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Conference on learning Rackham hosts four-day event on learning and decision-making.

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Former HUD secretary talks diversity and equity

>> SEE PAGE 2

NEWS

Bilingualism

>> SEE PAGE 3

OPINION

Climate change

Summer Daily News Editor

>> SEE PAGE 4 COURTESY OF JENNIFER MEER

Julian Castro, former Housing and Urban Development secretary, speaks at the Michigan League on Wednesday.

discusses new album to promote upcoming show >> SEE PAGE7

SPORTS

Phelan wins title The junior became Michigan’s first national champion in the 1,500. >> SEE PAGE 12

NEWS .................................... 2 OPINION ...............................4 ARTS ......................................6 CLASSIFIEDS.........................8 MiC.........................................9 SPORTS................................ 10

Residents not pleased by current progress of AAPD audit

By ANDREW HIYAMA

“the University should reaffirm its commitment to sustainability programs...”

Artist Profile: Tigers Jaw

ANN ARBOR

Several attendees voice distrust over review’s methods at community forum

Researchers receive grant for interdisciplinary study of a bilingual community.

ARTS

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Obama appointee stresses importance of teaching in speech By JENNIFER MEER Summer Managing News Editor

On Wednesday afternoon, Julián Castro, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017, addressed a crowd of approximately 100 at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre in the Michigan League. The talk, titled “Leadership in a Changing Democratic Society,” was put on by the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good — an initiative housed at the University of Michigan’s School of Education and overseen by the Center of Higher and Postsecondary Education to encourage higher education in the public sphere and communicate knowledge of higher education issues; it is funded by foundations, such

as Kellogg and Ford, and also sponsored by the American Association for Hispanics in Higher Education. The event was also presented in partnership with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the School of Education and Rackham Graduate School. The National Forum, in collaboration with the National Center for Institutional Diversity, also oversees the New Leadership Academy — a program to empower leadership development in higher education; several fellows from the New Leadership Academy were in attendance at the event. Also in attendance were the leaders of several units of the University who work in advancing and implementing the University’s five-year plan for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which launched in October. In an interview, John C. Burkhardt, the director of the National Forum and special assistant to the provost for University engagement, explained that the Forum

strives to better the relationship between higher education and a changing democracy. “Our role is to help to enhance the role that higher education plays in a changing, increasingly diverse democratic society,” he said. “The New Leadership Academy is a partnership we have with the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education … (The organization) partners with us in developing a fellowship for individuals who aspire to leadership in higher education.” Prior to Castro’s keynote speech, Carol Fierke, Dean of Rackham Graduate School, welcomed the audience with some opening remarks, noting the progress of the DEI plan. “This effort is currently about eight months old but we’ve already made many gains because we are building on a long history and foundation of effort from our students, faculty and staff to increase access, promote awareness of our diverse backgrounds and understand the See CASTRO, Page 3

Dozens of residents showed up to the Bryant Community Center in southern Ann Arbor Tuesday night to listen to and participate in a forum on police-community relations. The event was hosted by representatives of Hillard Heintze LLC, the Chicagobased security firm currently conducting a review of the Ann Arbor Police Department. The first phase of the review — so far the only phase approved by City Council — consists of the firm gathering of data and listening to community and police perspectives through surveys and community forums. Then, the firm will present a report to City Council containing recommendations based on their findings. Debra Kirby, the Senior Vice President of Law Enforcement Consulting at Hillard Heintze, said at the forum she anticipates the report will be delivered to the City around the end of July, and that she had received assurances from City Administrator Howard Lazarus that the report will be made public “once it’s accepted by the city.” “I think that’s an important step here, because in some cities, these types of reports never see the light of day,” Kirby said. “And so Ann Arbor, the city itself, has put itself out there, willing to say, ‘Come in, look at us, tell See AAPD, Page 3

2 NEWS

Thursday, June 15, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Rackham conference showcases findings and innovations in decision-making The four-day event brought together researchers, students and professionals across disciplines By JENNIFER MEER Summer Managing News Editor

The third Multidisciplinary Conference on Reinforcement Learning and Decision Making took place at the Rackham Graduate School between Sunday and Thursday this week. Reinforcement learning refers to the relationship between the agent — like a person or robot, for example — and the environment — like a video game or puzzle the agent is trying to complete. The environment represents a certain state of being, while the agent acts upon that state and receives a reward, or response. The four-day event saw researchers, professionals and students from several disciplines, including psychology and computer science, come together to discuss

discoveries and innovations in decision-making. Among the event speakers were Ece Kamar, a researcher from Microsoft who specializes in artificial intelligence, Joelle Pineau, an assistant professor of computer science at McGill University and Kent Berridge, James Olds Distinguished University Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan. The days were broken into sessions of several brief presentations from speakers describing their work. On Tuesday afternoon, Max Kleiman-Weiner, a Ph.D. student in Computational Cognitive Science at MIT, presented “Learning to Cooperate and Compete.” Prefacing his address with a COURTESY OF JENNIFER MEER quote from psychologist Nicholas Humphrey, Kleiman-Weiner related MIT graduate student Max Kleiman-Weiner presents at the third annual social interactions to games — Multidiscipliary Conference on Reinforcement Learning and Decision Making at Rackham Graduate School. incorporating elements of game theory in his presentation. such as in a game of chance. that people can play intuitively, From a research standpoint, games “It’s these kinds of ad hoc like video games. The games can like tic-tac-toe and checkers have interactions that involve lots represent different social situations. effectively been solved and can be of complexity, where you’re “If we have these programs, we modeled by computers, he explained. cooperatively playing a game, but can sort of reconstruct the original There are other games where there might be aspects of competition social dilemma and think, ‘Well, computers can act like humans, but in that game that can explain a lot of I have this choice to cooperate or cannot necessarily solve the game, the richness of human cooperative compete, and that corresponds behavior in a lot of that real world to certain rewards,’ ” he said. “In contexts that we might want to have reality, it’s a lot more challenging machines working with us and at than that.” least understanding us, so things Different ways of implementing like how to negotiate, playground potential plans yield different games,” he said. “We want to study payoffs, Kleiman-Weiner cooperation.” explained. However, the team aims There are models for studying to build algorithms to play the cooperation, one of which is games. the prisoner’s dilemma, which Difficulties arise when the highlights a struggle between researchers want to be able to what is good for the well-being of plan at a high level of abstraction both players versus what is more — determining cooperation advantageous to a single player. or competition — but need to Mathematically, the dilemma points implement these goals through to tension between cooperation and low-level actions, like moves in competition but, experimentally, it a game. They need to be able to doesn’t capture several important determine if certain low-level factors, according to Kleiman- actions confirm the higher-level Weiner. goals. Furthermore, they also He explained his team of want to coordinate cooperation researchers designed a system to across different scenarios, so as overcome obstacles presented in to generalize and create coherent current models of cooperation. plans to tackle certain games. “What we’ve done… to study Overall, the researchers these questions both in a way where aim to make plans for using we can build more models and look generalizations and best-response at human behavior is to take an scenarios for competition and approach that’s been well studied coordination using reinforcement in multi-agent systems literature,” learning. he said. The team developed games Read more at MichiganDaily.com with naturalistic environments

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Thursday, June 15, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

AAPD From Page 1

CASTRO From Page 1

us what you see, and we’re going to let the community know what we’re hearing.’ “ Many residents at the forum, however, expressed their frustration and disappointment both with the lack of transparency in the AAPD as well as the current progress of the review and the methods it had incorporated. Local tensions around community-police relations intensified in November 2014 when Aura Rosser, a Black woman with bipolar disorder, was fatally shot by Ann Arbor police, and months later when the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office decided not to press charges against the officer on the grounds it was lawful selfdefense. Ann Arbor resident Shirley Beckley said the review so far had not sufficiently included the people it was intended to benefit — Black residents. COURTESY OF LORENZO GARCIA-AMAYA Researchers discuss findings from different disciplines as part of their project to better understand bicultural communities.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

4 OPINION

Thursday, June 15, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com NISA KHAN EDITOR IN CHIEF

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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.

