Weekly Summer Edition Ann Arbor, MI
inside NEWS
Summer Ross Incoming Business students from underresourced high schools take summer classes.
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ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY SIX YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Artists discuss the evolution of Warped Tour
>> SEE PAGE 3
NEWS
Governor’s race Gubernatorial candidates declare campaign finances. >> SEE PAGE 8
GRAPHIC BY MICHELLE PHILLIPS
By DOMINIC POLSINELLI
OPINION
Summer Senior Arts Editor
Skinny repeal “14 million more Americans would go uninsured in 2018...” >> SEE PAGE 4
ARTS
Album Review: Arcade Fire disappoints with Everything Now >> SEE PAGE 6
SPORTS
Men’s basketball Reports have John Beilein adding two new members to his coaching staff. >> SEE PAGE 12
INDEX Vol. CXXVII, No. 81 | © 2017 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS .................................... 2 OPINION ...............................4 ARTS ......................................6 CLASSIFIEDS.........................8 MiC.........................................9 SPORTS................................ 10
I’m sure a lot of you are wondering why the Daily is covering Warped Tour in 2017. As a college newspaper, our standard music coverage typically includes anything from indie rock to underground hip hop — anything but the Warped Tour scene. Yet in recent years, Warped has been actively marketing the festival toward older crowds, those who reveled in the scene as tweens in the earlier part of the 2000s. With bands like Silverstein, Hawthorne Heights, Adolescents and more whose popularity exploded more than a decade (or even two) ago, Warped 2017 has made a clear attempt to diversify its crowd demographic. By attending Warped Tour’s Auburn Hills date just over a week ago and speaking with a few bands, I’ve learned that Warped is more than its perceived social stigmas. Warped is more than an opportunity for bands to perform to wide audiences and garner some new fans. It’s a time for bands and attendees alike to hang out with their friends and revel in the camaraderie of music. Knocked Loose It really goes without saying that Knocked Loose is a brutal band. With arguably the most popularity of the newcomers on the Full Sail Stage (the stage reserved for new, young bands on the tour), Knocked Loose’s
crowds have been explosive and aggressive. Frontman Bryan Garris, while soft spoken and thoughtful in conversation, packs a punch on stage with his harsh vocals and an energy to match the crowd’s. Halfway through Warped, Garris has reflected positively on his experiences so far. “(Warped has) been going great. It’s been a lot of fun. It’s hard work, but it’s so rewarding because our sets have been going better than they ever have. We’ve gotten the opportunity to play in front of so many new people. On top of that, we have old friends and have been making a lot of new friends. So it’s just been such a fun tour,” he said. Garris has been fully aware of the band’s relatively popular status on Warped, citing past tours that have helped them gain this credibility with only one album and a few EPs to their name. Their set in Michigan was by far one of the best I witnessed throughout the day, featuring a pit barely contained within the confines of the width of the stage. “I think that the overall hype has grown a little bit. Since then we toured Europe and Australia. Then we did a full US with Every Time I Die. I think that’s obviously helped people to notice us and help people to find out who we are so that our sets are a little bit bigger when we play on Warped. And then also we try to learn from everybody that we tour with… We
are still very new, and we’re all very young so we look up to a lot of the people we’re fortunate enough to call our friends,” he said. Garris also cited Hatebreed and Stick To Your Guns as his favorites to see on Warped this year, along with fellow newcomers Boston Manor and Movements. After Warped, Garris said that we can expect new material to be on the way: “We were just so focused on Warped and preparing for this tour that we kind of put writing off, and we’ll probably jump into it when we get home because all of us are in that zone now — we are ready to write. If you’re attending one of the later Warped dates, you can check out Knocked Loose on the Full Sail Stage where you can expect to hear some mind-blowing modern hardcore. Microwave As another first timer on Warped, frontman of Microwave Nathan Hardy has gained a positive outlook on the festival from his experiences, despite previous misconceptions of Warped’s social stigmas. “We actually really love it. We were really hesitant for a long time about wanting to participate with Warped, just because we’re stupid I guess,” he laughs off. “I don’t know, I feel like there was a stigma associated with Warped for a long time… Like you’re marketing yourself to 14-year-old girls or something. But honestly it’s been See WARPED, Page 7
Thursday, August 3, 2017
ANN ARBOR
Dingell talks community involvement with local businesses CEOs from health and ecology sectors discuss effective business models By EDUARDO BATISTA Daily Staff Reporter
Nearly 30 entrepreneurs gathered at the Ann Arbor SPARK headquarters on South Division Street to discuss emerging initiatives in the entrepreneurship community in Michigan Tuesday afternoon. In addition to hosting CEOs from a variety of industries — from healthcare technology to gaming — the event also featured Rep. Debbie Dingell (D–Mich.), who represents Michigan’s 12th District. Among the companies represented was Collective Scientific LLC, an accelerating drug discovery startup that works closely with drug developers to optimize research processes in the earlier stages of medicine discovery. Bret Self, co-founder and CEO of Collective Scientific, highlighted his company’s role in reducing the amount of time research institutions spend on early development stages. “At Collective Scientific, we speed up the process of developing early pharmaceutical research by using our softwares, algorithms and simulation to help our clients discover marketable drugs,” he said. “And we do this by modeling, through our molecule research services, a protein target and decomposing its properties on the molecular level, so we can understand how to speed up research.” The event also featured a See DINGELL, Page 3
2 NEWS
Thursday, August 3, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Freshmen upset over North Campus housing, request alternatives online Waiting for housing assignment was “like waiting for acceptance letters all over again” By DYLAN LACROIX
Summer Daily News Editor
While many of her future classmates were eager to find fellow students also living in their residence halls at first-year student orientation this past month, LSA freshman Frances Bray was left in the dark. “Most people that I talked to who had already heard about their housing were on Central Campus or the Hill and no one had heard about being on North, so I assumed they were just going worst to best,” Bray said. Later, Bray would discover she was to be placed in Bursley Hall on North Campus, a 15- to 20-minute bus ride away from the University of Michigan’s Central Campus, where a majority of classes for first-year students are held.
Currently, University Housing offers 18 different residence halls and apartments for undergraduates to live in during the academic year. While most of these are located on Central Campus or in the Hill Neighborhood, just three are located on North Campus, comprising Baits Houses and Northwood III in addition to Bursley. After finding out her housing assignment, Bray was one of many taking to social media to find any possible different arrangements for the upcoming year. On a closed Facebook group for incoming firstyear students called “University of Michigan Class of 2021,” students placed on North Campus are offering to pay to make the switch to Central Campus. In an email interview, Bray said after discussing with her family, she was willing to pay upwards of $2,000 to fellow students to move to Central but came up short with students willing to take the offer. “We decided that we would have been willing to spend $2,500 to switch rooms, I knew it was a long shot and nothing ended up working out,” Bray said. However, one of Bray’s main
concerns with life on North is not the bus ride to Central every day but the inconvenience of the North Campus Recreational Building being closedfor the entirety of the 2017-2018 academic year due to renovations. “The biggest impact I think it will have on my freshman year is not having a rec center that’s convenient for me,” Bray said. In an attempt to not fully remove Recreational Sports from North Campus, a small limitedspace within Bursley Hall will be temporarily transformed into an exercise space for regular patrons in addition to the over 1,200 students who will be living in Bursley Hall alone. With so many students seeking to get off of living on North Campus freshman year, Engineering freshman Oliver Li decided to get creative by making an online fundraiser to help get his friend, fellow LSA freshman Mahir Taqbeem, to Central Campus. In an email interview, Taqbeem said he was one of the last of his friends to get his housing assignment after they had all found out they’d be living on Central Campus. “I was waiting pretty long to get my assignment and all my friends got their housing a while ago, so my anticipation was building every day,” Taqbeem said. “I was actually pretty confident that I would get something on Central, and I guess that was my mistake.” Since most first-year students will be on Central Campus, he feels the social environment on North will be much more unfriendly and spaced apart, fearing he won’t have the same social opportunities as other students. “I’m worried I won’t make as many friends freshman year, but I’m sure I will get over it if I do end up living in north,” Taqbeem said. “I heard that North Campus and Baits II especially were more antisocial.” With the fall semester less than six weeks away, Taqbeem is rushing to find an alternative option on Central Campus. “I’m desperate,” Taqbeem said. “To get on to any Central Campus dorm, I would be willing to offer up to $500 plus football season tickets.” LSA freshman Nina Chiuchiarelli said after waiting for months to receive her housing assignment for the upcoming semester, she began to feel frantic but still believed she wouldn’t be placed in Bursley Hall on
North Campus. “June and July passed, and we still had not received our assignment; I started to get a little frantic, but again never thought of North Campus,” Chiuchiarelli said. Once receiving her housing placement, Chiuchiarelli said she looked to online reviews of the dorm to learn more about where she’d be living and decided she wanted to switch. “I will no longer, technically speaking, be moving into U of M’s campus, but instead a foreign place two miles away from where all of my classes are,” Chiuchiarelli wrote in an email. “I looked online for maybe two hours after finding out where I would be living this year and every single review was a poor one that discussed the isolation, lack of social life, horrible bus rides, the earlier wake up that each student not in engineering must endure (I have 8 AMs every day and again have no classes on North Campus) and just the simple fact that I do not get to reside with the majority of my peers, or the people that I will be in classes with.” For LSA freshman Davinder Sekhon, the anticipation of receiving the email for housing assignments was like applying to college all over again. “Waiting for housing assignment was a bit like waiting for acceptance letters all over again, with Central Campus being like getting accepted and North Campus being rejected,” Sekhon said. For Sekhon, having to live on North Campus came with a significant negative impact on his first-year experience. “I guess I always just generally accepted that North Campus was really bad for social life and getting to classes,” he said. “I had really wanted Central Campus because the social aspect of college is a big thing for me.” Unlike other freshman placed on North Campus, Sekhon said he has come to terms with living on North and doesn’t feel the need to make any offers to move to Central. “I think I’ve just accepted North Campus now and to be honest the more I think about it, the less I come to care about it,” Sekhon said. “Everyone in my group chats for Baits II seem cool and we already have made ourselves a nice community.”
