2017-09-08 by The Michigan Daily

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Friday, September 8, 2017

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One final year

Last season, Mason Cole could have left for the NFL Draft. Instead, he’s taking the field as the Wolverines’ captain in its home opener.

» Page 1B

New provost emphasizes dedication to academics Martin Philbert expresses gratitude to Schlissel, administration for position MATT HARMON Daily Staff Reporter

DESIGN BY JACK SILBERMAN

Betsy DeVos announces new DOE process to address sexual assault RIYAH BASHA Daily News Editor

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced Thursday afternoon the Department of Education will replace what she called a “failed” system of addressing sexual misconduct on campus with a new focus on due process

and the rights of accused students. Some cheered the change of course on enforcing Title IX, but many — including sexual assault survivors and advocates at the University of Michigan — read Thursday’s announcement as a rollback of Obama-era guidelines, with no clear plan of action in sight. In a speech at George Mason University, DeVos railed

against “kangaroo courts,” or the complex legal processes many universities have in place to redress reports of sexual misconduct. All parties — but especially accused students, she said — experience violations of their due process rights during investigations. “The notion that a school must diminish due process rights to better serve the ‘victim’ only

creates more victims,” she said. “Any perceived offense can become a full-blown Title IX investigation. But if everything is harassment, then nothing is.” Under former President Barack Obama, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights wielded Title IX to pressure campus administrations into See TITLE IX, Page 3A

Martin Philbert, new University of Michigan provost, thanked University President Mark Schlissel and the provost team for his position and spoke on the importance of academia on a national scale at his hiring reception in the Michigan League Thursday afternoon. About 75 students and faculty members attended the reception and address. The University has been without a permanent provost since former Provost Martha Pollack was appointed the 14th president of Cornell University last spring. Between Pollack’s departure and Philbert’s hiring, Public Policy Prof. Paul Courant

acted as interim provost. Philbert has served as dean of the School of Public Health since 2011 before becoming provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. In his opening remarks, President Schlissel described the provost position as one of great significance at the University, since the provost presides over all academic initiatives and oversees the University’s budget. “The beauty and the challenge and the importance of the provost position is it sees the whole playing field,” Schlissel said. “The value of being able to see that whole playing field and make good decisions in a world where resources are always limited, putting the right people together, making the right See PROVOST, Page 3A

New student veteran initiatives aim to ‘U’ begins Director new Peace increase support, resources on campus for SAPAC

ACADEMICS

Corps prep initiative International Center to offer preparation courses in cultural competence MAYA GOLDMAN Daily Staff Reporter

When LSA sophomore Leah Weinstein entered college last year, like many, she didn’t know exactly what she wanted to do after graduation. She knew she wanted to work abroad in some capacity, but it wasn’t until later in the year that the Peace Corps became a real option in her mind. “I always knew what it was but I met a few people who had done or were going to do it and it just kind of became more prevalent to me as an option,” Weinstein said. “I’m interested in human rights and women’s health and so I would love to work abroad teaching English or in a community center or something like that, and the Peace Corps allows you to (do that).” Weinstein is certainly not the only University of Michigan student to express interest in the program. Since former President John F. Kennedy See CORPS, Page 3A

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BUSINESS

Faculty, Peer Advisors for Veteran Education present opportunities for engagement AMARA SHAIKH Daily Staff Reporter

Student veterans attended orientation in the Pond room of the Michigan Union Thursday evening and learned about the various resources and initiatives to support them on campus. The orientation was led by Psychology Lecturer Eric Fretz, Philip Larson, program director for the Student Veterans Assistance Program, and members of the Peer Advisors for Veteran Education. The incoming students had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with various community members and programs dedicated to ensuring their success — specifically Fretz’s Veteran Success course. Fretz combined his background in education and military service and collaborated with Larson and others to develop a series of modules intended to teach student veterans necessary skills, such as study strategies, financial tips and health and safety guidelines. He emphasized the importance of his modules and explained how learning these skills at young age can help prepare for the future. “I already taught a Learning

How to Learn course for psychology and of course the vets need it as much as any other incoming first year, so I started taking chunks of that and delivering it to them at the meeting,” Fretz said. “I also have a large, self-taught background with finance, and I’ve learned a lot of lessons

the hard way and I figured this could be used to clarify to people that you can have a secure retirement--you have to know about it and start early, but most people don’t know about it and don’t start early.” The Veteran Success course has been praised

not only because of its straightforwardness but also because of Fretz’s ability to connect with the student veterans. Larson himself applauded Fretz for his no-nonsense and relatable tone. “I think he relates well See VETERAN, Page 3A

RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/DAILY Dr. Eric Fretz presents to students at the New Student Veteran Initiatives in the Michigan Union on Thursday.

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INDEX

to start this October

Kaaren Williamsen set to replace interim director, Nadia Brazzy RIYAH BASHA Daily News Editor

The University of Michigan Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center named Kaaren Williamsen its permanent director, according to an email sent by E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, to her office Thursday afternoon. Williamsen will head the office beginning Oct. 23, replacing interim director Nadia Bazzy. Bazzy has been in office for little over six months — since March 3 — after the departure of longtime director Holly Rider-Milkovich for a senior position at EverFi, an educational technology innovator firm. Both RiderMilkovich and her successor have worked with EverFi; Williamsen served on EverFi’s national Sexual Assault Advisory Council in 2016, in addition to roles with the American College Personnel Association Presidential Task See SAPAC, Page 3A

NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6

SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................7

News

2A — Friday, September 8, 2017

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FRIDAY’S BICENTENNIAL FEATURE: GOIN’ NUTS Every Friday, the Michigan Daily will be republishing an article from the Daily’s archives from a moment in University history. This week’s is from September 23, 1979 by Maynard Slezgo. SEPT 23, 1979— “NEVER ARE PEOPLE so tall as when they stoop to feed a squirrel.” Ambrose Fleming is proud of that motto, which graces the doorway of his treetop condominium near the East Engineering building. It took Fleming two years to chew each letter into the bark with his own pointy teeth. “A lot of squirrels these days think we older squirrels sell out when we accept hand-outs from students on the Diag. It’s just not true,” explains Fleming, beating his tiny forpaws on the ground. “We entertain the students by being cute and furry, and they pay us with food. It’s simply a question of free enterprise. It’s been going on for years, and now we are a stronger species than ever.” The statistics bear out Fleming’s words. More than 400 of the brown and gray rodents are expected to inhabit the Diag this fall. Scurrying over sidewalks, scampering down trees, dodging cars on. E. University Ave., squirrels are as important a part of Ann Arbor lore as Shakey Jake and his famous rasp. And yet, who are the squirrels, these funny, furry freeloaders who would take a walnut right from your hand, and maybe your index finger with it? And what, exactly, do they want? “Housing and education, that’s what,” snaps Dorothy Jakuboski,

leader of the Squirrels Unite Now (SUN). “Sure, they talk about walnuts and acorns, but they won’t let us into the libraries. They say we’ll chew up the books and leave droppings in the carrels, but is that so much different than what humans do?” Ann Arbor’s squirrel population has swelled along with increasing student numbers during the past 15 years. Growth has been slow but steady, and has put the Diag housing market on the endangered species list. Most Diag trees house 20 squirrels per year, with a turnover rate that would make any landlord shudder. Moreover, the trees must be shared with birds – nearby nests lower property values by an estimated 20 per cent – and bugs. “The housing is atrocious on the Diag,” complains Jakuboski. “While the Diag is near the student and restaurant garbage bins, it’s a ghetto – the Squirrel Ghetto. The older squirrels are established on the top limbs, but we younger ones have to suffer next to those birds.” Many younger squirrels, however, claim they neither need nor want human assistance, and that conservative elders such as Fleming would be better off as “jelly beneath someone’s radials.”’ BEYOND THE LIBERAL SUN members are terrorist squirrels, including Lance Frye and a de-tailed radical who would be identified only as Frank. “Homo sapiens are morons,” Frank states flatly. “Especially first year students. They never realize they’re taking their lives into their

hands when they offer one of us food.” He pulls back his, whiskers and bares his shiny incisors. “These babies will liberate us,” he seethes, clacking his teeth rapidly up and down. “My plan is to steal one of those frisbees someday and take it up to a tree and tear it to shreds,” Frye boasts. “That’ll get those humans – and their little dogs, too!” Squirrels complain that their cancer rate has skyrocketed since they started accepting hand-outs of white bread, Fritos, and Jujubes. But hunger is an oppression not easily reckoned with,. and the majority of squirrels will eat whatever they can find. “Oh, yes, we eat hand-outs,” says Hedda Buttrey, a delicate mother of 30 who describes herself as “remarkably normal.” She adds, “We’ll take a few chips or something from those people carrying books, or even bits of sandwhiches from those dirty teenagers who always drink that cooking wine. But we’re not afraid to dig for acorns when we have to. We’re proud, but practical.” Buttrey claims that the worst aspect of campus life is the annual spring Hash Bash. “I lost three sons last year,” she sniffles, her nose a-quiver. “One was trampled by a greasy high school boy in a leather jacket, another was hit by a van, and the youngest was mauled by a dog someone shoved onto our tree.” Dog attacks, in fact, are the leading cause of death among

squirrels, second only to automobile tires. “The day they forgot about leash laws was the day I had to give up my freedom,” Buttrey says bitterly. “There was a brief protest with the ‘Kill the Canines’ movement in the late sixties, but most of the protestors ended up torn to shreds, buried in some dog’s backyard storage hole.” Another squirrel, who refused to be identified, asked about the current digs of Ann Arbor’s garbage can preacher, Dr. Diag. “That guy was the voice of the squirrels,” says the squirrel. “We learned the Greek alphabet, some Shakespeare, and a lot about politics. Now we hear he’s gone. Shakey Jakes? Shakey Jake! We can’t even understand the dude!” With winter creeping ever closer, the Diag squirrels are anticipating a rough season. “It’s a good time to mate,” Ambrose Fleming observes philosophically. “Otherwise, we just hibernate.” “And tell all those people they can feed me anytime they want,” Fleming implores. “I won’t bite. How could someone as cute as me bite anyone?”

Univ. of Michigan @UMich Women students created the Quadrantic Circle in 1872, first W-M women’s organization and forerunner of #MLeague and sororities. Ari @AarelCalhoun @ UMich: it would be so nice if my classrooms were warmer than 15 degrees. Please adjust temps thank you. Stuart Campbell @RhizAbovelt Amazon HQ2 prediction: DETROIT - Lower overhead, big airport, LOTS of open space, regrowth, VC, @ UMich 7th ranked for startup grads, etc.

CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Festifall

UMMA After Hours

WHAT: A free community event to browse this season’s special exhibitions, listen to curators talk about the art, and swing to the beats of an award-winning Cuban jazz band. WHO: UMMA WHEN: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. WHERE: UMMA

WHAT: Excited to join a student organization but don’t know which one to? Festifall brings together more than 500 student orgs and departments so you’ll be sure to find one that’s right for you. WHO: Center for Campus Involvement WHEN: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Diag

Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9 Performance WHAT: Join retro-futurist brass man Steven Bernstein and New Orleans piano vitruso Henry Butler for UMS’s season opening event. Tickets on sale at UMS’s website. WHO: UMS WHEN: 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. WHERE: Downtown Home & Garden and Bill’s Beer Garden

WHAT: The first official UMix of the year for those looking for a sober way to have fun on Friday nights. Free food, prizes, activities, film screening and more. MCard required for entry. WHO: Center for Campus Involvement WHEN: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. WHERE: Michigan Union

University of Michigan paleontologists are investigating a construction site in Byron Township, Michigan, after workers excavated the fossils of what appeared to be a giant prehistoric mammal Aug. 31. According to the Associated Press, University researchers identified the remains as bones from a mastodon. Eagle Creek Homes, the homebuilding company developing the site where the bones were found, contacted Prof. Dan Fisher, director of the Museum of Paleontolog y. Fisher wrote in an interview

the bones are relatively well preserved, and appear to be from an adult female specimen. At this moment, University researchers have excavated part of the lower jaw, part of the skull, some limb bones, part of the pelvis and some neck vertebrae. Mastodons roamed throughout the North American landmass until their extinction 10,000 to 11,000 years ago. Mastodon and mammoth discoveries are not uncommon in the state of Michigan; Fisher estimates two to three discoveries are made in the state each year. In October 2015, another mastodon fossil was discovered in Chelsea, Mich. in a soybean field. The

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skeleton was later donated

The Museum of Paleontology, as organized currently, does not itself have a public exhibit area for recent finds. This may work differently when we move into the new Biological Science Building

in other news I just touched a book that was sold at teh original borders book store in ann arbor, MI???? this week just gets weirder

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University paleontologists investigate fossils which were first discovered in August ISHI MORI

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to the University to be studied and later put on display. Eagle Creek Homes currently holds five large pieces of the mastodon skeleton, as well as a few smaller pieces. Fisher said the fossil’s fate is currently unknown. He explained the fossil first needs to be preserved, cleaned and dried. The owner may then choose to keep it local or donate it to the University. However, it may be a while before students can view the bones. “The Museum of Paleontolog y, as organized currently, does not itself have a public exhibit area for recent finds,” Fisher wrote. “This may work differently when we move into the new Biological Science Building during the course of next year.”

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The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University OF Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for September-April are $225 and year long subscriptions are $250. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.

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TITLE IX From Page 1A “immediate action” upon notice of harassment at the expense of receiving federal funding. To date, the OCR has conducted 435 investigations into colleges’ mishandling of sexual assault; the University’s case opened in 2014 and remains pending. Upon DeVos’ appointment under President Donald Trump, many braced for a dismantling of stringent guidelines. Jennifer Salvatore, founding partner at Salvatore, Prescott and Porter law firm, noted an unfortuate lack of surprise at the announcement. “It’s disappointing but not surprising to see this administration roll back these guidelines,” Salvatore said. “The 2011 Dear Colleague letter helped provide guidance to universities in an important area and put renewed focus on the very real problem of sexual assault on campus.

VETERAN From Page 1A because he’s a veteran and he speaks the language,” Larson said. “He related to them very well so stuff he says resonates with them and he really tries to go where they are…it’s right what they need to hear.” Fretz agreed, and explained how he initially intended to train other individuals to teach the course, but realized what an impact his own experience and background would have on his students. “A lot of the course rests heavily on my style because I am an officer, but I can act enlisted, I can get by easily because I have the experience and degrees to back it up,” Fretz said. “For all the stuff in the course it’s hard to take the modules and hand it over to a well-meaning professor because…can you go to another university can you find someone who is a really proficient trainer and educator but is that person also a senior military person with all these deployments? Probably not.” LSA junior Alex Downs was one of the student veterans present at the orientation. Downs is excited to begin his time at University as a transfer junior after serving six years in the U.S. Air Force. “I always wanted to go here when I was a kid — I had all the merch — I was only going

SAPAC From Page 1A Force on Sexual Violence Prevention in Higher Education and Skidmore College’s Campus Promoting Restorative Initiatives for Sexual Misconduct as chair. Harper cited Williamsen’s previous position as the Title IX coordinator at Swarthmore College and Title IX deputy coordinator for Prevention at Carleton College. “Dr. Williamsen brings to this role many years of experience in sexual misconduct prevention, education and response efforts,” Harper wrote. “She is also a leader in the field’s

CORPS From Page 1A announced the idea for the Peace Corps on the steps of the Michigan Union in 1960, over 2,500 University students have participated. Starting this year, the University’s International Center is launching a program to involve even more University students in the Peace Corps. “The Peace Corps Prep program will provide students with a foundation for Peace Corps service and other international opportunities by offering courses and activities in four core areas: language, intercultural competence, leadership and work sector,” according to a University press release from the International

There has been a sea change in the last ten years in terms of how campuses address sexual assault. and while the processes put in place by colleges are not always perfect, the rollback of guidance that clarified necessary protections for victims is not the solution.” University alum Fabiana Diaz, an advocate and survivor herself, met with DeVos over the summer as a part of a summit on sexual assault. She said she voiced her concern about survivors taking on the “burden” of advocacy work, and pled with DeVos to preserve Title IX protections. Diaz said she believed DeVos alluded to her remarks in her speech. “A survivor told me that she is tired of feeling like the burden of ensuring her school addresses Title IX falls on her shoulders,” DeVos said. “She is right. The burden is not hers, nor is it any student’s burden.” Still, Diaz said, she was perplexed by the mixed

News messages in the announcement. “(DeVos) told me she heard me that day … and I do feel like she came with a little bit more compassion today,” she said. “But she still made it sound like a 50/50 issue of accusers’ rights being violated, when in reality, survivors are much more vulnerable. I still don’t know what my rights were in my investigation.” Diaz’s case was adjudicated at the University before the wave of activism on campus around sexual assault awareness. Following the Dear Colleague letter, a highprofile case involving a former football player and protests, the University conducted its own campus climate survey in 2015 under University President Mark Schlissel: 11 percent of all students reported experiencing non-consensual sexual behavior. The Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Center spearheaded a push for more trainings on bystander intervention and consent. And

to apply to two other schools beside this one, but I figured there is no point because if I get accepted here I’m going to go straight here,” Downs said. Downs is specifically looking forward to embracing the academic rigor at the University. “I’m ready for the challenge honestly, community college was kind of like a walk in the street,” Downs said. “I could breeze by pretty easily but the last couple days have shown me that the stuff here is a lot more difficult and there is a lot more of it so I’m pretty happy about the level of academic challenge.” In addition to Fretz’s course, another major resource to help student veterans with the academic challenge as well as the adjustment to campus life is PAVE. The goal of the program is to provide student veterans with peer advisors, often student veterans already on campus, who can offer support and guidance during their time at the University. PAVE was established by both the University of Michigan Depression Center as well as the Department of Psychiatry and Student Veterans of America. Dylan Keyes, a peer advisor for PAVE, describes the importance of student veterans having mentors to whom they can relate. “It’s really having someone we feel like we can connect

with. It was mentioned yesterday at a different meeting, and we tell vets that if you look around and you see people and you don’t feel like you have anything in common — you probably don’t,” Keyes said. “You have a lot of vets that come in with a lot of other baggage, and it’s really having someone else there who supports them because we are a little more relatable just having that common bond from the past.” With the support of PAVE, the lessons from the Veteran Success course and other resources on campus such as the Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership, Fretz is pleased with the effort that the University has gone through to support student veterans. “Michigan really puts their money where their mouth is,” Fretz said. Larson hopes the Veteran Success course as well as all the other campus efforts provide student veterans with a pathway for success not only at the University, but also in their life after graduation. “When they get this University of Michigan college degree they take a big step up on the social economic ladder. It’s that Spiderman line, ‘With great power comes great responsibility’,” Larson said. “So we say, ‘You’re going to have this kind of power with the Michigan degree, how are you going to use that again for good?’”

national conversation.” Williamsen’s experience with federal enforcement is increasingly relevant, as U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced a change of course in campus sexual assault regulations Thursday afternoon. Under the Obama administration, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights wielded Title IX to pressure schools into more stringent investigations of sexual misconduct complaints. Since 2014, the University has been one of about 240 schools across the country undergoing OCR investigation for mishandling students’ cases. Swarthmore was also under investigation during Williamsen’s tenure

after students filed federal complaints against the university’s sexual assault policies. “These new (Title IX coordinator) jobs are really not just about compliance anymore, (but also campus climate),” Williamsen told the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2014. In an email to SAPAC staff and volunteers, Bazzy thanked her team for their support. “Thank you all for your amazing work to continue to support our survivor community and provide preventive education to our campus,” she wrote. “It is because of all of you that we are able to continue to do good work.”

Center. According to Kelly Nelson, senior program manager for Global Engagement and Education Abroad, the Peace Corps Prep Program is an initiative to give students a competitive edge when applying to the Peace Corps. “Through the Peace Corps Prep program, we hope to help guide students who have interest in global service, such as the Peace Corps, to activities inside and outside of the classroom that will help to prepare them for these experiences,” Nelson wrote in an email interview. International Center Director Judith Pennywell said in the press release the program, which is already in place at many universities around the

country, will create more structure for students who are interested in the Peace Corps. “The program’s role is to create a structured pathway for students by combining specific U-M courses and co-curricular experiences to build competencies Peace Corps has identified to be valuable,” Pennywell wrote. All students with sophomore standing or above are eligible to apply, and once accepted, students will take classes within the four areas — language, intercultural competence, leadership and work sector — to earn a Peace Corps-endorsed certificate. “As part of the program, students will complete two semesters of language courses, take three intercultural

after a lengthy — and public — revision process, the University released an updated sexual misconduct policy last summer. Much of the new policy attempted to redress the concerns of unfairness DeVos raised in her speech: witnesses’ information is now disclosed to both parties in an investigation; the definition of consent is much clearer; and an independent, expert external reviewer each investigation; respondents and claimants are now able to appeal to an external, third-party reviewer if they take issue with the findings. Deborah Gordon is a Michigan-based attorney who has represented a number of accused University students — including a controversial John Doe case that made it to a federal court last winter — and alleged the University’s updates still don’t do enough to ensure due process. Still, however, she noted the University’s internal processes, pacing with trends in other federal policies like the travel ban — are unlikely to be significantly affected by changes at OCR. “The University drank the Kool-Aid on sexual assault,” she said. “They’ll still operate under the cover of ‘Dear Colleague’ to pursue these investigations.” University spokeswoman Kim Broekhuizen wrote in an email statement the University remains committed to making campus “as safe as possible.” “At this time, we will continue to follow our current policies and procedures for addressing matters of sexual misconduct on our campus,” she wrote. “We will be following the rule making process closely.” More troubling to sexual assault advocates was the ambiguity of DeVos’ speech as to next steps for DOE and the OCR. DeVos suggested alternative measures such as regional Title IX investigation centers or task forces of lawyers, but introduced no concrete policy initiative.

