2018-02-08

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Ann Arbor, Michigan

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CITY

A residents optimistic about police review board 2

Transforming Justice Washtenaw seeks increased transparency from AAPD ALEX COTT

Daily Staff Reporter MICHAEL BARSKY/Daily

Members of the 2018 Sexpertise Conference distribute condoms to the audience in the Michigan League Wednesday.

“Sexpertise” transgender sexual health panel talks misconceptions

Annual three-day conference aimed to educate students and staff on safety, pleasure RACHEL CUNNINGHAM Daily Staff Reporter

As part of the 10th annual Sexpertise conference sponsored by the University of Michigan Health Service, Brendon Holloway, Spectrum Center education and training graduate coordinator, discussed the sexual health experiences of transgender people at the Michigan League on Wednesday.

Sexpertise is an annual

three-day conference, which began on Tuesday and will run until Thursday night, aiming to educate students, faculty and practitioners about sexual health and experiences. Nine topics, ranging from sexual health to safety and pleasure in sexual activities, were presented throughout the conference.

Holloway began by presenting basic terminology used in the transgender community.

He described his idea of a “trans-umbrella” regarding

the different identities those in the transgender community hold. He also explained how the transition process varies in terms of experiences.

“This looks very different person to person,” Holloway said. “Every transition is definitely different.”

Holloway then went on to present the anatomy changes associated with hormone replacement therapy. He noted that when taking testosterone, some of the physical changes which occur include a deepened

voice, fat redistribution and change of odor. Those who take estrogen tend to experience breast growth, fat redistribution and facial feminization.

Holloway also discssed sexual intercourse for those that identify as transgender, and emphasized that, like the transition process, sexual experiences vary from person to person.

“There is no right way to have sex regardless of your identity,” Holloway said. “This is totally See SEXPERTISE, Page 3

Following Monday night’s City Council meeting, city staff and community members are largely satisfied with the council’s commitment to thorough representation and the decision to limit city and police inf luence on structuring the new police review board. However, the public remains concerned about how community members will be appointed to the task force and the possibility that the task force won’t grant investigative powers to the review board.

Ann Arbor City residents formed Transforming Justice Washtenaw, a local organization dedicated to ensuring transparency during the creation of the review board, after the city first initiated its review of the Ann Arbor Police Department process. TJW member Julie Quiroz highlighted the

group’s main accomplishment at Monday’s meeting — creating a primarily citizenbased review process and limiting the city staff and police to serve solely as advisers to the task force, which she said was a really “important victory.”

The task force will have 11 voting members, all of whom will be Ann Arbor residents. Though city staff and police will not have voting rights on the task force, City Administrator Howard Lazarus emphasized the importance of their guidance to ensure lawful and appropriate practices, justifying the appointment of two councilmembers as nonvoting members of the task force.

HRC will propose the recommended list of members for the task force to the City Council on March 19. The target date to vote on the task force’s charter — outlining the roles, responsibilities, and See AAPD, Page 3

LSA Student Government introduces Student, State 2019 alum given resolutions on gender inclusivity, LEO proposal

ACADEMICS

Yenching scholarship Newly named Yenching scholars, will study in China for fieldwork REMY FARKAS

Daily Staff Reporter

This week, the University of Michigan’s Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships announced Public Policy senior Gabriel Lerner and LSA alum Megan Cansfield as scholars of Yenching Academy’s 2018 fellowship program, which sponsors students through a two-year master’s degree of China Studies at Peking University in Beijing, China.

The program brings together 150 students from around the world. Students spend the first year of the program studying and participating in fieldwork focused on Chinese history, culture and development.

Students spend the second year working outside of the classroom while they develop their theses.

Yenching Academy offers six research areas on which students can focus. Public Policy senior Gabriel Lerner, who will enroll in the Academy in August, will be concentrating on economics and management.

Lerner said he looks forward See PEKING, Page 2

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GOVERNMENT

Fadanelli also reports positive feedback regarding starting class after Labor Day ABBY TAKAS

Daily Staff Reporter

The University of Michigan’s LSA Student Government met Wednesday evening to address the body’s election of the winter 2018 election director and four new resolutions, such as supporting the Lecturers’ Employee Organization and advocating for gender inclusive language in bylaws.

The meeting began with announcements from LSA SG President Nicholas Fadanelli addressing their initiative with the University to start classes before Labor Day and not hold classes on Election Day. Fadanelli reported that he has received positive feedback from administrators and is meeting with the registrar in March.

Additionally, Fadanelli will soon be meeting with the provost to discuss the University’s consideration of discontinuing “Michigan time,” and having classes end ten minutes early, rather than start ten minutes late.

Academic Relations Officer Hanna Simmons announced that she and several other LSA SG members recently met with administration members of the Residential College to discuss scheduling conflicts with their language requirement. Because the RC is seeking more information on the issue, LSA SG announced their plan to send Check out the Daily’s News podcast, The Daily Weekly

a survey to students to gather more information.

Andrew Mitchel, an LSA senior, was acknowledged as a highly informed constituent and elected as LSA SG’s winter 2018 election director.

Mitchel voiced his concerns about the lack of information many LSA students have when going to vote for their representatives and

announced his plans to make candidate platforms more available either through social media or an independent website.

LSA SG members discussed a resolution to support the Lecturers’ Employee Organization, focusing on LEO’s concerns that many University lecturers are grossly underpaid and have

a high turnover rate of 40 percent. This turnover rate was said to be in part because of the low salaries, and also in part that the lecturers are given such short notice on whether they will be needed the following semester.

Fadanelli underscored the importance of this issue, highlighting how many See LSA SG, Page 3

RUCHITA IYER/Daily

LSA Public Activites Committee Chair Kristen Ball presents the committee report during the LSA Student Government meeting in Mason Hall Wednesday evening.

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INDEX

Vol. CXXVII, No. 72 ©2018 The Michigan Daily

prioritizes education

Snyder’s last budget proposal has changes for infrastruture, schools JORDYN BAKER Daily Staff Reporter

On Wednesday, Gov. Rick Snyder proposed his final 2019 and 2020 budget recommendation to Michigan Senate and House of Representatives appropriations committees. The budget places a specific emphasis on changes in funding for schools, roads and infrastructure.

With a total budget of $56.8 billion, a 0.6 percent increase from the year before, K-12 schools would see an increase from $120 to $240 in foundation allowances per student. This increase is twice as large as the budget approved by lawmakers last year.

“What we need to continue to work on is seeing better outcomes with students in terms of achievement levels,” Snyder said in reference to standardized testing scores in a press release.

While state Rep. Fred Durhal III, D-Detroit, found the increase in K-12 funding to be “amazing,” House Appropriations Chairwoman Laura Cox, RLivonia, stated some proposals would “cause angst” within the See SNYDER, Page 3

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

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

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MONDAY: Looking at the Numbers

TUESDAY:

By Design

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PEKING From Page 1

China is daunting, but he is enthusiastic for the challenge of living in a new country and learning a new language. “(I am) mostly incredibly excited,” Lerner said. “I am nervous because I haven’t been exposed to Chinese culture or Chinese language, but I couldn’t be more excited to be spending the next year or so around people who are passionate about learning more about how China’s, economy, government and culture function,” Lerner said.

Both Lerner and Henry Dyson, the director of the Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships, discussed the global implications of Yenching Academy and

MIKE PERSAK and ORION SANG

the Schwarzman scholars “I look forward to delving Managing Sports Editors sportseditors@michigandaily.com program. The Schwarzman deeper into specialized Senior Sports Editors: Laney Byler, Mark Calcagno, Robert Hefter, Max scholars, similar to Yenching study of China’s foreign Marcovitch, Paige Voeffray, Ethan Wolfe Assistant Sports Editors: Aria Gerson, Ben Katz, Tien Le, Anna Marcus, Ethan to understanding income Academy, provides students policy through the program’s Sears, Jacob Shames inequality from a Chinese with a master’s degree unique learning environment perspective. program in Global Affairs combining Chinese and DANIELLE YACOBSON and MADELEINE GAUDIN Managing Arts Editors arts@michigandaily.com “Income inequality is at Tsinghua University in international perspectives something that through my Beijing. They also both likened from classmates of diverse Senior Arts Editors: Becky Portman, Sam Rosenberg, Arya Naidu, Dominic Polsinelli Michigan education really the programs to the Rhodes backgrounds and nationalities.

Arts Beat Editors: Danny Hensel, Erika Shevchek, Matt Gallatin, Naresh stood out to me,” Lerner Scholars program as it allows Ultimately, I hope to build on Iyengar said. “China is also facing students to build international my experience at Yenching ROSEANNE CHAO and CASEY TIN incredible income inequality, relationships. by continuing to engage Managing Design Editors design@michigandaily.com which can lead to political Dyson stated the University with China and promote instability and social unrest. has had six scholars receive international cooperation ALEXIS RANKIN and KATELYN MULCAHY So my hope is to go to China, the Yenching Academy through a diplomatic career as Managing Photo Editors photo@michigandaily.com study inequality there and see scholarship over the last four a U.S. Foreign Service Officer.”

Senior Photo Editors: Amelia Cacchione, Emma Richter, Evan Aaron Assistant Photo Editors: Claire Meingast, Sam Mousigian, Aaron Baker, Ryan if there are lessons that can be years. He compared Peking Dyson also discussed McLoughlin, Alec Cohen learned from China about how University to the Ivy League his pride and excitement to tackle income inequality schools in America and for the both Lerner and BRIAN KUANG Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com back in the United States after discussed the opportunities Cansfield in regard to Deputy Editors: Colin Beresford, Jennifer Meer, Rebecca Tarnopol Sudoku theSyndication program.” available with a degree from their http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ accomplishments and For Lerner, the move to such a prestigious school. their future endeavors. He FINN STORER and ELISE LAARMAN Managing Copy Editors copydesk@michigandaily.com “While Peking is described Cansfield as a China building an international expert and elaborated on Senior Copy Editors: Emily Stillman and Allie Bopp cohort, the real benefit Gabriel’s ability to maximize BOB LESSER and JORDAN WOLFF of it is having a Peking his opportunities given to him.

