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Tuesday, February 13, 2018

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ACADEMICS

Coping in the

Classroom SSD served

2,708 students

14% came in with a chronic illness

LEO and ‘U’ negotiate as contract end looms closer

most

common condition

In a closed session, ‘U’ offers $1,000 increase in starting salaries for lecturers

seen by SSD

LEAH GRAHAM Daily Staff Reporter

CASEY TIN/Daily

Coping in the classroom: Chronic illness alters academic experiences University students with invisible illnesses navigate layers of conflicts in class REMY FARKAS

Daily Staff Reporter

For students like LSA sophomore Sari Grossman, who suffers from Crohn’s disease — a chronic gastrointestinal ailment resulting in frequent complications and trips to the bathroom — not a moment goes by without the thought her disease might f lare up during class or a test. Public Health junior Madison Polay has similar worries during the day

while coping with her Type 1 diabetes. Polay always makes sure she carries enough snacks just in case her blood sugar drops, leaving her dizzy and unable to concentrate in class. “I always make sure I am eating regularly, food with carbs so my blood (sugar) goes up and I try and get it higher so my pump isn’t alarming when my blood sugar is going low,” Polay said. “I have to make sure that I am stocked with juice boxes and snacks in my backpack.”

“Invisible” diseases that aff lict students, including Crohn’s, colitis, diabetes, Lyme disease, mental health illnesses and more, often go unnoticed. Many of these diseases require students to alter their academic routines in order to be successful at the University of Michigan. The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities helps accommodate these students’ needs and works with University faculty to ensure their conditions do

not impede their academic abilities through testing accommodations, note-taking services, real-time translations and more. According to the SSD 2016-2017 annual report, the office served 2,708 students, 14 percent of whom suffer from a chronic illness, making chronic illness the third most common condition seen by SSD. According to Megan Marshall, coordinator of services for students with chronic health conditions, visual and See SSD, Page 3

With about two months left until the Lecturers’ Employee Organization’s current contract ends on April 20, the union’s bargaining team continues to meet weekly with a University delegation to negotiate a new agreement regarding wages, performance evaluations and other factors. In a closed bargaining session at the Administrative Services Building Monday night, the University responded to a salary proposal that had been submitted at the end of October, offering an increase of $1,000 to the starting pay, according to the LEO blog. Founded in 2003, LEO represents approximately 1,700 non-tenure faculty among the University of Michigan’s three campuses. LEO’s principal demands include better pay, more benefits and improved job

security. The University originally planned to offer its own salary proposal Friday at an open bargaining session in Dearborn, but the event was canceled due to inclement weather. A shorter meeting was scheduled for Monday to make up for lost time. LEO President Ian Robinson, Lecturer in the Sociology Department, said the University delivered its response “earlier than has typically been the case in bargaining,” a change he regards as a positive development. “The U of M bargaining team began by telling us that they think the current contract is great and they see no need to make major changes to any of it,” Robinson said. “Of course, that’s an opening stance, and in bargaining, you never start by saying what you are prepared to do.” According to LEO, the minimum salary in Ann See LEO, Page 2

Michigan representatives talk campus, Ex- ‘U’ doc University arrested on community issues at Ford School panel funds focus

CRIME

ADMINISTRATION

charges of child porn

Rising tuition, state budget cuts and #MeToo topic of Monday night discussion

Hoeltzel under FBI probe for sex with 17-year-old patient, claims consensual

On Monday night, a group of five current and former southeastern Michigan legislators spoke to a crowd of about 40 students in the Ford School of Public Policy’s Annenberg Auditorium, answering questions about issues currently affecting the University of Michigan community. Questions concerned tuition and housing affordability, sexual assault and harassment on campus, diversity and inclusion on campus, and the state of Michigan’s economic environment. In response to a question about the 7.2 percent increase in the average cost of attending a four-year college, panelist and state Rep. Adam Zemke, D-Ann Arbor, raised the issue of state budgetary cuts instead of public higher education as a contributor to the rising rate of tuition. According to Zemke, tuition has been rising at the same time state aid has been decreasing. “There’s a direct and inverse relationship between the time when Michigan started deinvesting the state aid to our public universities and the rise in tuition,” Zemke said. “And it’s literally when I say it’s a direct and inverted relationship, the line is the same slope in the opposite direction.” State Rep. Yousef Rabhi,

KATHERINA SOURINE Daily Staff Reporter

Mark Hoeltzel, a former University of Michigan pediatric rheumatology specialist, was arrested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport Monday morning on charges of child pornography. He was returning from an out-ofstate trip, but has been under FBI investigation since December. Hoeltzel was initially under investigation for a two year long sexual relationship with one of his female patients, who was only 17 years old when she began receiving care from Hoeltzel for her rheumatoid arthritis, while also, according to court records, having various mental health diagnoses. According to records unsealed in U.S discrict court, Hoetzel gave the patient pain pills she didn’t need, talked to her about other “hot” female patients who were as young as twelve years old and visited her apartment for sex. After a house search warrant issued on Dec. 11, law enforcement officials found a flash drive with over 200 images of child pornography. Files were created See HOELTZEL, Page 3

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D-Ann Arbor, who sits on the Higher Education Subcommittee for Budget Appropriations, added that many factors contribute to rising tuitions, including a general rise in the cost of living. He also expanded on Zemke’s comment about state budgetary appropriations, saying state appropriation for the University, which was cut by 15 percent in 2011, has not recovered to its former levels when adjusting for inflation.

“In my ideal world, we would go even further than that; we would have free public universities and community colleges,” Rabhi said. State Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, named several possible policies that could control rising costs or help students with financial aid, including more comprehensive tax deductions for interest on loans and a package of bills currently in the state senate intended to create

an ombudsman, an official dedicated to helping students navigate the world of student loans. Warren also discussed her work on policy relating to campus sexual assault. “I’ve had the opportunity for the last couple years to work with first lady Sue Snyder and colleagues in both the house and the senate on a campus sexual assault prevention task force,” Warren said. “We’ve been See PANEL, Page 3

DARBY STIPE/Daily

Debbie and John Dingell answer student questions on a panel at the Ford School of Public Policy Monday.

