ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
statement T H E M I CH I GA N DAI LY | M A RCH 2 9, 2017
CAMPUS LIFE
Vigil mourns Syrian, Iraqi victims slain in airstrike HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily
Students organize commemoration in honor of civilians killed in U.S.-led action
Members of the Graduate Employees Organization host a sit-in at the Fleming Administration Building on Tuesday.
Graduate student labor union holds sit-in, demands equitable pay
400 students demonstrate in Fleming Administration Building throughout the day ALON SAMUEL
Daily Staff Reporter
Hundreds of protesters crowded the Fleming Administration Building on Tuesday afternoon, chanting, “UM works because we do,” as part of a sit-in organized
by the Graduate Employees’ Organization. GEO — the labor union representing about 2,000 graduate-student employees at the University of Michigan — stated its proposals to make graduate employment more equitable at the University have not been taken seriously during the contract-negotiation
process. About 400 people, most of them graduate students, filtered in and out of the building and the courtyard surrounding it between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to show support for GEO. The narrow hallway of the bottom f loor of the building was almost entirely crowded by
graduate-student instructors and graduate-student staff assistants throughout the day, similar to an earlier “grade-in” held by GEO February in Haven Hall, when representatives first communicated dissatisfaction with the University’s response to their proposals. See SIT-IN, Page 3A
KAELA THEUT
Daily Staff Reporter
More than 50 University of Michigan students and community members gathered Tuesday night in the Diag as part of a vigil commemorating the deaths of civilians due to a U.S-led coalition of airstrikes in Aleppo, Syria, and Mosul, Iraq. On March 16, an explosion in a Syrian mosque left 46 civilians dead, and between March 17 and March 23, more than 200 civilians were killed in Mosul, as the United States fought to clear members of the Islamic State from the city. As many speakers
mentioned, human-rights group Amnesty International noted the high civilian toll in Mosul suggested U.S.-led coalition forces had failed to take adequate precautions to prevent civilian deaths. LSA sophomore Abbas Alhassan said he attended the vigil because he is of Iraqi descent and believes it is important to represent his heritage at the University. “You know, I really feel like the Arabs here are very underrepresented, so whenever we have a chance to come out and show who we are, it’s very important,” he said. “You have to show up. Otherwise, things like this See VIGIL, Page 3A
Last CSG meeting of semester brings App aids Prof. talks students in various speakers, final ideas presented Attica riots
BUSINESS
CAMPUS LIFE
Fall course selection
David Schafer, Micah Griggs deliver closing remarks after year in executive positions
ClassAl predicts chances of getting into classes based on registration date
Tuesday evening, Central Student Government held its last meeting for the 2016-17 school year. The meeting began by featuring several guest speakers, starting with Chief Diversity Officer Rob Sellers, the University of Michigan vice provost for equity and inclusion. Sellers presented details of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan, a five-year plan launched in October to help create a more diverse and inclusive campus. Sellers explained the planning process, creation and initiatives of the plan, but stated the most crucial aspect of the plan is accountability. “It is extremely important that the plan be one that is about metrics and accountability,” he said. Sellers stated the Board of Regents, University President Mark Schlissel, and individual school and college deans are all included when listing the members of administration who should be held accountable for upholding the plan. He explained the difficulty faculty has had in previous years dealing with issues like microaggressions in the classroom. Part of the plan works to tackle this issue, providing faculty with specific training to
KEVIN BIGLIN
Daily Staff Reporter
As course-backpacking season begins, University of Michigan students can now use ClassAI, a new web app that uses a model to analyze the chances students have of getting into a class based on the date and time they register. The web app was co-founded and designed by Business senior Jordan Katz and Engineering junior Tyler Laredo to save students an estimated five to 10 hours during backpacking for open courses. “The big thing about this is this doesn’t exist,” Katz said. “We had to create this from scratch. I wanted to create something for all students to avoid having these problems in the future.” Katz said he has spent hours rearranging his schedules and searching for courses ever since he was a freshman. The app gives students the percentage points of their chances of successfully enrolling for a course, as well as graphs on how quickly sections fill up. “I came in as a freshman with not the most favorable See APP, Page 3A
GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
JORDYN BAKER Daily Staff Reporter
understand how to address problems of discrimination in the classroom and act on this understanding. “Diversity is a necessary component but not a sufficient one,” he said. “We also have to have an environment that is equitable and inclusive for diversity to work.” He also highlighted the idea that, while it is important for
the plan to continue to create new initiatives, it is helpful to recognize the University has a number of programs already in place that are ready to be built upon and improved. LSA senior Anna Wibbelman and Engineering sophomore Jason Comstock of Building a Better Michigan — a student advisory group involved with the
development of University Unions and recreation centers — were also included in the lineup of guest speakers. They discussed the renovation of the Michigan Union, which was founded in 1904 and is the third-oldest student union in the country. They explained that last year, architects began gathering student input See CSG, Page 3A
JULIA LAWSON/Daily
Dr. Rob Sellers, U-M Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusoin and Chief Diversity Officer, speaks at the CSG meeting at the CSG Chambers on Tuesday.
For more stories and coverage, visit
michigandaily.com
INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 55 ©2017 The Michigan Daily
at inmate art exhibit
Acclaimed book reveals documents on prisoner uprising, state cover-up COLIN BERESFORD Daily Staff Reporter
As part of the 22nd Annual Exhibition of Art by Michigan Prisoners, Heather Thompson, a University of Michigan history professor, discussed the Attica Prison Uprising and its context within today’s mass incarceration, as well as her book “Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy” in a lecture Tuesday night at the Duderstadt Center. Thompson was the first to uncover the events that unfolded at the Attica Prison Uprising in full. She went on to discuss the difficulties she faced over the course of the 13 years she spent researching and writing the book, including unveiling the documents that detailed the events that unfolded at Attica Correctional Facility in 1971. Thompson said she hoped to give light to incarceration in the United States today. “When we look at our past, we don’t do it just because it’s interesting — we do it because See ATTICA, Page 3A
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6
SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................7
News
2A — Wednesday, March 29, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ON THE DAILY: FILMMAKING ON THE SLY University of Michigan alum Michael Rubenstone will premiere his first documentary, “On the Sly: In Search of the Family Stone” at the Freep Film Festival April 1 in Detroit. The documentary follows Rubenstone’s 12-year search for funk legend Sly Stone, frontman of the band Sly and the Family Stone, which gained popularity in the 1960s. In 2010, the band was ranked 43rd on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time” and has been noted for its unique multiracial, multi-gendered make-up. In an interview with MLive, Rubenstone noted the relevance of the band’s unique sound during such a tumultuous decade. “Particularly in their earlier recordings — like ‘You Can Make It If You Try,’ ‘Sing a Simple Song,’ ‘Everyday People’ — they sort of espoused this holistic paradigm,” he said. “They were everyday people, Black and white, male and female, all contributing to an incredible sound during a very, very turbulent era.”
Rubenstone graduated from the University in 1999 with a degree in theater. He later explained to the Daily he began filmmaking after moving to Los Angeles as a way to find fulfillment in his career, while maintaining his passion and love for acting. “I got into filmmaking by accident, really,” he wrote in an email interview. “I moved out to LA from New York to continue my career as an actor. I was able to get some work, but found it very unfulfilling. This project gave me more control of my career. I could always work on a cut, develop the script, seek out another interview. That was very rewarding. I still act. I still love it. But somehow I got my big break as a director. Go figure. Strange how things work sometimes, but you have to be open to changing paths in this business.” Rubenstone noted how the artist’s music has influenced him since high school, and how he wanted to locate Stone after the artist disappeared from the music world.
According to Rubenstone, what began well as Rubenstone’s position as an as a few inquiries around the city alum. quickly transformed into more than a “I am honored to return to decade-long project. Michigan and share this film with “When I saw the Woodstock some friends from college,” he said. documentary in high school, I was “Steve Byrne, the director of the blown away by Sly’s performance,” Freep Festival, sought out the film he said. “When I moved out to LA not only because he was a Sly fan, but to pursue my career as an actor, it also because I was a Wolverine. It’s occurred to me that Sly was also great that this festival pays tribute in LA, and I thought it would be to the fascinating history of Detroit, interesting to see if I could track Michigan, but also gives a nod to him down. So I picked up a camera some Alums.” and started making little inquiries around LA. That’s - KAELA THEUT essentially how it SPEAKING FOOD started. Twelve years later, I finally got it done.” Rubenstone said his film’s director of the Freep Film Festival sought out “On the Sly” JULIA LAWSON/Daily due to his affinity Michael Twitty, author of The Cooking Gene, speaks about “idefor the artist, as nitity cooking” at the food literacy event in Angell Hall on Tuesday.
Tweets
Land of 10 Michigan @Landof10MICH
Former Michigan safety Jordan Kovacs reportedly joining Wolverines’ coaching staff #GoBlue
University of Michigan @UMich
Mary Sue Coleman was named U-M’s 13th and 1st woman president in 2002 and served 12 years. #ForeverGoBlue #UMich200
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Folksongs in U.S. Social Movements
Social Area Brown Bag
WHAT: Long-time activist Corey Dolgon, a University of Michigan alum, presents on the role of folksongs in U.S. social movements . WHO: Department of American Culture WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: Haven Hall, Room 3512
WHAT: Graduate student Qinggang Yu presents his research on the role of orbitofrontal cortex in cultural orienation. WHO: Social Psychology WHEN: Noon to 1 p.m. WHERE: East Hall, Room 4464
MLift Presents Janae Marie Kroc WHAT: Listen to Janae Marie Kroc, a world-champion powerlifter and transgender woman, discuss her motivation and training regimen. WHO: MLift WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Mason Hall, Room 3411
James Harbaugh Jr. “Abandoned Families: Social Isolation in the 21st Century”:
@JamesHarbaughJr
The Ann Arbor News
Robo-Sexism Colloquim
Chinese Art Journey
Poems with Bears
WHAT: A discussion regarding how to enjoy the presentation, staging, costumes and performance of kabuki. WHO: Center for Japanese Studies WHEN: Noon to 1:30 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work, Room 1636
WHAT: Anthropology Prof. Jennifer Robertson will explore Japanese conventions around sex and gender, as well as the complexity of robot intelligence. WHO: History of Art WHEN: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Tappan Hall, Room 180
WHAT: Danny Yung, a pioneer of experimental performance, talks about Chinese traditional performing arts. WHO: The Confucius Institute WHEN: Noon to 1:00 p.m. WHERE: The Michigan League, Michigan Room
WHAT: Come hear poems and stories all about bears as spring arrives early and bears wake from hibernation. WHO: One Pause Poetry WHEN: 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. WHERE: Argus Farm Stop
@annarbornews
Engineering research team leads ultra-thin silver film breakthrough HANA DADIC
Daily Staff Reporter
A research team in the University of Michigan College of Engineering succeeded in creating a tarnish-proof silver film whose properties allow for various uses such as hightech screens. The team’s paper, published last Monday, details the film’s versatility. As the silver film is ultrathin, it can be used for displays such the touch screens on cell phones. The film is also transparent, which is why it can be directly applied to solar cells or organic LED displays — increasing efficiencies as the film allows more light to enter solar cells and to leave the LEDs. Cheng Zhang, a former Engineering Ph.D. student,
HI HUSSEIN.
puzzle by sudokusyndication.com
Kangaroo spotted running Detroit streets was part of traveling exhibit
420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com
Technology can be utilized in touchscreen technology and flexible monitors ITO for economic reasons, as prices for indium are likely to rise in the future, whereas the price of silver compared to that is more likely to stay stable. “Indium itself is a rare element,” Zhang said. “In addition, most of the supply of indium is in China and in Canada, so it is not everywhere in the world, only a few places.” L. Jay Guo, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science, supervised the research team, and explained there were previous difficulties in producing ultrathin silver films. Previous techniques to overcome these technical difficulties included adding other films beneath the silver film. “It is known in the scientific community that if you want to form a silver film like this that is thin, it is not going to be continuous,” Guo said. “But adding another film would inevitably impact the performance of the silver film.” Guo and his team set out to solve the problem by combining the silver with a small amount of aluminum. This allowed for them to create an ultra-thin, sevennanometer silver film, smooth, transparent and resistant to tarnish. Chengang Ji, a Ph.D. student in electrical engineering and computer science, was also part of the research team. Ji pointed out the market possibilities of the silver film given all its advantages compared to currently used materials. “We are trying to commercialize this product because it has very good potential for the next generation,” Ji said. “So we are trying to a find a way for mass production of this silver film.”
Dad: I wanna come see the show you’re working on this weekend. What is it? Me: It’s Shakespeare Dad: Cool, Shakespeare was a great dude.
WHAT: Social Work Prof. Kristin Seefeldt discusses her book on the increase of families with low-paying jobs and no access to upward social mobility. WHO: School of Public Policy WHEN: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Weill Hall, Annenberg Auditorium
How to Enjoy Kabuki
currently works at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and is the first writer listed on the paper. Zhang highlighted the advantages of film, especially when used for future flexible screens. So far, he explained, the material indium tin oxide is widely used for touch screens. However, it cracks very easily when moved, which interferes with the materials’ conductivity. Since silver films have a much better stability, even when moved, they are more suitable for flexible screens. Another material currently used as a transparent conductor for flexible displays is graphene. However, the silver film shows major advantages compared to this material; namely, its conductivity is much better than the conductivity of graphene. Zhang said silver films might be a better future alternative to
Follow @michigandaily
EMMA KINERY
Editor in Chief 734-418-4115 ext. 1251 kineryem@michigandaily.com
NEWS TIPS
HUSSEIN HAKIM
Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 hjhakim@michigandaily.com
ARTS SECTION
PHOTOGRAPHY SECTION
news@michigandaily.com
arts@michigandaily.com
photo@michigandaily.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
NEWSROOM
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
EDITORIAL PAGE
734-418-4115 opt. 3
CORRECTIONS
opinion@michigandaily.com
SPORTS SECTION
sports@michigandaily.com
corrections@michigandaily.com
ADVERTISING
dailydisplay@gmail.com
Editorial Staff
AMELIA CACCHIONE and EMMA RICHTER
REBECCA LERNER
Senior Photo Editors: Zoey Holmstrom, Evan Aaron, Alexis Rankin Assistant Photo Editors: Claire Meingast, Emilie Farrugia, Sinduja Kilaru, Sam Mousigian, Marina Ross
Managing Editor
Managing Photo Editors rebler@michigandaily.com
ALEXA ST.JOHN
Managing News Editor alexastj@michigandaily.com Senior News Editors: Riyah Basha, Tim Cohn, Lydia Murray, Nisa Khan, Sophie Sherry Assistant News Editors: Kevin Biglin, Caleb Chadwell, Heather Colley, Erin Doherty, Maya Goldman, Matt Harmon, Andrew Hiyama, Jen Meer, Carly Ryan, Kaela Theut
ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY and REBECCA TARNOPOL
Editorial Page Editors opinioneditors@michigandaily.com Senior Opinion Editors: Caitlin Heenan, Jeremy Kaplan, Max Lubell, Madeline Nowicki, Stephanie Trierweiler
BETELHEM ASHAME and KEVIN SANTO
Managing Sports Editors sportseditors@michigandaily.com Senior Sports Editors: Laney Byler, Mike Persak, Orion Sang, Minh Doan, Chloe Aubuchon, Sylvanna Gross, Chris Crowder Assistant Sports Editors: Rob Hefter, Max Marcovitch, Avi Sholkoff, Ethan Wolfe, Matthew Kennedy, Paige Voeffray
ANAY KATYAL and NATALIE ZAK
Managing Arts Editors arts@michigandaily.com Senior Arts Editors: Tess Garcia, Dayton Hare, Nabeel Chollanpat, Madeline Gaudin, Carly Snider Arts Beat Editors: Caroline Filips, Danielle Yacobson, Danny Hensel, Erika Shevchek, Matt Gallatin
MICHELLE PHILLIPS and AVA WEINER
photo@michigandaily.com
LARA MOEHLMAN
Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com Deputy Statement Editor: Brian Kuang. Yoshiko Iwai
DANIELLE JACKSON and TAYLOR GRANDINETTI Managing Copy Editors
copydesk@michigandaily.com
Senior Copy Editors: Marisa Frey, Ibrahim Rasheed
DYLAN LAWTON and BOB LESSER
Managing Online Editor lesserrc@michigandaily.com Senior Web Developers: Erik Forkin, Jordan Wolff
ABE LOFY
Managing Video Editor video@michigandaily.com Senior Video Editors: Gilly Yerrington, Matt Nolan, Aarthi Janakiraman, Emily Wolfe
JASON ROWLAND and ASHLEY TJHUNG
Michigan in Color Editors michiganincolor@michigandaily.com Senior Michigan in Color Editors: Christian Paneda, Tanya Madhani, Neel Swamy, Adam Brodnax, Areeba Haider, Halimat Olaniyan, Sivanthy Visanthan
ELLIE HOMANT
Managing Social Media Editor Senior Social Media Editors: Carolyn Watson, Molly Force
Managing Design Editors design@michigandaily.com Senior Design Editors: Alex Leav, Carly Berger, Christine Lee
Business Staff
SONIA SHEKAR
EMILY RICHNER
National Accounts Manager
Sales Manager
ANNA HE
Special Publications and Events Manager
Digital Marketing Manager
JESSICA STEWART JULIA SELSKY
Local Accounts Manager
CLAIRE BUTZ
Production and Layout Manager The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University OF Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for September-April are $225 and year long subscriptions are $250. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SIT-IN From Page 1A GEO and the University Human Resources department have been negotiating a new three-year contract for graduate-student employees since last September, as the current contract expires at the end of April. GEO brings proposals crafted by the graduate-student community to bargaining sessions that typically occur once a week. Chief among the proposals that GEO members emphasize, which include pay raises, expanded health-care benefits and protection for international students, is the establishment of unionized positions for graduatestudent staff assistants doing diversity work on behalf of the University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan. Rackham student Rachel Miller said the human-resources department has refused to discuss the issue during the bargaining process, arguing it is not a mandatory subject for the contract, but DEI administrators then informed GEO the proposal was under the purview of contract negotiators. “They also won’t talk about it with us anywhere else because they say we’re talking about bargaining, so we’re getting stonewalled all over the place,” Miller said.