Managing Online Editors lesserrc@michigandaily.com Senior Web Developers: Patricia Huang, Abna Panda, Hassaan Ali Wattoo, University degree and “I think they are really Rebecca Tung the doors that opens, interesting candidates,” Dyson EASY IAN HARRIS especially if you want to said. “On the one hand how Managing Video Editor video@michigandaily.com work in China or work for focused and prepared Megan Senior Video Editors: Abe Lofy, Robby Weinbaum, Jillian Drzinski, Danielle Kim Chinese firms,” Dyson is, and on the other hand how said. diverse and expansive Gabriel JASON ROWLAND and ASHLEY TJHUNG Michigan in Color Editors michiganincolor@michigandaily.com Cansfield triple majored is in the different types of in International Studies, opportunities he’s pursued Senior Michigan in Color Editors: Lorna Brown, Zainab Bhindarwala, Christian Paneda, Nisa Khan, Na’kia Channey Political Science and while, of course, being Assistant Michigan in Color Editors: Angelo McKoy, Kareem Shunnar, Maya Asian Studies during her excellent at each of them.”

Mokh, Priya Judge, Efe Osagie undergraduate study at While elated at the ANNA HARITOS and KAYLA WATERMAN the University. She is accomplishments of the Managing Social Media Editors currently living in Beijing University’s Yenching on a Fulbright fellowship. Academy scholars, he is Dyson said Cansfield hopes frustrated the University still to work on international has not had a Schwarzman diplomacy with a focus scholar.

EMILY RICHNER CLAIRE BUTZ Sales Manager Business Development Manager on China in either the “It drives me crazy that DEANA ZHU and JEFFREY ZHANG JULIA SELSKY State Department or at a we haven’t broken through Marketing Managers Local Accounts Manager Chinese think tank. with Schwarzman scholars CAROLINE GOLD SANJANA PANDIT “I am very grateful … ” Dyson said. “So I am Media Consulting Manager Production Manager for the incredible really excited to maintain the opportunities the fantastic relationship we have Yenching Academy will with Yenching while making The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the offer to broaden my the push to the next level to fall and winter terms by students at the University OF Michigan. One copy is available understanding of China recruit some of our very best © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for puzzle by sudokusyndication.com and its evolving global students to take advantage $2. Subscriptions for September-April are $250 and year long subscriptions are $275.

University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions identity,” Cansfield wrote of the Schwarzman scholars for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. in an email interview. opportunity.”

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I N S I D E C L I M AT E N E W S

SNYDER From Page 1

RUCHITA IYER/Daily

Neela Banerjee, Inside Climate News reporter, speaks about her Pulitzer-nominated investigation into Exxon’s early climate research at South Hall Wednesday.

AAPD From Page 1 structure of the commission — is planned for Sept. 4.

“As this task force considers the roles, responsibilities and authorities of the commission, the staff will be there for finance, policing, legal — all there to provide some guidance and structure to the discussion to make sure that what the task force recommends are legal and sustainable and emulate best practices,” Lazarus said.

Based on the amendments made to the resolution Monday, councilmembers said they were committed to recruiting representative residents of the Ann Arbor community. TJW hopes these task force members will draw from a variety of minority groups most impacted by unchecked policing and ideally include social work and mental health professionals. “(City Council) did make a commitment to representation, so we want to hold them to that commitment,” Quiroz said in an interview. “We’re also really glad to see the amendment that really made a commitment to representation of communities most impacted by policing and most understanding of what’s needed –– that includes residents themselves, Black, Latino, Trans and that includes people who are practitioners of restorative justice, social workers and others who can bring a deep understanding of issues to the task force.”

However, Human Rights Commission member Dwight Wilson raised concerns about convincing members of minority groups to join the task force. Based on his past interviews with minority residents for other positions, some citizens are apprehensive about being in the public eye and risking their careers and livelihoods.

“I’ve interviewed hundreds of people and consistently those of color, especially Black men, they have said to me that they don’t want to be out front and they don’t want to be targeted,”

SEXPERTISE From Page 1 variable per person and needs are always changing.”

In an interview, Holloway explained his desire to present on this topic, saying as a trans man, he feels his experience regarding the topic he presented on catered to a more inclusive discussion.

“It’s very personal for me because I am a trans person,” Holloway said. “I want to spread information that I feel is from a very trans-perspective. I would rather a trans person present on trans topics than a cisgender person.”

According to the MerriamWebster dictionary, cisgender is defined as someone who identifies with the gender with which they were born.

Later in the presentation, Holloway explained the three C’s of communication: consent, communication and creativity. He emphasized that communication between sexual

Wilson said. “There’s such a lack of trust that they don’t even want their name on a list and it’s sad.”

Though the HRC primarily deals with concerns of social justice and diversity in the community, the amendment to give the commission the power to elect or confirm task force members was not passed. Instead, HRC will review the pool of applicants and recommend 11 selected residents to the City Council.

Councilmember Jack Eaton, D-Ward 4, said he was unsatisfied with this decision, since it could jeopardize the representative nature of the task force.

“I’m a little disappointed because I think the attempt to include the HRC in a more powerful position was meant to ensure that our desire for a broad cross section of the community was accomplished,” Eaton said.

“While I’m disappointed, I believe we are still going to end up with a fairly good task force because elected officials know they are answering to this broad community.”

Once HRC brings the recommendations to the council, Mayor Christopher Taylor will appoint who will sit on the task force. Wilson raised concerns about placing this deciding power in the hands of the mayor and limiting the power of the HRC, whose members are also selected by the mayor.

“The makeup (of the HRC) would be much different if the mayor did not hold that power in the city charter, and there’s no doubt that who he approves is not who I’d approve,” Wilson said. “I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt because I’ve met with him on several occasions and it seems to me that he wants to do the right thing.”

The task force’s primary responsibility will be to write a charter outlining the structure and guidelines for the final commission. Eaton emphasized the need for proper demographic data-collection

abilities to make informed decisions once the resulting board is formed.

“I hope that the commission will also look at policies and practices and training. I am very hopeful that they will look at demographics,” Eaton said. “Who is it that’s getting pulled over in traffic stops?

There’s a lot discretion that an officer exercises when they’re enforcing the law and we want to make sure it’s not focusing on people for gender or race.”

Quiroz highlighted the commission’s role in enforcing preventative measures, such as ensuring proper police training.

“We need to understand does Ann Arbor have a commitment to de-escalation training and what does that look like?”

Quiroz said. “Police officers can be trained to come into a situation and either throw someone to the ground or they can be trained in ways to deescalate and diffuse the situation. And we don’t really know what that training looks like… Whether you think a police officer is a good person or a bad person isn’t the issue. It’s about having a system of checks and balances that is preventive and builds community strength not starting with police.”

Some say, however, the realm of what police can legally do still leaves room for misconduct.

Councilmember Chuck Warpehoski, D-Ward 5, emphasized the need to broaden the scope of these policies and training measures through a restorative justice approach.

“The broader question of was there harm, how can that be repaired, are there policies or training changes we need to make to prevent similar harm in the future?” Warpehoski asked.

“Those are the kind of questions that open up a more expansive approach to reviewing police activities and more along the lines that a restorative justice approach would take toward these interactions.”

Though city staff and community members agreed on the general policy and training review functions of the commission, both groups

partners is important in order to have a worthwhile experience.

“Communication is key,” Holloway said. “Sex looks different for every single person that you are going to come across. Your definition of sex may differ from my definition of sex ... consent is mandatory.”

The presentation also included statistics gathered from the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. According to the survey, 33 percent of trans people who saw a health care provider stated they had negative experiences regarding their health, 24 percent had to teach their medical provider about their health as a trans individual and 23 percent did not consult a doctor at all for fear of mistreatment because of their identity.

UHS Mental Health Care Manager Diana Parrish announced UHS is also working to provide more services catered toward transgender-related health care, such as prescribing hormone treatments. Currently, those who wish to receive

treatments have to go to outside providers.

“We are working on having in-house providers who can initiate hormones which would be a major way of access for healthcare,” Parrish said.

LSA junior Kymberley Leggett said she found the event worthwhile because she specifically learned about issues regarding the transition process.

I want to spread information that I feel is from a very trans-perspective “One of the biggest things I learned about was the different things that happen in transition for trans folks,” Leggett said. “I had a trans friend in high school and didn’t realize all that he was going through.”

were split on what level of investigative power should be granted to the commission.

At Monday’s City Council meeting, the council did not pass the amendment allowing for the commission to access confidential information for their police investigations.

Originally, only public data was to be made available for investigative purposes; however, city and community members proposed the commission needed all relevant information to make informed reviews of complaints against police.

The task force will now take on the discussion of investigative power and propose their recommendations to the City Council in their charter.

Eaton said he was disappointed with this decision, and felt it will take a toll on how the task force tackles the issue and responds to the council.

“If you count the votes on council, which is the group that will eventually approve or disapprove of what this task force recommends, you can see there is division on that particular issue and that’s unfortunate because this task force is going to know that we disagree with how much authority a commission should have in investigating police complaints,” Eaton said. “It was a compromise and there’s still a lot of potential there but we sent a bad message to the task force that there isn’t broad support for real independence.”

Wilson highlighted the consequences of a commission lacking investigative power, such as being under the control of internal affairs and subsequently, the police.

“It saddens me because if the community cannot do investigation, then that means we will be at the mercy of internal affairs,” Wilson said.

“Among the hundreds of people that I interviewed were police detectives and policemen on the street and each one of them told me you cannot trust internal affairs because internal affairs is being paid by the police and

LSA SG From Page 1 courses campuswide are taught

by LSA lecturers.

SG members questioned the source of the money for a salary raise and whether it would come from a rise in tuition or University reserves. LSA sophomore Brooke Lennox spoke on the conversations she has had with her Russian professor regarding the issue and claims that University regents have the funding for raises. Lennox believes the issue is instead about convincing regents to allocate their resources toward these raises.

“I am in huge support of this,” Lennox said.

LSA SG members also introduced an amendment to previous election rules, focusing on their discussion during the election and clarifying the language of the law. The goal of the resolution is to streamline internal

Republican Party.