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INDEX

of student resolution

College Dems, Roosevelt Institute call for further endowment transparency MOLLY NORRIS & MATT HARMON Daily Staff Reporter & Daily News Editor

After the Detroit Free Press claimed the University of Michigan invested portions of its endowment in companies owned by major donors, students are calling for the University to be more transparent in where and how it spends its funds. The University’s Chapter of College Democrats and the Roosevelt Institute, a student-run policy think tank, came together to author a Central Student Government resolution requesting an investigation into possible conf licts of interest by the University, more oversight into investments from the elected Board of Regents and more transparency from the University overall. The Free Press’ investigation raised doubts about the University Investment Advisory Committee’s intentions when choosing See ENDOWMENT, Page 3

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

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

News

2 — Tuesday, February 13, 2018

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Editorial Staff DANYEL THARAKAN/Daily Elizabeth Currans, Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Eastern Michigan University, gives a talk on her book “Marching Dykes, Liberated Sluts, and Concerned Mothers: Women Transforming Public Space” in Lane Hall Monday.

LEO From Page 1 Arbor for full-time lecturers is $34,500, $28,300 in Dearborn and $27,300 in Flint. LEO’s bargaining platform calls for an increase in minimum salaries and measures to address the pay gap between the three campuses. “U of M is so well off that, unlike many employers, they have seldom demanded concessions — i.e., lower wages or benefits — in bargaining,” Robinson said. “But neither have they been eager to pay us better, despite our low rate of pay relative to K-12 teachers and community college faculty.” Data from the National Education Association shows that the average salary for Sudoku a Syndication Michigan public school teacher was $61,560 in 2012.

University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said the University and LEO have been working to reach an agreement on a large number of the proposed changes. “The first test of any contract is that both sides see it as a fair and reasonable agreement,” Fitzgerald said. “The University’s overall objectives are to have a contract that is economically fair to the lecturers and fiscally responsible for the University, does not impinge on the academic mission of the university, and allows the university to recruit and retain the best possible educators for this portion of our instructional faculty.” Fitzgerald said the bargaining process has involved “many hours and levels of internal consultation” with lecturers and other prominent voices across the

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three campuses, including Central Student University Human Resources Government representative and the provosts. Frank Guzman, an LSA “LEO has put a large sophomore, made remarks to number of proposals on the administration at a meeting on bargaining table this year and Jan. 26, reading aloud a CSG we are working through those resolution that unanimously proposals systematically,” passed in support of LEO’s Fitzgerald said. efforts. Guzman said he felt Enhanced job security compelled to do so because he for entry-level lecturers is attended a school district in another LEO’s demand. Of California where the teachers the four types of lecturers, were “considerably underpaid those designated as Lecturers in comparison to surrounding I or Lecturers II primarily cities.” teach, while Lecturers III “I came to the University and Lecturers IV additionally of Michigan to find the same perform administrative issues within the University,” duties. Lecturers I tend to be Guzman said. “The status the most vulnerable, as they of the lecturers’ contract is have one-semester or one- definitely of concern to the year contracts and are paid per class. Lecturer II, III or IV typically have multi-year contracts, and Lecturers III and IV are usually paid higher http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ than the minimum. LEO was able to raise the minimum salary when they negotiated their first agreement with the University 14 years ago, and Lecturer I salary has increased by 11 percent since then. However, Robinson said in the time since that deal was struck, those gains have eroded entire student body. These as prices in 2018 are 34 are our educators and paying percent higher than the them higher wages is a tribute prices in 2003 due to to the respect they deserve for inf lation. helping us become the best “That tells me that LEO versions of ourselves. Our in those years did not build lecturers push us and teach enough power to force the and wherever we go we will admin to do something have a part of them with us.” they did not want to do,” Robinson said he feels Robinson said. “And in the “cautiously optimistic” LEO absence of that power, the and the university will meet admin was content to see the bargaining deadline. the real income of their “In short, we’re demanding Lecs go down. This time big changes,” he said. “But around, we’re building over the last 35 years of the power to ensure that corporatization, U of M — we not only make up the and public higher ed more ground lost.” generally — has drifted a long LEO has amassed way from where it ought to support for its bargaining be, in a number of respects. efforts from allies, We can’t get back on track using the hashtag ... without a major course #RespectTheLecs. correction.”

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The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University OF Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for September-April are $250 and year long subscriptions are $275. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid.

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ENDOWMENT From Page 1 where to invest their available funds. According to the Free Press, as much as $4 billion of the University’s nearly $11 billion endowment has been invested back into the companies of large donors such as alumni Sandy Robertson, Sam Zell and Stephen Ross. The report also claimed the amount of oversight over the endowment has decreased while the endowment itself has increased over the past few years. According to the University’s 2017 Financial Report, the endowment has increased from $9.7 billion in 2016 to the current $10.9 billion. In response to the investigation, University President Mark Schlissel wrote in an op-ed article published by the Free Press that the claims about the endowment are false and do not ref lect the investment materials provided by the University. The University Public Affairs Department also published an explanatory webpage to respond to the claims made by the Free Press. “We have said all along that our endowment’s purpose is to provide sustained resources

SSD From Page 1 mobility impairments, the accommodations process is a collaborative effort and dependent on communication. “Accommodations are 95 percent communications,” Marshall said. “(We) are taking a lot of time to make sure (students) are being supported in the classroom … and making sure that everyone feels good about everything; it’s a team effort.” Marshall emphasized each student’s needs differ. When evaluating students’ accommodations, she looks over their medical reports from doctors, researches the condition and meets with students individually. “I believe that people with disabilities know themselves best,” Marshall said. “It’s an individualistic process and every student is completely different than another.” LSA senior Lauren Kimmel, president of the Crohn’s and Colitis Student Initiative, said she needs the support of the

to support our students and academic programs,” Schlissel wrote. “Without donor and endowment support, annual tuition in Ann Arbor would be nearly $6,000 higher per student. This success requires that we achieve the highest returns through the best investments.” In response to the University and the endowment claims, the resolution sponsored by the Roosevelt Institute and College Democrats is particularly concerned with how students’ tuition is being invested in ways that will be beneficial to the community of which they are a part. LSA junior Christopher Olson, one of the authors of the resolution and co-president of the Roosevelt Institute, wrote in an email interview that investments in companies of major donors limit the amount the University can use to assist students with rising condition costs. “As students we have a vested interest in how the endowment is used to promote the educational excellence of this University,” Olson wrote. “Conf licts of interest with University endowment have the potential to reduce the returns of the endowment which in turn will reduce the money which could be used to reduce

SSD in order to schedule her IV infusions when she must miss class. Public Health student Kayla Mandel, former president of the organization, said students with Crohn’s may need to take an exam in a separate room close to a bathroom and be timed separately. “No one has the same manifestation of Crohn’s, but for me I fear... during an exam or a pop quiz, having to run to the bathroom and get back and having time being called,” Mandel said. “(I) fear that professors are going to think you are acting nefariously.” According to Mandel, many students do not know how to receive accommodations for their illness. “(The possible alteration) isn’t advertised, you have to seek it out. It’s not like the University emails me (about accommodations),” Mandel said. “They aren’t going to pull that information and inform me about it.” Polay is not registered with the SSD and said she does not feel that she needs the accommodations. While taking an exam in a separate