ATTICA From Page 1A we hope it’s going to tell us something about the present,” Thompson said. “In this case, I think what we’re hoping that history will tell us is it will give us some sense, some explanation for how did we end up the world’s most punitive nation.” Karen Smyte, president of Children’s Literacy Network — a group that goes into several southeast Michigan prisons and records parents and grandparents reading bedtime stories to their children — came to the event because of the relevancy it has to her work and what she has witnessed within prisons. “I see it as related to the United States’s history of slavery,” Smyte said. “The justice system is terribly broken and this mass incarceration is disproportionately impacting poor people (and) communities of color.” Thompson argued mass incarceration in the United States did not happen overnight; a number of factors contributed to the
APP From Page 1A registration date,” Katz said. “I would have to change my schedule multiple times before registration. I felt like every time I registered, I essentially wasted time by not having information to go off of, like looking into classes I might have statistically no chance of getting into.” The team compiled statistics and data from last semester’s registration period for winter 2017, mostly mined from University data, indicating how quickly every course, section and lab at the University filled up. Katz said they found trends and patterns from year to year for registration depending on the date and time you register using primarily the University’s Application Program Interface portal. “In order to collect the data that’s powering our model, I actually started building this in November, and I built the system to capture all that data through the University’s programmatic (interface),” Katz said. “The big thing was getting it while the registration process was happening.” Engineering junior Tyler Ringler said he uses
Social Work student Vidhya Aravind currently works part time on the University Library’s implementation team for the DEI initiative and said such positions are demanding and require expertise, justifying compensation on par with other graduate positions. “I think it’s important to recognize that diversity labor is labor,” she said.” It takes a lot of effort, a lot of time, a lot of energy and a lot of expertise.” Aravind went on to compare her work on the library team to her experience volunteering with the School of Information’s DEI unit, which she described as a mess. “Some DEI units have that expertise, some DEI units have demonstrated that they don’t,” Aravind said. “Some units are taking in student input and have these GSSA positions already, which is amazing, but we want that across the spectrum of the academic DEI plan, because we think it’s important that marginalized students have better platforms for input than they currently do. We understand that marginalized students have the expertise the University needs for DEI to succeed, and marginalized students have needs which the University is equipped to cover.” On other issues, GEO members still feel that the University has not agreed to
News do enough to help. Referring to a Detroit News op-ed written by the presidents of several Michigan universities, including University President Mark Schlissel on the subject of international students and faculty, which asserted support for international students and faculty, Miller said GEO is calling for “actual protections (for international students), not just language.” A proposal by GEO to create work-hour caps on GSIs in support of students on visas with work quotas was met by hesitation and concern from faculty members on the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs earlier this month. In an interview last week, Schlissel said he could not comment on negotiations, but pushed GSIs to reframe their work week as a critical portion of their learning experiences in academia. “The union perceives it as work for pay, but it’s actually more of a training,” he said. In regard to salary rates, GEO President John Ware, a Rackham student, explained the raise offered by the University did not keep up with Ann Arbor’s cost of living. “The cost of living is up more than 6 percent this year over last year in Ann Arbor, and we’ve been offered a 2.5-percent raise,” he said. University spokeswoman Kim Broekhuizen wrote in an
email statement that the current proposal on the table offers wage increases every year, in addition to increased leave time for parental accommodation and bereavement, as well as additional protections for international graduate-student instructors to comply with work restrictions required to maintain their visa status. “We appreciate the Graduate Employee Organization’s commitment to not disrupting activities in these buildings during this planned activity,” she wrote. “Talks continue and we are hopeful about having a new contract in place soon.” Toward the end of the sitin, demonstrators congregated in the entrance of the Administration Building, taking turns to share their reasons for being there — including needs for greater child-care subsidies, health-care subsidies and higher wages. After each speaker, the crowd cheered and clapped, while employees in the building squeezed past to get to the elevator or a nearby office. “I’m here even though I’m leaving soon because I care about future generations of (graduate) students on this campus, and because I did a lot of work in DEI, never being compensated or recognized for it, which derailed my own progress and success,” said a Rackham student who asked to stay anonymous. “But I think that future generation should have it better than I had.”
situation, such as the Attica Prison Uprising and the criminalization of all-Black spaces after the Civil War. “And overnight, the South goes from penitentiaries and prisons that were all-white to all-Black,” Thompson said. “Again, not because white folks stop committing crimes and Black folks lose their minds, but because there were policy decisions made, and as a result of those policies decisions, … we get forced labor, we get removal of voting privileges and we get stability to white power essentially in the South.” Thompson continued the discussion on prison conditions, exploring the circumstances Attica Prison inmates faced before the rebellion. Each inmate was allocated $0.63 of food and one square of toilet paper each day, among other inhumane treatments. “What’s really remarkable is that these men still somehow had faith in the system,” Thompson said. “So they wrote letters … they wrote letters to state senators, they wrote letters to every person in power they could imagine, saying, ‘Would you please help us, we want to do
this in a democratic process … can you please just improve the food or let us practice our religion?’ ” On Sept. 9, 1971, the inmates broke out of their cells and set up a tent city in one of the yards farthest from the front gate, commencing a four-day period of negotiations. The state of New York accepted 28 of the 32 demands, and on the fifth day, troopers and state police stormed the prison after dropping tear gas on the inmates, resulting in 39 deaths and 128 others shot severely. The prisoners did not have access to guns. The events following the massacre spanned numerous actions carried out by the state of New York to cover up the events that unfolded in the prison, Thompson said — events that, before her work, were unknown. Within the prison, the inmates were tortured and not given any access to medical help. “These men were stripped, they were lined up, they were meant to run gauntlets, they were thrown into cells (that had) nothing in them,” Thompson said. “They were tortured for days and hours and weeks, (with) guards urinating into their open
wounds.” Mary Heinen, co-founder of the Prison Creative Arts Project and a formerly incarcerated individual, said the story of Attica is one known within prisons, but hopes the book can shed light on what goes on within the confines of a prison to the rest of society. “The history of this is told among members of the inmate nation to each other and other atrocities as well that have happened across the United States,” Heinen said. “One of the most terrible things that’s happened in my lifetime is the criminalization of people that are mentally ill and drugdependent, which is a lot of what I saw.” These events were also covered up by the state of New York, giving most Americans only the narrative of how prisoners caused the deaths and were at fault for the massacre. Since then, Thompson said, no one has been held accountable for the actions at Attica. “Not one member of law enforcement is indicted and serves time,” Thompson said. “Nobody in law enforcement was ever held accountable for what happened at Attica.”
ClassAI because he has a late registration date and hasn’t been able to get into two to three classes per semester he originally wanted. He said he typically has to redo his schedule several times before finding one that works. “It is a very useful tool when it comes to scheduling,” Ringler said. “It was very easy to sign up and even easier to add my classes. It took me less than three minutes to sign up and add all of my classes onto the app. This is the same time it would take me to search for my class, find the class number, and then change tabs and backpack it in Wolverine Access.” While not wanting to reveal all the factors of their algorithm, Katz said they do take professor ratings and teacher-evaluation from course evaluation scores to help shape their predictions. “It’s not just one kind of piece of information we’re looking at,” Katz said. “We want a comprehensive view to be accurate.” Katz said this kind of solution to students’ registration troubles is unprecedented and hopes that after their first time doing this for the fall 2017 semester based off winter 2017 data they’ll be able to get an accurate display of data for
both fall and winter semesters. “So far based on our tests, we feel confident,” Katz said. “Really what it comes down to is increasing information, because right now there’s no information about any of this. After this registration process, we’ll have a good understanding of both (semesters). But right now, we apply some of our intuition.” Katz said ClassAI also could
aren’t to exact precision.” Ringler said that though he still uses the same amount of time to backpack, the app has given him a better indication of whether he has a chance to get into a certain class he likes. For Ringler, this is “invaluable,” because now he can search for alternatives sooner than minutes before he registers. “I don’t know if it has limited the time I’ve spent backpacking, because most of the time I spend backpacking revolves around getting the classes and teachers I want to work out,” Ringler said “However, it certainly made the process easier because I have the data in front of me that shows if I should consider an alternative schedule or not. Because of this, I am considering my alternatives now rather than 10 minutes before my registration period, which is invaluable.” Katz said there he hears some skepticism on the app’s accuracy, but reiterated it is meant to only be supplemental in helping students to be more informed. “We’re not anti-Wolverine Access,” Katz said. “But we’re offering an alternative for backpacking. The time saved can really help students relax or spend more time studying.”
It is a very useful tool when it comes to scheduling save many students from stress, as he himself has spent hours trying to figure out his chances of getting into a class by hand, but now the app does all the work for him. “If you’re an anxious person like me, you’ll just sit there and check that number of seats,” Katz said. “Our system basically does that work so you don’t get to the point where you computing the slope of enrollment. Usually those things you equate in your head
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 — 3A
VIGIL From Page 1A will go unnoticed.” Surrounded by the glow of candles, speakers mourned those lost in the airstrikes, while also emphasizing the importance of remembering the humanity of those killed, rather than statistics portraying the immense number of lives lost. Speeches touched on highly personal topics, such as an Iraqi speaker’s mother loving purple but always wearing black because of constant mourning, or another student’s brother lamenting that to die in Syria means “to be forgotten.” Alhassan further stressed coming together as a community to mourn the faces behind the death tolls. “When we see things like this, 200 deaths in Iraq and Syria, when we hear about this very often, you know this many deaths, this many deaths, it just continuously adds up and at some point it all just becomes a number,” he said. “So if we’re not doing things like this, we’re just going to keep reading about it and seeing about it as a number. But when we all come out together we start to understand it, there’s a more realistic reason behind
CSG From Page 1A on how to renovate the Union, a project that will begin in May of next year, keeping the building open for the entirety of the bicentennial. “The Union needs more vibrancy on the lower levels because when you walk in it’s very quiet and compartmentalized and it almost feels like you’re walking into a library, and that’s not how the Union was originally designed to be,” Comstock said. Featured renovations will include the creation of an indoor courtyard enclosed by a glass roof, two new movement studios aimed at providing a space for the many dance groups that practice in Mason Hall, among others, and increasing the efficiency of fourth-f loor space utilized by Counseling and Psychological Services in order to provide more private space for conversation. The assembly voted on six resolutions, passing resolutions to increase the number of recycling bins around campus, to preserve the billiards room in the Union, to collaborate with the University in finding ways to fund the Leadership Engagement Scholarship, to allocate funds to UM Social Media to aid in the creation of a mosaic piece for graduation, as well as a resolution to encourage University Housing to include
doing it.” Engineering senior Nusayba Tabbah, whose family is from Syria, noted the proliferation of human deaths in the media has led people to become numb to the tragedy, even those personally affected. “I feel like I’ve constantly been coming to these vigils — it’s kind of gotten to be pretty routine,” she said. “I feel like it’s actually kind of slowed down this semester, not because any of the tragedies have lessened but because it’s become so normal, which is really sad. Even as Syrian-Americans, whose families has been directly affected by the conflict, it’s easy for us to become numb to it.” LSA sophomore Courtney Caulkins, an organizer with the Michigan Refugee Assistance Program, said she attended the vigil to support her friend Alyiah Al-Bonijim, one of the event’s organizers, and to stay aware of U.S. military actions in countries overseas. “I think that the conflict right now in Iraq and Syria is really connected with the refugee crisis, from both places right now, and we should be holding our government accountable for the actions that are taking place very far away and ensuring we aren’t being blinded by the distance,” Caulkins said.
voter registration in Welcome Week programming. With this resolution, Residential Advisers will receive training in order to provide freshman students with necessary information and resources regarding registration. CSG President David Schafer, an LSA senior, discussed several initiatives CSG has worked on throughout the year, including the recent establishment of the Student Fee Advisory Committee, which met for the first time on Monday. He also spoke of the impact of the bystander-intervention training program, which has held nine sessions throughout the year, training more than 300 students from more than 200 student organizations across campus. Schafer and CSG Vice President Micah Griggs, an LSA senior, expressed their gratitude to the assembly, and spoke of their experiences within CSG as their terms come to an end. “We’ve shared countless long nights together,” Griggs said. “Because of all of you we are closer to making our campus better for all students. … Serving as your vice president has been the greatest honor of my life that I will always remember.” Schafer said similar sentiments and encouraged the members of the assembly who will continue in CSG to remember the impact they have on the student body. “Never doubt the potential of CSG to enact positive and lasting change on this campus.”
