecture or civil engineering, such classes are only offered as electives to architecture students. Furthermore, while it may seem that those in LSA would greatly benefit from classes on disabilities, it is not a requirement that this information be taught and it is only discussed in a few classes, often through the Race and Ethnicity requirement. A few student groups, like Initiative for Inclusive Design, are working toward shedding light on issues of ableism on campus. But with ableism being such a problematic cultural norm, the University has a duty to educate its students on the struggles this marginalized population continues to face, especially when we as a campus have a goal to enhance our diversity, equity and inclusion. Such a culture shift will likely take a long time to implement and take effect on campus, but this effort needs to start now. There is no excuse for largely ignoring an entire group of people on campus and throughout the world, and denying their voices and stories from being heard. The University should spearhead a culture shift against ableism by recognizing disability as an identity essential to diversity, working with students with disabilities to rectify those issues and educating others on the history and current culture on disabilities. Most important to this culture shift will be continuing the conversation and openly discussing where we as a campus fall short and can improve. The DEI initiative has committed the University to supporting minority groups on campus. Furthermore, the University has displayed a commitment to protecting the rights of minority groups through actions such as the defense against racist fliers found around campus and President Donald Trump’s unacceptable executive order barring immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries. Thus, it is imperative that the University also works to defend the rights of students with disabilities on campus.
W
Love on sale now
hen we think about for Valentine’s Day. As a case in Valentine’s Day, point, I gave my seventh-grade we tend to picture Valentine a Giant Hershey’s a perfect romantic night — a Kiss with a rolled up 20-dollar bouquet of red roses, bill. I thought that dinner at a finechocolate was not dining restaurant and expensive enough and the best selection of cash would do justice wine. And, of course, (Remember: 20 dollars this perfect night is a lot of money to a doesn’t come without seventh-grader). a price tag. According According to to the Journal of researchers at the Business Research University of Rhode study conducted by GINA CHOE Island, this forced Krugman and Grannis, consumerism can U.S. shoppers spend $13.7 million lead to reactance: When people’s dollars on this day. Valentine’s freedom of choice is threatened, Day is an opportunity to shower like when they feel forced to your partner with love and spend money on gifts, they affection. That’s one argument. tend to aggressively want the Valentine’s Day doesn’t alternative, like not wanting to always pan out the way we buy the gift. want. Amandalea71 expresses As a result, people tend to her disappointment on Reddit engage in the gift-exchange in that her boyfriend took her to an insincere manner. From a “the grimiest IHOP in town consumer research survey, some and then go see Avatar for the of the reasons cited by consumers 4th time.” To some, Valentine’s for partaking in gift giving Day is simultaneously the best on Valentine’s Day included: and worst day of their life, “Because your significant other as JENbubbie writes: “I was will get pissed off if you don’t” married 2/14/87. I was served and “Because if I didn’t, I would divorce papers 2/14/2010.” never hear the end of it.” These Valentine’s Day horror To make matters worse, the stories makes us consider: Is problem lies on both ends of this Valentine’s Day really about gift exchange. A FierceRetail love? Despite the promised day report reveals that while we of celebration, it seems that expect our significant other many people are left unsatisfied to spend about $240 on us, and worse yet, alone. I find men will spend about $98 and that the obligatory nature of women will spend about $71. this holiday is the culprit of an This discrepancy between unsatisfactory outcome. expectations and reality The problem with Valentine’s leaves many gift receivers Day is not that people spend disappointed and unsatisfied. money, but that we feel like we On this account, Peter have to. Close and Zinkhan find McGraw and his colleagues that 63 percent of men and 31 find that we have a tendency to percent of women feel obligated quantify love. Individuals will to give a gift to their partner spend more money on a gift for
a loved one even if a cheaper option is available. Therefore, receiving a more expensive gift would imply that their partner loves them on a greater scale. Conversely, then, those who receive a gift of low price value would think that their partners love them less. Due to these heightened expectations surrounding this holiday, we fail to appreciate the gift-giving gestures in full account and we demand more. According to Time’s survey, 70 percent of people want to be surprised with gifts rather than be asked what they want for Valentine’s Day or know in advance. However, we still find that many people choose to spend the money rather than planning a more thoughtful surprise. Considering the unmet expectations of Valentine’s Day, it is surprising to find that about half of millennials still plan to splurge this year with an even greater amount of money than previous generations from FierceRetail statistics. Don’t feel like spending the big bucks? The G Brief reminds us that the other half of millennials find Valentine’s Day to be overrated and onethird of them don’t plan to participate. I am also jumping on this bandwagon. I tend to feel sympathetic toward Valentine’s Day doers as I used to be one of them. However, I realize that red roses, fancy gourmet chocolates and teddy bears that say “I love you” — and certainly expecting to be spent $240 on — don’t define true love and romance. Gina Choe can be reached at ginachoe@umich.edu.
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. MICHIGAN IN COLOR
It’s up to us RABAB JAFRI
P
resident Donald Trump’s executive ban on visas from Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Libya, Sudan, Syria and Yemen was recently suspended by a federal judge, which is in effect nationwide — though it is currently being appealed. As the ban comes to a standstill, uncertainty about the treatment of immigrants, Muslims and green-card holders by the United States still hangs in the air. Though many Americans find the Trump administration’s actions shocking, they are only a consequence of inaction. It is the failure of people to act sooner and to care for the injustices that previous administrations have done to these countries, as well as to its own citizens, that has gotten America to where it is today. Under the Obama administration, the seven countries that were put on this list previously had restricted visa rights, and five of these seven countries were bombed during his administration. His administration was also responsible for deporting more people than any previous president. Trump’s actions are not occurring in isolation, but only a continuation of policies that Americans did not openly oppose that have caused them to become the norms of society. The apathy toward the United States’ bombing of these countries as well as the normalization of profiling Muslims has created the foundations on which Trump’s actions are built upon. They are not unfounded, but instead only a continuation of previous policies put in place in the name of the war on terror — though this time, on a much larger scale. These policies only further the fear of others, as they did post 9/11, and the rate of hate crimes has only risen since. The rhetoric behind Trump’s ban is for the safety of the country, but the countries where such terrorists have come from in the past — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt
and Qatar — are not on this list. Though many of those who voted for Trump thought that he would not be influenced by special interests, these countries are still allies to the current administration. And yet, even as people hold on to the idealism that the Clinton administration would have been bliss, the truth is that its foreign policy was still largely influenced by special interests, as the Clinton Foundation accepted tens of millions of dollars from these same countries. For the citizens of the six countries with a history of violent intervention on behalf of the United States, which administration destroys their homes has little relevance to them. The executive ban only brought the issue closer to the home and directly affected people in a more overt way. The ban was based on the fundamental misunderstanding that the citizens of these countries are to blame for the turmoil in their countries and equates the oppressed with their oppressors. It is crucial that all people who seek to create real change ask themselves what it is that they seek to achieve and whether their activism is true or only selffulfilling. In the age of social media activism, people often sit behind their computer monitors and try to write the cleverest antiTrump rhetoric or pro-humanity slogan in 140 characters, without action to follow. Likewise, people may attend a protest and forget about the issue the next week because it is no longer in the news. Though social media activism and protesting can be powerful, it is crucial to be consistent and to show continued solidarity for there to be sustainable change. Even if the ban is truly suspended, there are more issues in this country that have long been buried far below the attention of the public eye. The effects of social media activism and other forms of self-fulfilling activism are evident in the way issues are so easily forgotten, like the Flint Water Crisis, which is now rarely talked about in the public sphere,
but it is nowhere near resolved. The House Oversight Committee recently closed the investigation of how much officials knew about the lead levels in Flint’s water, leaving Flint’s residents without answers for the causes of their suffering. Likewise, though people have been rising to protest against the Trump administration’s decisions, there is still a lack of fair media attention to the Black Lives Matter movement. It is often the issues of those from lower socioeconomic status, people of color and victims of dehumanizing foreign policy that go overlooked and forgotten. Not only should people be concerned with the issues that are easily visible, but also those that go forgotten easily and that have been prevalent for years. It is up to us to not forget them, not just when the issue affects us personally, but whenever we see acts of injustice, whether it be on Americans or on those affected by United States policy around the world. It is only with consistent reminders and tangible actions that these issues can be reversed, and long-standing systemic problems can be overturned. The world is at a crossroads in history, and which direction America will take is unknown. And yet, in the short time that Donald Trump has been president of the United States, there has been a strong public solidarity among people in support of immigrants and Muslims that has never been seen previously on such a large scale. This should be used as an opportunity for people to unite and question policies that are created on the basis of fear, which stems from misunderstanding foreign countries. It also stems from a lack of public consciousness on the United States’ influences in these countries and the systematic racism that is so prevalent in the education, occupation and health systems. If these issues are truly eradicated, the changes will last far past Trump’s administration. Rabab Jafri is a Michigan in Color contributor.