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The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published every Thursday during the spring and summer 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 fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. 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.
Thursday, August 3, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
DINGELL From Page 1 roundtable discussion in which entrepreneurs had the opportunity to talk in greater depth about their companies. Jonathan Goldstein, one of the event organizers and director of operations for SPARK, emphasized the role of SPARK in helping Ann Arbor entrepreneurs succeed in their
We have an online form where people can submit their business ideas ventures. “So one of the things that fuels our work is just the reputation of Ann Arbor as a startup ecosystem,” he said. “And fortunately SPARK has a really strong name as an organization. And within this ecosystem we are lucky that we have so many startups here right now with SPARK’s incubators themselves.” Goldstein also explained the steps that an aspiring entrepreneur can
take to launch a successful business in Ann Arbor. “We have an online form where people can submit their business ideas,” he said. “From there, we are able to reach out to the entrepreneur, to help him or her find direction. And then we walk them through how they could scale their company, how we could work with them, how we could use our resources to work with them.” Following the roundtable discussion, entrepreneurs and Dingell toured successful startups in Ann Arbor, including Workit Health, a provider of personalized addiction care programs, and SkySpecs, an aerospace engineering company that inspects failures in autonomous drones. At Workit Health headquarters on South 5th Avenue, Dingell disclosed her personal connection with the topic of addiction. “My father actually had problems with addiction, so the work that Workit Health and the whole team do is very personal to me,” Dingell said. Dingell pointed to Lisa McLaughlin, the co-founder and co-CEO, expressing her interest in the subject. “I am sorry that I have so many questions for you,” she said. “I am simply fascinated by the topic and I care deeply about it.”
Sen. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) speaks to the audience at a town hall-style forum.
She also emphasized the role that government can play in helping the entrepreneurial community in Ann Arbor and in Michigan succeed. “The reason why I am here today is to understand the
needs of entrepreneurs and the impact that they can have in the Michigan community, whether that be in healthcare, technology or transportation,” she said. “I believe that by partnering with
NEWS 3
ROBERT BUECHLER/DAILY
entrepreneurs, government and private investors can promote welfare in Michigan communities and help accelerate the growth of new technologies that have a positive effect on people’s lives.”
Incoming freshmen prepare for business school with Ross summer courses, discussion with professionals Students engage with peers through study groups, case competitions and collaborations with campus groups By CHETALI JAIN Summer Daily News Editor
Some incoming Ross School of Business freshman at the University of Michigan from under-resourced high schools and diverse backgrounds have the opportunity to participate in a four-week program designed to expose students to the rigors of the Business School and provide them with the opportunity to network with key contacts before the
school year begins. Since the Ross Summer Connections pilot program launched on July 12, the 19 participants have been living in Cambridge House and attending classes that resemble ones they will be enrolled in during the fall semester. Subjects covered include Calculus I, Economics 101, First-Year Writing and Business Administration. Rhonda Todd, director of Academic Success at Michigan Ross and director of RCS, explained how the invitation to join is based on multiple criteria including familiarity with the business field. She discussed the overarching goal to immerse the students in an authentic and comprehensive Business School experience that eases their transition from high school to the University. “We’re giving students who typically could use the additional resources the opportu-
nity to thrive in the program as opposed to just surviving,” Todd said. “These are students who want to spend their time getting acclimated to the campus and rigor … They want to be here.” According to Todd, the students get a head start on important topics that will be relevant to their Ross education. RSC participants learn about creating a professional online presence, email etiquette and time-management, among other skills. Diana Gaspar, a first-generation Mexican student from a rural Michigan town called Berrien Springs, is one such participant. Gaspar said she had found RSC to be one of her favorite summer experiences. She said the program is an excellent way to familiarize herself with the environment, people and academic expectations of the University, as well
as to boost her confidence. “My school did not offer AP courses; I had never experienced a high rigor class,” Gaspar said. “Compared to those who were coming in with 30 plus AP credits, I felt inadequate. RSC has given me the confidence and experience, to take on the upcoming courses. I now know I am not going to be thrown in here completely blind.” Jordan Tran, one of Gaspar’s fellow RSC cohort members, shared the positivity towards the program and found it rewarding to get ahead in courses such as Economics 101 and hear from the guest speakers. Tran was raised in Ann Arbor by his Vietnamese parents and went to high school in the area. He said he found the opportunity to hear from and connect with guest speakers to be rewarding and looks forward to exploring his interests once the fall semester commences. “RSC has already helped me in
countless ways,” Tran said. “In all our classes, we have homework … midterms, and final exams … By the time the fall comes around, I will already be in school mode and I don’t need time to make that transition. All our speakers come from different backgrounds and it’s really great to see how diverse the University of Michigan, as well as (the Business School), is.” Along with professional and academic preparation, the RSC has a social aspect through which students collaborate in study groups, compete in case competitions and engage with various campus groups and city events, such as the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair. Both Gaspar and Tran noted they formed friendships with their peers through the program. The program runs until Aug. 5, giving students ample time to ref lect on their experiences and take a break before returning for classes in September.
4 OPINION
Thursday, August 3, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Why they voted no 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
SARAH KHAN EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
DAYTON HARE MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Summer Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
BRENNAN POPE | COLUMN
U
Naming the nameless
s college students seem to have a lot to complain about — stressful classes, struggling relationships, severe lack of sleep and, perhaps most of all, lack of income. With tuition costs climbing every year and the adolescent population increasiime to recognize its value. Last week, another attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act failed in dramatic fashion. A video of Sen. John McCain (R–Ariz.) voting down the initiative showed overwhelming shock and surprise from the senators present. The liberal world met McCain with praise and gratitude for stepping over party lines and defending health care. And this is for good reason; his vote helped save health care for millions of Americans. However, what a lot of liberal publications are criticizing is that Sens. Susan Collins (R–Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R–Alaska) also voted against the bill and are not praised to the same extent. While McCain is being heralded as the force that saved health care, these female senators aren’t given any credit. This is a prime example of the media throwing women into the shadows of men. This happens every day, but many poignant examples came from the 2016 Summer Olympics. The media coverage of women athletes often was centered on their husbands or their male coaches. For example, when Katinka Hosszu of Hungary set a world record and won her first gold medal in the 400-meter Individual Medley, the media focused their attention on her husband and coach, Shane Tusup. An NBC commentator went as far to say, “There’s the guy responsible for turning Katinka Hosszu, his wife, into a whole different swimmer.”
So, to criticize the coverage of McCain and the lack of coverage of Collins and Murkowski is completely valid and necessary. There needs to be a reform in the media’s coverage of women, and women need to be given the credit they deserve. What Collins and Murkowski did was equally if not more courageous than what McCain did, as these less established senators have much more to lose than McCain does. This being said, while the rest
There needs to be a reform in the media’s coverage of women...
of the public has heard primarily about McCain, myself, being in a liberal circle, have mostly heard about these two women. I have read many articles about these two women and have heard many of my friends complain that these two women aren’t getting any credit. But when I say I have mostly heard about these two women, I literally mean that I’ve heard about “these two women.” Whenever I have heard about this from my liberal friends or my liberal publications, they all fail to even say Murkowski’s or Collins’ names. It’s sad that issue of credit is compounding itself on both sides. On one side they don’t exist, and on the other they are nameless women who are praised
but are still silhouettes in the shadow the household name John McCain casts. In fact, so many of the articles fail to even mention Murkowski or Collins in the headline. The Independent reads, “Forget John McCain — these two Republican women saved Obamacare.” It’s hard to forget John McCain when he’s the only name in the headline. Refinery29, a publication about and for women, published a headline with a similar message, “Thanks John McCain, But These Women Are The Real Heroes.” The sentiments are pointed in the correct direction with these articles but even some publications looking to shine the light on Murkowski and Collins chose to leave them nameless. This is probably part of “clickbait” culture, using the more-popularthan-ever McCain to draw in more readers and in turn more revenue. So “these women” are very well casualties to clicks in this instance. It’s great to see a push back against their lack of coverage, but let’s also push to remember the names of Murkowski and Collins. Their contribution toward the fight to preserve health care could not be overstated. Additionally, if you ever see the phrases, “these women,” “this woman,” “the wife of” or anything in between, take a moment to think of the names behind these silhouettes and push to reform how the media treat the nameless.