PROVOST From Page 1A proactive investments, the right capital decisions, a lot of our shared success, the provost has a very large component of.” Schlissel went on to outline the search process for a new provost but, in the end, said Philbert was always the obvious choice. “We actually did an open search,” he said. “I had no preconceived notion, although everybody was coming up to me with a little whisper ‘You know you should really just hire Martin’ … We did a proper search and we actually looked at outstanding candidates … The best talent and the best fit for the University of Michigan was already here in Martin.” Philbert said in his remarks he wants to put academia on the forefront of national investment in the coming years, especially with regard to the Trump’s proposed $9.2 billion budget cuts to education back in May. “It is an important time for us in academia,” Philbert said. “This is the time when the value of what we do, no matter the field, no matter the

competence courses, three work sector-related courses, one leadership activity, and complete

Our goal is to attract a diverse, committed cadre of students who are passionate about global service 50 hours of field experience in a Peace Corps work sector,” the

Friday, September 8, 2017 — 3A Rackham student Nicole Bedera researches colleges’ interpretations of Title IX across the country, and expressed concern about the implications of DeVos’ lack of clarity. “It is hard to know exactly what the impact of DeVos’ statements will be,” she wrote in an email interview. “What is clear is that DeVos’ main focus moving forward appears to be the protection of students accused of sexual misconduct — and particularly those who have been falsely accused. Considering the empirical data we have on the rarity of false allegations of sexual assault, this is a misguided approach to take.” Most methodical studies of sexual assault place false reporting statistics from 2-8

You can’t pick and choose who you give due process to, and I’m happy someone’s finally talking about due process percent of all reports of sexual misconduct. Bedera wrote DeVos’ misinterpretations could irreparably damage survivors’ claims. “In all likelihood, it suggests DeVos’ misunderstanding of what constitutes sexual assault and that could have very real and very harmful implications for survivors on campus,” she concluded. Many experts agree both red tape and broad definitions of harassment in campus sexual misconduct policies can threaten due process rights; a group of researchers from the Harvard Law School submitted a memo to DOE earlier this month urging the department

to reevaluate “Dear Colleague” directives as such. Gordon added many processes rush to assume the accused student’s guilt. “You can’t pick and choose who you give due process to, and I’m happy someone’s finally talking about due process … even if it is Betsy DeVos,” she said. Still, statements from various actors signal a steady course in the University’s own proceedings. SAPAC released a statement Thursday affirming its commitment to the campus community. Diaz, a former SAPAC volunteer, said she’s hopeful about the University’s positive trajectory in protecting survivors’ rights. “I’m proud of the way (the University) has stepped up, and we have to set the example,” she said. “We definitely have Brock Turners on our campus. I challenge the University to stand with survivors.” Diaz went on to recount her own sexual assault during the Summer Bridge Scholars program before her freshman year. “I got raped on my second day on this campus and these freshmen are just stepping foot onto (it),” she said. Despite the University’s concerted efforts, she warned of the consequences of topdown messaging from DOE on individuals’ perception of safety within the system. As of the 2015 survey, just 3.6 percent of students who experienced nonconsensual behavior reported to an official University resource. “It’s already happening. And the process already isn’t easy for a survivor. I would not be surprised if reporting rates go down… it’s an awful message the beginning of the semester for students to hear,” she reflected. But like other student advocates and protesters signaled Thursday, she said she’s not giving up. “It gives me rage and motivation to keep on fighting,” she said.

discipline or subdiscipline, truly matters in that we must now model to the nation both locally, regionally, nationally and across the globe, what it means to be driven by the analytic mind, by critical thought and by evidence.” LSA senior Jad Elharake said he is optimistic about Philbert’s hire and the impact his new perspective will have on the student body. Elharake has been working for the past eight months to add a Middle Eastern/North African category as an ethnicity option to all University documents and forms. He had been working with Courant prior to Philbert’s hire and said in preliminary meetings, Philbert has been open to Elharake’s ideas. “I think it’s a critical time here for Michigan, especially politically, globally and I’m just looking forward to the role that he’s going to play for students on campus,” Elharake said. “He’s kind of the go-to person when it comes to (this ethnicity addition) especially with figuring out the logistics of it and in reality, us educating him on the Middle Eastern/North African student population here at Michigan.”

Business sophomore Vin Kannan is the head of grants for Music Matters, an organization that promotes music marketing ventures and social change through music in Ann Arbor. He said the relationship between Philbert and Music Matters is aligned through their dedication to diversity and inclusion at the University. He also said Philbert’s comments on national academia relate to the University’s emphasis on real-world application. “He seemed like he wanted to take pure academia and apply it to the world around us,” Kannan said. “Music Matters really embodies this sentiment by taking an entrepreneurial idea … and applying it to the real world and I think that that sort of action-orientated spirit is really my biggest takeaway from the new provost.” Going forward, Philbert said his initiatives will take the University’s current budget into account and ref lect its overall academic and moral goals. “I’m certainly fully supportive of the president’s initiatives and we will make investments as we can to advance the mission of the University,” Philbert said.

press release stated. Though the program is tailored toward the Peace Corps, Nelson emphasized it teaches valuable skills for many careers and opportunities. “Fulfilling the curricular and co-curricular requirements of the Peace Corps Prep Program is excellent preparation for numerous post-grad opportunities,” Nelson wrote. “I would also add that this program is especially valuable for students who are interested in the Peace Corps, but aren’t really sure how to go about preparing for it. The ‘road map’ nature of this program takes some of the guesswork out of it and will hopefully make the Peace Corps an option for even more students at the University of Michigan.” The International Center

hopes many students will benefit from program in its inaugural year. “Our goal is to attract a diverse, committed cadre of students who are passionate about global service,” Nelson wrote. “Because this will be our first year administering the program, we’re also looking forward to continuing to reflect on the program.” The program is holding information sessions Sept. 15, 18 and 30, but it’s already attracting students. Weinstein, who is a Peace Corps Ambassador on campus this semester, said she would definitely consider participating. “It seems interesting,” she said. “Anything that sets you up to be more successful in your application is helpful.”

Opinion

4 — Friday, September 8, 2017

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BRETT GRAHAM | COLUMN

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JOSIE TOLIN | COLUMN

Hurry up and wait

avid Foster Wallace’s short story anthology, “Girl with Curious Hair,” rested beneath my sunburnt face as I lay bellydown beneath a volleyball net at the School for Field Studies in Rhotia, Tanzania. Here, even amid the shrieks emitted from the studentsversus-staff soccer game the next field over, I was met with a rather unfamiliar sensation: the ability to effortlessly follow a storyline. A usually slow reader with the tendency to zone out and backtrack midstory, I found myself whipping through Wallace’s satirical prose in personal record time, particularly enjoying the cohesiveness of his words as they circled my brain. Maybe I was especially enthralled by these stories, my enhanced focus a product of elevated interest. My actual hypothesis, however, lies within the cultural manifestations of the Swahili phrase pole pole. Closely translating to the English word “slowly,” pole pole is a cornerstone of Tanzanian lifestyle and, likewise, a breath of fresh air from the undying bustle of American culture. Mealtimes in Rhotia were lengthy and regarded as crucial, community-building social hours. Class start times listed on daily schedules were treated only as loose estimates. Assignment deadlines were spaced out evenly and fairly. And though almost every day was filled with some sort of field exercise or research protocol, I couldn’t help but feel as though the free time allotted to me was being utilized in this productive and streamlined way I’d never experienced before. I avoided procrastination on homework and studying. I read (and finished!) books that held a nuanced clarity to me. I exercised each morning, indulged in every morsel of food on my plate (this is my default setting) and practiced slow, mindful eating while conversing with friends (this is not). I slept seven to eight hours per night and was attentive and engaged during field activities and lectures, despite my rash decision to test the waters of coffee sobriety while abroad. I felt both mentally and physically healthier than I had in a long while and wondered

“

how my own shifting definition of productivity would affect the usual fast pace of my life back home. Fast forward a couple of weeks to yesterday morning. Jack Johnson’s “Inaudible Melodies” blared increasingly louder in my eardrums as I pumped up the volume on my headphones with every escaped ounce of focus. Slow down everybody, you’re moving too fast, Johnson crooned into my pounding ears, which had been forced to accept his “inaudible melody” as a highly audible one. I’ve been playing this song frequently since my arrival home from Tanzania as a reminder to myself to slow down and live a little more pole pole and, quite frankly, it has not been working. As I pattered away on my laptop keys at an overpriced coffee shop in Valparaiso, Indiana, pipe dreams of completing two job applications within the hour swarmed my caffeine-powered mind. I had a meeting with a local environmental nonprofit manager at noon, because apparently the disingenuous art of networking was something in which I was now proficient. I had to gather my belongings and put my (nonexistent) spatial intelligence to the ultimate test with the dreaded back-to-school car-packing. I had to make my rounds through town to bid goodbye to childhood friends in the area. These self-induced deadlines settled heavily in my gut, and I was met again with the chronic stress and panic that promptly enters my body in early September and doesn’t leave until late April. I didn’t get the cover letters done within the hour, so I decided to pity myself with a painstaking, 45-minute-long scroll through my Facebook newsfeed. After emerging from this mental abyss, I realized I was about to return to a default setting of laziness disguised as productivity. Panicked, sloppy, deadline-scraping work reunited me with an old friend: intermittent mindless activity. Watching as a man in a navy business suit at the corner table slipped into a multi-tasking frenzy, speaking corporate jargon into his Bluetooth headset while ferociously typing on his MacBook Pro, I entertained

the notion that perhaps we are always disguising something in attempting to keep up in the race that is American society. Perhaps we aren’t disguising it, but running from it. Is the hunger to push on and up in such an urgent and exhausting manner actually inhibiting our ability to evade a default laziness? What would happen if we flipped the paradigm on productivity, gauging “productive” action based on how well-balanced it leaves the different facets of our health? Though the desire to achieve remains an innate aspect of the human state, there is something rather inorganic about the game of overworking we’ve societally constructed for ourselves. And yes: It feels inappropriate to exclusively romanticize the workings of other cultures while exclusively degrading this one. I am frequently overwhelmed by the wealth of opportunities available to me, a privilege-loaded sentiment deserving of gratitude. Still, as that familiar sense of chronic urgency reared its ugly head yesterday, I couldn’t help but wonder about the possible positive effects of the pole pole lifestyle on overall health — and, more specifically, on the health of college students. It is no secret that college students in the United States, more than many other leading academic countries, face sizable rates of mental illness. While a 2014 article dubbed University of Michigan freshmen among the top 28 happiest college students in America, I can’t help but take issue with the fact that such studies are based primarily off freshmen retention rates rather than actual health and wellness considerations. Though I feel inevitably bound to get at least semisucked into the fast pace of college life this year, I hope to again, for health’s sake, strike some version of the balance fostered by a lifestyle to which I was lucky to gain exposure this summer. However, I’ll probably need to discover a more plausible mechanism of engaging with pole pole than simply listening to Jack Johnson songs on repeat. Josie Tolin can be reached at jostolin@umich.edu.