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, February 8, 2017 — 5A
FILM COLUMN
ALL THINGS RECONSIDERED
A soundtrack to life
A24
ELEKTRA
Third Eye Blind’s debut record one to remember Scorned by critics, fans make a point never to forget the qualities that made the band worth a listen to begin with both palatable to older fans of soft rock and yet retain Daily Arts Wrtier the slightest of edges for the alternative crowd. And after these first two Third Eye Blind is a band songs, we get the stretch both immortal and scorned. that made Third Eye Blind Sure, they have scored stars. “Semi-Charmed Life,” more lasting, the record’s mainstream lead single and Third Eye Blind hits than any biggest hit, leads f ledgling band it off. It’s the Third Eye Blind today can even boppiest song Elektra dream of, but ever written their short about crystal window of success has forever meth, with a catchy little singconfined them to the title of along hook and quickly rapped “ ’90s band.” You can almost verses that are still extremely imagine the deal with the easy to keep up with. “Semidevil that lead singer Stephan Charmed” remains, for good Jenkins made when he was reason, the best-known and unsigned in San Francisco: most-enjoyed Third Eye Blind “Yeah, I’ll make you sextuple song — it’s a crowd pleaser platinum, but you’ll end up as a that still crosses genres in an consistent Justin Timberlake innovative way and features punchline.” some ambitious lyrical content “The kid from ‘The Mickey hidden under its sweet sound. Mouse Club?’ Seriously? “Jumper,” however, hasn’t Ah, fuck it, dude. Make me aged quite as well. It’s a famous.” plodding acoustic song that And so Third Eye Blind never goes anywhere exciting. still ends up confused with Its lyrical subject (a suicidal Semisonic, despite decidedly gay friend, according to not being one-hit wonders. Jenkins) has potential, but the I’ll grant you that it’s not the words seem to purposely avoid greatest tragedy of our time, any kind of specificity in favor but still, Third Eye Blind’s of clichés. That said, nobody self-titled debut is a first- has forgotten the chorus in class overlooked album, and two decades, so it must be doing probably the best work to something right. come out of the ’90s’ mostly In the middle of this stretch forgettable “bubble grunge” one finds the somewhat lesserphase. In the public eye, known “Graduate,” which was the hits shine so bright that only a minor hit back in its day. people are blinded to the other However, its three minutes songs, but 20 years later, Third feature the most focused burst Eye Blind remains a satisfying of energy on the whole album, listen front to back. and it’s the only heavy, fast The opening two tracks, track without any sort of quieter “Losing a Whole Year” and bridge. “Graduate” is the closest “Narcolepsy,” aren’t the Third Eye Blind ever came to band’s most recognizable writing something Blink-182 songs, but they provide a would. strong introduction to its And we close out this songwriting abilities and incredible run of tracks style. “Losing a Whole Year” with “How’s It Going to Be.” announces itself in attention- Certainly the least immediate grabbing fashion, with wall- of the album’s hits, “How’s smashing power chords and a It Going to Be” might shouted refrain from Stephan nevertheless be the most Jenkins. Jenkins isn’t quite satisfying; it’s a perfect change a rapper, but the verses here of pace that builds to an certainly bare some hip-hop unforgettable climax. When inf luence — call it talk-singing Jenkins gets to his barely with swagger. comprehensible screaming at “Narcolepsy,” meanwhile, the end, it truly feels cathartic showcases a kind of radio- and earned. I’m not sure you friendly pop rock that has can be more dynamic in a fallen out of favor in the two four-minute pop song. decades since its release. I don’t necessarily blame Quietly strummed guitars anyone who turns off the and soft vocals eventually record after “How’s It Going lead into a hard-charging yet to Be.” Late ’90s records are inoffensive chorus. Third Eye notorious for their bloated Blind’s success likely stemmed runtimes, and Third Eye Blind in part from its ability to be is no exception, as the album’s LAUREN THEISEN
second half is mostly taken up by filler tracks, inferior retreads of first-half songs and only a few memorable moments. Keep the breeziness of “Burning Man” and the well-crafted build of “Motorcycle Drive By,” and you can cut most of the rest. That said, anyone giving this album another listen after some time away owes it to themselves to revisit “The Background.” Buried near the end of the album’s hour, it takes the romantic melancholy inherent in most of the record’s lyrics and gives it to the melody, too. We finally get some clear details from Jenkins in this break-up song (“I walk Haight Street to the store / And they say where’s that crazy girl / You don’t get drunk on red wine and fight no more”). There’s no distance here, no catchy “do do do”s to undersell a song about drugs. Jenkins isn’t an incredible singer, but on “The Background” he draws the listener into his heartbreak, fully immersing you into his world before tossing out a rewarding, invigorating heavy guitar solo. I’ve been writing this piece taking it for granted that Third Eye Blind is no longer famous, but technically, that’s not exactly true. Sure, most people would be hard-pressed to name a song of theirs that has come out this millennium, but the band recently announced a 20th anniversary tour, set for the summer, that most currently buzzed-about bands could only dream of. While more presently relevant bands like Japandroids or The Hotelier play clubs or theaters (if they’re lucky), Third Eye Blind is still performing in amphitheaters with capacities in the high four figures, as the great songs of their past continue to be sung out by thousands every night. So, more accurately, Third Eye Blind is a band scorned by charts and critics, but not fans. In the mainstream, they may be jokingly remembered, but within their own circle of admirers they remain stars — thanks mostly to this one twenty-year-old debut album. As their original fan base gets older and younger listeners hear them for the first time, this record seems to grow more and more in esteem. Frankly, I find their success inspiring: Write a few great, beloved songs, keep working, and you can live forever. No soul-selling required.
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As much as it is anything, “20th music is to defining a world, that Century Women” is a catalogue of music is one of the strongest worldthe artifacts that surround three building tools filmmakers have, distinct women in 1979. Among something unavailable in the same those artifacts — the jeans and the capacity to other storytellers. And cameras and the cigarettes — is thus he creates one of the most their music. sharply real period-pieces of recent The film structures itself around memory. It’s one thing to look like this music, becoming a certain moment itself a sort of playlist, in time, but to look and in the process and feel like it too is assembling one of the something else entirely. best soundtracks of In the movie, Jamie, the year. It’s an audible the boy who consumes time capsule of Santa the music of the women Barbara in 1979. around him — both The whole their literal albums and production is elevated the figurative music by Roger Neill’s dreamy their lives make — is score, one of the most MADELEINE 15. I turned 15 in the tragically overlooked fall of 2011, and since GAUDIN of the year. Neill, who Senior Arts Editor seeing the film, I’ve composed the score of been thinking about the Mills’s last film “Beginners” as well soundtrack that would accompany as Mike Birbiglia’s “Don’t Think my 15th year of life. Twice” and the Amazon series I was a freshman in High School, “Mozart in the Jungle,” crafts a amped up on social anxiety and score that both compliments and hope that the cute senior in my counteracts the punk, art pop and Spanish class would talk to me. In jazz that make up the rest of the hindsight, I would love to be able soundtrack. The opening track — to say I was listening to Watch the titled “Santa Barbara, 1979” for the Throne and Section .80, but I wasn’t text that appears onscreen — is that cool yet. synthy and soft, very Brian Eno and I was emo without knowing I very un-punk. was. Sad, moody, lying on my bed On paper, or rather on a Spotify listening to Bright Eyes wondering playlist, it’s pretty clear which why the hell I was stuck living in songs “belong” to which character: the worst place on earth. Abbie is the Raincoats, Julie is the My soundtrack is not the kind of Talking Heads and Dorthea is Duke soundtrack conducive to fantastic Ellington and Fred Astaire. But dance sequences, although I can see on screen the delineations are less Annette Benning and Billy Crudup clear. Each woman’s music invades trying to dance to Little Dragon’s the lives of the others — Dorthea “Ritual Union” before switching goes to punk shows with Abbie and to M83’s “Midnight City” and dances to The Talking Heads in a absolutely losing it. sincere attempt to understand the It’s the sort of soundtrack that world her son is growing up in. lends itself to car rides, areal shots Mills understands how integral of kids on bikes and skateboards,
walking along the creek behind my childhood home, my mom teaching me how to drive. That was also the first year I started listening to my parent’s music, lured in by the sweet melancholy of Belle & Sebastian and LCD Soundsystem. I was also heavily influenced by the music my friends and my brother were listening to. There were two girls in my art class who paid attention to music, they would tell me about Beach House and took me to Black Keys concerts. My art teacher played David Bowie and had us watch the music video for Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.” The music that surrounded me that year helps define it. It reminds me what it felt like to be 15. When I play that music for other people, our 2011 lives overlap sonically in some places and diverge in others. But music makes it easier to draw lines between different lives — much in the same way my mom noted to me as we left the theater how much my dad loved the song that plays over the film’s credits, “Why Can’t I Touch It?” by The Buzzcocks. “20th Century Women” gets a lot of criticism for being plotless and untethered. And that’s valid, but also not necessarily a fault of the film. Because instead of adhering to a traditional plot structure, the film borrows its structure from a playlist — an assembly of tracks (in this case scenes) that exist without a destination or endpoint. So instead of coming down to finish its arc, “20th Century Women” ends soaring, quite literally, and pleading, “You must remember this.” And with its soundtrack, it gives you the tools to do just that, to remember.
MUSIC REVIEW
‘Safe in Sound’ deserves any praise sent its way Britain-based rock band succeeds in crowd-pleasing album, but old fans may long for the sounds of LTA’s past examples of what they can offer on this album. Each sounds Daily Arts Writer different enough from the rest and most of their previously released music, enough so that Long-time workers of the they work as a teaser, not a British music scene, Lower spoiler. Lower Than Atlantis Than Atlantis have always have always had a roughseemed to be shunned by the around-the-edges sound, but spotlight that it’s now gone. they deserve. Instead, the Despite several band sounds Safe in Sound prestigious professional to Lower Than festival spots the extreme — as Atlantis in recent years, you’d expect from bands of the a fifth album. Easy Life, Red same class seem Lead vocalist Essential to keep getting Mike Duce placed ahead of sounds his very them. best, the album However, Lower Than showcasing the best vocal Atlantis has consistently been work he’s done to date, and putting out some of the best even though some of the lyrics rock music, and although could be easily taken from any none of their albums have number of alt-rock bands, his been commercial successes, delivery manages to save it their confidence and continual from falling into cliché. touring have kept them at Although all of the songs are the back of everyone’s mind. catchy, undoubtedly written Now, with newfound maturity, to make a room full of people Lower Than Atlantis seem sing along, there seems to to have finally hit the sweet be a missing spark that was spot of writing arena-worthy present in their previous work. bangers on their new album “Another Sad Song,” from their Safe in Sound. 2008 album World Record, is Four singles from the album by far one of the best songs were released in January — a the band has written. It’s move which usually harms personal and bitter and angry the band — however “Had all at the same time, and starts Enough,” “Boomerang,” “Work slow before building up into For It” and “Dumb” are perfect something shouted back at MEGAN WILLIAMS
every live performance. There’s none of that personal emotion on Safe in Sound, and although the choruses are as catchy as you might hope, the personality of the band was lost.
If you’ve never heard of LTA before, you owe it to yourself to give this a listen
Of course, if it was written to be a tidy, crowd pleasing album, Lower Than Atlantis have succeeded. There’s still enough to set this apart from the pack of other artists writing similar stadium alt-rock, and if you’ve never heard of LTA before, you owe it to yourself to give this a listen. It is focused, with singalong choruses everywhere you look, and the guitar riffs are just meaty enough to make this rock. Anyone new to the band will find a well-written rock album; long term fans, though, might just leave a little disappointed.