Opinion
4A — Wednesday, March 29, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ALEXIS MEGDANOFF | COLUMN
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com
EMMA KINERY Editor in Chief
ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY
and REBECCA TARNOPOL Editorial Page Editors
REBECCA LERNER Managing Editor
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Carolyn Ayaub Megan Burns Samantha Goldstein Caitlin Heenan Jeremy Kaplan Sarah Khan
Anurima Kumar Ibrahim Ijaz Max Lubell Alexis Megdanoff Madeline Nowicki Anna Polumbo-Levy
Jason Rowland Ali Safawi Sarah Salman Kevin Sweitzer Rebecca Tarnopol Stephanie Trierweiler
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
VICTORIA NOBLE | COLUMN
A
Trump’s budget and you
t this point in the Trump university in the country, the University presidency — and received $1.39 billion in research especially on this campus — funding in fiscal year 2016, two-thirds criticizing President Donald Trump of which came from government has become so common agencies. That year, and routine that doing University researchers so feels unproductive. produced more than According to Gallup, 400 new inventions; on Trump’s approval rating average, a new company is 36 percent — a record is launched every five low. And on a campus weeks due to technology where only 12 percent pioneered here. of students polled before That research the election said they directly contributes would vote for Trump, VICTORIA to the strength I suspect that approval and prestige of the NOBLE rating is much, much University, enhancing lower. It doesn’t help that 57 percent both the value of our degrees and of millennials view Trump as an the quality of education students illegitimate president. receive here. Not only does the As airwaves, social media strength of the University as a feeds and personal conversations research institution contribute to become increasingly saturated its ability to recruit top faculty and with criticisms of the new graduate students — giving students administration, it’s gotten the opportunity to learn from the harder and harder to sift out leaders in their respective fields — the news about important but it also provides opportunities policy changes from the rest for students to directly participate of the noise surrounding the in research themselves. More than White House’s personal and 1,300 undergraduate students familial conflicts of interest, assist with faculty research projects potential ties to the Russian through the Undergraduate government, unsubstantiated Research Opportunity Program. press statements, inane Twitter As a sophomore, UROP wars and other repeated scandals enabled me to work on a research that have plagued the president project for a University law and his administration. In many school and economics professor. ways, that makes it easier for That experience helped me Trump and his congressional define an interest in law and allies to ramrod policy changes gave me invaluable experience that the majority of Americans that helped me land internships oppose. That’s not just a problem and other opportunities. My — it’s a slap in the face to our research sponsor became one of representative form of government my mentors on campus, and his and the constituents whom these guidance helped me define and leaders have a duty to represent. achieve my goal of attending law One policy that has the potential school after graduation. to profoundly affect the University None of this even dives into the of Michigan — and our lives fact that both economic theory as students and graduates — is and empirical evidence support Trump’s budget proposal. To the notion that federal research be sure, Trump’s budget has no funding produces direct, tangible real legal power unless Congress benefits for the country as a whole. actually adopts it — a big “if” In fact, studies show “the return considering this budget would on investment for publicly funded effectively eliminate 62 federal scientific research and development agencies and programs, many is somewhere between 30 percent of which are quite popular with and 100 percent, or more.” This constituents. However, the fact that means that for every $1 the Republicans hold majorities in both government spends on research the House and Senate should make funding, society receives $1.30 to $2 it more likely that a budget this in benefits over time, on average. radical could pass. On top of all that, these While Trump’s budget makes research institutions also boost many devastating cuts that will the state economy. In 2012 ultimately hurt the country as a alone, Michigan’s three research whole, some have a particularly universities generated $16.6 billion strong impact on the University. in economic activity for the state. The proposed cuts to the National Those numbers do not include Institutes of Health, Department the economic benefits of longer of Energy, National Endowment for lifespans or higher quality of life the Humanities and the National due to medical or other kinds of Endowment for the Arts will innovations pioneered at these directly and adversely affect the research institutions. University and those who attend, Still not convinced that this graduated from or support it. research funding affects you? As the number-one public research Just consider the fact that if
ERIN WAKELAND | CONTACT ERIN AT ERINRAY@UMICH.EDU
you’re reading this article online, federal research funding actually facilitated the technological breakthroughs that allow you to do that. The internet, lithium-ion batteries that power most mobile devices and the touchscreens used on most cell phones and tablets were all products of federally funded research. Federally funded research also plays a role in keeping you healthy. One study found that 75 percent of all discoveries of new molecular entities — active ingredients never before used in pharmaceuticals — between 1993 and 2004 were discovered thanks to research funded by the National Institutes of Health. All of this funding helps America maintain its role as a global leader in innovation. Yet, the Trump administration wants to make serious cuts to already declining levels of federal funding for research. Under Trump’s new budget, the National Institutes of Health would receive $5.8 billion less in funding — about a 20-percent cut. The Department of Energy also faces a 20-percent cut, while the Environmental Protection Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency would see an even larger percentage of their funding eliminated. Since Trump apparently likes to let billionaires decide how to run the government, perhaps the president should take advice from Bill Gates. Last April, Gates penned an op-ed that described the importance of federal research funding in the microchip revolution and, consequently, his ability to start Microsoft. Gates also called on the federal government to increase federal research funding if it wants to remain a global leader in innovation. Given that Gates himself is a global leader in innovation, I think he’s probably worth listening to on this one. Interested in preventing the government from actually enacting these budget cuts to agencies that directly benefit you? Consider emulating the advocates and ordinary citizens who came together to prevent the American Health Care Act from passing — and prevented 24 million people from losing their insurance. The civic activism of these advocates and ordinary citizens certainly saved lives. However, there are still millions of Americans who suffer from diseases that available medical treatments can’t cure. By telling your representatives to avoid cutting funding to the agencies that fund scientific and medical breakthroughs, you can help save lives as well. Victoria Noble can be reached at vjnoble@umich.edu.
The art of debate
A
friend once asked insulting the person standing me, “Do you think it’s right next to them. possible for someone We saw this problem to be so liberal that they are throughout the entire past close-minded?” My election cycle. Neither immediate thought side would allow was of course not itself to consider — that’s the whole any portion of the point of being other’s argument, and liberal. When you debates were decided and your friends by the number of identify as liberal, insults Donald Trump you are fighting for or Hillary Clinton human rights, civil could throw at the ALEXIS rights, the rights other. However, this of all minorities MEGDANOFF situation did not and anyone who is happen over the against what you think course of one election. is against all of the progress we This has been going on for many have made in the past 100 years. more years than we even know. And that is when I realized A study published in 2011 on the answer is actually yes. 250,000 tweets sent out during The truth is that as soon as the six weeks leading up to you immediately disregard the the 2010 midterm elections ideas of another group, you are found that groups of Twitter close-minded by definition. users who interacted with When one party tells the other one another were heavily its views are no longer valid, segregated by partisan that it is outdated, ignorant structure with very little and offensive, the chance for interaction between the left a compromise is lost. This is and right users. This means that not to say we should allow conservatives only interacted hateful comments to be left to with other conservatives and spread more hate, but we have a liberals with other liberals. responsibility to allow even the When this isolation happens, ideas we do not agree with to be you get what we saw in heard. I do not believe we were 2016 — two groups that look always like this, nor do I think around themselves to only see we intended to become like this. others of the same views, feel But over time, the habit of falling affirmed, and once again turn back to insults as a way to win to the other group and say, “Of an argument has overtaken our course you’re wrong; everyone discussion to the point where knows this.” we can no longer even tactfully What is truly alarming to communicate. realize is that people have Most people have had seen this happening. The same experiences like this — no matter study ended its conclusion where one lies on the political with, “The fractured nature of spectrum. Heavy conversations political discourse seems to be occur when one individual or worsening, and understanding another stays silent. Because the social and technological being silent is better than dynamics underlying this trend being personally attacked by will be essential to attenuating another who is tearing them its effect on the public sphere,” apart without knowing they are yet very little has been done
about it so far. This is where millennials come in. It will be on our shoulders to once again bring compromise back into a system that has two sides that shame those that take a middle stance. Whether this involves initiating the much-due change of the political parties, or beginning the elimination of the two-party system, we are the next generation to take political power. The country cannot continue our current split mindset. It is going to be hard. It is going to involve having uncomfortable conversations with your acquaintances, friends and family about why they believe what they believe. Clearly it is not enough to simply know what the other side believes because it has devolved into making assumptions about others, which we have seen is only detrimental to the progress we are seeking. The type of discussions that need to take place need to end with members of each side admitting they understand the other. We do not need to agree, but we need to at least give each side adequate consideration before we truly decide to support one ideology. We are lucky enough to be living in a country, and on a campus, that was founded on the idea of open discussion. Let’s make use of this and have these difficult conversations. I call on those who usually speak up first to offer the spot to others before they say anything. I equally call on those who normally go with the flow of the conversation to find the courage to say their views even when they are afraid they will be suppressed. Let’s bring conversation back to Alexis Megdanoff can be reached at amegdano@umich.edu.
GINA CHOE | COLUMN
The faulty social consumer
W
hy might we be fourth date, he decides to tell happy to do things her how much this romance is for free but not costing him. Her response? She when we are paid to do them? If calls him a beast and dumps him your neighbor asks you to watch on the spot. (No “Beauty and the their dog for a night, you will be Beast” happy ending here.) happy to do it. But if they pay The trouble was that he failed you after, you may to reconcile between not only be offended market and social by the amount, you norms. By crossing might expect to be the line, he offended paid even more next her by implying time. Humans are that her romance is social animals and something he can we are happy to help buy. Here is a lesson: out others. But when Do not mention the we are paid for our cost of the date if work and market you want to impress norms enter into the GINA CHOE someone. In fact, scene, social norms according to research run out the door. by Kathleen Vohs, Nicole Mead This is also the case for me. and Miranda Goode, even Recently, I started working thinking about money makes us in two research labs. One lab behave differently. Therefore, pays me per hour, and the other it is likely that money-minded lab is completely volunteer. intentions will be taken in a Intuitively, you might think wrong way. that I’d like the lab that pays me Life is good when market per hour — why not get some and social norms stay separate. money while doing the work? However, when they do collide, However, the volunteer lab market norms always win and offers something that the paid the trouble is often permanent. lab doesn’t: social exuberance. Here’s another example from I go out of my way to do extra “Predictably Irrational”: When work and the adviser, in return, an Israeli daycare began to fine gives me personal mentoring. parents for tardy pick-ups, it This type of relationship not only made parents later, doesn’t exist in my paid lab. I’m but they also no longer felt expected to do a certain amount guilty about it — parents felt as of work and leave. though their tardiness could be It is clear that we live in justified with compensation. two kinds of worlds: social and More importantly, even long market. In the social world, after the school removed the we surround ourselves in a fining policy, parents continued community and thrive off of to pick up their kids late. social relationships. In the This is the permanent effect market world, “the exchanges of market- and social-norm are sharp-edged,” writes in his collision. Money, though useful book, “Predictably Irrational” and necessary, turns out to be — you only get what you pay for. an ineffective motivator in a In the money-minded society social context. We sometimes that we live in, it is important to forget that money is not the keep market norms away from answer to social problems, and social norms and recognize it never will be. that following social norms can I was made aware of the bring us invaluable profit that dangers of mixing market money simply cannot. and social norms a lot more in As it turns out, mixing market college. With the popular app and social norms is like drinking Venmo, people instantly request orange juice after brushing your and pay money with friends. For teeth — it’s not good. Consider example, if you go out for an ice this example from “Predictably cream and your friend doesn’t Irrational”: A guy takes a girl have money on them, you out on multiple dates. By the purchase the total amount with third time, his wallet is thinning your card, while at the same time out and he is hoping to get some requesting money from your physical affection. So on the friend on Venmo. Oftentimes,
I see that people fuss about their friends not paying them back a few bucks. I’ve also seen cases where people won’t hang out with their friends until their Venmo requests have been resolved. I think that this obsession with “request and pay” is detrimental to building long-lasting friendships. So how do we keep market norms out of the equation in social relationships? This brings us to the notion of “give and take” and the power of gifting, suggested by Dan Ariely. Here’s a similar scenario from “Predictably Irrational”: Imagine that you invite me over for dinner and I decide to bring you wine that cost me $30. There are a few problems with this decision. Maybe you don’t like wine and would have wanted beer. Or, maybe you would want to use that $30 on something else. Maybe gifting is a waste of money because you’re spending $30 on something else would give just as much, if not more, happiness as receiving my wine. But gifting is not a rational activity. If I came over and said, “I was going to spend $30 on wine but I thought you might want to spend it on something else,” and hand you 30 bucks, you would probably think that I’m arrogant. Also, from my point of view, I would not feel comfortable requesting a favor in return when we encounter each other next time. Though gifts may be financially inefficient, “they are an important social lubricant,” writes Dan Ariely. “Sometimes, it turns out, a waste of money can be worth a lot.” So in the case with Venmo and the ice-cream shop with your wallet-less friend, why not you buy the ice cream this time, and have your friend get your meal next time? If you think that your friend is someone who has no sense of the social norms of give and take, then gift them the book “Predictably Irrational” and maybe they’ll come back around. Remember, there’s nothing warmer than social reciprocity. Gina Choe can be reached at ginachoe@umich.edu.
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 — 5A
ANN ARBOR FILM FESTIVAL
COURTESY OF KURO
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
Even big fans of arthouse will find ‘Kuro’ boring DakhaBrakha’s unique take on Ukranian folk
COURTESY OF DAKHABRAKHA
Romi caring for Milou. A lot of the plot is unclear, but it’s Daily Arts Writer unfair to critique an art film as if it were a more traditional Critiquing art films is major motion picture. The as arduous a task as sitting deeper meaning that film through them. Of course, snobs love to ruminate over is saying this is close-minded, equally ambiguous, which will anti-intellectual and an easy leave these aforementioned way to get kicked off Daily Arts. viewers puzzled for weeks. I’ve For me, a decently “cultured” given up trying to understand moviegoer, there’s often no the meaning behind “Kuro,” reward for sitting through perhaps because I’m a bit one of these impatient “Kuro” movies. Instead, with such I feel stupid for challenging 55th Annual Ann not understanding stories. Arbor Film Festival what the hell just Nonetheless, happened on screen the movie risks Michigan Theater — a true low blow being a bit too for my fragile ego. “out-there” for When jaded by the even the biggest fans of art traditional narrative film. structures and easy-to-follow “Kuro” ’s constant narration plots in most Hollywood is complimented by stunning pictures, these experimental shots that forgo any camera films feel like a different art motion, diving into the form altogether. And, they are stillness of the characters’ indeed. There are almost no lives. An art film without similarities between the two quality cinematography (or, styles, except for the fact that any film for that matter) is like both are, in fact, movies. Art an Italian pizza pie without house cinema isn’t necessarily some succulent cheese; it’s boring; it just requires a never going to be anything generous amount of patience. but substandard. Still, the The Ann Arbor Film camerawork is one of the only Festival is a perfect way to get engulfing aspects of the movie. acquainted with this style of After a while, the pretty shots filmmaking. One of this year’s become background to the entries is “Kuro,” a Japanese other lackluster parts of the movie by Joji Koyama and movie. Tujiko Noriko. “Kuro” tells the Directors of experimental story of Romi, a woman living films like “Kuro” lack anything in Paris who cares for her close to the budgets of even the paraplegic boyfriend Milou. most “indie” of indie movies. Like many other art films, With this comes very little “Kuro” includes practically financial incentive and little no dialogue in favor of voice- payoff for those involved. The over narration. Romi, played filmmakers, therefore, must be by Noriko, retells the story deeply passionate about their of their love and its many work in order for the movies complications. Their tale is to stand a chance. Koyama tragic, yet inspired. Although and Noriko put forth every it’s difficult to follow at ounce of passion on the screen. moments, some of the stories However, the result requires told by Romi are heart- an ample amount of patience shattering and true testaments and an open-mind. of the human will. Although I’m not the “Kuro” attempts to tell biggest fan of this genre, two stories: one through I’m a firm believer that art the narration, and the other films challenge the norm and through the various shots of inf luence big-name directors WILL STEWART
to also push cinematic boundaries. Without people doing the weirdest, strangest stuff, the movie industry as a whole is more likely to remain in a creative lull. “Kuro’s” overlapping “plots” and meditative cinematography, two of the movie’s most special qualities, still don’t feel overly inventive. Regardless, “Kuro” questions the expectations of how a movie should be and
When jaded by the traditional narrative structures and easy-to-follow plots in most Hollywood pictures, these experimental films feel like a different art form altogether
ultimately defies them. I’ve always wanted to try to understand experimental movies and dig into their deeper meaning. But sometimes, this is futile, for there’s no intellectual concept to grasp at all. In many ways, movies are purely the most basic form of escapism. Watching a movie is an experience meant to break up the occasional mundanity of everyday living. Unfortunately, “Kuro” only adds to it.