NOTABLE QUOTABLE

We’ve both been blessed, in different ways, with great good fortune. Not everyone is so lucky. It’s up to us to do everything we can (to) build more ladders of success for every child and family that’s willing to work hard. — Section of former president Barack Obama’s inauguration day letter to President Trump.

”

The Facebook pulpit

t was, by all accounts, an platform for populist retribution, unenviable afternoon at the one must first recognize how Jersey Shore. The usually it fits into the already-worn crowded beach was sparsely commentary on the need for populated, thanks in immediacy in today’s large part to heavy society. “We want X gray clouds, rough and we want it as fast waves and a chill as humanly possible!” uncharacteristic of This sentiment is early August. My often attributed family and I were exclusively to perfectly content, millennials, as if the though. None of us only people who order were particularly from Amazon Prime invested in our tans and watch Netflix BRETT that day. were born after 1980, GRAHAM and its discussion Several yards behind us were usually strikes me other patrons who also seemed as nonsensical. But one doesn’t to be perfectly content: A have to look far to see how our young couple, maybe recent culture has placed a premium on high school graduates, was expedited justice. engaged in some heavy petting, “Law & Order” never needs to put it lightly. They were so more than 45 minutes to reach a affectionate that at one point resolution, and “Judge Judy” gets my grandmother, who could see it done in just 22. Not to mention the display in her peripheral, judging panels on singing shows, commented that she had to how the “tribe has spoken” and keep reminding herself to the host of programs that cover look elsewhere. We shrugged real crime (á la “Dateline”). Even our shoulders, chalked it up cooking shows are obsessed with to young love and minded our the idea of a verdict. own business. The woman on the beach was A few hours later, a middle- no different. She felt as though aged woman came over to the she (or perhaps the beachgoers young couple from about 50 as a group) had been wronged yards away. She up-ended a bag and immediately sought out a of potato chips and emptied its judge, jury and executioner — contents in a circle around their a dramatic conclusion. Paying blanket, attracting around 30 no mind to the innocence of the hungry seagulls. “You want to teenagers, nor to the fact that hook up on the beach, this is she had presumably completed what you get!” elementary school and could The couple, understandably, therefore use her words to was horrified. I was too, and not communicate, she needed to just because my grandmother is see the situation rectified now terrified of birds and was now and saw herself as the only one caught in the crossfire of this fit to do so. woman’s misguided vigilante She was proud of her behavior, justice. A grown woman had and likely relayed her juicy, chosen the least mature, most dramatic story of putting those antagonistic way to handle the kids in their place to friends situation. What was more, some and family the next chance she others were offering her mild had (she’d already reiterated applause for it. her reasoning to half the groups That is why, I suppose, this around her). Social media users otherwise unspectacular beach see and engage in this behavior day stands out to me. I realize constantly. Someone posts now that calling her a vigilante about their negative experience is a misnomer. What I saw at a restaurant, a conversation from that woman and those that went south, email or text who supported her stance was responses that bothered them something else entirely. It was (with screenshots for evidence) a real-world demonstration of a and waits for the validation in new, ugly category of mob justice the comment section that what — one I’d seen before, dispensed they did was right. As if that will from the Facebook pulpit. right the wrong. As soon as a likeBefore expanding on this new minded family member, friend or

co-worker offers a like or a few words of agreement, the poster moves on, thoroughly pleased with themselves. The internet, however, is rarely (if ever) a place where justice is served and is much more prone to the obfuscation of facts, intense bias and echo chambers. Those who post do so without a second thought, as they did in the wake of the infamous “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va., last month with Kyle Quinn. Mistaken for one of the neo-Nazi sympathizers in a picture (based mostly, it seems, on the fact that he has a beard), the assistant professor of engineering at the University of Arkansas’s face was plastered across the internet. He was labeled a white supremacist, subjected to death threats, widespread demonization across Facebook and Twitter and ultimately feared for his family’s safety. Quinn was about 1,000 miles away from the protests and is not (to my knowledge) a racist. Similar casualties of the Facebook pulpit can be found prominently in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing, when Reddit identified not one, but four innocent men as the culprits because no one could wait for the authorities to do their work. We can see this same societal reflex on display when bad things happen to bad people and social media users celebrate the fact that cosmic justice has been dealt. It makes us feel as though the real world is a television series, and the villain has finally gotten their comeuppance. The question that arises from her actions on that overcast afternoon in New Jersey is not about whether making out on a public beach is appropriate, nor is it about intervention versus nonintervention. The question is what personal sense of authority made that woman get up from her chair? What made her think that her actions were justified? And if my thesis is correct — if this incident was representative of a new brand of immediate, punitive and public mob justice that lives on and festers in social media — who puts the monster back in its box?

MICHELLE SHENG | CONTACT MICHELLE AT SHENGMI@UMICH.EDU

Brett Graham can be reached at btgraham@umich.edu.

Arts

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Friday, September 8, 2017 — 5A

CONCERT REVIEW

COURTESY OF LOLLAPALOOZA

Festival Report: Lollapalooza succeeds in surprising SAMANTHA LU Daily Arts Writer

As the first music festival I’d ever been to, Lollapalooza blew all my expectations out of the park; all that food, music, people and excitement, nestled smack dab in the middle of Chicago. My only regret is that I wasn’t able to experience more; I couldn’t mosh to the eclectic EDM at Perry’s while simultaneously absorbing the fresh new wave tracks at BMI. I didn’t have the funds or the time to try every single food that Chow Town offered. I couldn’t make it through a day without at least one frantic pee break. The variety of performances and genres I was exposed to made me dizzy; if there’s one thing that I hated about Lolla, it’s that I simply didn’t have the energy to bounce through all four days as energized as I wanted to be. Grant Park itself was larger than I expected, and merely walking from one end of the park to the other was

The variety of performances and genres I was exposed to made me dizzy; if there’s one thing that I hated about Lolla, it’s that I simply didn’t have the energy to bounce through all four days

enough to tire me out. It wasn’t until the end of the second day that I could navigate confidently, without fear of being swept up by the f lurry of people. As I slowly climbed over the hill that dipped down to reveal the Lake Shore stage for the first time, my legs were weak with excitement. Hippo Campus’s chilled down yet still undeniably energetic rock welcomed me warmly. Even though I hadn’t listened to much of their discography beforehand, the strum of guitars and smooth, chiming vocals sounded exactly like a cooler, less angry version of the alternative rock I listened to in

high school. As the sun wove back and forth under the angry grey clouds, I sat back and tried to enjoy what I could before the rain unloaded on my friends and me. I arrived at the BMI stage just in time for the latter half of Gibbz’s “Bright Lights,” a song that’s just as mesmerizingly radiant as the name hints. “White out / Fixing all the slow pokes / Keeping them all alii-ive,’” Gibbz sang, his voice rising with the short, snappy bite of the lyrics. Gibbz’s self proclaimed “electro pop” thrums and buzzes with a force that is entirely absent from more acoustic genres. A cocktail of solid, weighty bass, sharp buzzing chords and gliding electronic tones result in a smooth yet refreshing performance. The combination of Gibbz’s easygoing personality and the relatively older audience made me feel like I was at a low key outdoor concert rather than at a music festival. From the get go, I liked the BMI stage more than any of the other stages I’d sampled. The smaller venue meant performances felt more exclusive. Rather than having one artist scream at hundreds, if not thousands of festivalgoers, there was only room for so many people, and the best part of a smaller crowd is that nearly everyone has a clear view of the performer. Gibbz played a few more of his trademark tracks, including the smooth and suggestive “Stay for a While.” His set ended far too soon. After scarfing down some of the best chicken tenders I’ve ever had (courtesy of Harold’s Chicken) and taking an impromptu nap under the trees by the food stands, I headed to the Bud Light stage for some good old fashioned waiting. I don’t like hip hop. If Lorde weren’t playing after Wiz Khalifa, I wouldn’t have even gone to his set; for much of the festival, my tactic was to avoid the huge, super popular artists simply because it was such a pain to get anywhere near the stage. But for Lorde? I’d suffer through the mosh pit. Heck, I’d suffer through the mosh pit to end all mosh pits. Wiz sauntered out to the maniacal screams of hundreds of fans, lit up by the diffused glow of the afternoon sun as it shone through the cloudy haze that hovered over the crowd. The bright, rambunctious energy was difficult to ignore, even for me. As “Bake Sale” boomed over heads and into hearts, Wiz bounced on his heels, adjusted his oval sunglasses and smirked. Halfway into his set, Wiz brought out Ty Dolla Sign for “Paranoid,” an entrance that was punctuated by a person next to me turning around and exclaiming “Ty Dolla Sign? That man sure can sing!” The end of Wiz’s set was