ANGELA CHEN | COLUMN

Work hard, play harder

hen I was six years old, my eager parents signed me up for private violin lessons to my absolute dismay. Under their pressure, I would trudge through my early musical career for the next four years or so – tears and tantrums included – until one day in the fifth grade, it wasn’t my parents pushing me anymore. That day was instrumentsampling day for elementary band and orchestra, and my whole class had heard me play a piece from private lessons. They fell silent and turned their 10-year-old heads to me in awe, upon which I uncovered a pleasant surprise: I was actually good! I was the best in the room and the center of attention. That day, I tasted power and I bathed in pride. And I clung to it — though I could’ve spared myself by letting go. For the years to come, this pride became my devil disguised as innocent passion. I thrived in my modest middle school orchestra program, steadily inflating my ego as I embraced my reputation as a musical superior. Without knowing it, I fell in love with the idea of being good at something, the meaningless glory of sitting at the front of the orchestra, the dangerous reputation of being unbeatable and untouchable — the best. Thus, by the time I entered my high school orchestra program, one of the most awarded and competitive in the nation, I put

my self-worth up for grabs, along with the title I’d been taking for granted. To my surprise, there were students who had been taking lessons for even longer than I had. They had more expensive teachers and even more expensive instruments, and they had their eye on the same fame that I didn’t know I would have to fight for. But all of this only made me hungrier to remain at the top. After all those years of being the best, I wasn’t ready to be anyone else, and I didn’t know that I could. When I came up second, I lost my self-worth, but not my pride. I practiced harder and harder, all the while claiming that I did so out of passion. But I walked to orchestra with dread each day, secretly making enemies with my competitor and not-so-secretly, with myself. Deep down, I knew that I did not enjoy what I did, because when I did come up first – when I finally regained my reputation and worthiness – I stopped practicing. Needing no more than a title to feed my ego, I was happiest when completing the bare minimum: sitting in my precious first-row seat and creating a mere impression of fine musicianship. In this way, I hovered around the top of the ridiculous orchestral hierarchy for four years, wondering how someone could simultaneously be so egotistic and so, so insecure. When I graduated

high school, I was relieved to leave behind the competition anxiety that had steadily crept to each area of my life. But I could not graduate my pride. Following months of severe lack of practice, I was placed at the rear of the Campus Symphony Orchestra at Michigan. Ashamed of the “downgrade” and even more so of still caring, I quit and casted my violin aside. Since then, I’d touched my instrument less than a handful of times, often forgetting, even refusing, to play in fear of the unfulfilling memories we’ve shared. It seems strange to me that this hollow wooden specimen and the even hollower reputation it brought me had defined me for so long, when it took only a year for me to find stability otherwise. And perhaps that’s why it took me so long to realize how much I’ve missed being a violinist. So today, sitting alone in the lethargic heat of my summer apartment, I did something I almost swore I’d never do again — I played it. The act felt faraway and foreign, and there was no use in denying it: I was no longer the best, if I ever was. But I’d become so tired of demanding this of myself and so glad I’d been freed from it, that at last, I was no longer bothered. Instead, I was my new fingers – rough calluses gone, rejuvenated, raw. Yet, it shocked me just how

familiar each movement felt. While my skills had undoubtedly rusted, there remained a certain authority with which my fingers commanded the strings, and a striking ease with which they danced about them – albeit only a fraction of their former speed. Reciting old pieces by memory from the safety of my new bedroom, I felt unexpectedly at peace, and it dawned on me. For years, my long hours of practice had been so clouded by the critique and competition that I’d been blinded to the essence of it all. While my toil and title alike are long gone, there is greater glory in what is preserved – how much I’ve learned about music and how its every motion and emotion has forever shaped me

into a musician. This time, I was not practicing for an audition or a concert, not priming myself for scrutiny or judgment. This time, I was playing for none other than myself, because there would be no one there to listen. And with that, I felt awakened, like everything I’ve ever done for the wrong reason came crashing down on my door. Wondering how I’d been ready to leave behind so innate and permanent a part of me for an image so transient and trivial, I realized that for the first time, I was playing violin for fun. But it wouldn’t be the last.

— Angela Chen can be reached at angchen@umich.edu.

MICHAEL MORDARSKI| COLUMN

Accepting loss

here is a story I often tell people which I believe captures the absolutely cliché nature of my “allAmerican childhood” — and also demonstrates why I grew up a little more mature than other kids. It’s a story about my dead dog. Way back in time when my imagination flourished and my sense of society was confined to the people in my Catholic school, my parents decided that a puppy would make an excellent addition to the white picket fence, big backyard and two-screamingkids family they had created. And after a trip to the local humane society, they brought home what they called a puppy, but it was obvious that this “puppy” was something others did not want. With a grotesque underbite and over-muscled body — this pug, Pomeranian and Chihuahua mix sat unwanted in the pound for weeks before my parents adopted him on the spot. My overjoyed younger sister and I named him Cosmo, after a goofy character in the Nickelodeon show “The Fairly OddParents.” And Cosmo was odd — he proceeded to terrorize our neighborhood by jumping fences, eating bees, fighting German Shepherds, eating more bees, literally attacking mailmen and eating so many bees. Yet he also fulfilled all the other cliché obligations that only these brilliantly stupid and loyal animals can do. He ran alongside us down grassy trails in the summer and chased us in our sleds down Michigan hills in the winter. He

slept at the foot of our beds every night. And he barked and jumped in joy when we came back home, whether we were gone for three minutes or three days. And as a ten-year-old boy growing up in the suburban Midwest, my life was complete with my small, moronic companion who would run alongside my bike as I rode around my neighborhood. All I needed was a paper route and the theme music from “The Andy Griffith Show.” There exists a dynamic between a kid and a dog that I can only hope everyone has the opportunity to experience. The fierce, undying loyalty of a canine mixed with the innocent and loving qualities of childhood creates something that is impossible to replicate. I spent every day with that dog and loved nearly every second. So, when he died suddenly after only two years, my fragile, pathetic 11-year-old psyche was permanently damaged. It was cold and windy day in early February — my parents picked my sister and I up from school and drove us home to the shallow grave my father dug in our backyard. Cradling our pet for the last time, my dad placed him inside as the wind whipped the unearthed dirt and snow around us.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com —Michael Mordarski can be reached at mmordars@umich.edu.

Thursday, June 15, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

REGAN DETWILER| COLUMN

The first settlers, part two

n my last column, I mentioned learning about the Adena people, who lived on the land now called Ohio from more than 2,000 years ago to the first century A.D., when the Adena were overcome by and blended into other tribes. Though some of their physical traces have been marked and preserved, much evidence of the Adena people has disappeared over the centuries. This is true throughout central Ohio, including my hometown of Bexley. The Adena’s physical legacy is manifest mostly in the form of burial mounds filled with tools and remains of individuals from their small farming communities. There are mounds all over central Ohio, but some are easier to identify than others because they vary in size and are seldom marked. Some Adena mounds are only a couple feet high and may look like a slight swell in the ground, while others are more than 20 feet high, perfect semicircles sitting atop what was once flat earth. Obviously, these burial mounds were significant to Adena communities, but for myriad reasons (including federal regulations) most of the mounds in central Ohio have no historical markers identifying them as significant sites. Even worse, many have been destroyed in the process of farming and land development. This means burial mounds, containing artifacts and human remains, have been ploughed, built over or otherwise demolished in the process of construction. The McAlla Mound, named for the farmer who found it while ploughing, is located on a strip of land in the city of Columbus that abuts Bexley. The site of ancient Adena settlements and the McAlla Mound correspond generally to Wolfe Park, a city park which is bordered by Alum Creek on one side and a collection of mansions on the other. Different maps show the mound in different places, and the area is hilly. With no marker and inconsistent maps, it’s difficult to tell what could have once been a mound and what is just the natural topography. The Adena were there once, but even a thorough look around wouldn’t tell you that. Though there are some efforts to educate school-aged kids and the public about local indigenous people’s histories, in general, it

is difficult to find thorough and up-to-date information. Most of the contents of the mound are on display at the Bexley Historical Society (I say “most” because what’s left out is the human skull allegedly found there, which is prohibited from being displayed). The Ohio History Connection also has an exhibit about the history of Native Americans in Ohio more generally. And a teacher from the Columbus School for Girls, a private school in Bexley, successfully helped her students lobby the Ohio legislature to make the Adena pipe the state artifact, which is commendable for increasing the Adena tribe’s visibility. Still, it seems odd to me that I know so little about the Adena people and that I’ve had to work so hard to find the information I now have. I’ve come to what little I’ve learned through hours spent in the Columbus Metropolitan Library, the Bexley Public Library and the Bexley Historical Society, and through contacting people at various organizations who might be able to tell me something more. I wonder what in people’s minds would change if there was some kind of historical marker in the general area where the McAlla Mound was found. Unfortunately, in the place where the mound is or was, I see only colonial revival style houses and a park named after one of the first prominent landowning families in the area. The story of the Adena people’s relationship with the Bexley area’s first white settlers is different from the usual narrative of violence between living bodies of indigenous people and colonists of European descent because Adena communities ceased to exist by the time colonists arrived to the United States. Therefore, they didn’t have to choose to trade, fight or make what peace they could with European settlers or their descendants. But the erasure of the Adenas’ presence on this land is demonstrative of wealthy white America’s attitude toward indigenous history more broadly and represents a violence more difficult to trace.