ARYA NAIDU
Daily Arts Writer
Distinctive, bright, unconventional and passionate, Ukrainian folk band DakhaBrakha is set to bring their unique talents to Ann Arbor this Wednesday, March 29 at the Michigan Theater. Bill Smith, founder of Riot Artists and DakhaBrakha’s North American agent, discovered the quartet at a concert in Greece about five years ago. “Everybody in the audience was mesmerized,” Smith said. Formed in 2004 at the Kyiv Center of Contemporary Art in Ukraine by Vladislav Troitskyi, an avant-garde theater director, DakhaBrakha combines the simple tenacity of their voices with hints of varied artistic inf luences to create an original performance experience. In spite of the group’s limited English, their artistry transcends typical language barriers. They’re inf luenced by sounds from around the world, at once both familiar and authentically foreign. Their name stems from old Ukrainian, meaning “give / take,” and that’s exactly what their music does. “I would rely on what they call an ‘ethno-chaos,’” Smith said. “It is quite a mixture of genres. It’s based on longforgotten Ukrainian folk songs that they have revived … they have re-arranged them with a multitude of other inf luences, whether it’s rap, jazz (or) classical, while retaining the basic folkloric music. It’s clearly recognizable, but they changed it in a way that absolutely inspires the public.” A small and powerful force, DakhaBrakha consists of musicians Marko Halanevych (vocals, darbuka, tabla,
didjeridoo, accordion, trombone), Iryna Kovalenko (vocals, djembe, bass drums, accordion, percussion, bugay, zgaleyka, piano), Olena Tsybulska (vocals, bass drums, percussion, garmoshka) and Nina Garenetska (vocals, cello, bass drum). “They start off very dramatically, and the tempo changes throughout,” Smith said. “I can’t say that I have a favorite part of their concerts
Some of their pieces are slower, sharply contrasting with the intensity of others and lending a depth to their performances. One of their more popular tracks, “Baby,” from their 2014 album Light, sits comfortably at about seven minutes long. Seemingly narrating a story through unfiltered emotion, it’s hopeful when it needs to be and dangerous when it so desires. The song embodies
UMS presents “DakhaBrakha” Michigan Theater Wednesday March 29 @ 7:30 PM $12 - $20 Students, $24 - $52 Adults because it’s all so well puttogether … so many presenters have told me that they’re the highlight of their entire season, and a few of them have said (they’re) the highlight of their careers.” Their music has a quiet, incomparable force to it; it’s inherently captivating. “It’s fundamentally Ukrainian, Eastern European folkloric music. It’s so accessible that people in Mexico described a show there as a ‘rave.’ Other people see it differently,” Smith said. “It takes maybe five or ten minutes into the concert for the public to grasp it if they’ve never seen the group, and then they simply embrace it and go wild. It’s amazing how they stir the public.” Somewhat ethereal in nature, their vocals are accompanied by layers of beads and tall, woolen hats, allowing DakhaBrakha to craft a visually stunning concert that’s difficult to look away from.
In spite of the group’s limited English, their artistry transcends typical language barriers
the evolutionary feel of DakhaBrakha’s music: The band is able to communicate a story that reaches all audiences no matter the langauge differences. Riding on the strength of their sound, the group uses their performances to universally attach themselves to those around — watching, listening, feeling. Strange, thoughtful and, at times, other-worldly, DakhaBrakha’s performance is sure to be memorable. With an artistic vision as idiosyncratic as theirs and gripping vocals to match, it’s best to approach the night with open hearts and minds. Resting atop the foundation of pure love imbued in DakhaBrakha’s concerts, this Ukrainian quartet is set to share their joy with Ann Arbor this Wednesday.
SOCIAL MEDIA COLUMN
Wired & Weary: Dependence on social media Every single morning, I wake up to the buzz of my phone alarm. Immediately, I check to see a myriad of notifications popped up on my screen and spend at least ten minutes looking through each one before I wash up and get ready for class. Throughout the day, I find myself constantly clicking and thumbing through Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. Occasionally, I’ll stop to look at a striking image or funny meme, but more often than not, I mindlessly like statuses and pictures when scrolling down my seemingly endless online feed. My browser windows are frequently filled to the brim with a ridiculous number of tabs. Some contain pop culture articles from The Guardian, Pitchfork and AV Club, while others are just YouTube videos of movie trailers and clips of old Spongebob episodes. Through social media, I’m constantly connected to current events and an online community made up of friends and strangers.
Yet lately, I’ve been feeling a sense of disconnect, dread and angst from spending such a lengthy amount of time on it every day. For a while, I’ve been thinking to myself: How have I become so conditioned to compulsively check social media? And how I can stop? I’ve known for a long time that I’ve been obsessed with using technology. More recently, I’ve been coming to terms with the fact that I am psychologically and sometimes even emotionally dependent on the Internet. It distorts the way I perceive myself and others. It deprives and simultaneously stimulates my energy. And, it dilutes my attention span when I procrastinate. But for some reason, I can’t stop using it. You’re probably asking yourself why I’m talking about this kind of issue when the notion of social media as “addicting” has been scrutinized and discussed heavily by psychologists, bloggers and skeptics. It’s no secret that consuming social media in excess
has adverse ramifications and I don’t intend to lecture people with a critical analysis of its damaging effects. A show like Netflix’s dystopian anthology satire “Black Mirror” has already proven that its presence in our society is much more insidious than we may think. And the solution to this problem pretty much speaks for itself: just stop using social media. But how can I, what with having to use my
SAM ROSENBERG computer every single day and not feel some sort of inclination towards checking my Facebook or looking through Instagram on my phone when I have “down time”? There are far more complex implications of what it means
to be “addicted” to social media than having it labeled simply as a mental health issue, or really as an issue at all. It goes deeper than just checking on what our friends are up to or building this virtual façade of our lifestyle for others to see. As a generation built on the Internet, we have been psychologically primed to crave a validation that often feels more tangible and comfortable online than in real life. There’s an episode from HBO’s fantastic, underrated stoner comedy “High Maintenance” that addresses such a psychological complex. In the episode, a techsavvy 20-something named Anja (Ismenia Mendes, “The Devil You Know”) spends her days updating and constructing a selfdeprecating persona on her online accounts. Later on, however, Anja suffers the consequences of her social media obsession when she uploads a photo of the show’s nameless weeddealing protagonist (Ben Sinclair,
“Sisters”) to her Instagram without permission. Towards the end of her segment, a dejected Anja sits in her bed, alternating between a book and her phone, and then she just weeps, feeling the hollowness of her real life and the life she’s made for herself online. What the episode, aptly titled “Selfie,” reveals is a sobering truth about the overwhelming nature of being totally lost in the real world and finding solace in a place that capitalizes on this aimlessness. The episode itself might not be as nuanced as it should be; the commentary on social media is a bit didactic and Anja is depicted as a somewhat negative stereotype of a social media-obsessed millennial. Nevertheless, her co-dependent relationship with social media rings true to a lot of the despair and emotional stress that many young people, including myself, experience on a day-to-day basis. We become dependent on social media precisely because it gives us a false, romanticized sense
of comfort, anonymity and power. So how exactly do we selfregulate and moderate ourselves in using the Internet? Should we just continue to be active on our social media accounts and other realms of the Internet? Or should we delete everything, go rogue and live under a rock like Patrick Star for a while? The truth is that being active on social media is inevitable, especially if you’re a college student who writes specifically about such a topic every other week. I’ll probably still get distracted from social media when I’m doing my homework — hell, I’ve checked Facebook at least seven times while writing this article. But as addicting as it may be, I’m determined to log out and close my tabs every now and then, and just let the world exist around me. After all, life is much more enriching in the time we spend with others in person than with those we connect with online.
Arts
6A — Wednesday, March 29, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TV REVIEW
ANN ARBOR FILM FESTIVAL
AMAZON STUDIOS COURTESY OF THE MODERN JUNGLE
‘The Modern Jungle’ is an ‘Mrs.’ a surprise charmer odd look at globalization be her breakout role as Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a spunky and Daily Arts Writer sophisticated Jewish housewife from the Upper West Side with a knack for entertaining people with We often forget how male- jokes. Initially, she supports her dominated stand-up comedy is. devoted husband Joel (Michael While there are a few exceptions Zegen, “Boardwalk Empire”) in his — Amy Schumer, Ali Wong, side career as a stand-up comedian. Chelsea Handler, But after a falling “The Marvelous Aparna Nancherla, out between the Mrs. Maisel” Tig Notaro, Jen two, Midge takes Kirkman — the matters into her Pilot general makeup own hands, using of the stand-up her newfound Amazon comedy industry is autonomy to put predominantly male. her comedic chops According to a 2015 statistic from to the test. online blog Bitch Media, women Along with its spectacular only make up 14.3 percent of cast, smart script, impeccable performers, though that number production design and captivating has increased since then. In a characters, “The Marvelous Mrs. 2014 article from the Huffington Maisel” also works as a clever Post, Lynne Parker, founder of the social commentary with feminist Funny Women Awards, noted this undertones. Instead of portraying gender disparity isn’t necessarily overt finger-wagging or heavydue to the lack of female talent, but handed denouncements of sexism more with regards to women not in the late 1950s, the show avoids being given enough opportunities. clichés by focusing on Midge’s There has always been a clear journey from domestic homemaker lack of female visibility within to an independent woman. the comedy industry, especially Initially, Midge isn’t seeking to on television, where FX’s “Louie” be a stand-up comic, though the and HBO’s “Crashing” feature opening sequence, in which she male stand-up comedians and gives her own toast at her wedding, their quests to make people laugh. seems to show a secret desire for Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. the profession. Later on, when Maisel,” the new 1950s screwball she discovers Joel stealing an act comedy from “Gilmore Girls” from comedian Bob Newhart, creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, Midge suggests coming up with challenges that idea and the male an original idea, which leads Joel hegemony of stand-up comedy to doing an awkward, stale set and with a story about a female comic. eventually admitting his affair Like the stand-up act of its with his secretary. Even when a novice but talented protagonist, devastated Midge asks for help “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” from her tempestuous father Abe starts off a bit shaky, but slowly (Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”) and gains traction once it gets to the mother Rose (Marin Hinkle, “Two good stuff. and a Half Men”), she is coerced Rachel Brosnahan (“House into finding Joel to win him back. of Cards”) stars in what could As the show gradually pulls away SAM ROSENBERG
are parts of the film that clearly touch on that, there are also long For the Daily stretches of disjointed scenes and actions that seem to connect to The line between each other in no “The Modern a film being discernible way. experimental and The director of Jungle” a film just being the film, Charles 55th Annual Ann weird is often pretty Fairbanks Arbor Film Festival thin. “The Modern (“Pioneers), Jungle” straddles explained Michigan Theater that line. Ostensibly afterwards that telling the story some scenes of don Juan (Juan were filmed Juarez Rodriquez) and his documentary style with some neighbor Carmen (Carmen aspects done up and faked for Echevarria Lopez), this film is the camera. Without knowing part documentary, part narrative, which scenes are which, it’s hard part spiritual journey and only for this film to succeed as either a partway to giving the audience a documentary or a piece of fiction. reason to care. If the audience does not know The film opens in a theater, what was real and what wasn’t, and we soon realize the film we then how can it interpret the are watching is in fact just the thing it is watching on the screen? first of several framing devices A number of scenes feature used to compound the story. Juan talking directly to the There are spiritual sequences, camera for long stretches with dream sequences, a four minute no response. These scenes long advertisement for the are truly uncomfortable and corporation that is the supposed confusing to watch as a viewer, villain of the piece and two main and no indication is given of who characters who stumble through he is talking to or why no one is it all — narrative and cohesion be responding to him. At the time it damned, all in the name of art. seemed that he was supposed to “The Modern Jungle” be talking to one of his employers professes to be about at the corporation, but Fairbanks industrialization, globalization, later confirmed that in fact this and the ways in which these was Juan talking to Fairbanks, things can impact real people at who said for a variety of reasons the ground level. And while there he did not want to respond. This IAN HARRIS
Classifieds
sequence only adds another layer to the confusing whole that is “The Modern Jungle” rendering the audience utterly baffled. As a work of experimental art, the film can safely say it succeeds in being experimental, but to the
The viewer is left leaving the theater with countless questions, but only one that truly matters: What did I just watch?
detriment of possible enjoyment an audience could gain from it. It’s hard not to wonder what the point of it all is, and when the director later confirms that, “There really was no specific message I wanted to convey,” the viewer is left leaving the theater with countless questions, but only one that truly matters: What did I just watch?
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
FOR SALE
layer after layer, Midge becomes more and more complex, showing us that she is more than just the thoughtful, caring housewife and mother Joel and her parents want her to be. This is mostly a credit to Brosnahan, whose three-dimensional performance deftly balances between buoyant confidence and vulnerability. While Sherman-Palladino’s trademark for fast-paced dialogue and punchy one-liners propels the story forward, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” truly shines in its quieter moments. In an early scene, a dolled-up Midge sneaks out of bed to roll up her hair and put on a face mask, but wakes up just in time to do her makeup again, as if nothing had happened. This moment, as insignificant as it may seem, demonstrates just the kind of expectations Midge is forced to conform to in order to be seen as the pristine, perfect housewife. Granted, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” falters in some aspects. Sherman-Palladino’s continues to incorporate her hallmark pop culture references, but the esoteric, somewhat antiquated humor might not land with every viewer. Occasionally, the show teeters into formulaic territory, such as when Midge interacts with famed comedian Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby, “Take This Waltz”) towards the end of the episode. The pilot is also a bit long, clocking in at about an hour. But perhaps if it’s picked up for a full season — the episode is one of several in Amazon’s annual pilot season — “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” will definitely find ways to improve on its flaws and expand on its best qualities. It might even help pave the way for female stand-up comedians to finally get the platform they deserve on and off television.
SINGLES REVIEW
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Anemic 5 Dukes not among royalty 10 Huge production 14 Rod in a hot rod 15 Kate’s sitcom pal 16 Pilaf base 17 *Rain-X auto product 19 Like port, usually 20 Lacking a key 21 *Manhattan theater district locale 23 Proofer’s mark 25 Feathery layer 26 Oomph 29 Set apart from the group 33 Org. with the staff of Aesculapius in its logo 36 Big name in gas 38 Slam-dance 39 Compressed video format 40 *Electrician’s basic knowledge 43 See 22-Down 44 Mane area 45 Like some buckets 46 Cotillion girl 47 Move more product than 49 Absorb, as a cost 50 Nonpro sports gp. 52 Trapper’s trophy 54 *Many a military spouse 59 Subtle difference 63 Continental coin 64 Far-reaching ... and a literal feature of the answers to starred clues 66 Brought up 67 Like nocturnally counted critters 68 Unrestrained party 69 Cotton bundle 70 Archibald and Thurmond of the NBA 71 Water testers DOWN 1 Bedtime drink, in totspeak
2 Freeway sign 3 Chop House dog food brand 4 Laments loudly 5 Sources of morals 6 Not in the pink 7 Cabbage dish 8 Laundry room brand 9 Views 10 Dry-__ board 11 Risky purchase, metaphorically 12 Tea preference 13 Relinquish 18 Be frugal with 22 With 43-Across, fraternal order 24 Alley scavenger 26 Handled clumsily 27 Writer Zola 28 Special-interest government spending 30 Aerial maneuvers 31 Not paying attention 32 Howe’er 34 Greek sorceress 35 Cut taker 37 Sue Grafton’s “__ for Corpse”
39 1988 Motown acquirer 41 Safari grazer 42 Arrive by auto 47 Sharer’s word 48 You can see right through them 51 Dwelling 53 Deck that’s worth a fortune? 54 “Dragnet” star Jack 55 Subtle glow
56 Triumphant shout 57 One who insists on the spotlight 58 Ready for print 60 Fictional sleuth Wolfe 61 “La __ aux Folles” 62 “Grand” ice cream brand 65 Denver-to-Des Moines dir.