“It’s a good thing he wants to increase (K-12 funding), but a lot of the devil is in the details on how he gets there,” Cox said.

In terms of road and infrastructure improvements, the budget recommendation proposes $175 million to repair state roads and a continued $150 million in income tax revenue for use in road maintenance. In addition, Snyder plans to increase landfill fees to remedy toxic waste sites and to implement an annual $5 water fee for infrastructure repairs, as well as $25 million to continue to alleviate the Flint water crisis.

While presenting the recommendation, protesters from Service Employees International Union chanted outside of the open meeting, calling upon legislators to implement fair wages and

therefore is not effectively objective, so we need some type of objectivity.”

According to Warpehoski, the council aims to provide the commission with the utmost level of information possible without jeopardizing confidentiality and violating privacy laws.

“Whatever extent we can find a way to provide them with a high level of access to information, I think we should,” he said. “We don’t want to violate state or federal laws that prevent disclosure of information about minors or other people protected. We want to make sure that people who raise concerns, we can protect their privacy.”

With issues surrounding confidentiality, Eaton is sure the commission can be trusted with classified information, just like city staff is. Without this information, Eaton emphasized the commission will not be able to grasp the full situation and make an informed decision.

“We trust our staff to maintain confidences, and we trust our council members to maintain confidences, and to believe that we cannot trust a commission member to maintain confidences is kind of insulting to our residents,” Eaton said.

Wilson suggested at least one member of the commission should have access to any necessary confidential information.

“It may be what we need is a single person who is the director that at least will have access to everything, and she or he will need to have confidentiality — somebody needs to see everything,” Wilson said. “If not, then there’s no trust.”

Despite disagreements, Lazarus underscored the council’s overall support of moving the process forward to create a task force and subsequent commission.

“I think the fact that they took time to go word for word through the resolution and amendment shows they’re committed to this,” Lazarus said. “They didn’t agree on

elections by fostering debate from all candidates at the start rather than having to repeat elections, as has been done in years past. LSA SG members also encouraged using comprehensive language to reduce confusion for members in the future.

Members then discussed an amendment to reform the Communications Committee’s ThisSucks@umich.edu, proposing to replace the “ThisSucks” account with a more centralized complaint form on their website. The sponsors of this resolution explained that this web page, Campus Complaints, would increase accessibility to constituents and amplify their voiced concerns.

LSA SG also addressed their internal climate, presenting an amendment about gendered language within their bylaws.

The body passed a similar resolution in 2016, but is working to strengthen their bylaws to enforce the abolition of gendered language within

improved conditions for working people in reaction to Snyders proposedprivatization of prison food service.

In a press release, Snyder explained the proposed budget would allow the state of Michigan to continue seeing the policies and investments implemented throughout his term in office.

“By continuing our relentless support of areas like education, safety and transportation, we maximize the impact of the strategic initiatives we have implemented over the years,” Snyder said. “We need to ensure that the important work happening here in Michigan keeps accelerating.”

Other funding measures include monies directed toward Michigan State Police troopers, the Department of Corrections, Department of Natural Resources, the Sexual Assault and Prevention and Education Initiative, and investment in technology such as broadband access for rural areas.

everything, but in the end they voted unanimously as a show of support and I think the resolution provides a good structure for us to move forward.”

City staff and community members are continuing to work together to find a balance between each party’s requests for the task force and commission.

“We got to this point because of the good work of the community in insisting on a good process and I trust that we will get to that end product with that same inf luence from activists in the community,” Eaton said.

Though the commission serves to review the police, members of the council assure their support and appreciation of the police and hope for further improvement.

“This process doesn’t mean that we’re going to find that our police are doing everything wrong, it’s just going to give us enough information so that we can make improvements. We have a really excellent police department,” Eaton said. “I believe if we are doing proactive policing rather than reactive policing, that the officer has the ability to develop those personal relationships with the community that they don’t have time to do when they’re running from one call to the next.”

Overall, Lazarus highlighted the city staff and community’s aim to meet the same end goal — a functioning commission that will keep the police in check and build more trust within the Ann Arbor community.

“I remain excited about the path forward … it has been a challenge in many ways. I think the staff and I have kept true faith and allegiance with the community as we’ve gone through developing a scope of work and receiving a report from the outside consultant and translating that into action,” Lazarus said. “I think we all need to take a breath and appreciate the magnitude of what we’re doing and jump into it enthusiastically.”

their documents and meetings.

Admitting that it is difficult to enforce the use of gender-inclusive language, the sponsors urged the responsibility of every member to be inclusive.

Members agreed the purpose of this resolution is to advocate for inclusive language and to encourage people to be educated on the issue.

LSA SG members attested to the effectiveness of such a resolution, despite the inability to be measured metrically, claiming that they have seen change since the original resolution in 2016.

Their bylaws no longer include “he,” “him,” or other gender-specific pronouns, while other student governments’ bylaws allegedly still do.

External Relations Officer Lorraine Furtado said the committee will continue to fight for gender-inclusive language.

“We’ll be here for you to help advocate for gender inclusiveness,” she said.

Opinion

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DAYTON HARE Managing Editor

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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Samantha Goldstein Elena Hubbell Emily Huhman Jeremy Kaplan

Sarah Khan Lucas Maiman Ellery Rosenzweig Jason Rowland Anu Roy-Chaudhury

Ali Safawi Kevin Sweitzer Tara Jayaram Ashley Zhang

Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board.

All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.

KRYSTAL HUR | COLUMN

I

Rejecting gender norms

t’s no secret that gender norms are perpetuated in society and have undoubtedly spawned a restrictive set of sociallyacceptable behaviors that dictate how people should act based on their gender.

One report conducted by the Global Early Adolescent Study shows the prevailing effects of gender norms globally.

The study questioned 450 adolescents and their parents across 15 countries. The participants ranged from 10 to 14 years old. After looking at the results, Robert Blum, director of the Global Adolescent Study and a professor at Johns Hopkins University, concluded, “children at a very early age — from the most conservative to the most liberal societies — quickly internalize this myth that girls are vulnerable and boys are strong and independent.”

Blum’s explanation of the study’s results reaffirms the well-known truth that young girls are raised to be meek and vulnerable. Furthermore, young girls are also sexualized from a young age; one paper published as part of the study stated, “Around the world pubertal boys are viewed as predators and girls as potential targets and victims. Messages such as — do not sit like that, do not wear that, do not talk to him, boys will ruin your future — support the gender division of power … In some places, girls come to internalize these norms to even a greater extent than boys.”

Of course, it isn’t just young girls who are controlled by gender roles; young boys, too, are often expected to act in a certain way. An article from The Guardian noted that because boys are expected to be brave and tough since a young age, “they engage in and are the victims of physical violence to a much greater extent than girls; they die more frequently from unintentional injuries, are more prone to substance abuse and suicide; and as adults their life expectancy is shorter than that of women.” In addition, men are often discouraged from expressing their emotions, and are condemned for crying in particular. While shaming a man for crying is sexist because the act is shamed for being too “feminine”

(evidenced by common insults such as “crying like a little girl”) there’s no doubt that men are taught that they must not show any emotions that exhibit vulnerability.

Gender roles have also paradoxically created the false assumption that people must reject all qualities of the socially-quintessential man or woman in order to fight gender norms. Choosing not to partake in stereotypically “feminine” activities, such as putting on makeup or shopping, does not fight gender norms. The same goes for men; avoiding stereotypically “masculine” activities such as playing sports does not help in the fight against gender norms.

Neither does shaming those who choose to embody certain characteristics that make up gender norms.

For example, many people shame women who choose to stay at home with their kids and take care of the household for having “easy” jobs. In an article in the Huff Post, Michelle Zunter, a stay-at-home mom, discussed how working moms will often say to her, “‘I wish I could stay home like you but someone has to work and pay the bills!’”

As someone who knows several stay-at-home moms, I take umbrage with this statement because I have witnessed firsthand how difficult it is to keep an entire household running, and staying at home should not be conflated with not working. In addition, the assumption that stay-athome moms don’t do any work shames women who choose to follow gender norms not because they are forced to, but because they want to. It creates yet another standard by which women feel forced to do something, instead of choosing of their free will.

Another example that affects men are the stereotypes associated with men who fit the imposed gender norm of enjoying sports; for example, stereotypes such as the “dumb jock” suggest men who are athletic are not intelligent. And though men are often viewed in society as being superior to women in terms of intelligence, these negative stereotypes that punish those who seem hypermasculine do not help fight gender roles or sexism; they only create another

HANNAH MYERS | CONTACT AT HSMYERS@UMICH.EDU

restrictive label. Reducing every man who likes to watch football to a crazed, violent sports fanatic isn’t doing anyone a favor.

I am not trying to champion those who choose to conform to gender roles, nor am I trying to shame those who don’t. However, I do believe avoiding qualities associated with a gender norm is not helpful: Rather, rejecting the association of qualities with specific genders, as well as the negative connotation associated with being masculine or feminine, is what is important.

A woman isn’t “masculine” if she works outside the home or is athletic. A man isn’t “feminine” if he prefers to spend time inside or if he expresses his emotions freely. In addition, women who prefer to work at home and men who pride themselves on their athletic abilities aren’t complicit in perpetuating gender norms.

Using labels such as “masculine” and “feminine” is not necessarily bad, but using the terms to perpetuate negative stereotypes or shame others is harmful. The goal of rejecting gender norms is not to create a different set of restrictions, but to allow people to act how they want without being shamed.

Therefore, in order to reject harmful gender norms, we must not condemn all of the characteristics that make up a norm and instead get rid of the gendering of said qualities.

This is easier said than done, but we can take steps to work toward abolishing controlling gender norms. We can teach girls and boys that their place is where they want it to be, inside or outside the house.

We can stop telling men who are not stereotypically masculine to “man up” and stop telling women who are not stereotypically feminine to act more ladylike. However, because fighting gender norms also means not blaming those who may fit the mold, we must also not criticize women for being “girly,” or men for being hypermasculine. Once again, the point of fighting gender norms is to liberate people, not to restrict them in different ways.

