ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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b-side: The Mental Health Issue Arts explores the presence, purpose and effects of the relationship between art and mental health
» Page 1B RESEARCH
Researchers receive funds for rocket development ARNOLD ZHOU/Daily
Aerospace prof. given $4.2 million grant from United States Air Force
Knight-Wallace journalists Bastian Obermayer and Laurent Richard discuss security concerns related to investigative journalism in the League on Wednesday.
Investigative journalists discuss privacy concerns in 21st century
Panama Papers’ Bastian Obermeyer, Laurent Richard present as part of Dissonance Series COLIN BERESFORD Daily Staff Reporter
Two Knight-Wallace Fellows, Bastian Obermayer and Laurent Richard, presented Wednesday evening on a panel titled “Privacy and Security Challenges in Investigative Journalism.” Law
Prof. Gautam Hans facilitated the event, which was part of the Dissonance speaker series. Obermayer and Richard were part of the team of journalists that published the Panama Papers, a leak of 11.5 million documents that belonged to the law firm Mossack Fonseca. These documents detailed how more than 200,000
offshore entities served as shell corporations for uses such as tax evasion, fraud and other illegal purposes, with links to dozens of world leaders. The panelists discussed keeping sensitive information from being disclosed and how to contact sources while maintaining their safety as journalists and the
safety of the sources. “The question of the privacy and the safety of the sources or the journalists have been always in the history of journalism very central,” Richard said.
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AARON DALAL
Daily Staff Reporter
Karthik Duraisamy, an assistant professor in the Aerospace Engineering Department and his team received a grant from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratories and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to investigate computational simulations related to rocket engine safety. The team was considered an underdog in the field but beat out competition from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Stanford University for the $4.2 million grant. Duraisamy said the problem
his team hopes to solve for the Air Force is designing systems to make rocket takeoff safer. He emphasized that his team members are not rocket builders — that they are just refining a computer simulation that helps catalyze the design cycle. “Instead of designing, building, testing, blowing up and going back to the drawing board, what we want to do is run simulations of it virtually on computers,” Duraisamy said. His project focuses on streamlining the process using computers rather than overhauling rocketry in general. See ROCKET, Page 2A
CSG deliberates on proposal aimed Ford panel Innovation talks rights, at boosting freshmen voter registration entered in
CAMPUS LIFE
RESEARCH
concerns of ambiguity
Hours before polls open, eMerge candidate presents resolution with University housing
Policy conversation reviews intersection of human rights and military life
With just hours remaining before polls opened for the 2017-18 Central Student Government elections Tuesday evening, Public Policy junior Nadine Jawad, the eMerge vice-presidential candidate who currently serves as an executive policy adviser, made a final proposal to the current assembly. Jawad introduced a resolution encouraging University of Michigan Housing to integrate voter registration into required first-year student events, an idea outlined in the party’s platform. The resolution, citing a study that found fewer than half of University students voted in 2012 and 2014, states that since all firstyear students are required to attend various Welcome Week events organized by University Housing, they should also integrate voter registration into transitional activities. After six months of meeting with the administration and the University’s Residence Hall Association, Jawad tabled a discussion wherein she argued incorporating voter registration into required University Housing activities makes the most sense.
NICOLE TSUNO For the Daily
John Dudley Hutson, a former U.S. Navy officer and judge advocate general of the Navy, joined author and former Marine Phil Klay as well as former Army officer Ian Fishback Wednesday evening on a panel in the Ford School of Public Policy. The panel, part of Ford’s Policy Talk series, aimed to confront ambiguities created by the intersection of national security and human rights. The discussion was moderated by Hardy Vieux, the legal director at Human Rights First and the Ford School Towsley Foundation policymaker in residence. Vieux directed his first question at Hutson, asking if the perception of human rights and national security as incompatible spheres still exists today. Hutson argued the two do not conflict, and instead, human rights form the basis for national security — especially in regard to the war on terror.
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DYLAN LACROIX Daily Staff Reporter
“We think that if we can get freshman when they first come here who haven’t registered to vote yet to register, we’ll make it easy through the first meeting,” Jawad said. Upon meeting with RHA and LSA student government, Jawad agreed with suggestions that the initiative must be a collaborative effort between all organizations
involved with required firstyear student events. RHA President Sujay Shetty, an LSA sophomore, endorsed the resolution, and placed it on the agenda for the next two RHA Executive Board Meeting agendas. “I thought it was a great idea,” Shetty said. “I couldn’t find any factors which would make it so it shouldn’t be passed.”
During her presentation to the assembly, Jawad argued the most effective way to integrate voter registration into the firstyear events would be through incorporating it into RA training each year.
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nat’l STAT contest
March Madness-style tournament aims to find best STEM discovery RASHEED ABDULLAH Daily Staff Reporter
The University of Michigan’s discovery of gut bacteria in ill lungs has been entered into STAT Madness, a contest inspired by the NCAA’s March Madness tournament and run by STAT health news, aimed at finding the best innovations in science and medicine. A research team lead by Dr. Robert Dickson of the University’s Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care discovered an increase in the severity of a patient’s illness was coupled with an increase in the amount of gut bacteria in the place of regular lung bacteria. They concluded critical illness in the lungs affects the microbiome — microorganisms living in the body — more so than had been previously thought. The research team was trying to determine was whether microorganisms or the body’s response to infections was responsible for intense critical illnesses. JOSHUA HAN/Daily
Public Policy junior Nadine Jawad, vice-presidential candidate for CSG, debates campus issues in the Student Pulications Building on Monday.
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 51 ©2017 The Michigan Daily
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS.........B-SECTION
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SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................7
News
2A — Thursday, March 23, 2017
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ON THE DAILY: FROM TIGER TO WOLVERINE Wolvereaders, a studentrun organization from the University of Michigan Community Scholars Program, brought Detroit Tigers mascot Paws to Ypsilanti’s Estabrook Elementary School Wednesday morning for a March is Reading Month event. LSA sophomores Amani Echols and Maria Cholack founded the organization in 2016. Wolvereaders travels to Estabrook every other week and helps second-graders read and write letters to their MCSP mentors. In an email interview, Echols said the organization’s goals include getting elementary school students excited about reading and higher education. Cholack wrote in an email interview the students really enjoyed Paws’s appearance and
Michigan Basketball
she hopes it will inspire the second graders,” Echols wrote. MCSP’s community partnership children to develop a passion for “It was exciting to be able to with the Ypsilanti Public School reading. see their faces light up and System, specifically Estabrook “It was really rewarding be so engaged in an activity Elementary School.” to see the second graders so centralized around reading genuinely excited about a mascot comprehension. … The event - MATT HARMON that everyone loves,” Cholack was a great way to strengthen wrote. “The students were very engaged in the reading activity, which was fantastic because we really wanted them to associate reading with having fun. Overall it was a great way to bring the second graders, University of Michigan students and faculty together.” Echols wrote the event brought Estabrook into the Wolverine community. “Inviting Paws to be our special guest for this week’s ARNOLD ZHOU/Daily WolveReaders visit was a Engineering senior Steven Duan participates in the DVN 2017 Appreciation Dinner following great change of pace for the the annual VSA Diet Vietnam cultural show in East Hall on Wednesday.
@umichbball
Ready for another. #GoBlue #MarchMadness
F O O D A N D C U LT U R E
Michigan Students @UMichStudents
Walking around the Major/ Minor Expo as a senior with very mixed emotions. Half “lol bye” and half “do I really have to graduate?”
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Workshop with Gary Wilder WHAT: UM Anthropology Prof. Gary Wilder will workshop his new book, “Freedom Time: Negritude, Decolonization, and the Future of the World.” WHO: Romance Languages & Literatures WHEN: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. WHERE: Modern Languages Building, fourth floor commons
Acing the Interview WHAT: The UCC is hosting a workshop to help any students looking for jobs develop their interview skills. WHO: University Career Center WHEN: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. WHERE: Student Activities Building, Program Room
ROCKET From Page 1A “You still have to design, build and test, but you don’t have to design, build and test 50 designs — maybe you can just do three or four and substitute the rest of the information with computational simulations,” Duraisamy said. “So that’s our expertise — we are experts in computational modeling and simulation in this case of rocket combustors, but in general, many aerospace systems.” Duraisamy also shared his thoughts on the technology being used for purposes that stray from its original intent. “We give them efficient computational simulation techniques that they can use, so in some sense we are like tool-builders,” he said. “And that is all of basic science. If you take anything — if you take semiconductors, they were designed because of basic research and how they are used can be for good purposes or it can be used for evil purposes.” He remained optimistic the
GO BLUE, BABY.
De-Stress Through Play WHAT: Eat free pizza, play with play dough, paint and other things while learning about how it all helps you de-stress. WHO: Comprehensive Studies Program WHEN: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. WHERE: Angell Hall, Room 1139
What Can Blind People Tell Us About Race?
@Xaviersimpson3
22nd Annual Exhibition of Art by Prisoners WHAT: One of the largest exhibitions of art by incarcerated artists in Michigan will be on display. WHO: The Prisoner Creative Arts Project WHEN: 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. WHERE: Duderstadt Center, Media Union
WHAT: Larry Dubin, a University of Detroit Mercy School of Law professor, will talk about common ethical dilemmas young lawyers face. WHO: University Career Center WHEN: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union, Pond Room
WHAT: UC-Berkeley Bioethics Prof. Osagie K. Obasogie will discuss his research with blind people on the role of race in their lives. WHO: Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies WHEN: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. WHERE: Tisch Hall, Room 1014
WHAT: Come watch the documentary “A Plastic Ocean” and bring plastic bags to exchange for a Planet Blue reusable bag. WHO: Planet Blue WHEN: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. WHERE: Hatcher Graduate Library, Gallery
project would have benevolent applications even if the Air Force’s agenda were to turn in a different direction. “This is probably less likely to go into a missile than going into space and launching something,” Duraisamy said. Ph.D. candidate Nicholas Arnold, a member of Duraisamy’s team, said even those who intend to create weapons are not always responsible for their ramifications. “Our research is generally for the research’s sake,” Arnold said. “If you read some books on the first stealth fighters and stuff like that — like the F-117 — Skunk Works and Lockheed Martin didn’t do the research that came up with the theory that made stealth work. Actually, the guy who found it found it in a paper that was published by a Soviet researcher.” Assistant research scientist J.P. Sheehan, who works on electrical propulsion of rockets, spoke more generally on grants coming into the University. “On one side, there’s money
coming in to support students on an hourly basis, but also from a project standpoint, when a new project comes in, that means there’s going to be lots of work to do,” Sheehan
puzzle by sudokusyndication.com
Xavier Simpson Common Pitfalls for Young Lawyers
Film Screening: A Plastic Ocean
We give them efficient computational simulation techniques
The new drake iight not all that #OpinionOnTwitter
Detroit Free Press
Drop In For Donuts!
@freep WHAT: Coffee, tea and donuts will all be provided at this information session hosted by the Slavic Department. WHO: Slavic Languages & Literatures WHEN: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. WHERE: Modern Languages Building, Room 3029
Michigan will be the best place to live by 2100 AD, according to @PopSci. (Granted, it already is.)
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said. “The fact that research going on at Michigan is very cutting-edge on the academic side and industry side is really important and adds a lot to the prestige of the degree.” Captain Benjamin Song, assistant professor of aerospace studies concurred, saying grants like this one improve the standing of the University and the Air Force, and improve on already strong relations between the two. He said the effects of a good relationship can be felt by even by Air Force ROTC cadets who are majoring in aerospace engineering. Duraisamy pointed out that the grant would also help the University on the recruiting front because it bolsters his reputation as a mentor. “I always liken recruiting grad students and undergrads to recruiting basketball players — it’s the same thing, they have all of us from many different places and then they go with a coach,” he said. Duraisamy talked about how the grant coming from a public entity was especially meaningful. “Federal government research is always more adventurous, we all covet federal government funds,” he said. “We can propose very risky projects and it’s typically okay whereas private is a little bit more conservative.”
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Michigan in Color
Thursday, March 23, 2017 — 3A
Please stop asking Black boys Re-defining the Race and why they don’t play sports Ethnicity Requirement MICHAEL HEYWARD MiC Columnist
We are currently in the thick of March Madness, a time of year when it seems as though everyone is an expert in all things basketball. People are filling out brackets, making bets and anxiously watching as many games as they possibly can. This time, more than ever, I am reminded of one of the things that annoyed me most during my childhood, along with being the cause of a lot of anxiety and decreased self-esteem. When I met new people, usually adults, or saw family members whom I did not see on a regular basis, they would ask me, “Do you play any sports?” Now this in itself is harmless. Every given year, I was one of the tallest people in my grade. After my awkward preteen phase, I slimmed down and started to work out at my mom’s gym occasionally. It was not unusual for people to comment on my “athletic” physique, and the affirmation was a positive reinforcement. It really was no surprise that people thought I would be an athlete. In reply to the aforementioned question, “Do you play any sports?” I would simply say no and smile. However awkward, all of this is fine and completely normal. Sports are a big part of American culture and most of my peers played them. So what was the issue? It lay in one word: Why?
Now this always seemed like a very loaded question, and I never knew exactly how to respond. I would say, “I’m just not into them,” or something of the sort. If I was lucky, they would leave it at that; however, sometimes they would say some pretty demoralizing things. One family member even told me that I was “a waste of height and size.” This comment bothered me for obvious reasons, but mostly because it seemed like people were never interested in all of my other qualities and interests. I enjoyed reading books on presidential history, catching up on politics and cooking new foods. For a short period in middle school, I played baseball and ran track. Though I liked the challenge and opportunity to spend time with my friends outside of school, I knew that I was not an athlete. I actually fractured my ankle sliding into home base and was forced to wear a cast and then a boot for the better part of a year. Nonetheless, this piece is not at all my attempt at criticizing athletes or organized sports. I am not oblivious to the many positive effects that sports can have on youth: the ability to bond as a team, have a sense of responsibility and opportunity to compete with peers by constructive means are just some of the benefits. In more urban communities, specifically, sports can be pivotal in establishing a relationship between a coach and his players where many of them
may not have a paternal figure in their lives. Sports can also give an out to students looking to escape violence and other disadvantageous situations. However, in the Black community, sports are sometimes viewed as the only way to prosperity. This could be because the entertainment industry has for so long capitalized on the athletic ambitions of Black boys in conjunction with the general public’s appetite to consume such media. This, all the while collecting the lion’s share of multi-million dollar profits. For example, about three in four NBA players are Black; however, owners in the league are almost exclusively white. I want my point to be clear: Stop asking Black boys why they don’t play sports because it is in turn reducing them to your entertainment. Instead, start seeing Black boys as intellectuals. Start seeing Black boys as artists, public servants and CEOs. Let’s encourage more Black youth to code, draw and write columns for their school paper. The world needs more Black leaders, and today’s kids have to be inspired to chase those dreams. And with all of that being said, it is crucial to still acknowledge that kids can be whatever they want in life. So, if after you’ve encouraged him to be ambitious, and that Black boy wants to be a basketball player, go to the bleachers and cheer him on.