Arts
6A — Wednesday, February 8, 2017
STYLE NOTEBOOK
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MUSIC REVIEW
COURTESY OF RICCARDO TISCI
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Fashion’s musical chairs Ooh-GaGa: SBLI halftime NARESH IYENGAR Daily Arts Writer
Since 2015, Raf Simons has left Dior, Hedi Slimane departed Saint Laurent, Alber Elbaz moved on from Lanvin and Alexander Wang made room for Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga. Most recently, however, was Riccardo Tisci’s announcement that he will depart from Givenchy after over a decade with the fashion house. Admittedly, I was never a huge fan of Tisci or his work at Givenchy, but I think it would be foolish to understate the scope of his accomplishments in the twelve years spent at the French brand. In his time spent at the helm of Givenchy, Tisci was able to help the label rebound from a period of stagnation under John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Julien Macdonald. He did this by finding a way to create a distinct image that could draw in a large audience. The house’s success had flatlined under a few creative directors because the brand’s collections had little-to-no cohesion, and Tisci was able to put an end to that. Where Hubert de Givenchy’s original designs were made iconic by Audrey Hepburn, Tisci was able to draw in the likes of Beyonce, Michelle Obama and Kim Kardashian to sport his designs on the red carpet and out in the Hollywood Hills. Designer labels are always associated with an exorbitant price tag, which means that the average consumer of a brand like Givenchy is
going to be quite wealthy. That said, there are some items, often popularized by celebrities, that can transcend this price-gap to the point where both middle-class and upperclass people wear the garment as a badge of honor. Those currently unable to buy the piece will spend a month saving every cent possible from their paycheck in order to subsidize the purchase. Givenchy’s Rottweiler print has been a staple in designer fashion since 2011. These
Not only was Tisci’s time at Givenchy good for building brand exposure, but it also was great for commercial success
shirts will still sell for upwards of $500 on secondhand sites. In fact, I would argue that someone would be hard-pressed to find a more iconic graphic print at any other designer house. Building on his ability to reach
Classifieds
the streetwear demographic with his graphic tees, Tisci collaborated with Nike starting in 2014 on his NikeLab x RT collection, which features both apparel and footwear (some pretty cool and some not so much). While there’s no reason to imagine that his collaborations with Nike will not continue, the benefits of the symbiotic relationship between Givenchy and the NikeLab x RT are hard to ignore. He was both able to draw the sneakerheads into his work at Givenchy for consumers who aspired to dress like celebrities, and draw Givenchy consumers into purchasing highly sought-after Nike sneakers. Not only was Tisci’s time at Givenchy good for building brand exposure, but it also was great for commercial success. According to WWD, Givenchy’s revenue has increased more than sixfold and the number of employees has increased over threefold since taking the reins in 2005, an incredible feat for a designer. While it’s unclear who will succeed Tisci at Givenchy (Virgil Abloh? I hope not, but it certainly isn’t improbable), it’s also unclear what Tisci’s next move will be. Maybe he will continue designing for NikeLab, or maybe he will move to Versace. Regardless of his choice, it’s obvious that Tisci’s next post will have expectations for him that are just as large as the shoes he has left to fill at Givenchy.
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RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
FOR SALE
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Blowout victory 5 Airline mentioned in the first line of the Beatles’ “Back in the U.S.S.R.” 9 Taj Mahal city 13 Old Renault 14 Cold, in Cádiz 15 Mark as important 16 Like most triangle angles 17 World-class 19 Glass manufacturing dioxide 21 Bk. read at Purim 22 Sports doc’s scan 23 Mantilla material 25 Univ. dorm overseers 26 “__ the fields we go ... ” 27 Codebreaking org. 28 Dream up 30 One inch = one foot, e.g. 32 Seals, as a deal 33 Program interruptions literally demonstrated by this puzzle’s four sets of circles 38 Not quite place 39 California’s San __ Zoo 40 Rubs elbows (with) 44 Kids’ recess game 45 Time of yr. for new growth 48 She raised Cain 49 It may be shaped on a wheel 52 Legal thing 53 Thickening agent 54 African desert 55 Sacred lily of ancient Egypt 58 Allow to pass 59 Architect Saarinen 60 Composer who was a CBS reporter
41 Play-of-color gem 29 “Later!” 42 South American 30 Like logs capital 31 Bitter __ 43 Australian sextet 33 Snow remover 45 Lists of nominees 34 Without a doubt 46 Persona non grata 35 Tasting menu 47 “__ Hope”: ’70sportion DOWN ’80s soap 36 Brings up 1 Means to an end 37 Sandwich filling 50 Have faith 2 Pertaining to the 51 French darling for a lacto-ovo eye 56 Dawn goddess vegetarian 3 Marseille morning 38 Frozen dessert 57 HBO competitor 4 Police unit 5 Fave texting bud ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 6 Projecting window 7 Respiratory cavity 8 Bulk-purchase club 9 Kilimanjaro’s cont. 10 Genre that influenced Prince 11 Hectic lifestyles 12 Biased targets of the Gray Panthers 13 Rodeo need 18 In that case 20 Extremely, musically 24 Angelic ring
61 Bay and gray followers 62 Uno y dos 63 Concerning 64 Spoon’s escape partner
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02/08/17
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AVERY FRIEDMAN Daily Arts Writer
“Watching Gaga?!” I texted my 62-year-old father on Sunday evening. “Fantastic,” he replied. That pretty much sums it up. Lady Gaga kept me in awe for the 13 minutes of flying, fire and fierceness that was her Super Bowl halftime performance. Gaga has been quite outward about her political opinions in the past, but refrained from directly addressing politics despite the immense visibility of the Super Bowl platform. She noted in an interview with an Atlanta radio station that she wanted to refrain from “saying anything divisive.” By doing so, Gaga managed to unite viewers in her electric performance and let the mantras of her music do the talking. Atop the upper edge of Houston’s NRG stadium, Gaga began sentimentally, crooning a mashup of “God Bless America” and “This Land is Your Land.” She then dropped into her speaking voice to recite a segment of the Pledge of Allegiance. “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice,” she paused briefly, cocked her head a little, and finished the phrase, “for all” with a little lift in her voice. Her slight tone change seemed to say, “Remember? the core of our country is really that simple — liberty and justice (and football) for everyone.” Gaga managed to keep herself remarkably cool and collected during this patriotic intro — all while knowing she was about to launch herself head-first off of the 260-foot-high roof the
stadium. In hindsight, her composure was stunning. I bungee jumped off a 360 foot high bridge last summer, and could not even form words leading up to the jump because I was shaking so aggressively. But I digress. After this intro, Gaga flung herself off of the stadium’s edge in a squirmy, spider-womanlike sprawl. She landed cleanly on a platform, clearly high on adrenaline, and belted “I’m on the edge!” before breaking into a fierce, metallic shoulder bop during the intro of “Poker Face.” A few airborne maneuvers later, a harnessed Lady Gaga planted firmly on the stage for an energetic rendition of “Born This Way.” Iconic for its celebration of diversity, the ballad was accompanied by troupe of multiracial dancers who surrounded Gaga as she sang, “No matter black, white or beige… I was born to be brave.” This ode to self-acceptance and love is inherently political, and the artist let the lyrics ring as the instrumentation silenced when she sang, “No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian, transgendered life, I’m on the right track baby I was born to survive” while the crowd clapped along. The combination of the choreography and the anthem was electric, collective and intoxicating. How could you not clap (or excitedly hip-shake) along? Lady Gaga literally did not skip a beat while transitioning into “Telephone.” The pop monster’s captivating weirdness surfaced here and flowed into “Just Dance.” Some of the highlights included: An oversized star spear, Gaga convulsing sideways in a random man’s arms, a male dance squad doing *NSYNClike moves while wearing spiky
puffer coats and Gaga using a dancer as a human mic stand while playing a keytar. Needless to say, she kept me in a jawdropped trance for what was then a seven minute mashup of my middle school jams. By this point, my roommate and I had our money on a Joanne reveal — specifically “Perfect Illusion” ’s notorious key change — but instead Gaga simmered down into a candlelit “Million Reasons.” She utilized this mellow piano ballad to put things in perspective. She asked “America — world — how you doing tonight?” While undoubtedly aware of the huge scope of her performance, Gaga seemed genuinely grounded — she juxtaposingly shouted out, “Hey dad, hi mom,” after the first chorus. The singer even ventured into the audience to hug one of her starstruck fans before vamping it up for the “Bad Romance” finale. By the end of what may have been the quickest 13 minutes of my life, Lady Gaga reminded me of what true dedication to art of live entertainment looks like. She reminded me of what it feels like to be moved into movement, to dance along to a song about diversity and inclusivity (“Born This Way”), as well one that simply celebrates dancing (“Just Dance”). While Gaga neglected to capitalize on the Super Bowl’s 111.3 million viewers to voice her opinion of the current political climate, her values rang clearly, accessibly and attractively through her music. Lady Gaga reaffirmed the power of the arts to bridging gaps: She used the spirit of music not only to voice her beliefs, but to inspire people (even 62-year-old dads) to sing along with her.
FILM NOTEBOOK
A visit to Jenkins’s past VANESSA WONG Daily Arts Writer
With “Moonlight” racking up eight Academy Award nominations, director Barry Jenkins is one of the year’s most loved critic’s darling. But once upon a time, he was a scrappy young filmmaker trying to make it like everyone else. His first student film, “My Josephine” is a peek into that era. He tweeted that sharing the film was “a reminder to myself to channel this energy, to create.” Written and directed shortly after 9/11, the film follows two Arab immigrants, Aadid and Adela, working in a laundromat, cleaning US f lags for free in the wake of the attack. In a contemplative Arabic voiceover, Aadid recalls the story of Napolean Bonaparte’s first wife Josaphine, the one he married for love. Adela is his Josephine. With the reverence he gives to the American f lags, it seems that his country is, too. Aadid’s words take shape with the film’s lyrical cinematography. In woozy green-blue hues, the camera alternates between blurriness and focus. A moving screen filled entirely with light or darkness sharpens into focus, revealing Adela, the laundromat, the American f lag – the pillars around which
Aadid’s life is built. Like with “Moonlight,” Jenkins prioritizes the personal over the political, and in doing so, achieves both. He zeroes in on the lives of his characters, drawing out empathic details from ordinary Americans living ordinary lives. At a time where their loyalty to the country is questioned, Aadid and Adela exhibit the fundamental guiding principles of the American Dream. That despite discrimination, their patriotic love for America endures. Work hard. Build a new life. Fall in love. Aadid and Adela sit on folding chairs outside the laundromat talking for hours, they dance late in the night. He outlines the care they take when washing the f lags, to protect and preserve the dignity inherent in the stars and stripes. A murky underwater shot shows arms reaching out to softly brush their fingers against the American f lag, to grasp the American Dream in their own hands. Jenkins’s body of work is a welcome addition to mainstream media. “Moonlight” ‘s overwhelming critical popularity represents a shift in the way the general public receives films featuring black characters. In the past, most of the Black Oscar winners have come from roles as slaves or domestic maids, like “12 Years a Slave”
or “The Help.” This reveals a critical fact about viewer proclivities: The majority white Oscar voters are more likely to appreciate storylines featuring minority characters if they support their vision of what a “minority life” entails. The missing step is to encourage more than just diversity — a numbers game, increasing the number of minority faces on screen and in high-level roles behind the scene — but also inclusion, which involves understanding all facets of people’s lives. Inclusion means engaging with stories about racial oppression and discrimination, but at the same time, also taking care to hear the other parts of people of color’s lives, too. Both of these components are critical to improving media representation. Jenkins is one of many talented filmmakers of color who tell honest stories about ordinary characters. Most of them go unnoticed by mainstream audiences not because they are objectively better or worse than films about the history of oppression, but simply because they feature themes that the general public is not as interested in. Jenkins’s success in this year’s Oscar nominations signals that audiences may finally begin to appreciate a wider variety of storylines, and take early steps in the direction of inclusion.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, February 8, 2017 — 7A
BASEBALL Hutchins confident in underclassmen to step up Michigan must move on MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Writer
After 32 seasons as the coach of the Michigan softball team, Carol Hutchins knows the trials and tribulations that come with being an underclassman in college softball — especially for those who are asked to contribute early in their careers. Gone are the days of second baseman Sierra Romero, outfielder Sierra Lawrence and the rest of one of the most accomplished senior classes in school history. And the onus to fill that void may have to fall on the shoulders of the underclassmen on the roster. “The game doesn’t know if you’re a freshman or a senior,” Hutchins said. “When you get the opportunity to be out there, you need to be ready to go, and not ‘Oh, I’m a freshman.’ To push everyone every day, period — that’s what we want our freshmen to do.” The Wolverines lost three of the top four hitters in their lineup from last season — Romero, Lawrence and outfielder Kelsey Susalla — all to graduation. Between them,
Michigan is losing 41 home runs, 179 RBI and 195 runs scored. The trio accounted for 42 percent of the total runs scored by last season’s prolific offense, which finished second in the country in offense at 7.90 runs per game. Granted, it’s unfair to expect any three individuals to step in and match that type of production, especially for the untested players who Hutchins expects to be thrown into the fire early. Sophomore Faith Canfield, who Hutchins dubbed “the leading candidate” to play second base, will likely have the unenviable task of replacing Romero. Freshmen under Hutchins tend to play sparingly, but last season Canfield was an exception to the norm, carving out a role as a utility player. She appeared in 44 out of 59 games, managing a .268 batting average and scoring 22 runs. Those are hardly eye-popping numbers by traditional standards, but certainly commendable for a freshman on a senior-laden team. Lawrence and Susalla will be equally difficult to replace in their corner outfield spots. Perhaps
nobody knows that better than senior outfielder Kelly Christner, who spent the last two seasons manning the outfield with the duo. “Between me, Sierra and Kelsey, we kind of knew how each other worked,” Christner said. “We kind of vibed really well. We worked together really well for two straight years, so it is hard to work with different people.” But as a senior leader, Christner knows it is incumbent on her to try and emulate that chemistry, even if it takes the form of a different identity. She recognizes the inherent challenge of working with — and leading — new players. “I think (the challenge is) more just letting the girls know that are going to be playing now how we work out there, and really focusing on communication between the three of us,” Christner said. “I think this fall we’ve worked really well together, and I’m excited to get out there.” One of those new outfielders will almost undoubtedly be sophomore Natalie Peters, who Hutchins spoke glowingly of in her season-opening media day.