PANEL From Page 1 able to carve out money in the state budget in a time where we haven’t had a lot of new programs so it’s been exciting to see this as an area of bipartisan focus.” That money has been used to fund individual university proposals to reduce sexual misconduct on their campuses. She added that the issue went to higher societal levels, a topic which U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., spoke on as well, alluding to the recent national conversation sparked by the #MeToo movement — a social movement encouraging women to come forward about sexual harassment and abuse they’ve survived. “We’re at a crossroads in this country,” Dingell said. “When the #MeToo movement started in November, I said at the time that there were consequences for too many women (for reporting on sexual assault). It wasn’t going to be real until it was real for the waitress, for the factory worker, the lawyer trying to be partner or student on campus.” She went on to criticize White House officials on all levels for not acknowledging the movement and the high-profile cases that have driven national conversation. Public Policy senior Stephanie Gusching, the chair of government relations for Central Student Government, said the event was intended to bring students into dialogue with legislators about issues that affect them, and the event was successful on this front.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

Opinion

4 — Tuesday, February 13, 2018

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IAN LEACH | COLUMN Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com

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

FROM THE DAILY

Lobby against PROSPER Act

higher education bill, known as the PROSPER Act, has been passed through committee and is awaiting consideration by the House of Representatives. PROSPER, which stands for “Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity Through Education Reform,” is intended to reassert and amend the 1965 Higher Education Act, with a strong focus on the processes by which students pay for higher education and the regulations on free speech and assembly within these institutions. The Michigan Daily Editorial Board feels that the provisions of the bill hurt students pursuing higher education financially and socially, as well as in regard to their safety. There are serious problems within the current bill, which should not be passed without significant amendments. Economically, the Republican-driven bill restructures loan repayment plans and removes Public Service Loan Forgiveness. These changes make it more difficult for undergraduate and graduate students by making it more difficult to receive financial aid because of PROSPER’s redeveloped loan limit. The bill also calls for the elimination of Stafford and PLUS loans, replacing the varying options with a singular Federal ONE Loan program. These Federal ONE Loans give students differing borrowing limits, depending on their financial situation; dependent undergraduate students are able to borrow $39,000 in federal student loans, and independent undergraduate students have a $60,250 lifetime cap. Repayment options are also being restricted, with only two new repayment plans that are the standard 10-year plans. These limiting actions, in addition to the phasing out of all federal grant programs (excluding the PELL grant), have the potential to widen the education disparity between socioeconomic groups and lessen the educational options available to lower-income students. The loss of options, aid and change in loan caps ultimately restrict students and make the pursuit of graduate education less attainable. In addition to monetary changes, PROSPER also includes many social restrictions that could

leave students fearing discrimination. There are explicit provisions within the bill about freedom of expression and religion, which will make it so that no government institution is able to take action against an institution of higher education that is acting within “its religious mission.” This has prompted many LGBTQ advocates to fear legal discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The fear of discrimination acts as a barrier for students deciding to which schools to apply, limiting their education options. The bill allows private institutions to receive federal funding regardless of whether or not they institute discriminatory practices. The provisions also allow for discrimination at the public level, as student organizations could undermine a university’s anti-discrimination policies due to their own beliefs and determination of freedom of expression. And finally, the focus on freedom of speech within PROSPER could possibly make it even easier for controversial speakers to reach campuses, leading to social tensions and higher potential for security risks, putting the safety of college students into question. In addition to economic and social provisions, PROSPER also comments on due process in a manner that undermines sexual assault policies on campuses across

SARAH NEFF | CAN BE REACHED AT SANE@UMICH.EDU

the nation. With a focus on sexual assault within PROSPER, the bill allows institutions to set their own standards for evidence when investigating accusations. Institutions could, therefore, have the right to introduce greater criminal standards, possibly “beyond a reasonable doubt” — the standard of proof required in criminal cases — rather than the “preponderance of evidence” standard previously required by the Obama administration. This allows for more opportunity for victim shaming, longer trial times and the undermining of survivors’ accusations. And, this again affects LGBTQ students disproportionately, as they are more susceptible to sexual assault and less likely to report their experiences. This could ultimately impact the number of student survivors who come forward and the concern given for those who do. The PROSPER Act is a bill that hurts current, future, undergraduate and graduate students by directly affecting their experience and safety within their college environment, while also limiting the choices they have when applying for higher education. The Michigan Daily Editorial Board calls upon the University of Michigan to lobby against this bill when the time comes as it is not conducive to our values of equal opportunity and anti-discrimination.

Taking back “queer”

s a gay man, I’ve heard the word “queer” used as an insult since childhood. The best definition I can come up with is to say that it is used to describe someone who doesn’t uphold the same norms of masculinity as their straight counterparts. The word stung, but I think it’s time to have a serious conversation discussing the future of the word “queer” in spaces as it relates to lesbian, gay, bisexual and possibly transgender individuals. In having this discussion, I understand that I am someone who has a lot of privilege in LGBTQ spaces; as a gay, white male, there are a lot of privileges that I hold in comparison to many of my compatriots. In making this arg ument, I will never try to say that all of my experiences are the same as people who fall outside of the binary or have a different sexual orientation than myself; however, in terms of activism, I see this as a powerful way to unite the community in shared goals. In a lot of ways, we can see that corporate America has begun to be more accepting of sexual identity. A favorite store of millennials, Target Corp., has 76 items for sale under their “PRIDE” umbrella. A lot of people see this and assume the world has become more accepting of LGBTQ identities; in my mind, these products simply give companies another marketing demographic to exploit. If you’ll notice, most of them talk about “pride” but avoid the controversial topics about sexuality or identity, or fail to acknowledge the tough questions or advocacy that

a company and organization should if they’re to engage in this kind of profitable endeavor. For example, here in the state of Michigan, I could be fired for being gay, and I don’t see Target Corp. directly protecting individuals against sexual-orientation discrimination. Millions of Americans are experiencing the same thing; we can see that this experience is shared among a variety of identities within the queer community. These shared experiences are why I want to employ the word queer; despite the various differences in our marginalization and experience in the community, we should be fighting together to protect people from workplace discrimination, to make it obligatory for insurance companies to cover gender-confirmation surgery, for legal protections for polyamorous relationships and various other experiences. I want to employ the word queer to show solidarity with other identity counterparts who might be experiencing marginalization in ways that I am not. The queer rights movement did not stop at gay marriage. And if I have it my way, it will never stop. A common misconception of the Stonewall Rebellion, according to Henry Abelove, is that the idea of liberation was to identify as homosexual or heterosexual. In actuality, it was to remove those titles. While I firmly believe everyone has a place to belong, I want us to aspire to foster a community where those identities can help us find a home both within that identity and outside of it, into the broader