OPINION 5

ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY| COLUMN

“

Clean up the game

Did you see the fight between Hunter Strickland and uh, what’s his name?” my dad asked me a few weeks ago. I hadn’t, so when I hung up the phone, I did a Google search and the results were instantaneous. During the game, the San Francisco Giants’ pitcher, Hunter Strickland, hit Bryce Harper, a batter for the Washington Nationals, with the ball. A fight ensued and both teams cleared their benches to join in the fight. It had become an all-out brawl of sorts, guys on each side throwing punches and pulling players off each other. The first article I clicked on started off giving a play-by-play of the fight, and a few paragraphs in, the author wrote, “the most entertaining part for me was…” Then the author went on to crack a joke about how Harper’s helmet throw at Strickland was so bad it was “funny.” I stopped reading. This was a fight, where people threw punches. People piled on top of each other, and without the extra protection provided by padding and helmets for football players. Both Strickland and Harper were suspended for multiple games. This fight was no joke, and it certainly didn’t feel like something we could call “entertaining.” Don’t get me wrong. I have loved baseball since I was a little kid. Some of the most memorable parts of my childhood were sitting on my dad’s lap in his tiny home office watching the game on his fuzzy first-generation TV and eating hotdogs and popcorn at the park until I was sick. But as a lifelong fan, it’s incredibly upsetting to me that we aren’t treating violence as violence. It shouldn’t be chalked up to people simply getting heated, or people who are passionate about their sport. I read a few more articles, hoping for something of substance. And while some took on a better tone, there were still far too many articles that were much of the same. Another guy weighed in the on the helmet throw. We should all “appreciate” the horrible helmet throw, he wrote. Another article was entitled, “The 5 Best Photos from the Bryce HarperHunter Strickland Brawl.” Then in one of the videos of the fight that I clicked on, I could hear one of my favorite hometown announcers during the fight saying, “this is a good one folks.” In fact, just a few days ago, an Read more at MichiganDaily.com article in The Washington Post described how the MLB was planning to auction off Strickland’s — Regan Detwiler can be reached jersey from that game, advertising it at regandet@umich.edu. as the jersey he wore when he “was ejected from the game after fighting

with Bryce Harper.” People on the internet also went wild with memes of the fight. And imbedded within these articles and memes was something I found equally, if not more upsetting. People were quick to pounce on the Giants’ catcher, Buster Posey, who stayed out of the fight, and MLB fans were also unnecessarily critical. Instead of questioning why he didn’t get involved, instead of roasting him for not “helping his man,” as one fan wrote, we should be questioning why everyone else didn’t stay out of it. We should be applauding him for not getting involved, not shaming him for not putting himself at risk and adding fuel to the fight. And maybe, we should be taking a page from Posey’s book. We need to discourage, not encourage, this type of violence. Yes, I know that for these players, this is their career, and like many passionate people, they can get heated and sometimes violent, especially if they think something big is on the line. But that isn’t something we should be comfortable with. And where else in a professional setting is violence such as this egged on? How often do you see a lawyer charging at the opposing counsel and throwing punches at them during a trial treated as entertainment? Sports and baseball shouldn’t be any different. Instead of indulging fighting and violence in sports, as journalists, citizens, leagues, associations and fans, we should be working on sanctions and programs to minimize it. Journalists, calling the fight “entertaining,” the internet making memes of the fight, the MLB for advertising a jersey for auction as one that they brawled in, are part of the larger problem and encourage a sports culture where violence is not only acceptable, but a part of what makes the sport fun. Furthermore, this culture of normalized violence in sports has already made a big impact and will continue to do so unless something changes. In response to the fight, Harper said “sometimes you just gotta go and get them and can’t hesitate,” even if you might be suspended. And Strickland, in an interview, said he also didn’t regret the fight. Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs called the fight “awesome.” But they should have regretted what they did; fights aren’t “awesome.” After all, would this GiantsNationals brawl be considered “funny” if someone was seriously injured and it ended his season? Because as far as the game goes,

everyone should realize they have a stake in making sure athletes are healthy: teams that want to win, the players who want to stay in the game, fans who want to see their favorite players play, owners who don’t want to pay a player to sit on the bench, the list goes on. And even though sports such as football involve tackling and other somewhat dangerous play, there are still guidelines put in place to minimize the violence. In football, there are penalties for punching and other unsportsmanlike conduct; the NBA has fouls for excessive or violent contact that could result in injury. In the MLB, if you’re a batter hit by a ball at the plate, in almost every case, you get to advance to first base. What’s more, professional sports are constantly working to make game play safer. In 2012, MLB adopted new concussion protocols. In 2014, new rules were made up for home plate collisions. In 2009, the NFL acknowledged the longterm effects of concussions for the first time and since then began implementing stricter concussionprevention measures. Some of these rules have come after injuries such as Posey’s home plate collision in 2011, or when journalists and player advocates have put a spotlight on the dangers of concussions in all sports, and especially football. So, if we are constantly trying to make the game itself safer, shouldn’t we also want the same for the moments in between the plays? The seconds before two players with a long rivalry seem like they’re about to charge at each other? And masking violence as entertainment and player passion will have consequences that will carry on for generations. Young kids who are watching and taking their cues from their parents, friends, favorite players and idolized journalists will grow up thinking this is acceptable behavior in sports — and likely in other aspects of their lives. In fact, in a 2015 Gallup poll, 59 percent of Americans said they were sports fans. Sports seep into everyday life and has the power to influence so many people, even outside of those who follow or participate in sports. And thanks to the internet, it’s easy for anyone to stumble across videos and memes of these fights. So, it’s up to everyone, players, coaches, fans and journalists to change the way we talk about violence and fighting in sports. Otherwise, we all pay the price. —Anna Polumbo-Levy can be reached at annapl@umich.edu.

6 ARTS

Thursday, June 15, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

TV REVIEW

‘Orange’ strains Tigers Jaw talks new album and Detroit show MUSIC INTEREVIEW

By LAURA DZUBAY Daily Arts Writer

By DOM POLSINELLI

written by Collins on her own, with drums and other compositional components added by the multi-instruIt’s all too easy for modern pop- mentalist Walsh. Collins’s original punk/emo bands to throw a couple songs are a staple of spin that helps chords together with some relatable the record stand out from past efforts lyrics to garner millennial atten- from the band. tion. We see it happen all the time. “I think [spin] definitely differHowever, after nearly a decade of entiates because I’ve never been a songwriting, Scranton’s Tigers Jaw primary song writer... I don’t think has never shown the scars of this I’ve ever been as vocally present on age-old mediocrity and continuously a record. I think Charmer was probproves their dedication to their art. ably the first record where we were On newest record spin, the band has considering adding harmonies and rounded out their catalogue, includ- where my voice fit into it,” Collins ing fast-paced, classically distorted said. “Dynamically, it’s not too differcuts like “Make It Up,” and newer ent from how Tigers Jaw was before sounding tracks like as far as like — you “Brass Ring.” As a know — you have whole, the album plays two different songoff like nostalgia with writers putting Tigers Claw some fresh twists, the songs together in 8PM perfect mix of new creone record. It feels ativity with comforting like Tigers Jaw to Satuday, June 17 familiarity. This comme.” ing Saturday, Tigers Collins also gave El Club Jaw are bringing their insight into her $16-18 talents to El Club in songwriting: Detroit in support of “It definitely spin, and the Daily had was a crazy process the opportunity to for me, especially speak with keyboardbecause I’m not like ist/vocalist Brianna Collins (oppo- a strong guitar player, but I felt more site Ben Walsh on guitar and vocals) comfortable writing songs on guitar about the new record and headlining other than piano. Rhythmically it tour. made more sense for me… It was a “I guess what was most important lot of time and effort, but I’m really to get across is that — I know for Ben proud of the songs. They’re like my and I — we knew what we wanted first three children, I guess,” Collins the record to sound like. I know Ben said followed by some laughter. specifically always has a clear vision Having Collins take the reins on with tone and… we wanted it to be a three tracks truly pays off on the cohesive record, but also give each record. Second single “June” shines song the individual attention that we brightly as one of the band’s most felt it deserved,” Collins said of the well-written melodies to date. The goals for the new record. band consciously chose “June” for These goals are ultimately what release ahead of the album to showbrought Tigers Jaw to greater case her talents and involvement on heights on the new record. The the record. With their updated selecalbum uses Tigers Jaw’s unique tion of music, Tigers Jaw shows an brand of dreamy emo-pop, making awareness of their fan base by plangorgeous use of Collins’s work on her ning a mix of all of their material to keyboard. The album is just varied perform on this tour, sure to please enough to make individual tracks fans both old and new. — most notably “Bullet” and “June” “Because I know when I go to — stand out on their own, while feel- see a band — even if I’m so exciting cohesive in a complete listen. The ed for their new record — it’s not dichotomy between Walsh and Col- the only thing I want to hear. So, lins’s voices has always added a dis- I think we’ll definitely keep that tinctive dynamic to their music, and in mind when we’re making our it’s exploited even further on spin. setlist. Some old favorites, maybe The record even features the first some songs from previous records Tigers Jaw songs that are entirely that we haven’t played too often Summer Senior Arts Editor