MARINA ROSS/Daily
Sophomore utility player Faith Canfield is expected to face the unenviable task of replacing Sierra Romero at second.
Despite little experience, Peters — whose game is predicated on contact and speed — will be counted on toward the top of the order. In just 16 at-bats last season, Peters managed a .313 batting average, with all five of her hits being singles. In an expanded role, Peters will be counted on heavily to set the table at the top part of the order. “She came back a new woman from freshman to sophomore year,” Hutchins said. “And she had some good experience last year, but she’s been a very consistent player for us since she got back in the fall.” The other outfield spot seems less certain, but it, too, will likely be manned by a younger player. Only one other outfielder on the roster is older than a sophomore. But while Hutchins knows she’ll need production from some unproven players, that dependence hardly seems to concern her. “We don’t know what’s going to happen with the unseasoned players, but we need some of the unseasoned players to step up,” Hutchins said. “The pleasant part of the job is somebody does step up usually.” And if history is any indication, that unknown boost could be expected to come from one of the sophomores. Under Hutchins, the freshman-to-sophomore transition traditionally comes with the biggest statistical leap. Christner’s production ballooned during her sophomore season: increasing her average by 94 points, hitting 18 more home runs and knocking in 50 more runs than the year prior. Blanco slugged 312 points better during her sophomore season. Even Romero saw her average increase 112 points from her freshman to sophomore campaign. And the list could go on. With the heart of the order gone from last season, the pressure will undoubtedly be on the entire team to step up its production to try to make up for those losses. Yet for the Wolverines, the better question may not be if someone will step up, but rather who.
HUNTER SHARF For the Daily
Entering the 2017 season, the Michigan baseball team has a daunting task ahead of it: the Wolverines must figure out how to move forward after losing players to both the MLB Draft and graduation. Roster turnover proves particularly difficult in sports like baseball, where college athletic careers of core players are often cut short due to the MLB draft. Michigan is no exception as it faces the lofty obstacle of replenishing its roster after several significant departures. The Wolverines lost three key talents to the 2016 MLB Draft – junior pitcher Brett Adcock, junior first baseman Carmen Benedetti and senior pitcher Evan Hill. In addition to the draftees, Michigan graduated four seniors – including 2016 batting average leader outfielder Cody Bruder, stolen base leader outfielder Matt Ramsay and team captain catcher Dominic Jamett. Led by the eventual draftees and now graduated seniors, the Wolverines found moderate success in 2016, finishing with a Big Ten record of 13-10 and an overall record of 35-19. Their consistent play earned them the fifth seed at the Big Ten tournament, where they were eliminated by Ohio State in the first round. Losing significant starters may be detrimental to the production of both the offense and the pitching staff this season. However, Michigan is used to this sort of turnover. In 2015, Michigan had three players drafted and graduated seven seniors. Michigan coach Erik Bakich recognizes that constant rebuilding is just a part of the sport. “[The MLB Draft] is the nature of the beast in quality programs,” Bakich said. “You try to build the best program that you can build. One of the impacts of that is the players have opportunities to move onto professional baseball.”
Even with some players gone, junior infielder Jake Bivens is confident that Michigan can fill these voids. “We lost some key contributors,” Bivens said. “Definitely guys have to step up. But we have a great group that can step right into those roles and fill those spots immediately.” While the production of those players and their positions in the lineup can be replaced, the elements that don’t show up in the box score — experience, chemistry and locker room leadership — are harder to replicate. The Wolverines must overcome losing the experience of seven veterans and the leadership of a trusted captain in Jamett. Continuing these intangibles will be necessary for Michigan to continue its success and elevate to the next level. Drew Lugbauer isn’t worried, though. The junior infielder feels the closeness of the current roster will carry the team. “[The team’s chemistry] is probably the best since I’ve been here,” Lugbauer said. “Everyone’s really tight. We all get along with each other. It’s a good locker room.” Junior pitcher Oliver Jaskie added: “There’s not one guy on this team that I wouldn’t call a best friend or a brother.” In order for the team to succeed this season, the Wolverines’ chemistry and new leadership will prove vital. Michigan will look for leadership from senior catcher Harrison Wenson and senior pitcher Jackson Lamb, both of whom were selected in the 2016 MLB draft, but elected to stay at Michigan for their senior seasons. Despite losing seven players total, the Wolverines return 12 upperclassmen. With the returning players’ experience and talent, Michigan expects a strong season. “There’s high expectations,” Jaskie said. “But we’re ready for it. We’re just focused on going out there and playing as hard as we can.”
Penalty kill fails ‘M’ Wolverines set for first game as ranked team ICE HOCKEY
LANEY BYLER
Daily Sports Editor
Ohio State’s first power-play goal came from forward Tanner Laczynski, but the Michigan hockey team still had a two-goal lead. Not much, but enough to keep the crowd at Yost Ice Arena from panicking on Friday night. Two goals from the Wolverines later, Michigan entered the third period sitting on a 5-1 lead. But the 12th-ranked Buckeyes still had 1:21 remaining of a second-period power play, and six seconds into the third, forward Nick Schilkey capitalized. Within the next few seconds, they scored again, and later in the period once more to put the game within tying distance. Although it wasn’t enough to secure an impressive comeback and win the game, it was enough to scare the Wolverine fan base. On Saturday, though, Ohio State managed to do exactly what it needed to, scraping past Michigan, 6-5. Out of the Buckeyes’ 10 goals this past weekend, seven of them came during power plays. While Ohio State is notable for its power play — after the series, it’s ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten — Michigan’s penalty kill wasn’t shaping up into what it needed to be. In Saturday’s game, it could have made all the difference. “I’m giving the other team’s power play their due,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “They’re a good power play, but they’re not that good. They’re not a 50 percent power play. We shouldn’t be giving up four goals on seven chances or three on six. That’s what we did over the weekend. That’s on us.” Earlier in the season, Michigan was ranked 10th in the penalty kill. But after their recent performances, the Wolverines have dropped to the bottom of the Big Ten. The penalty kill almost cost Michigan the game on Friday — and it did on Saturday. For the Wolverines, it isn’t just the penalty kill that’s coming up short. There are compounding
issues that lead to such highscoring games. The number of penalties Michigan took on Saturday was too many to give to a team with such an established power play. “If our forecheck is doing well, right away that helps us out,” said freshman goaltender Hayden Lavigne. “If our forecheck isn’t doing that great but we’re shutting them down real quick when they get into the zone then once again, it’s fine. But it was kind of one of those things where we weren’t doing a good job forechecking the whole time, we didn’t really track back hard. We just kind of let them set up into their structure easily.” The number of penalties and the execution of the penalty kill weren’t good signs for Michigan. Both factors contributed to the close nature of the weekend’s games despite arguably two of its best offensive games this season. But the issues aren’t just stemming from the execution of the penalty kill, either. “First and foremost, I think it starts with the faceoff,” said freshman forward Jake Slaker. “Including myself, I think the centermen haven’t been the best in the defensive zone in faceoffs during the penalty kill. That right away loses possession, and they get an easy start to the power play, so that’s definitely a frustrating thing I think we can improve on. “It’s one thing leads to another. Guy taking a penalty, centerman loses the faceoff, the guys not executing on the ice. It definitely builds up.” There’s no doubt the Wolverines stepped up their offensive game this past weekend against Ohio State. With junior forward Tony Calderone — who is leading in goals with 10 — and senior forward Alex Kile and junior forward Cutler Martin out of both games, the tables easily could have been turned. But a win on Saturday could have resulted in Michigan’s first sweep of the season — something that won’t come anytime soon if
NATHANIEL CLARK Daily Sports Writer
The No. 21 Michigan women’s basketball team has enjoyed nothing more than playing at home this season. Following a 72-70, comeback victory over Iowa, the Wolverines are now 12-0 at Crisler Center. But all teams must play on the road sometimes. Michigan, who is 5-4 in true road games this season, will travel to West Lafayette to take on Purdue on Wednesday night. The Boilermakers, winners of three of their last four games, will present a formidable challenge for the Wolverines (8-2 Big Ten, 19-5 overall). Despite being ranked 95th in the Ratings Percentage Index, Purdue (6-4, 15-9) boasts the Big Ten’s best scoring defense, allowing just 58.0 points per game, which is 39th nationally. The Boilermakers rank fourth in the conference in 3-point defense, with opponents making just 38 percent of their shots from beyond the arc. “Purdue was a team that had a slow start, had some young kids,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico on WTKA. “But they are playing extremely well as of late. They are a team that’s coming on strong in our league. It’s going to be a tough matchup for us.” Statistically though, Michigan presents a defensive unit that is almost as strong. The Wolverines have held their opponents to 59.3 points per game and 38.2 percent 3-point shooting — second and fifth in the Big Ten, respectively. Sophomore center Hallie Thome has also contributed 48 blocks to the defensive effort this season. Due to the prowess of both defenses, a relatively lowscoring contest may be in the cards in West Lafayette. Michigan does hold a significant advantage over Purdue with its offense, though. The Wolverines rank third in the conference and 14th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 79.7 points per game.