MiC Spotlight: Senior Editors MIC SENIOR EDITORS
In the MiC Spotlight series, our editors and contributors reflect on the reasons they joined MiC and their hopes for their work and the section. When I was a kid, I wanted to be an author. As a perpetually insecure child, I never started a journal or a diary, never wrote outside of coursework, and never actually took any of the steps that would have made me a writer. I didn’t think anything I had to say was important or worth immortalizing. But still I kept my dream of being a writer tucked in my pocket, so no one could see it but I could feel safe knowing it was there. I always promised I would start writing when I got smart enough, talented enough, inspired enough. That dream has mutated throughout my life. Ten-year-old me was convinced she was going to write a novel when she grew up; 15-year-old me knew that journalism was where she needed to be; 20-year-old me has accepted that she wants writing to be important to her career and refuses to stress about the specifics. As my romantic notion of being an author shifted, so did my understanding of myself and my identity as a young Muslim woman. It’s not that I woke up one day shocked that I was brown and Muslim — it was that I realized that the experiences I had were not common among all people. Not everyone had normalized the idea that the government may be listening to their private conversations and not everyone stayed away from calling things “the bomb” unless they were telling a joke. It became clear that the faint suspicions I had felt toward my novels were because I wasn’t seeing my story being told. And then I started thinking about what other stories weren’t being told. And then I started wondering why those stories might not be told. And then I thought about why it was those stories — often full of corruption and negligence and -isms. And then I started wondering what I could do to fix that. And then I decided to pursue a career in policy and stopped actively dreaming about being a writer. But to write is to claim agency and ownership of a narrative that, for many people of color, has been dominated by the stories of others. To write is to give yourself and your community a voice, a platform, a moment to say: “I was here. I felt this. It was real and it was important.” To
write is to be selfish and selfless, all at once. To write is to resist, on some level, the idea that who you are and what you experience is not valid and valuable and worth reading. And so I’ve joined Michigan in Color as an editor as part of an attempt to return to that dream. It is an honor to be part of a section that works so clearly to elevate the stories that are often untold or unheard, and I hope to use my time here engaging with writers to do just that. I hope that, in reading and writing our stories, you can find meaning, purpose, strength and solidarity as I often do. - AREEBA HAIDER Reflecting upon my upbringing, I realize how incredibly lucky I am to be writing this. As a transracial adoptee from Vietnam who came from a small province and a family that was deathly ill, I am grateful for and I am proud to raise my voice. Growing up, I had trouble raising my voice in challenging environments, because of my personal insecurities and often times not knowing where I stand. I was an agreeable giver, someone who gave myself to others while letting conflicting voices trample my own. Since being involved in Michigan Community Scholars Program, Intergroup Relations, the Center for Positive Organizations and A/ PIA activist communities, I have grown to be strong in letting my voice be heard, because I have found spaces where I flourish. This strength has pushed me to navigate difficult conversations surrounding racial discrimination and the current social climate, primarily surrounding Asian and Pacific Islander American civil rights. As an Asian American, I am tired of being forced into the gray middle ground in the race conversation. Media often portrays us as wedge groups to be model examples to society, but we are far too often silenced as soon as we gain the confidence to speak. Joining MiC was something I’ve longed for since I arrived to campus. The stories MiC publishes are powerful. MiC gives an unapologetic space for people of color to have their voices elevated. Personally, I remember reading Elise Jayakar’s article on her biracial experience. That piece inspired me to write, because it touched me in a way that will never leave me. So, my contribution will be giving myself wholly to a community that was built on being a deviant to the norm. I was given the extraordinary privilege to grow up in the United States and I am using every breath to elevate the voices, stories and narratives of those that have been silenced by the dominant narrative. - ADAM BRODNAX
I’ve been told by others that I never hesitate to speak my mind. Since I was very young, I have always been able to unapologetically express my thoughts and feelings. I used to simply think that it was because I was bold or determined. However, as I grew older, I saw that many of my peers, especially those who were people of color, were unable to voice their opinions and were frequently disregarded. This made me ask myself why other people could not just say what they wanted to. It took me quite a while to find the answer to that question. I recognize that I have an incredible amount of privilege as an upper-middle-class, South Asian woman. Quite often, people will take my word over that of others because I am assumed to be more hardworking and rational than other people of color. Unlike many of my peers, I rarely feel unsafe due to my ethnicity or religion. Furthermore, I grew up in an environment that was very supportive and encouraged me to be confident in myself. I can only hope to provide other people with a fraction of the opportunities that allowed me to find my voice. I have been involved in social justice organizations, including the South Asian Awareness Network and Uncover: A/PIA, in the hopes that I can use my privilege to help bring about social change on campus. Likewise, I wish to continue to use my privilege in order to bring about awareness through writing. As a senior editor of Michigan in Color, I want to help provide a space for people of color to share their stories and life experiences. I, along with the other editors of Michigan in Color, will always work to amplify your voices and to make your voices echo for others to hear. I have shared my story and have been heard. Now, it’s your turn to speak up. If you have something to say, just let me know and I’ll be sure to pass you the MiC. - SIVANTHY VASANTHAN I learned, pretty early on, that mainstream media does not make books, TV shows or movies for my consumption. I gave up on writing as a career a long time ago, before I ever really gave myself a fair shot at it, because I thought no one else would either. South Asian voices in media are reduced to archaic stereotypes or exoticized; our experiences are never our own — they are constructed through the lenses of those who don’t care enough to tell our stories without embarrassing us. Even when they are, prominent mainstream South Asian creators, such as Mindy Kaling and Priyanka Chopra, refuse to acknowledge their backgrounds,
RABAB JAFRI MiC Columnist
I began my freshman year the way most people do: completely unsure of what classes to take. I decided to take a class that would fulfill the Race and Ethnicity requirement so I would not have to take it again in my undergraduate career. I took a class on the history of Islam in South Asia because it fit my schedule. And though the class was informative overall as a history class, it had little to do with my experiences as a South Asian woman and nothing to do with inequities as they exist relating to ethnicity. This class, along with many of the other options for the requirement, does not fit with the original intent of the requirement, which was made as a response to a request made by the student group Black Action Movement III in 1990. The race and ethnicity curriculum has been criticized on multiple occasions in the past, but to no avail. There are still many classes that, despite fulfilling the requirement, are not in line with the goal of teaching students the value of new perspectives. Thus, students can still graduate without having taken a course that truly challenges them to think about issues of race and ethnicity in a new way, and the requirement is often viewed as an obligation, rather than an opportunity to learn more about different ethnic and cultural communities. The University of Michigan also has yet to extend the requirement to other schools outside of LSA and
cultures and histories without sounding tone-deaf and ignorant. That is why I joined MiC. I might not be a seasoned writer or an active member of the creative community anymore, but this forum is one of the few places I feel capable of taking charge of my own story: because I get to tell it. - TANYA MADHANI In my last Spotlight, I wrote about how finding my voice as a Filipino-American, removing my shame as one and strongly wanting to help other people of color do the same is why I joined Michigan in Color. All of that still remains the same. Working for Michigan in Color has been without a doubt one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, because I got to do exactly what I sought out to do. When I think about why I return to Michigan in Color, I can’t help but be reminded of the wonderful people who have helped me along the way: former Michigan in Color managing editors Toni Wang and Demario Longmire. Their hard work and activism has truly inspired me to raise up my voice as a Filipino-American. They would never hesitate to ensure that whatever experience or emotion I and the other contributors and fellow MiC editors felt on any particular day, hour or minute was completely OK and valid. They took the time to critically unpack anything problematic so no privileged stone was left unturned and unchecked. I also want to take this moment to say that they are hilarious people. I would also like to give a special shoutout to Sabrina Bilimoria and Alyssa Brandon — past senior editors who also are doing #work on campus and beyond that are absolutely amazing. They have helped cultivate a sense of community that I may not have thought I deserved, but definitely needed. It is important to me that I continue that legacy. I return to Michigan in Color because it is not solely about doing work I enjoy. It is about doing the work I think is critical at this point in time. I want to continue to foster the sense of belonging for people of color that others have done provided for me. I find it so necessary to document the complex experiences of those marginalized so that we never forget but to also extend our solidarity to others who may feel a similar way. I am here to pass down the MiC to fellow people of color to share their stories during every step of the process. In another year at Michigan in Color, I want to say this to all people of color reading this, YOU AND YOUR EXPERIENCES ARE VALID AND DON’T LET
Art & Design. It was not until I started taking courses in the School of Education that I saw what the Race and Ethnicity requirement should look like. My “Education: Schooling and Multicultural Society” course not only taught about racial and economic inequities, but also teaches how to take that knowledge and use it in the classroom and careers. The class is discussion- and activity-based and focuses on discussing some of the nuances of these issues. This is a model that the Race and Ethnicity required classes should all be based on, so that not only are issues being taught, but they are also being discussed in a larger group. This model is also particularly important when thinking about other disciplines which do not require students to take courses that both fulfill the Race and Ethnicity requirement and pertain to eradicating inequities in their own future career paths. Every class in the Race and Ethnicity requirement should be carefully selected so students leave the class feeling well-informed on issues of race and ethnicity that are timely and are equipped with the tools they need to inquire about these issues and be lifelong learners. Refining the Race and Ethnicity requirement is just one of many possible proactive steps to create a more inclusive environment on campus, but it is still only an attempt to educate students on issues they should have learned about long before attending the University. And yet, since the truth of the state of American
ANYONE OR ANYTHING TELL YOU OTHERWISE. - CHRISTIAN PANEDA Storytelling has been a powerful force through my life. As a child, it was through listening to narratives from my parents and grandmother — all of whom immigrated to the United States from India in the early 1990s — that I was able to learn about my roots and heritage. Storytelling did what none of my elementary school classrooms could do by eliciting a vivid sense of curiosity and appreciation for my culture. Now, as a student at the University of Michigan, I reflect on both the spoken and unspoken stories of our campus. I am grateful to have had a multitude of opportunities to learn about social justice, identities and activism: My participation as a peer educator in the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center’s primary prevention program has heightened my understanding of the ways in which sexual and domestic violence pervade our society. Since my first year, Alternative Spring Break has challenged me to think critically about what it means to ethically engage with different communities around me and address the saviorism that often surrounds service. These opportunities have been and continue to be incredibly important in shaping my understanding of social justice. But these organizations focus primarily on how we practice activism and prevent harm. This is not to say that these pillars are not important; on the contrary, they are essential if we wish to understand how communities can come together and challenge systems of oppression and harm. Indeed, these organizations are driven by a different kind of passion than that found in the written word. Serving as a senior editor for Michigan in Color provides a unique opportunity to hear from those members of our campus community who have been harmed by these systems, whose hearts are brimming with stories — raw, intimate and unapologetic ones — that need to be listened to. I am honored to step into this role and learn, not only from my fellow editors, but also from the contributors who bravely allow their truths to soar. If my presence in MiC makes it even slightly more possible for you to be heard, then I have done my duty. - NEEL SWAMY My absolute favorite thing has always been to sing. When I was 7, my brother helped me express my love of singing through song writing. From then on, creative
education currently is that many children do not get the education they need about race and ethnicity, ensuring students recieve this education in college has become even more important. Refining the requirement will also help take the burden off minority students who are expected to provide education to other students on diversity, which can sometimes encourage the tokenization of these students, who should not bear this responsibility in the first place. And yet, it should be a collective effort to ensure that all students at the University get an education where current issues of diversity are being discussed in all classrooms, not just those that fit the “Race and Ethnicity” requirement. This is something that some student leaders have discussed, but also one that students complain about when there is discrimination on campus that is not being discussed in the classroom. The University’s faculty should be educated on issues of diversity and should try to build curricula with this ideal built in wherever it fits. Professors should not fear bringing up these issues, for it is the fear of discussing diversity that ultimately keeps open discussions from happening. It would not be difficult for a student to go through their entire academic career at the University without learning about diversity in a classroom setting. University administration has to react to an issue. The University must create a culture that fosters this discussion so diversity does not only come up as a reaction to hatred.