or haven’t played in a while to keep it fresh,” Collins assured. After a year of scattered shows and a Riot Fest appearance, the band is excited to get back to what they love most: touring. With support from Saintseneca and Smidley (whose beautifully varied debut self-titled album happens to be one of the best releases of 2017 so far), the shows are certain to be nothing less than spectacular. The intimate settings of club shows are often what are most exciting for bands, especially when they’re gaining popularity as quickly as Tigers Jaw. Community is important to the band, and they’re looking forward to chatting with old fans and meeting new ones at the shows. “Obviously we enjoy touring. We love playing smaller shows that are more intimate. Like, after a show meeting people, seeing people that we’ve met over the however many — a decade, we’ve been doing this,” Collins said. “I’m definitely excited to do a tour — to just get in a van, different city every night, hanging out with our group of friends that we tour with. I just love the routine of it at this point. I love knowing kind of what you’re getting into.” Collins continued to stress the importance of the music community in comparison to festival appearances: “It’s a different vibe because people are obviously coming to the show to see your band or one of the supporting bands that you were a part of choosing for the lineup that you love too. So I feel that it’s like a community atmosphere, where you’re all there for a similar purpose.” With their energetic live performances and gorgeous new material, there’s never been a better time to catch Tigers Jaw in performance. Coming to one of the best venues available to southeast Michiganders, Saturday night’s show will be an intimate, rewarding musical experience. Most importantly, it’ll be music coming from artists who love their craft. “What’s most important to us with the band is that it’s something that we love doing.”

Anyone who watched through the fourth season finale of “Orange is the New Black” knows that it ended on its most intense cliffhanger yet. The finale, which left off on the question of whether or not Daya Diaz (Dascha Polanco, “The Perfect Match”) would shoot a sadistic prison guard (Michael Torpey, “Veep”) and kick off a burgeoning riot, not only kept the audience in very real suspense; it also closed off an excellent season that asked sincere and authentic questions about morality, society and the extent to which life, death and human decency are valued within a system of incarceration. It would stand to reason that the fifth season could either continue meeting the standards of greatness the show has already set for itself or, understandably, fail to live up to them. It sort of ends up doing both. The fifth season narrows its focus more than any other season before it and tells the story of a three-day-long prison riot, a creative and ambitious move that seems to offer as many opportunities as it takes away. The restricted timeline definitely makes this a unique season, as the audience gets to see what all of their favorite characters would do if they were suddenly the ones at Litchfield with the power, but it also makes the show a little less focused and more jumbled. Orange is “Orange is the New Black” has a the Black sprawling cast of Netflix characters, which Season 5 Review works better when all of their arcs aren’t packed into the same condensed, chaotic timeline. At times this can feel aimless, when unrelated scenes featuring so many different characters are forced into one episode. Another problem is that since the season encompasses such a short amount of time, each character’s arc is the same throughout; the problems people are dealing with in the first couple of episodes are largely the same ones they’re facing closer to the finale. This approach makes sense for a three-day-long timeline, but it also makes it hard to truly develop the characters and change them by the end of the season. That being said, this is a show with some truly terrific characters, and many of them have a chance to shine this season. Red (Kate Mulgrew, “Star Trek: Voyager”) spends the sea-

son trying to get revenge on Piscatella (Brad William Henke, “Fury”), which both adds necessary tension to the season and pushes her into amusing new territory when she inadvertently takes speed with partner-in-revenge Blanca Flores (Laura Gómez). Linda (Beth Dover, “Life Partners”), Management & Correction Corporation’s oblivious and uncaring Director of Purchasing, poses as an inmate in order to stay out of trouble during the riot, which finally opens her eyes to the unlivable conditions she has helped to create for the inmates. Flaca (Jackie Cruz) and Maritza (Diane Guerrero, “Jane the Virgin”) use their newfound internet access to start a makeup tutorial channel on YouTube, which ends up providing some of the comedic moments that work best in this increasingly dark and twisted season. However, the season’s true standout is Taystee (Danielle Brooks, “The Angry Birds Movie”), whose wellargued negotiations with MCC and passionate determination to make sure the late Poussey (Samira Wiley, “Nerve”) is properly honored are what really anchor this season and get at the heart of what it is trying to say. While other inmates are using their newfound power to get revenge on last season’s abusive guards or passing the time with talent shows and makeshift coffee shops, Taystee — with the help of a brilliant performance from Brooks — is working hard to keep the real conversation centered around the gross mismanagement of the prison. This helps both to keep the focus of the show on what is important and to make sure that the show treats Poussey’s death with the respect and attention it really deserves. Season Five does face some struggles in its attempt to stretch a three-day-long riot into 13 episodes, particularly when it comes to keeping its storylines tight and organized. However, part of the reason why this comes across as less strong is because “Orange is the New Black” is in most ways a very strong show. The fifth season may not entirely live up to the expectations left behind by the fourth, but it still benefits from many powerful performances and creative bits of storytelling. Perhaps most importantly of all, it continues its well-executed criticism of the innumerable problems that exist within America’s prison system, and its insistence that the audience consider the concrete ways in which those problems might begin to be solved.

Thursday, June 15, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

MOVIE REVIEW

MUSIC REVIEW

‘Cousin Rachel’ is unsatisfactory By SYDNEY COHEN

lies in Claf lin’s overwhelming transparency; there is absolutely no subtlety to his character, The trailer for “My Cousin and he thinks and acts in ways Rachel” presents a twisted psy- that are simultaneously stupid, chological thriller crossed with a self-destructive and inevitable. steamy period romance, complete Claf lin’s character exemplifies with promising performances by the ability of men to be easRachel Weisz (“Denial”) and Sam ily manipulated by the slightest Claflin (“Me Before You”). For hint of sexuality. Philip goes so a lover of period romance films, far as to relinquish control of “My Cousin Rachel” seems at first his entire estate to Rachel after to be unique and intriguing in its a few kisses and lingering glancsuspense and mystery. However, es. The lack of character depth, the film in its entirety effective- partly due to Claf lin’s mediocre ly demonstrates the misleading acting as well as a massive f law power of a well-edited trailer. in the story, ultimately disrupts The film begins with the back- the intrigue of the narrative story of protagonist Philip (Claf- and causes the film to become lin), who was taken at an early age superficial and annoying in its by his cousin-turned-father-figure predictability. Ambrose (also Claflin) and raised Furthermore, the film would on a large estate. Close to have been far more Philip’s 25th birthcaptivating if told day, Ambrose travfrom Rachel’s els to Italy where he perspective. “My Cousin Rachel” falls in love with and Through Philip’s Michigan Theater marries their mutueyes, Rachel is al cousin Rachel merely a prize Fox Searchlight (Weisz). Alarmingly, to be won by his Pictures Philip soon begins to mother’s pearls. receive cryptic letBut regardless, ters from Ambrose the film hints at detailing the ways the female expein which Rachel is tormenting rience in the late millennia, in him; Philip goes to Italy immedi- which women had no autonomy, ately but learns that Ambrose has no power of ownership and were died. This all happens within the completely dependent on men first 10 minutes of the film, set- for money and security. The ting the precedent that Rachel only weapon in Rachel’s arsenal is malicious and manipulative. is her sexuality, and she wields Philip develops an acute hatred it calculatingly. The film also for Rachel, and when she trav- touches on the centuries-old els back to the estate to mourn trope of women with an intiAmbrose, the two fatefully mate knowledge of herbs and meet. their powers. Rachel makes The following plot involves Philip her “special brew,” Philip becoming increas- which is clearly poison, furingly infatuated with the gor- ther emphasizing the ability geous Rachel and her feminine of women to find power in the charms. The opening of the film tools available to them while works as a subtle but constant still acting within the confines reminder to the viewer that of their gender. With Rachel’s Rachel is perhaps not as inno- perspective, an exploration of cent as she appears. However, the sociopolitical landscape of while it is compelling at first to the time as a deeper explanatry to look for clues that indi- tion for her actions would have cate Rachel’s ulterior motive in provided depth and complexity her relationship with Philip, the to the narrative. But with Philfilm becomes frustratingly pre- ip as the protagonist, the film dictable and Rachel’s manipula- remains a one-dimensional and tion becomes glaringly obvious. patriarchal spotlight on one The root of this predictability man’s overwhelming stupidity. Daily Arts Writer