Krystal Hur can be reached at kryshur@umich.edu.

Saving those not yet addicted to tech

T

hink of the number of hours that you spend on your phone per day.

Whether you relentlessly post on Instagram or you regularly read the news, I’m sure that you spend way more time on your phone than you would like to admit.

I recently began consciously monitoring my phone usage, and if you’re anything like me, you probably waste at least a few hours a day on your phone.

Initially, I thought that a few hours a day wasn’t terrible. This reaction, however, was simply a way to resist my ultimate realization: I was addicted to my phone.

If you think about it, I’m sure many of you are the same way.

We check our phones as soon as we wake up, all throughout the day and then one last time right before we fall asleep (usually for several hours before actually falling asleep).

We hit the home button, hoping for a notification, anytime we feel bored or awkward or anxious. Our phones are there for us, with an infinite amount of stimulation to distract us whenever we need it.

I began thinking about my phone usage (and overall technology usage) when several publications, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, reported on an open letter sent to Apple Inc. about the negative effects smartphones can have on children. The media has begun scrutinizing these companies for potentially exploiting human behavior in search of excessive profits.

Our phones, paired with the social media apps on their interfaces, captivate us with their consistent, neverending information stream.

In an essay, Nicholas Carr, a renowned author on the subject of technology and its impact on society, wrote, “(the brain’s) attention is drawn toward any object that is new, intriguing

or otherwise striking.” Social media relies on this truth to profitably capture as much attention as possible. YouTube keeps us watching with its “autoplay” feature, and Instagram keeps us scrolling on the “explore” page.

The addictive nature of phones and their apps have harmful consequences for each and every user. The Journal of the Association for Consumer Research published a report that noted even the presence of a smartphone can significantly reduce cognitive performance on a variety of tests. Our phones are constantly asking for our attention — even when we’re not necessarily using them.

The research demonstrates how our phones can inhibit us from reaching our true cognitive potential.

The consequences of social media are even more severe.

Holly Shakya, associate professor at the University of California, San Diego, and Nicholas Christakis, Sol Goldman Family professor at Yale University, found in a landmark study that “the use of Facebook was negatively associated with overall wellbeing.” Meaning, the more time you spend on social media, the unhappier you feel. Frequent social media users report feeling depressed and lonely, and they also experience resentment, or jealousy, of their supposed “friends” when checking social media.

It’s not just academics scrutinizing the tech giants.

Investors are even starting to call for change. Two Apple Inc. investors, who control approximately $2 billion of the tech company’s shares, recently sent a letter to its board of directors criticizing the iPhone’s influence on children. The investors, along with much of the public, have become concerned over the effect that phones will have on

Generation Z, the generation that is growing up surrounded by smartphones.

In addition, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, a group of pediatric and mental health experts, wrote a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging him to discontinue the new Messenger Kids app. The group is concerned with Facebook preying on a vulnerable portion of the population in what is likely an effort to create lifelong users of the social media platform.

Lawmakers are similarly beginning to scrutinize these companies because of the negative externalities that their products and services bring to society. Facebook was initially scrutinized because of the alleged Russian efforts to inf luence the latest U.S. presidential election via the platform, but lawmakers are now raising important questions relating to not only misinformation with Facebook but also consumer protection with regard to all of the tech giants.

Tech giants may face heightened regulations in the coming years, but I hope that they will realize their externalities to society and make meaningful changes on their own. These companies have a unique opportunity to make their products and services more responsible without governmental intervention, and I hope that they take advantage of it. I hope that they will develop safeguards for children and reduce or eliminate their platform’s habit-forming qualities without being forced to do so.

Those affected may already be addicted, but the least we can do is help the coming generations use these products and services more wisely.

Erik Nesler can be reached at egnesler@umich.edu.

J STREET U | OP-ED

Oppose Susya home demolitions

I

f you’ve at tended a J St reet U event at t he University of Michigan in the last two years, you’ve probably heard of Susya. Maybe you’ve seen pictures of its children or hillsides. Maybe you’ve listened to stories from people who have traveled there.

Maybe you’ve even made phone calls to government officials about it or posted #SaveSusya and #WontLookAway on social media.

The v illage of Susya lies in the South Hebron Hills, in the area of the West Bank, known as Area C, which is under full Israeli military control.

Susya is currently home to 350 Palestinian people. Unless people take action, more than 40 residents of Susya could soon lose their homes.

The Israeli far-right settler movement, led by the organization Regavim, has spent the last few years lobbying the Israeli government to demolish Susya and villages like it so that Israeli settlements can expand through the South Hebron Hills.

Persistent demolitions of Palestinian communities deep within the West Bank are part of their strateg y of creeping annexation. The far-right movement hopes to secure a “Greater Israel,” expanding Israeli control over land that would become a future state of Palestine after a negotiated two-state solution. In effect, these efforts are eliminating

the possibility of a two-state solution to the conf lict, and both peace and security for all Israelis and Palestinians.

Israeli security professionals have spoken out about the dangers of creeping annexation and the entrenchment of the occupation. They recognize that the demolition of Susya would clear the way for the demolitions of other vulnerable villages facing similar threats, and turn the possibility of a peaceful twostate solution into an imposed one-state nightmare. These members of the Israeli security establishment are joined by United States lawmakers such as Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who wrote a letter in November that was co-signed by eight additional senators expressing opposition to home demolitions and the threat of creeping annexation.

Over the past year, J Street U students from the Univeristy and across the U.S. have developed a relationship with Susya. Our students have traveled to the village to speak with community leaders about their lives and the challenges they face. This fall, J Street U hosted Susya resident and village spokesperson Nasser Nawaj’ah at multiple national gatherings of students, where he spoke about the uncertainty he feels about his children’s security and future. Through our Stop

Demolitions, Build Peace campaign, we have voiced resistance to the demolition of Susya through education and solidarity events.

Now, more than ever, it is critical for us to stand in solidarity with Susya. On Feb. 1, the Israeli Supreme Court decided to permit the demolition of seven structures in the village. These structures are home to more than 40 people, half of whom are children or elderly. When exactly these orders will be carried out is unclear, but it is now possible for bulldozers to drive into Susya at any time.

J Street U University students call on our fellow students and community members to oppose this decision. Statements and pressure from U.S. leadership have successfully delayed demolitions in the past. In response to the court decision announcement, Feinstein and Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., put out statements standing up for Susya. We call on our elected representatives to follow their example of leadership on this issue. It is critical that we make our voices heard now, for the sake of the people of Susya and a peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians.

J Street U is a national student organization working for a two-state solution to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict and an end to the occupation.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and op-eds.

Letters should be fewer than 300 words while op-eds should be 550 to 850 words. Send the writer’s full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.

Arts

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

FILM REVIEW

‘Bilal: A New Breed of Hero’ fails to deliver on potential SAMANTHA NELSON For the Daily

With recent popularized animated pictures like “Paddington 2” and “Cars 3” on the market, “Bilal: A New Breed of Hero,” an animated film about enslavement and religious tyranny taking place 1,500 years ago is an undeniable hard-sell for modern audiences. However, versions of this storyline have in fact sold before, and have successfully awed modern

“Bilal” Goodrich Quality 16 Vertical Entertainment viewers. Take the remarkable masterpiece that is “The Prince of Egypt,” a film about Moses and the oppression of the Israelite people. Though the concept sounds rather dry, the film holds the attention of the audience until the end through a rhythmically captivating soundtrack and impressive character growth.

Despite following a somewhat similar narrative to “The Prince of Egypt,” “Bilal” falls far short of its potential.

Taking place 1,500 years ago in a religiously corrupt and slavery ridden portion of the Middle East, “Bilal” begins with the uprooting of protagonist Bilal’s world as his home is invaded, his mother is presumably killed and he and his sister are sold into slavery.

The remainder of the film tracks Bilal through his journey from childhood to manhood.

Increasingly intolerant with the societal oppression he faces, Bilal ignites a flame within the hearts of his tyrannized community and sparks a rebellion against the slave masters. Despite its startling

and emotional beginning, the remainder of the film steadily loses its momentum, lacking a pulse entirely by the end.

However, to the film’s credit, the quality of the animation is truly mesmerizing. The vivid reds, golds, blues, purples and browns used throughout the film, the motif of sand and the slow motion and flashback sequences undeniably add to the cinematic beauty. The flashbacks, which often transport the audience into Bilal’s memories of his mother, who serves as a guiding voice within him throughout the movie, are especially impactful.

These moments function as marking points, indicating the growing resistance within Bilal as his intolerance to his figurative and literal chains develops. Also praiseworthy is the film’s telling of a story more diverse than the typical animation flick. Even though the film is set far in the past, it holds some relevance to the current political climate, and its introduction of an unfamiliar narrative about a Middle Eastern (rather than white) hero to American audiences is welcomed and extremely refreshing.

Though components of “Bilal” do hold some value, its overall quality is overpowered by mishaps in character development, unengaging and bland dialogue and oversimplification.

Despite his physical aging throughout the film and his progressive internal dissatisfaction with his maltreatment, Bilal’s character evolution is deficient and he comes off as bland.

Partly to blame for this is the surface level, black and white relationships that Bilal has with the characters around him. This is a film with no grey characters, and by extension, no questioning of who is righteous and who is evil. Obviously, the man in the black and red garb with narrowed eyes and a smirk on his face is villainous, and of course Bilal and his companions, who dress mostly in cream

and tan colored clothing, have stunning eyes and soothing voices, are the upstanding guys.

This lack of complexity makes characters incredibly intangible, and prevents viewers from investing any real emotion in them. Tied to a lack of depth is a shortcoming with dialogue.

With so much of the film consisting of repetitive, backto-back moments of struggling and overcoming, dialogue and character growth are placed toward the backburner. The conversations had by characters do the bare minimum, enough to keep the plot going, but not enough to actually make viewers care about what is being said.