writing became an outlet for all of my passions. I began to write fantasies and dramas to express myself. I grew up taking honors and AP English classes but I did not enjoy writing academically. When I took my first English class at the University of Michigan, I began to see writing in a different light. I became an activist through my writing and I realized the power my words had to inspire and empower others. Writing was a means of selfdiscovery for me. I have recently been thinking a lot about identities. Growing up, I never felt like I belonged to a specific category. I was constantly juggling between my identities as a Nigerian, American, Black, Muslim woman with sickle cell anemia. Then I started learning about the intersection of identities. I began to realize that no one fits into simply one group but rather we all belong at the intersection of multiple. My involvement with the educational theater company showed me that our identities create the lens through which we perceive the world around us. I realize that I am so much more than a race, religion or disease — yet these are the identities I think about the most. To celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I went to a one-woman multimedia performance called “One Drop of Love,” by Fanshen Cox DiGiovanni. She acted out her life, even the painful moments, to an audience of strangers because she believes her story needs to be told. I started sharing my story for a similar reason. I wrote how I felt to better cope with and understand what I was feeling. Along the way I realized my story could move others the way Fanshen’s moved me. I joined MiC because I was inspired by the people I knew who were involved. I resonated with the passion they had for the work they were doing. They presented MiC to me as a place where my presence would be welcomed, my voice would be heard, and my story would be praised. When I started writing I knew MiC would be the best place to publish. MiC editors helped me harness my voice by making sure my words accurately portrayed the message I wanted to get across. I was incredibly happy and proud of the finished product they helped me create. After my first publication, I knew that if I were given the chance, I would want to do what they did for me for someone else. Now, as a senior editor for MiC, I hope I can help others find and share their voices. I acknowledge how hard it can be to share your story, but I promise I will uphold it and you with the greatest respect. Your story is welcomed here. This is part of mine, so I invite you to share yours. - HALIMAT OLANIYAN
Opinion
4A — Thursday, March 23, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NICHOLAS TOMAINO | COLUMN
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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
BRETT GRAHAM | OP-ED
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Central Student Distraction
have to say, this year had real potential to be different. The ridiculous genesis of meaningless, selfimportant parties with shelf lives of about three minutes spit out, entirely by accident it seems, two interesting options. On the one hand, eMerge, a model of representation sporting a list of diverse candidates, each of whom has a proven track record in student government. On the other, Movement takes a different approach based on accessibility, unity and participation, exemplified in part by candidates at the top of the ticket who would be new to Central Student Government. Such stark contrast between the two would pose, I thought, some important questions to the student body. What kind of representation are we looking for? Is student government experience a necessary prerequisite to the position of CSG president, or can the bureaucratic bubble of student government be a hindrance? Or both? In the wake of an objectively productive and successful Schafer-Griggs term, what went right? What could be done better? Perhaps most importantly, what do we, as Wolverines, expect from CSG? We could have asked these questions. But we decided to take the easier route. We got distracted by a video. The first word that I used to describe Movement’s “official anthem” was brilliant. Rather than running a campaign that we’ve seen before, with slightly different font and a new slogan, a new breed of dog paraded around the Diag or an exciting new strateg y to cover the tables of the Shapiro Undergraduate Library in quarter-sheets, they were having fun with it. I saw, quite simply, two guys dancing (somewhat goofily, I might add) around campus with their friends and trying to bring attention to their campaign. They dropped some lyrics about giving the campus back to the students, and how you don’t have to have CSG experience to have an idea about improving campus. Was it the highest form of political commentary I’ve seen in my life? Absolutely not. The most memorable line was about putting Chickfil-A in the Michigan Union. It was a stunt, and one that was generating more attention for a CSG race than I’d ever
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seen before in my time at the University of Michigan. But then, quickly and effortlessly, it consumed the campaign. In a column for The Michigan Daily, Evan Rosen was compared to Donald Trump, while another op-ed labeled Movement “not serious.” The party was branded with cultural appropriation and Facebook comment sections ran wild. Let’s take this point by point. First of all, anyone who compares Rosen to Trump is being lazy, purposefully inflammatory and downright rude. In my personal experience, he is down-to-earth, friendly and has perfectly normal-sized hands. Sure, he may not be the most experienced candidate, but the CSG president doesn’t walk around campus with the nuclear football, so let’s all calm down a bit. Being an outsider can be a phenomenal asset. Secondly, Movement is serious. If you looked beyond the video, or even read the comments posted by Movement’s Facebook page in response, you’d see an innovative platform, including proposals for improved lighting on Central Campus, an expansion of SafeRide hours, a campaign focusing on mental health and the “4 Years” initiative for success. Even without all this, let me be the first to say that seriousness is not the first quality I look for in my student representatives; this is partially because I’m voting for student representatives, not U.S. senators. Cultural appropriation is obviously a serious issue, on our campus and many others. Personally, I don’t think the video was a culprit of it, and I reject the idea that there’s anything inherently offensive about a white guy rapping. Nor is there anything inherently wrong with comparing yourself to a famous inventor like George Washington Carver to prove that you’re innovative (in fact, it’s pretty obviously a compliment to George Washington Carver). But if that’s a conversation to have, let’s have it, rather than foaming at the mouth and jumping at the first opportunity for outrage. Let’s figure out why we disagree, and how we can come to a campuswide consensus, rather than shouting down the opposition for something we see as clear-
cut and “beyond debate.” Let me be clear. I am not here to endorse the Movement party. I see the argument that Rosen and Dan Sweeney don’t represent the most diverse perspectives on campus. I just also acknowledge that Anushka Sarkar and Nadine Jawad have blind spots of their own. I see the argument that there was a clear objectification of women in the video, but I also recognize that it was a video and not their slate of candidates, which includes strong, intelligent women. I agree with some of the comments that were posted under the video, but I also have great respect for the poise and professionalism with which Movement responded (and eventually apologized). But no one seems to be able to get past the video and everyone seems interested in telling you exactly how heinous they think it is. Personally, I voted for candidates from all four major parties. I simply want to make the point that the video and its narrative did not have to take over the campaign. It could have been about issues — diversity, inclusion, campus safety, campus culture and activism. Instead, Rosen had to leave in the middle of a debate hosted by The Michigan Daily to attend a hearing addressing two formal complaints about the video filed by his opponents. Because debating is much easier when not everyone gets the chance to make their case. There are hundreds of reasons to vote for eMerge, and hundreds to vote for Movement. There was a discussion to be had. As we learned from the 2016 presidential race, however, polarization and outrage can be a lot more exciting. So we did that instead. Maybe next year, we as a student body will look back and realize that putting the issues facing our campus aside and centering in on a purposefully ridiculous video was just that — ridiculous. Or, maybe, student government at the University will continue to be an exercise of self-importance, longwinded Facebook posts and stories rather than substance. Unfortunately, one seems more likely to me than the other. Brett Graham is an LSA junior and former Michigan Daily columnist and Editorial Board Member.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
But it is also possible... that the Russians used the same techniques to corrupt U.S. persons that they have employed in Europe and elsewhere. We simply don’t know, not yet, and we owe it to the country to find out.
— Adam Schiff, Democratic representative from Southern California, concluding a statement on evidence regarding the Trump administration’s alleged contacts with Russian state actors during the 2016 presidential election.
”
R
“Deal or No Deal?”
hetoric since the blame for its “implosion” (i.e., inauguration and, more premium increases, dwindling specifically, since the competition, etc.) start of the political right’s Herein lies our current efforts to create an dilemma. Affordable Care Act Negotiating the here repeal-and-replace and now should not bill, has perpetuated take on a binary a narrative that approach — say yes to Washington is in a the Republicans’ new state of disarray. Thus plan or align yourself far, a constructive with Obamacare’s dialogue has not failures — but rather, been encouraged, but a collaborative one. rather, figureheads a New York Times NICHOLAS In on both the right and op-ed piece, Ohio TOMAINO Gov. John Kasich left have relied on hateful rebuke and criticism. writes, “A true and lasting Various media outlets have reform of the health insurance greeted House Speaker Paul system must be accomplished by Ryan with an outpouring of bringing the two sides together.” disapproval from the moment he revealed his repeal-and-replace plan. From The Washington Post claiming Paul Ryan is “the enemy of the right,” to Mark Levin at the Conservative Review dubbing the bill as “RINOcare”(RINO being a common party insult meaning “Republican In Name Only”) there has been nothing shy about popular reaction to its unveiling. Before we condemn the present, though, it is crucial to Former President Obama examine our past. For the past conveyed a very important eight years, Washington saw message to Republicans and strong-arming at its finest. The Democrats alike: Unilateralism prototypical legislative process is not the way forward. was not merely hidden but Pursuing this avenue marked forgotten, as former President by self-reliance and egotism Barack Obama continued to only divides our nation even thumb his nose at Congress. further. It appears as if the His prime focus and current man in the Oval Office political baby was christened is taking this advice to heart, as “Obamacare” — a piece of he has mentioned that though legislation that he effectively Ryan’s bill is the appropriate rammed through Congress vehicle, it must be modified without any bipartisan down the road. approval. As it was crafted In a recent interview with behind closed doors with Tucker Carlson on Fox News, virtually no transparency, the President Trump refrained American public innocently from completely jumping on listened to a host of specious board with the bill by saying, claims growing more and more “It’s very preliminary … but (it) misguided on a variety of its is going to be negotiated.” In principles along the way. other words, Trump is doing The takeaway: As what he does best: deal-making. Republicans had no stake in His measured approach should the plan, Obama and chief sound all too familiar to those Democrats received all the who have read his bestseller credit. Yet, in due time, as we “The Art of the Deal.” As he are seeing now, the Democrats details, the key to success is to are receiving the brunt of the keep one’s options open, not
Negotiating the here and now should not take on a binary approach.
entirely committing to one plan and seeking dialogue. In a recent briefing, Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, laid out this approach very carefully when he commented: “… regardless of what caucus or faction you’re a part of, if you have an idea that can enhance this bill and make it more patientcentric and achieve the goals, then we’re all for it. So that’s a process. … There have been a lot of ideas, a lot of debate, and a lot of issues put forward into how to craft this.” Given the past eight years, it is of paramount importance that we redefine our vision and identify what we are discussing here — real-life humans and politics. Spicer describes that the current administration is in the business of creating policies that benefit the patient. With this approach, the individual transcends partisanship. Reaching across the aisle is a necessity, as is reciprocity once such a gesture is made. And as for our political landscape, we must realize that we, along with our politicians, are not in Kansas anymore. The ground beneath Washington’s feet has changed and, though we may not be walking down a yellow brick road, it is one that has potential. We have returned to a political environment conducive to consensus building and productive negotiation. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, when it comes to legislation, we are fortunate to have a pair of overseeing eyes with a diverse perspective in President Trump. In order to fulfill this mandate of patient-oriented policy, the right and the left need to abandon their oncefixed, isolationist mindsets. Productive dialogue is the way forward and with a businessman now living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., they need to decide if they want to make a deal or not. I insist they make the deal. Nicholas Tomaino can be reached at ntomaino@umich.edu.
VOTE FOR CENTRAL STUDENT GOVERNMENT Students have the opportunity to vote for the next academic year’s representatives on Central Student Government. The Winter 2017 Central Student Government Elections will be held on March 22-23, 2017. All currently enrolled students are eligible to vote online at http://vote.umich.edu. THOMAS GILBERT | OP-ED
I
Pay student athletes
n February 2012, I was sitting on my couch, wearing my UConn basketball jersey and watching my team take on Villanova. The game was in overtime with UConn up by two points when Villanova drove down the court and tied it up with six seconds left. The ball was inbounded to UConn’s star point guard, Shabazz Napier, who then sprinted up the court and hit the game-winning shot as time expired. I jumped up onto the table screaming in excitement. This could be our year, I thought. That night I slept easy, dreaming of a deep March Madness run for the Huskies. I was later shocked when I discovered who did not sleep easy that night: Shabazz Napier, the very player who won the game for his team. As it turned out, Napier couldn’t always afford food to eat, and spent many nights going to bed hungry. While the NCA A has since passed legislation that allows student-athletes to receive unlimited meal plans from the schools that they attend, there are still many underlying issues with the current distribution of profit. In recent times, college sports have become increasingly lucrative. The NCAA makes billions of dollars in television and sponsorship deals each year, yet no one quite seems to know where all of that
money is going. While college executives make millions, the athletes whom they exploit do not receive any share of these immense profits. Under current NCAA rules, college athletes are not allowed to be compensated in any way. This includes money made from jersey sales, signatures, endorsements or even donations made by generous boosters. If players are caught in violation of these rules, they will be punished with a suspension that could seriously hurt their dreams of playing professional sports, as well as their future bank accounts. Furthermore, college athletes are expected to commit dozens of hours a week toward practice, in addition to the hours spent on schoolwork. This means that even if they wanted to, they couldn’t possibly get a job to earn enough money for food and other living expenses. This, coupled with the physical and mental stress caused by their hours of hard work, certainly shows that they should be paid enough to cover their basic living expenses. Though the NCAA publicly states that college players are first and foremost students, it is clear that players are actually seen as assets. If they play better, more people begin to watch, which means more money in the NCAA’s pocket. It’s only fair for the athletes to share in these
increased profits. Though the NCAA’s restrictions seem absurd, they do have some logic behind them. The NCAA does not want college sports to become a version of professional free agency, where players only choose a school based on how much money the school offers to pay them. But this should not prevent student-athletes like Napier from being able to afford basic necessities. Thus, a reasonable solution to this problem would be to pay all athletes the same amount, no matter what school they attend. And even if this idea is not adopted, players should still be allowed to make money off of their own names, through jersey sales, signatures and endorsements. Additionally, if college athletes were to be paid, they would be more likely to stay in school longer. This would improve the quality of play, which would attract more viewers. And since more viewers would mean more profits for the NCAA, it wouldn’t even be losing that much money by paying athletes a small stipend. It is clear that college athletes are treated like employees; without the student-athletes, the NCAA would not exist. Thus, athletes should receive their fair share of the spoils generated by the work they put in. Thomas Gilbert is an LSA freshman.
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, March 23, 2017 — 5A
Michigan rallies for win ROBERT HEFTER Daily Sports Writer
Western Michigan centerfielder Tanner Allison hit a liner into the right-field gap to start a scoring barrage that put the WMU 4 MICHIGAN 6 Michigan baseball team in a three-run hole in the second inning. But the Wolverines’ offensive stagnation quickly subsided, and No. 18 Michigan (16-4) scored four runs in the fourth inning to take the lead for good. “I felt like when they put up three runs it’s no different than being in a fight,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “You take a punch and you just have to get back up and deliver a punch.” Junior starting pitcher Jayce Vancena took the mound for the Wolverines in what would be a back-and-forth game, ending in a 6-4 victory for Michigan. Western Michigan pitcher Chris Modrzynski started the game strong, shutting out the Wolverines through the first three innings. Michigan was making solid contact — senior catcher Harrison Wenson lined a bullet to right field in the second inning for an out — but nothing seemed to fall. In the second inning, Vancena’s outing looked bleak. The Broncos strung together four hits and scored on a fielder’s choice as a result of a pickle between first and second, taking a three-run lead. The Wolverines were quick to respond, though, as they put their own surge of offense together
in the fourth inning. Redshirt sophomore left fielder Miles Lewis started the push with an infield hit. Senior outfielder Johnny Slater walked, and after a passed ball advanced the two runners, Wenson singled to left to score them both. “We just had to see the ball deep,” Wenson said. “And that’s what we did. We had a big inning there, scored a few runs and turned the game around.” The last two runs in the inning came from a sacrifice fly from sophomore right fielder Jonathan Engelmann and a single from sophomore second baseman Ako Thomas that brought in Wenson and designated hitter Nick Poirier, respectively. “That’s what I like about our offense,” Bakich said. “We have multiple ways of scoring. We’re not just a sit-back-and-try-to-hithome-runs kind of offense.” Michigan played the small game right, as single runs in the fifth and eighth innings, respectively, extended the lead to three. Freshman reliever Tommy Henry closed out the game and collected a hard-earned save as he let up one run that was initiated by a bunt for a hit. The win caps off the Wolverines’ non-conference play as they travel to College Park to face off against Maryland this weekend, a team predicted ahead of Michigan in the Big Ten coaches’ preseason poll. The Wolverines will have to bring their same mentality to throw some punches at the Terrapins if they want to establish themselves in the conference.
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
The Michigan baseball team finished its non-conference schedule with a win.
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Senior guard Danielle Williams played her way into the starting lineup against Kent State in the first round of the WNIT last week at Crisler Center.