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
WINTEK CORP AUCTION Wintek Corporation and Wintek Electro‑ Optics Corporation are auctioning off overseas assets and equipment. Bid pe‑ riod: announcement date 8 March 2017, bid closing date: 21 March 2017, bid opening date: 22 March 2017. For more details, go the Reorganization section at our website at: www.wintek.com.tw
SERVICES PARLOPHONE
STUDENT SUMMER STORAGE Specials ‑ Closest to campus ‑ Indoor Clean ‑ Safe ‑ Reserve online now annarborstorage.com call 734‑663‑0690
FOR RENT
xwordeditor@aol.com
03/29/17
712 W. HURON ‑ PURRRFECT, pet‑ friendly location with great pricing! Rents starting at $1375! Call today for specials & secure your new home! 734‑741‑9300 ARBOR PROPERTIES Award‑Winning Rentals in Kerrytown, Central Campus, Old West Side, Burns Park. Now Renting for 2017. 734‑649‑8637. www.arborprops.com BROADVIEWAPARTMENTS ‑ Spa‑ cious & peaceful North Campus living!! 1 & 2 bedroom apartments with pricing that starts at $1110 per installment!! FREE parking, FREE laundry, and FREE shuttle service! Call today for specials! CMB MANAGEMENT ‑ With 17 pre‑ mier locations treating every resident like family since 1992. Apartments as low as $1050 per rental installment. Call today for specials and to schedule a tour of your new home! 734‑741‑9300
By Jeff Stillman ©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
03/29/17
GEDDES HILL ‑ HUGE contemporary apartments with unforgettable amenities! Peaceful location adjacent to the Arbore‑ tum with pricing starting at $1800. Call to‑ day for current specials! 734‑741‑9300
Nearly six years since their last album, Gorillaz return with four singles that signal a step toward a dancier, more mainstream influence. The “band” — actually one real player, Damon Albarn, and four virtual members — continue their trend of integrating progressive genre trends with emerging talents. In the first and arguably best single, “Ascension,” the band recruits conscious rapper Vince Staples to lend a political tinge to the club banger. The track is produced by the typical Gorillaz duo — Remi Kabaka and Damon Albarn — but gains its dancefloor appeal from Anthony “The Twilite Tone” Khan. With a track record of songs like Kanye West’s “Mercy” and “Don’t Like.1,” Khan is likely responsible for elevating the track to its current commercial appeal. Staples offers his uniquely danceable-yet-meaningful lyricism (see “Norf Norf”), having people grooving while he talks about how “This the land of the free / Where you can get a Glock and a gram for the cheap.” The
track not only features production curated for hip hop chart success, but at two minutes and 35 seconds, it’s the perfect length to crossover to mainstream radio. In “Saturn Barz,” the band continues to embrace recent trends, enlisting dancehall icon (and
Various Gorillaz Parlophone frequent Drake collaborator) Popcaan. The track is quintessentially Gorillaz — laced with dark beats, Popcaan alternates verses with Damon’s classic heavily distorted vocals. What makes the song stand-out is the unexpected nature of Popcaan’s feature: The beat is far removed from the steel drum percussion of Popcaan’s personal discography, creating an unlikely, yet successful, pairing. The juxtaposition of Popcaan’s usually reggae-influenced lyricism with the Gorillaz’s deep underground
hip-hop beats create a pairing that’s worth a listen. In contrast to “Saturn Barz,” the third single “Andromeda” is heavily dance-influenced. With rapper D.R.A.M. contributing, the track is the house-iest Gorillaz song yet; slowly layering beat over beat, the single does groovy dance music so well that it could have Chromeo on production. The disparity between “Saturn Barz” and “Andromeda” is great, leaving listeners interested to see how Albarn ties the project together. The last single, “We Got the Power,” featuring Jehnny Beth of Savages, is hardly listenable. Perhaps the single would be better received if not on a Gorillaz album, but it’s overly empowering lyrics and lackluster beat are nauseating, making you almost believe it’s a farce of a pop song (which it could very well be). When considered in context of a full album, the song may make more sense … hopefully. Stay tuned for the full album release on April 28th to find out. - DANNY MADION
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 — 7A
Wolverines survive against Central Michigan ‘M’ contributes to win WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
ANNA MARCUS Daily Sports Writer
In its series finale against Penn State on Sunday, the Michigan softball team’s offense exploded, scoring a season-high 17 runs on 13 hits. Yet amidst the ballooning production and excitement, Kelly Christner wasn’t herself at the plate, and hadn’t been for a while. Despite the Wolverines’ big game, the senior centerfielder had only one hit on the entire weekend. After starting the season on an offensive tear — 22 runs batted in over the first 22 games — Christner didn’t collect another RBI for two weeks, stuck in an offensive slump. But Tuesday, not only did Christner make her presence at the plate known again, she was Michigan’s sole saving grace offensively. Christner went 2-for-2
against Central Michigan (2-1 Mid-American Conference, 17-9 overall), contributing both of the Wolverines’ RBI, with a third-inning solo shot to right field and a single up the middle in the fifth frame. Her production lifted No. 20 Michigan (3-0 Big Ten, 23-7-1 overall) past the Chippewas, 2-0, in a midweek pitcher’s duel en route to the Wolverines’ ninth-straight victory. “(Christner) was just locked in,” said Michigan coach Carol Hutchins. “We needed somebody to come through for us, and we’re very pleased that Kelly did.” Amidst its short one-game break from Big Ten competition, Michigan appeared to have backtracked — dealing with many of the same struggles that plagued the team early on in the season. The Wolverines demonstrated weak swings at the plate and did not have a hit until the third inning,
leaving numerous runners stranded on base. These flaws were underscored in the seventh inning, when despite loading the bases with no outs, Michigan couldn’t score. “We really couldn’t seem to get our kids to lock in and to stay with the game plan to try to drive our outside pitch to the righties,” Hutchins said. “We took a lot of really feeble swings, not what we’ve been working on, and not what I think we’ve gotten better at. We really didn’t look like we had a great edge to play today.” Despite the poor offensive performance, the Wolverines still ended the game with a victory due to Christner’s RBI. A pair of hits and a single posted by senior shortstop Abby Ramirez and sophomore catcher Alex Sobczak, respectively, were Michigan’s only other hits on the day. Central Michigan, on the other hand, couldn’t find a way
MARINA ROSS/Daily
Senior centerfielder Kelly Christner went 2-for-2 with a two-run homerun against the Chippewas on Tuesday.
MEN’S LACROSSE
‘M’ defeats UMBC, continues hot start JAKE KARALEXIS For the Daily
Coming off a bye week following a run of three wins in a row, the No. 20 Michigan men’s lacrosse team defeated Maryland-Baltimore County by a final score of 10-7 on Saturday afternoon. In its first game since the biggest win in the program’s history — a 13-12 victory against No. 10 Penn — Michigan (8-1) was able to avoid a letdown and outlast the Retrievers (3-5). With a pair of early goals from senior midfielder Mikie Schlosser, the Wolverines took a 2-0 lead early in the first quarter, which left UMBC fighting from behind for the rest of the game. “We have a lot of respect for UMBC,” said Michigan coach John Paul. “They’re a very good team and they’ve been playing really well recently. We kind of had a feeling the way they play that this was gonna be a game we’d really have to gut out. More than anything, I’m just really proud of the guys for doing what we needed to do to get the W and move on.” As has been the theme for much of the regular season, the Wolverines were led by their three-star offensive players, sophomore attacker Brent Noseworthy (the team’s leading scorer for the season) senior attacker Ian King and Schlosser. The trio provided the offense needed for the victory. King and Noseworthy each tallied three goals on the afternoon, combining with Schlosser’s early pair for eight of the team’s 10 goals. “Mikie kind of put us on his back at the start, and he brings
so much energy to us,” Paul said. “Our theme today was to start and finish. I’m glad to see that start.” After controlling much of the first half and taking a 6-4 lead into halftime, Michigan saw UMBC find its way back into the game in the middle of the third quarter. A three-goal lead was trimmed to one as the Retrievers began to find their offensive momentum with goals from Max Maxwell and Max Haldeman. The following five minutes were extremely tense for the Wolverines, as they attempted to prevent the Retrievers from tying the game up. Finally, Noseworthy restored the multi-goal lead by completing his hat trick with four seconds remaining in the third quarter, and King iced the game with 5:03 remaining in the fourth quarter before completing his own hat trick with 1:01 left to finish the scoring for the Wolverines. The well-rounded performance offered a great tune-up as the Wolverines embark on a final stretch of six games that feature five ranked opponents to conclude the regular season. As the young program has achieved a national ranking for the first time in its existence, figuring out how to put away winnable games before they get tight is essential for the ascent to continue. “We stick with what works for us (when the game tightens up), working the ball around, getting a look and making the shots that we need to make,” Noseworthy said. “Once we played our game, we really calmed it down, and we have a chance against any team.”
“Once we play our game, we really calmed it down.”
onto the scoreboard. Aware that the Chippewas would start ace right-hander Rachel Knapp — who touts 135 strikeouts on the season — Hutchins decided to pitch senior right-hander Megan Betsa for a secondstraight game. “They pitched their ace,” Hutchins said. “And we pitched ours.” And as Hutchins’ prediction of intensity from the opposition in the circle and a low-scoring game became reality, Betsa verified that she was primed for the job. The senior right-hander threw her fifth straight complete-game shutout, delivering nine strikeouts and allowing only one hit. The ace has found her groove as of late, striking out 68 batters and allowing no runs over her past 36 innings in the circle. Her prowess shined in the third inning, striking out the side, and then again in the fourth when she got out of a two-runner, one-out jam, tossing back-to-back strikeouts that allowed the Wolverines to leave the frame unscathed. “Honestly, (Betsa) did amazing, which isn’t unusual for her,” Christner said. “She goes out there and just attacks them from the start, and it really just sets the tone.” Though Michigan managed to escape the game through the tenacity of Betsa and Christner, the Wolverines will need more contributions throughout the lineup when they face tougher opponents. They know that relying on a sole player to produce offensively is an unsustainable practice. “I think we could have made an adjustment (to Knapp) earlier,” Christner said. “You need to know what (the pitcher) is going to throw you and what her process is. We have to find better ways to get on base, find longer at-bats and find better at-bats overall.”
in Pac-12/B1G challenge CHRISTIAN NEUBACHER Daily Sports Writer
With a series of solid individual performances, the Michigan women’s track and field team helped the Big Ten win in the Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Challenge. With their 57 points, the Wolverines finished considerably behind first-place Nebraska’s 142, finishing eighth out of eight teams overall in the tournament. Junior Claire Kieffer-Wright led the way for Michigan with her 1.75meter jump in the high-jump, enough to finish first after a tiebreak. “I always enjoy it when I get to open up my season pretty strong,” Kieffer-Wright said. Kieffer-Wright was able to bring home the victory after neither her nor her opponents were able to clear the 1.78meter jump. Since she had fewer misses throughout the day she was awarded the win. “She’s just a workhorse,” said Wolverines’ coach James Henry. “She’s willing to work hard … (and) set an example as a captain.” Kieffer-Wright’s consistently solid performances are especially impressive given that she is also a part of Michigan’s volleyball team. While Henry said that this commitment has taken a toll on her body, he praised her ability to balance both sports. Kieffer-Wright was not the only Wolverine to have a good showing. Junior Aaron Howell followed her teammate’s
victory, finishing third in the high jump with her 1.70-meter jump. Juniors Claire Borchers and Sydney Badger, along with redshirt freshman Meg Darmofal, finished 5-6-7 in the 1,500-meter run. Freshman Jade Harrison finished fourth in the 100-meter run, starting her outdoor season strong after a very good first indoor season with Michigan. Despite the series of good performances, Henry stressed that he was not increasing his expectations of her. With some athletes sitting out after competing in the NCAA Indoor Championships two weeks ago, the challenge also served as a good opportunity for many of the younger athletes to compete. While the transition from indoor to outdoor takes place over a short time-period, neither Henry nor KiefferWright viewed the shift as particularly difficult. “It’s a lot of the same,” Kieffer-Wright said. “You strive for your best every meet.” Henry also stressed the importance of recovering and rehab after a tough finish to the indoor season. “We’ve got to do well in the long-term,” he said. With a good start to the outdoor season behind her, Kieffer-Wright — a bronze medalist at last year’s Big Ten Outdoor Championship — stressed that her focus remains on contributing to her team, saying “as long as I can score points for my team, that’s all that really matters to me.”
“It’s a lot of the same. You strive for your best every meet.”
Michigan bench gains experience in blowout PAIGE VOEFFRAY Daily Sports Writer
While the Michigan baseball team’s 12-0 victory over Toledo (0-3 Mid-American Conference, 5-19 overall) was just another day at the office for the starters, it was an eye-opening game for the Wolverine’s bench. “It’s two-fold,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “Number one, it helps them because it gives them repetitions and opportunities to compete. And number two, it gives the starters, who have been in there every inning of every game, a little bit of a breather … We want to be able to take advantage of that and keep those guys fresh for the entire year.” Once the Wolverines (1-2 Big Ten, 18-6 overall) took a substantial lead, Bakich decided to use the comfortable margin to play some players who had just a few appearances this season. Five fielders — who had just 10 appearances combined prior to
Tuesday — were substituted in the game. The standout bench player was junior catcher Brock Keener, who came in to relieve junior catcher Drew Lugbauer behind the plate. In just his second at-bat in a Michigan uniform, Keener notched his first hit as a Wolverine with a single through the right side, earning his first run batted in as well. Keener’s hit earned Michigan’s 10th run and propelled the Wolverines to tack on two more before the end of the inning. “Everything matters,” Keener said. “Not saying practice doesn’t matter, but you contribute towards the wins and losses. The game’s sped up a little bit and instead of playing against your team, everybody’s all going towards the same mission.” But besides Keener, the bench’s hitting was off the mark. Redshirt freshman infielder George Hewitt appeared in just two games this season and had
only one at-bat previously. His inexperience showed when he struck out twice. While the field didn’t experience much action due to the lack of offense in the Rockets’ lineup, there was still an opportunity to see new pitchers go to work. Freshman right-hander Karl Kauffman made three appearances for Michigan prior to the game’s matchup, but had his best game yet against Toledo. He came in to relieve junior right-hander Jayce Vancena on the bump at the start of the sixth inning. Kauffman opened action against the Rockets with three straight strikeouts to retire the side. Immediately, he earned a new career high in strikeouts per game — a record he would add to in the next inning. He has appeared in 3.1 innings this season and almost doubled that in one outing by pitching 2.0 more Tuesday. With the last two innings
approaching and Toledo unlikely to make a comeback, the Wolverines brought in redshirt sophomore left-hander Grant Reuss. Reuss had pitched in just 1.1 innings this season, but has managed to make his mark in what little playing time he has received. He had four strikeouts this season and added two more in the one inning that he pitched. “Grant Reuss looked very good in his inning,” Bakich said. “He’s a junior now and really struggled with command his first couple years, and he’s done a very nice job of commanding his fastball in all the outings that he’s had so far this season. “He’s a guy that is very much improved and looks very good out there on the mound.” While it remains to be seen when these reserves will see the field again, experiences like the one they got against Toledo could prove to be vital as the season progresses.
AARON BAKER/Daily
Junior catcher Brock Keener notched valuable playing time against Toledo on Tuesday afternoon and gave the Wolverines their 10th run of the game.