accompanied by frantic Lorde fans pushing towards the stage and the first faint raindrops of doom. As the wait ticked away, the rain fell harder and harder, until all hope of staying dry was lost. Some people huddled together underneath a rain poncho. Others faced the water head on, unblinking even as it turned the ground underfoot to sticky mud. It was for Lorde! ‘Twas all for Lorde! We waited almost an entire hour longer than planned, and it was one of the most excruciating hours of my life. Anticipation grew as the sun finally set, the sky darkening overhead. A splash of red. A blur in the shadows. When the lights finally shone, we screamed. Lorde’s movements were assuredly confident, her eyes shiny and she was every bit the icon her music made her out to be. She launched straight into “Green Light,” her voice tense with emotion as violins rang clear in the background. Just as she made it to where the build begins, right before the chorus, the lights dimmed again and she stopped. Over? Already? No way. Don’t you think that it’s boring how people talk? And we were back at it — people were ecstatic that our Lorde and Savior was playing her old songs. While Lorde swayed, danced, and performed her heart out right in front of us, a dancer in a glass box moved behind her, illuminated by blue light. Although the stage provided some shelter from the rain, the water bounced off the smooth surfaces of the equipment and the stage f loor itself. With every pass Lorde made across the stage, the mist soaked her until she began to resemble the soggy fans clamoring beneath her. She’s human, after all. When Lorde finally paused to greet everyone, it was with the same quirky f lair she’s famous for: “It’s weird. We’ve been getting this fucking crazy weather wherever we go — wind, thunder, lightning, rain. And I like to think, Lollapalooza, it’s because you and I, tonight, we’re gonna conjure the spirits.” We shivered and crowed. The entire performance was otherworldly, as if Lorde had teleported the crowd to another dimension meant just for us. But as she went to perform a song that had never been performed live, the worst possible thing happened; the festival got shut down. While I understood the reasoning behind the decision, a small part of me couldn’t help but stew at how unfair it felt. The crowd waited around for a few more minutes until it became obvious there was no way Lorde was coming back out. As I trudged toward the exit, muddy rainwater soaking my socks, I’m just grateful to have seen Lorde at all. Day two is for exploring.

Now that I’ve had my first taste of Lolla’s various offerings, my friends persuade me to widen my horizons further. As I’m dragged to the Perry’s stage, which is in the middle of San Holo’s set, I’m apprehensive but also excited. Hardcore EDM fans are likely intimately familiar with the specific styles and nuances that differentiate EDM artists, but to me, all of them sounded pretty much the same; the f lashing, blinding lights, the spine shaking, quivering chords and bubbles of bright, exploding sound. When I screamed, I couldn’t hear my own voice, but that’s the appeal, isn’t it? Perry’s is not for the faint of heart. But if you can look past the miasma of sound and stimulation, the energy is absolutely unparalleled. After a few hours of EDM, I’m wilting again. Another trip to the food stands for a tasty box of Mad Social’s poutine leaves me refreshed and energized for Missio’s performance. The duo, which consists of vocalist Matthew Brue and instrumentalist David Butler, are known for their fresh take on punchy, intense electronica. At the BMI stage, tracks from their debut album Loner fill the air with a dark, tumultuous ambience. In a later interview, Missio and I talked about their songwriting process and their hopes for the future. “I was in love with Tool and heavy bands [when I was younger], and I think the way we just mangle it all — almost as if if an electronic band was grunge — I think that’s why it comes out sounding like that,” Butler said. “It’s been interesting because we never really thought of ourselves as a rock band, but we connected with a lot of rock crowds because there’s a lot of aggression and attitude in what we’re talking about, but there’s also aggressiveness in the way the sound is produced, which comes from our roots.” Missio’s discography encompasses a huge variety of soundscapes, such as the difference in tone and emotion between the vengeful, intense “Everybody Gets High” and the cooler, more even tempered “Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea.” Part of that variety is due to the unique inspirations that Brue and Butler gravitate towards. “I think from a melody standpoint, I get a lot of inspiration from different modern folk singers,” Bruce said. “For some reason, those melodies have been ingrained into me since an early age, so bringing them into an aggressive pop context is just different from what I think people are used to normally hearing.” The variety in tracks is also due to the duo’s relaxed songwriting process. Rather than trying to reach a goal track number, they let songs develop

organically. “We don’t go into a writing process or a writing day or go ‘I think we need to write a song like this.’ It depends on how we’re feeling and lyrically what we want to talk about, whether we’re in a mellow mood or not,” Bruce said. “It’s just, let’s write as many songs as possible—let’s write a song today cause we’re songwriters and we have to do that, and whatever comes out comes out.” For now, Missio is focused on staying true to the mission that the group was founded on: creative progression and a commitment to genuine music. “To have fans that resonate with us emotionally, that will grow with us emotionally and listen to what we have to say is the dream for every musician,” Butler said. “To just be heard, you know. That’s the journey.” Day three started off quite a bit later than I had planned. While my friends had wanted to see Aminé, we ended up stuck in the bag line for two hours, completely missing his 1:50 performance. A tip for new festivalgoers — when possible, leave your bag behind, or make sure to get inside before the early afternoon rush. We made it to the Pepsi stage just as The Japanese House started their set. Solo artist Amber Bain’s melodious, uniquely relaxing, delicately produced tracks are especially otherworldly under the shade of the trees that circled the stage. For a while, it felt like I was submerged underwater, listening to the harmonies of “Clean” from beneath a layer of shimmering, undulating waves. As the heat grew suffocatingly sticky, I went to go see Glass Animals at the Grant Park stage. A full hour in advance and the area was already packed with sweating bodies, some of which were probably waiting for Chance’s performance at the same place later that night. Like many other artists, Glass Animals doesn’t fit perfectly into any one musical genre, but they’re one of few bands that have a truly distinctive, psychedelic sound. Hearing the bittersweet sadness and interspersed beats of “The Other Side of Paradise” performed live was absolutely enthralling in and of itself, but combined with lead vocalist Dave Bayley’s zany dance moves, the experience was downright extraordinary. Glass Animals performed songs off of both Zaba and How to Be a Human Being while a humongous golden pineapple rotated slowly behind them. They ended their show with “Pork Soda,” a peppy, fittingly pineapple related track. Rather than stay for the hordes waiting to see Chance, I decided to turn in early for the night. Day four started out both bright and sad. With a late start to the day and a mid afternoon

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bus to catch, I only really had time to see one artist, so I went to the Grant Park stage for the final time. The thing about Maggie Rogers is her joy. It’s evident in everything she does. When she ran out onto the stage, a glittery red blur, she was smiling so hard that the entire crowd could feel that joy. After waving a few times with both hands, she settled into the smooth, mellow tones of “Color Song,” the first track off of her EP. The understated poetry of the lyrics combined with the dragonf lies that hovered right above our heads was idyllic. Rogers has some of the best qualities that a performer can have. She’s both humble and proud, acutely aware both of the places she’s been and of the ways she’s grown: “This is my first summer playing festivals, and it’s been amazing. I’ve gotten to travel all over the world, and it feels so good to finally be at home,” Rogers said

More than anything, Lolla took the predictability out of regular musical performances

during a pause between songs. As a new performer, Rogers is a breath of cheerful fresh air among fellow rising stars. She played every single track off of her EP and a few oldies from her days as a student at NYU, and even joked that “The problem with only having one EP out is that you don’t actually have enough songs to fill an hour long set,” while smiling luminously. Her bubbly personality didn’t waver once during her show. More than anything, Lolla took the predictability out of regular musical performances. The variety of artists meant you could walk in with a plan but walk out having seen a completely different set of artists. Perhaps even more importantly, every single person I met in Grant Park was absolutely thrilled to be there, from the musicians themselves to the people helping out at the Camelbak Hydration Stations. When I left, scanning my wristband for the last time, it was with the certainty that I would return to Grant Park’s green pastures once more. With so many lifelong memories made in so little time, how could I resist?

Arts

6A — Friday, September 8, 2017

GENDER & MEDIA COLUMN

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

SINGLE REVIEW

FOCUS FEATURES

Bewildered,not‘Beguiled’ This summer saw more of the academic-discoursepermeates-pop-culture phenomenon that’s been snowballing for the past few years, especially on social media; one of the most obvious examples of how polarizing it can get was the discourse surrounding Sofia Coppola’s reboot of “The Beguiled.” And yes, I’m still thinking about it several months after the fact — now that the dust has settled (and I’ve wasted even more of my time reading frenetic think pieces) I have a more synthesized idea of why I had such a hard time articulating my irritation with both the film’s critics and champions. “Beguiled” made Coppola the second woman ever to win best director at the Cannes Film Festival, and several people praised it as the feminist reboot we’ve all been waiting for. Others completely panned it. Always a sucker for a period piece stirring up contention, I walked into the theatre intrigued. I walked out utterly bemused. Maybe my experience was ruined because my roommate could not stop giggling for the last 45 minutes straight. Or maybe she was right, and I need to look at it purely as if it were played for camp — but based on how many people thought it was either the feminist film of the year or the worst decision Cannes ever made, I don’t think so. Coppola’s “Beguiled” takes us into the small world of a group of young women at an all-girls boarding school in the South during the Civil War. Within the first few moments of the film, one of the youngest of the girls stumbles upon an injured Union deserter, Cpl. John McBurney (Colin Farrell, “The Lobster”) and brings him home with her to tend to his wounded leg. Most of the girls and young women are fascinated with him, a couple of the younger ones nursing crushes while the oldest girl, Edwina (Kristen Dunst, “The Virgin Suicides”) appears to fall in love, and Alicia (Elle Fanning) appears to be in the throes of a sexual awakening. Both of their efforts are shut down by Martha (Nicole Kidman) who is also more interested in the soldier than she lets on.

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There are two reasons, as far as I could tell, why people hailed it as one of the feminist films of the year. For one, Coppola turns the ending of the original slightly on its head, infusing it with a little more confusion and a little more castration revenge fantasy; the women might have the power, the film whispers at you to believe. For another thing, it portrays these young women to have a little more sexual agency than the original. More so-called sexual empowerment.