‘M’ continues postseason run Barnes Arico said on WTKA Radio. Since she has worked with many of the Red Storm’s staff members, one might expect similar coaching styles, but St. John’s will almost certainly have a different game plan than Arico’s Wolverines. “They’re a tough team,” Barnes Arico said. “They are a really defensive team. They hold their opponents to about 60 points a game. They’re very different than we are, so it’s going to be important for us to get out and transition and play our style of play and not really allow them to slow down the tempo.” Michigan is known for its high-scoring offensive trio of freshman guard Kysre Gondrezick, sophomore center Hallie Thome and junior guard Katelynn Flaherty, who average 50.1 points per game together. St. John’s is also led by a trio of double-digit scorers, but forward Jade Walker and guards Akina Wellere and Aaliyah Lewis tally just 36.4 points on average. Recently, Michigan has been picking up more points from
MAGGIE KOLCON Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan women’s basketball team wants to hang a banner in Crisler this season — and winning the WNIT is its last hope. St. John’s at In the third Michigan round of the Matchup: St. tournament John’s 22-11; on Thursday Michigan 24-9 night, the When: Wolverines Thursday 6 P.M. (11-5 Big Ten, 24-9 overall) Where: Crisler Center will face off against St. TV: BTN Plus John’s, a team no current player has ever faced. But while the Red Storm (10-7 Big East, 22-11 overall) might be unfamiliar to the players, Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico is very well-acquainted with them. Barnes Arico coached St. John’s for a decade before starting at Michigan in 2012, making the matchup personal. “I’ve had an opportunity to coach a lot of the (former) players that will be coaching tomorrow,”
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Thursday, March 23, 2017
BASEBALL
Vancena wins on mound PAIGE VOEFFRAY Daily Sports Writer
Jayce Vancena’s first start on the mound for the Michigan baseball team since his freshman year was a good one. The junior right-hander pitched five innings and earned a win for the Wolverines against Western Michigan on Wednesday, 6-4. During his freshman year, Vancena started five games and made 17 appearances on the mound. During his sophomore campaign, though, he made just 15 appearances and no starts. He ended last season with a 5.10 earned-run average and a 2-1 record, but this season has already shown signs of improvement. “He earned it,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “He’s worked extremely hard, and the game has a funny way of rewarding hard workers. It just seems to happen.” Entering today’s game, Vancena’s ERA was 1.64 through 11 innings. He opened Wednesday’s contest with a 1-2-3 inning, allowing his defense to field a groundout, lineout and flyout. The second inning proved more troublesome for the righty. He faced the Broncos most prolific threat on offense in Tanner Allison, who currently is batting .435. Allison started the offense off with a double to center field, and his teammates quickly followed suit. Jesse Forestell brought Allison home for Western Michigan. Vancena managed to get out of the
inning with two strikeouts and a tag between first and second, but that was after the Broncos tacked on two more runs to go up 3-0. “His fastball was a little up in the zone,” said senior catcher Harrison Wenson. “So what I just tried to tell him was just, ‘Stay within yourself, calm down, fill up the lower part of the zone.’ And that’s what he did.” Vancena appeared to make the necessary corrections in the following innings, retiring the last nine batters he faced in order. Fortunately for Vancena, Michigan had an offensive surge in the fourth inning in which it scored four runs, led by Wenson’s double to left field that earned him two RBI. That rewarded Vancena with a win for an outing in which he threw 65 pitches and four strikeouts. But more impressively, he has yet to walk a batter the entire season. “We always talk about throwing at the knees,” Vancena said. “That’s something that myself and a lot of our pitchers take pride in, in throwing strikes and throwing down in the zone to make it tough for the hitters to hit.” With a successful game under his belt, Vancena can be confident he will be seeing the field more. How many starts he will earn is still in question, as it all depends on if he is needed in relief. But as long as he is rested, he proved he can be trusted to go out and try for a second win.
other players. Junior forward Jillian Dunston scored eight points against Wright State in the second round of the WNIT. In the first round, senior Siera Thompson picked up 10 points and sophomore guard Nicole Munger added nine to finish off Kent State. The Wolverines ran into problems in their last regularseason games as they were unable to compensate for other teams guarding their leading scorers closely. But in this tournament so far, Michigan has utilized its role players more effectively on offense. Yet, the Red Storm have a few advantages over the Wolverines. St. John’s has six players who have tallied over 100 rebounds, while Michigan only has four. The Red Storm have also blocked 144 shots this season, compared to the Wolverines’ 111. With a crack-down on defense, Michigan will need to continue to use all five players to rack up points; and with all the extra postseason practice, several less familiar faces may continue to see more minutes. “We really gave everyone an
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Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Munro pen name 5 Fix, as faulty code 10 Shorten 14 Scoundrel of “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” 15 One of Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” 16 Sharpen 17 7-Eleven’s Big Gulp, for one 20 Prepare to relax 21 “__ Pointe Blank”: 1997 film 22 Shipping nickname 23 Marketing gimmick 25 It makes for easier reading 31 McKinley’s first lady 32 Like mud in election season 33 Serious violations 35 PC’s spacebar neighbor 36 Mayor pro __ 37 Swallow 40 Replayed service 41 Lay on the line 43 “The Haywain Triptych” painter 45 Keen perception 46 Teased style 50 Many a “Call the Midwife” character 51 Part of FWIW 52 Yak-like 55 Honeymoon spots 59 What a deejay might do to create energy ... or a request that may lead to 17-, 25- and 46Across 62 Digital imaging brand 63 Lodging 64 Highly prized 65 Exec’s dispatch 66 iPods since 2005 67 “The Facts of Life” mentor Garrett
DOWN 1 Get fresh with 2 His, in Le Havre 3 Didn’t surrender 4 Old-style hangover relief 5 Devoted follower 6 He played Frank on “CHiPs” 7 Commercial URL suffix 8 French article 9 Many an infomercial offering 10 Greek personification of time 11 Lane often in distress 12 Honeymoon options 13 Long-haired lap dog, familiarly 18 Most interesting to a collector 19 Minute amount 23 Element in pewter 24 Swallow 25 Accusatory retort 26 Impulsive line 27 “I’m walkin’ here!” speaker of 1969 28 “Dancing With the Stars” dances
29 Persian Gulf sight 30 Massage 34 Texas ALer 38 Pulls off 39 “Oh yeah?” 42 Spicy Chinese dish 44 A 47 Fish whose preparation is strictly regulated in Japan
48 Griddle alternative 49 Lover of Tristan 52 Virtually bombard 53 Voluminous 54 Switch on a radio 55 Modernize 56 Kicked oneself about 57 IRS agent 58 Vaccines 60 Placeholder abbr. 61 Sweetheart
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opportunity to contribute and to show that they deserve some minutes during this run here in the WNIT,” Barnes Arico said. “(Senior guard) Danielle Williams just had an outstanding week and she got the start (against Kent State). And she’s a senior that hasn’t played a ton of minutes all year and could have hung her head and pouted but really responded. “(Forward) KeAsja Peace — one of our freshmen who hasn’t played a lot of minutes, but a big kid inside — she got a chance to get in the game. Kayla Robbins is another freshman who has really shown the ability to give us some great minutes.” Both teams are trying to make program history in this tournament. The Red Storm are fighting for their first appearance in the quarterfinals of the WNIT, while Michigan lost in the quarterfinals in both of its past two seasons. But the Wolverines have a big target on their back. “Everybody is gunning for us,” Barnes Arico said. “I think everybody thinks that we’re one of the best teams in the WNIT.”
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Sports
6A — Thursday, March 23, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sweet 16 Preview: ‘M’ to battle Oregon Wolverines’ storybook postseason journey rolls into Kansas City this weekend KEVIN SANTO
Managing Sports Editor
This isn’t just a feel-good story anymore. Thirteen days ago, it was about the plane, the practice jerseys and the Michigan improbable vs. Oregon performance Matchup: the Michigan Michigan 26-11; men’s Oregon 31-5 basketball When: team put forth Thursday in its Big Ten 7:09 P.M. Tournament Where: Sprint opener. The Center eighth-seeded TV: CBS Wolverines dismantled Illinois, 75-55, and it felt like an underdog tale. That win turned into a Big Ten Tournament championship, and this weekend, Michigan has a chance to punch its ticket to the Final Four for the first time since 2013. “I think winning those four games in a row, against who we beat,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “…I think that after that, these kids just said, ‘Hey, we go into this NCAA Tournament, we can play with anybody.’ After the gauntlet, they just ran.” Despite being a No. 7 seed, the word “underdog” doesn’t quite fit anymore. The Wolverines are playing great basketball, and with each passing day, it has felt more like Michigan can make a run at the title. But first comes Oregon. Thursday night, the Wolverines will tip off against the Ducks at the Sprint Center with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line, and Michigan’s experience in the opening weekend could prove invaluable. When Michigan faced Oklahoma State and Louisville, those opponents were ranked first
and seventh in adjusted offensive efficiency and adjusted defensive efficiency, respectively, according to Ken Pomeroy. While the Ducks don’t necessarily fall into the elite tier of either category, they still rank in the top 25 for both. “They can really put the ball in the basket, man, from a lot of different places,” said senior guard Derrick Walton Jr. “And they’re athletic. They got some athletic guys. “…(Oregon is) like a combination of the last two teams, I think, but again, I think we fare well against a lot of different competition this year, so we’ll just see how this game plays out and make the proper adjustments.” Though the Wolverines have showcased an ability to make those adjustments, they will still have their hands full. Finding a way to stop Oregon’s threeheaded monster of Dillon Brooks, Tyler Dorsey and Jordan Bell is no easy task. Over the last five games, Brooks is averaging an impressive 18.8 points while shooting 42 percent from the floor. Dorsey, on the other hand, has been playing on a whole new level. The sophomore guard is averaging 23.6 points on 65-percent shooting through the last five contests. In all likelihood, redshirt sophomore forward DJ Wilson and junior guard MuhammadAli Abdur-Rahkman will match up with Brooks and Dorsey, respectively. Though Wilson fared well against Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ and Nigel Hayes and Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan and Isaac Haas, Brooks is a different type of forward and could arguably be his biggest defensive challenge of the year. The obstacles don’t end there, either. The Ducks boast a plethora
SOFTBALL
MINH DOAN
Daily Sports Editor
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
John Beilein’s team can reach the Final Four with two wins this weekend.
of talent outside of Brooks and Dorsey. Bell has shot nearly 63 percent from the floor to this point, and in Oregon’s opening weekend, the junior forward cleaned up on the glass — grabbing 24 boards through two games. That’s not to say Oregon isn’t still vulnerable. While the Ducks haven’t felt the impact of losing injured forward Chris Boucher through their first two games, the Wolverines may be able to tear that wound wide open. Prior to Boucher’s ACL injury, Oregon allowed just 0.97 points per possession — good for first in the Pac-12. In the three games without Boucher, though, the Ducks are allowing 1.14 points per possession. What’s more, Oregon has made a living from points off turnovers — averaging 15.8 points off 13.6 takeaways. Michigan, on the other hand, leads the nation with
just 9.2 turnovers per game, and has turned the ball over just 10 times in the last two games. “It’s not something that we just say, ‘OK, today we’re gonna take care of the ball,’ ” Beilein said. “It’s been like day one from the first summer practice that we’re valuing that. … It’s not like we got this elaborate press breaker.” “It’s just the day-to-day things you do every day knowing that the way our system works. It’s about possessions.” If the Wolverines can continue to take care of the ball, while also keeping pace with the 1.212 points per possession they are averaging over the last three games, Michigan’s Dance could be far from over. After all, when asked Tuesday if this team could make it to the Final Four, Wilson’s message was simple: “I mean, we can beat anybody, so I think so.”
SOFTBALL
‘M’ wins tune-up, 8-2 Blanco starts second straight game in circle ANNA MARCUS Daily Sports Writer
Senior right-hander Megan Betsa threw a nine-pitch, threestrikeout inning. Junior righthander EMU 2 Tera MICHIGAN 8 Blanco hit a three-run homer and had a solid showing in the circle. The Michigan softball team scored eight runs on six hits. And the Wolverines are riding a five-game win streak — the longest of their season. All of the pieces are finally coming together, and just in time for conference play. According to coach Carol Hutchins, the team’s hard work has made the difference. “We’ve had a lot of kids coming in extra in the last week,” Hutchins said. “Their desire to get better is what a coach wants to see, so we’re just working to get better. We’re a better team than we were a week ago.” In their fifth consecutive home win and final game prior to Big Ten play, the 19th-ranked Wolverines (19-7-1) made use of extra-base hits, toppling Eastern Michigan, 8-2, Wednesday afternoon. Though Michigan and the Eagles (11-12) were close with six and five hits, respectively, the Wolverines consistently capitalized on runners in scoring position. Eastern Michigan’s offense failed to do the same, and woke up solely in the fourth inning. After earning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors following a 30-strikeout, one-hit weekend, Betsa took a break with Blanco starting in the circle for the second day in a row. Blanco set a commanding tone from the start, striking out the first Eagle batter who stepped up to the plate. Michigan carried this intensity to the plate, wasting no time to get numbers on the board. From the leadoff spot, sophomore right fielder Natalie Peters hit a hard-bouncing blooper over third base that proved too much for the Eagles’ defense, resulting in an inside-the-park homer. Not only
was this type of home run unique, but for the leadoff slap-hitter, it was the first of any kind in her collegiate career. “Usually, since it was a blooper hit, I might be able to get two (bases),” Peters said. “And then I saw (the third baseman) missed it, so I kept going.” The Wolverines would see an offensive awakening again in the third, with sophomore second baseman Faith Canfield and senior centerfielder Kelly Christner posting back-to-back RBI, widening the gap to 3-0. With Canfield on second and Christner on first, Blanco drilled a bomb to the rightfield bleachers, her second of the season, to put Michigan ahead, 6-0. But just as Blanco began to look poised at the plate, she saw a decline in consistency in the circle. With the first two Eastern Michigan batters on second and third in the fourth, the Eagles cranked an RBI single followed by a double steal, scoring the only two runs they would see all game. While Eastern Michigan had only one hit before that point, it added four hits to its count in the top of the fourth inning. Despite Blanco’s performance in the fourth inning, Hutchins had nothing but praise for the right-hander’s overall showing in the game. “I’m pleased,” Hutchins said. “I feel like Tera’s really settling into her role as a starting pitcher for us. She got out of that inning, and it didn’t seem to faze her.” Betsa made an appearance in the circle for the last three innings and made sure to make it count. The ace saw one perfect inning, two 1-2-3 innings and six strikeouts, allowing no hits. The final matchup before conference play showcased the best that Michigan softball has to offer: the ability to find power and timing at the plate, two confident starting pitchers and a lineup that best suits the Wolverines. If hard work and high-caliber game performance like this ensues, Michigan will be primed for success heading into Big Ten play.