Sports
8A — Wednesday, March 29, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wolverines one game shy of WNIT final Walton selected for MEN’S BASKETBALL
ETHAN WOLFE Daily Sports Writer
If it’s true that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it, then it’s time that the Michigan women’s basketball team sharpens its memory. On Wednesday night, the Wolverines (11-5 Big Ten, 26-9 overall) will host Villanova Villanova at (11-7 Big East, 20-14) at Michigan Crisler Center Matchup: in what is Michigan 11-5 Big Ten, Michigan’s 26-9 overall; third straight Villanova trip to the 11-7 Big East, Women’s 20-14 overall National When: Invitation Wednesday Tournament 7 P.M. ET semifinals — Where: Crisler a game the Center Wolverines have lost TV/Radio: the last two BTN Plus seasons. With an NCAA Tournament snub still on their minds, Michigan is just two games away from claiming their first WNIT Championship and proving the Selection Committee wrong. The Wolverines have already put up a legitimate case with four convincing WNIT wins. “Our team is probably playing some of the best basketball it (has) played all season long,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico after Saturday’s quarterfinals win over Virginia Tech. “I think our chemistry has been outstanding, and I think people have picked up the slack and picked up the minutes.” The Wildcats, though, are coming off of an impressive 69-57 victory over Indiana, where they hit 10 first-half 3-pointers. While their 3-point shooting was impressive, it has been sporadic at times this season — Villanova ranks in the bottom third of scoring
offenses in Division I. The Wildcats’ offense is generated by how they value each possession, as they boast the fewest turnovers per game in the country (9.5). “(Villanova is) really a 3-point shooting team, they have five people that can shoot threes,” Barnes Arico said. “They run a lot f lare screens, motion offense, five out. … It’s very difficult to defend, and I can see why a lot of teams have had a tough matchup with them thus far. “They’re an interesting matchup for us. We’ve gotta try to play our style and still be able to get out in defensive transition, we’ve gotta try to offensive rebound a little bit
to give ourselves some more possessions and limit our turnovers.” Villanova’s backcourt of Alex Louin and Adrianna Hahn could pose problems for the Wolverines, who have been juggling their guard play in light of freshman guard Kysre Gondrezick’s absence for personal reasons. The duo comprises nearly half of the Wildcats’ scoring and is their greatest threat beyond the arc. The Wildcats are efficient on the defensive side of the ball however, surrendering just 61.6 points per game. But stodgy low-post defense has plagued them in the past — getting nearly doubled in points in
“They have five people that can shoot threes.”
the paint against Creighton and Mississippi State earlier this season, for example — and will be especially vulnerable against Michigan’s potent offense. The Wolverines typically best teams with their 3-point shooting — which ranks fifth in the nation — but to beat the Wildcats they will have to generate offense down low, something Michigan is not unfamiliar with. Sophomore center Hallie Thome has a three-inch height advantage over Villanova’s tallest player, and has been turning up in the WNIT, boasting 20.5 points per game in her last four contests. The Wolverines have had a program record-breaking season with 26 victories thus far, and a win over the Wildcats would put them just one step closer to doing something that they have never done before: hang a banner in the Crisler Center rafters.
3-point competition The senior guard will travel to
Arizona, represent ‘M’ for final time KEVIN SANTO
Managing Sports Editor
It may not be for the reason that he hoped, but Derrick Walton Jr. is going to Phoenix, Ariz. after all. The field for the 29th State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships was announced Tuesday afternoon, and Michigan’s senior point guard found his name among the eight-player group that will be competing in the event’s 3-point contest. The event will take place at 10 p.m. on Thursday, March 30 at Grand Canyon University Arena, and will be aired on ESPN. It will also feature the dunk contest and the women’s 3-point contest. Walton will be competing against UCLA’s Bryce Alford, Arizona State’s Torian Graham, Villanova’s Kris Jenkins, Iowa’s Peter Jok, Duke’s Matt Jones, Iowa State’s Nazareth MitrouLong and Grand Canyon’s DeWayne Russell. This season, Walton
notched a team-high 98 made 3-pointers — good for the third-best single season mark in Michigan’s program history. He also notched a 42.2 field goal percentage from beyond the arc, second only behind Duncan Robinson (42.4) among players who attempted more than 100 shots from 3-point range. Walton’s long-range shooting was a significant improvement from his junior season, during which he made just 63 treys and shot 38.7 percent from beyond the arc. Thursday will mark the final time that Walton has an opportunity to represent the Wolverines. He finishes his career as the only Michigan player to record at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists in a career, having played 127 total games. Walton also finished with 499 assists — good for fourth in program history — and claimed the single-game assist record with his 16-assist performance against Nebraska on March 5.
BY THE NUMBERS
Derrick Walton Jr.’s Michigan career
98
Made 3-pointers during the 201617 season.
3,152 499%
Career assists, good for fourth in University students received program history CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily
Michigan Promise scholarships in 2007-08, the most recent data
42.2
Percent shooting from beyond the arc in his senior year.
16
Assists against Nebraska, good for a single-game program record.
Sophomore center Hallie Thome is averaging 20.5 points per game through her last four contests in the WNIT.
‘M’ stays Michigan’s offense explodes in rout of Toledo WOMEN’S TENNIS
unbeaten
CHRISTIAN NEUBACHER Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan women’s tennis team beat Indiana and Purdue this weekend to stay undefeated through three Big Ten games this season. Throughout the weekend, the Wolverines (3-0 Big Ten, 11-3 overall) put together a series of solid performances in the singles which propelled the team to victory in both games. Sophomores Brienne Minor and Kate Fahey, along with junior Mira Ruder-Hook, led the way for Michigan in both the singles and doubles play. In the Wolverines’ 4-0 victory over Indiana (1-3 Big Ten, 10-8 overall) on Saturday, both Minor and Ruder-Hook defeated their opponents in straight sets in the singles matches. Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein was pleased with her team’s performance outdoors, an early look at what an eventual postseason appearance would feel like. Despite a relatively easy victory against Indiana, Michigan faced a much more formidable challenge Sunday after Purdue (0-3 Big Ten, 5-9 overall) took an early 2-0 lead after a pair of victories in the doubles. But the singles play would save the day for the Wolverines. Minor, Fahey, Ruder-Hook and freshman Chiara Lommer handled their opponents in two sets, and junior Alex Najarian defeated hers in three. “(Ruder-Hook) is the one coming through for us,” Bernstein said. “She’s been showing up every day.” Ruder-Hook was an AllAmerican in the doubles category last season, and has demonstrated her prowess once again. Despite Michigan’s strong record, Bernstein is looking for improvements from the Wolverines moving forward. “I think we can always get better,” Bernstein said. “All the kids have something to work on.”
JACOB SHAMES Daily Sports Writer
The No. 22 Michigan baseball team’s Big Ten opening series at Maryland last weekend didn’t exactly go 0 according TOLEDO MICHIGAN 12 to plan, as the Wolverines dropped two out of three games to the Terrapins. But Tuesday told a totally different story, as Michigan put on a picture-perfect display. In their return to Ray Fisher Stadium, just about everything went right for the Wolverines against Toledo, as Michigan (1-2 Big Ten, 18-6 overall) cruised past the overmatched Rockets (0-3 Mid-American Conference, 5-19) for a 12-0 victory. The Wolverines’ offense was the star, as Michigan put up its highest scoring total since defeating Loyola Marymount, 14-2, on March 1. Junior catcher Drew Lugbauer went 3-for-4 with three runs batted in and senior centerfielder Johnny Slater contributed with two hits and three RBI to lead a 15-hit, 10-walk onslaught. However, big moments on defense were what set the tone before the Wolverines got on the scoreboard. Slater slid to make a basket catch for the game’s first out, and in the second inning, sophomore left fielder Miles Lewis sprawled to the turf to catch a hard-hit liner. “It doesn’t just affect the hitters, it affects the pitchers too,” said junior first basemen Jake Bivens, who went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases. “When they’re working their butts off and throwing good pitches it’s good to make plays behind them, and that carries over to offense to string quality at-bats together.” That’s exactly what happened in the bottom half of the second inning, when Michigan had four singles, two walks and two stolen bases. Sophomore second baseman Ako Thomas put the
Wolverines on the scoreboard first by drawing a bases-loaded walk and later scored on senior shortstop Michael Brdar’s twoout, two-run single to center. Lugbauer kept the inning going for the Wolverines with an RBI single to right field, forcing a Toledo pitching change and putting Michigan ahead early, 4-0. After impressing in his first start of the season last week against Western Michigan, starting right-hander Jayce Vancena was sharp again. The junior was commanding and methodical, striking out six batters and throwing just 56 pitches in five innings, 42 of which went for strikes. Most notably, he didn’t surrender a single walk, and has yet to do so in 21 innings this season. “He lets his defense work, and he’s very efficient with his pitches,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “He gets to strike one and strike two very quickly. Position players like playing
defense behind him because he keeps them engaged because he forces contact. He’s not a guy that nibbles — he works fast and gets action behind him.” After two scoreless innings on both sides, Michigan struck in the fifth inning. Bivens, who had led off the second inning with a single, kickstarted the Wolverines again, ripping a line drive between center and right field for a leadoff double. After a walk and a hit batter, Thomas and Slater hit back-to-back singles with the bases loaded to drive in three runs. Michigan didn’t slow its roll with the middle of the order stepping up to the plate. Brdar got enough air under a f ly ball for Thomas to score on a sacrifice f ly, and Lugbauer
roped a liner down the right field line the following at-bat to extend the Wolverines’ lead to 9-0. The final margin would be reached the next inning, with two singles and a walk giving Michigan insurance that it never would be in danger of losing. With the game essentially out of reach, Michigan took the opportunity to get an extended look at many freshmen and scarcely-used reserves. Junior catcher Brock Keener earned his first hit as a Wolverine, driving in Bivens in the sixth inning, while redshirt freshmen infielders George Hewitt and Joe Pace and freshmen infielder Dominic Clementi and outfielder Jack Weisenburger also received at-bats.
“He gets to strike one and strike two very quickly.”
On the mound, freshman right-hander Karl Kauffman, the first hurler out of the bullpen, was in control, striking out four in two innings, while redshirt sophomore left-hander Grant Reuss and sophomore right-hander Jack Bredeson both contributed, tossing one scoreless inning each. “Anytime we can separate and have a margin, we want to get the guys that train just as hard and invest just as much time the reward of playing time,” Bakich said. “They certainly deserve it. When we have opportunities to get those guys some opportunities to play, we’re certainly going to do it.” All in all, Tuesday’s performance was an ideal way for Michigan to kick off its 18-game homestand, which will continue on Wednesday against Central Michigan, and later this week with its Big Ten home opener against Penn State.
AARON BAKER/Daily
Junior first baseman Jake Bivens notched three hits with two stolen bases and scored three runs against Toledo on Tuesday at Ray Fisher Stadium.
statement T H E M I CH I GA N DAI LY | M A RCH 2 9, 2017
BEHIND THE BLOCK ‘M’ the business of branding the University
2B
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 // The Statement
statement T H E M I CH I GA N DAI LY | M A RCH 2 9, 2017
Managaing Statement Editor: Lara Moehlman
Editor in Chief: Emma Kinery
Managing Editor: Rebecca Lerner
Deputy Editors: Yoshiko Iwai Brian Kuang
Design Staff: Michelle Phillips Emily Hardie Erin Tolar Nicole Doctoroff
Copy Editors: Danielle Jackson Taylor Grandinetti
Photo Editor: Alexis Rankin
In Excess: To Disappear into the Sun BY TESS GARCIA, DAILY ARTS EDITOR
F
raming a personal struggle around a song is tacky. I hate when writers do
that. But Lorde’s latest release, a stirring piano ballad called “Liability,” puts into words a form of uncertainty I could never articulate. The 20-yearold songstress has peeled back her angsty exterior to reveal an underlying paradox I know all too well: genuine confidence coupled with a perpetual feeling of loneliness. Her words spill unevenly over a subdued chord progression, revealing her confusion in feeling a mixture of pride and withdrawal. “So I guess I’ll go home / Into the arms of the girl that I love / The only love I haven’t screwed up,” she sings flatly. “She’s so hard to please / But she’s a forest fire.” Soon enough, listeners get the gist: Lorde’s only consistent source of affection comes from within herself. It doesn’t feel tacky anymore — “Liability” is the story of the unnamed instability that plagues the lonely extrovert. If we’ve ever met, you’re probably laughing right now. What do I, a boisterous, curlyhaired lump of charisma (that’s what you all call me, don’t hide it), know about loneliness? I’m generally surrounded by
various groups of wonderful people who share my interests, and when I’m not, I appear to be enjoying my solitude. I tweet about self-love, and I get plenty of likes on my Instagram posts. My outfit is wild, and I’m dancing like Carlton Banks sans-cardigan, so I must be enjoying the empty corner of the party, right? Though this train of logic makes enough sense, I’d ask you to consider this: How would you feel if a Solo cup full of chaser (orange pop, and nothing but orange pop) was the only companion you felt entirely comfortable around? “But what about me, Tess? I thought I was your friend.” There it is, in black and white: The worst thing you could ever say to a lonely extrovert. Of course we are friends. Of course I love you and appreciate all that our relationship has offered the both of us. I think you’re wonderful, and I know you think I’m wonderful. But feeling lonely has nothing to do with whether or not one is actually alone. This is an internal battle, one that is mine to overcome. If you want to help, ask me if there’s anything you can do — granted, there probably isn’t, but I’ll always appreciate your concern. If you don’t want to help, don’t say a
thing! All I ask is that you do not make my struggle about you. I have no shortage of surface-level friends, but what I do lack is a sense of emotional security in our relationships. Being strong-willed and independent is a beautiful thing. It’s what made me comfortable traveling to New York for my first internship at 16, what kept me calm when I was denied access into an event for which I was hired. Yet with my go-getter lifestyle comes a caveat few have addressed: The fear of being seen as a spectacle rather than a peer. Though I’m happy to humble-brag about my selfie with Gigi Hadid (not sorry) or tell someone why I wore my green-and-gold trench coat to class, I can’t help but feel othered by those who ask only about the shallow. It’s as though actually getting to know me is not worth their time, but they still want all the gossip from my time at New York Fashion Week. In an atmosphere as competitive as the University of Michigan’s, I am never sure whether people want me around for real reasons or if they only want to know what Kylie Jenner’s lips look like in
ILLUSTRATION BY ERIN TOLAR
real life (great, by the way). I’m not trying to complain about the support I receive from those around me, nor do I want to make light of the incredible luck I have had in securing work opportunities. What I do want is to make a distinction between praising the glamorous parts of someone and actually appreciating them. I’ve become so suspicious of the first that I rarely recognize the latter, even when it’s standing right in front of me. When I do find people who want me around for more than tabloid-y small talk, I doubt everything I do. I’m too loud, surely they’ll become sick of me soon enough. I talk about myself too much
some days, and ask too many questions on others. A piece of me is convinced that I’m bound to mess up anything that brings me fulfillment, and so I pull back, for I would hate to bother the people I care about. I often feel like those I interact with know something I don’t, an outsider in my own life. I soldier on in outspoken solitude because I love who I am. “They’re gonna watch me disappear into the sun,” Lorde’s voice quivers at the end of “Liability.” “You’re all gonna watch me disappear into the sun.” It’s tacky, yes, but if you need me, at least you know where I’ll be.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 // The Statement
3B
Girl Walks Into, and then Immediatley Out of: The Blind Pig BY JACKIE CHARNIGA, DAILY STAFF WRITER
I
t’s a Friday night and my best friend is in town, so you know what that means, my sympathetic critics: This girl walks into a bar. It was VulfPunk Night at the Blind Pig, and the menu featured cover songs of Vulfpeck and Daft Punk by four bands, two of which we actually sampled. My first trip to the Blind Pig may also be my last: This little piggy is on the market. The building was listed by Swisher Commercial just last month, and given that its neighbor Circus was sold to a New York firm earlier this year, the longstanding bars of Kerrytown are one by one losing ground. That’s a shame, because as a venue, the Blind Pig is a grungy ’90s time capsule, from the neon sign in the smudged windows that gives it that seedy tattoo-parlor feel. The lack of a coat check is disconcerting in the Michigan March weather, but that’s OK, the bars on the windows are purely decorative — We end up piling our coats by the window. “It’s Ann Arbor,” a friend says with a shrug. “Who’s gonna take ’em?” I order a $4 whiskey sour — the weakest of my life — before seeing the clever use of an iconic poster of Johnny Cash, flipping off any patron who tries to pay with a card. Shit. They hold my drink behind the bar as I trot downstairs to use the ATM and see a similar “Cash Only” tee on one of the overburdened bartenders. Ah, you got me this time, Johnny. Back upstairs, there’s a guy in a top hat gyrating in glow-in-the-dark pants. The dusty mirrors on both sides make the room seem bigger, but the sloped ceilings and black paint make the upstairs feel like a basement. Specifically, your grandmother’s, based on the disco ball and wooden fan on the ceiling. It’s hot in the crowd, so we hit the stairs for the visibly less-crowded basement bar, the 8 Ball Saloon. A particularly grotesque ’80s jazzercise tape plays from a television mounted behind the bar as we wait for our drinks, which are whipped out with lightning speed. It’s 25 cents cheaper down here, for no reason we can think of, and the added garnish of lemon feels like a prize. Speaking of garnish, Christmas lights are a nice touch to the man-cave decor. It seems less like a saloon and more like your buddy’s game room. I see
in the corner of my eye, past the rows of booths and dart boards, a vending machine, and a South Park arcade game. Walking downstairs, we find photographs along the walls that go back decades. I can’t help but think everyone in the pictures looks like they’re having more fun than I’m having now — or have ever had in my entire life for that matter. No one in the Polaroid history of the Blind Pig