SOPHIA KAUFMAN Many of the loudest critics of the film came at it from a social perspective, rather than a cinematic or aesthetic one. Many scorned the idea that this film chose to omit the one character of color that was in the original, arguing that it made no sense for a film about this period to have no characters of color, particularly slaves — this particular criticism has been responded to by those who argue that including a person of color only as a tokenized bearer of trauma would have signified more harm than good. There is absolutely valid criticism of the Southern Gothic genre, as well as any Civil War period piece that could miss the mark. But “The Beguiled” is not “Gone with the Wind”; that is, it is not using the Civil War as an aesthetic backdrop to tell a different, romanticized story. Rather, it is — or shall I say, could have been — a microcosmic portrayal of a very particular group of people during this era. It actually wouldn’t be that unlikely for slaves to have run off from a property close to the end of the Civil War, especially if it was an estate without a white man in charge, such as this one. I have read about cases where white women in charge of plantations had freed slaves for no other reason than they were scared of rebellion. So the

overall premise that these six young white women in this allwomen’s school would be alone and doing their own work isn’t far off the mark. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the fulfillment of castration fantasies as much as the next girl, and I get the burning desire (no pun intended) to show beyond all measure that women, even young women, also feel sexual desire and had the agency in some ways to act on that, even in the era of the eyelash batting Southern belles. I understand the appeal of the character of Alicia. But that in itself, even if it were believable, wouldn’t be nearly enough to give validation to the idea that this film is feminist. Because at the end of the day, two, if not three, of the main women in the film are ready to throw each other under the bus, desperate and competitive to the point of comicality for his approval and attention. This film isn’t feminist because it lacks completely the grounding that a true examination of these women’s relationships with each other would’ve looked like. Being alone for months, if not years, terrified every time Union or Confederate men came by, would likely have bonded them so closely together it would be nearly impossible for anyone to come between any two of them, let alone all. These women completely lose their heads over a man; some small sliver of so-called sexual agency is not nearly enough to gloss over that. There is plenty to enjoy about “Beguiled”: Aesthetically, it’s gorgeous. But a reboot of a film isn’t feminist just because it’s less misogynistic than its original source material, or because it includes a weak attempt at sexual empowerment that honestly only caters to the men — both the man in the film and the male reviewers who think themselves openminded for praising it as some kind of feminist empower-trip. And there’s plenty to criticize too; but criticism of the film itself as a story based on the historical aspects of it only really works if it is predicated upon accuracy, not value judgements.

LOMA VISTA

Annie Clark is now bicoastaly melancholic. Earlier this week, the singer, who preforms under the name “St. Vincent,” released the second single off Masseducation — which now has an Oct. 13 release day. “Los Ageless” is, in many ways, a companion track to the album’s first single, “New York.” The title is, of course, a riff on Los Angeles. Both are love songs and lamentations, but while the former deals with a love lost, the latter contents with a love never fully formed. “I try to tell you I love and it comes out all sick,” she sings at the end of the song. Her relationship with the city is as vivid as it is compli-

cated. The city is drawn like an abusive lover, but she’s trapped there, lured in by the sparkle and the sunsets and the superstars. The second verse paints images like “Girls in cages playing their guitars” and “In Los Ageless, the waves they never break / They build and build until you don’t have no escape.”

“Los Agleless” St. Vincent Loma Vista Off the heals of Melodrama, producer Jack Antonoff and his signature sound are having a moment in pop music. After “Look What You Made Me Do” earlier this month, I thought his punchy bassline

and hand clap prechoruses were six feet under. But, it turns out Taylor Swift is dead and Jack Antonoff isn’t going anywhere. The sticky synth and twacking bassline pull the best of ’80s pop, while St. Vincent’s deep, smoky vocals feel acutely current. The chorus is haunting — “How could anybody have you and lose you?” — she begs again and again. It is, in true St. Vincent fashion, everything that good pop music aspires to be. I can’t get it out of my head. It’s simple and infectious and, yet, I haven’t completely figured it out yet. - MADELEINE GAUDIN

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September 9, 2017: Cincinnati

2017 Schedule

The Michigan football team’s season opener lived up to the hype, as the Wolverines defeated then-No. 17 Florida, 33-17. Next up is a Cincinnati team that struggled mightily against Austin Peay in its season opener. The Bearcats figure to be another tune-up for a Michigan team entering the easiest part of its schedule. It would take more than a few breaks to put Cincinnati in contention.

Betelhem Ashame, Ted Janes, Orion Sang, Kevin Santo

3 4 7 8

TABLE OF CONTENTS A member of Cincinnati’s student newspaper gives his take on the matchup. Last December, Mason Cole and his father met with the Michigan football coaches to discuss the offensive lineman’s future. The Daily breaks down how the Wolverines will fare against the Bearcats. The Daily presents storylines that you should watch for in Michigan’s home.

Florida (Sept. 2): ***Jaws theme song***

Penn State (Oct. 21): *Types...deletes... types...* Yeah, that’s off limits too.

Cincinnati (Sept. 9): What even is a bearcat? A bear? A cat? Why not a catbear?

Rutgers (Oct. 28): If you’re reading this from the hot tub in the student section at Rutgers, you should go to the doctor.

Air Force (Sept. 16): Air Force was my safety school. (But really thank you for your service.)

Minnesota (Nov. 5): PJ.. Fleck-Harbaugh is the next Mayweather-McGregor.

Purdue (Sept. 23): This game should be a *clears throat* STREET FIGHT BETWEEN THE WHISTLES!

Maryland (Nov. 11): You don’t live in D.C., stop saying that.

Michigan State (Oct. 7): The Michigan Daily has beaten the State News 12 years in a row.

Wisconsin (Nov. 18): I brought my tent to Camp Randall and was wildly disappointed.

Indiana (Oct. 14): Hoosier? I barely know her.

Ohio State (Nov. 25): We finally found someone who loves college more than Asher Roth: tenth-year senior J.T. Barrett.

STAFF PICKS The Daily football writers pick against the spread to predict scores for the top 25 and Big Ten in the 2017 football season. Cincinnati (+34.5) at No. 8 Michigan

Orion Sang

Ted Janes

Betelhem Ashame Michigan

Michigan

Michelle Phillips,

Kevin Santo Michigan

Managing Design Editor Michigan

Michigan

Fresno State (+43.5) at No. 1 Alabama

Alabama

No. 5 Oklahoma(+7) at No. 2 Ohio State

Ohio State

No.13 Auburn(+5) at No. 3 Clemson

Clemson

Auburn

Clemson

Auburn

Pittsburgh (+22) at No. 4 Penn State

Pittsburgh

Penn State

No.14 Stanford (+6) at No. 6 USC

USC

Stanford

USC

Montana at No. 7 Washington

Washington

Florida Atlantic (+32) at No. 9 Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Louisiana Monroe (+34.5) at No. 10 FSU

FSU

Louisiana Monroe

FSU

No. 11 Ok. State (-28) at South Alabama

Ok. State

Chattanooga at No. 12 LSU

LSU

No. 15 Georgia (+4) at No. 24 Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Georgia

Notre Dame

Minnesota (+2.5) at Oregon State

Oregon State

Minnesota

No. 17 Louisville (-10) at North Carolina

North Carolina

Louisville

North Carolina

Louisville

Delaware at No. 18 Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech

Delaware

Virginia Tech

Charlotte (+36) at No. 19 Kansas State

Kansas State

Boise State (+10) at No. 20 Washington State

Washington State

Boise State

Washington State

No. 21 South Florida (-17) at UConn

South Florida

No. 23 TCU (-3) at Arkansas

TCU

Arkansas

TCU

Indiana State (+20.5) at No. 25 Tennessee

Tennessee

Western Michigan (+7.5) at MSU

Western Michigan

MSU

Western Michigan

MSU

Northwestern (-3) at Duke

Duke

Northwestern

Duke

Iowa (-3) at Iowa State

Iowa

Iowa State

Iowa

Indiana (-3) at Virginia

Indiana

Nebraska (+13.5) at Oregon

Nebraska

Overall

0-0

FootballSaturday, September 9, 2017

Behind Enemy Lines: A conversation with Cincinnati’s football beat writer By BETELHEM ASHAME Managing Sports Editor

To gain an inside perspective on the Cincinnati football team, the Daily reached out to our counterparts at The News Record, the student-run newspaper at the University of Cincinnati. On Thursday, we spoke on the phone with Jason Szelest — the sports editor at The News Record — to talk about the upcoming game between No. 8 Michigan and the Bearcats. Here’s a look into our Cincinnati at conversation: Michigan The Matchup: Michigan Cincinnati 1-0; Daily: What Michigan 1-0 was the When: Saturday immediate 12 P.M. reaction over there after Where: Michigan playing a team Stadium like Austin Peay pretty close in TV/Radio: ABC that opener? The News Record: I’d say the immediate reaction was disappointment. When you look at what we had last year — last year was a very disappointing season for us. Lot of high expectations that were not even close to met, finished with a 4-8 record and really just looked listless throughout most of the season. I think a lot of people were thinking that (former head coach) Tommy Tuberville was the problem and then, while no one was expecting (current head coach Luke) Fickell to take us 12-0 in his first season, they were expecting to see some sort of improvement; and I really don’t think that anyone saw improvement in what we put out there last Thursday. TMD: Is there something in particular from your perspective that went wrong against them in the opener. Was it an energy thing? TNR: Oh, I absolutely think it was an energy thing. I mean, we don’t have the most talented roster, but we have a roster good enough to put a team like Austin Peay — who I believe has lost 28

straight games at the FCS level — we had enough talent that we should have put them away early and then never let off the gas pedal. I believe defensively we gave up almost 200 yards rushing and offensively we didn’t get a push, and that’s not a talent thing, that’s an effort thing. And I don’t think that we really had the energy and enthusiasm needed to play a college football game, and I think a lot of that was because of the fact that we were looking at a team that we knew wasn’t going to be too good and thought we could just coast by. TMD: So coming into Michigan — Michigan just jumped to (No. 8) — I saw that quote in your story, the “shock the world” quote, is that a soundbite or is that the general feeling you’re getting around their facilities, that they actually are confident coming into this one? TNR: It’s hard to say ‘cause, when you look at someone like Luke Fickell — I think he’s a very confident coach in general — obviously he has had success against Michigan in the past. He knows that he doesn’t have the roster that he had at Ohio State, obviously, but I think he wants to put across the mentality that it doesn’t matter who UC is playing. He said it multiple times. He doesn’t care who the opponent is, he’s worried about what UC does, and I feel that he believes it, to some degree at least. That if we do what we need to do, we can still come away successful. TMD: So in order to pull off the upset, what is one thing that you think Cincinnati really needs to lock down on? TNR: No question about it. I’d say there’s two things: running game and running defense. If our run defense performs the way they did against Austin Peay, Michigan will run for 500 yards on us. The way that Michigan’s offense is designed, with a power running game like that, we have got to stop that. We have got to make (redshirt junior quarterback Wilton) Speight throw the ball. That is our only chance at victory. Speight, I still

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will coach against former Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell on Saturday.