GLASSNOTE RECORDS

Phoenix members share orange juice in a peaceful setting

‘Ti Amo’ lacks usual charm By WILL STEWART

it also set the bar unrealistically high for Phoenix’s next releases. Bankrupt!, their follow up to WolfPhoenix was nearly a decade gang, was by no means a failure, even ahead of the curve when they were though it drifted away from their releasing synthy, ’80s-inspired hits understated style of past albums. In like “If I Ever Feel Better” and “Too my opinion, it did the whole ‘synthYoung” off their first album Unit- pop revival’ shtick better than most ed in 2000. Now, almost 20 years of their pop contemporaries like The later, their style has been replicated 1975 and Sky Ferreira. But having the countless times by other musi- misfortune of following a contempocians of varying popularity. They rary classic, it failed to live up to its were undoubtedly innovators in the high expectations. Four years later, revival of synth-pop, but pioneer- Ti Amo only drifts further away from ing a genre’s commercial comeback their unique brand of indie pop. — though ’80s synthPhoenix’s sound has pop never really died always been clean and Ti Amo — comes with its refined, staying organic Phoenix downsides. The sound and never overly processed. that initially made They introduced heavier Glassnote them so fresh and reverb on Bankrupt!, relying Records inspired others to take more on complex processa more synth-oriented ing and studio effects. But approach is now stale. on Ti Amo, these artificial With Ti Amo, Phoenix dives deeper elements play an ever bigger role and into a strictly pop, synth-laden sound dominate the sound — all subtlety is that’s no longer as captivating as it lost. “Tuttifrutti,” one of the album’s was with past albums like United and catchiest tracks, begins with a flashy, It’s Never Been Like That. fast-paced synth intro followed by In 2009, their decade-long sonic Thomas Mars’s falsetto, all drenched progression accumulated into a in reverb and studio manipulation. masterpiece: Wolfgang Amadeus The heavy processing works here; Phoenix, an album filled with indie the song is naturally catchy enough pop perfection. After releasing such that its inorganic sound doesn’t a gem, they found themselves in a detract. But after 36 minutes, the tough situation: Over the previous dense layers of effects are bloated three albums, they fine tuned their and suffocating. And by Ti Amo’s sound and grew into a band capable closer, “Telefono,” a strong song on of creating such a stellar album, one its own, I found myself craving the that would seem impossible to fol- simpler sound I grew to love on prelow. Like any artist following a mas- vious albums. terpiece, they would have to change “Fior di Latte,” which has the maktheir sound without abandoning ing of a summer chart-topper, shows what made them so influential in the Phoenix can still pack a ton of emofirst place. And, with other contem- tion into a song. The heavy synths poraries imitating their style, sound- and soft vocals evoke passion, but ing original would be impossible. Mars’s weak lyrics feel cringeworthy Wolfgang did wonders for indie pop; at times. He moans, “Oooooh, we’re Summer Managing Arts Editor

ARTS 7

meant to get it on” throughout the chorus, and it doesn’t feel as sexy as he likely intended it to be — probably the first time any French singer has been considered “not sexy.” Ti Amo’s lyrics flirt with themes of heartbreak and lust, though only at the surface, never really saying anything poetic. Mars sings on the titular track, “Love you! Ti amo! Je t’aime! Te quiero! / Open up your legs.” I’m not sure what he was going for here, but it’s kind of disgusting. He ends up sounding like a multilingual creep instead of an international lover. Almost every song — with a few exceptions, like the disappointing “Ti Amo” and the quiet “Via Veneto” — could have been a standalone single. Individually, the songs are catchy and vibrant, perfect for sweaty summer nights. And this makes Ti Amo so conflicting; even though most of the songs are damn good, listening to Ti Amo as a whole is more laborious than pleasurable. When “Telefono” fades out underwhelmingly, I don’t feel the need to go back to the start — hearing the opener “J-Boy”’s drum kit intro would just irritate me, even though this song is pop gold. Unlike It’s Never Been Like That and Wolfgang, Ti Amo isn’t a breath of fresh air; ultimately, it sounds like other contemporary pop music. It’s ironic to consider this a put-down, since they were immensely influential in shaping indie pop throughout this decade. Phoenix by all means shouldn’t be weighed down by their past successes. And unlike The Strokes, whose first album’s perfection would doom the rest of their discography, Phoenix has grown and changed throughout their career. But I’ll always be longing for another masterpiece, and I don’t think that’s an unfair standard to hold them to.

8 NEWS

Thursday, June 15, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Anti-Zika pesticide linked to slowed brain growth America in 2015, efforts to study the formidable infectious agent and find ways to prevent its spread have intensified. Researchers at the University of Michigan conducted a study to investigate the link between

By CHETALI JAIN Daily Staff Reporter

Since the alarming incidences of the Zika virus in North and South

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exposure to pesticides like naled and chlorpyrifos — which are used to kill mosquitoes that could potentially be carrying the virus — and child neurodevelopment. The virus, which is transmitted to

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RELEASE DATE– Thursday, June 15, 2017

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

FOR RENT

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Port initials 4 Fallon’s predecessor 8 Negative quality 13 Late July arrival 14 No longer hung up on 15 Composed 16 Going rate? 18 Younger daughter of Hi and Lois, in comics 19 Admission of defeat 20 Petal pusher? 22 Baseball’s Wills and TV’s Povich 24 __ zone: shallowest oceanic region that sunlight doesn’t reach 27 Co. once led by Baryshnikov 28 Sap sucker 31 Green prefix 32 Suffix with Bieber 34 Like aged cheddar 36 With some unscrambling, the contents of each set of circles 40 Invoice word 41 Blow one’s fuse 42 Once-sacred snake 43 Straight sides of a pizza slice, e.g. 45 Relaxation destination 48 Low-down prank? 51 __ torpedo: “Star Trek” weapon 54 Symbol of complementary principles 57 Watching intently 58 Bakery-café chain 60 Man of steel? 62 “Wild” author Strayed 63 Actor Baldwin 64 Tillis of country 65 “Sonatine Bureaucratique” composer 66 Soothing succulent 67 Pitches during breaks

DOWN 1 Word’s last syllable 2 Aquanaut’s base 3 Block during rebounding, in basketball 4 Up in the air 5 Actress Longoria 6 Soft toy brand 7 Russian city where Turgenev was born 8 Positive quality 9 “Fighting” Indiana team 10 When some fans have to wait till 11 Solitary prefix 12 “Told you!” 15 Fine fiddle 17 Med. nation 21 Sapporo sash 23 Reasonable 25 Zoning unit 26 Cut 29 Shot 30 Word repeated twice in a Roger Ebert title about bad movies 32 Injured pro’s test, perhaps 33 Toward the stern 34 “What’s doin’?” 35 Haberdasher’s item

36 Latin American capital 37 Like some lategame hockey goals 38 Hindu title 39 Wisecrack 40 Fan sound 43 __ blue 44 Words with clip or crossroads 45 Mark of shame 46 Paid (up)

47 Cloud dwellers? 49 Guy in the kitchen 50 Deli order 52 For this reason 53 “Listen up,” to Luis 55 Indiana-based sports org. 56 Chutzpah 58 Best Buy buys 59 “That’s it!” 61 Flying Cloud, for one