Michigan ready to play small ball vs. fast, athletic, third-seeded Ducks
MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Writer
It’s become routine. With both junior righthander Tera Blanco and senior right-hander Megan Betsa finding their grooves on the mound, the pitching rotation — in which the two pitchers alternate games — has become something of a formality. The last time either pitcher started two straight games in the same series came back in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge last month against North Carolina State and Notre Dame, when Blanco started each of the final two games of the four-game tournament. Betsa has thrown more innings, 91.1 to Blanco’s 80.2. But that disparity largely came in the early season, when Blanco was still adjusting to pitching regularly and often didn’t last as deep into games. With a pitching schedule that rigid, it becomes noteworthy when Michigan coach Carol Hutchins decides to stray from the norm. Wednesday was such a day. A day after starting against Bowling Green, Blanco, not Betsa, trotted out to the circle in the top of the first inning against Eastern Michigan. With back-to-back games against two Mid-American Conference foes and Betsa having some minor back tightness, Hutchins identified an opportunity to give Blanco more innings. Pitching Blanco in each game, she believed, would be mutually beneficial for Blanco, the team and Betsa. “Megan’s back kind of acted up over the weekend a little bit. She was tight yesterday. Certainly, pitching in the cold is tough … we were a little concerned with
that,” Hutchins said. “It’s good for Tera to have to carry the load. It’s good for Tera to have to pitch two days in a row.” From Blanco’s standpoint, the decision makes logical sense. As she continues to become acquainted with her role as the second starter — a new role for her in 2017 — more innings and more reps become valuable commodities. Blanco has already proven more reliable of late, becoming a more efficient pitcher. Since Feb. 26, Blanco has posted a 2.03 earnedrun average with a 7.14 strikeout-towalk ratio in over 40 innings pitched, compared to a 2.73 ERA and 1.3 strikeoutto-walk ratio before. With the conference season beginning this weekend against Penn State, Blanco finding her form to complement Betsa has been a positive development for the Wolverines’ pitching staff. Perhaps, though, the decision to start Blanco says more about how the team feels about Betsa going forward. Betsa has thrown over 200 innings each of the last two seasons and seems on pace to do the same in 2017. Since Betsa has dealt with lingering injuries in previous seasons, Hutchins has been open about needing to keep her healthy throughout the length of the season. While back stiffness tends to be relatively minor, Hutchins deemed it not worthy of risking, given the environment and opponent. Saving four innings in a March game may sound trivial in the grand scheme of the season. What may seem trivial now, though, could loom large if it ensures a healthy Megan Betsa in May.
“It’s good for Tera to have to carry the load.”
Chris Boucher leads Oregon, the best shot-blocking team in the country, with an average of 2.5 blocks per game. But two weeks ago, the Ducks lost their 6-foot-10 forward to a season-ending ACL injury in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament, a big blow to the rotation of the Michigan men’s basketball team’s opponent Thursday. To adjust to the absence of Boucher, Oregon coach Dana Altman shifted his star player, Pac-12 Player of the Year Dillon Brooks to the ‘4’ position, going with a smaller lineup to open the game. While shot blocking is something Michigan has struggled with, evident in close games against Minnesota and Louisville — two top10 shotblocking teams — Oregon’s small-ball lineup creates other problems for the Wolverines. “They’re a very talented team,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “I’ve been watching Dillon Brooks since he was playing with the Ontario teams earlier in his career.” With Brooks starting off the game at the ‘4,’ he will be redshirt sophomore DJ Wilson’s defensive responsibility. While Wilson will have the height advantage — Brooks is 6-foot-7, Wilson is 6-foot-10 — Brooks shoots the ball at a 50.5 percent clip while scoring 16.4 points per game this season. Wilson, though, says he’ll be ready, citing that he will go up against redshirt freshman guard Charles Matthews on the practice squad to prepare. “I know Charles will imitate (Brooks) on the Scout team,” Wilson said. “I go against Charles all the time in practice. It’s nothing new to me.” While Matthews is two inches shorter than Brooks, he possesses some of the same qualities in his shooting and passing ability, as well as his shifty ability to get to the rim. With Brooks being a traditional ‘3,’ other Wolverines might have a chance to guard him as well, mainly senior forward Zak Irvin. Given Irvin’s defensive prowess in the last couple weeks, he’ll also be ready for the challenge. “I feel like I’m able to guard anyone that I get put up
against,” Irvin said, “Dillon Brooks is a great player, and I think DJ will be good to start off on him because of his length. DJ is so versatile as well, and he can guard a couple different positions too.” But more than just the matchup between Brooks and Wilson, Oregon’s new offense has a certain familiarity factor for Michigan. When junior forward Duncan Robinson is in the lineup at the ‘4,’ forming Michigan’s so-called “smallball lineup,” players have cited that going up against it in practice makes them feel more prepared for what Oregon brings to the table. With Brooks at the ‘4,’ the Ducks will have just one traditional big man in the lineup — forward Jordan Bell will start while forward Kavell BigbyWillams will come off the bench — which creates matchup problems for most teams. Michigan, though, given its affinity for the same type of lineup, says it is well-prepared. “It’s a little bit easier,” Irvin said. “We’re used to playing small ball, and they play small ball, so I think it’ll be a good matchup for us.” Beilein said Tuesday that the best preparation for a team is to play other similar teams. Luckily for the Wolverines, Oregon looks to run in transition, much like Oklahoma State, and the Ducks have a lot of length — Bell is more than capable of guarding Michigan’s guards with his wingspan — much like Louisville’s frontcourt. “Every game over the course of a season is practice for the next game, and that’s what we’ve had, two great practices,” Beilein said. “But so have they, so who responds the best, who makes their foul shots, who turns the ball over less and who gets the ball to bounce their way will determine this one.” The Wolverines will go into Thursday’s matchup familiar with the type of game that Oregon likes to play. But once the ball is tipped, the real test will be which team can adjust to what the other team brings.
“DJ is so versatile, and he can guard a couple different positions too.”
For full coverage of the Midwest regional this weekend, check back on www.michigandaily.com
EVAN AARON/Daily
Redshirt sophomore forward DJ Wilson (5) will draw the difficult task of guarding Oregon’s Pac-12 Player of the Year Dillon Brooks on Thursday night.
B
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, March 23, 2017
Design By Jacob Bergen
the b-side
2B — Thursday, March 23, 2017
LEAD
COURTESY OF SIBEL OZER Her art therapy studio in Ann Arbor
Creative healing: the restorative power of art, music and drama In the face of negative stigmas and a lack of mainstream exposure traditional means of therapy grounded in art pose themselves as meritable means of approaching mental health SAMANTHA LU Daily Arts Writer
Sibel Ozer’s smile is warm and genuine, conveying a calm, collected kindness that belies some of the darker experiences she’s had over the course of her 15-year-long journey with art therapy. At a hefty 7.4 on the Richter scale, Turkey’s 1999 Izmit earthquake claimed thousands of lives and left even more injured, along with destroying several hundred thousand properties and buildings. Ozer, who had worked as a clinical psychologist in Izmit prior to the quake, had her first experience with art therapy when a group of Israeli volunteers, one of whom was an art therapist, came to help train local therapists in trauma intervention methods. “We don’t have master’s programs (for art therapy) in Turkey, so the work she did with us was definitely very intriguing,” Ozer, a board-certified art therapist and a licensed, certified professional counselor, said. “She worked to support us as we went into the field, so that we weren’t traumatized ourselves, but also showing some of the work the children would do, how to look at the art, how not to interpret.” In 2000, Ozer and her family moved from Istanbul to the United States, but it wasn’t until several years afterward that she decided to go back to school to pursue art therapy instead of repeating clinical psychology schooling. Art therapy is much more prevalent in the United States than it is in most countries. It calls the American Art Therapy Association and several major art therapy journals home, but it’s also a licensed and regulated profession in the United States, with master’s programs available and specific steps that must be undertaken in order to become credentialed and board certified. The process is not one to be taken lightly. Apart from receiving a master’s degree and partaking in supervised internships, students are required to complete at least “1,000 hours of direct client contact” to even apply for certification. The AATA site has a page specifically dedicated to helping people determine whether someone is a qualified art therapist. Ozer though has experienced art therapy beyond her role as a therapist. In October, she was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer, which set about a rapid progression of appointments, and, eventually, surgery. Throughout the process, she relied on art therapy as both a source of insight and self-care. Today, she is cancerfree. “One of the things when you become a patient is that suddenly you’re diagnosed and you have no choice in what has to unfold — I think the definition of a patient is that things are done to you — and so being able to exercise choice and
agency and bringing myself into a position of doing was really helpful in undoing some of the effects of that choicelessness,” Ozer said. Ozer doesn’t necessarily consider herself an artist, even though art is so central to what she does. In the field, art therapists tend to come from one of two paths: an art background or a psychology background. The difference may be hard to distinguish at first, but makes sense once it’s more closely observed. Art, in itself, has its own structured techniques, rich history and movements, and the approach of an artist is likely to be drastically different compared to that of a psychologist. “I’m always more looking from the lens of a psychotherapist; it was after I’d gotten my degree that I really started to develop my artist self” Ozer said. “And to this day I really don’t consider myself an artist but more an art therapist.” Linda Adamcz, a Kalamazoobased counselor and mentalhealth therapist who uses music and art therapy in in her practice, also emphasizes the distinction between structured art and art therapy, though she is not a licensed art therapist. For many, it can be difficult to fully embrace free flow painting and let go of the idea that art has to be perfect or have a specific technique. “Sometimes people have a hard time not letting themselves have an agenda or plan and be open to receiving intuition and trusting themselves,” Adamcz said. During her 14 years of experience working in a traditional mental-health setting, Adamcz saw patients experiencing blocks while talking about issues. She was first introduced to working with art through integrative breathwork training, which involved utilizing breathing techniques and music, then creating art afterward. Adamcz has a master’s of social work, is a certified practitioner of Integrative Breathwork and Psychospiritual Integration, and has been working in the mentalhealth field for more than 28 years. Unlike other forms of cognitionbased therapy, art therapy utilizes the emotional, creative right hemisphere of the brain instead of the analytical left. “Sometimes, when emotions are stuck deep inside the body, both music and art are helpful,” Adamcz said. “With children, for example, who can’t necessarily verbalize trauma, nonverbal types of therapy are a good way to express that.” Adamcz looks to art for deeper personal spiritual fulfillment and guidance, but emphasizes that while art therapy can indeed be very powerful, it should be considered an alternative to more mainstream forms of therapy, not necessarily a replacement, especially if someone is completely closed to the merits of art therapy. “If you’ve got the mindset that there’s no value in it — you need to have at least a little bit of openness to it,” Adamcz said. “I’d suggest
they give it a try and see what it’s like.” Ozer agreed, citing the complexities that make up the human consciousness. “We’re highly mental beings, but we’re simultaneously deeply emotional, completely illogical and spiritual beings as well,” Ozer said. “And sometimes those deeper parts of ourselves really know what we need more than we are able to figure it out with our minds — art sort of bypasses all the noise and goes right to where some of the wisdom is.” There’s no limit to who can use art therapy; basically, anyone who wants to engage with it can. It can be used for a variety of demographics and settings, from a traditional client and therapist setting to more trauma-based therapy, like with those affected by the Izmit earthquake. “Any population that you can think of that needs help, it can bring things that the verbal modality just doesn’t have,” Ozer said. “So, I would think of it as a wonderful, necessary adjunct, additional, not something to replace … it’s a wonderful, additional, enriching addition to the general field of psychotherapy.” When Ozer talks about art therapy, she breaks it down into three main parts: the materials, the process itself and the product. Materials can include pencils and finger paints, one offering a lot of control and the other offering much less control; the abundance of different material qualities available allow an entire, multifaceted spectrum of expression. Ozer believes that the specific materials a person chooses in art therapy are an important window into their deeper thoughts, pointing to the concept of isomorphism. “So what isomorphism means is that what ends up happening with your hands here in the art, very often, but not always — sometimes the cigar is just a cigar, not a symbol,” Ozer said. “It’s connected to what’s going on inside of us both internally and psychically; when you have an abundance of materials and you let the person choose, there’s information there with regards to what might be going on.” Sometimes, isomorphic patterns are easier to recognize after the artistic moment has passed. Back when Ozer was completing her internship at a hospice center in Denver, she took up wood burning. Before, her primary medium was painting, and it wasn’t until looking back that she realized the connection between the material
and her surroundings at the time. “It occurred to me that it captured the experience of death so much better than painting because in painting there’s this possibility to do, undo, change and shift, bringing things back, whereas once you burn into the wood, that dent — you will not be able to get that wood back,” Ozer said. “That wood is gone for good and the mark is permanent.” Art therapy highlights sublimation, which is the conversion of unacceptable emotions or ideas into constructive, more socially acceptable forms. Instead of acting upon angry or even destructive thoughts, art therapy provides an outlet for a person to undergo a full, transformative response to a problem; after creating, the pentup feelings usually disappear. Art therapists might differ on how they approach a finished product, depending on what school of thought they come from. A classically Freudian therapist might tend toward a more intellectual interpretation according to their knowledge of symbology, while a more Gestaltoriented therapist might work more collaboratively with a client to uncover information. “The way I was educated, I’d never interpret based on what I think I know, because that’s bound to include more of my projections,” Ozer said. “So I would go about interpreting through a lot of asking of questions, getting ultimately to where we’re going through what you see, what you feel, what your association are.” Differences arise because of culture, too. The United States’ heavily individualistic society tends to result in a much more client centered approach, but in a
She breaks it down into three main parts: the materials, the process itself and the product
Ozner’s art studio in Ann Arbor
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more authoritarian culture, an art therapist might be more directive in how they offer knowledge. “What I’m saying is just a general statement,” Ozer said. “Given a situation with the right person, I might choose to be directive because that might be what that situation demands. It’s very flexible.” — Today, the biggest obstacle to art therapy’s proliferation is not the negative stigma around the profession, but rather its lack of widespread exposure. For the most part, people don’t know what it is or what it does. “If there’s only one position for somebody in the helping field, it’s going to start with a social worker,” Ozer said. “To be hired purely with an art therapy degree continues to be a challenge around the U.S.” And the difficulties also apply to other non-traditional forms of therapy, like drama therapy, which aims to accomplish the same goals as art therapy, but utilizing a different medium. According to the North American Drama Therapy Association, drama therapy “is the intentional use of drama and/or theater processes to achieve therapeutic goals.” Like art therapy, drama therapy isn’t necessarily about creating a flawless product to be consumed by an audience. These “drama and theater processes” take the form of “storytelling, projective play, purposeful improvisation, and performance,” which help participants “rehearse desired behaviors, practice being in relationship, expand and find flexibility between life roles, and perform the change they wish to be and see in the world.” For Kristi Davis, a registered drama therapist, one of the hardest parts of practicing drama therapy is convincing people that they don’t actually have to be partaking in a stage performance in order to participate. “You’re not trying to be an actor, you’re just being real,” Davis said. “You’re not trying to act like you’re auditioning. It sounds scary, I think, to a lot of people. Art sounds easier, music sounds easier, but drama therapy sounds scarier.” Drama therapy differs from art therapy in that it is an embodiment technique; clients will use their entire bodies as a part of the process. With talk therapy alone, defense mechanisms might unconsciously prevent someone from reaching repressed emotions, but through drama therapy, new information can rise to the surface, bypassing blocks that may have been in place for years or even a lifetime. “That’s like when people see things in their art that come out that were unconscious — same with the drama, the unconscious things that were suppressed come out and it’s just really amazing to see,” Davis said. Drama therapy relies heavily on imagination and the connection between thoughts and physical symptoms. For example, someone in a profoundly stressful situation might have trouble sleeping or could suffer from headaches. “With anxiety and worry, you’re thinking about something bad that could happen, but your body is experiencing it as if it were real,” Davis said. The distinction from traditional forms of therapy is that drama therapy can use this connection to help people change for the better. Sometimes, physically acting out a positive outcome can be more permanent and powerful than simply imagining it. “You could imagine good
things happening, how you want things to be and start acting that way,” Davis said. “(Drama therapy) gives you a viscerally real experience; it’s super healing and helpful, almost like you’re developing new neural networks in the act of pretending and imagining.” This technique is especially useful for interactions that might no longer be possible. For example, if a client recently had a loved one pass away, but they still had unresolved issues with the deceased, a drama therapist might roleplay the situation by reversing positions back and forth until the patient feels at peace. In addition, role reversal can help with conflict resolution, or to help someone practice their verbal skills during a difficult situation. “Role reversal is a favorite technique, because it’s really like you’re stepping into someone else’s shoes,” Davis said. “When you become them and say what you think they would say, and you start to feel their perspective, it’s easier to understand and accept.” Such understanding is more important than ever in the midst of the current polarizing political climate. “It’s a great way to facilitate understanding and know how to have a positive, helpful discussion with them,” Davis said. “It helps a lot with forgiveness too, especially now, with political forgiveness.” Drama therapy can also be used artistically, in the form of transformational theater. If a client chooses to, they can work with a drama therapist, take an issue they’ve struggled with and create an actual theater piece out of the issue. During the creation of the piece, the client would have some sort of transformation take place and theatrically show how the change develops. The finished production might have the creator as the only performer, or it might star a complete cast, and depending on the producer’s wishes, it might only be performed for a private audience or a larger group of public viewers. “That becomes a real artistic endeavor,” Davis said. “You’re doing it for yourself first, to heal whatever your issue is, but then you’re taking it to the next step, and then you’re giving it away so that it also benefits other people, because a lot of people are helped by seeing someone else transform something they’re struggling with.” An important aspect of drama therapy is that it’s usually done in groups, which can create a fun and exciting atmosphere (something that usually isn’t associated with therapy) and facilitate group bonding. “There’s tremendous power in the group working together to help each other — a lot of people would recognize that if the had been in a musical, you end up developing a bond with your fellow actors,” Davis said. In the end, it’s the unconventional nature of drama therapy that makes it stand out. “Being able to use your body and sound that isn’t language, per se, gives you another way to express what you’re feeling, just like art and artwork,” Davis said. “Therapy can be scary, and if you can approach it in a different way using the arts, it gives you more tools.” Non-traditional forms of therapy are still a largely untapped source of healing. It is only with increased public awareness, education and time that artistic therapies can reach broader populations, and perhaps even help people all over the world.