Michigan’s biggest offensive strength is its 3-point shooting, as the Wolverines are second only to Connecticut nationally, making 40.7 percent of their 3-pointers. The Boilermakers, meanwhile, rank 10th in the Big Ten in scoring offense, as they are averaging just 66.9 points. This gap in offensive firepower may very well be Michigan’s key to victory Wednesday. The Wolverines’ offensive success is due in large part to the familiar trio of Thome, junior guard Katelynn Flaherty and newcomer freshman guard Kysre Gondrezick, who are all scoring at least 14 points per game. Gondrezick is coming off her best week yet, combining for 42 points, 10 rebounds and
10 assists in two contests. “To be a freshman and to make the impacts that (Gondrezick) has on an experienced team, I think just speaks volumes to the type of player that she is.” Barnes Arico said. But Michigan has also benefitted from production off the bench as of late. Sophomore guard Nicole Munger scored seven points, including the gamewinning field goal, against the Hawkeyes on Sunday. If Munger can continue to perform like she did Sunday, it will provide a major boost to the Wolverines. “Nicole was incredible,” Barnes Arico said. “She was all over the place. She provides such a spark for us. She’s been battling an injury all year
“ ‘Now we’re the team that everyone puts a circle around’ ”
long, so we’re really aware of how many minutes she’s been playing, and we’re trying to be smart about it.” Though Michigan will be the favorite against Purdue, there is another factor the Wolverines will have to deal with — Wednesday will mark the first time in any of the current players’ careers that they will play as a ranked team. Michigan was last ranked the week of Jan. 21, 2013. “I talked to our kids a little bit yesterday after the game,” Barnes Arico said. “I said, ‘Hey, now we’re the team that everyone puts a circle around.’ We’re a ranked team. They’re going to have an opportunity to beat a ranked opponent. So that’s different and it’s not a position we’ve been in before. We need to make sure that we continue to improve and really focus on one game at a time.” This Wolverine squad has not been like past ones, though, and they will look to continue that trend in West Lafayette.
EMMA RICHTER/Daily
Sophomore guard Nicole Munger scored the game-winning basket against Iowa to help Michigan enter the AP top 25.
8A — Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wolverines rout Spartans in rivalry rematch KEVIN SANTO
MICHIGAN
Managing Sports Editor
DJ Wilson received the pass from senior guard Derrick Walton Jr. in the low post. The redshirt sophomore forward was surrounded by four Michigan State defenders, but he gathered himself, elevated and threw down a dunk with authority. But that wasn’t enough for him. Wilson landed, turned to Spartan forward Kenny Goins, and screamed in his ear as if it wasn’t clear enough what had just happened. Wilson was assessed a technical foul, but the Michigan men’s basketball team still led by 17, and the play was full of a fire that felt like it was a part of a different era and belonged to a different team — the same one that motivated the black socks and black shoes they took the floor in. That team was the Fab Five — a group of five freshmen that took college basketball by storm with a swagger that people weren’t ready to accept. Along with that swagger, came results. In a two-year stretch, the Wolverines went 3-1 against Michigan State, made it to two NCAA Tournament championships and filled Crisler Center with ease. But that was then, Tuesday night was now, and Michigan was in dire need of a dose of that same swagger that electrified the program from 1991 – 1993. And by the time the final buzzer sounded, the black socks and black shoes fit, as the Wolverines brought a new edge against the Spartans (6-5 Big Ten, 14-10 overall) that was lacking in East Lansing nine days prior en route to an 86-57 victory at Crisler Center. “You can be pretty consistent about (what) guys are gonna make shots,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “But what type of edge are they gonna play with? That’s hard. And is the edge too much that they get emotionally drunk during the
86
MSU
Final
57
Field Goal Percentage
60.4
47.9
3-Point Field Goal Percentage
31.3
47.6
Points Off Turnovers
7
30
EVAN AARON/Daily
Sophomore forward Moritz Wagner finished with 19 points to help Michigan bounce back against the Spartans.
game? “… Today was like perfect. They were right there, they were angry, they were junkyard dogs. That was the whole idea — a picture of, like, a Doberman that I wanted them to go out and play like. I think it was a Doberman, but it had big teeth.” The Wolverines (5-6, 15-9) essentially put the game to bed in the first half. In the final 8:20 of the frame, Michigan notched a 32-10 run — going 12-for-15 from the floor — and finished with a 55-29 advantage. The early blowout was indicative of a first half in which the Wolverines’ offense caught fire, as Michigan finished shooting 75 percent from the field and 72.7 percent from three. Walton played like a man possessed, leading the offensive surge to the tune of 12 points and seven assists. Behind Walton, sophomore forward Moritz Wagner and junior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman ended the frame with 13 and 10 points, respectively. But the Wolverines also received contributions from the
most unlikely of places. Freshman guard Xavier Simpson provided Walton with invaluable relief off the bench and catalyzed the offense with a tangible confidence that has been absent this season, eventually finishing the game with seven points and two assists. The matchup could have gotten away from the Spartans even earlier if Michigan had capitalized on turnovers in the early stages. The Wolverines managed to draw a charge, force a shotclock violation and get a stop on Michigan State’s first three possessions, but couldn’t reap the benefits — entering the first media timeout up just 9-8. Still, Michigan eventually managed to make the Spartans pay for being careless with the ball, finishing the game with 30 points off Michigan State’s 21 turnovers. Some of the turnovers were selfinflicted, but the Wolverines did manage to force four shot-clock violations, notch six steals and hold the Spartans to 48 percent shooting form the floor. “Some of it’s understandable,” said Michigan State coach Tom
Izzo. “Like I said, you look at those seniors and they’ve lost four or five times (to us). And I thought they played with an incredible passion. Our freshmen did not match that.” On the opposite end of the court, Michigan’s offense cooled off in the second half but still managed to finish the game shooting 60 percent. Walton built off his first-half success to finish with a game-high 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting, all while pitching in eight assists and five rebounds. Wagner and AbdurRahkman continued to follow Walton’s lead, finishing with 19 and 16 points, respectively. The matchups with the Spartans have always meant more to Walton — a Detroit native — than they have to his teammates. But on Tuesday night, due in large part to the edge he set from the start, that wasn’t the case. So as his night was capped off with an induction into Michigan’s 1,000-point, 400-rebound and 400-assist club, it seemed fitting that there are just two other members of that club: Gary Grant and Jalen Rose.
Offensive Rebounds
6
2
Defensive Rebounds
20
20 8 22
39:11
Turnovers
20
Bench Points
16
Time Leading
00:00
Walton joins historic club in win MINH DOAN
Daily Sports Editor
EVAN AARON/Daily
Senior guard Derrick Walton Jr. joined the historic 1,000-point, 400-rebound and 400-assist club Tuesday night.
With less than a minute left in the Michigan men’s basketball team’s game against Michigan State, the crowd, led by the Maize Rage, starting chanting Derrick Walton Jr.’s name in unison. The senior guard, though, wasn’t on the court. He was sitting comfortably on the bench next to his teammates as he watched Michigan coach John Beilein substitute the end of his bench into the Wolverines’ 86-57 victory at Crisler Center on Tuesday night. Walton willed the team to victory with 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds. It was a stat line that was just good enough to give him 400 assists in his career, and he joined an elite group of past Michigan players in Jalen Rose and Gary Grant who have all recorded at least 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 400 assists in their Wolverine careers. “It’s an honor,” Walton said. “I didn’t notice it, and I didn’t know what was going on. When they told me, I was in awe. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to come to (Michigan), thankful for (Beilein) having faith in a young kid from Detroit and that he trusts me to run this team.” It’s been a long time coming for the Detroit native, and to have it come against Michigan State made it just a bit sweeter. It was Michigan’s first win over its in-state rival in over three years. Walton was just a freshman the last time the Wolverines celebrated a win over the Spartans. “It means a lot to me,” Walton said. “I’m an inner-city kid, and there’s a couple Michigan guys on that team. Having bragging
rights with my little brother, (Michigan State guard Cassius Winston), is always fun.” Three years ago, Walton was just a role player on a team abundant with talent. Now, Walton is the leader on a team right on the edge of the NCAA Tournament, a completely different situation from the one Michigan was in three years prior. “I can’t say enough about Derrick Walton right now,” Beilein said. “He came in (as a freshman) with a star-studded team. He was sort of forced into being a leader before he was really ready to do that. “I think he’s finally comfortable with all the experience (over his Michigan career) to really play with that ‘extra’ that you need to be a really good player.” While Walton made a huge impact in the game, there was nothing abnormal about his stat line. It was the same Walton that had averaged 18.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists in his last eight games. What was different, though, was his teammates. From sophomore forward Moritz Wagner dominating Spartan forward Nick Ward inside to junior guard MuhammadAli AbdurRakhman stepping up to score 16 points, it was the players around Walton that made the difference. That was where Walton, the leader of the team, made the biggest impact. Michigan’s season has varied wildly from the Wolverines’ 30-point win over Indiana
“It’s an honor ... When they told me, I was in awe”
two weeks ago to Michigan’s lackluster performance on Saturday in its loss to Ohio State. It’s an alarming trend that has set the Wolverines back multiple times this season, and Walton wanted a change. So, he has recently started to push his teammates harder than he ever has because he knows the potential of his team. And Tuesday night, his teammates repaid him. “That was very important for us, to get that win for Mr. Walton over there,” Wagner said. “He played a heck of a game.” Added Walton: “Before the game, the guys really banded together and told me they really wanted to get this for me, and they played like it. I’m really appreciative of it all. Everybody played their heart out.” But even after a big win over Michigan State, the schedule doesn’t get any easier. The Wolverines will have seven games left to improve their NCAA Tournament resume. However, five of the seven come on the road, where Michigan is winless this season, while it will also host No. 7 Wisconsin and No. 16 Purdue. Walton knows that, and knowing the opportunity his team has ahead, he chooses to look at the positives. “We have seven games left, and I think we can still do something special,” Walton said. Even if he didn’t know he had joined the 1000-point, 400-rebound and 400-assist club until after he came off the court, he knew one thing for sure. He knew the score, and for just the third time in his Michigan career, the Wolverines had more points than the Spartans at the end of the game. And for Walton, that’s all that matters.