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06/15/17

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humans via a mosquito vector Aedes aegypti, has been linked to serious neonatal malformations as well as Guillain-Barré syndrome — an autoimmune disease which leads to nerve damage and weakness in adults. John Meeker, an Environmental Health Sciences professor in the School of Public Health, oversaw the project that built on earlier studies done by Betsy Lozoff, Center for Human Growth and Development professor, and her research team. “There has been a lack of human research on naled, whereas chlorpyrifos has been more wellstudied but not for these effects specifically,” Meeker said. The statistically significant results of the University study showed there were issues with motor skill development in infants that were prenatally exposed to the aforementioned insecticide chemicals. According to Monica Silver, a research fellow at the School of Public Health, naled exposure is associated with fine motor function deficits, notably visual-motor coordination, while those exposed to chlorpyrifos exhibited deficits in both gross and fine motor functions. Silver acknowledged the delicate balance between stopping the spread of the virus and avoiding the adverse effects of such preventive measures. “Zika is a very serious public health threat, but this study highlights that the way we go about combating Zika and other vector-borne diseases needs to be carefully thought out in order to minimize unintended consequences,” Silver said. “One of the aims of my research was to

examine the effects of prenatal organophosphate insecticide exposure on infant motor function.” Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates the use of both insecticide chemicals. Chlorpyrifos is the most common way to control agricultural pests. However, the United States no longer licenses the chemical due to its propensity for causing neurotoxic damage. The study was innovative in its incorporation of the potential ecological effect to Lozoff’s study of iron deficiency and neurodevelopment. “This is an example where we leveraged NIH funding by building an environmental exposure study on top of a nutrition study,” Lozoff said. Future directions shared among the researchers include a shift toward studies that examine different ways to control the spread of Zika while simultaneously taking into account the unintentional costs of doing so. “Holistic approaches addressing the full spectrum of the issue to reduce Zika-carrying mosquito populations, mosquito-human interactions, and mosquito bites should be considered in order to minimize both the spread of the virus and the amount of potentially harmful chemicals used,” Meeker said. Investigators hope that their research exposing the detrimental effects of the chemicals on neonatal health will encourage future studies to focus on the impact of such pesticide usage on the environment and human health.

The University of Michigan School of Public Health

FILE PHOTO/DAILY

Thursday, June 15, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Straight from the Unicorn’s Mouth: Centering Central America By PATRICK MULLEN-COYOY Michigan in Color Contributor

To my fellow Central American unicorns, As you know, it’s not easy being a Central American in the United States — it’s not easy being Latinx, period. But we all know that being Central American is a little different. Let’s recap: For most people in the United States, Central America stopped existing somewhere around the mid-90s. Why should we care? It’s not like a CIA-backed coup led to the successful overthrow of Guatemala’s Ten Years of Spring, of course. And why would we even bother looking at El Salvador or Nicaragua, where years of U.S. intervention lead to civil war and even more death? Besides, it’s not like refugees kept coming to the United States after the peace accords were signed! (They did.) With our bloodstained foot out the door of our past, why should any of this matter, anyway? Now, you might anticipate we would have paid more attention to Central America again in 2014. You would have been hard-pressed to avoid discussing it, what with more than 50,000 unaccompanied minors fleeing conditions of violence and poverty in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Three years ago isn’t that long, right? You would be wrong. After the all too necessary segments on CNN that summer with a panic about the “crisis on the border,” there was … nothing. No one talked — talks — about these children anymore. Obama said things were fine, so they must be, despite the fact that fiscal year 2016 demonstrated apprehensions of minors nearing those of 2014. “A brief spike” is how these lives were described. Knowing this, you might say to yourself that even if the general public doesn’t focus too much attention on Central Americans, they must be centered within Latina/o and Latin American Studies departments and courses. We’re focused on all Latines, including Central Americans. Or so the assumption would go.

Unfortunately, this is far from the norm. In most any Latina/o Studies or Latin American history course (barring California State University Northridge’s specialized program), Central American history, literature, politics, culture and people are generally located somewhere in between the Cuban revolution and NAFTA. One class, mid-way through the syllabus. Perfunctory discussion of how civil war came to pass in Guatemala and El Salvador. Massacres. Refugees. Peace accords. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll even read Rigoberta Menchú’s memoir. Then on to Argentina. A bleak view, to be sure. Nevertheless, this history of erasure, ignorance and invisibilization is far from the end for our communities. If others do not care about Central America in the ways that we need, then we must do the work. Not for them, but for us — as we did before the civil wars and as we continue to do today. We need place our own testimonials, our own stories, our own narratives of heartbreak and heroism at the center ourselves of the Americas. We must develop a voice for ourselves, not apart from the wider Latinx community, but in harmony with that louder, pan-ethnic melody. If few outsiders are willing to amplify our lives, dramas, fears, traumas and dreams, then we need to do that for one another. We have to cultivate new solidarities and open ourselves up to messy diasporic identities. “Central American,” “Central American-American” and “U.S. Central American” are far from all-encompassing terms. That said, by allowing for people to voice their own lives and experiences as they will — and in whichever of the countless languages of Central America they prefer — then perhaps we can avoid the totalizing narratives of Central America that have existed for so long. In large part, this work is already being done. Folks like Dr. Leisy Abrego and “Dichos de un bicho” use the #CentAmStudies tag on social media to develop an archive of useful news, articles and discussions about Central Americans. Central America Contemporary on Tumblr and Central American Art on Twitter document often-overlooked artists and artwork. Tia Chucha Press’s recent anthology The Wandering Song: Central American Writing in the United States brings together poetry and writing from across the isthmus (including the oft-shunt-

ed Belize and Panama) for the first time in years. And, of course, academic collections like U.S. Central Americans Reconstructing Memories, Struggles, and Communities of Resistance allow for new voices to re-center conversations around what Central American identity means in the context of the States. These are far from the only people doing this work, but in many ways, they form one of the many epicenters of this new movement shaking up where Central Americans exist in the U.S. consciousness. For Central Americans — and for those who aren’t — out there looking to learn more, these resources are all great places to start. In her poem “What It’s Like to Be a Central American Unicorn for Those Who Aren’t,” Maya Chinchilla says that Central Americans are “mythical creatures” — unicorns, even — who exist outside most people’s realm of possibility. Nevertheless, as we continue through a year that already threatens to make coming to or staying in the U.S. more difficult for those in the isthmus and in our communities, it is essential that we stop pushing these countries and people to the sidelines. Whether reading this is the first time you’ve ever centered Central America — and especially if it is — do not let it be your last. We may be the stuff of fairytales, but we’re out here on Twitter too, already starting these conversations, and looking for others to find and support our communities. All you need to do is look. ¿Entendés, vos? Abrazos, Patrick Mullen-Coyoy

Happy Father’s Day By JASON ROWLAND Michigan in Color Managing Editor

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for” -John A. Shedd Dad, Oddly enough, my most pivotal memories of us are simple conversations that meant nothing at the time, but mean everything today. The conversations that, unbeknownst to you (and definitely to me), triggered a shift in mindset or attitude. The conversations that have stuck around in my memory after all of these years. The conversations that ended with a variation of “you’ll understand one day.” One such conversation happened in your car, around what feels like an eternity ago to me — but probably feels like last month to you — as I listened to you describe a show called “The Twilight Zone” that you watched as a kid. As you went on recounting the scenes in one particular episode, my interest rose. Aliens? Meteors? Armageddon? I was hooked. Finally, my curiosity burst free: “Is it based on a true story?” I asked. Your answer has stuck with me since. Instead of simply saying no and moved on, you launched into a lesson about the importance of critical thinking. It quickly made sense that if we were discussing a show about the end of the world, it couldn’t be based on a true story — a shift in mindset that arose from a simple conversation. Another time, I remember asking, “Dad, if I’m homeless when I grow up, will you let me live with you?” Much to my surprise, you

NEWS 9

answered no — quickly followed by “but you don’t have to worry about that.” I’m not sure why I remember that exchange, but I do. However, what’s crystal clear to me now is the motivation behind your answer. Instead of teaching me that failure was an option — that I don’t need to try — you instilled in me the lesson of self-reliance. While today I know I could crash on your couch whenever I need to, that’s not what I needed to hear at the time. I didn’t recognize that then, but you did. While your answer may not have been what I wanted to hear, it’s what you knew was necessary. Much like your incessant warnings, and despite my corresponding doubt, that the “one day” when I would understand your lessons would arrive sooner rather than later, every morning I awake to discover that today is the “one day” I heard so much about. Luckily, you’ve equipped me with the tools necessary to thrive. All of this is to say that I am who I am today largely because of the small conversations we had many years ago. Perhaps it’s impossible for any one memory to sum up all of our talks. However, my memories of the following come close: you reminding me that you’re not here to “be my friend,” but you’re here to be my father. At the time, I couldn’t see why you can’t be both — but now I do. A friend won’t always be genuinely happy for us when we succeed; a father will. A friend won’t always correct us when we’re wrong; a father will. And a friend won’t always love us after we mess up; a father will. And you’ve proven this to be true time and time again. Love you and happy Father’s Day, Jason.