COURTESY OF SIBEL OZER
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the b-side
Thursday, March 23, 2017 — 3B
SECONDARY
COURTESY OF AUM YOGA
On and Off the Yoga Mat: Mindfulness at aUM Ann Arbor’s aUM Yoga has become an unwitting refuge of peace and meditation, illustrating the virtues of yoga SHIR AVINADAV Daily Arts Writer
A rapidly growing number of students can be spotted toting yoga mats around campus on their way to one of the many studios that subsist in Ann Arbor. The city has over 37 Ashtanga Vinyasa (a variety of yoga that synchronizes breath and movement through a set series of poses based on the Ashtanga series) studios alone, which represent a small sliver of the mecca that the state of Michigan serves as for those that practice yoga. aUM is among the newest — and some might say more unconventional — of these studios, but has grown immensely since its opening in 2013. It was in September of 2013 that owner and University of Michigan alum Jessie Lipkowitz heard herself say the words, “I want to open up a yoga studio” aloud, before opening what she called “baby aUM” in an 800 square-foot basement to only six customers. Since then, aUM — a play on the Sanskrit word “om” and the studio’s location — has moved into a 7,000 square-foot space on South University Avenue with over 60 regular clients, most of which are students. When I first walked into aUM Yoga Studio, I was made immediately aware that I was entering a unique space. A sign in the doorway asks clients to take off their shoes, physically inoculating the space against the outside world. That was back in January, when upon returning from winter break, I turned to aUM in an effort to manage the stress that I had felt building inside me for months. My initial experience, however, wasn’t the meditative austerity I’d expected. It was far more casual. The bright tones and weathered wooden decor of the interior buzzed with a similar energy to that of students filing into class. Though students are reminded to maintain a “sacred silence” prior to and during class, gentle murmurs permeated the cozy room before the instructor greeted everyone warmly. Samantha Lincoln, an LSA senior and student of aUM Yoga’s Demystify Yoga Teacher Training program, described aUM as “different from a lot of other yoga studios” that she’s been to, “It’s a really great (environment). Everyone is so friendly and welcoming.” Before being thrust into a series of flows and positions I could barely maintain, I felt at ease; all while being reminded to consider my breathing (something I had abandoned early on in my efforts to contort my body). I was surprised by the challenge, and I left the class with a feeling like nothing I’d experienced before. “You feel lighter,” said Lincoln, who in her third month of training, is becoming increasingly familiar with the physical and mental benefits of the practice. Yoga teaches non-reactivity, a principle that aUM emphasizes both in its teacher training program and regular classes. “When you’re doing this physical practice, the whole idea is that you need to be able to take it off the mat … whatever life throws at you, you want to be calm and rational in the face of it,” explained Lincoln. Lipkowitz also described non-
reactivity: “It’s being able to have an event happen and have completely no emotions towards that event until you can actually analyze it and immediately not react to it, and I think that’s a huge part of taking yoga off the mat and just being a calmer, less reactive person.” She also added that this concept translates to greater mindfulness and self awareness, in turn allowing students to be kinder and more compassionate to themselves and to others. These mechanisms for coping with the pressures of life — whether trivial or major — on a regular basis are part of what makes the practice so unique. Though, Lipkowitz also added that she’s experienced similar benefits from other forms of physical exercise, such as running. “I think yoga relies on the assumption that the human condition is that of suffering. Everyone is suffering and we all walk these different paths where there’s trifles and adversity … we all as human beings have to cope with a lot, and all of our coping mechanisms are different,” said Lipkowitz. But she believes that nonreactivity is part of what helps students cope with adversities, be it mental or otherwise. Every semester, aUM offers two scholarships for student packages. Over one hundred students submit applications, detailing their individual motivations for attending classes aUM. Many cite anxiety, depression and stress as their primary reasons for practicing yoga. Lipkowitz trained at Center for Yoga and previously RussaYog (now permanently closed), which helped her envision the kind of studio where she would build her practice. “Thinking back to my experience as an undergraduate — what would have gotten me to go to yoga — the first answer that came to mind was something that was a little bit less intimidating and a little more fun … but then the second thing that came to mind was community,” said Lipkowitz of her philosophy. Lipkowitz was interested in targeting people who didn’t already practice yoga. At aUM, classes aren’t separated by level of intensity. Talking about her early experiences in yoga, Lopkowitz said: “I think it’s really easy in yoga, and in any fitness studio that you go to, to feel like an outsider … I think aUM was really successful in creating a market for new people to explore and try yoga.” However, it isn’t always easy to get people to try yoga for the first time, or to even stick with the practice once they try it. “Talking about bodies or doing weird things with bodies is taboo. Even getting people to come in and trying to get them to connect with the breath is really difficult,” said Lipkowitz. “I think a lot of people who come in here don’t really get this yoga thing starting out, but they still connect with it because it’s a physical practice.” For some, like Lipkowitz, the mind-body connection doesn’t come right away: “It took me years to find that connection,” she said. “But once you find that connection between breath and movement, I think that that’s really the power in yoga.”
Lincoln echoed this sentiment, saying: “You get this connection doing things that are physical and mental. I think at aUM they keep it very centered on mindfulness.” Achieving mindfulness can become difficult when entering college, especially at a highly competitive school like the University of Michigan. “I think it’s very much the culture here to do as much as possible, to be as successful as possible, to compete with everyone,” said Lincoln. “And at its core, yoga is a very noncompetitive thing.” Though finding this connection is challenging for most, both Lincoln and Lipkowitz stated that the hour of time spent dedicated to self-care is a boon to mental and physical health in an environment where it isn’t always prioritized. Lipkowitz recalled that her time spent on fitness was edged out by her academic priorities when she was a student at the University. Similarly, Lincoln reflected on her time here, stating that she felt like there are never days off. However, at aUM, “It’s very much just about your body and what you can do. The classes are a very noncompetitive environment,” Lincoln said. “And you’re just taking time to take care of yourself and to just focus in on your thoughts.” What aUM teaches students to take off the mat can’t be taught in an academic classroom, stated Lincoln. “It’s not something you learn in school,” she remarked, “Even beyond what I could do to be successful or well-liked, do I like myself? Am I doing things that are making the world a better place? Am I at peace with who I am?” While it may take years for some to find the answers to these questions, and while it may not necessarily be through practicing yoga, aUM offers a sanctuary for students to go to and ruminate on their own personal well-being. As Lipkowitz previously stated, yoga offers methods of coping with some issues; though, it’s a personal path, and one that may be limited in what it offers to some more than others. “I’m not going to say yoga cured any of my mental health issues,” said Lincoln. “I think it does help with body image a lot. There are kind of two sides to that. You start to be proud of what your body can do, rather than what it looks like. Also, you learn to forgive it for things.” Lincoln continued, “It’s not like you do one yoga class and go, ‘Oh that cured my depression.’ I think if you’re doing it enough and focusing enough on your breathing and bringing that to other situations it kind of seeps out into the rest of your life.” There is often a taboo associated with mental health. Lipkowitz acknowledged this stigma, saying: “You generally don’t talk about those things,” but that at aUM, “people are much more open and honest about how they’re feeling and just their general human experience more so than other fitness places or other businesses or other communities.” Lipkowitz stressed that it’s the culture at aUM that she hopes will continue to empower people to be compassionate by connecting not only their bodies and minds, but also with others.
COURTESY OF PERRY STELLA Stella’s art installation
ARTIST
IN
PROFILE
Stamps’ Perry Stella’s dissociative ‘Shelter’
Stamps sophomore explores the intersections of art, emotion and mental health in her recent interactive installation in a box GRACE HAMILTON Daily Arts Writer
“Make an installation, illicit emotion, and make it overwhelming” — these were the instructions given to Art & Design Sophomore, Perry Stella, for the second part of a project in one of her studio courses this year. For part one, Stella focused on the issues of memory and storytelling, while the second part was meant to represent an obstruction to those narratives. Though this might seem a challengingly broad starting point to some, for Stella, her subject was clear. “Dissociative disorders, which can lend itself to social anxiety, is kind of like having the feeling that you’re not inside your own body, or that you’re watching experiences but you feel like you can’t really interact with the world around you” Stella said, describing her personal obstacles. Stella, who has worked in a variety of mediums, has most recently focused on fiber work and installations. For this particular assignment, the project she ultimately created, called “Shelter,” is a 3D audio installation, wherein a fourby-four foot cube is lined inside with dark black faux fur. On the inside, a composition of old voicemails Stella had collected and compiled played on repeat, growing louder and louder over a fifteen-minute
interval. “The voicemails are meant to represent all of your responsibilities; no matter how mundane they are, you can’t interact with them to actually take care of anything,” Stella said of the recordings’ significance. The sound ultimately became so loud that audiences were unable to understand the words. Stella did not shy away from using her own coping mechanisms as a feature in the piece. “The fur lining is actually something that I’ve been taught when I get into that out of body state — to find something very textural and hang on to it and feel it so you can ground yourself in your own body,” Stella continued. The idea of sharing her experiences and exposing this kind of vulnerability to strangers at first seemed daunting. Stella further struggled with avoiding the frequently exhibited motif of the “tortured artist,” while honestly ref lecting on the reality of her own mental health. However, she soon realized the importance of sharing such experiences in this visual way — it is accessible to all. “At first I thought maybe I should water down the idea so I don’t have to talk about certain things, but I decided not to,” Stella said. “I was thinking about how art ref lects how you experience the world, and
how this dissociative disorder majorly affects how I perceive the world; it sometimes even takes me out of my own body, so how could I really ignore that?” Her piece was shown along with the rest of her class in their studio (seeing as Stella’s box can hardly fit outside of the door), with an expectedly responsive and engaging audience. Many approached Stella to ask further questions about her experiences and to clarify their understandings of dissociative disorders and their effects. There were some ironically fitting surprises, too. “I noticed something people really liked to do was bang on the outside of the box or try to get in at the same time that another person was in there,” Stella said. “So those were things that I didn’t expect but ended up really lending themselves to the project.” Others left with chills. Stella was given an honorable mention for the 2017 Science as Art Contest exhibition this year and further plans on expanding “Shelter” to include a video documentation of the work with additional information about dissociative disorders. “Mental disorders are so common even on campus, and that’s not talked about enough,” Stella said. “That really needs to be overcome, and through art and media, these things can be normalized.”