“Bilal” is best described as a big ball of unharnessed potential. On the plus side, the film enlightens viewers to an empowering, unique and inspiring true story. At the same time, however, it misses the mark by failing to tell that same story in a non-generic and though-provoking manner. By the end of the film, viewers are

Viewers are left dissatisfied and wondering whether the seven dollars they paid at the box office were worth it

Thursday, February 8, 2018 — 5

TV REVIEW

SHOWTIME

‘The Trade’ is incomplete MAITREYI ANANTHARAMAN For the Daily

About halfway through the first episode of “The Trade” — a new five-part docuseries on the opioid epidemic from Showtime — we meet Jen Walton, whose sons, Skyler and Avery, are addicted to heroin. “Skyler would walk over my dead body to get his drug,” she says, almost matter-of-factly.

It’s a moment of weary resignation, and “The Trade” is full of those. There’s Don Miguel,

the boss of an opium poppy field in southwestern Mexico, confessing that he knows heroin is a harmful drug, but it’s the only way to make a living. And Detective Mark Edwards in Columbus, Ohio, busting small-time dealers and beginning to realize that nothing is changing.

“The Trade” is an unvarnished, character-driven examination of the opioid epidemic told through the lives of those it touches, and director and producer Matthew Heineman (“City of Ghosts”) — whose previous documentary

subjects include violent drug cartels and Syrian citizen journalists — isn’t one to shy away from difficult themes or complicated people.

Heineman is given unbelievable access to his subjects: law enforcement officials, heroin users and growers. The result is intensely cinematic, and at times, when we’re frighteningly close to someone shooting up heroin or stirring vats of chemicals, it can be easy to forget that this is all unscripted.

Read more online at

michigandaily.com

MUSIC ALBUM REVIEW

left dissatisfied and wondering whether the seven dollars they paid at the box office were worth it, or if they could have obtained equal entertainment from looking up the story of the real Bilal online for free.

Courtesy of Rich Brian

‘Amen’ a surprising risk from young’un Rich Brian

TRAILER REVIEW: ‘DISOBEDIENCE’

The internet star’s viral music video dictates his new release songs on the album — and any one of these would represent a Daily Arts Writer substantive development from the “Dat $tick” days.

Certain tracks demonstrate knack for careful Rich Brian may have just a experimentation that could surprised everyone.

Born and raised in Jakarta, yield interesting results in Indonesia, he rose to internet times to come: “Introvert” fame under the name “Rich is worth discussing, light Chigga” with the viral music yet dissonant with a driving video he created for his song groove and featuring fellow “Dat $tick,” a decent song that 88rising member Joji, another internet star suffered from attempting to not being able to transition to decide whether it Amen being taken was a joke or not.

Rich Brian seriously as an He’s an unlikely artist.

“Flight” success story: He 88rising Music is also unique, a learned both how pulsating synth to speak English and how to rap off of YouTube core draped with gentle bells as an adolescent, and he only and a reverb-soaked hook.

“Little Prince” and turned 18 a few months ago.

With Amen, along with “Arizona” are both much more the name change, Rich Brian atmospheric and peaceful is clearly trying to be taken than the rest of the album, more seriously. If he tried with smooth hooks lent to and failed to pivot away from both by relatively unknown his comedic roots, he would vocalists (NIKI and AUGUST risk going the route of Lil 08, respectively).

The album had its share of Dicky and plummeting into irrelevance. However, if he low points: “Attention” was a totally abandoned his past as little disappointing for having a “meme rapper” he would be the big-ticket Offset feature; f lirting with losing the very the beat was serviceable but fanbase that got him popular it felt like Offset phoned it in. in the first place. Rich Brian For most of his verse he was was walking a tightrope — he spitting like he was reading had to balance his viral fame his bars off of a teleprompter. with his artistic output — and I Maybe I’m just tired of him think Amen can be considered after having to sit through all a successful exercise in doing of Culture II last week. I don’t know, either way the track so, in spite of its f laws.

There are some exceptional didn’t grab me.

This is an album where the tracks on this record — “Glow Like Dat,” “Cold” and production really does the “Arizona” are among the best heavy lifting, which would be JONAH MENDELSON

CURZON ARTIFICIAL EYE

If David Fincher directed “Carol” (2015) in an Orthodox Jewish community, it would look a lot like “Disobedience.” Based on the novel of the same name by Naomi Alderman, “Disobedience” tackles homosexuality within the confines of the isolated and restrictive Ultra-Orthodox London community of Hendon. The trailer evokes the pace and tone of a thriller filled with forbidden passion and desire while touching on the more nuanced themes of the constricting boundaries of the Orthodox Jewish world.

When Ronit (Rachel Weisz, “Denial”) returns to the community that exiled her for her sexuality to mourn her Rabbi father’s death, she encounters her former lesbian lover, Esti (Rachel McAdams, “Spotlight”).

Since their affair, Esti has

married Ronit’s cousin and her father’s successor,

“Disobedience” Curzon Artificial Eye Dovid (Alessandro Nivola, “American Hustle”). The film, directed and adapted for the screen by Chilean director Sebastián Lelio (“A Fantastic Woman,” which happens to be nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars this year) is yet another step in the right direction for representation of homosexual love stories, even Jewish homosexual love stories, on screen. We have come a long way from “Kissing Jessica Stein” (2001) in terms of Jewish homosexuality with a bond

beyond stars of David and circumcisions with Elio and Oliver in “Call Me by Your Name” (2017). Hopefully, “Disobedience” will serve to provide a similar lens of visibility to those underrepresented stories in Hollywood.

Similarly, “Disobedience” sheds light on the equally underrepresented world of the Orthodox community.

The year 2017 saw A24’s Yiddish film “Menashe,” taking place in New York’s Hasidic Williamsburg with real-life Hasidim and Netflix’s documentary on life in that community in “One of Us.” Hopefully, in addition to providing visibility to the underrepresented, “Disobedience” will tell a story of intimacy and passion that has yet to be told.

– Becky Portman, Senior Arts Editor

an indictment of Rich Brian if he didn’t also produce most of the album. Given his rather repetitive and often monotonous f low, I might wager that he is actually more talented as a producer than

With Amen, along with the name change, Rich Brian is clearly trying to be taken more seriously

he is as a rapper. His bars can straddle the line between funny and lame (“Every week, I be on her face, she think it’s Cetaphil”), and while his singing voice is not technically proficient, it has character, redolent of Kid Cudi’s singing style. However, at the age of 18, he still has plenty of time to improve upon his weak areas, and I would look to his next project as an indication of whether Rich Brian is a f lash in the pan or if he’ll be around for good.

Arts

6— Thursday, February 8, 2018

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

COMMUNITY CULTURE COLUMN

BOOKS

The historical misconceptions The Books That perpetuated through ‘Hamilton’ Built Us: ‘Perks’ SAMMY SUSSMAN

Community Culture Columnist

This past week, I watched the performance of “Hamilton” from the 2016 Tony awards in my musicology class. As we watched the video, I was struck by the outstanding popularity of this music among many of my fellow School of Music, Theater & Dance classmates. As far as I could tell, no one in my class was hearing the music for the first time. Though a few students explained that they had outgrown the “Hamilton” craze, everyone seemed to be intimately familiar with each word in the musical.

The topic of my class is contemporary American music.

When discussing the role of “Hamilton” in contemporary American culture, we all had well-defined understandings of the significance of the musical.

Depicting the history of the Founding Fathers with actors of color, we felt, was clearly intended to make a statement about the diverse nature of our modern nation.

Various subthemes existed throughout the musical, we decided, such as the integral role of immigrants in American society and the ever-changing definition of what it means to be an American perpetuated through our historical understanding of our founding fathers.

When it came to discussing the legacy of Alexander Hamilton, however, the class was quite divided. Culturally, Hamilton has developed a historical connotation as a diverse and inclusive liberal icon. For many, he is an example of our democratic society. He was a self-made man, an immigrant whose wealth and power stemmed almost entirely from his speaking and writing abilities.

He represents the successes of our meritocracy. Thanks to the musical, he has been idealized as a bastion of modern day liberal/ progressive politics.

Hamilton’s historical legacy, however, may not be as clear cut as his current cultural status would lead us to believe. His role in polarizing the politics of his day,

for example, is briefly depicted in the play, though it is frequently glossed over in the cultural lexicon. Even this slightly more complicated view of Hamilton may not be entirely accurate; with some further research one can learn of Hamilton’s antidemocratic, almost authoritarian tendencies.

Historians have frequently alleged, for example, that he believed in an unequal distribution of wealth as a means of maintaining a class structure in American society. He advocated that the president receive a life term, an idea clearly at odds with the current political left and the various efforts underway to impeach our President. His participation in the 1783 attempt to overthrow the Continental Congress by harboring the anger of the unpaid soldiers, furthermore, is just as decidedly undemocratic as it is un-American.

I don’t mean to suggest that Hamilton represents a negative force in American politics — many of his financial policies are still in use today. His arguments in the Federalist Papers are still referenced today as the reasoning behind our system of government.

It is not Hamilton’s legacy that should be questioned but the role that the musical “Hamilton” has played in shaping and defining this legacy.

As was demonstrated in my musicology class, Hamilton’s current cultural legacy is built on the success of “Hamilton” and not his role in history. This musical-based historical legacy is constantly reinforced throughout our cultural landscape. It’s a cultural feedback loop of sorts: The legacy encourages us to follow the principles of “Hamilton,” rather then the policies that the real Hamilton would have supported.

It is not difficult to move from this cultural phenomenon to the larger world as politics become increasingly polarized. If anything, the hyperpolarization of modern politics are almost perfectly represented by the codification of this pseudohistorical legacy. Unlike any other time in history, the rapid

and indiscriminate flow of information known as the internet is encouraging the formation of distinct subcultures within our greater national culture. We are not a country divided — we are a country diverging into various

Hamilton’s historical legacy, however, may not be as clear cut as his current cultural status would lead us to believe independent and largely dissimilar subcultures. In previous decades, these subcultures were defined by geography. Now, more than they were before, they are based on other principles; economic conditions, race, class and (arguably) population density.

Each subculture has its own set of beliefs and its own history used to justify these beliefs. To those that believe in immigration and diversity as the foundation of the American experience, plays such as “Hamilton” help reinforce and justify those beliefs.