say, is a decent quarterback, but I’d much rather put the ball in his hands than have to deal with Michigan’s running game the entire time. Offensively, (running back) Mike Boone is our most talented player, hands down. On the entire team, he’s the guy that has to be a playmaker. I would be absolutely shocked if we were able to just power down Michigan’s throat, through the tackles, so I think we need to come up with more dynamic ways of getting him involved in the offense. I think maybe lining him up in the slot a little bit, just trying to get him on the edge and get some perimeter blocking going because we are not going to just shove it down Michigan’s throat every play and get four or five yards a carry. That’s just not going to happen. TMD: I’m curious about Hayden Moore. I want to say now he has two years of starting under his belt, am I wrong there? TNR: Sort of two years. His

freshman season, he came in for an injured Gunner Kiel and kind of took over. Then obviously Gunner had a situation where he left the program before the bowl game and then Hayden Moore started. Gunner had sort of come back and taken the job over again when he got healthy, but when he left the program, Hayden Moore got to start the bowl game as well his freshman year. So I’d say he started maybe six, seven games his freshman year. Last year, Hayden Moore was named the starter at the beginning of the season and he played throughout the majority of the start of the year then got hurt. When he came back, he wasn’t really all that effective and he was kind of battling between Gunner Kiel and Ross Trail for the starting position later on in the year. So he has started games in two years, but he’s never had a full season where he’s started every game. TMD: Either way, that’s a collection of experience that he

has going against a Michigan secondary that, for the most part, doesn’t really have any, so is he the type of player that can be an X-factor or is he the type of quarterback that will be serviceable? TNR: Honestly, that’s the question a lot of UC fans ask because the first game Hayden Moore ever played was against Memphis when Gunner Kiel went down. As a freshman — never playing a snap of college football in his life — in about three quarters, he threw for 550 yards and five touchdowns against Memphis. Though he can be that playmaker, the X-factor, the bottom line is, since that time, it seems like he’s more concerned about making mistakes and not just being that player that I think he can be. So at this point in his career, I’m more concerned with Hayden Moore being serviceable and not turning the ball over against Michigan Jason’s Prediction: Michigan 38-10 Cincinnati

TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com

IN COACH’S OFFICE Ted Janes, Daily Sports Writer

In December, Mason Cole had a chance to leave for the NFL Draft. Now, he’s Michigan’s captain. Mason Cole, all 6-foot-5 of him, sat down in his coach’s office. Beside him was his dad, John, who had f lown up to Ann Arbor from Tampa, and sitting across the room at his desk was offensive coordinator Tim Drevno. But the maestro in the room, Jim Harbaugh, was standing, pacing around. Harbaugh, still wearing his football cleats and dressed in the vintage Harbaugh look, eventually sat down, but only for 10 seconds before getting up again to pace back

and forth. The four gathered to discuss Mason’s future. It was Dec. 23rd, 2016, just a couple days before Christmas, and Schembechler Hall was bustling. Staff ran around in preparation for the upcoming bowl game in Miami. Recruits were visiting the building for the first time. Mason and John felt lucky to get Harbaugh alone, even if it was for only an hour. The meeting was important though — Mason’s father wouldn’t have made the trip if it weren’t. Should he go pro? Mason, always eventempered, wasn’t sure how serious

he was about leaving college early to go to the NFL Draft. There was a lot going well for him in Ann Arbor. But it was the NFL; he had to consider it. On their own time, Mason and his parents had laid out their own versions of the pros and cons. At first, John figured they should just have the conversation over a conference call, but he later changed his mind. He doesn’t get to meet with Harbaugh face-toface very often, and after all — John thought — who better for advice about going pro than someone who had coached in a Super Bowl? So John f lew up to see Mason and

“He was special in high school. ... He had it, and he has it.”

meet with the coaches. The trip would be short, but it was well worth it. “If you guys want to go (into the NFL Draft), we’ll support you a hundred percent,” John remembers Harbaugh saying in the meeting. “We’ll do all we can through the contacts we have to help the process.” *** And so the four talked. They talked about Mason’s age, his size and what position he would play going forward. Mason’s junior season had just finished, and like every season dating back all the way to his freshman year of high school, he had started every game. In 2016, he played center. He had played left tackle for the two years before, but his coaches envisioned he would

play inside whenever he moved to the NFL. If Michigan needed him to, Mason would’ve moved to play anywhere on the offensive line. “I think if you asked Mason, he’d play wide receiver if he thought it would help us win,” said Michigan tackles coach Greg Frey. Mason’s talent was undeniable. For three straight years, he had been the Wolverines’ most reliable player. The former coaching staff under Brady Hoke saw it from the beginning. In mid-August of 2014, there had been hints and signs that Mason, a true freshman at the time, might get serious playing time. He’d been practicing well and rotating with the expected starters, and toward the end of fall camp, he finally got the nod. Soon after, he called his

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Senior center Mason Cole had the opportunity to leave Ann Arbor for the NFL Draft toward the end of 2016, but chose to stay at Michigan. Now, he’ll be the offensive captain for the Wolverines’ home opener.

FootballSaturday, September 9, 2017

parents to tell them the news. Mason’s parents, John and Maggie, were at a business conference in Banff, Alberta when they found out their son was going to start. They had promised him that if he were starting, they would go to every game. They just didn’t know it was going to happen that quickly. Against Appalachian State in September 2014, Mason Cole became the first-ever true freshman at Michigan to start a season opener on the offensive line. He was just plain good, and his coaches knew it. They couldn’t describe what made him better than the next guy, he just was. Frey saw his potential from an early age. He recruited Mason when he was coaching at Indiana, and still remembers the day Mason turned down an offer to play for the Hoosiers. “He was special in high school,” Frey said. “When you went and watched him practice, there was something different. They call it the ‘it factor’ or whatever. He had it, and he has it.” Perhaps it was his dependability — nobody could play more consistently. Harbaugh has said that Mason is a “standout” at all times. Mason’s dad called him a “Steady Eddie.” It was one the reasons he was able to consider going pro. *** At the meeting in Drevno’s office, they talked about Mason’s goals and how he would fit in in the NFL. Mason was younger than a lot of the others entering the draft. He had never redshirted a season, and despite all of his experience, he was still young — just 20 years old at the time. Another year under Harbaugh would add to his résumé, and staying for a fourth season could substantially help his career. After his junior year, he was projected to get drafted somewhere between the second and fourth rounds. With another season, he could maybe sneak into the first. The NFL and all its money were attractive, but playing on the biggest stage as soon as possible didn’t matter to him. He didn’t want to pass up on the chance to graduate from school, a lesson he learned from his dad. John’s mother — Mason’s grandmother — was the oldest of 13 kids. Growing up, John had lots of extended family, but he was the first one to graduate from college. During John’s senior year of high school, his dad encouraged him to continue pursuing his education. “You gotta go at least one year to try it,” he recalls his father saying. Then John asked his father who was going to pay for college. “Well, you are,” his father replied.

So he did. John enrolled at Northern Illinois, and worked each summer to make enough money to cover tuition. While his friends were out doing other things, John spent long summer hours hauling furniture for a moving company in Chicago. He earned his way through college, and moved forward in the business world. Six years after Mason was born, the Cole family moved south from Batavia, Ill. to Tarpon Springs, Fla. John and Maggie raised three kids, and Mason always noticed the hard work his parents were putting in. Every day in high school, Mason woke up at 6:00 a.m. His dad would be up at the same time to get to work, and his mom would always have breakfast ready. After school, he’d go to football practice, and when that ended he would come home to another cooked meal from his mom. Mason had the whole house to himself, as his two older siblings had gone away to college while he was at East Lake High School. “Golden child,” Mason says with a laugh. “Dinner would always be ready, and Mom would be the first one to put all my football laundry in the washer to get it ready for the next day.” As he describes it, he was just like any other kid. He liked hanging out with his friends in the neighborhood, riding his bike around town and going to the beach. In the summer, he worked on the docks at the Homeport Marina in Palm Harbor, tying up boats and refueling tanks. He’d always come home with a pocket full of singles from the tips he had made. And every fall Friday before a football game, his mom picked up the same turkey sub sandwich from the supermarket and brought it to him for lunch. It was a steady routine, and nothing too out of the ordinary, but it was just what Mason wanted. He was a humble, hard-working kid, and it made him good at his job. Whether he was paying for college by playing football — which he ended up doing — or paying for it through another job like his dad, he wanted to earn his way through life. He wanted to make his parents proud. *** In Drevno’s office, Harbaugh sat down. Then he got back up. They talked about what Mason could do, and what he already had done, for the team. With 37 consecutive starts over three years, Mason’s impact on Michigan football was easy to grasp. He was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, with a second team award in 2016 and an honorable mention in 2015. To start a true freshman at left

tackle in the season opener sounded crazy, but with Mason it seemed like nothing short of necessary. Guarding the quarterback’s blind side is one of the most important roles on the field, but he established himself as the frontrunner from the moment he arrived. He impressed the coaching staff with his abilities on the field, and his teammates took a liking to him as well. He became close with the fellow Brady Hoke-holdovers like Patrick Kugler, Wilton Speight and Henry Poggi — guys that stuck with the program even when the team was losing. They’d fought together through the hard times their freshman year when the team went 5-7, when their coach was fired and when they really asked themselves, ‘How are we ever gonna be good?’ But those struggles brought them closer, and it motivated them. The program had been through so much in the time between his official recruiting visit and the meeting in Drevno’s office, but he never doubted it was right the place for him. ‘You should choose a school for the school’, Mason’s high school coach used to tell him. Regardless of who the coach was or would be, Mason felt like he was in a great place. As he grew older, his coaches expected him to cultivate and sustain the environment he loved so much. Mason would host recruits when they came to visit. When offensive linemen Nolan Ulizio and Ben Bredeson arrived on each of their official visits, it was Mason’s responsibility to make sure they would want to return. “Two-for-two on those,” Mason laughs. The trust among Mason, his coaches and his teammates continued to grow. He developed as a mentor, and his whole team understood how big of an impact he was making. Poggi once said that Mason was “so special for our program.” Ulizio added: “Anything I need help with, I just go up to Mason and ask for advice.” Mason was reliable off of the football field — just as much as he was on it. *** And in Drevno’s office, they talked about making Mason a captain. The coaches couldn’t guarantee it. Michigan football captains are elected by their teammates, but they gave him their full support. They all knew that Mason was next in line for the position, and the

coaches told him that during the meeting. Mason never tried to become a leader. He just did. With his success in high school and college, the role just came to him. At first, John and Mason weren’t sure they understood what being a captain entailed. “I play offensive line. It’s not really a spotlight position to begin with,” Mason said. “But I think that’s one of the ways to be successful.” Mason had made a career by staying under the radar. He made the right choices and never complained. He always kept a cool mind and showed up