queer community and beyond. There may not be a path to this in the immediate future, but I think this argument of employing the word queer needs to be a larger focus in the discussions about the community. Trans-inclusivity into the LGBTQ community needs to be stronger and the issues of trans individuals need to be centered in these discussions, because I envision a community where the most marginalized can be the ones I stand in solidarity with and assist in any way I can. As an aside, I’m not here to use the word for straight cis-peoples’ comfort. I don’t care if it makes one of those individuals uncomfortable in using the phrase. I’m here to be a gay man who identifies as being a part of the queer community. And I hope that many of us can aspire to do the same. I can think of no better word to describe the community than the one which was employed when I was a kid. When I was younger, it would symbolize when someone was doing something outside of the gender norms that we follow on a day-to-day basis. I want to fall outside of those norms, though. I have no interest in being a part of the structures that have caused myself and so many of my peers to be marginalized. I aspire to reclaim the word queer in an attempt to show that we don’t need to fall in line with the negative connotations this word initially imposed.

Ian Leach can be reached at ileach@umich.edu.

NOAH HARRISON | COLUMN

A pointless parade

ews broke last week that the Pentagon is in the early stages of planning a large military parade in Washington, D.C. after being directed to do so by President Donald Trump. The Trump administration has long desired a military parade. It reportedly hoped to organize one for Trump’s inauguration and the interest was rekindled after watching France’s Bastille Day military parade. At some point in late January, Trump’s interest in a grand military spectacle became an order, and the parade is reportedly being planned at the “highest levels of the military.” News of the parade elicited criticism from both sides of the aisle, and retired military leaders have also expressed opposition. Legislation has been introduced to restrict appropriations for any parade, but Republican congressional leaders will likely block it from even coming to a vote to avoid embarrassing the Trump administration. The parade is likely to proceed regardless of the criticism, and the White House has confirmed planning is underway, with possible dates including the Fourth of July or Veteran’s Day. If executed properly, a military parade could serve as a fitting and deserved tribute to our troops and armed services. However, because such a parade is unfortunately more likely to manifest itself as a politicized show of military force, it is difficult to envision the parade’s advantages exceeding its potential drawbacks. The most obvious of these drawbacks is cost. It is estimated a military parade will cost millions of dollars at minimum, and one of the scale that Trump desires will likely cost several million more. The steep price tag comes from costs associated with transporting military equipment and vehicles to Washington, D.C. and the massive

security costs the parade will surely entail. The last time the U.S. held a military parade was 1991 to celebrate victory in the Gulf War. That parade cost $12 million, would be $21.6 million today when adjusted for inflation. Furthermore, the parade could cause damage to D.C.’s roads, which are not designed to support vehicles as heavy as the tanks and armored vehicles that will be featured. In the 1991 parade, tank tracks punched holes through the capital city’s boulevards. That 1991 parade also caused extensive damage to a sculpture garden when the air blast of low-flying helicopters showered the exhibits with pebbles. Such a freak accident will not likely be repeated in Trump’s parade but underscores the hazards of holding military spectacles in civilian settings. Another concern is the disconcerting optics of a military parade through the nation’s capital. Some democratic countries do hold military parades; the Bastille Day celebrations that inspired Trump are an example. However, there is no denying that grand displays of military strength evoke connotations of authoritarian regimes like North Korea, China and Russia, where demonstrations of force serve to dissuade dissent, prop up autocratic rulers and intimidate adversaries. Several retired generals have raised concerns that military parades go against American democratic traditions. Robert O’Neill, the former Navy SEAL who claims to have fired the shots that killed Bin Laden, concurred and likened the idea of a military parade to autocracy in colorful language. Perhaps the authoritarian optics could be easily overlooked under another president, but the reality is that Trump has earned a reputation for admiring despotism, making the optics of a military parade through Washington, D.C. all the

more unsettling. For example, Trump has previously expressed respect for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s leadership and praised former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s brutal internal security policies. Around the same time news of the parade surfaced, Trump called Democrats in Congress “treasonous” for not clapping during parts of his State of the Union address, an accusation that is both false and grossly inappropriate in a democratic government. These statements create the persona of a man craving power and genuinely hostile toward his opposition. This image is entirely self-inflicted and, fairly or unfairly, is reinforced by Trump ordering the Pentagon to organize a military parade. The White House is marketing the parade as a celebration of the armed forces and veterans. Veterans are certainly worthy of the honor of a parade, but there are far better ways to thank them for their service. Instead of spending tens of millions on a lavish and ultimately meaningless military parade, spend that money on veterans’ health care, job placement, disability benefits or suicide prevention. Amid these far more important issues, it becomes clear that Trump’s parade serves merely as a distraction from real policy measures, foreign and domestic. For Trump and his dismal approval ratings, perhaps this distraction will be welcomed; but for the American people, a military parade through Washington, D.C. is nothing more than an unsightly and extravagant waste of time and money. With the fate of Trump’s parade in the hands of the White House and the Pentagon, we can only hope that his parade of indulgence does not come to fruition. Noah Harrison can be reached at noahharr@umich.edu.

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.

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Arts

Tuesday, February 13, 2018 — 5

DAILY FOOD COLUMN

The 1,000 mile lunch date

ALBUM REVIEW

ELI RALLO

Daily Food Columnist

Ryan Lott Music

Son Lux experiment with genre on sophomore effort trip-hop (“The Fool You Need”) redolent of a more dramatic Daily Arts Writer and dynamic James Blake; the progression is both surprising and I’m often skeptical of bands who natural. define themselves as “genreless”, Despite the restrained run as Son Lux does on their website time of 44 minutes, the album — most who label themselves as feels grandiose and sprawling, such have a strong largely due to tendency to drift both the variety of into masturbatory instrumentation self-importance on display and Brighter in a paradoxical the experimental Wounds pursuit of structure of each individuality. track. There is not a Son Lux However, in the boring or repetitive Ryan Lott Music case of their track on the album, latest album, although some are Brighter Wounds, prone to a little bit “genreless” of excess — I’m not happens to be an apt description. a big fan of “All Directions,” which The album is ceaselessly drifts too far into self-indulgence. innovative and captivating, The singer, Ryan Lott, has a each song an exploration of a voice that is technically proficient, different genre and emotion. but tends to be a little overlyThe album shifts seamlessly theatrical, a certain pervasive, from downtempo slow-burners wavering quality that threatens (“Labor”) to erratic, syncopated to turn drama into melodrama JONAH MENDELSON