To those that believe in stronger border protection and cultural conservatism, other forms of art exist to reinforce and justify these beliefs.

While it is too early to note the effects of this phenomenon, changes will undoubtedly occur as these subcultures become more defined. The internet allows for plays such as “Hamilton” to cleave through the very fabric of American culture, bringing the very sustainability of this fabric into question.

This is not to say that performing arts have only recently become polarizing. “Hamilton” isn’t the

Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Thursday, February 8, 2018

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

first instance of a play developing any political connotations — the perpetual re-interpretations of Shakespeare are among the best examples of the constant political meanings to be found in the performing arts. It is important, however, to note the false or misleading cultural narratives that can become grounded in these works of art. We must be careful not to ingratiate ourselves in the common narratives of our respective subcultures. As Poincaré said, “to doubt everything or to believe everything are two equally convenient solutions; both dispense with the necessity of reflection.” As we continue into an increasingly interconnected future, we must be conscious of this tendency induced by our interconnectedness. We must continue to doubt widespread cultural narratives even as we must eventually accept certain cultural truths.

We must also note the power of ground-breaking works of art to overcome the barriers between these subcultures.

Though “Hamilton” seems to be a decidedly liberal play, this did not prevent Dick Cheney from publicly expressing his admiration for it. While some might argue that Cheney is not the specific type of nationalist or antiimmigrant conservative that one would expect to oppose this work, his public support for it defies almost any other explanation. He simply enjoyed the work. Though these subcultures are developing at rapid speeds, it seems their divides can still be traversed.

Regardless of the unifying or polarizing nature of these works, it is important to note the aspects of history that we gloss over as we develop these interpretations and understandings of art.

What is lost, we must ask, in this interpretation of the work? What is being prioritized and what minimized? We cannot question everything, but that does not mean we should question nothing.

We must instead be aware of the clemency we take in developing these interpretations and the inevitable aspects of history lost along the way.

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FOR RENT

SAM ROSENBERG Senior Arts Editor

“Even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.”

It was the summer before ninth grade.

I was lounging next to a pool at a Hawaiian hotel, encumbered by my perpetually anxious thoughts, when my sister handed me a book and said, “You should read this.” I took a good look at it: The cover was attractive and minimalist, a mix of pale green and forest brown, and it felt skinny enough that reading it didn’t seem like much of a challenge (spoiler alert: It wasn’t). I spent the next three days engulfing myself in the text, f lipping through every page without hesitation. When I finished Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallf lower,” I knew instantly it was not only my new favorite book — before it had been, naturally, J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” — but that it had reassured almost every single fear I was facing about high school up until that point.

Coming-of-age stories have always been my favorite subgenre of American literature — and narrative art in general — but there hasn’t been a coming-of-age story I’ve read quite like “The Perks of Being a Wallf lower.” Set in the early ’90s, the novel is presented in a series of soulful, intimate journal entries written by the protagonist Charlie, a perceptive introvert from suburban Pittsburgh who wrestles with childhood traumas and a fear of rejection as he enters his first year of high school. Soon, however, Charlie befriends stepsiblings Patrick and Sam, both ambitious, extroverted upperclassmen who help push Charlie out of his comfort zone and realize his potential.

As he experiments with LSD, creates melancholic mixtapes and revels in watching glitzy live performances of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” — you know, classic high school stuff — Charlie comes closer to his true self, even as he confronts his darkest memories, the ones that attempt to lure him back into

HELP WANTED

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Color changers 5 Allowing for the uncertainty of the future 10 Fairy tale bear 14 Set 15 Greenland coin 16 Holiday lead-ins 17 Aerialists’ insurance 19 Days in Durango 20 Side by side?

21 Medical priority system 23 Visually transfixed 26 Porsche Boxster, e.g.

29 Mauritania neighbor 30 Make a big stink 31 Immobile 32 Lining fabric 34 Zebra hunter 36 Breakfast order ... and a hint to the last words of 17-, 26-, 51- and 58-Across 41 Loaves that may be seeded 42 Printing goofs 44 Narrow groove 48 Take to heart 50 “Yikes!”

51 Like some pizza ovens 53 Decorative draperies 54 Brand name for the sleep aid zolpidem 55 Culture starter?

57 Tropical tuber 58 Conflict in Tennyson’s “The Charge of the Light Brigade” 64 Tiny bit 65 Broadcaster 66 Sticking point 67 Many Christmas presents 68 Involuntary muscle contraction 69 Jet black DOWN 1 Wedding reception VIPs 2 Vote for 3 Cookie baker in the Hollow Tree

4 More disreputable 5 Terrier breed from Scotland 6 Richly decorated 7 Rival 8 Colony crawler 9 Stops working for a while 10 Highway divider 11 Pilot 12 Scanty 13 State strongly 18 Little Italian number 22 “Stand By Me” director 23 Bowling alley initials 24 Some square dancers 25 Baldwin brother 27 “Maybe” 28 1930s migrant to California 30 Beverage company __ Cointreau 33 Coffee server 35 Binged (on) 37 Paint brand sold at Home Depot 38 Got big enough for

39 “Born This Way” Lady 40 Antlered animal 43 Program interruptions 44 Try to hit, as a fly 45 Minestrone ingredient 46 Drink named for a Scottish hero 47 Make a scene and act up

49 One of a ’50s singing quartet 52 Ancient empire builders 53 Madrid Mrs. 56 Start of an idea 59 Fabric flaw 60 Yo La Tengo guitarist Kaplan 61 Break the tape 62 Whichever 63 King of ancient Rome

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In the final pages, I could feel a renewed confidence, a joyful wisdom emanating from Charlie that I have carried with me ever since

isolation.

“The Perks of Being a Wallf lower” aches with a tenderness and vulnerability I have yet to see in other novels.

Every sentence, every careful observation from Charlie, oozes with an unbridled adolescent angst that’s devastatingly honest in one moment, honestly devastating in the next. In some ways, the book narratively and thematically mirrors its spiritual predecessor “Catcher in the Rye,” but Charlie is never as misanthropic or self-aggrandizing as Holden Caulfield. Instead, Chbosky embeds an uncommonly genuine kindness into Charlie,

as well as an alluring cultured taste — his character takes a liking to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “This Side of Paradise,” The Smiths and “The Graduate.”

The book is a stunning portrait of what it’s like to feel so uncomfortable with yourself, so lost in the burrows of your past that the only way to overcome such pain is through the people who matter in your present — whether it’s your friends, family or teachers. Charlie learns this in the defining moments that make and

Every sentence, every careful observation from Charlie, oozes with an unbridled adolescent angst that’s devastatingly honest in one moment, honestly devastating in the next

break his freshman year: He reluctantly begins his first romantic relationship with Sam and Patrick’s punk-rock friend Mary Elizabeth, takes his older sister Candace to an abortion clinic, gets into a rough fight with some bullies and admits his love for Sam in one of the book’s most elegantly written scenes.

With each trial and tribulation that dictates his high school experience, Charlie starts to become a better version of himself. He starts to “participate,” as he would call it. Charlie’s coming to terms with disturbing truths about his youth may have led to a harrowing — though ultimately optimistic — conclusion, but the fear he once had about wanting to fit in and be accepted for who he was quietly subsides over the course of the book. In the final pages, I could feel a renewed confidence, a joyful wisdom emanating from Charlie that I have carried with me ever since.

High school can be such an intense emotional experience.

Every day can feel like the end of the world, a seemingly never-ending cycle of soulcrushing misery propagated by social alienation, academic pressure, unrequited love, a lack of independence, severe boredom and idealized expectations from society and family. Inevitably, we turn to music, film, literature and our own friends to guide us toward a sense of clarity, and perhaps to also fill the void of despair and rage that seems to ravage every teenager who has ever existed. Before I started high school, I was frightened by the prospect of experiencing a repeat of middle school, a time that was beset with the manifestation of my worst insecurities.

Fortunately, high school helped me prevail against that current of dread — and then some.

And though my high school experience may not have been as exciting or as chaotic as Charlie’s, “Perks of Being a Wallf lower” was a great compass for immersing me into a world I was myself scared to enter, but eventually learned to embrace.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Sports

Thursday, February 8, 2018 — 7

Becker blossoming into offensive force JACOB SHAMES Daily Sports Writer

Jack Becker’s first collegiate goal, to put it generously, needed just a tiny bit of good fortune.

With Michigan trailing Bowling Green, 5-3, in the Great Lakes Invitational on Jan. 1, Becker launched a speculative shot about 90 feet from the net. Falcons goaltender Ryan Bednard saw it mid-flight and easily caught it over his right shoulder. Then, somehow, the puck squirted out of his grasp, falling behind him and across the plane of the goal.

That splash of luck aside, Becker’s rise over the past five weeks has been anything but a fluke. Since the calendar turned to 2018, the freshman forward from Dellwood, Minn. has scored six goals and recorded eight points in 11 games, putting him fourth among all Wolverines during that timespan.

“He’s probably grown more than anybody on our team,” said Michigan coach Mel Pearson.

“Just his level of skating, his shot, his passing, everything.”

Despite only being a freshman, Becker may have more history with Pearson than any of his teammates. In 2016, he committed to Michigan Tech to play for Pearson — then the Huskies’ head coach. But last April, Pearson took the Wolverines’ head coaching job after six seasons in Houghton.

Becker followed him to Ann Arbor a month later, becoming Pearson’s first commitment at Michigan.

However, this shared history goes back even farther. As an assistant coach at Michigan Tech in the early 1980s, Pearson recruited “a big kid out of the iron range of northern Minnesota” to bolster the Huskies’ defenseman corps.

That kid? None other than Becker’s father, Russ, who would go on to play 82 games for the Huskies from 1984 to 1988.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Freshman forward Jack Becker is following in the footsteps of his father by playing for coach Mel Pearson, and his hard work is paying off in production.

“(Russ was) nowhere near the player Jack is, so you can tell him I said that,” Pearson quipped, before extolling the elder Becker’s virtues on a serious note. “Strong character person, worked hard. Had limited abilities, but he brought it every day.”