— Brennan Pope can be reached at popeb@umich.edu.
I
n a rush to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Republican leaders introduced the Health Care Freedom Act to the Senate floor at approximately 10 p.m. Thursday night. More famously known as the LENA “skinny repeal” DREVES health care bill, the lawmakers were only given a few hours to make a decision on their vote. The Senate Republicans needed 50 votes total to pass the bill, with the assumption that Vice President Mike Pence would break the tie. Early Friday morning, the bill failed at a vote of 51-49; most famously as a result of Sen. John McCain (R–Ariz.) voting ‘no.’ Two other senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, also opposed their party by voting against the bill. Often, first glances at the media coverage of the Trump administration’s recent actions tells us little of the practical implications and results such actions will have. When the “skinny repeal” bill failed on the Senate floor, the highlights of the event drew partisan reactions on both sides. Though Collin’s and Murkowski’s “no” votes were not necessarily surprises, their lack of support to a Republicanwritten bill has the right-wing feeling betrayed by their own party. McCain’s surprise vote, however, left a deeper feeling of resentment, and as a result, the headlines the next morning portrayed him as both the hero and the villain. It seems as though the pressing issue of health care law in the United States was taken over by the drama of partisan disagreement. The knowledge of the vote is widespread, but the knowledge about the substance and implication of the health care repeal bill seems less understood. The partisan divide has ruptured divides along party lines, yet more imperatively, it has served as a bitter distraction from the substance and the importance of the law in context. The bill was not released to the public until after the vote. The secrecy and haste of the bill promoted the idea that repealing the ACA held greater priority over the quality of the health care reform. Thrown together quickly in hopes of dismantling Obamacare, the bill held major flaws that would have resulted in many negative consequences for the American people. If passed, the health care legislation would have repealed the ACA’s controversial individual and employer mandate and also make room for states to allow other insurances that don’t fall under the ACA’s regulations.
This means that there is a no financial penalty for (most) Americans who decide to not carry health insurance. This is good news for those who keep their bodies healthy, especially younger Americans. However, the “skinny repeal” bill lacks incentive for the majority of Americans to stay continuously insured, which is essential to avoid ever-increasing premiums and for the market to stay healthy. This new legislation would have made the adverse selection problem much more serious to the death spiral result of insurers leaving the market. According to the Congressional Budget Office, 14 million more Americans would go uninsured in 2018 with the “skinny repeal” than under the ACA. Premiums would increase 20 percent by next year. The answer to the problem of health care in the United States exists in the improvement of the current plan or in a truly and substantively improved replacement plan. The Health Care Freedom Act is neither of those. It is rather a result of a partisan conflict, which has only grown to the point where the real priority of health care accessibility becomes second place to the reputations of the political party and presidential administration. Before making his vote, McCain made a statement assuredly enlightening his reasoning for voting no on the bill. “Merely preventing your political opponents from doing what they want isn’t the most inspiring work,” he said. “There’s greater satisfaction in respecting our differences, but not letting them prevent agreements that don’t require abandonment of core principles, agreements made in good faith that help improve lives and protect the American people.” Susan Collins released her reasoning on Twitter following her vote, stating, “When dealing w/ a complex issue that affects millions of Americans & 1/6th of our economy, we must proceed carefully.” The statements of each Senator show their value of the protection of the health of American citizens and their welfare. Regardless of the administration’s pressure, party loyalty and the recognition they may have received from their own party, each Senator acted according to their belief that the welfare of the American people take precedence over the achievements of any administration and to whose party it belongs. —Lena Dreves can be reached at ldreves@umich.edu.
Thursday, August 3, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Always low prices
“
Hi! My name is...What? My na me is… Who? My na me is… Slim STEPHANIE Shady.” To MULLINGS me, t hese a re some of t he most iconic lines to ever g race a rap/ hip-hop song. In 1999, Eminem released The Slim Shady LP, ma rked by t he w idely popula r song, “My Na me Is.” Eminem’s lewd, r ude a nd v iolent ly ricism t hroughout not only The Slim Shady LP, but a lso each a nd ever y one of his following a lbums have identif ied him as one of t he g reatest yet cont roversia l rappers of t his generation. Eminem sprouted f rom t he v ision a nd mentorship of t he legend Dr. Dre, who a lso sha res
MICHELLE SHENG| CARTOONIST
a contentious histor y as member of t he hip-hop g roup N.W. A . Eit her idolized or hated, N.W. A . propelled t hemselves into t he spotlight follow ing t he release of politica lly-cha rged hits like “St ra ight Out ta Compton” a nd “F**k t ha Police,” even f inding t hemselves under t he watchf ul eye of t he FBI. Their raw a nd provocative music pave d t he way f or t he emer g ence of fel low We s t Coa s t a r t i s t s l i ke T upac Sh a k u r a nd Sno op D og g . Si mu lt a ne ou sly, t he publ ic wa s add it ion a l ly awe d by si m i la r voice s a nd s t or ie s f rom ac ro s s t he n at ion t h rou g h t he l i kene s s of The Not or iou s B . I .G ., Jay-Z a nd Na s . The histor y of rap/ hip-hop music a nd cult ure is fa r too rich, deta iled a nd subjective to
even beg in to bomba rd you w it h a n account. I ment ion t hese legends to compa re to a ll of t he a r t ists t hey have inspired today, not only in t heir music, but t heir ly rics, persona a nd f low. But a lso, to establish t he fact t hat so much, yet so lit t le, ha s cha nged in t he rap ga me. Eminem’s The Slim Shady LP, N.W. A .’s St ra ight Out ta Compton, The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die, JayZ’s Ha rd K nock Life a nd Na s’ Illmat ic a re t it les of a lbums recorded by severa l of t he legends I ment ioned above, each dif ferent, unique a nd iconic in t heir ow n right, but yet, each a ll t he sa me a s t hey a re bra nded w it h t he la rge pa renta l adv isor y wa rning on t heir covers. “One, t wo, t hree, four, f ive, I a m t he g reatest rapper a live. So “da m n” g reat, “mot her f ucker ” I’ve died, a nd what you’re hea ring now is a pa ra norma l v ibe.” I lef t out some of t he words included in t his quotat ion because of t heir explicit nat ure, but it is spoken by Kendrick La ma r in his single “The Hea r t Pa r t I V,” which preceded t he relea se of his now cer t if ied double plat inum a lbum, DA MN. Let me tell you, when I hea rd him spit t hose rhy mes over a n incredible beat sw itch-up, I a lmost died myself. DA MN ha s indeed solidif ied La ma r ’s high ra n king in t he w idelypopula r debate over today ’s best MC, including a r t ists like Dra ke, J. Cole a nd Ka nye West, each of whom have a lso made procla mat ions t hat t hey a re t he g reatest, a nd addit iona lly express t hemselves t hrough explicit a nd v ulga r ly ricism. This pa st week, I had t he plea sure of seeing bot h Kendrick La ma r a nd J. Cole live in concer t a nd have prev iously seen my o t h e r f a v o r it e a r t i s t s a s we l l : D r a ke , K a n y e a n d Bi g S e a n . B e f o r e e a c h h ip h op c o n c e r t , b e s ide s f e e l i n g t h e a nt ic ip a t io n o f a s old o ut c r o wd p a c ke d i nt o t h e a r e n a , I u s u a l l y f e e l n e r ve s de e p i n t h e pit o f m y s t o m a c h , w h ic h m a ke s me cringe. Th i s i s b e c a u s e o f o n e s i n g le q ue s t io n /r e a l i z a t io n : A r e t h e y g oi n g t o s a y it ? By t hey, I mea n white people a nd ot hers. By it, I mea n t he n-word when sing ing a long. I wa s recent ly play ing t he song “The Stor y of O. J.” f rom Jay-Z’s latest a lbum 4:44 on my spea ker at home. If you a ren’t fa milia r, he says t he n-word exact ly 10
t imes consecut ively t hroughout t he chor us. Uncomfor table a nd disg r unt led, bot h of my pa rents a sked t hat I t urn “ t hat crap” of f. A few weeks ago, Jay-Z a nnounced t he tour dates for t he 4:44 a lbum. Imag ine t he crowd sing ing a long to t hat. R ap/ hip-hop now f inds itself w it h a perma nent sta ke in pop cult ure, specif ica lly w it h today ’s generat ion of yout h. It is no longer just about t he music; its inf luence now f inds itself in t he rea lms of fa shion, spor ts a nd f ilm. However, a long w it h it comes t he gla morizat ion of v iolence, dr ug s, a lcohol a nd sex; t he sexua lizat ion a nd deg radat ion of women a nd per pet uat ion of not just explicit “curse” words but a lso derogator y la ng uage rega rding race, relig ion a nd sexua l orientat ion. Yes, pa renta l adv isor y labeling wa rns of t he explicit content w it hin music; however, it doesn’t prevent t he
Rap/hip-hop now finds itself with a permanent stake in pop culture audience f rom using it. The lines have become so blurred on what is “acceptable” a nd what isn’t. Use of t he n-word w ill never be okay. Referring to a woma n a s a b***h w ill never be okay. Homophobic a nd t ra nsphobic slurs w ill never be okay. A nd it doesn’t mat ter if Dra ke, Kendrick, Ka nye or Eminem says it. It doesn’t mat ter if you have Black or gay f riends. It doesn’t mat ter if you t hought it wa s okay…or if you didn’t mea n it t hat way. There is no just if icat ion. Due to its worldw ide popula rit y, in addit ion to my ow n persona l k nowledge rega rding it, t hroughout t his piece I only reference rap/ hiphop music a nd a r t ists. However, I do not wa nt my decision to do t his to be misconst r ued. I a m not ident if y ing rap/ hiphop music a s t he only culprit of explicit, v iolent a nd v ulga r messag ing. Thin k back to indiepop ba nd Foster t he People’s sma sh hit “ Pumped Up K icks.”