10 SPORTS

Thursday, June 15, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Report: Bakich to Michigan well-represented in draft remain at Michigan Eleven players selected in MLB Draft marks a program record BASEBALL

JACOB SHAMES

Summer Managing Sports Editor

The Michigan baseball team had 11 players selected in the 2017 MLB Draft, which ran this week from Monday to Wednesday. The 11 selections mark the highest the Wolverines have seen in program history. The selections also bring the total number of Michigan draftees up to 23 during Erik Bakich’s fiveyear tenure as head coach. Junior left-hander Oliver Jaskie was the first Wolverine off the board, as the Seattle Mariners took him in the sixth round with the 183rd overall pick. The unquestioned ace of Michigan’s staff this season, Jaskie finished the year with an 8-3 record and 3.77 earned-run average in 16 starts, while holding opponents to a .234 batting average. His 119 strikeouts this year tied a Wolverine program record as well. An All-Big Ten first-team selection, Jaskie is ranked as the 147th-best prospect by MLB.com and the fifth-best college lefthander. His biggest strengths, according to MLB. com, are his changeup and command of his fastball. Junior third baseman Drew Lugbauer was the next Michigan player to be selected, by the Atlanta Braves in the 11th round. Lugbauer, an all-conference first-teamer, hit .290 with a team-leading 11 home runs and 58 runs batted-in. His power to all fields as well as his versatility — he has also played catcher and first base as a Wolverine — makes him an enticing prospect. Lugbauer was drafted for the second time Wednesday — he was selected in the 21st round by the Toronto Blue Jays out of high school, but did not sign. In the 16th round, the Cincinnati Reds picked junior right-hander Ryan Nutof. A hard thrower with a fastball clocked at around 95 miles per hour, Nutof was a key contributer to Michigan’s pitching staff all season long, going 6-2 with a 4.52 ERA and 71 strikeouts. He worked a variety of roles for the Wolverines this season, making 12 starts and four appearances

out of the bullpen. Senior catcher Harrison Wenson returned to school despite being chosen in the 39th round last year by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and improved upon that position this year when the Los Angeles Angels took him in the 24th round. Despite slumping at the plate for much of the year — his average of .191 was a near-100 point drop from his junior season — Wenson slugged nine home runs and was rock-solid behind the plate, as he allowed just nine passed balls and threw out 47 percent of runners attempting to steal. In the 25th round, the Mariners drafted junior righthander Bryan Pall. Pall pitched just 2.2 innings this season before he was shut down due to injury, but recorded a 2.89 ERA and 64 strikeouts his first two seasons working out of the bullpen, and was a Freshman All-American in 2015. Junior first baseman Jake Bivens was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 27th round. Bivens, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2015, hit .319 and .356 his first two seasons as a Wolverine. Despite his average falling to .273 this season, Bivens had an on-base percentage of .436 and a team-leading 24 stolen bases. Bivens played all across the infield his first two seasons, but featured exclusively at first base this year due to offseason Tommy John surgery that limited his throwing range. Senior centerfielder Johnny Slater joined Jaskie and Pall as the third Mariners selection in the 28th round. Slater, a top prospect who was drafted by the Atlanta Braves out of high school, broke out in his final collegiate season as a true “fivetool” player who can run, throw, field, hit for average and hit for power. A career .207 hitter before this year, Slater hit .299 with five home runs, 47 RBIs, 24 extra-base hits and 15 stolen bases while committing just one error in centerfield on his way to All-Big Ten Third Team honors. The 28th round saw two Michigan players drafted, the second of which was junior lefthander Michael Hendrickson

by the Cleveland Indians. After throwing just 35.1 innings his first two seasons, Hendrickson broke out as a junior and asserted himself in the Wolverines’ weekend rotation, going 6-3 with a 4.06 ERA that ranked second among Michigan starters. He also held opponents to a mere .236 batting average. The Tigers picked redshirt sophomore left-hander Grant Reuss in the 29th round. Reuss pitched sparingly last season, but impressed in that limited time — he allowed just one hit and struck out 11 in 6.2 innings. Senior right-hander Mac Lozer was drafted in the 33rd round by the New York Mets. An All-Big Ten Third Team selection, Lozer was dominant as the Wolverines’ set-up man this season, recording a 1.00 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 27.0 inning and a miniscule opponents’ batting average of .138. The final Michigan player selected was senior shortstop Michael Brdar, in the 36th round by the St. Louis Cardinals. Brdar, the Wolverines’ most consistent hitter last season, recorded a .310 batting average and 19 stolen bases. In the field, he made just three errors, and displayed a powerful throwing arm and terrific range in making several web-gem caliber defensive stops. Five high-schoolers who have committed to play baseball at Michigan next year were also drafted this week. Stockton, Calif., right-hander Cody Bolton was a sixth-round pick of the Pirates, and The Record in Stockton reports that he has signed a professional contract and will forego his college commitment. Jason Pineda, a first baseman from New York, was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 17th round. Catcher Joe Donovan, from Westmont, Ill., was the 33rd-round selection of the Chicago Cubs, while Portage Central right-hander Jeff Criswell was drafted in the 35th round by the Tigers. Left-hander Angelo Smith, from Illinois, marked the final selection for Michigan commits, as he was chosen by the Chicago White Sox in the 40th and final round.

AARON BAKER/Daily

Erik Bakich will reportedly turn down offers from Stanford and South Carolina to remain the head coach of the Michigan baseball team.

JACOB SHAMES

Summer Managing Sports Editor

Just five years after becoming the head coach of the Michigan baseball team, Erik Bakich has completely changed the program’s trajectory, taking the Wolverines from a 22-win team in 2012 to their winningest season since 2008 last year. With Bakich’s original fiveyear contract expiring this season, the quick turnaround he has engineered at one of the nation’s most storied programs has tied him to high-profile job openings around the country, including the vacancies at South Carolina and Stanford. However, it appears that Bakich is staying put. D1Baseball.com’s Kendall Rogers first reported Wednesday evening via Twitter that Bakich had turned down the Cardinal’s offer, and was committed to remaining the head coach at Michigan. In a later tweet, Rogers reported that Bakich was not a candidate for the Gamecocks’ vacancy either. Bakich appeared to confirm this report himself with a

statement posted to his Twitter account approximately an hour later. “Quick note to say thank you to Michigan, (athletic director) Warde Manuel, (senior associate athletic director) Bitsy Ritt, our coaches, staff, and players for allowing me to continue to wear the block ‘M’,” Bakich wrote. “It is an honor and privilege to serve as the head baseball coach. We have so much to be proud of in our 151 year tradition rich program and the future continues to be extremely bright. Those who stay will be champions. Thank you and Go Blue!” The Detroit News had reported earlier this week that Manuel had offered Bakich a five-year contract extension to continue as the Wolverines’ coach. Bakich coached at Maryland for three seasons, recording a record of 70-98, before taking the job at Michigan. In his five seasons in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines have gone 176-119, including a 70-49 record in conference play, and have qualified for the NCAA Tournament twice, including an automatic bid for winning the Big Ten Conference tournament in 2015.

Thursday, June 15, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

SPORTS 11

Peppers, Minor named Wolverines compete at national meet Athletes of the Year

TRACK AND FIELD

JACOB SHAMES

Summer Managing Sports Editor

The Michigan track and field teams sent eight athletes in total — five men and three women — to compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last week in Eugene, Ore. from Wednesday to Saturday. While the Wolverines weren’t as well-represented as they were last year, when six men and five women qualified for the national meet, they made their presences count with three All-American honors and an individual national championship. The women’s team finished 21st overall with 10 points, and the men placed 41st with a score of six. The highlight of the competition for Michigan was the performance of junior Jaimie Phelan, who won the 1,500-meter run to become the Wolverines’ first national champion in that event. Phelan began the race in last place out of 12 runners, and spent most of the race there. But she flew into the lead with 200 meters to go, and with a blistering final lap of 61.62 seconds, she held off Arkansas’s Nikki Hiltz by two-hundredths of a second — 4:13.78 seconds to 4:13.80 — to win the second-closest final in NCAA history. The Ontario native won AllAmerican honors for a second straight year after she finished eighth in 2016, and caps off the year having won the Big Ten and NCAA championships in the 1,500 meters. “(It hasn’t sunk in) yet, honestly,” Phelan said. “It won’t hit for a while, for sure. I think there’s still a lot to accomplish — after this season, the next big thing is to get ready for (cross-

country). It’s been an unbelievable year.” Michigan was also represented in the 3,000-meter steeplechase by junior Claire Borchers. After a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a victory in the NCAA Preliminary Round two weeks ago, Borchers recorded a time of 10:07.35 in the semifinals Thursday — good enough for an honorable mention All-American nod, but not enough to qualify her for the final. Senior Gina Sereno, who swept the 5,000 and 10,000 meter races at the conference championships last month, put her undefeated record for the season on the line Saturday night in the 5,000 meters. Sereno asserted herself in the lead pack for the first half of the race, but with just under a mile to go, she fell off that pace and slipped to 15th, with a time of 16:03.55. The men’s team has been able to count on its throwing contingent for consistent results this season, and the NCAA Championships were no different. Wednesday, sophomore Joe Ellis — the 2017 Big Ten champion and the program record holder in the hammer throw — placed eighth in that event with a toss of 70.33 meters to finish eighth, which marked the Wolverines’ highest finish in the hammer throw since 1933. Ellis had the longest throw of any eighth-place finisher in history, a testament to the quality of the competition. Ellis was joined in the throwing events by junior Grant Cartwright and freshman Andrew Liskowitz, who finished 22nd and 23rd, respectively, in the shot put to grab honorable mention All-American nods.