Thirty years later, Pearson observes many of those same attributes in Russ’ son, who he describes as the “hardest worker” on his team. Both Beckers are indeed big — Jack’s listed measurements of 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds match his father’s during his time at Michigan Tech.

Currently, Pearson noted, Russ is a successful Minneapolis businessman in charge of several construction companies, and in a similar vein, Pearson described Jack as a “guy you’d hire.”

“It’s the intangibles,” Pearson said. “Anybody can walk into a rink and see if a guy can skate or handle the puck or plays physical, but it’s the intangibles, all those things that you can’t measure in a person that really made Russ who he is, and his son has all those traits.”

According to Pearson, one of those traits is Jack’s extreme responsiveness to coaching, which Pearson believes is one of the most important reasons why he has developed to the extent that he has this season.

“Everything, just he’s really improved on. And that’s not by accident,” Pearson said.

“He’s like a sponge, he takes everything in, he takes it to heart, he’s very coachable.

Coachability in this day and age is so important. Just being able to accept what the coaches are telling you and trying to put it in

your game, and some players are more coachable than others.

“And he’s a coach’s dream.

‘Yes sir,’ and ‘what do I need to do to get better?’ But he’s that type of person, he’s been raised that way.”

Last weekend’s series against Wisconsin was a reflection of how far Becker has come since October. While his two goals against Penn State two weeks earlier came as a product of pure size and strength in the crease, Becker was a dangerous, all-around offensive anchor of Michigan’s third and fourth lines against the Badgers.

On the Wolverines’ third goal Friday, Becker smoothly reeled in a stretch pass from Jake Slaker and cut right down the wing, hitting the sophomore forward with a pinpoint return pass and centering him for a close-range finish. On their

fourth goal, Becker jumped on the puck behind the Wisconsin net and took Badger defenseman Matthew Freytag out of the play with a nifty fake pass while skating back around into the slot, finishing with a snipe past goaltender Jack Berry. For good measure, Becker assisted on freshman forward Dakota Raabe’s empty-net clincher and added a crucial power play goal Saturday.

“I think maybe it’s just been more gradual, the chemistry with our line and just playing better,” Becker said. “... Pucks have been going in lately, but I think that every game I’ve gotten better and our line’s gotten better.”

Added freshman forward Michael Pastujov, Becker’s linemate as well as roommate: “He brings a lot of physicality and battling in the corners. He

helps get the puck, and he’s also a really good finisher and he can make plays.”

It’s easy to see why Becker, despite being a seventh-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins in 2015, might have originally been overshadowed among the Wolverines’ class of freshman.

Forwards Pastujov and Josh Norris as well as defenseman Quinn Hughes all played for the prestigious United States National Development Team Program. Norris was selected 17th overall by the San Jose Sharks in last June’s NHL Draft, and Hughes appears likely to be picked even higher this summer.

Even Raabe was singled out before the season by Pearson for his speed and skill.

Becker, meanwhile, didn’t arrive in Ann Arbor with a similar pedigree. His age — he turns 21 in June — doesn’t hint at a wealth of upside a la Norris or Hughes. His numbers from junior hockey don’t jump off the page — a respectable, but not mind-blowing 28 points in 49 games with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL last season. And Becker himself recognizes that he has room to grow as a player.

“Just moving your feet and the speed in the first three steps are so huge,” Becker said.

“That’s something I just need to continue to work on, definitely a work in progress. It’s getting better, but need to keep working on it.”

And if he does keep doing just that? If he keeps improving at the pace he is now?

“We had an NHL team come in and tell me they think he’s our best pro prospect,” Pearson said. “We’ve got Quinn Hughes and Josh Norris, and a lot of guys who I think are going to play at the next level. For someone to come in and say that about Jack, I think is a testament to where he’s headed and the future that he has if he continues to grow and get better.”

In Northwestern, Michigan also faces history ‘M’ preparing for first The Wolverines are again in danger of missing out on the NCAA Tournament tournament of season SOFTBALL

ETHAN SEARS

Daily Sports Writer

The Michigan women’s basketball team’s fate was set in stone with four games left in the 2016-17 season. At 21-5 with a 10-2 Big Ten record, the Wolverines were set to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. Anything less than collapse would guarantee as much.

Michigan collapsed.

The Wolverines dropped three of their last four games in the regular season, then quietly bowed out of the Big Ten Tournament with a loss to Michigan State. They were left out of the NCAA Tournament to their own surprise — a decision coach Kim Barnes Arico recently referred to as a robbery — but Michigan brought that fate unto itself.

This season, there should be no such ambiguity heading into Selection Sunday. The

Wolverines were ranked as high as 13th in the AP poll last week with a not-insignificant chance to win the Big Ten’s regular season title. They were cruising to a 20-point win over Purdue on Thursday that would have put their record at 20-4 and further solidified a tournament bid.

Then the Boilermakers scored the last 16 points of regulation to tie it, going on to eke out an overtime win. Michigan followed that up with a loss at Rutgers on Sunday.

Now, with four games to go, the 21st-ranked Wolverines are 19-6, with an 8-4 conference record — an uncomfortably familiar position for a program wellacquainted with heartbreak. “(The Purdue game) was probably the first time all year where we kind of looked a little scared,” Barnes Arico told WTKA on Tuesday. “And (we) looked different than we had prior to any other games during

“Everyone is gonna come in here looking to knock us off.”

the year. Almost ... afraid to lose.”

Thursday’s contest against Northwestern will be a watershed moment for this team.

It’s a game Michigan should win — the Wolverines beat the Wildcats 80-59 at Evanston Township High School just over 10 days ago. Northwestern sits near the bottom of the Big Ten with a 2-8 conference record and has a negative scoring margin.

In the first meeting between the two, senior guard Katelynn Flaherty and junior center Hallie Thome combined for 52 points, nearly outscoring the Wildcats all by themselves and handily outdueling Abi Scheid and Lindsey Pulliam, their two leading scorers. Though Northwestern’s leading rebounder, Pallas KunaiyiAkpanah, put up a doubledouble, Michigan outrebounded the Wildcats by 11. Moreover, the Wolverines pulled down 47

percent of offensive rebounds — above their 42.4-percent season average. The result was never in doubt.

On paper, this game is not close either. Northwestern hasn’t magicked itself into a good team in the past two weeks, losing its only game since playing Michigan. Playing on the road is tougher than playing at home.

The Wolverines beat the Wildcats by 21 in Evanston. It’s not hard to do the math and figure out Michigan is the favorite on Thursday.

And yet, last season looms.

Though the Wolverines have been fairly secure in a potential bid throughout the year, their record is worse than it was at this time in 2017.

That’s in part due to two losses against top-three teams early in the season, but a similar end to the season may bring a similar fate nonetheless.

“We learned after the Purdue game when we were up big, we can never relax,” Barnes Arico said. “You can never take your foot off the gas. You have to play for the entire 40 minutes and anybody in our league — I mean, Northwestern’s coming off a tough loss at Indiana in overtime. So they’re a team that’s playing well, that’s desperate for a win. So everyone is gonna come in here looking to knock us off.”

This is as close to a must-win game as Michigan has had all year. The margin for error has evaporated in the last week — it’s now or never.

“It’s important for us to just remain positive, take a deep breath, it’s gonna be ok,” Barnes Arico said. “Let’s get back to work, let’s get back to the grind, and let’s figure out how to get better because there’s a lot of season left to be played.”

“It’s important for us to just remain positive.”

RUCHITA IYER/Daily

Michigan women’s basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico finds her team in a similar position to what it was in last season.

JORGE CAZARES Daily Sports Writer

Last season, the Michigan softball team failed to advance past regionals for only the second time since 2004.

This Friday, the 18th-ranked Wolverines kick off their 2018 campaign in Tampa Bay, Fla., as they compete in the USF Wilson-Demarini Tournament.

Michigan will open up the five-game tournament against Alabama-Birmingham. However, the toughest contest of the weekend will take place Saturday, as the Wolverines will square off against No. 2 Florida.

Michigan coach Carol Hutchins is unfazed by the high level of competition early in the season.

“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing,” Hutchins said.

“I don’t focus on who we’re playing because we just need to play every game with the same approach. We worry about what we do. We control what we can control which is our effort and attitude.”

As Hutchins begins her 34th year at the helm, the Wolverines look to rebound off of an abnormal 2017 season which saw Michigan fall to the Washington Huskies in the Seattle Regional championship game.

It will be no easy task, as the team lost a slew of graduating seniors — all of whom were four-year starters. The chain of leadership continues, however, as the next group of upperclassmen steps forward to guide the team in its quest to erase the disappointment of last season.

If the Wolverines hope to return to the level of success to which the program has become accustomed, the team will need contributions from all of its players. Michigan’s incoming freshman class includes a cluster of highly-touted prospects. Lefthander Meghan Beaubien and utility player Lou Allan — the No. 6 and No. 8 overall prospects,

respectively, according to FloSoftball — headline the list of newcomers. The development of its young players is essential, and it begins with the leadership of the more experienced players on the squad.

“Leadership is not just about doing things yourself and leading by example,” Hutchins said. “I always say it’s your job to show up and work hard and be great … And so, what do you need? You need upperclassmen to say it’s okay, I went through this too, you can do it.”

Michigan is returning 16 letterwinners and five starters, led by senior first baseman and right-hander Tera Blanco and junior second baseman Faith Canfield — both of whom earned NFCA All-American and AllBig Ten first team honors last season.

Last season’s early postseason exit puts the Wolverines in a different position to start the season than in previous years.

Despite this being unfamiliar territory, Michigan doesn’t necessarily view it as a bad thing.

“There’s not a target on our back like I think there has been in the past,” Canfield said. “And I think that’s a good thing, cause we’re just going to go out there and go for it … I think (because we lost four starters) people have kind of just written us off a little bit.”

At 18th, the Wolverines are beginning the season with their lowest preseason ranking throughout the tenure of all of their current players. Perhaps a chip on their shoulder is exactly what this team needs to light a fire beneath them and propel them towards what they hope will be a return to the winning culture of Michigan softball.