here, another comparison to Circus two doors down. “It’s so people don’t vomit,” my roommate says, popping some into her mouth. “The popcorn sucks up the booze.” The club, known for hosting an early Nirvana gig, has also seen performances by R.E.M., Sonic Youth and Soundgarden. The funk-music lineup playing tonight, however, is why I think I’m about two decades too late to enjoy the Blind Pig. The musicians are clearly talented, but I feel trapped in my disdain as the current of those seriously feeling themselves surges around me. What’s playing is basically what you’d hear at any co-op party, but at least I don’t pay $8 for that privilege. I stand in Debbie Downer protest, sipping my drink as the audience rocks like a sea of Bobo dolls with big smiles plastered on their faces. The pseudo-funk blares as the stage lights cut through the crowd, burning my corneas, to justify the sunglasses worn by every member of the band trying desperately to live up to their name, Act Casual. All that was missing from this generic college-party scene was a beach ball, lazily kept aloft by the beanie-clad and bespeckled crowd. Though it’s eons away from my taste, the music certainly has people dancing. The tempo is fast and urgent, the crowd ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY HARDIE writhes beneath the seizure-inducing lights. Abruptly, it slows, and my friend looks tired, or bored. No one is checking their says it’s like coming down from a high. phones, because they’re tethered to cords back in “It’s like coming down from a high,” a voice their apartments or dorms. The slogan, “When echoes behind me. Two guys are reading over my was the last time you were Jägermeistered?” is the shoulder, clearly not absorbed by the performance centerpiece of one collection. It certainly has been in front of us. That’s what I get for taking notes on a while, I muse. my phone. Apparently Halloween goes over big at the Pig, Heralding the Floridian restaurant music is especially back when people actually dressed to the lead singer, who besides interjecting with an scare. In a particularly haunting collection from occasional catch phrase hasn’t done much with his 1989, there’s a photo of a girl positively drenched microphone. “Let’s get funky,” he sings, about as in blood that will certainly be featured in my funky as string cheese. nightmares. A metronome beat holds down the fort during the We don’t realize at the time, but the first band, third and final sound-check until we hear the bong the Paddlebots, will be our favorite, mostly because of a clock strike. Drumsticks count down the start the trombone player looks like my roommate’s of yet more funk-a-licious tunes, now accompanied boyfriend. I’m on my third sour, feeling nothing, by auto-tuned vocals, but we’ve had enough. We and am glad I didn’t try to order anything with turn to leave, using the cold night to sooth our more than two ingredients. There’s free popcorn aching heads. COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF BENTLEY HISTORICAL LIBRARY
4B
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 // The Statement
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 // The Statement
Behind the Block ‘M’ the buisness of branding the University
by Tim Cohn, For more than a century, the University of Michigan’s logo — the block ‘M’ — has been an Ann Arbor staple, emblazoned on everything from the Big House scoreboard to the graduation-party cakes of high-school seniors. Despite slight modifications over the years, the simple, maize-colored ‘M’ set on a blue field has symbolized the University’s historically dominant Athletic Department for more than 100 years. And in recent years, the famous ‘M’ has been branded to represent the entire institution. The block ‘M’ dates back to the late 1800s, but not until 1907 did it become a fixture at major athletic events. In 1907, students attending a football game at Ferry Field — the predecessor to Michigan Stadium — first raised maize and blue flags to form the nowiconic logo. Brian Williams, the lead bicentennial archivist at the Bentley Historical Library, added that the University’s athletic teams also unofficially adopted the block ‘M’ in the 1900s. “There were a number of versions of the ‘M’ used by early football and baseball teams,” Williams said. He explained that modern versions of the logo were used by the University’s football team in about 1900. Baseball teams, however, used variations of the ‘M’ — such as Old English or Gothic style — on uniforms, caps and warm-up coats into the 1910s. In the decades that followed, the block ‘M’ was fully embraced by the University, and the commercialization of the logo followed. A 1975 Sports Illustrated feature by Frank Deford about Don Canham, the University’s former athletic director, described this level of brand management as unprecedented in the world of college sports. “We’ve (the University Athletic Department) got to promote what we have,” Canham said in 1975. “We’ve got to ballyhoo the pageantry, the weekend on the campus, the kids, the cheerleaders, the bands. And the same thing with basketball. We’ve got to sell the spectacle.” The Sports Illustrated feature painstakingly details the extent to which Canham had commercialized the school’s brand, which was modest by the modern standards of NCAA merchandising, but extraordinary in 1975. “Canham’s brochures have been compared … to Florida land-development brochures,” Deford wrote. “The Michigan mailing goes to 1.2 million homes … (peddling) through mail orders all manner of Wolverine bric-a-brac: doormats, playing cards, books, ashtrays, lamps shaped like football helmets and pocketbooks shaped like footballs and basketballs.” During Canham’s 20-year tenure from 1968 to 1988, the University’s athletic brand grew in popularity. The football program underwent a renaissance led by head coach Glenn “Bo” Schembechler, who coached the team from 1969 to 1989 and would become the winningest football coach in University
Daily News Editor
history. The basketball team simultaneously enjoyed a sustained period of success under head coach Johnny Orr, who coached the team from 1968 to 1980, going all the way to the national championship game in 1976. But since the 1960s, the block ‘M’ has undergone rebranding to represent the University’s academic institutions in addition to its athletic powerhouse — supplanting its less famous cousin, the academic seal of the University, which is now reserved solely for official purposes involving the University’s elected Board of Regents. Consequently, this growth in brand awareness translated to big business for the University that brings in millions of dollars in licensing fees each year. The University realized the commercial potential of its brand before many other public universities, according to Steve Busch, the University’s brand manager. “The University of Michigan was one of the first universities to recognize the value of its mark from a fan-affinity perspective, and then trademark that and utilize it to generate revenue for its athletic programs,” Busch said. “And that is how that mark (the block ‘M’) is used. It goes to fund the Athletic Department and their campus as well as fund 930-plus student athletes that utilize the athletic campus.” But the issue of the University’s brand extends beyond business interests, encompassing the question of the University’s dual identity as a public university and multi-million-dollar business enterprise. ****** LSA junior Jack Googasian is the president of the Michigan Ultras, the soccer fan section equivalent of the University’s Maize Rage or Children of Yost. In 2016, his organization attempted to gain permission from the University to use the block ‘M’ as a part of its logo. However, because Michigan Ultras is a voluntary student organization — a student organization that receives no funding from the University — the request was denied. According to the University’s guidelines for logo usage by student groups, only sponsored student organizations — ones that are supervised by an executive officer, dean or University director — can gain access to the coveted block ‘M.’ But even sponsored student organizations must adhere to strict logo-usage rules that are considered by some to be archaic. For instance, they’re prohibited from using the block ‘M’ as part of their own logos. Instead, they can use it on promotional materials such as flyers and posters. To Googasian, these regulations are understandable, even if they are cumbersome. “While inconvenient, I totally recognize the University’s restraint from allowing every student organization to use these trademarks,” Googasian said. “We have every intention of following the guidelines
… so we do not cause any problems for the administration. Ultimately they are not trying to be critical or unsupportive of student groups but defensive of their own trademarks and who uses them.” In 2013, the University standardized the design of the block ‘M’ to ensure consistency in its display. A style-and-usage guide released by the University dictates strict provisions on the sizing, color, aspect ratios and fonts that are allowed when displaying the block ‘M.’ “From a design perspective, it’s clean, classic, and understated,” the website reads. “Yet the new signature mark is a quick communicator of our nearly 200-year heritage, communicating authority and tradition. In its simplicity, there’s authority. In its understatement, a refusal to bow to passing design fads. Which earns it one additional adjective: exceptional.” At the time, then-University President Mary Sue Coleman issued a statement articulating that the decision to embrace the block ‘M’ was made largely because of the logo’s instant recognizability. “As we embrace a new look for the University’s graphic identity — building on the globally recognized Block M — we are carrying Michigan forward,” Coleman wrote in 2013. “Adopting this common identity reinforces the academic excellence that is synonymous with the University of Michigan. It pays tribute to our collective heritage, allows us to speak in one voice, and helps us move into our third century as one of the world’s greatest universities.” From these messages, it is clear the University seeks to brand itself as a globally prestigious and
c. 1965
forward-thinking institution that is rooted in history, with the famous ‘M’ as a standard-bearer of that image. But in this massive branding effort, does the University also compromise its values as a public institution meant to serve the nearly 10 million citizens of Michigan? Busch — the official tasked with handling concerns related to the non-commercial use of the block ‘M’ logo — thinks not. According to him, the University has resisted adopting a corporate-style approach to the licensing of its brand, even after years of increasing brand recognition. “We think it is important to handle all requests to use the University’s logo on a case-by-case basis because we are not a corporation, we are a public institution of higher learning,” Busch said. “We have over 550,000 living alumni, and many of them are very proud to be affiliated with the University, and we want them to be able to demonstrate their affinity for symbols associated with the University.” Busch’s office receives hundreds of requests annually for the use of the block ‘M,’ primarily for small-scale commercial purposes. This includes people requesting permission to place the block ‘M’ on customizable celebratory graduation cakes to requests by local high schools to use similarly styled logos and uniform designs for athletic teams. Typically, Busch says, this poses no problem to the University so long as it meets two major criteria: Is the purpose for the logo’s use for sentimental reasons instead of commercial purposes, and does the use of the logo harm the University? If the intent of its use is to enrich oneself or a given
PHOTO COURTESY OF BENTLEY HISTORICAL LIBRARY
business, which is often the case, then the request must go through the licensing office where business arrangements must be made before the University will lend its image to a product. Additionally, when assessing if the use of the logo could potentially harm the University’s brand, Busch says his office looks for a particular set of red flags. “If a company or a person wants to use the University’s logo for business purposes, they would have to go through our licensing and trademarks department where they would be instructed to obtain a CLC (Collegiate Licensing Company) license — which is our partner that manages the licensing of our block ‘M.’ ” Busch said. “But then they would also have to get approval from the University where they would outline what that item is. And we stay away from things that we would call the ‘sin items’: We don’t do anything affiliated with items like alcohol, tobacco, drugs or pornography.” Beth Paul, the University’s director of strategic partnerships at the Trademarks and Licensing Program, which is housed within the Athletic Department, helps oversee and manage many of the contracts the CLC makes with prospective business partners seeking to use the University’s logo. According to her, there are a wide variety of companies, large and small, that are authorized to use the block ‘M.’ “Our licensing team manages the use of our marks and logos on merchandise, and has been navigating this environment for many, many years,” Paul said. “Michigan currently has approximately 400 companies who are licensed to produce items bearing the University name and/or trademarks.” The process to gain University permission to use the block ‘M’ logo — despite being processed mainly through the CLC — must meet certain requirements as a part of a business litmus test, Paul noted. “There are many criteria we use to evaluate whether a company would make a good licensing partner, including business history of (the) company; whether they have any experience in sports licensing; whether they have strong retailer relationships already established; whether we need additional companies in a particular product category or distribution channel; quality or product and application of logos; compliance history; and corporate social responsibility program are just some of the hard factors that we consider,” Paul said. ***** The use of the block ‘M’ logo for private business is something that has been a source of significant funds for the University in recent decades. The University’s royalties from licensed merchandise bearing the block ‘M’ amounted to $6 million between June 2011 and July 2012, according to an Associated Press report published by the Oakland Press News in January 2013. This, the article claims, is indicative of a growing culture of collegiate licensing — during each of those years the University handled just more than 80 licensing requests, granting access to more than 70 percent of applicants. “Collegiate licensing is a $4.6 billion enterprise and the University of Michigan generated the fifthhighest licensing earnings of any university in fiscal 2012, according to Collegiate Licensing Company rankings,” the article reads. “The University of Michigan’s licensing revenue climbed 22 percent in fiscal 2012, rising $1.1 million from the previous year’s revenue of $4.9 million.” While many of the license holders do not yield significant revenue for the institution, others can net
the University hundreds of millions. In April 2016, the University finalized a splashy apparel deal with Nike, and the financial details of this business agreement are staggering. Nike agreed to pay the University a guaranteed sum of at least $173.8 million in exchange for the contracts with the University Athletic Department, and the rights to merchandise apparel to the general public through at least 2027 with an option to extend the contract through 2031. This mega-deal put the University in elite company. According to ESPN, the University’s deal, which was believed to be the largest collegiate-apparel deal ever at the time it was signed, has only recently been surpassed by the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Texas and Ohio State Univeristy. Given the financial stakes, the University seeks to maintain tight control over its brand image. And, thus far, the University has done so scrupulously. The University’s logo — like almost those of every other university — annually maintains its trademark and federal registration, according to Busch. “The modern iteration of the block ‘M’ … is federally registered and trademarked by the Athletic Department on an annual basis,” Busch said. “And they ensure that the trademark is protected by working with the counsel’s office. The University will pursue people or companies that try to use the logo without our permission.” ****** The University’s protectiveness of its brand is not new. Nor is it uncommon among U.S. universities, especially those with such large athletic departments and alumni bases. So why does it matter? Simply put, because the block ‘M’ logo carries a significant meaning. And if we are to believe the opinions of Canham, Coleman and Busch, it is one that is emblematic of athletic dominance and academic prestige. When dealing with business interests that tally earnings in the millions, it seems reasonable the institution would like to keep tight control and protect its brand from third parties misusing and abusing its reputation. For students like Googasian and his soccer club, this means that the block ‘M’ is not available. According to Busch, it is not that the University wants to exclude organizations like the Michigan Ultras from using the block ‘M,’ but rather this prohibition on voluntary student organizations’ use of the logo is meant to serve as a precedent to insulate the University from being caught between a rock and a hard place. Because of decades of calculated processes to build its brand’s credibility, the block ‘M’ lends legitimacy to whatever object to which it is attached. If all student clubs, regardless of their University sponsorship status, had unfettered access to the block ‘M,’ then the University would have little to no control over what the public perceived as Universitysponsored. Not only would this pose problems for the University if the block ‘M’ were used in the logo of a political organization, but, if taken to its logical end, the University could potentially have difficulty controlling their logos usage by organizations that violate the “sin items.” “Volunteer organizations do not have access to the block ‘M’ as a measure to protect itself,” Busch said. “It’s one of those things where if someone set up a drinking club or a beer-pong club and they used the block ‘M’ and something dubious or unfortunate
5B
PHOTO COURTSEY OF BENTLEY HISTORICAL LIBRARY
happened where some student’s safety was endangered, we would want it to be clear that those activities were not sanctioned by the University.” ***** The block ‘M’ presents other questions about the nature of the institution. Given the symbol’s history as a mark of the University’s athletic tradition, is the University’s formal adoption of the logo for the entirety of the institution implicitly a sign that the University wants to promote its athletic brand before its academic one? Furthermore, considering the significant revenue generated by the Athletic Department because of the efforts of more than 930 student-athletes, are the University’s profits justly earned? The University administration has offered answers to both these questions through the years. Coleman, when announcing the block ‘M’s adoption, spoke only of the implications of unifying the academic institution under the logo. And critics of the NCAA prohibition on paying players under the guise of amateurism cannot reasonably blame the University for adhering to the rules of
ALEXIS RANKIN/DAILY
collegiate sports’ governing body. Such questions go to a larger debate about the identity of the University. As the institution enters its third century, and is in the throes of a year-long bicentennial celebration of its past and present, the University has been calling upon its extensive network of affiliates to consider the future. What will the University stand for going forward? What values and causes will the University champion? As for Busch, who is both a graduate and current employee of the University, the protection of the block ‘M’ and the image of the University ensures the longevity of the institution’s good reputation while also keeping the logo available to all who bleed blue. “I have a great degree of pride and esteem for the brand,” Busch said. “My approach to the identity of the University is first and foremost to ensure the preservation of the brand and I take a great degree of pride in that and our fair and reasonable approach. We are a brand that has a high affinity for more than just athletic achievements, and we want to celebrate that.”