OPINION 5
Insa nely catchy, it blew up bot h t he a lternat ive a nd pop cha r ts. But what ma ny fa il to rea lize is its mea ning, which tells t he stor y of a young boy who bring s a g un to school intending to kill his cla ssmates. Or what about Just in Bieber ’s procla mat ion in t he song “Cold Water,” t hat “ever ybody gets high somet imes you k now? What else ca n we do when we a re feeling low? ” The Week nd’s hit “ Ea rned It ” wa s used a s t he t heme song for t he “50 Shades of Grey ” mov ie — which I a m cer ta in needs no expla nat ion. How about R iha nna who, a woma n herself, per pet uates t he not ion t hat it is okay to refer to fema les a s a b***h or h*e? I reference t hese exa mples because I wa nt to ma ke it per fect ly clea r t hat rap/ hip-hop is not t he only genre of music t hat needs some clea ning up. These a r t ists a nd song s t hat I ment ioned a re played on heav y rotat ion t hroughout pop stat ions w it h audiences a s young a s toddlers. I a m a ll for f reedom of expression a s a n a r t ist. One could a rg ue, what would genres like rock or rap/ hip-hop be w it hout its g rit a nd br uta l honest y or pushing t he bounda ries? But what becomes too much? Too provocat ive? Where is t he line draw n? A nd when do we, a s listeners, sta r t to quest ion it? I absolutely loved going to concer ts w it h headlining rap/ hip-hop a r t ists, a s some of my favorite song s a re by musicia ns I ment ioned in t his piece. However, while t here, even t hroughout t he bla st of t he music, da ncing, roa r a nd excitement of t he crowd a nd t hr um of t he ba ss, I could not sha ke t he ner vous feeling t hat I ment ioned ea rlier. My a nt icipat ion of t he discomfor t I would feel if t he audience decided to sing a long w it h t he rapper a nd say t he n-word beca me too subt ly dist ract ing. The ent ire t ime, a whisper in t he back of my mind kept repeat ing, A re t hey going to say it? …They did.
— Stephanie Mullings can be reached at srmulli@umich.edu.
6 ARTS
Thursday, August 3, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MOVIE REVIEW
MUSIC REVIEW
Arcade Fire burns out MATT GALLATIN Daily Music Writer
Imagine this scene for a minute: You’re sitting on the couch of a nice Brooklyn apartment, preferably in Williamsburg. There’s a speaker in the corner attached to a record player. It’s shiny and large and resembles a children’s toy. You’ve never heard of the company which produced the speaker but the man sitting across from you will certainly assure you that, while you probably haven’t heard of it, it’s top of the line. Then he’ll make fun of people who say things like, “You probably haven’t heard of it,” because he’s aware that it’s easy to make fun of those kinds of people, and in acknowledging and getting in front of the stereotype he believes he has precluded himself from it, in a way. Inevitably, after enough drinks, maybe two or three, he’ll make a vague reference to you about the ills of capitalism, and maybe religion too. “It’s the opioid of the masses,” but he can’t remember whether the quote refers to capitalism or religion. Doesn’t matter. It fits for both. But then, you have to wonder, how does he afford this apartment, and that speaker system? You ask him, and he snaps back that you’re missing the point. That you didn’t hear what he actually had to say. This is about the situational equivalent of listening to Everything Now, the fifth studio album by Canadian band Arcade Fire. It’s not that the social and economic critiques are illegitimate; it’s that they’re vague, messy and reach only the thinnest level of self-awareness. It’s not that we should feel badly listening to the band because they’ve made it and they’re wealthy; it’s that we should question why these factors haven’t led to nuanced soul searching and genuine concern about contributing to the very problems which they haughtily deride. Everything Now is the band at their least aware, least sonically interesting and most violently grating yet. Ironically perhaps, we can track where things went wrong for the band right back to their marketing strategies. Much was made about the enormous campaign for their last proper release, Reflektor,
which landed in 2013. Buildings in Brooklyn were covered in huge, cryptic posters which advertised the upcoming album, and the band performed some secretive shows (publicized enough, though, so that the very existence of the shows was in itself a form of marketing). It was excessive, and it worked. Already there was an odd contradiction here: aggressive, social media-based marketing for an album that was largely critical of social media and marketing. The band mostly got away with it because the album still felt like a legitimate effort. Laborious, actually. The themes stretched over two discs, centering around the idea of the “reflexive age,” taken from a 19th century Søren Kirkegaard essay, while applying it to modern day social issues. “We Exist,” for example, took on
Everything Now Arcade Fire Columbia Records the parental and societal rejection that a gay person might deal with. Stand out “Here Comes the Night Time” discusses missionaries in Haiti over a sharp disco-rock beat laden with clever fake-outs. They took ambitious risks, pushing the album to 85 minutes. It fell short at times, and pushed too long at others, but their energy was still undeniably present. And though the marketing was over the top, it spoke to the scope that the album intended. It was huge, and so were the band’s ideas. Leading up to Everything Now, Arcade Fire launched a parody Twitter account (@ EverythingNowCo) which mainly retweets cringe-inducing posts by corporate accounts like Olive Garden, as well as fan images of their own marketing efforts on Target store TVs and grimy subway cars. They also wrote a “Premature Premature Evaluation” of their own album, poking fun at Stereogum’s slightly sensationalized article “Remember When Arcade Fire Were Good?” which criticized their singles, particularly “Everything Now.” In their own Premature Premature Evaluation, they call themselves, among others things, “a goofier, less cool, extremely selfserious, and less danceable Daft Punk,” referencing the influence of Thomas Bangalter on this record,
later estimating that Everything Now will likely fall “probably somewhere between number 8 and number 14” on the year-end lists. Apparently Arcade Fire want us to know that they get it. By infusing intense irony and metacritiques into their marketing campaign they assume we’ll distance them in our minds from the forces they poke fun at. That’s not the case. It reminds me of a problem laid out in David Foster Wallace’s essay “e unibus pluram,” referring to a movement of irony heavy “postpostmodernist” fiction writers who attempt to give social criticism by entirely inhabiting the world in which they criticize. The result, Wallace explains, is “Instead, it most often degenerates into a kind of jeery, surfacy look ‘behind the scenes’ of the very televisual front people already jeer at, and can get behind the scenes of via Entertainment Tonight and Remote Control.” I think the same applies with Arcade Fire’s marketing strategy. Essentially, we already see and understand the absurdity of these corporate accounts attempting to seem “hip” by being on Twitter. When we see Olive Garden appropriate a Brandon Warrell meme about blow jobs, we don’t need Arcade Fire’s fake Twitter account to show us how odd it is. We already get it. It’s not cutting edge social commentary for the band to say, “Look! Corporations! Money!” And it’s certainly not cutting edge for that commentary to come in the form of a retweet. There is behind that veil of irony no legitimate, serious critique here, and the only effect that their pseudo-meta marketing produces is that more attention is placed on their hypocrisy as they continue to employ rather typical and unexciting marketing techniques. No matter how much they attempt to make fun of it and separate themselves, they are deeply engrained in that corporate system which they want you to believe they’re so against. Their new album, like their marketing for it, is neither clever nor exciting. It too is surfacelevel at best. At worst, it’s poorly constructed unintentional selfparody.