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the b-side
4B — Thursday, March 23, 2017
TV NOTEBOOK
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COMMUNITY CULTURE PROFILE
AMELIA CACCHIONE/THE MICHIGAN DAILY
FX David in FX’s ‘Legion’
Not Insane: A study of the complex ‘Legion’ ’s David
Analyzing the intracacies of a television character as it relates to mental illness and its repetitive media treatment SAM ROSENBERG Daily Arts Writer
The issue of mental illness has been at the forefront of television for a while now. Acclaimed shows like FX’s “You’re The Worst,” the CW’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” have been praised for their sensitive, nuanced portrayals of mental health. And while its exposure into mainstream TV has helped emphasize its social relevance, mental illness is still a very tricky, often perplexing topic to depict. Using mental illness in TV delicately and acutely requires several necessary steps: doing extensive research, getting advice from mental health consultants, hiring writers with familiarity or livedin experiences of mental illness and getting actors who approach the material in a thoughtful way. But it’s possible for a show that successfully discusses mental illness to also simply use creative storytelling to immerse the audience into understanding mental illness on a personal, cultural and institutional level. FX’s “Legion” is one such show that puts that tactic to the test. Created by Noah Hawley (“Fargo”) and based on a character of the same name from the “X-Men” comics, “Legion” is one of the most unusual and refreshing TV programs in recent memory. It works as both a superhero drama and psychological thriller, incorporating arresting visuals, innovative cinematography and a haunting electronic music score. Though “Legion” remains steadfast in joining the canon of peak TV — it was just renewed for a second season — the authenticity of its perspective on mental illness has become somewhat debatable. “Legion” follows David Haller (Dan Stevens, “Beauty and the Beast”), a powerful mutant who is diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age but later discovers that his “illness” is actually just telekinetic powers. After he’s recruited by a team of mutants, David learns to harness his abilities, leading him on a journey of self-discovery of differentiating between reality and fantasy. Given its jarring visual style and unconventional, non-linear
narrative, “Legion” walks a thin line between making mental illness into a spectacleheavy storytelling device and deconstructing it in order to subvert its stigmas. Some reviewers believe the portrayal of mental illness in “Legion” lacks nuance: Wired’s Eric Thurm claims the “groundlessness” with its treatment of mental health “threatens to upend the show,” while The Village Voice’s Angelica Bastién believes “limiting David’s character flattens the story’s emotional resonance.” I would argue that “Legion” offers an intelligent, complex and daring illustration of
“Legion” plays with this idea of how our culture attempts to understand a person suffering from a mental malady by medicating and controlling them
mental illness. In fact, it wants the audience to understand David through the unreliability of his thought process and the frustrating lack of control he has over his illness / powers. Almost every sequence in each of the show’s first four episodes deliberately tries to cultivate a distortion of reality similar to David’s. From the disarmingly colorful production design to the variety of camera lenses and angles, “Legion” gives audiences an experience so disorienting that it not only forces us to look at mental illness from a different perspective, but also to question our own reality and what it means to be “normal.” Perhaps “Legion” can also be seen as a broader critique of our society’s treatment (or lack thereof ) of mental illness. In the first episode, we see David shackled to the confines of Clockworks
Psychiatric Hospital, a mental institution he lives in after an attempted suicide. Later, a group of seedy government officials interrogate David, believing that he is the most powerful mutant they’ve ever witnessed. After a few failed experiments, David escapes from the hospital and receives help from psychiatric therapist Melanie Bird (Jean Smart, “The Accountant”) and a special team of other mutants, including David’s own girlfriend Syd Barrett (Rachel Keller, “Supernatural”). But even then, David is still bereft of control, as he is constantly pressured to open up his thoughts and memories under Dr. Bird’s demanding treatments. At one point, Dr. Bird, who denies David’s schizophrenia, even admits to her own ominous intentions: “I want to fix him because he deserves to be healthy. And then I want to use him.” By having us empathize with David and his condition, “Legion” plays with this idea of how our culture attempts to understand a person suffering from a mental malady by medicating and controlling them. The show intentionally pushes us away from truly knowing what is going on inside David’s mind because it puts David into a box and simplifies the complex character he really is. Near the end of episode three, David addresses this concern directly: “Everybody in here keeps saying that I’m sane. What if they’re wrong?” Nevertheless, mental illness remains a difficult topic when it comes to “Legion.” It’s true that people who are schizophrenic and mentally ill in general can live full, productive lives. Watching David struggle with his demons and ultimately become a charity case might be seen as trivializing mental health and perpetuating negative myths about people with mental illnesses. Using visual trickery and cool set pieces to show David’s mental breakdowns might also sound ill-advised in theory — artistic depictions of mental health should focus on substance more than style. Still, “Legion” does its best to demonstrate just how intricate mental illness can be, while managing to be entertaining and thought-provoking. As the show continues to grow and David’s character develops, “Legion” may potentially become an example of a show that portrays mental health in a sensitive manner.
Mentality Magazine looks to serve as trailblazer for mental-health writing ERIKA SHEVCHEK Daily Arts Writer
Sitting down to speak with Mentality Magazine, I was sucked into a space where honesty was encouraged, where mental health and art were intertwined and where speaking up was and always will be the answer. The student-run publication made its first appearance at the University at Festifall this past semester. After years of not having an organization dedicated to freely writing and publishing work exclusively about mental health, Mentality Magazine filled the space. “If you think it’s important to write about, put it out there,” said Anna Learis, an Engineering sophomore and senior editor of the magazine. With a once a semester print publication, weekly meetings and a constant stream of website posts, the group produces content with individual styles and twists. Every writer contributes his/ her own perspective on mental health, highlighting how it affects everyone differently. This originality in their work also reflects the individuality of mental illnesses, according to Liz Fernandez, an LSA freshman and writer for Mentality. “Stories weave themselves naturally because they are real people’s emotions,” Fernandez said. “You don’t fabricate it. Those stories and emotions themselves are inherently motivating.” Learis and Fernandez explained the different types of articles that the magazine publishes. Producing columns — like “Speak Out Sundays,” which connects mental health and celebrities — allows the writers to talk about mental health through other artists and art mediums. Additionally, the writers do “Mid-Week Music” playlists, where they compile songs that reflect how they are feeling that week. The women also described how the articles serve as opportunities to discuss how
the outside world may or may not fully understand the extent to which people suffer from mental illness. Some of the articles display the negative stigmas of mental illness in media, review mental practices like meditation and even discuss the importance of the simple, but helpful sun lamp. Learis also explained that the pieces propose little, “gimmicky mental health things,” providing ideas as to how people can cope with mental health. However, it is important to note that Mentality Magazine is not solely a group of people who have mental health related issues and are writing about it. The group strives to shine light on mental health and to profile the importance of awareness, especially on a college campus, but does not restrict its staff only to those who are personally affected. “Our primary goal as a magazine is to foster the conversation about (mental health),” Learis said. “Our view is that, by sharing our stories, we want people to feel less alone.” In order to create such a distinct and serious publication, Learis really thought about her personal life and how mental health has affected her. “In high school we had to read Walt Whitman’s ‘Song of Myself’,” she said. It was here where she realized she can “write bluntly, but still artistically” about the things that mattered most to her –– the recognition and severity that is mental health. “It doesn’t have to be black and white … you don’t have to sugarcoat things,” she added. With these conditions in mind, Learis was determined to design a space for mental health and to bring forth the concept that the it is more common than many believe. And as one of the first studentrun, mental health publications on college campuses across the country — and the only one at the University — Mentality Magazine has a duty to perform. “There is a power in writing, both reading it and doing it
yourself,” Fernandez said when explaining the difference between reading someone’s story versus just hearing it. The magazine staff continues to share their stories and perspectives not only with the public, but closely with one another. As a tight-knit group, organization members spends time outside of work, like hanging out at Sweetwaters and holding pot lucks. They openly talk about how their mental health affects each of them on a daily basis. “I had a really hard time adjusting to college,” Fernandez explained. “I was so sad in a place where everyone is so excited,” and she did not quite understand why. Encouraging that conversation, the group lingered on Fernandez’s phrase about feeling lonely at a new place like the University, not letting it slip into the shadows like so many mental health topics usually do. They are the type of people expanding on the question: Why isn’t this something people talk more about? “People are looking for a community to sit and talk, and that is OK,” Learis added. These hangouts are not like typical therapy sessions –– ones that can be intimidating or scary when expressing one’s mental health problems. They’re a group of trustworthy friends who understand that there is no need to hold back about the issues at hand. “(Mentality Magazine) creates a culture where people can talk about it and be comfortable … I immediately felt connected to these people,” Fernandez said. The beauty of the magazine is that anyone can submit pieces to it, not just MM writers or University Michigan students. Learis said she frequently recieves emails from readers stating that they appreciate Mentality, and also want to contribute to the conversation. “I would (write an article) 1,000 times over if it means making one person feel better about their condition or about how they are feeling on any given day.”
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the b-side
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COMMUNITY CULTURE PROFILE
‘Mental Health in the Age of Trump’: A keynote
Thursday, March 23, 2017 — 5B
STYLE NOTEBOOK
Reflections on mental health in Trump’s America, its integration with the Asian/Pacific Islander community, the culture clash of “Americanization” JOSEPH FRALEY Daily Arts Writer
Last week I attended a keynote titled “Mental Health in the Age of Trump” put on by the Asian / Pacific Islander American Studies program. I went in expecting to learn more about the way in which Americans look at mental health and how it is evolving under the Trump administration. While I did learn a little about this, I ended up learning much more about the mental health of Asian Americans and the evolution of how we as a society have defined mental health. Mimi Khúc, University of Maryland Professor of Asian American Studies, was the keynote speaker and gave a captivating presentation. The first part of the presentation focused on the different ways we define mental health and how some are questioning these definitions now more than ever. Mental health is defined by the World Health Organization as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.” Prominent figures like Khúc in the mental health field are starting to question this definition of mental health. One specific point that Khúc questions is the segment of the definition that suggests our health is likened to productivity. She doubts that mental illness is linked to our level of contribution
to society. She also brought up a suggestion about mental health in our culture — when “sickness” due to mental health is seen as temporary, care for it will never become normalized within society. We need to start seeing care for mental health as a lifelong endeavor. People have good and bad times with their mental illness, but it is never completely absent. A big part of Khúc’s presentation focused specifically on the mental health of second generation Asian Americans, where her area of expertise is at the University of Maryland. She discussed some of the experiences that her students, particularly those that are themselves second generation Asian Americans, have shared with her over time. They often report feeling very anxious out of the pressure they feel put on them to succeed. These students report feelings of depression and high levels of anxiety. These kinds of feelings become even more dangerous when the students live in households where mental health is often not seen as an important issue and feel that they should be silent about their feelings. A lot of the time, the students talking to Khúc are talking about their mental health issues openly to someone for the first time. Anxiety and depression are also significant problems here at the University of Michigan. Students with mental health problems often feel their disorders are intensified by the high stress of being a student here, and a lot of these students are not satisfied with
the mental health resources on campus. The University is working toward trying to fix this problem, and hopefully serious change comes sooner rather than later. Khúc’s students also report that they are constantly trying to become more “American” and are caught between the culture of their ancestors and the one that they were born into. This problem has become even more difficult for some because of the emergence of the Trump administration. Khúc, like many, sees the Trump administration as a crystallization of what already existed in America. In Trump’s new sponsored health care plan, almost all coverage for mental health has been removed. Being a minority in America with mental health problems must be terrifying right now, especially if your parents are first generation immigrants. People often feel the need to “rage” or “hide” in this era, but we must fight in a calculated and intellectual way, Khúc said. Khúc’s primary area of research is the mental health of Asian American mothers. She explores the issue of postpartum depression, and the extreme stress society places on mothers to be constantly happy while caring for their child. We don’t talk about how hard society makes motherhood, yet still the expectation for mothers is for them to be perfect. This is even harder for second generation minority Americans who have the added stress of deciding how hard they want to try to make their family unit “American” or stick to the values of their parents.
ATLANTIC
MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW If you haven’t yet seen Clean Bandit’s new music video for “Symphony,” now is the time. The video is emotional, well filmed and perfectly in tune with the lyrics and feeling of the song. At the very beginning of the video for “Symphony,” a man gets into a bike crash on his way home from the library. The rest of the video cuts between the grief his boyfriend is going through and flashbacks of their relationship together: Talking and laughing together on a bed, racing through a field. In the backdrop, a symphony is performing — featuring Zara Larsson as its lead vocalist — and toward the end of the video, the conductor of the symphony is revealed to be the grieving boyfriend. When I first started watching the video, thinking about it in conjunction with its lyrics, it didn’t make sense to me. “Symphony” doesn’t sound like a song about grief. The main actor in the video, playing the boyfriend, does a terrific performance of the emotional tolls that grief has on a person: He breaks down crying, he smashes a mirror. But at first listen, “Symphony” isn’t a sad song or even really an angry
one. Then, about halfway through the video, it hit me: “Symphony” is a song about frustration. It’s about being on one side of something, and longing — desperately — for a second side that doesn’t exist. This is what the video does so well: It captures what it feels like to be so close to an impos-
“Symphony” Clean Bandit Atlantic, Epic sible love. And what that feels like, of course, is agony. By intercutting the boyfriend’s grief — hearing about the accident from the police, breaking down, smashing the mirror — with the memories of their relationship, the video shows us how infuriating it is, how heartbreaking, to know simultaneously how good something was, and how impossible it is to ever have it again. “I just wanna be part of your symphony,” Larsson sings, and this line both appreciates the beauty of the men’s love and gives a hint of the frustration that follows the bike accident. For all that the main character wants is to rejoin his lover’s
symphony, to go back to the happiness that they had during their relationship; it’s something he can never do. The lyrics do carry further hints of the desperation that follows loss, such as “I can’t find the key without you,” and “When you’re gone, I feel incomplete.” The revelation that the boyfriend is the symphony’s conductor brings this emotion to a head, because as a profession for him, in this moment, it makes complete sense. Conducting is a movement of precision, of control. It is also the action used to harness the beauty of a symphony, to bring it into being and to have it make sense. Perhaps this is why, at the very end of the video, there is a shot of the audience: Completely empty, except for the man from the beginning of the video, sitting alone in the concert hall with tears on his face. This is a beautiful moment that perfectly rounds out the striking emotional impact of the video. “Symphony” is thoughtfully and sensitively put together from beginning to end, and in every way that it could have hoped to work out, it does. — Laura Dzubay
FACEBOOK Supermodel Twiggy
Twiggy and Kate: Fashion and the size zero epidemic How fashion’s constructed ideals of size and skinniness have affected the average female buyer — Brandy Melville included SARAH AGNONE Daily Arts Writer
One size fits all, pigs really can fly and Trump didn’t win the election. Actually, one size fits few, pigs still can’t fly and the new U.S. budget has a Toupee Clause. It’s long been debated that perhaps the fashion industry’s greatest flaw is the zero epidemic. The size zero has become the golden standard for the American woman, despite the impossibility and risk it poses. Fashion of the late 1960s brought us Twiggy, revolutionizer of supermodel status, but also the harsh ideals of female body size (not to blame Twiggy). Models like Kate Moss followed suit in promoting the trend and the overwhelming popularity of their zero-zero frames created an undeniable expectation for the next generation of women. Among the many implications and concerns behind the epidemic, body dysmorphia is a disorder that often manifests itself into anorexia nervosa and bulimia out of an obsessive desire to change appearance due to perceived ugliness. Those suffering from it often lock themselves away and avoid all social interaction out of severe sense of physical inadequacy. The disorder affects 1 in 50 people and most women affected are preoccupied with their hips and weight. A recent survey asked teen girls: if they could have anything, what it would be? The number one answer was to lose weight and keep it off. Yet the size zero models who are looked to as the standard of beauty are on average 13-19 percent under their expected body mass index — 15 percent under a normal body weight meets the criteria for anorexia nervosa. Between the pages
of underweight models are dieting and weight loss ads, enforcing these unattainable standards. Yet as the decades went by, reality contradicted the ideal. The average female body size grew farther and farther away from what was once considered the “perfect body.” And while average women grew in weight, models continued to get thinner, generating a wider and more terrifying gap that women starve themselves to cross. In 1966, Twiggy was actually an eight according to universal sizing measurements. Today she would measure in at a
High fashion especially makes little effort to represent all sizes or even a healthy body image
zero-zero. This so called “vanity sizing” — arbitrary swell in sizing measurements to accommodate larger body sizes — manipulates selfesteem, not to mention ruins online shopping. But clothing companies found women were psychologically compelled to buy clothing with a smaller size, explaining the surge in vanity sizing. The universal sizing chart has been rendered meaningless all to be closer to a size zero. To further convince girls of their dysmorhpia-favored body sizing, front running companies sell “one size fits all.” For most brands, like Brandy Melville, “one size
fits all” measurements line up with a zero on universal charts and tend to fit girls within the range of small, exclusively. For few, the fitting room is a rewarding experience. But every other woman is guaranteed a traumatic fitting room experience finding she is somehow the outlier of the word “all.” High fashion especially makes little effort to represent all sizes or even a healthy body image and the inclusion of plus sized shows is thought of as an accommodating gesture rather than the norm. Besides lacking racial diversity, size diversity is even sparser on the runway. Designers like Marc Jacob and Sophie Theallet featured plus size models in their latest collections — yet the feature of a singular plus sized model among so many zeroes almost seemed demoralizing to plus sized women by promoting the distorted mindset that they are somehow the outliers. Leaders of the fashion industry cite a number of reasons for failing to represent the plus sized majority. Some designers simply don’t want to, claiming their target will never be the size 12 and up since skinny will forever be the look. Karl Lagerfeld put it simply saying: “No one wants to see curvy women.” Mentor Tim Gunn refuted these ideas in a recent article for The Washington Post slamming the notion that curvier women are at fault for the lack of clothing in circulation for their figures. The market for plus sized clothing is booming with potential and eager spenders. In fewer words, Gunn accused designers of not having any balls. It’s as if it never occurred to them they’re still designing for women of decades past. But progress is in the works and the hope is that one day the fashion industry will settle on body image ideals inclusive for all women.