“I think we can still do something special”
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Wednesday, February 8, 2017 // The Statement
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T H E M I CH I GA N DAI LY | FE B RUA RY 8 , 2017
Managaing Editor: Lara Moehlman
Photo Editor: Claire Abdo
Managing Editor: Rebecca Lerner
Deputy Editors: Yoshiko Iwai Brian Kuang
Editor in Chief: Emma Kinery
Copy Editors: Danielle Jackson Taylor Grandinetti
Little Things: Rubies and Diamonds BY ERIKA SHEVCHEK, DAILY ARTS WRITER
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riving back from the beach, from my cousins’ house, from soccer games and swim meets, I always knew where I was. The familiarity of the Pennsylvania woods, the highway signs of 95 and Route 1, and the Eagles stickers on the backs of cars reminded me I was never far from home. I had always considered Philadelphia and the East Coast my home, and although I still love it, the concept of “home” has changed significantly for me over the years. I was moving into college when I took my first road trip by myself (well, with my dog in the passenger seat), and I knew I would not be returning home from this trip. Michigan was a foreign place with new interstates and different woods. I was driving from Philadelphia to Ann Arbor –– a 10-hour trip of mountain ranges, farmland and tunnels. I remember driving past Toledo when it became dark. My mom and my sister were in another car, which was out of sight at this point, but I knew we would be in Ann Arbor within the next hour. Even with that in mind, it was dark and I was lost. I hit Detroit traffic, and I realized how far away I was from Wawa and Phillies fans. I was alone, distant from everyone
and everything I knew. To calm my anxiety, I remembered the rubies and diamonds. The story goes as follows: When my mother was young, the long drives home from the Jersey Shore to Montclair, a town in northern Jersey, sent her into a daze of boredom. My grandpa would watch the cars move with him and past him on New Jersey Route 4. Trying to pass time, she asked my grandpa how to entertain herself to distract her from the swallowing darkness of night and bright lights of the surrounding cars. He hold her, “Imagine the lights in front of us are a
ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE SPAK
string of rubies, and the lights coming toward us are a string of diamonds.” I like to think that my mother pictured the highway full of zooming, psychedelic gems. But maybe she rolled her eyes and drifted off to sleep. The story of the car gems was carried from my grandpa to my mom to me. Maybe it was just something to pass time, but to me it’s so much more. It’s a mechanism for grounding, appreciating and acknowledging my surroundings. Although my first trip to college consisted of driving through unfamiliar places
just to arrive at another unfamiliar place, not everything about this moment made me feel alienated. The string of rubies and diamonds in the Detroit traffic was the same string of gems I’d seen many times before. That same string reminds me that this is still life, just in a new place; no matter where I drive, there will always be the same cars, the same traffic, the same routines. The concept came to me again the first time I flew alone on an airplane. Once I took off, I looked below at highways of rubies and diamonds, and I looked
into the sky, where blinking airplane lights became rubies and distant stars became diamonds. I wasn’t in one single place, on the ground or in a home. I was alone in the vacant space of the clouds, building a place for myself because that was all I really had and all I really have. I don’t believe I have a place to consider home. My family lives in three different states, and a college apartment doesn’t really suffice. As a kid, I believed I could only go back to one place: that home on Fairhill Drive. By moving to Michigan, I distanced myself from everything I knew and everything I thought was true. And with that, I was able to — I’ve had to — create a type of “home” in myself wherever I go. My grandpa’s message of rubies and diamonds is a way to ground myself in my familial roots, creating the feeling that I have family and familiarity no matter where I am. It’s something to hold on to. During my adventure in Detroit, I remember looking over to my dog, Wesley, curled up on the passenger seat. The red car lights shined through the car windshield and onto his black fur. I was hundreds of miles from Philadelphia, but maybe I wasn’t as far as I thought.
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FEAR AND CLOTHING AT WAL-MART BY HARRISON KRINSKY, DAILY ARTS WRITER
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ast Sunday, my friends dropped me off at a Wal-Mart in Saline and said, “See you in 12 hours,” which is a strange thing to say, but in this case, it was exactly the right thing to say — I was going to be at Wal-Mart for 12 hours. I was going to be at Wal-Mart for such an absurd amount of time for three main reasons. The first: I am a man of my word. The second: I came in last place in my fantasy football league, and the punishment for the person who came in last was to spend 12 hours in a Wal-Mart. The third and maybe the most important (also definitely the most misguided): Some part of me thought it would be good for me. As I walked through the extra-large revolving doors at approximately 12:34 p.m., I started thinking about a set of different books. This organic recollection of literature made me feel pretty good about myself because any time I think about a book — rather than force myself to think about a book — I feel intelligent and cultured. Five minutes into Wal-Mart and I’m already thinking about books. My hypothesis about the positive side-effects of extended Wal-Mart exposure were playing out just as I imagined. The two books I thought of were “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again” by David Foster Wallace and “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” by Hunter S. Thompson. After realizing these two books are about as stereotypical-pseudo-intellectual-collegestudent-starter-pack as it could get, I felt less good about myself — but still a little good about myself. “Fear and Clothing, at Wal-Mart … get it?” As I began to stroll through the kitchen appliances, I imagined myself walking with Dr. Thompson, taking mescaline and dancing from department to department, extracting truths about Wal-Mart, our broken political system and the human condition. I imagined the dystopian adventure I’d chronicle, going from aisle to aisle, in search of coffee filters and the American dream. As I turned down the chilled aisle lined with sodas, I imagined myself with Wallace, scribbling a mixture of observations and my own idiosyncrasies into some witty transcendent truth. What does a 30-rack of Mountain Dew do? How does a 30-rack of Mountain Dew make me feel, say, about my own latent elitism? I had more humble visions too, as I walked through consumer electronics. Somewhere in this Wal-Mart, I felt, was an essay that could strike through partisan politics and hate and baggage and the 24-hour news cycle that makes people really really, really actually COVER DESIGN BY CLAIRE ABDO
think. 1:35 p.m. Alas, reality sets in. There are two Wal-Marts within a six-mile radius of my house in Ann Arbor. One of them, the one in Saline, is a Wal-Mart Supercenter, whereas the Wal-Mart in Ypsilanti is a regular non-super WalMart. I decided to go with the supercenter because I figured that would marginally increase the number of potential things I could do to occupy time. I should have done more research because, while supercenters might be better than regular Wal-
ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE SPAK
Marts when it comes to shopping, they are far worse for maintaining sanity. The sensory overload you might expect to set in at hour five is scaled up in a supercenter. Each aisle of Wal-Mart smells, looks and feels distinctly different. The quilted fragrance palate bounces from Yankee candles to burnt plastic to lavender Febreeze and bleach, to slightly stale Subway, to WD-40 and on and on and on as you walk from aisle to aisle. The more “super” the Wal-Mart, the more smells, the more florescent lights, the more man-made microclimates. There was no cafe attached to this Wal-Mart, only a Subway. So I left Wal-Mart and walked across the parking lot to a Bruegger’s Bagels. I ordered a coffee and some gross, bite-sized donuts and sat down to
play Candy Crush on my phone. I thought about which was worse for my development as a human: an hour of binge drinking, or an hour of playing Candy Crush. Certainly the conventional answer is Candy Crush, but Hunter S. Thompson was an alcoholic and David Foster Wallace would have hated Candy Crush. 1:55 p.m. I returned to Wal-Mart, again in search of profundity and inspiration. No luck. I spent about an hour walking around aimlessly, listening to political podcasts. The only thing I discovered was how many variations of some food types there are. There were like 11 different kinds of Oreos, and overly specific snacks I’d never imagined, such as Dunkin’ Donuts Vanilla Latte Pop-Tarts or low-fat honey-infused Pillsbury biscuits. 2:35 p.m. Defeated, I set up camp in the back-left corner of Subway. Wal-Mart has complimentary free Wi-Fi, obviously, so I was able to halfheartedly do my homework. It was here where I witnessed my only Wal-Mart magic. Excerpt from my Wal-Mart notes: 3:45 to 4:05. Nobody is running the Subway attached to Wal-Mart. Long line of polite Midwesterners confused but unperturbed by the lack of employees at a Subway. One guy investigating. Unsuccessful. Employee comes out, line starts moving. No audible complaints. Might have just seen a unicorn. Unfortunately, my only conclusion is that people from the Midwest, or at least the people in line at that Subway, are nicer than me. 5:00 p.m. I spend the better chunk of the rest of my time in Wal-Mart sitting on my computer in Subway. Sporadically, I remember Hunter and David and feel guilty for not taking advantage of my opportunity to explore Wal-Mart. I’d get up and go for a stroll that would last five to 10 minutes, before I remembered that exploring Wal-Mart the same way someone explores a national park makes me a really specific type of asshole. 8:30 p.m. I caved. I begged my friends to let me come home and they obliged. It was snowing a lot and nobody was on the road. We listened to Soulection and almost skidded off the road and it’s very, very quiet at night in Saline in the snow and that was profound. I typed up my notes and wrote this piece, which, for better or for worse, might make me that really specific type of asshole.