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‘Atomic’ invigorates ends, it’s worthy of a standing ovation. Summer Managing Arts Editor Theron is joined by James McAvoy (“Split”), who plays a Charlize Theron (“The Fate fellow spy, and John Goodman of the Furious”) proved herself (“10 Cloverfield Lane”), an to be one of Hollywood’s biggest MI6 agent. No other characters badasses after her performance display the same energy and as Imperator Furiosa in George stamina as Theron, and “Atomic Miller’s recent masterpiece Blonde” is entirely dependant “Mad Max: Fury Road.” In an on her performance. Her stoic industry where men dominate and confident swagger are both on and off-screen, Furiosa well-suited for a secret agent was a much needed change — she perfectly fits into the after years of watching super boy’s club of James Bond types masculine, pumped-up dudes — but in many ways, the script fight bad guys. “Atomic Blonde” didn’t give her much to work shows Theron and all her with. A lot of the dialogue is badassery, though this time predictable and forgettable; it’s playing Lorraine Broughton, neither cheesy nor witty. We a secret agent in 1989 Berlin. don’t necessarily watch action Despite many of the movie’s movies for the dialogue, but it shortcomings, helps to have at least Theron solidifies a few memorable lines her status as people can walk out of “Atomic Hollywood’s go-to the theater quoting. Blonde” action star capable “Atomic Blonde”’s of snapping necks screenplay, written by Rave Cinemas, and fighting with Kurt Johnstad (“300”), Quality 16 nothing but a shoe. is adapted from Antony Focus Features “Atomic Blonde” Johnston’s graphic takes place novel “The Coldest during the final City,” which almost days of the Berlin Wall, but excuses the underwhelming describing the movie’s plot is as dialogue. “The Coldest City” complicated and stressful as the laid out the groundwork for Cold War itself. Broughton is a director David Leitch’s (“John secret agent sent to recover a Wick”) glossy visual style, confidential list of every Soviet combining grit with neonfield agent following the death lit glamor. Leitch’s former of an English MI6 agent. From career as a stuntman explains here on, the movie becomes the perfect action sequences: increasingly confusing and hard No one is more qualified to to follow. The entire premise is direct these kinds of fights built around trying to figure than a stuntman himself. He out which spy is allegiant to was hired to direct “Deadpool which country, which is a 2,” and assuming it will be weak foundation and “Atomic as successful as the first, Blonde”’s ultimate downfall. his directing career is very Distracting from this promising. mayhem are the many brilliantly At times, “Atomic Blonde” choreographed action feels like a messier, more sequences. Theron, who tested action-driven version of “The her fighting chops brief ly in Americans.” Broughton bears “Mad Max,” is the centerpiece resemblance to Elizabeth to every on-screen brawl. Her Jennings, and the show’s moves are timed to perfection bleak, cold atmosphere and feature ample creativity, likely inf luenced Leitch. like using an enemy’s feet to And considering that “The knock someone out. Simply put, Americans”’s side plots rarely I haven’t seen a fight scene more become incomprehensible, entertaining than the one in the “Atomic Blonde” is like one long-take spiral staircase — this ongoing untidy, unnecessary sequence will be the role model side plot. Though with a for all future action movies. modest budget of $30 million — It’s believably unbelievable; this is cheap compared to other its pacing isn’t lightning fast movies of its kind — “Atomic and characters actually appear Blonde” offers everything we fatigued. By the time the scene want to see in an action movie. WILL STEWART
Thursday, August 3, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
WARPED From Page 1 really sick. Especially — I don’t know if it’s more this year than other years — I mean there’s a lot of bands that played Warped Tour like 15 years ago on this year, and more like long time punk bands — like Suicide Machines from (Detroit).” Hardy hits the nail on the head with his observation about the lineup. But he also recognizes that Warped isn’t without its hardships. From hauling gear and merchandise to and from the site each day to surviving the heat through consecutive dates, Warped requires a ton of manual labor to pull off each day. Despite these downsides — as Harding refers to Warped as a “bootcamp for bands” — he also believes that bands are able to improve as musicians on Warped. With consistent sound technicians for all the stages, Warped is certainly a far cry from the unpredictability of the club shows that the band is used to. “Here, you have the same sound guy — there’s one guy for monitors and one guy for front of house. It’s the same people every day so they get you dialed in. You have the same mix every day. You get to be able to play better because it’s good practice when you can actually hear yourself and everything,” Harding explained. Beyond all else, Harding most strongly recognizes the fan exposure new bands receive from playing Warped Tour. “I mean every band, or a lot of bands, will say something at some point in the set and be like ‘How many people are seeing us for the first time?’ and it’s at least like two-thirds of the people every time. That’s so good for all those bands. Yeah, Warped Tour is tight. We like it,” he concluded. Hardy mentions to no surprise that Boston Manor, Dance Gavin Dance and Municipal Waste as some of his favorite bands to watch on the tour, finally alluding to everyone’s favorite Warped Tour guilty pleasure: “Attila is sick. It’s like Limp Bizkit, too. I loved Limp Bizkit. It was like one of the first bands that I loved. It’s just the same mentality that I loved about Limp Bizkit,” he said. “It’s so funny walking by (Attila’s) sets carrying something when you hear the shit he’s saying, going back and forth with the
audience like ‘Suck my fuck!’ I envy him. That’d be so much fun.” You can catch Microwave’s exciting modern punk rock on Warped’s Skullcandy stage. Boston Manor Pop punk can be a fickle genre — it’s incredibly hard to stand out amongst the seemingly endless stream of pop punk bands hopping on Warped Tour. Yet, with their debut album Be Nothing., the UK’s Boston Manor have effectively raised themselves above the rest with their stellar songwriting imagery and deft pacing of tone. Truthfully, breakout single “Laika” was one of the best punk bangers of 2016. Continuing to ride the momentum of the debut album, Boston Manor are experiencing popularity at Warped on par with the likes of Knocked Loose. Guitarist Mike Cunniff told me that their sets have been full of fans both old and new, and that their set earlier in the day didn’t disappoint. “It was great man, yeah. It was pretty packed out. We had already been to Detroit before with Moose Blood and Trophy Eyes, so I think some of those fans came back to see us again — a lot of new fans as well. There was a lot of energy today so it was awesome,” he said. We also discussed the pros and cons of Warped tour compared to the last few US tours Boston Manor has done. In exchange for catered meals, bands have less mobility to explore the areas they play on Warped due to the nature of the festival. “It’s so different. Sometimes it doesn’t even really feel like you’re in the US sometimes... there’s a lot less time to explore because everywhere is sort of out in the sticks so you kind of gotta Uber if you want to go anywhere,” he said. “And we had a lot of fun touring the first two times we came here, and we got to see — a bunch of us had never been to the states before — so we got to see a bunch of really cool things like the Grand Canyon. And you stay at people’s houses as well, so you feel like you integrate a lot more into the country ‘cause I feel like that’s the best way to do it is to meet people, stay with people and share experiences. There’s a lot less of that.”
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ARTS 7
TV REVIEW
Columbia Records Tyler, the Creator awkwardly gazing
‘Ballers’ continues the party-comedy trope CONNOR GRADY Daily Arts Editor
When HBO fan favorite “Entourage” rode into the sunset in 2011, the network was left with a void in its “party-comedy” programming. No, party-comedy isn’t an actual type of show, but I’m coining the term to describe a series that centers its comedy around its obscene parties, so mark it down. HBO tried, and failed, to fill this vacancy through an “Entourage” movie spin-off four years later, but it was another show that premiered that same summer — “Ballers” — that ultimately picked up the mantle from “Entourage.” Throughout its first season, “Ballers” firmly established itself as a quality party-comedy, giving us an exciting glimpse into the sex-drugs-booze lifestyle of NFL players in Miami. Led by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (“Fast & Furious 6”), Anderson Financial Management more than embraced a work-hard-play-hard mentality. Never taking itself too seriously, “Ballers” had a strong first season that kept audiences engaged. However, the second season saw the series ratchet up its intensity through a drawn-out mentorprotégé rivalry between Johnson and Andy Garcia (“Ocean’s Eleven”). Rather than returning to its roots, “Ballers”’s latest season doubles down on its rapidlyexpanding storyline and, while
enjoyable, overextends itself at times. For “Ballers,” most of the trouble it has encountered as a show is in trying to sell Johnson’s character as a shrewd businessman, despite the fact that it goes entirely against his background that the series established in season one. In its first season, “Ballers” made a point of emphasizing Johnson’s continued financial troubles that leave him on the brink of bankruptcy. The show went out of its way to present Johnson’s struggles to convince both colleagues and players he is capable with money. After laying out this specific foundation for Johnson, “Ballers” proceeded to tear it down in season two, and continues to do so in season three at its own peril. While it’s typical for comedies to have characters that f luctuate frequently, these changes are always done in a way that doesn’t contradict a character’s essential quality or identity. “Ballers” makes this very mistake in the season three premiere, as Johnson attends a dinner hosted by casino magnate Wayne Hastings (Steve Guttenberg, “Police Academy”) and manages to woo him as a business partner. While it’s true that Johnson has improved his business acumen, it’s hard to believe he’s refined it enough to convince a financial mogul to partner with him, considering
Johnson is the same person who, although broke himself, gave a $300,000 loan to another player. If audiences can overcome its somewhat stretched storyline, “Ballers” rewards them with a wildly entertaining series. As a party-comedy, the series has consistently excelled at keeping viewers engaged and excited by focusing on its characters’ lifestyles rather than only their careers. From the supercharged Maclarens to the gorgeous yachts, “Ballers” revels in depicting the very best toys that Miami’s superstar athletes enjoy. Season three is no different, with its premiere featuring a few shots of Ricky Jerret’s (John David Washington, “Coco”) candy-apple red Ferrari roaring through the city. Outside of its entertainment value, “Ballers” provides audiences with an effective number of hilarious scenes. Rob Corddry (“Hot Tub Time Machine”) continues to be the ideal complement to Johnson’s straight man, and, when paired, they dominate the screen with their chemistry. At dinner with Hastings and Johnson, Corddry takes the entire table by shock by toasting to living in a country “where a man is presumed innocent until he is proven guilty.” Corddry’s brash, childish personality continues to crack up viewers, and the hope is that “Ballers” can keep doing the same.