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Arts
6B — Thursday, March 23, 2017
FILM ROUNDTABLE
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MUSIC NOTEBOOK
G.O.O.D. MUSIC Kid Cudi, on stage
A life in Cudi and Smith: ‘Perks,’ YA film reworks & Me, music, mental health adolescent mental health Emma Watson and Ezra Miller in ‘Perks of Being a Wallflower’
SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT
RACHEL KERR Daily Arts Writer
Arts writers Will Stewart and Rebecca Portman discuss “Perks,” and the strengths and pitfalls of cinematic portrayal mental health WILL STEWART Daily Arts Writer
REBECCA PORTMAN Daily Arts Writer
Daily Arts Writers Will Stewart and Becky Portman discuss mental health in the coming-of-age comedy “Perks of Being a Wallf lower.” The movie focuses on Charlie, a high school freshman suffering from depression and anxiety after his best friend’s suicide and aunt’s death. After befriending a group of free-spirited seniors, Charlie begins to find his true self. “Perks,” based on the bestselling YA novel, is one of the most defining teenage movies documenting mental health. Stewart and Portman, however, differ in how they view this portrayal. Hipster teens doing weird stuff: What’s new? High school stereotypes exist in movies because there is some truth behind them. Every school will have its fair share of cocky jocks, band-geeks and alternative theater types. If anything, this pseudo-hierarchal order of popularity is built into our culture. But these groups, in reality, are never quite as predictable as movies depict them to be. Sometimes, there’ll be that straggler impossible to pinpoint in one group, who seamlessly blends in and out of each social circle like a charisma-chameleon. Or, the band geek wins Homecoming King instead of the star quarterback, and everyone freaks out and questions the meaning of life. “In Perks of Being a Wallf lower,” these cliches are challenged, especially the role of the handsome and athletic football star who also happens to be gay. Still, in most high school movies, the alternative theatre kids fulfill the role of just about every possible cliché. They listen to sad music, do drugs and, most importantly, are either severely anxious or depressed. Here, the problem isn’t the depiction of adolescent mental health issues, but rather always characterizing the same type of student as having “problems.” But, the truth is: not only alternative, edgy, “hipster” kids suffer from depression in high school. And, not every cliché hipster is depressed in the first place. Mental health cannot be assumed within each social group based on preconceived notions. Certainly the aforementioned “hipster” enjoys their fair share of ’80s post-punk and has probably listened to “The Queen is Dead” by The Smiths 100 times, but depression and anxiety are not unique only to them. Every year, thousands
of teens with depression are undiagnosed and left to suffer alone. It’s essential that filmmakers and authors of YA fiction realize that other kinds of students are depressed, too. Maybe it’s more fun for viewers to watch the tortured artistic type, but depicting only one kind of student as predictably depressed paints an unrealistic, dangerous picture of mental health. — Will Stewart We all want to find distractions from the humdrum of our boring, mediocre lives. For some, it is music, or maybe sports or perhaps even experimental performance art. Whatever the distraction, we all want something to keep us busy. For the rag tag team of friends in “Perks of Being a Wallf lower,” their distraction is reckless, sometimes destructive, behavior. First we have Patrick, the unapologetically f lamboyant stepbrother of
We all want to find distractions from the humdrum of our boring, mediocre lives
the ever-complicated, everexperienced Sam. Then we have the overbearing bossiness of Mary Elizabeth and the quiet, mousey Alice. Thrown into the mix is our dopey, adorable loner, Charlie, who has been through some intense, ambiguous shit. When they come together, this odd group of friends find distractions in their existence with the panache of the authors and artists of “Midnight in Paris.” Their nights are filled with adventure, they are down for anything and they probably smoke more weed than Snoop Dogg. There is something so relatable and authentic about their interactions. They use substances, experiences and friendship to numb the outside pressures of High School life. No one’s life is perfect. Sam does not know how to accept love, Patrick performs through his life to make the bad stuff go away, Charlie pushes away his past trauma till it almost kills him and even the stereotypical quarterback, Brad, is in the closet about his feelings for Patrick. What “Perks” does is give voice to those who cannot voice themselves. We see the problems on screen that we can identify with, happening to characters we care about.
This group of friends is hodge podge of their own issues, but they deal with them together, doing whatever they can to get through. Seeing characters’ struggles that we can relate to gives depth and authenticity to an otherwise silenced topic. — Rebecca Portman How they talk about mental health “Perks of Being a Wallf lower” ’s protagonist, Charlie, describes his own depression and anxiety as “being bad.” When he talks about avoiding these feelings, he says things like “if I get bad again.” Of course, anxiety is not good, but just because someone suffers from it does not mean they’re “bad.” Charlie’s lack of empathy may make people feel like it’s entirely their fault for their mental health. But, “Perks of Being a Wallf lower” is not to blame for this issue. Rather, the American culture that perpetuates vicious ideas — like seeing a therapist is a sign of weakness — is the true culprit. The whole concept of stomping down those less fortunate than oneself is inherently American (I’ll leave this to be discussed by those much smarter and more qualified than myself ). The movie shows a bleak reality for too many people trapped in a vicious cycle of negative self talk and deep insecurity. “Perks” does a fantastic job of creating a well-rounded character who also happens to suffer from severe anxiety. Movie characters like Charlie are capable of improving the social climate, especially when exposed to younger audiences. However, when he actually begins having panic attacks, the screen goes black and skips ahead a few moments. Viewers don’t actually see him during his most intense moments of anxiety, which I think is a huge loss. The purpose of the screen blacking out attempts to visually recreate Charlie’s perspective during these moments, but it feels like the director is tip-toeing around potential controversy. — Will Stewart Mental illness does not exist in a vacuum; it exists in lives, in people, in individuals. We, as viewers, might see mental illness as a disease that can be cured with a stint in the psych ward or some medication, but mental illness is an ongoing struggle. Many films do not attempt to capture coping with mental illness as a daily endeavor, but “Perks” manages to tell the story of Charlie’s struggle through a lens of moving forward. While films like “Girl, Interrupted” and “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” depict the actual institution and experience of dealing with the worst of mental illness, “Perks” delves into Charlie’s life after
Search “music and mental health” on Google – I know, I’m an incredibly skilled researcher – and a lot of positive physical correlations between the body and music come up. It turns out tunes can decrease the intensity of pain, increase endurance while exercising, improve poor sleeping patterns, prevent insomnia, enhance blood f low and so on. Basically, if you’re ever wondering why you can run that extra .25 miles on the treadmill when Nikki Minaj’s “Anaconda” comes on, it’s got something to do with music, the triggering of dopamine and some neurons firing. There are some positive mental benefits, too. Ever heard someone say, “Listening to Mozart makes you smarter” and been like, “Well, that’s total bullshit”? Well, it’s actually not total bullshit. According to our good ‘ol friend science, there’s this thing called the Mozart Effect, which posits that listening to Mozart’s music, or any classical piece, induces a short-term improvement in certain mental tasks. That means “Piano Sonata No.12 In F, K.332:2. Adagio” will get you hype as fuck for that Ethics of Marketing paper you forgot to write until three hours before it was due. Talking long term, music is also known to reduce stress and anxiety, improve cognitive performance, elevate mood, help performance in high-pressure situations and relieve symptoms of depression. But me, music and mental health have always had sort of a volatile relationship. — I’m 13, and Kid Cudi has just released Man on the Moon: The End of Day. XXL’s already included the rapper in its 2009 Freshman Class, and no one can stop singing his infectious single “Day ‘N’ Nite” — but Man on the Moon elevated his status as sad, stoner rapper to an unprecedented level. Everyone remembers where they were the first time they heard “Soundtrack 2 My Life;” that shit just stays with you. I was sitting in Austin Ortwein’s living room pretending to like the taste of Hpnotiq, because for some reason the bright
tragedy (losing his friend to suicide, coming to terms with his childhood trauma, etc.) and moving on. “Perks” illustrates Charlie’s reintroduction into daily life after an incident merely dubbed as “bad” whose ambiguity furthers and fuels Charlie’s rocky road to recovery. That is the realness of it though, that mental illness is not just felt in mental wards of white-walled hospitals, it is felt in suburban Pittsburgh, it is felt on college campuses like ours. Charlie is a case of PTSD, reliving traumatic memories in his mind, in constant fear of being guilty and responsible for a tragic event. As his mind does
blue, almost radioactivelooking alcohol was all my friends’ older siblings could get their hands on for us. So, there I sat, sippin’, as Cudder belted out, “I got some issues that nobody can see / And all of these emotions are pouring out of me” – I know you can hear it now – and at that moment I felt like everything made sense. A cliché, no doubt; but as a white, upper-middle class female who felt she had nothing to really be sad about, and yet, still felt pretty sad, it was significant. Go read the Pitchfork review of the album, and they’ll say that Cudi’s a walking cliché, a wannabe sad, deep stoner. But maybe that’s the point; maybe that’s what a lot of us needed then. At least that’s what I needed then. That album, as well as his sophomore release Man on the Moon II: Legend of Mr Rager, went on to soundtrack much of my high school experience; Kid Cudi got sadder, and so did I. —
But where there is grunge, there is also drug-use and alcohol-abuse I’m 16, and I’ve only just heard Elliott Smith crooning the muted ballad “Between the Bars” over a scene in Good Will Hunting for the first time. The Portland-based indie rocker would go on to lose an Oscar to Celine Dion for one of his songs in the movie – of course Titanic’s “My Heart Will Go On” fucking won – but that wasn’t really what he was about, anyways. Melodic and melancholic, Smith’s music is some of the most powerful to come out of the post-grunge era of the late ’90s. But where there is grunge, there is also drug-use and alcohol-abuse, and Smith was notorious for his — a theme that would characterize his life and death and music. Smith was shooting up heroine; I was drinking. A lot. My best friend in high school almost died of alcohol poisoning on a hot Las Vegas night in the middle of July after
loops around the recollections of his past, he himself spirals into blackouts. As the camera spins at odd angles and the screen fades to black, the viewer is just as surprised as Charlie when they find out what happened. The void Charlie experiences during his blackouts is to be filled with the imagination of the viewer. This allows for the audience to empathize with Charlie and his emotional trauma on a more intimate level. — Rebecca Portman Conclusions “Perks of Being a Wallf lower” is a heartfelt and inspiring high school movie. I don’t really think it says as much as it could about
drinking straight Everclear inside some abandoned home in some gated community of a name I don’t remember. At the hospital near my house, I had to talk to the police and the doctors and her parents and my parents, all while borderline incoherent myself. Behavior along these lines continued throughout my adolescence, as did confrontations about it with my parents. So you can understand why “Between the Bars” – which begins with “Drink up baby / Stay up all night / With the things you could do / You won’t but you might / The potential you’ll be that you’ll never see” – struck a chord. It was incredibly painful to disappoint your parents and yourself and not understanding why you kept doing things that disappointed your parents and yourself. It was incredibly confusing to feel like you were ruining your coming-of-age-narrative as it was being written. I have a memory of being sprawled out across my bed, teary-eyes fixed on my dark blue ceiling, feeling like everything was collapsing, like I’d ruined my chances of doing anything important, of being anyone important. — Now I’m 21 and comfortably seeing a therapist, while Kid Cudi is in rehab for drug and alcohol-related depression, and Elliott Smith is dead of apparent suicide. I’ve realized I used music as a companion to my sadness, a friend to sit with while I sulked; they used it as an outlet of expression for their depression. I figured my shit out; I’m not sure they ever did. But their influence left lasting impressions. Kid Cudi ended up helping me curate my budding musical interests, what would become broad affinities for everything from Young Thug to Yo La Tengo. Elliott Smith’s “Between the Bars” ended up being the subject of my Common Application essay — which is what ended up getting me into Michigan. And that, to me, is incredibly indicative of the dynamism of music, it’s power to play both the catalyst and the cure. Isn’t it strange, that dichotomy? It has the ability to both induce depression and pull you out of it. Thankfully, for me, it did the latter.
teenage depression and anxiety, but the movie’s real intentions are to show self discovery, love and friendship. — Will Stewart “Perks of Being a Wallf lower” is an endearing and honest portrait of a fresh-faced teen struggling with major emotional trauma amidst trying to make friends, get through high school and tell the girl he loves how he truly feels. I think that “Perks” does a great job of highlighting the often overlooked aspects of mental illness and reinforces the fact that mental illness does not define you. — Rebecca Portman