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Wednesday, February 8, 2017 // The Statement
Wednesday, February 8, 2017 // The Statement
Between Two Worlds:
Muslim Students’ Association Carves its Place on Campus
BY NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT, SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
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here is no mosque or designated prayer room. A reminder must be sent out each week specifying when and where to meet on Fridays so that the prayers can be held. Efforts have been made, I’m told, to secure a stable location, but to no avail. Jumuah — the mandatory ritual prescribed by the faith — on the University of Michigan’s campus is an unknown quantity. I’ve been a handful of times — more than five, probably less than 10. I know this isn’t what my parents want to hear. I am still a practicing Muslim, a product of exasperating weekly Sunday school and interminable Qur’an reading lessons. The faith is ingrained in me, even if I’m not particularly devout. Save for a blatantly Arabic first name, I am not outwardly Muslim, nor do I go out of my way to identify as such. Rather, it’s an internal flame. Shame throbbing in my mind, I sit on the floor of the Anderson Room in the Michigan Union for the Muslim Students’ Association’s — the largest Muslim student organization on campus — weekly jumuah, cross-legged, my left foot gradually falling asleep, listening to the imam. He is the Chaplain, Shaykh Mohammed Ishtiaq, and he’s a jolly, fully bearded man, like a dark-skinned Eric Wareheim. The ceiling is higher than most actual mosques I’ve been in, and the guys around me are impressively invested in the sermon. Unlike my childhood memories of jumuah, there are no whispered conversations about basketball or the conspicuous phone usage underneath crossed legs; the brothers are rapt. Far behind me and separated by a wide chasm of carpet, the sisters sit, identical. In this post-election climate, the role of the Muslim student activist is in flux. There is an urgent immediacy to, well, do something. A few days after the election, the Islamic Center of Ann Arbor received an anonymous letter proclaiming that
our then President-elect will “do to you Muslims what Hitler did to the Jews.” Earlier this week, the prayer rugs in a reflection room in the Union were found desecrated by urine. And in the past two weeks, President Donald Trump enacted a ban on refugees, citizens, green-card holders, and more from seven Muslimmajority countries — it is, for all intents and purposes, a ban on Muslims. Estimated at about 150 active members, the MSA functions primarily as a social group for its patrons, but in the past few months, its hand has been almost forced: activism and outreach is now a necessity. To be sure, the feeling of hostility is not a newfound development: hate crimes against American Muslims rose by 78 percent in 2015, the most since 9/11. This environment is not some abrupt occurrence, but instead a gradual reality that has been gestating for quite some time. Ashamed of my own reluctance to participate in activism, I began to reconsider my relationship with my identity. I wondered about my own insecurities and considered the possible identity crisis of the MSA, the struggle between functioning as a social group and a space of activism and outreach. Where, then, does the MSA situate itself on campus? Is it as a space for solidarity among Muslims, or a vehicle for more evocative activism? What is the current state of Muslim student leadership in the face of a politically legitimized hatred and bigotry? For people like me — people who have, for some reason or another, shunned an integral part of their identity — these questions present a more pressing issue: the identity politics of activism, both public and personal. In its current iteration, the MSA is structured like a genealogy tree of sorts. At its head sits the president, a member of its seven-person executive board. These are the ones who make group decisions,
plan initiatives, and represent the organization. Each board member is assigned two “directors,” who manage day-to-day operations. The directors, too, are subtended by lesser organization members, and so on. The weekly operations of MSA are fairly standardized. On Monday nights, the group holds a small event called “Mini-Qiyam.” A qiyam is a student-led lecture that ranges from religious education to application. Tuesday nights hosts a monthly “Sisters’ Book Club.” MSA meetings are on Wednesday nights, in which the board discuss make organizational decisions. Thursday nights are weekly lectures from guests or the Chaplains, and Friday afternoons are jumuah prayers. Informal socials happen frequently. Mohammad Shaikh, a business sophomore and member of the board, says he joined the MSA for a sense of community. He’s a good-looking, articulate kid from Ann Arbor and Jackson, Michigan. I can’t help but ask: how has this easy structure been disrupted — if at all — by the election and the subsequent events? Shaikh admits that, while day-to-day operations haven’t changed, the MSA has recently revved up its focus on initiatives and outreach. Less than a week after the election, the MSA hosted an outdoor prayer on the Diag, planned as an impromptu act of solidarity for the Muslim women who were allegedly attacked and harassed earlier that week. More than 200 students and faculty members across campus. Non-Muslim attendees formed a symbolic ring of protection around the Muslim attendees, who prayed Isha, the final daily prayer, on the grass in front of the campus’ American flag. I look down as he mentions the number of non-Muslim students who attended, hoping he won’t ask if I was there. “We were very happy and pleasantly surprised by how many people showed
up,” Shaikh said. “We did not think it was going to blow up that much. From the MSA side, we felt very blessed.” Other recent initiatives include Wolverine Guard, a buddy system meant to aid people who are uncomfortable walking home at night. An internally controversial development began as another well-intentioned act of solidarity. A female MSA member from Wayne State University suggested to board members a “Kufis in Solidarity” movement. Kufis are small hats that Muslim men often wear to the mosque (similar to a yarmulke), and in a show of support, men would wear them to stand with women who wore the hijab. But among MSA — particularly within the sisters — this idea wasn’t received warmly. Many claimed this was either unsustainable, or simply tokenism; men had the luxury of doing this for a week or two, while hjiabi women carried this burden for life. Mariam Doudi, a Business sophomore and MSA director, was indifferent. She’s short and wears a hijab. Within the MSA sisters’ group chat, there was a considerable amount of backlash according to Doudi. Along with the men wearing kufis in solidarity, there was a parallel idea being floated of nonhijab-wearing sisters also donning the headscarf for some time. This suggestion, Doudi says, was possibly even more inflammatory. “I feel like it was sweet, but I don’t know how effective it would have been,” Doudi says. “You’re not really going to feel how we feel if you wear it for like a week or whatever. In the end, we’re still going to be a minority again.” In the wake of attacks on “visibly Muslim” people, the idea of others being able to categorize them as such on first sight — caused consternation in the MSA. For former MSA member Mishaal Khan, the burden of the hijab is one
of always having to “be on;” it’s a stripped-down, granular version of respectability politics, and representing the entirety of one’s faith is a tiresome weight. “If I mess up, it’s not going to be, ‘Oh, that girl messed up,’” she says. “It’s going to be, ‘Oh, that Muslim messed up.’” On a cold evening, I find myself once again in the embrace of Allah. Each Thursday, the MSA holds weekly halaqa, talks or meetings meant to discuss aspects of the faith that pertain to campus life. I hadn’t been to one in years. I pass a Bible reading group in the room next door on the way in. The room, filled with rows of chairs, is sparsely populated: one forlorn-looking guy in a beard and a beanie scrolling through his phone, and six or seven women chatting in the front row. I take a seat in the back, alone, and pull out my notebook. “Assalamu-Alaikum, man. Humza.” I look up to see the kid in the beanie extending his hand in the standard Islamic greeting. I respond instinctively. “Walaikum-Assalam. Nabeel,” I say, smiling and shaking his hand. “Mind if I sit next to you? Not many other guys here.” “No, of course, go for it.” He sits down next to me, and I become aware, not for the last time, of the barely perceptible disconnect between men and women in this room. More people file in and I’m still one of the few guys, while many girls in hijab, some not, keep filling out the rows. Once the speaker arrives and is introduced, I realize there might be a reason. Melanie Elturk is the CEO of Haute Hijab, the country’s largest vendor of fashionable hijabs and clothes designed for Muslim women. She delivers today’s talk: “The Next Generation of American Muslims: Defining Our Role and Reclaiming Our Faith.” A Midwestern native, she was a former civil rights lawyer in both Chicago and Dubai before building the company with her husband. She’s energetic, bright and exceedingly well-spoken, with a disarmingly cheerful smile. Her head is, of course, covered. “Our parents, we owe them a great deal of credit,” she says. “It’s something fantastic that we, as their children, in this generation, are now taking the torch from them. We’re in this beautifully set-up circumstance where we can compound on the foundation they’ve laid for us.” I find this an odd place to begin. Indeed, for the rest of the halaqa, Elturk repeatedly references her father and family relationships. I get the sense that the brand of Muslim activism she’s
prescribing is one that’s still tethered to an overtone of traditionalism. I take a break to survey the room. In front of me is a kid registering for courses on his laptop. To my left, I can’t help but notice Humza Shaukat frantically sending out WhatsApp messages asking fellow brothers to show up. Each carefully worded text begins with a courteous “Salam.” On the other side of the room, where the chairs are separated by a row of space in the middle, the sisters in hijab are rapt. Their faces are adorned with visible admiration and respect: the dearth of hjiabi role models. I hear Elturk ask the crowd, “You need to ask yourself: what can I contribute to society — in order to make it better, in order to change it for the better, and bring the light and the beauty of our faith into this society?” Elturk’s speech is peppered with Arabic phrases and snippets of the Qur’an. (I suffer the occasional PTSDflashback to my Sunday school nightmares each time I hear it.) Her talk ranges from the trials and tribulations of scarf design to pleas for increased Muslim representation in creative fields, to the particulars of finding a spouse. “This is the age when you’re going to find the person you marry.” If my mom didn’t hold that same ludicrous notion, I would have laughed out loud. When Elturk opens the floor for questions, I observe the nagging issues plaguing the MSA members. One girl gets right to the obvious question: In the context of feminist discourse, how do we respond to people who say ask if the hijab is reinforcing patriarchal standards? “Just know that our deen [faith] is an asset, not a burden,” Elturk answers. “You should never apologize for it, and take ownership of your hijab.” She recounts a college anecdote of walking to class: there are two guys catcalling every woman passing by, but they abruptly fall silent as she walks past. She says this was a sign of empowerment, that these boys realized from her hijab she was a person of faith. I recognize the conviction of her story, and, more importantly, she — as do all women — know more than I. While the girls ask questions regarding faith and social activism, the guys that raise their hands seem interested more in Elturk’s business. Elturk was not didactic, like the Islamic lectures of my youth or the sermons at Friday jumuah, but more conversational. Her message is one of liberation through both Islam and American entrepreneurship — two concepts so often perceived as societally incompatible. As I put my jacket on to leave, Elturk is talking to a group of sisters. I am sit-
uated in an odd place. Here is a community that is not mine, one that I actively rejected, but is nonetheless one I’m supposed to be a part of. Once I step outside of the League, into the frigid air and light snow, I will have returned and retreated, to the comfort of basketball and The Michigan Daily and meat that isn’t halal and my “real” friends. I am both an outsider and member, strangely connected to and longing for this world I’m supposed to be part of. Tina Al-khersan, an LSA senior, is not a hjiabi and no longer an MSA board member. She is, however, Muslim, and her personal brand of activism has now extended beyond the MSA. She now serves on the LSA Campus Climate Committee and is an Executive Board member for the Michigan Refugee Assistance Program. Al-khersan is well-versed in activism outside of the MSA. Growing up in Northville, Michigan, she says she wasn’t proud of her identity and fought to hide it from others. In addition to joining MSA her freshman year, she also became a member of Muslims and Jews, an interfaith group between Muslims and Jews on campus. “You don’t necessarily have to be part of a ‘Muslim’ organization or ‘activist’ organization to be a Muslim activist,” she says. “Some of my proudest moments being a ‘Muslim activist’ have been talking about my faith one-on-one with friends or even strangers. To me, the best type of education occurs when we open up and talk about what our faith means to us.” Activism is not in the foundational DNA of the MSA. It has historically been a social organization, and only recently have advocacy and outreach reemerged as an integral part of its mission. For some, Islam itself provides a moral foundation and path toward social justice. Shaikh and Al-khersan both say the
PHOTOS BY CLAIRE ABDO