Senior decathlete Steven Bastien closed out his Michigan career with a fourth-place finish in the decathlon. Powered by five personal-bests, he recorded a score of 8,015 — breaking his own program record. Bastien’s impressive finish may have been most surprising to Bastien himself. Injuries early in the year threatened to derail his season, but he instead will leave Michigan with AllAmerican honors to his name, as well as a Big Ten championship. “I just want to thank God, because I didn’t see this happening,” Bastien said. “I sort of imagined that I could, but I just feel blessed to be able to come to this school and have the people around me that I had around me to push me to this and to help me achieve this type of thing.” Bastien set personal records in the 110-meter hurdles, 100-meters, 400-meters, high jump and pole vault. His high jump success might have been the most unexpected, and because of this was the most satisfying for him. “As far as the whole injury thing went, that was what was really setting me back,” Bastien said. “Something about the way I was taking off was just really making my knee aggravated. To have an outdoor PR, wasn’t really expecting that at all.” Sophomore Taylor McLaughlin was the Wolverines’ sole running representative, in the 400-meter hurdles. After a first-team AllAmerican debut last season, McLaughlin was unable to advance out of the semifinals, but ran a seasonbest time of 50.18 seconds to be named to the second team.

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Jabrill Peppers was announced as Michigan’s 2016-2017 Male Athlete of the Year.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Sophomore Brienne Minor was named Michigan’s Female Athlete of the Year.

ETHAN WOLFE

Senior Sports Editor

Monday, the University of Michigan Athletic Department announced its 2016-17 male and female Athletes of the Year: Jabrill Peppers (football) and Brienne Minor (women’s tennis). The honor has not gone to either sport since Braylon Edwards won for football in 2005. The award puts Peppers and Minor in contention for the Big Ten Athletes of the Year, the winners of which are ultimately determined by a media vote. The last Michigan athlete to win was Peter Vanderkaay in 2006 for men’s swimming and diving. Peppers was the swiss-army knife for the nation’s leading defense, playing 15 different positions for the Wolverines en route to becoming a Heisman award finalist and All-American candidate. His impressive on-field play and accolades made him the 25th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns, where he was drafted as a safety. Peppers’ all-around talent earned him the Paul Hornung Award for being the most

versatile player in college football, and healso won the Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year, the ButkusFitzgerald Linebacker of the Year and the Rodgers-White Return Specialist of the Year. Peppers finished the season with 72 tackles, four sacks, one interception and one return touchdown, and his presence was a constant threat for opposing offenses. Minor made headlines as the first athlete in the Michigan women’s tennis program’s history to win a national championship, doing so in a miracle tournament run for the 2017 NCAA singles title over No. 6 Belinda Woolcock. The rising junior entered the NCAA Tournament unseeded, ranked below fellow Wolverine Kate Fahey. Minor rallied for six consecutive wins — dropping just two sets along the way — to clinch the title. Minor ended her championship season ranked ninth by the ITA with a 33-6 singles record for her second consecutive AllAmerican honors in singles and a unanimous All-Big Ten selection. She also finished 19-5 in dual matches.

12 SPORTS

Thursday, June 15, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Phelan wins national championship JACOB SHAMES

Summer Managing Sports Editor

MARINA ROSS/Daily

Junior Jaimie Phelan won the national championship in the 1,500 meters Saturday.

Last November at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, Michigan’s Jaimie Phelan was barely edged at the finish line by Oregon’s Maggie Schmaedick, who claimed 64th place by 0.1 seconds over the Wolverine junior. Neither runner had any way of knowing it as they crossed the line, but that tenth-of-a-second difference between Schmaedick and Phelan gave the Ducks the team title, with a score of 125 points to Michigan’s 126. Fast forward to the 1,500meter run at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. last Saturday. With one lap to go, Phelan sat in last place — not exactly a desirable position when taken out of context. But with such a tight lead pack — just .68 seconds separated her from the front — she knew she was far from out of it. “It was a pretty tight pack, and at that point I just knew that I have to get out,” Phelan said. “Once I got out then I saw a clear path and just decided to go with it.” Seeing her opportunity, Phelan shot all the way into the lead on the backstretch. She maintained this slim advantage into the final 100 meters, even as Arkansas’s Nikki Hiltz closed quickly behind her. “I know as soon as I started feeling someone on my shoulder I just wanted to dig a little bit deeper and keep the legs rolling and finish stronger,” Phelan said. She did just that — and this time, Phelan was on the right side of another impossibly close finish. Two-hundredths of a second — the second-narrowest margin of victory in NCAA championship history. With a time of 4:13.78, the junior from Kitchener, Ontario became the Michigan women’s track and field team’s first-ever national champion in the 1,500 meters.

“Definitely took a moment (to realize),” Phelan said. “I wasn’t quite sure — I looked over and I saw Nikki Hiltz and a couple girls out of the corner of my eye to the right. Once I looked up to the screen, then I knew and it kind of sunk in a little bit, but it’s still somewhere in disbelief.” Phelan earned All-American honors in the 1,500 last year with her eighth-place finish and won the Big Ten championship in that event last month. But with three former national champions in Saturday’s final field, she wasn’t exactly among the biggest favorites to win. However, Phelan knew that depending on how the race was run, she’d have a chance. She would likely have a tougher time contending if the pace at first was quick — her personal best is slower than all but two of her opponents — but a steady, tactical race would play right into her hands and allow her to use the speed she had developed from the 800-meter training of her youth. Phelan had already utilized this “sit-and-kick” strategy at the Big Ten Championships. After the first 1,100 meters were run at around 70 seconds per lap, she covered the last 400 meters in 62 seconds to pull away and win the title. However, she expected that Saturday’s race would start out faster, making this strategy tougher. “I was definitely expecting it to go out really fast. I was ready for a fast race,” Phelan said. “(Saturday), it just seemed more tactical. It was anyone’s race.” So when the field cruised through the first 700 meters at a controlled pace of just over two minutes, Phelan was able to remain mostly calm and composed despite running at the back of the pack for much of the race. “Going into the race I think with the speed in the last 200 and the last lap I really like to give it

“I saw a clear path and just decided to go with it”

everything and just focus on those gear changes,” Phelan said. “I’m always ready for anything in a race, but (a tactical race) definitely plays into my favor more.” Phelan’s tactics were executed to perfection. As the bell rang, signifying the final lap, it was clear that the race would come down to a test of speed. And here, no one could match Phelan. She ran the last 400 meters in a blazing 1:01.62 — even faster than at the Big Ten championships, and tops in the field by over half a second. Phelan’s victory marked the fifth year in a row that the Wolverines have had an AllAmerican in the 1,500 meters — the longest such streak in the country. Not only is she now a back-to-back All-American, but she also follows in the footsteps of previous teammates and past Michigan greats such as Shannon Osika and fellow Canadian Nicole Sifuentes. Phelan praised both Osika and Sifuentes after the race, along with assistant coach Mike McGuire for his work with the Wolverines’ distance corps. “Ever since freshman year for me coming into Michigan I’ve had some unbelievable training partners,” Phelan said. “Shannon Osika last year coming in 4th in the NCAA 1,500 — she’s been an unbelievable role model for me as well as Nicole Sifuentes. Nicole’s also Canadian so she’s always been a role model for me growing up. Just seeing how hard they work and having them by all of our team’s sides just helps enormously to keep us all together.” And Saturday, Phelan accomplished something that neither Osika or Sifuentes — or any other 1,500-meter runner in Wolverine history — had ever done. She became a national champion. “I’m beyond grateful for all the support I’ve had at Michigan and with my friends all over and the messages that I’ve gotten this weekend and this past year and through all my time at Michigan,” Phelan said. “It’s been unbelievable.”

“It just seemed more tactical. It was anyone’s race.”