— it grows tiresome toward the end of the album, but it never overshadowed the positives of the work. The highlights include “Aquatic,” a reserved and thoughtful song marked by a gorgeous string motif, as well as “Dream State,” a relentlesslypounding dream pop epic, possibly their most satisfying attempt at grandiosity across the whole of Brighter Wounds. “Slowly” is excellent as well, an atmospheric groove with a stuttering rhythm and a celestial edge. I found the album to be slightly challenging to listen to in one sitting, not because it grew dull, but because there was so much going on in every track — however, it was a rewarding challenge; it has been a while since I’ve enjoyed listening to a new album this much. There is not a dull moment during Brighter Wounds, an album worth the time of any music fan.

FILM NOTEBOOK

A24

Oscar Snubs: ‘The Florida Project’ deserved better

I will henceforth settle the greatest dispute from my childhood once and for all: Dad, I love you, but Uncle Bobby is a better cook. While I’m at it — when it comes to meatballs, his are better. I’m going to throw Mom under the bus here, because she agrees with me. Bobby Rallo is the king of the meatball — the messiah of the coveted Italian side dish. And I know it hurts to hear it, but the man deserves some praise. My uncle cooks with his whole soul. It’s a beautiful and understated way to cook, in a world where commercial chefs and big business dominate the American food industry, taking us away from the foundations that our love for food stems from. I think every foodie and chef alike has an origin story — a moment or a meal where they knew their heart and their hands were made for a kitchen. When thinking of where my love for good food and cooking came from, I always start at my base. I was born into a family with a strong background in Italian cooking — beginning in the early 1900s in coastal Sicily and growing all the way to Red Bank, New Jersey. The faces and times have changed but the recipes have not. The passion has not. When I was little, my uncle owned a classic Italian place called “Rallo’s.” It has since closed, but if I could name five of my favorite places to eat in the world, it may be number three (behind II Vecchio Mulino in Sardinia, Italy — get the bucatini — and Le Bernadin in New York — have anything, and make sure you don’t have to take care of the bill). At Rallo’s, my uncle would always be in the kitchen, which is a rare place for a restaurateur who normally mans the front of the house or walks around intimidatingly. But Bobby Rallo’s heart is in the kitchen and when he makes a kitchen his, it’s something like magic. I would burst through the aluminum doors of Rallo’s kitchen and he’d be behind the grill — white t-shirt, stained with a smear of oil and a splash of fresh Jersey tomato sauce, white apron — covered in pizza flour and pork chop grease. If you’re not willing to get messy in the kitchen, then cooking isn’t for you. I’d sit on the counter and he’d break off chunks of parmigiano reggiano and salami, prosciutto and sweet little cherry tomatoes, handing them to me as he flipped dough and stirred sauce. A chunk of soft Italian baguette with a little olive oil and rosemary. A traveling charcuterie, if you will — one for a duo always on the move. I would watch while he cooked, and even better, watch his face when he’d break from the flame and the daunting task of stuffing ravioli to bring a plate to a customer. If I had to describe my Uncle Bobby, that’d be the picture. Leaving the kitchen

to bring someone something he made with his hands, and watching their eyes and their face as they take the first bite. It’s a gratitude of sorts. Our similar love for food, spontaneity and the literature of the 1960s make us quite the pair. We always make the point to go on some sort of lunch endeavor every few weeks, and our growing list of favorites include boardwalk tacos and nutella pizzas. The distance between suburban New Jersey and Mich. gives me a lot of things to miss, but these lunch dates are one of the things I miss most (also his lending of worn copies of Kerouac and spontaneous donut deliveries). In perfect Bobby fashion, he proposed we keep the lunch dates alive in an unconventional albeit charming way. The proposition: I’d go to lunch

When thinking of where my love for good food and cooking came from, I always start at my base. I was born into a family with a strong background of Italian cooking

somewhere in Ann Arbor (with good company) and eat something delicious, strange, greasy, fattening, and I’d call him afterwards, describe the experience, and he’d cook the very same meal from home, eat it and then we’d talk about it. This is one of the best ideas he’s ever had, and not letting the throngs of distance split apart such an important part of who I am blew up with potential. A lunch date from 1,000 miles away. The first place I chose was somewhere I knew would spark delicious conversation and fit with the simple yet traditional nature of my Uncle’s palate. Monahan’s Seafood Market in Kerrytown was the spot — and my best friend was the company. Monahan’s is one of the perfect little quirks of the world, situated in the Kerrytown markets in a sequestered yet quaint corner. It has been in business for nearly 40 years, and is an understated yet brilliant joy. I ordered the fried fish sandwich — a pile of fresh fried cod, sandwiched between a perfectly soft roll, accompanied with lettuce, tomato, red onion and an

undefinable yet incredible sauce. My sandwich experience was wonderful. I split a side of cajun fries with my best friend and we talked about the fact that we trekked through the arctic tundra for a sandwich, and we laughed a lot. I called my uncle later that day and he said he’d be back to me with his sandwich experience by that night. When he called me on the phone, I felt like I was looking at him across the table of one of our favorite pizza restaurants from all the way over here in Mich. Bobby made himself a locally caught New Jersey fried flounder sandwich between a Balthazar roll (which he says is the true magic ingredient — crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside), accompanied with romaine lettuce, tomato, Sicilian olive oil, red wine vinegar and oregano. After we talked logistics, there was a pause in the conversation. “It’s funny you chose a fish sandwich,” he said with a nostalgia I recognized, and I knew it was time for one of the stories of his that I cherish so greatly. “I am a curator of visual nuggets from the past — a fried fish sandwich is a big trigger for these visual memories.” My heart longed to have him saying these words to me from the bar of a sushi place we frequent. But even over the phone, I hung onto each word he said. He began to unpack the fish sandwich, like a door to the past. It starts at Crabs Claw Inn, a little shack type place down the Jersey Shore where Bobby took Antonio, a European aristocrat he met in college. Antonio didn’t appreciate the beauty of the sandwich and greatly misunderstood the power of a good meal. It made for a good laugh. The memory evolved into eating a fish sandwich with my father and drinking Polish beer and laughing about something ridiculous and getting thrown out of the restaurant, but not without the sandwiches in tow. The final memory, hungover at a highway side McDonald’s, the spring of 1987 — eating a McDonald’s filet-o-fish. I laughed for a while at that image, imagining the person he was in college. Based on his integrity and deep sense of self, I doubt he was any different back then. I also have many of the books he read back then, all annotated and stained with various substances, perhaps a splotch of Sicilian olive oil, perhaps the grease of a fish sandwich. A man with a heart of absolute gold, an irreplaceable sense of the things he loves and a deep passion for lunch dates and sandwiches on good bread. “It’s what I grew up with — it’s a particularly memorable food for me. We grew up on the beach. We’d catch fish and clean it, like after surfing, and we’d make fish sandwiches.” A pause — for dramatic effect perhaps, or to pick up his two year old daughter, who is sitting at his feet. “I love my fish sandwich. But not as much as I love my Eli.”