6B
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 // The Statement
Personal Statement: The Politics of Art-Making by Amy Chavasse, Associate Professor of Dance Editor’s note: Amy Chavasse is a professor in dance in the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Her teaching interests include contemporary dance technique, improvisation, composition and social issues on dance. She is also the artistic director of ChavasseDance&Performance. estlessness and curiosity have always been incentives for my practice as a dance maker, performer, improviser and educator. It’s looking like it’s high time to let righteous indignation find its way back into my choreographic considerations. Finding methods to survive the next four years as an artist, humanist, environmentally aware citizen, a student of science, a supporter of Meals on Wheels and a believer in the benefits of diversity will resound in the ways I craft my next dances and move through the world. I’ve been donating to the Southern Poverty Law Center — a nonprofit organization for civil-rights legal advocacy — for years. I recently finished reading the biography of its founder, Morris Dees, and I’ve joined, like many others, the American Civil Liberties Union. I’ve increased my donations to Planned Parenthood to reinforce myself and construct a buffer against the mendacity and absurdity that is part of the noise of the day. Writing about the Brussels-based choreographer Meg Stuart, dancer David Hernandez comments: “Drawing the eye of the public to what is important is an investigation that relates to the way we are reading people’s bodies every day of our life. How someone enters the room or is holding herself — the animal part in us sizes up a situation intuitively, like a plug directly into the brain.” Cultivating “sizing-up” skills feels crucial now. My choreographic research survived Donald Rumsfeld — one of the first dances I performed here at the University of Michigan was a work inspired by Rumsfeld’s tortured rhetoric and reasoning. It was called “Not Mistaken” and involved a large vat of pudding and lots of histrionics. Although I dance to toss little nuggets of self-satisfaction to my ego, to feel a combustible blend of physical and intellectual exertion, I more intensely dance to imagine other realities, to slip into the skin of other people or creatures. My experiences broaden as I age, as does my willingness to expose the urgency of my intentions. Consequently, my encounters with imagined ways of being in the world expand and surprise, heightening the tension between illusion, desire and subterfuge. Age gives the gift of loosening attachments to inhibitions
R
and vanity. I wish I had known this sooner. My heroines and mentors are women who became more experimental and radical in their artmaking and as they grew older, rather than tacking toward the reliable dullness that comes with settling into the familiar, conservative and acceptable. I make dances to wrestle with raging questions, to deal with the discursive clutter and noise that fill my thoughts. When asked what her dancers are about, famed contemporary choreographer Pina Bausch answers: “How people behave in their desire … and what moves people, not how they move.” I also keep in mind this question: Does my art serve a purpose beyond fulfilling me or advancing my career? After the election of Donald Trump, I’ve been looking at how — or if — it’s possible to make political dances that matter or invite change. There is so much noise and disruption inside my head and a feeling of being under attack — it is a familiar feeling. During the eight years of the George W. Bush administration, I threw myself wholeheartedly into making dances with “statements,” with overt points of view, with embedded challenges to the status quo and to counter the damaging rhetoric and actions, the consequences from which we are still suffering from. “81 Questions” was the first politically driven dance I made. I latched on to the number of questions submitted to the House Judiciary Committee in the lead-up to former-President Bill Clinton’s impeachment hearings in 1989. It was an examination of hypocrisy and grandstanding. I recall the reviewer of my dance describing it as elliptical and containing several absurdly graphic situations. I don’t think it was very well constructed, but it was an itch I needed to scratch. I began my autodidactic education around how to make work that has integrity, shape, momentum and interest outside of the political motivation that launched it. The movement and the movers still had to be translucent with intent, sharp with alertness and full of presence. I’m still deep inside this education. It became interested in tracking hesitation, infallibility and failure, alongside smug selfrighteousness. Showing multiple angles, confusing the point of view became an interesting challenge to me. I guess what I’m saying is that I veered more toward parody. “I Sleep with Ann Coulter” takes a scathing look at hypocrisy and the flagrant act of public lying as a handsomely profitable career choice — themes that are front and center again. I made and premiered this solo in 2007, after
enduring one of Ann Coulter’s many cynical tirades. In this one she railed against the “fags” and “miscreants on the liberal left” who were polluting society. Constructing a movement narrative, a kind of cheeky personal declaration, I told the story of being Coulter’s secret lover, patiently waiting for her to return home to me each night. If the audience sees my work and asks, “What is going on and why?” I find this a valuable response. I think we should be asking this question more often, and with more urgency, about art and the events unfolding around us. Viewing a dance, or experiencing any work of art, is not a passive activity. Questions should arise constantly. Answers either align with the various questions or do not. The idea of liking something or not liking something shouldn’t privilege the sensation of expectancy, disorientation or repositioning that can occur when we encounter something new, or something old presented in a new way. “Hunger for the Longing (a biased history of seduction)” seeks ways of exposing the misinterpreted folk mythology surrounding Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” through movement, theater, video and music. As “God Bless America,” with its themes of overt patriotism saturated the public conscience, Guthrie created this iconic work to counter what he viewed as misleading representations of nationalism and common good. Examining and (de)reconstructing ideas about seduction and indoctrination, I used multiple versions of Guthrie’s anthem to the common man, honing in on the latter and less well known verses. “All I Ask of My Enemies” is a duet with video that examines the concept of enemies
— how we decide who our enemy is, how we treat those identified as the enemy, the opportunistic nature of naming one’s enemies, the use of force and coercion once the enemy is captured, and how human nature is subverted when one person claims power and superiority over another. It grew out of my research on the torture and abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad in 2004. I found and then scoured documents from the National Security Archives, in particular a policy paper titled “Prohibition on the Use of Force.” It contained the most beautiful language that described the most disturbing acts, which I adapted for the work. I augmented the contents of the archives with my own words and songs. A video, created by video artist Sue Rees, supports the absurdity of the exchange with excerpts from the Roadrunner — Wile E. Coyote cartoons, intercut with James Bond movie footage. In reminding myself that making art should feel driven by more than tactics of survival, I’m reclaiming my embrace of the unique ways that movement expresses desire and can expose or imagine an alternative reality. “Emi, Amy and Mimi, the Celebrated Love Partners, and their Bicycle Emi Nomo,” is a new trio collaboration that recently premiered in New York. It imagines a world in which three characters are bound together in a shared memory of something lost. The characters sing about orgasms and bicycles and imaginary adventures. While continuing to refine this new work, I’m looking ahead to tackling a thorny topic, to dealing with my righteous indignation.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AMY CHAVASSE
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 // The Statement
7B
Personal Statement: A Meditation on Polar Bears by Regan Detwiler, Contributor
E
very summer growing up, my entire extended family went to a tiny summer camp on a tiny lake in southwestern Michigan for one week. Normally, swaths of children from grade school to high school occupied the campgrounds, but we went for what’s called “Family Furlough,” the period when only families were allowed. Each summer I’d anticipate that second week in July when I could spend my days adventuring with cousins — catching toads on wooded paths, floating in canoes to catch map turtles in the marshes and diving off the floating dock at the deepest part of the lake. But there were always limits to my adventurous zeal. There were always those adventures that were ultimate, rising above the others in daringness required and prestige acquired after conquering them. For me, this ultimate adventure was jumping in the lake with the group of campers and counselors who went each morning before breakfast. Each night at dinner, one of the roving young staffers would remind us enthusiastically that “polar bears” — the lake jumpers — would meet on the beach at 6:30 a.m. This band of brazen souls amazed me. Not only would they wake up at 6:30 — they would wake up to jump in the freezing morning water. Sure, it was July, but the sun still made a difference for the Midwestern freshwater. What the polar bears did always seemed so unreachable. I couldn’t fathom how they willed themselves out of bed and mustered the hardiness to expose their bodies to the elements like that. I so badly wanted to be one of those brave ones, but none of my cousins ever went in the morning, and I was too shy to go alone. I imagined the freshening rush they must’ve felt, emerging from the water and wrapping up in a towel, warming in the quiet camaraderie of experiences shared in the early hours. Though my family still goes to camp every year, I’ve yet to become a polar bear — by the time I’d grown confident enough to go, I figured I was too old. I had resigned to the fact that polar bears would just never be my adventure the way toad-catching, turtle-catching and dock-diving had been. Even so, I still feel the pang of longing when the 6:30 a.m. wake-up call is announced at dinner. Not unreasonably, I kind of thought that would be it — that my chances to jump in a lake surrounded by woods with a group of people in the summer were pretty much over. Last summer, however, I found myself in a situation similar to camp in many ways, while partaking in the University of Michigan’s New England Literature Program, where students take college courses in the unconventional setting of the New Hampshire wilderness. The program was housed at a summer camp whose grounds were sprinkled with cabins centered around a big dining hall, not unlike the one we dined in during Family Furlough. The other
students and I were there for six weeks from early spring to early summer, which means it was still pretty cold. Despite this, the lake that bordered the grounds seemed to dare me to swim in it. This could be my second chance. At our first dinner all together in the spacious, high-ceilinged dining hall, one of the younger instructors, Everett, announced he’d be jumping in the lake at 7:30 every morning, and that anyone was welcome to meet him on the steps of the dining hall to come with. It wasn’t 6:30, but the significantly colder water made the idea of jumping in just as ultimate, just as untouchable. I turned to face my new friend, Liam, and he pre-empted my question by stating immediately that he’d be on those front steps bright and early. Since his bed was next to mine in our cabin, I told him he should wake me up when he went and to make me come with him. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. That night after dinner we did our reading by lamplight and went to bed plenty early so we’d have enough for the task that would be before us come morning. I woke up to Liam tapping me on the shoulder, standing over my bed wearing the clothes he had on the night before — it was so cold inside our unheated, fireplace-less cabin that it wasn’t even worth changing before going to sleep. I whispered a groggy “good morning” and looked above my head at the spring light leaking through the cracks in the shutters of the window, shining through the cabin door. With a quick stretch I peeled myself out of my sleeping bag, letting the 40-degree air welcome me to the waking hours. I told Liam I’d meet him there, grabbed my swimsuit and towel, then rushed to the bathroom to change, knowing if I didn’t exit the cabin soon, I’d fall back into bed. I tumbled half-awake out of the cabin into the day-lit woods, hearing the echoes of woodpeckers in the distance and the songs of milder birds nearby. After changing, I ambled over woodchip paths to the front steps of the dining hall, where Everett and Liam sat exchanging what few words they could in this cold morning hour. We went to the front steps of the dining hall to meet Everett, then the three of us went down to the dock. Standing on the wooden planks we stared out at the water as yet undisturbed by boats or swimming bodies, then looked at one another solemnly, accepting our inevitable fate. It was time. Flinging off our shoes and extra layers, our breath made steam clouds as we jogged in place to work up the adrenaline for the jump. “Ready?” Everett said. Liam and I nodded very seriously. “One. Two. Three.” A bloodcurdling scream emerged from my lungs and echoed through the morning air for a split second before I was totally submerged. All at once, the cold rush enveloped me, the lake welcoming me to its silent depths. As soon as my body
PHOTO COURTESY OF REGAN DETWILER caught its bearings, I pushed myself upward, and right when my head escaped the freezing quiet of underwater, Liam and Everett’s shouts of nonsense profanities echoed through the dry air. Soon I joined in as we all lunged toward the ladder to get back onto the dock. We did this every morning, and it wasn’t long before our friend Caroline joined and we became the four most consistent jumpers. We started this tradition with Everett and Liam singing the “Rocky” theme song while Caroline and I pretended to hum along, all four of us jogging in a circle, doing random arm motions to get pumped up before the plunge. There were mornings over those six weeks that I didn’t want to go — I was too tired, I didn’t want to be cold, or I had too much reading to do. I did skip some mornings, but never without regret. I wasn’t quite sure why I was doing this thing. I didn’t care about polar bears that much, but jumping in the lake each morning felt significant. My great friend who led me to this literature program in the woods also loved jumping in water at daybreak, something she told me before I left for this place. Although polar bears and my friend’s account had to have influenced my thinking, I don’t think these are the real reasons I kept jumping in. Thoreau, whose work we read as part of the program, jumped in water too. In “Walden,” he writes: “Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself. … I got up early and bathed in the pond; that was a
religious exercise, and one of the best things which I did. … Renew thyself completely each day; do it again, and again, and forever again.” Maybe that was it — I relished in the daily renewal. Now, at school, my heart aches for that invigoration. When I wake up, I roll out of bed, clothe myself and stride onto the sidewalk only to sit in a library or classroom for hours, bent — albeit happily — over a book or my keyboard, reading and writing away. I miss the severe, utter, intense sensation with which I began each morning in the lake, making myself breathless in desperation to get out of the cold, cold water. This summer I’ll be settled in the landlocked metropolis of Columbus, Ohio, unfortunately a car ride away from any large bodies of water. But before I settle into the rhythm of summer jobs, my family has a trip planned for my grandparents’ anniversary. We’ll be staying in a house on a lake in Maryland, and I think the water will be pretty cold. I’m looking forward to jumping in each morning, and it’s likely only my grandma will be awake with me. I know I’ll miss Liam and Everett and Caroline, but I wonder if these solo jumps might be a little more like Thoreau’s when he lived in solitude those couple of months in the woods. Either way, the simple touch of water and the struggle of emerging anew, back onto the land again, will be enough for me. Regan Detwiler is an LSA junior and a former editorial page editor of The Michigan Daily.
8B
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 // The Statement
V I SUA L S TAT E M E N T:
THE FLAMING LIPS PHOTOS BY ZOEY HOLMSTROM On March 14, I photographed The Flaming Lips at the Royal Oak Music Theatre. Their performance was an incredible experience of sound and color. Music filled the theatre for over two hours, opening with the energetic “Race for the Prize” and ending with the heartfelt “Do You Realize??” After two encores, the Flaming Lips played a beautiful concert I would highly recommend to anyone.