8 NEWS
Thursday, August 3, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Concerns raised over cost of gubernatorial election By CARLY RYAN Daily Staff Reporter
Michigan’s gubernatorial candidates are leaning into campaign fundraising, with five declared or prospective candidates already
backed by over $1 million in finances, according to the July finance reports, which were due Tuesday. Gretchen Whitmer, former state Senate minority leader, has raised the most money in donations thus far, reporting $1,531,676. Though Whitmer has the most name
Classifieds
recognition and is backed by multiple unions and national organizations like Emily’s List, Shri Thanedar, a political newcomer, is ahead in total finances. Though Thanedar hasn’t raised nearly as much as Whitmer, he has invested $3.3 million of his own money into his campaign, after selling
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RELEASE DATE– Thursday, August 3, 2017
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
FOR RENT
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Promising location? 6 Omegas, to an electrician 10 Best Actor winner for “Ray” 14 “The Big Bang Theory” co-creator Chuck 15 Gusto 16 Tool for a landscaper 17 Posh water 18 Diva’s number 19 __ out a win 20 Forest canines 23 Island near Barbuda 24 Serve in the capacity of 28 Secretary of state before Shultz 29 “Yankee” entrée 32 Close on film 34 Prefix with hertz 35 Big name in vodka 36 Allowed 37 “Good heavens!” 40 Slippery swimmer 41 19th-century Arizona lawman 43 Sly as __ 44 Die down 46 Diver’s weapon 48 Prohibitionists 49 Sirius XM radio star 50 Coming-downwith-something feeling 53 Developing story, and what this puzzle’s circles illustrate 57 “Buzz off!” 60 Square cereal 61 Wine list heading 62 Mani mate 63 Ritz-Carlton competitor 64 First name in cosmetics 65 Rink jump 66 Vegas glower 67 “The Tower” poet DOWN 1 Prince Valiant’s wife 2 Like the singin’ Spoonful 3 Do some holiday decorating
4 Versatile horse 5 Weaseling out (on) 6 Longtime Boston Symphony maestro 7 Superman’s favorite sandwich? 8 It may be registered 9 Pole, e.g. 10 Diego Rivera works 11 Charter __: historic Hartford landmark 12 Jag to remember 13 Cancels (out) 21 Throw __ 22 Bud holder? 25 Go out in the afternoon? 26 To date 27 Fashionista’s concern 29 Evita’s married name 30 African antelope 31 Diet Coke predecessor 32 “Cagney & Lacey” co-star 33 Took off
34 Food that has an extra-firm option 38 Hang back 39 Tea named for a nobleman 42 Precook, in a way 45 Close way to win 47 Time away from the base, for short 48 Stevens of “Beauty and the Beast” (2017)
50 Recipe phrase 51 Short partner? 52 Mississippi foursome 54 Macro or micro subj. 55 Wistful words 56 Numbers game 57 Cruise ship amenity 58 Bewitch 59 Dedicated piece
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By Samuel A. Donaldson ©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
08/03/17
60 percent of his chemical testing company. A University of Michigan alum with a doctorate in chemistry, Thanedar has drawn parallels to Gov. Rick Snyder, both in having no political experience during the election and being from Ann Arbor. In the 2011 gubernatorial race, Snyder invested more than $6 million of his personal fortune. However, Thanedar’s lack of name recognition leaves him with a rather long road to travel, especially when up against front-runner Whitmer, who recently won the endorsement of University Regent Mark Bernstein (D) after he pulled out of the race. In his statement, Bernstein tasked voters with uniting behind Whitmer’s values. “A divisive and expensive Democratic primary would only distract us from this essential task,” he said. The vast expenses required to run a campaign have been a point of contention for years, across all levels of office. In the 2014 gubernatorial race, Snyder, a Republican, and Democratic challenger Mark Schauer spent a combined total of about $58.3 million, according to the Detroit Free Press. In 2006, the race between former Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Republican challenger Dick DeVos cost over $80 million. If the 14 prospective candidates don’t follow in Bernstein’s footprints and unite behind a candidate, the 2018 election is on track to be the most costly yet, setting a problematic precedent, according to rising LSA junior Amanda Delekta, vice president of internal affairs of the University’s chapter of College Republicans. “Money plays a pivotal role in campaigns on all levels in government and it is disheartening to turn an election, what should be a discourse of ideas and solutions, into which candidate can raise the most money,” she said. Additionally, Abdul El-Sayed, another University alum and democratic candidate, has been raising large sums of money, topping the $1 million mark ahead of the filing deadline. El-Sayed has been campaigning aggressively across the state in an effort to catch up to Whitmer. “Rather than establishment insiders, Michiganders want bold ideas, inspiration, energy, and fresh progressive leadership,” El-Sayed said in a statement. Neither the University’s chapter of College Republicans or College Democrats have endorsed
a candidate, though LSA junior Lauren Schandevel, public relations chair of College Democrats and a columnist for the Daily, said student involvement will be critical to the gubernatorial race. “We love being a platform for students who are a huge part of the grassroots movement,” Shandevel said. On the Republican side, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who is widely expected to receive the Republican nomination, has nearly $1.6 million he could use for his campaign, according to the Detroit Free Press, though he hasn’t announced he is running yet. Schuette received large donations from the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers PAC and the DTE Energy Co. PAC, both about $30,000 each. At the Michigan Republican Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island, Schuette addressed rumors of his campaign but still didn’t announce. “We need a jobs governor from the Republican Party in 2018,” he said. “I’m not announcing today. My focus is jobs and paychecks and education.” Likely opponent Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who also has not announced, has a $1.2 million fundraising total. Both Calley and Schuette’s term limits are up for their respective positions, and even without announcing their plans to run, have pulled far ahead of official candidates Dr. Jim Hines, an obstetrician, and Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R–Canton), one of the most conservative voices in the state legislature. Hines spent most of his campaign funds collecting the petition signatures required for nomination leaving him with little over $6,000 in funds, even after putting over $300,000 of his own money into the campaign. Colbeck, who just announced his campaign on Saturday, reported having about $23,000 in the bank. Among other Democrats vying for the nomination are William Cobbs, retired Xerox executive and U.S. Navy veteran with about $2,000 in the bank, and Southfield attorney Geoffrey Fieger, who reported a token $5 donation to his campaign in June and hasn’t closed the campaign committee he used to run as the Democratic candidate in 1998. Other Democratic candidates Justin Giroux, Kentiel White, and Clyde Darnell Lynch did not file finance reports with the Secretary of State.
Thursday, August 3, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MICHIGAN IN COLOR 9
DMO goes to DC: A love letter If you attended first year orientation at U of M between 2013 and 2017, you know Demario Longmire. You may not have had the opportunity to meet him, be graced by his soul soothing voice or held in one of his pain releasing embraces, but you remember him. Because Demario has the presence of no one you have met before. He seemed to glow on stage, emit an energy which made you feel, for a fleeting moment, that being at this school would be OK. Maybe even good. Tuesday night, I watched Demario perform at his second to last first year orientation show. Though my brief moment of being at peace with attending this university has gone, my deep love and admiration for Demario has grown every day since. I said goodbye to Demario yesterday afternoon, and wanted to jam pack everything I have ever loved about and appreciated him for in a short half hour and a journal I got him in China with cartoon pandas on it. I realized that was impossible, and also that I should try and let him know these things every day. When it comes down to it, I think one of the greatest gifts Demario has given me is a sense of belonging. His empathy permeates the world around him, and I feel as though he can build community just by walking down the street (perhaps because traveling around Ann Arbor with him is like traveling with a celebrity and we are stopped at every block). One community that Demario has worked to build is Michigan in Color, and some of us who have been able to be part of it wanted to send him off to DC with the words he taught us to dig deep for. He always emphasized that we work to share our most authentic selves in our stories, to do so boldly and unapologetically. We are so grateful that Demario was, and is, part of our stories, and we hope that we can express even an ounce of our gratitude for him. Demario, thank you everything you are and embody. You are a light! I love you, I miss you, and I’ll see you soon. --TONI WANG, 2016 CHRISTIAN PANEDA, 2017 My first encounter with Demario was during my first year at Michigan where he and other now former MiC editors interviewed me for the position of Senior Editor. I was a very insecure wreck prior to and during the interview. Even during the beginning of my MiC career, I
was still really nervous. I was very unsure of myself and thought I was brought on board as a weird stroke of luck. However, I had someone like Demario to help guide me and alleviate my fears rooted in imposter syndrome. He welcomed me with open arms my first time in the newsroom and continued to do so every single night. His humor and wit, not to mention excellent shade skills, are things to be admired. I would like to reiterate what others have been saying that Demario Longmire is an incredible human being, and I am very thankful that I had the privilege of working with him at Michigan in Color, let alone occupy the same physical space as him. People like Demario give me hope. Dear Demario, thank you for being the kind and wonderful human that you always are. You and Toni have truly inspired me to be a better advocate and all around person. If not for you, I would not be motivated to use my voice to help others, because you’ve done so for countless individuals including myself. NEEL SWAMY, 2017 Demario has been an invaluable presence throughout my time at The Michigan Daily. He is not only willing to share his experiences with other MiC Editors in an empowering way, but also demonstrates a fierce commitment for social justice, diversity and inclusion. His ability to identify the strengths of everyone he works with renders him an amazing person to be around! ADAM BRODNAX, 2017 Demario is one of those human beings who can beautifully make sense of anything. He is incredible at turning every conversation into a vulnerable shared moment where you feel you can be at home. One of the most moving moments I’ve had the honor to share is witnessing his ability to create magic spaces, particularly at Open MiC night this past winter term. He has such grace with his words and is able to fill any room with vitality and compassion. I am so grateful to have been able to share breaths with him, even with the short time we had. Demario, I wish you nothing but love and happiness wherever you go. I hope that D.C. is everything you need it to be and more. I am so humbled to be apart of something where you left an indelible mark with your words, your soul, and your magic.