Making the case for movies tragically ignored by the Academy SOPHIA WHITE Daily Arts Writer

During last year’s Oscars, I can remember myself frozen in my seat, awaiting the results for best picture. Between a texting battle with my mom — a hopeless romantic rooting for “La La Land” — I kept repeating to myself “Please don’t let it win.” When Barry Jenkins’s “Moonlight” actually won for Best Picture (minus the momentary switched-envelope screw up), I froze again, this time with a smile on my face, ecstatic for a win that I thought was merited but not expected. I had a similar feeling of being stopped in time, unable to move, after I watched Sean Baker’s “The Florida Project.” I sat there still in my seat, incapable or processing what I had seen. I was in awe and enamored.

Overwhelmed. And prior to nominations, it appeared like others felt the same way; Baker won for Best Director at the New York Film Critics Circle

I had a similar feeling of being stopped in time, unable to move, after I watched “The Florida Project” Awards, which was a prelude to Barry Jenkins’s eventual Oscar triumph. “The Florida Project”

should have been this year’s “Moonlight.” The film traces Moonee, an independent and spunky 8-year-old resident of Orlando’s Magic Castle, a cluster of lilac project homes, as she goes on adventures and learns that life isn’t as magical as she thought it was. Both films are indeed quite similar — they tell stories that are rarely told. They both expose a pocket of hidden America, specifically Fla., that has escaped popular American consciousness — whether it be the poverty on the outskirts of Disney World, or the struggle of being Black and gay in an underprivileged neighborhood. They both confront ugly themes beautifully, with masterful cinematography that is unique and stands out as their own kind of character. Both directors find ways to use color and nature and give them symbolism while still sticking to their urban, poverty-

stricken and lets not forget, humid, roots. Both let the films speak for themselves without excessive plot or dialogue. They treat issues of hardship, addiction, abuse and self discovery, but they treat them tenderly. Carefully. Similarly, some would say that this year’s nominations for Best Picture have opened up the diversity bracket, with “Lady Bird” showing a nuanced and imperfect mother-daughter relationship and “Call Me By Your Name” delivering a homosexual love story with sensuality and purpose. It therefore feels a little bit off that “The Florida Project” was rendered absent in this category. Actually, it was rendered absent in most categories except Best Actor for Willem Dafoe (“Justice League”), whose nomination is well-deserved. But that leaves “The Florida Project” with a

total of one nomination, the same amount of nominations as “Boss Baby.” To say that Hollywood isn’t changing wouldn’t be

Hollywood still prefers the sentimental fantasy of “Darkest Hour” and “The Post” recognizing the obvious. But it is definitely not changing enough. It almost feels like things got suddenly revisionist

after “Moonlight”’s win. But it’s clear that Hollywood is still cold to newcomers. “The Florida Project”’s cinematography is splendid. Baker himself has proven to be an uncommon, unorthodox filmmaker that makes us see things we don’t ever think about, without exploiting them or chastising them — we just observe. Brooklynn Prince (“Robo-Dog: Airborne”) exhibits maybe one of the best child performances in film history. And yet, no nominations in these categories. These stories will undoubtedly continue to be told by filmmakers who favor passion over recognition, while Hollywood still prefers the sentimental fantasy of “Darkest Hour” and “The Post.” But with A24’s rapid ascent over the past years, hopefully independent films like “The Florida Project” will gain the recognition they deserve.

Arts

6 — Tuesday, February 13, 2018

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

BOOK REVIEW

‘The Immortalists’ takes on life, death and family CLARA SCOTT Daily Arts Writer

If you knew the hour of your death, would you live differently? This deeply existential question forms the basis of Chloe Benjamin’s New York Times-bestselling novel “The Immortalists,” a saga which follows the four Gold siblings from childhood, each of their respective paths carrying magic, love, mystery and science in tow.

“The Immortalists” Chloe Banjamin G.P. Putnam’s Sons Jan. 9, 2018 It’s a book that calls a reader to consider their own lives at every turn of the page. The Golds find themselves juggling both unfathomable tragedy and joy as time plugs onward. Benjamin’s writing ebbs and f lows with it, creating believable and engaging settings in which the drama of life plays out across decades. Though these places are rich and enthralling, they never seem to overshadow the poignancy of Benjamin’s characters — the Golds’ history as a family is steeped in a sense of the unknown, something which ultimately propels them into the future. The novel begins in late 1960s New York City, where the devoutly Jewish Gold family lives in a small apartment on the Lower East Side. The Golds

— parents Saul and Gertie and children Varya, Daniel, Klara and Simon — live with both friction and admiration for each other, some closer than others but still a family nonetheless. Klara and Simon are inseparable, Daniel stony and adult and Varya withdrawn. The children hear of a travelling fortune teller who can predict when a person will die, and sneak out to find her — this is where the story truly starts, a point from which the Golds decide how their lives will truly be, based on the years they supposedly have left. For Simon, the youngest, it’s short, for Klara, somewhat longer, for Daniel, middle age but Varya is promised a long, long life. Benjamin’s expert fiction takes this sometimescliché storyline and uses it to create a meditation on fate and family, following each Gold from that fortune-teller’s home with their own death dates lodged into the children’s minds. From there, the novel spirals into four distinct parts, each shadowing the Golds’ paths into the future with the knowledge of the past guiding them. Simon and Klara run off to San Francisco too young, Simon in search of a community that supports his budding gay identity and Klara following dreams of becoming a magician to end all magicians. Daniel becomes an army doctor, and Varya a medical researcher. In knowing their own mortality, life seems to have a bitter bite — each Gold child grapples with their fortune on a subconscious level, especially in the wake of each sibling’s predicted death. As the decades pass, this

Classifieds

fortune becomes even more abstract, as the remaining Golds try to understand the power of their knowledge and its inf luence over their realities. Benjamin’s strength is in this conf lict, as she explores the meaning of life and death on a small scale, in the situations and histories which the Golds find themselves a part of. The existential questions posed throughout the novel are daunting, yes,

Benjamin gives us a gift — a way to think about the overwhelming darkness and lightness of life

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

but easier to consider in the scope of one family whom the reader comes to know quite well. In this, Benjamin gives us a gift — a way to think about the overwhelming darkness and lightness of life as applied to others, as the reader is on the outside looking in. While “The Immortalists” tackles different places, periods and social issues throughout the lifespans of its characters, the core question is never lost and instead fuels the story, making it one of the more engaging and emotionally poignant family sagas in recent years.