“We re-established culture,” said senior utility player Aidan Falk. “We took a step back, and we really figured out what the pillars of Michigan softball are and what’s really important to our team.”

Sports

8 — Thursday, February 8, 2018

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Four-star recruit flips commitment to Georgia

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Livers hurts left ankle in otherwise uneventful Signing Day for Michigan in loss to Northwestern MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Editor

The Michigan football program welcomed three new signees to the 2018 recruiting class on National Signing Day on Wednesday, but the biggest news came from a player who wasn’t on that list.

Four-star linebacker Otis Reese, a former Michigan verbal commit, announced Wednesday at a ceremony at his high school that he would instead be playing at University of Georgia next season. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was informed of Reese’s decision earlier in the day. “(I) wouldn’t say it caught us off guard,” Harbaugh said.

“We understood that was a possibility. … One person closes

the door, that opens the door for somebody else, and it’s our job to make sure that whoever turns the knob on that is what’s right for Michigan.”

Reese, a native of Leesburg, Ga., verbally committed to Michigan in June of 2016 and was one of the longest-standing commitments in the class.

Ranked 87th overall and 5th among outside linebackers nationally according to the 247Sports composite, Reese represented a significant loss for a recruiting class that will be viewed as one of the least prominent in years. He had previously been Michigan’s highest-rated commit.

In a tamped down environment, devoid of the bright lights and loudspeakers of past years, Harbaugh welcomed

“(I) wouldn’t say (Reese flipping) caught us off guard.”

in the new class.

Thanks to the new early signing period in late December, the day was relatively quiet.

Nineteen of the 22 commits — excluding incoming transfers, Shea Patterson and Casey Hughes — in the class signed their letters of intent in the early period, leaving just three to sign Wednesday.

“There was a priority for youngsters to sign on the first signing day,” Harbaugh said. “That’s the biggest takeaway.”

Ronnie Bell, a three-star receiver from Kansas City, totaled 159 catches and 31 touchdowns in his high school career. Until December, though, Bell was committed to play basketball at Missouri State. Bell earned the Simone award — granted to the best football player in the Kansas City area — for his senior

year production.

Three-star Michael Barrett also signed his letter of intent Wednesday, and though it’s unclear what position he’ll play play, Harbaugh said he was eager to get him the ball.

“Envision him getting the ball in his hands — wide receiver, slot receiver, running back. I think those two areas primarily for him,” Harbaugh said.

“Somebody who can get the ball and make yards after the catch — yards after contact.

A receiver who can run like a running back, but I think also he’ll have the ability to be a running back.”

Barrett thrived as a dualthreat quarterback in high school, racking up 4,640 yards passing, 2,647 yards rushing and 83 total touchdowns in his career. His senior year, Barrett was named Georgia’s 7A offensive player of the year. He received interest from Georgia Tech to play quarterback in its triple-option system, ultimately, choosing Michigan rather than the assurance of playing quarterback elsewhere.

Barrett’s recruitment continued the coaching staff’s recent emphasis on recruiting out of the state of Georgia. He is the third player in the class from Georgia, totaling six such recruits in the last three years.

In all, the class ranks 21st nationally, according to 247Sports, and features no consensus five-star prospects.

Excluding Harbaugh’s first, shortened recruiting class, this class ranks as the lowest Michigan has had since 2011, the year between the tenures of Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke.

This class ranks as the lowest Michigan has had since 2011.

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh’s 2018 recruiting class is ranked 21st nationally and has no five-star prospects.

MIKE PERSAK

Managing Sports Editor

Isaiah Livers stole the ball and headed up the court. He rose over a Northwestern defender and laid it in, putting the No. 20 Michigan men’s basketball team up, 4-0, less than two minutes into Tuesday’s game.

When the freshman forward landed, though, he turned his left ankle and fell to the floor. He got up and attempted to play the next defensive possession with a heavy limp, but Wildcat guard Bryant McIntosh attacked Livers, drawing a foul.

Livers hobbled off the court and was immediately attended to by trainers on the bench before going to the locker room. The freshman tested the ankle after halftime but was ultimately unable to return.

After the game, Michigan coach John Beilein said he thought the injury was a left ankle sprain, though he admitted he hadn’t spoken with the team doctors yet.

“The fact that he wanted to go out and try it again means it’s probably not a break or anything like that,” Beilein said. “But, you know, with an ankle sprain, you never know.”

Livers has struggled offensively in recent weeks. Since he broke into the starting lineup — usurping fifth-year senior Duncan Robinson — in the Wolverines’ Jan. 13 game against Michigan State, he has yet to score more than eight points in a game.

Livers’ points-per-game average has slowly dropped to 4.4, and while his energetic defense has allowed him to maintain

his starting spot, he hasn’t been the same offensive threat as of late. So it’s unlikely Livers would have been able to jumpstart the stagnant Michigan offense in Tuesday’s game, though Beilein did mention the stress Livers’ absence put on the team’s rotation. “(Livers’ injury) certainly affected us a little bit, but that was not the reason we lost,” Beilein said. “ … (Against Northwestern’s) zone, you know, he didn’t play a lot. It certainly would have gave Duncan a rest, and I think that you can’t, probably, put a measure on what that does to Duncan and his shooting.”

Robinson played 36 minutes Tuesday and scored just three points. He too has struggled offensively, shooting just 35 percent from deep — a far cry from last season’s 42-percent clip.

Though his availability for Sunday’s game against Wisconsin is still unclear, as Beilein mentioned, the fact that Livers was able to at least try to play on his ankle likely means the injury isn’t too serious.

For that, the Wolverines can be thankful. Junior forward Moritz Wagner mentioned Livers’ energy, defense and versatility as things Michigan missed with the freshman out of the lineup.

If Livers is unable to play in the future, it stands to reason Robinson will get a hefty share of the available minutes. When Robinson does need a break, Beilein could also play redshirt sophomore forward Charles Matthews as the four-man with freshman guard Jordan Poole and senior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman at the wings.

“But, you know, with an ankle sprain, you never know.”

Offensive struggles becoming a troubling trend for the Wolverines MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Editor

It seems like years ago that a scorched-earth offensive juggernaut went shot for shot with Purdue on its home court.

That night, the Michigan men’s basketball team shot 60 percent from the field, 56 percent from 3-point range and scored 1.35 points per possession against the No. 3 team in the country. It became the first team all season to score 1.3 points per possession in a game and lose.

Senior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman was hitting fadeaway threes and sweeping layups en route to a 26-point outburst — causing coach John Beilein to insinuate a Derrick Walton-esque leap could be in store.

Offensive turbulence appeared to be a thing of the past.

It seems like years ago, because the two weeks before and the two weeks since have featured offensive struggles the likes of which Michigan has rarely experienced under Beilein.

Putting the flame-throwing

showcase at Mackey Arena aside, the Wolverines have averaged 61 points per game on 41-percent shooting in the other six games, and done so with a consistently troubling malaise.

“I just think we need to have a little bit more of a sense of urgency,” AbdurRahkman said after Tuesday night’s 61-52 loss at Northwestern.

“I think we didn’t have that. Also, it’s getting late in the season … a lot of people are adjusting to the way people are playing. We’ve just got to make adjustments as well.”

Each game has its builtin excuse to sugarcoat the struggles. The Maryland game came just two days after the high point of the season, a road victory against Michigan State.

The Wolverines went to Lincoln facing a desperate Nebraska team, in a hostile environment, in the midst of a grueling stretch of four games in nine days — a “schedule loss.” Rutgers, for its

gruesome offensive deficiencies, was a strong defensive side that came into the game intending to muck up offensive flow and slow down tempo at all costs.

Northwestern — both times — unveiled a unique matchup zone that presented few clear solutions.

“I don’t know if we had a week prep (for the zone) we could make a big difference,” Beilein said. “It is really good.”

Added Abdur-Rahkman: “They knew what we were running, things like that — we just played them, like a week ago. So they’re familiar with our players and our scout and stuff like that.”

Individually, each performance is excusable.

Together, they paint a troubling picture.

But what exactly are those adjustments Abdur-Rahkman alluded to?

For one, starting to make shots would help. Though the past

“We’ve just got to make adjustments as well.”

CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily

Redshirt sophomore forward Charles Matthews could be a solution to helping revive the Michigan offense.

month has displayed struggles, the overall team shooting outlook (47.1 percent from the field and 36 percent from three on the season) is about on par with other slightly above average Beilein teams.

There is a prevailing sentiment that the shooting struggles are a blip on the radar, that a Beileincoached team will find its stroke — and that very well may be.

But unlike past teams, there are few guys on this team who are drastically underperforming their expected shooting numbers.

Abdur-Rahkman is currently matching his career-best 3-point percentage (37.8) and taking them at a much higher clip.

Wagner, too, is right around

his career-high in 3-point percentage (39.6) and shooting a solid 53.7 percent from the field.

The two main dropoffs come from the sharp decline in the shooting of fifth-year senior forward Duncan Robinson, who has somewhat inexplicably gone from 42 percent to 35 percent on 3-pointers in the span of a year.

The other comes from the natural dropoff from an elite scoring point guard in Derrick Walton Jr. to the more defense-focused Zavier Simpson, an unavoidable decline. The sophomore has made just four of his last 21 3-point attempts after starting the year 14-for-31.

“Of course, it sucks,” Wagner said. “You play basketball to make shots, it’s fun to win. You

“You practice so much, and missing shots is not fun.”

practice so much, and missing shots is not fun.”

One possible solution may be an attempt to re-emphasize redshirt sophomore wing Charles Matthews. Matthews has scored just 12.3 points on 43 percent from the field and 26 percent from three in the last seven games. And while those numbers don’t jump out as overtly destructive, they’re discouraging for a guy who had begun to evolve into the team’s go-to scorer, a role still patiently waiting for an apt suitor.

A perfomance becomes a problem. A problem becomes a trend. A trend becomes a fatal flaw. Right now, Michigan is ranked 57th in adjusted offensive efficiency, which comes dangerously close to the lowest ranking of the Beilein era — 67th in 2015.

“We’re responsible for (the struggles),” Wagner said. “We’ve got to make shots, it’s on us.”