December, with Harbaugh, Drevno and his dad around him, Mason made his decision. In eight months, he would start his final year of school. In eight months, he would start on Michigan’s offensive line for a fourth straight season. In eight months, he would hear his name in All-American discussions. In eight months, he would be elected a captain for Michigan, text his parents, “Got it”, and call them later to hear how proud they were. The meeting in Drevno’s office went on for about an hour and a half that day, as the four continued laying out what was best for Mason. Harbaugh gave him his assurance. No matter what Mason chose, he would have his coaches’ full support. “But,” Harbaugh said, “we’d love to have you stay.”

ready to work. As he sat in that meeting in

TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com

Breakdown: Michigan vs. Cincy By KEVIN SANTO Managing Sports Editor

This one has all the ingredients to be a laugher. Cincinnati will travel to Ann Arbor this Saturday coming off a narrow 26-14 win over Austin Peay. To put that in perspective, the Governors have not won a game in FCS competition since Oct. 14, 2014. No. 8 Michigan, on the other hand, is heading into its home opener with a lot to be happy about. After an offseason in which the Wolverines’ youth was questioned, Michigan made it clear that it wasn’t an issue in its season-opening 33-17 win over Florida. There were plenty of mistakes to correct, but Michigan managed to win despite throwing two pick-sixes and having a punt blocked. It’d be surprising if anything close to similar circumstances carry over against the Bearcats. This one could be over early. Here’s how the Wolverines match up against Cincinnati on Saturday. Michigan pass offense vs. Cincinnati pass defense Redshirt junior quarterback Wilton Speight didn’t open up the year in a fashion he would have hoped. Against Florida, Speight threw two interceptions returned for touchdowns on consecutive series, giving the Gators 14 of their 17 total points. On the bright side, he recovered in the second half, opening the frame by completing five of his seven passes for 52 yards before junior running back Karan Higdon capped it off with a touchdown. To be clear, there is no controversy to be had. Speight is still Michigan’s quarterback — a fact that Jim Harbaugh has been quick to emphasize. Cincinnati limited Austin Peay to just 89 yards and only one touchdown through the air, but the Governors are a far cry from the Wolverines. Edge: Michigan Michigan run offense vs Cincinnati run defense As expected, the Wolverines

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Fifth-year senior running back Ty Isaac is coming off a 100-plus yard game, and the Bearcats’ defense looked vulnerable against the run in their season opener.

turned — once again — to a running back by committee in their season opener against the Gators. It worked, to say the least. Higdon scored the lone rushing touchdown, but Michigan racked up 215 yards on 59 carries and showed an ability to wear down a defense with the run game. This time, they may not have to wear the Bearcats’ defense down at all. Cincinnati allowed 224 rushing yards to Austin Peay on 60 attempts — nearly identical results to Michigan’s performance against Florida. Running backs coach Jay Harbaugh was tight-lipped when it came to questions of whether Ty Isaac had earned a start with his 114-yard, 11-carry game, but it likely won’t even

FootballSaturday, September 9, 2017

matter. Edge: Michigan Cincinnati pass offense vs Michigan pass defense Do you remember Hayden Moore’s debut against Memphis? If you don’t, you should. On Sept. 25, 2015, Moore came in to replace Gunner Kiel — who went down with an injury against the Tigers. Then a freshman, he didn’t disappoint, finishing with 557 yards and four touchdowns. Since then, however, Moore’s career has largely been a tale of inconsistencies. He has won starting jobs, lost them to injury and won them back again. But, as almost anyone would, he has struggled to capture the

lightning of 2015 in a bottle. He had a solid 2017 debut, finishing with 151 yards and three touchdowns, but Michigan’s secondary looked better than expected against the Gators. And if the Wolverines’ line stuffs the run game, things will only get harder for Moore. Edge: Michigan Cincinnati run offense vs. Michigan run defense Unfortunately for the Bearcats, their most talented player is running back Mike Boone. He rushed for 100 yards on 19 carries against Austin Peay, but Michigan is coming off a game in which its ability to stop the run was the most impressive aspect of an all-

around impressive day. The Wolverines held the Gators to 11 rushing yards, and Michigan’s linebackers and linemen combined for 25-plus tackles — 8.5 of which were for loss. Cincinnati will need to get creative if it wants its best player to touch the ball, so don’t be surprised to see Boone in some unconventional spots. Either way, there’s not even enough creativity at Google to mitigate Michigan’s defense with the way it looked at AT&T Stadium.

For in-game updates

Follow @Kevin_M_Santo, @tedjanes7, @orion_sang and @betelhem_ ashame on Twitter during Saturday’s game.

Breakdown: Michigan vs. Cincy Edge: Michigan Special teams The Wolverines have finally seen an inexperienced special teams unit in action, and they should be pleased with the results. Redshirt freshman kicker Quinn Nordin converted on four of his six field-goal

opportunities — two of which were from 50-plus yards — and did so in high-pressure situations. Freshman Donovan PeoplesJones, in his own right, f lashed his athleticism as a punt returner and — against a punter not named Johnny Townsend, who was the best in the country last season — could put on a show.

On top of that, the Wolverines recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half against the Gators, and while a blocked punt was a blemish at AT&T Stadium, Michigan’s momentum is trending up. Edge: Michigan Intangibles

Boone — the Bearcats’ star — has said publicly that he has no doubt in his mind that Cincinnati can “shock the world” when it visits Michigan Stadium this Saturday. In fairness, no player would ever admit doubt to an opponent before the kickoff, but Florida was the last team to mouth off about the Wolverines’ ability, and Michigan didn’t take too kindly to it.

On top of that, it’s the season opener in Ann Arbor, and figures to be a packed house. Anything can happen on any given day, but it doesn’t seem like Saturday will be one of them. Edge: Michigan Prediction: Cincinnati 3

Michigan

41,

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Sophomore linebacker Devin Bush Jr. broke out against the then-17th ranked Gators with seven tackles and two sacks, and has a chance for another massive performance against the Bearcats.

TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com

What to Watch For: Cincinnati By ORION SANG Daily Sports Editor

Michigan quieted some of its naysayers last week with a resounding 33-17 victory against then-No. 17 Florida at AT&T Stadium. The Wolverines are back in Ann Arbor this weekend, where they’ll play their home opener against Cincinnati. Michigan will find a familiar face on the opposing sideline in first-year head coach Luke Fickell, formerly the defensive coordinator and interim head coach at Ohio State. While the Wolverines are well along in their rebuild under Jim Harbaugh, the Bearcats aren’t — meaning it may be difficult for them to beat Michigan and ‘shock the world,’ as their senior running back Mike Boone said they could. Here’s what to watch for when Cincinnati and Michigan kick off: 1. The base defense In a departure from last season, defensive coordinator Don Brown heavily employed the 3-3-5 stack against Florida, opting to use redshirt junior SAM linebacker Noah Furbush in place of redshirt junior nose tackle Bryan Mone for much of the game. Last season, Michigan was happy to stay in a 4-2-5 shell whenever the defense was on the field. What the 3-3-5 may sacrifice in pure girth and power along the line is made up by the addition of a linebackertype player such as Furbush or redshirt freshman Josh Uche. That player can put his hand in the dirt on passing downs, f lexing sophomore strong-side end Rashan Gary inside, or play in the box alongside sophomore middle linebacker Devin Bush Jr. and fifth-year senior weakside linebacker Mike McCray. The new look confused Florida, allowing Michigan to pressure the quarterback despite only rushing three linemen at times, but it remains to be seen whether the new scheme was a gimmick — meant to be used sparingly — or whether it’s the new base defense. If the Wolverines use the 3-3-5 heavily once more this week, that may indicate the latter.

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Senior linebacker Noah Furbush and the Wolverines will likely bring out their new 3-3-5 defense once again Saturday after it worked so well against Florida.

pack following this week. 2. Who will earn the majority of snaps at tight end? Going into the season, this position group was deemed deep and the season opener did nothing to dispel that notion. In fact, the veterans of the group — redshirt junior Ian Bunting and redshirt sophomore Tyrone Wheatley Jr. — may have been overshadowed by younger players who were thought to be behind in the pecking order. Sophomore Sean McKeon and redshirt freshman Nick Eubanks both f lashed their tantalizing potential in the passing game and run-blocking game while redshirt sophomore Zach Gentry, a converted quarterback, saw plenty of snaps as well. It’s unclear whether there’s a true No. 1 option among the group right now. It was assumed one of Bunting or Wheatley would be ‘the guy.’ There’s a lot more uncertainty now after the first week; whoever sees the field the most, or can convert their snaps into production, may end up being the leader of the

FootballSaturday, September 9, 2017

3. Will Speight continue looking for the big play? The redshirt junior quarterback took several shots downfield against Florida and connected on a few of them, including a 46-yard touchdown to freshman receiver Tarik Black and a 48-yard completion to Eubanks. Earlier this week, though, Jim Harbaugh spoke of the need to allow the deep passing game to develop naturally, and not to force things downfield. While Cincinnati allowed just 89 passing yards on 19 attempts against Austin Peay, it’s doubtful the Bearcats will be able to dictate what Michigan does in the passing game. It’ll be interesting to see whether Speight continues to look for big plays — they were certainly there against the Gators — or whether there’s an emphasis on hitting targets in the short and intermediate passing game. 4. Rashan Gary Sack Watch

It isn’t common for Jim Harbaugh to call for a stat correction. But he did so Monday, telling reporters that Rashan Gary should’ve been issued a half-sack from Saturday. Perhaps it’s hard to believe that Gary, the much-hyped former top recruit, has yet to record a full sack through his first 14 games. It’s not for a lack of ability — he’s gotten to the quarterback plenty of times, and even recorded a half sack last year against Central Florida. In the win over the Gators, Gary constantly terrorized Florida’s offensive line, making life difficult for quarterbacks Malik Zaire and Feleipe Franks. Once again, though, he was unable to turn those pressures and hurries into an actual sack. This week, Gary should have plenty of opportunities to fill the stat sheet. The Bearcats’ offensive line should be a step down from Florida’s, and given Michigan seems likely to shut down Cincinnati’s run game while simultaneously jumping out to a big lead, quarterback

Hayden Moore may be dropping back to pass for much of the afternoon. It seems likely that at some point, he’ll end up on the ground, looking up at Gary.

BY THE NUMBERS Michigan vs. Cincinnati

Fumbles forced by Michigan against Florida

Rushing yards allowed by Michigan against Florida

100

Yards gained by Cincinnati running back Mike Boone in opener

313

Yards Cincinnati gave up to Austin Peay in its season opener