FOR RENT

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Suffix with silver or glass 5 1980 Dom DeLuise film 10 Cry noisily 13 Acme 14 This evening, on marquees 15 Actress Longoria 16 Fiction’s opposite 17 Drag race racer 18 Women’s __ 19 Trick-taking game 21 “Stay With Me” singer Smith 22 A-OK 23 Fixes 25 Does harm to 27 Prefix with gram or graph 28 Earth sci. 29 World’s largest cognac producer 33 Cry of distress 37 Economist Greenspan 38 Marilyn Monroe’s first name at birth 40 Pakistan neighbor 41 Game piece with pips 43 Refused 45 Former House leader Gingrich 47 Gurgling sound 48 BBC TV series about cars 51 “You don’t have to tell me” 55 Kia subcompacts 56 ’60s-’80s Red Sox nickname 58 Makes happy 59 Raised railroads 60 Really tired 62 President before Wilson 63 Nintendo’s Super __ 64 Steam shovel scoop 65 The “E” in the HOMES mnemonic 66 Dr. with Grammys 67 Jouster’s horse 68 Ceremony

DOWN 1 Kit Kat layer 2 Quickly 3 Brief summary 4 Baseball overtime 5 Egg __ yung 6 Carpenter insects 7 Rant 8 Bellyache 9 Multivolume ref. work 10 Former baseball commissioner Bud 11 Sheeplike 12 Innocents “in the woods” 14 “We’re trapped in here!” 20 It ebbs and flows 22 Frank Lloyd Wright house built around multiple cascades, and what’s literally found in this puzzle’s circles 24 “Meh” 26 “The Simpsons” beer server 29 Fooled 30 “Xanadu” gp. 31 ’60s war zone

32 Coll. periods 34 For 35 Gym cushion 36 Musical Brian 39 Nativity trio 42 Formerly, in bridal announcements 44 Two-part 46 Hypnotic state 48 General tendency 49 Refueling ship

50 Old West outlaw chasers 52 Video game pioneer 53 Equip anew 54 Cosmetician Lauder 57 “The Wizard of Oz” farmhand 60 Sound units, briefly 61 Mil. roadside hazard

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02/13/18

DIAPHANA FILMS

‘The Insult’ lacks logic as it exlpores ethnic tension SYDNEY COHEN Daily Arts Writer

Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com

RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, February 13, 2018

FILM REVIEW

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“The Insult” is a Lebanese film that navigates the rocky landscape of ethnic tensions, systematic prejudice and victimization. Earning an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, “The Insult” seeks to explore the complexities surrounding Palestinian immigration into Lebanon through an allegorical narrative of a Lebanese Christian suing a Palestinian refugee in court. The film works like a courtroom

“The Insult” Diaphana Films State Theater drama, in which the ethnic divide between Lebanese and Palestinian is examined and challenged through the framework of legality. The conflict that sets the premise for the entire film comes almost immediately — Lebanese resident Toni (Adel Karam, “Caramel”) gets angry when Palestinian foreman Yasser (Kamel El Basha, “Love, Theft and Other Entanglements”) fixes his gutter. Yasser throws a derogatory slur at Toni, and Toni demands an apology. But when Yasser goes to apologize, Toni throws a derogatory slur right back, causing Yasser to punch him in the stomach. The exchange of insults leads Toni to take Yasser to court, and the following length of the film examines the underlying tensions behind this petty and inconsequential incident.

The beginning of “The Insult” is clumsy and nonsensical. Toni appears irrationally angry and hostile towards Yasser, who is doing his job with a polite and calm demeanor. The binary between Lebanese Christians and Palestinian refugees is established early on, and is the clear reason for Toni’s hostility, but the lack of back story for either character makes the confrontation seem onedimensional and archetypal. The pacing is rapid, making Toni’s decision to sue seem confusing and melodramatic. The film’s failure to ground itself and its preoccupations with ethnic tension in its first act weakens the gravity of the film as a whole — Toni and Yasser’s anger towards each other doesn’t translate seamlessly into internalized prejudice, but instead comes off as petty anger. The court room scenes take up the entire second and third acts. The court room allegory is a somewhat effective tool for analyzing perspective in victimhood and creating an empathetic link between two characters who are victims of trauma and displacement. However, most of the time, these scenes are extremely tedious and static, with little physical or narrative movement. Ultimately, the stage on which the film chooses to set its discussion of ethnic divide is an uncompelling one, weighted down by dramatic clichés and repetitive imagery. While Karam and El Basha deliver solid, if simplistic, performances, the women of the film stand as the most compelling characters. Rita Hayek (“Kafa: Enough”) plays Toni’s wife, a strong and outspoken woman who acts as the moral compass

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in a sinkhole of a larger national conversation. Ultimately, “The Insult” does manage to communicate the impact of trauma in cementing ethnic prejudice, as well as the complicated landscape of contemporary Lebanon. The film seeks to explore silenced parts of Lebanese history, showing that identities rooted in tragedies of the past (the civil war in 1990, for example) have profound lifelong impacts. With its final images, “The Insult” resonates with a heavy understanding of irrational hatred and the power of human empathy to peek through the haze.