AREEBA HAIDER, 2017 Demario, you are such a wonder in my life. I had heard incredible things about you before we ever even met. Every time I saw you living your life, literally just walking around campus and emitting light and sunshine and hope and happiness everywhere you went, I thought to myself, “wow, wouldn’t it be cool if we were friends?” And then a miracle happened and I met you at Espresso Royale when you were hanging out with one of my friends. You pretended to think I was funny, told great stories, and were just an incredible source of contagious enthusiasm. A week later, I interviewed to be a MiC editor, convinced more than ever that it was a space I wanted to join. Demario, your compassion, intelligence, honesty, and commitment inspire me to be a better person. Ann Arbor has been blessed with your presence, and I can’t wait to see the incredible things you create and accomplish in D.C. (I’m also going to use this opportunity to publicly ask you to please hang out with me when we are both in D.C. for the next semester so that you can’t say no. Be my friend! Continue to bless me with your presence!) ASHLEY TJHUNG, 2017 So much of my social justice journey can be attributed to Demario. When I first began at MiC, I was an anxious first-year unsure about my place in the social justice community and afraid that I did not know “enough.” Luckily, I had Demario as a guide. Every time I saw him he imparted new wisdom and knowledge in a style all his own. His love for communities of color is evident
from every interaction, and I know that wherever he goes in life he will continue to be the inspirational, positive, and abundant force that everyone at MiC had the pleasure of experiencing. JASON ROWLAND, 2017 Last weekend, I was visiting Camp Michigania when I thought I saw you from across the room. To my surprise, there was a pile of booklets with your image gracing the cover. Above your face were the words “For the Best Michigan” — and no title would have been more appropriate than that. For the past few years, you’ve worked tirelessly to make this campus a more inclusive and accepting place. When I turn on the news and get swallowed up by the negativity surrounding us, I find comfort in the fact that people like you still exist. Please keep up the fight, because it inspires us all to do the same! SARAH KHAN, 2015 When I think about Demario, the first thing that comes to mind is his voice. When Demario speaks you can feel every word travel the distance between. I’ve always marveled at how every word seems to have presence, and how even his laughter is elevated (not to mention his incredible singing abilities). I hope that as he moves from Ann Arbor his rich laughter will fill every space he’s in. I’m thankful for his companionship as we worked together, and as I was learning to come into myself. I’m grateful that MiC got to pass through Demario’s hands and get some of his magic--it, and myself, are all the better for it. Demario, I wish you nothing but
light and happiness on your next journey. Much love to you always. GABY VASQUEZ, 2015 I will always be grateful to Teresa for encouraging me to contribute and, eventually, apply to become an editor for MiC, not only because of the amazing experience it was to be a part of such a powerful space, but because of the beautiful people I ended up forming such strong connections with. Among those is, of course, Demario. Demario, a.k.a, my ray of sunshine, a.k.a, actual, pure ball of joy. Demario whose words never fail to inspire me, whose hugs never fail to lift my spirits, whose smile is legitimately contagious. Demario, you are one of the most phenomenal, talented, brilliant, genuine, kind people I have ever ever met and I’m eternally blessed to have you in my life wishing you the best luck in all that you do and I cannot wait to see you in D.C.!! ALYSSA BRANDON, 2016 Dear Demario, When I met you, I was incoming freshman at new student orientation. There I was, anxious, nervous, and afraid sitting in God-knowswhat auditorium on north campus. And, there you were, on the stage, singing that cheesy rendition of The Victors that everyone loves. So full of life. Clapping your hands. Dancing around. Looking at you and all the joy and spirit you had made all the anxieties I felt dwindle for a moment, and I could actually visualize everything being ok.
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10 SPORTS
Thursday, August 3, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Harbaugh, Michigan add two commitments with BBQ event
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh led his team’s recruiting efforts at its annual ‘BBQ at the Big House’ event, helping to earn commitments from four-star offensive guard Nolan Rumler and five-star end Stephen Herron Jr.
MARK CALCAGNO Daily Sports Writer
On Monday, four-star linebacker Cameron McGrone announced his commitment to the Michigan football program, becoming the 12th member of the Wolverines’ 2018 recruiting class. But while many recruits in that cycle have yet to made their decisions, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is already making significant progress for the following year. Harbaugh received verbal commitments from offensive tackle Nolan Rumler and defensive end Stephen Herron Jr., who became the second and third members of the now ninthranked 2019 group, according to 247Sports composite rankings. Four-star Florida linebacker Charles Thomas announced his attentions to play for the Wolverines in June. Herron — a five-star recruit from Louisville, Kent. — is the biggest win of the past week. Ranked 34th nationally and fourth among defensive ends, he chose Michigan over the
likes of Ohio State, Alabama and Tennessee. “He’s a great pickup,” said Steve Lorenz of 247Sports. “He’s what made the BBQ Weekend successful because the other two were foregone conclusions heading into the weekend. That’s a big win from a national perception in recruiting, too.” Herron is an athletic defender with a quick first step that allows him to best offensive tackles off the snap. Though functional strength is something that he’ll will have to improve upon, Lorenz said Herron is capable of delivering devastating hits. At 6’3” and 225 pounds, Herron is somewhere between college defensive ends and weakside linebackers in size, but that could work to his advantage in defensive coordinator Don Brown’s versatile schemes. For example, sophomore Carlo Kemp trained at both positions last season and Harbaugh mentioned that freshmen Kwitty Paye and Luiji Vilain could do the same during Big Ten Media Days. “This is a staff that believes in
what they teach and what they coach,” Lorenz said. “So you’ll see them take guys that I call ‘better pieces of Play Doh.’ They’re not molded yet, they’re not formed yet. But when they’re fully formed, their ceilings are higher than anybody.” Unlike Herron, Rumler — an Akron, Ohio native — has long leaned the Wolverines’ way; both his dad and grandfather are Michigan alumnus. But Rumler’s choice is still an important one for Harbaugh, who has struggled to land recruits from Ohio. The decision is an important one, as it marks the Wolverines’ sixth commitment since at offensive tackle — a position with no clear answers for the future — since 2017. Rumler will look to contribute with quick feet, aggressive hands and technical skills in run blocking and pass protecting. Though he’s already quite strong, Rumler does struggle against heavier defense ends. According to scouting reports, however, two more years of growth in high school should mitigate those
issues. Rumler and Herron are just the beginning of what could be Harbaugh’s best recruiting class at Michigan — a product of a program-high 11 players selected in the 2017 NFL Draft. “That is the year where their pro prospects really pay off,” Lorenz said. “That’s about as big of a recruiting pull now as winning a Big Ten Championship, in my opinion. These kids want to win a championship or they want the best chance to go to the NFL. Michigan is able to refine that (NFL) message more with the kids they’re just starting to recruit.” Harbaugh hopes that message will resonate with other 2019 class targets. Five stars running back Quavaris Crouch and receiver Kyle Ford both visited Ann Arbor last weekend and were impressed by the Wolverines’ presentation, per Lorenz. Crouch, who rushed for 1,224 yards and 17 touchdowns last year, is the class’s top-ranked rusher and has priority for the Wolverines his entire high school
career. That No. 1 running back distinction might cause Michigan fans’ eyes to roll. Najee Harris — 2017’s top recruit — nearly signed with the Wolverines last year but ultimately stuck with his original choice of Alabama after a long recruiting saga. But last weekend, Harbaugh “rolled out the red carpet” to ensure Crouch’s interest. “All you can do this early with a kid like that is set yourself up to be a contender in the long term,” Lorenz said. “I think they did that and maybe a little bit more.” Michigan hasn’t had a running back rush for more than 1,000 yards since Fitzgerald Toussaint did so in 2011. If Crouch commits to the Wolverines, he could be the dynamic rusher Harbaugh has missed during his Michigan tenure. “It’d be a massive pull,” Lorenz said. “Running back is the one position where they haven’t really hit that home run yet. Of any guy who visited, I’d say they’re happiest with the progress they made (with Crouch).”