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Prophet Muhammad was the world’s greatest social activist, and the Qur’an itself calls for standing up to injustice. As with all groups, there are the drawbacks of social pressures and envies. Shaikh admits the MSA has a history of members looking down on those who may be less observant, or being unforgiving to religious missteps. It’s one of the reasons people are hesitant to join, Shaikh says, and that’s something I can attest to. But the election has galvanized the organization. The members are unified in their desires to support Muslim women, both hijabi and not, and want to destigmatize their faith as an un-American “other.” When you begin to tell people that not all Muslims are terrorists, you run the risk of becoming a cliché. This isn’t the most complex line of analysis, and it’s been a thudding, repeated refrain in any Muslim’s life, to the point of genuine irritation. But it’s necessary. I find myself questioning the point of it all. My natural reflex to casual bigotry is self-deprecation and sarcasm. I tend to make a joke out of everything. I’d like to ask them: What’s the point of becoming a student activist when activism is simply a social yoke? When you’re already an “other,” when you’re already the person who’s always described in the secondhand as “some [insert ethnicity here] guy,” when, in the eyes of the majority, your identity has already been whittled down from a complex, dynamic entity to the checkbox on an employment application — aren’t you just playing into their hands? I can’t count the number of times I’ve run through this in my head — especially at college, where everything is pronounced, heightened, politicized. I’ve always come down (smugly) on the side of the identity organization holdout (read:
See TWO WORLDS, Page 7B
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Wednesday, February 8, 2017 // The Statement
TWO WORLDS From Page 5B myself), that the true rebellion, rather, is in forcing them to accept you. They want you to join the Indian American Students Association, I tell myself; of course he’s part of the Muslim Student Association, they’ll say about me. Of course now I’m second-guessing myself. I make the journey to North Quad on a Sunday, when the MSA is hosting a brunch for people to “de-stress” and I figure this would be a useful exercise in familiarization: I haven’t seen the MSA function in a strictly social setting yet. Unfortunately, it’s a goddamn blizzard out there, and as I trudge through blistering winds my hair is ruined and I begin to worry about how I’m going to appear, I feel a burgeoning sense of regret. But once I’m there I begin to feel a sense of comfort. I greet a friend from the newspaper upon arrival and accept ed a generous plate of food and coffee upon arrival. Within the looming modernity of North Quad, at the top floor of its tallest tower, sits the Bowman Room (nicknamed the “Tower Room”). It’s a large yet cozy space, complete with a small kitchen, a working piano, and an assortment of plush furniture. There’s a considerable turnout, probably because of the free brunch. The sisters are setting up the table full of food as the brothers pack themselves into the kitchen and cook. It’s a spread of
PHOTOS BY CLAIRE ABDO
pancakes, scrambled eggs, donuts, and other assorted treats — I spot a plate stacked with za’atar-filled pita bread, so I can safely report to my parents that our friends at the MSA have not entirely lost their roots. My friend from the Daily is painstakingly setting up a “hot chocolate station,” replete with candy canes and whipped cream. The guys in the kitchen shout Future lyrics while weirdly specific Arabic music plays from some kid’s speakers. They look like they’re having fun. I’m introduced to Mazen Oweiss. He’s a director, a junior like me, and this year he’s become significantly more involved in the MSA. He’s also of Egyptian background, and he has a distinctly Egyptian-American way of speaking — along with a quintessentially Egyptian thicket of dense, curly hair — that vividly evokes the kids I grew up with, the friends I used to spend my weekends cutting Sunday school with to go to Walgreens, the people whom I have all but lost my once-robust connection to. Mazen and I talk for a while as a steady stream of MSA members file in and I’m introduced to each one with a hearty “Assalam-u-Alaikum” and shake hands. As we sit among the brothers on couches, and the sisters mill about the table of food, Mazen talks about how this year’s cohort of the MSA is much closer, increasingly relaxed and hearteningly unified. My sister, who was an active mem-
ber of her university’s MSA, always told me about the troubles that plagued her organization: religious condescension, jealousy, pettiness, people actually getting married, and other hurdles that prevented the group from getting things done. But as I’ve learned — and as Mazen points out — this MSA has accomplished a lot. They’ve done countless outreach programs, hosted successful events, and fully embraced their role as campus activists. Their biggest issue now continuing the trend into next year. I’m surprised at how forthcoming Mazen is; he knows I’m here to write a story, and that I’m not really a part of MSA. But at this point, I’m a bit confused, too: What am I doing here? I’m an outsider: A journalist and on top of that a Muslim who isn’t in the MSA. At some point during this whole endeavor, they looked past that double whammy of alien remove, and let me in. The food is a welcome treat, the atmosphere is warm, the people are friendly. But I’m shook. As I have done for years, as I always do, I tell them I have to get going (I don’t). I quickly throw on my jacket while Mazen tells me to come out more often, while another kid smiles at me, while the rest of this organization is enjoying the company of each other’s presence. I see them in their social setting, and I realize, then, how difficult the past month must have been. For the sisters, for Muslims, for anyone feeling without a community — I understand, finally, the burden that has
been placed on these people who didn’t ask for it. It is not the politics of activism I’m searching for, and I guess it never was. I grab my stuff and head out the door, but not before my old friend Humza grabs me by the arm and asks for my number. I hesitate, imagining the nightmare barrage of texts I’m bound to receive (“Salaam brother! We’re all going to fast today just for fun, care to join us?”; “Salaam brother! The brothers and I are going to Pinball Pete’s tonight. You should come!”; “Salaam brother! Why weren’t you at jumuah today?”) But then, the word jihad crosses my mind. I had been taught, years ago on a Sunday, that this word does not mean what the news tells us it means, that it is a term not to be co-opted by the terrorists who seek to ruin us, that we all have our personal jihad: it means “struggle.” I see a family, proud and brave, boarding a plane to seek refuge. I see the physical manifestation of bigotry and hatred, a padlocked gate at the entry of acceptance, forcing them back. I see love, acceptance, humanity and a profound, aching empathy denied their chances to shine; instead, I see a people humiliated in the streets they had hoped would accept them with open arms. I see, now, why those before us struggled, why we must struggle — and, if only I struggled — why those to come may not have to. I grab Humza’s phone and tap “Create Contact.”
Wednesday, February 8, 2017 // The Statement
Personal Statement: Turning Back Time
By Syed Fahd Ahsan, Daily Sports Writer What if I told you that, for one day, I was able to turn back the clock and be a 10-year-old kid again. That for a few hours, I was able to take a break from a world that increasingly felt like it was becoming too much to handle. The spell was cast at the Australian Open final by two sorcerers of the highest order: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. They played under the heat of a summer Melbourne sun as I sat bundled in blankets, under a Michigan winter sky. Physically, they were as far away from me as possible, but never had they been closer to my heart. You know you’re getting old when all of your childhood tennis heroes are either retired, or losing to kids younger than you. Over the past few years, that’s become a reality for Federer and Nadal. Roger seeded 17 at the beginning of the Australian Open and Rafa barely made the top-10, coming in at nine. Both recovering from lengthy injuries, the two weren’t supposed to make it this far. These two men are among the greatest tennis players of all time. They defined the sport and pushed it to new heights, but their time was truly supposed to be up. Heck, even the next-generation Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were supposed to be running out of time. To see both Federer and Nadal reach the final of a grand slam together for the first time in six years was highly improbable. I stayed up to watch each of Federer’s games. They started at 3:30 a.m. and would end — at the earliest — at 6 a.m. I consumed exuberant amounts of coffee and skipped many classes, but watching him turn back time to beat three top-10 opponents was worth every minute of sleep I sacrificed. I had an exam three hours after I saw Federer beat fellow Swiss no. 4 Stanislas Wawrinka. It was an hour and a half long; I was out in 40 minutes. Make of that what you will. On the other side of the bracket, Nadal struggled against 19-year-old Alexander “Sascha” Zverev, barely outlasting him in five sets. But after that close call, he roared through the rest of the bracket, and I, just like the crowds in Melbourne, “vamos-ed’ every time he won a match, making a “Fedal” final that much more realistic. The first tennis match I ever watched was the 2006 French Open final, which was coincidentally the first Federer-Nadal Grand Slam final. It was June of 2006, and I was a 9-year-old enjoying summer break and excited to watch “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” (My parents introduced it to me that summer, and it was the first show I ever binge-watched.) Imagine my disappointment when I walked into my parents’ room to find them watching two men hitting a ball back and forth while making strange grunting noises. It was already close to midnight, and I knew I wasn’t going to watch any “Fresh Prince,” no matter how many times my parents said they’d put it on after the match. My complaining got me nowhere, so I figured I might as well watch.
Nadal was up two sets to one, so naturally I wanted him to put the game to bed so a young Will Smith could make me laugh. But as much as I wanted that to happen, every time Federer hit a one-handed backhand or served an ace, I couldn’t help but admire his brilliance. By the time he tied the set at 6-6, I wanted him to win the tiebreaker and keep the match going. This was definitely better than the “Fresh Prince.” I got my first wish. Nadal won the tiebreak pretty fast, and the game ended. My parents still kicked me out of the room, and I didn’t get to watch Uncle Phil throw Jazz out of the house either. I was mad at my parents, but — in hindsight — it was probably the only time they did something because “it was better for me.” They introduced me to Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and tennis. For the next six years I watched Rafa dominate on clay and Roger weave his magic on grass. Their clashes on the court would put the battle between Perseus and the Titans to shame — don’t believe me? Just watch Wimbledon 2008. I always wanted Federer to win. Nadal beat him more often than not. Before long, though, Federer entered the twilight of his career, and injuries threatened to deny Nadal the rest of his. The two entered tournament after tournament only to fall short well before they were meant to. Every subsequent defeat would become that much less disappointing, that much less shocking. They were considered legendary relics of the sport more so than actual contenders for the throne. Not even in my wildest dreams could both men have reached a final this year, so when they finally did, emotions I hadn’t felt since I was 15 suddenly came back to me. These emotions brought with them memories of what were some of my fondest years. A lot has changed since 2011, though. I put on a couple of pounds, grew a few inches and a beard now sits on my once bare face. I moved half-way around the world to attend college, too. Federer and Nadal weren’t immune to the effects of time either. Back then, Nadal was bare biceps, long hair, long pants. Now, his hair is thinner, his sleeves have grown out, and his shorts are, well, short. But what about Federer? He was once graceful elegance and fluid perfection, and now, well, he’s still just that — maybe just a tad bit slower. So when the final arrived, it had an eerie unfamiliarity around it — it was the ninth time the two were meeting in a Grand Slam final, but it had been so long that it felt new again. Like the return of a long-lost friend you thought you’d never see again. The story wrote itself. With the match tied at two sets a piece, Nadal broke Federer’s first serve and took a 3-1 lead. Roger waived his racket like the wand that it is and turned the clock back farther than he’d ever done. He replied with five unanswered points and found himself serving for the championship. During that last set, I jumped around my couch, shouting at the TV for every unforced error, and holding my hair in awe at every ace. And when Roger
ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE SPAK
finally hit that last forehand winner, I couldn’t hold back the tears. For those few hours, there was truly nothing else in the world that I cared about. I felt like I was 9 years old again. On that day, everyone was a winner, except for Rafa. He brought out his shining megawatt smile, tossed aside disappointment to showcase humility, and paid his victor, rival and friend the most generous of compliments. “Roger deserved it a little more than me,” he said. Exuberant after his win, Federer jumped around like it was his first Grand Slam. It was his 18th Grand Slam title. That’s more than anyone else and four more than his closest competitors, Sampras and Nadal. For all the intensity, competitiveness and historic meaning behind their matches, there is no hint of spite or malice in their relationship — only wholehearted respect, and reverence. At a time when the world seems full of public immaturity and division, the matchup between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal reminded me that it didn’t have to be that way. As Federer made his lap of honor with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, I was on my feet in my living room, in tears, applauding what I had just seen, just like everyone else at Rod Laver Arena. The standing ovation was meant for Roger, but it was for Rafa too. Because we needed both for this extraordinary spectacle. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, thank you from the bottom of my heart. For all those finals that marked my fondest years. For sticking around, even though you were past your best. For finding it in you to be the best again.
7B
8B
Wednesday, February 8, 2017 // The Statement The crowd cheers at a Louis the Child concert at Royal Oak Theatre. (KEVIN ZHENG/Daily)
EMILIE FARRUGIA/Daily
Lead bassist, Flea, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers performs at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. (JEREMY MITNIK/Daily).
Louis the Child preforms at Royal Oak Theatre.
(KEVIN ZHENG/Daily)
V I S UA L S TAT E M E N T: CONCERTS Members of The Michigan Daily’s photo staff captured moments from concerts throughout Michigan this semester.
(KEVIN ZHENG/ Daily) Trombone Shorty opens for the Red Hot Chili Peppers at Joe Louis Arena. (JEREMY MITNIK/Daily).
Cellist Neyla Pekarek on stage with the Lumineers.
(ALEXIS RANKIN/ Daily)