Thursday, August 3, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS 11
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Wolverines head into 2017 Michigan earns commitment from 2018 with talented, deep roster four-star linebacker Cameron McGrone MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Writer
Nearly nine months after a penalty shot grazed off the post to end the Michigan women’s soccer season, they are set to retake the field as the Wolverines embark on a new season. Memories of the 2-2, 5-4 penalty kick loss against Illinois State will be long in the rear view when Michigan takes the field for its exhibition opener against West Virginia at U-M Stadium Monday. And it will have to — this team is too talented to linger in the “what ifs” of 2016. Spearheaded by a star-studded group of upperclassmen and supplanted by a solid crop of young talent, this team brims with the potential to exceed last year’s first round NCAA tournament exit — the first such appearance for the team since 2013. Michigan returns three of its top four offensive producers from a season ago, only losing forward Nicky Waldeck to graduation. Goalkeeper Sarah Jackson — who won Big Ten defensive player of the week twice last season — is also set to return between the posts for her senior campaign. Jackson posted six shutouts last season and finished fourth in the Big Ten in saves. Jackson and senior forward Ani Sarkisian will be two of the presumed leaders. In addition to being the focal point of the Michigan attack, Sarkisian has already received the nod as a team captain for the second consecutive season. Losing Waldeck, the team’s leading goal scorer a year ago, will place much of the goal-scoring onus on Sarkisian, who scored six goals last season and was named to the second team all-Big Ten in her own right. But Sarkisian won’t be short on help up top. Lost to a knee injury for all of 2016, redshirt junior forward Taylor Timko makes her triumphant return, and will likely assume a starting role. The Rochester Hills native netted seven goals and started 18 games two years ago as a sophomore. There were positives to be taken away from last season’s heartbreaking NCAA tournament loss. At the top of that list? The
emergence of centerback Jada Dayne. Dayne showed a flare for the dramatic when she netted a secondhalf equalizer in the tournament game, and displayed an ability as a dominant centerback at times last season. Dayne started all 19 games last season as a freshman for the Wolverines and will undoubtedly be counted upon to anchor a backline that lacks experience. But what it lacks in experience it makes up for in talent. Alongside Dayne, the team expects to get redshirt sophomore Sura Yekka back, after the Canadian international spent the 2016 season preparing for the U-20 World Cup for her country. Yekka played in all 21 games in her first season with the program two seasons ago and was named to the all-Big Ten freshman team. Senior defender Alyssa Dillon — a team captain — will likely compete for a starting spot despite playing in just 17 games in her three seasons with the program. Dillon did, however, see an uptick in her playing time last season, playing in 10 games as a substitute. But the engine of this team — as it was a year ago — will run through the midfield. A year after leading the team in points with 24, junior Reilly Martin returns as one of the premier players in the conference. Her 10 assists last season were good for a tie atop the Big Ten. Combined with junior Abby Kastroll, the two make up one of the most talented midfield tandems in the country, sure to give the Big Ten defenses fits. Given their pace and creativity, both Martin and Kastroll figure to be potential first team all-Big Ten players in 2017. Meanwhile, incoming freshman midfielder Alia Martin has a chance to make an impact from day one. Martin is ranked No. 36 overall in the 2017 recruiting class by Top Drawer Soccer. In total, the team welcomes 11 freshmen as it replenishes the roster after losing seven seniors to graduation a year ago. If Michigan coach Greg Ryan is able to find a stable backline to complement the plethora of attacking options, this figures to be the most talented Wolverines team in several years. They head into 2017 unquestionably as one of favorites in a competitive Big Ten.
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
John Beilein had to replace two members of his staff this offseason after Billy Donlon and Jeff Meyer took jobs elsewhere.
MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Writer
The string of commitments for Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff continued Monday, as fourstar linebacker Cameron McGrone announced his intention to play for the Wolverines. McGrone is the 14th ranked outside linebacker in the 2018 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He becomes the 12th commit in Michigan’s 2018 class thus far, in what is widely expected to be a smaller class, given the larger classes the Wolverines took in 2016 and 2017. 247Sports, however, actually ranks McGrone as the 40th best player in country in their own (non-composite) rankings, far and away his highest ranking among any of the major outlets. McGrone held offers from a plethora of other Big Ten schools in addition to other high-majors, including Notre Dame and Tennessee, before ultimately choosing Michigan. He is known as a speedy, athletic linebacker who should fit well into
defensive coordinator Don Brown’s blitz-heavy scheme. Brown appears to have been a major factor in McGrone’s decision. “Coach Brown, his knowledge of the game is so great,” McGrone told Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports. “When I got the offer, I sat down and watched film with him and he showed me exactly how I was going to play in the defense and I was able to visualize myself at the MIKE position.” In six games in his junior season, McGrone totaled 52 total tackles including 15.5 tackles for loss. Last season, the Wolverines’ defense finished second in the nation with 121 total tackles for loss. His commitment comes over ten months after McGrone tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his team’s regular season finale, though he has worked out in several events since then and attended the Michigan football barbeque at the Big House this past week. His rebound appears to be proceeding on schedule.
McGrone is known as a speedy, athletic linebacker.
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12 SPORTS
Thursday, August 3, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wolverines nab another commitment
Report: Michigan adds two former Illinois State assistants to staff
Sammy Faustin, a three-star defensive back, announced his decision on Twitter MARK CALCAGNO Daily Sports Writer
Just two days after pulling four-star linebacker Cameron McGrone, the Michigan football team has received another commitment for his 2018 recruiting class. Three-star Naples, Fla. cornerback Sammy Faustin announced his commitment Wednesday afternoon, becoming the thirteenth recruit to join the Wolverines’ 2018 recruiting class. Though he’s ranked just 78th amongst cornerbacks and No. 870 nationally, Faustin has long-been on Michigan’s eye and was impressed with the team’s annual BBQ recruiting event last weekend, according to Steve Lorenz of 247Sports. “He’s a guy who (defensive coordinator) Don Brown absolutely loves — a guy the staff has been fighting for
a lot,” Lorenz said. “There are other defensive backs Michigan is still recruiting, but Brown is a big advocate for this kid.” ESPN describes him as a “versatile defender who can play outside and projects as a free safety” because of “ball skills” but needs to improve on his “strength in his tackling and consistency of footwork.” Per MaxPreps, Faustin made 39 tackles with an interception and two forced fumbles last season. And at 6’2” and 170 pounds, Faustin has the type of frame that Brown looks for from members of his defensive backfield. Faustin — who has offers from over 20 schools — is the Wolverines’ fourth commitment from a 2018 conerback, joining four-stars Myles Sims and Germon Green and three-star Gemon Green.
“He’s a guy who Don Brown absolutly loves.”
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Don Brown was the primary recruiter for Faustin, a rangy defensive back.
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
John Beilein had to replace two members of his staff this offseason after Billy Donlon and Jeff Meyer took jobs elsewhere.
MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan basketball team appears to have filled two vacant assistant coaching positions this past week — and both hires are from the same school. As first reported by Josh Henschke of The Michigan Insider and Brendan Quinn of The Athletic, Luke Yaklich and Deandre Haynes will both be making the move to Michigan from Illinois State. They are set to replace Billy Donlon and Jeff Meyer, who departed the program this offseason for jobs at Northwestern and Butler, respectively. The school has yet to confirm either hire. As an associate head coach this past season, Yaklich comes to the Wolverines fresh off a recordbreaking season with the Redbirds in which the team set a program record with 28 total wins. Yaklich spent over 10 years as a head coach at the high school and AAU levels before joining the Illinois State staff in 2013 as an assistant. Of note, the Illinois State website frequently attributes the team’s recent success in the classroom — the Redbirds set a program record for GPA last season — to Yaklich, noting that he was in charge of academics with the team. In addition, his ties to the AAU circuit make him a viable
recruiter and should help replace the void left by Donlon and Meyer on the trail. Unlike Yaklich, Haynes actually never coached for Illinois State, spending a mere two months with the program. Haynes most recently coached as an assistant at Toledo for one season after beginning his coaching career at Kent State. With ties to the Michigan area — Haynes grew up in Detroit and played at Southwestern High School — he should provide a boost in the evercompetitive in-state recruiting battles. Both Yaklich and Haynes fit the mold of the type of hires Michigan coach John Beilein makes. They’re both relatively young and played basketball collegiately — both which seem to be prerequisites to becoming an assistant coach under Beilein. Entering the season, one of the major storylines will be whether or not the Wolverines can replicate their defensive improvements from a year ago. Donlon, brought in a year ago to shore up one of the worst defenses in the league, helped lead Michigan to the third-best scoring defense in the Big Ten last season. Yaklich comes to Michigan with a defensive background, having guided the Redbirds to the sixth best opponent effective field goal percentage (a metric adjusted to
account for the value of three-point attempts) in the nation. With Donlon gone, and DJ Wilson and Zak Irvin off to the NBA, Yaklich in particular could be tasked with maintaining the Wolverines’ defensive competence. Hiring fresh staff is nothing new for Beilein. He has had to replace two assistants each of the past two offseasons. Meyer, in fact, will be joining the staff of former Wolverines assistant Lavall Jordan at Butler. The high rate of staff turnover comes with its positives and negatives. Bringing in new assistants each year forces an inevitable transition period as the players and coaches become acquainted with each other and the systems they are implementing. Having a volatile coaching staff also can make recruiting more difficult — though that risk is minimized as long as Beilein remains head coach. But when the younger assistants leave Michigan it tends to be for head coaching jobs or higher-profile gigs. This, in turn, makes Michigan an attractive destination for coaches looking for a launching pad to bigger jobs; an allure to good, young coaches even beyond Michigan’s natural appeal. After the month-long search, the two hires have filled the coaching staff for the upcoming season.