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02/13/18

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Ultimately, “The Insult” does manage to communicate the impact of trauma in cementing ethnic prejudic

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for Toni and the audience. Diamand Bou Abboud (“In Syria”) plays Yasser’s calculated, capable lawyer and Julia Kassar commands the film as the firm but rational judge. The women in this film are all incredibly strong and thoughtful characters; their actions drive the fate of the men whose stubbornness, pride and bouts of anger lead them to fall

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Sports

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Tuesday, February 13, 2018 — 7

There for the taking

el Pearson’s timing was interesting, to say the least. Sitting in the bowels of Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night after Michigan had defeated Michigan JACOB State, 3-2, to SHAMES claim the Iron D Trophy, Pearson was asked how significant the victory was to his team. “Huge. You can’t say it enough,” the Wolverines’ coach replied. “We want home ice in the playoffs. I think we were picked to finish sixth in the conference, so we’ve got something to prove.” It’s a noticeably different tone from the one Pearson struck earlier this season. That was months ago — back when Michigan’s dismal 13-19-3 campaign of a year prior was still poignant, rather than the wisp of a memory it is now. Back then, the Wolverines, curiously, didn’t act like a team with a ton to prove. Yes, they were picked to finish second-to-last in a loaded Big Ten. No, that didn’t mean much to them at all. Pearson said at Michigan’s media day in late September that he would pick his team to win the league if he were a forecaster. “We don’t try and look too much into that,” said senior forward Dexter Dancs at media day. “But it’s obviously a little bit of an ‘F you,’ I guess you could say, to us. … It was a little bit of a topic of conversation, but, you know what, we’re not looking too much into it.” And it’s been that way all season. Preseason prognostications clearly brought some motivation, but the Wolverines’ success this season has never really felt like a ragsto-riches, chip-on-shoulder underdog story. This was further

evidenced when Michigan took down then-No. 4 Minnesota on Nov. 11. After that game, Pearson was asked if his team made a “statement” with the win. His response was firm and definitive. “No, no, no,” he said. “I told our team we expect to win every night, so it’s not a statement game. We’ve got a lot of games, but it’s a good win.” Last Saturday, then, was the first time in a good while that Pearson or any of his players had sought validation. The timing is interesting, because Michigan has already proven itself. There are just four games left in the Wolverines’ regular season, and at least six when you include the Big Ten Tournament. After 30 games and all the twists, turns, ups and downs that came with them, Michigan has nearly escaped the Big Ten gauntlet relatively intact. With the victory over the Spartans, the Wolverines moved to third place in the conference standings and 14th in the Pairwise rankings, putting themselves firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble. It’s a position that few outside of Ann Arbor would have imagined they’d inhabit five months ago. The hard work needed to get to this point, however, has already been put in. Michigan can proudly list a 3-1 record against Penn State and a road sweep at Minnesota on its resume. It arguably outplayed then-No. 2 Notre Dame when the two teams met for a home-andhome series in early January. The Wolverines have battled through adversity, such as the absence of key players Josh Norris, Will Lockwood and Quinn Hughes for three games due to the World Junior Championships in January, and the loss of Lockwood for the entire season after a shoulder injury. In his first season on the job, Pearson has completely revamped Michigan’s offense. In 2016-2017,

WOMEN’S TENNIS

‘M’ comes up short at

Indoor Championships AKUL VIJAYVARGIYA For the Daily

Heading into the weekend ranked No. 10 in the nation, the Michigan women’s tennis team knew it would have to get past tough opponents at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship. What it didn’t anticipate was a disappointing 1-2 weekend record. Hoping to get four points against Georgia Tech just like it had done in an invitational to kick off the season, the Wolverines came up just short when it counted. “We went in knowing they were a really tough team, but I think we took some confidence from when we played them in our invitational about a month ago,” said junior Kate Fahey. “We knew we could hang with them, but they honestly just played better (Friday).” After an uncontested first day of doubles matches, when Michigan dropped the point to Georgia Tech, it came out with a different fire the next day. Facing No. 12 Auburn, the Wolverines took no time to make adjustments and get started on the right foot, claiming the doubles point with 6-0 and 6-1 victories. “Obviously the coaches were a little disappointed in our doubles, and we talked about it and realized it can only go up from here,” Fahey said. “We all played with no pressure. We played to win, and I think that was the difference.” However, Michigan was not able to keep its lead for long, losing tight matches at the last four singles positions.

No. 6 Bella Lorenzini and No. 4 Mira Ruder-Hook dropped their final sets in tiebreakers, giving Auburn the two points needed for victory. “(Mira) did a really good job. She went down 5-2 in the third set, but she really stayed tough,” Fahey said. “I heard (associate head coach Teryn Ashley-Fitch) tell her to be aggressive and keep going for her shots because that’s really her game and what she does well. The other girl just played a really good tiebreak.” With one more match left against the host Wisconsin, Michigan faced the unusually disastrous prospect of a winless record. Its thirst for a win showed in the box score, sweeping Wisconsin, 4-0. “We did have some fire in our belly after losing two in a row,” Fahey said. “We wanted to get some redemption and get one win from the weekend.” Though this past weekend didn’t go as planned, Michigan is staying positive for the long conference season ahead. “Indoors is always a great tournament to go to because you are surrounded by the best teams in the country, early in the season. It is like a preview of the NCAA Tournament,” said Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein. “We would have liked to have gotten a few more wins, but it is a long season and we will have more opportunities to face some of the best teams in the country. “We know what we need to work on and will continue to get better as this season progresses.”

“We did have some fire in our belly after losing two in a row.”

Wolverines struggle in

Match Play tournament MICHAEL HERSHENHORN For the Daily

EMMA RICHTER/Daily

Michigan coach Mel Pearson believes last weekend’s wins were important.

it languished, ranking 57th out of 60 teams in Corsi percentage — a measure of puck possession and shot differential — and 42nd in goals per game. The Wolverines are up to 21st and 14th, respectively, this year. While the first four months of Michigan’s season haven’t always provided a consistent narrative from game to game, a wholesale overview of those 30 games clearly reveals what the Wolverines have proven to be — young, talented and muchimproved, strong in some areas and shaky in others, with a very real chance at the postseason. This weekend brings two clashes — one home and one away — with the Fighting Irish. Michigan shouldn’t, and maybe won’t, be punished excessively if they suffer a sweep at the hands of the No. 1 team in the nation. But a victory would likely do wonders for the Wolverines’ hopes. “We’ll be ready and I know Notre Dame will be ready,” Pearson said Saturday. “But we had two good games with them, and we’ll look forward to it.” After that, however, Michigan’s schedule offers no such ambiguity. The final regular season home series is a non-conference set against Arizona State. And the

Wolverines are guaranteed a best-of-three quarterfinal series in the Big Ten Tournament, likely against either Penn State, Wisconsin or Minnesota — which Michigan, three points ahead of the fourth-place Gophers, is likely to host. A sweep against the Sun Devils, who rank 56th in Pairwise, feels imperative. As does a first-round tournament victory in a series against the Nittany Lions or Badgers — the loser of which likely would see their tournament dreams vanish. If Michigan accomplishes both of those feats, a semifinal matchup against Notre Dame or Ohio State likely awaits. Win then, and it becomes nearly impossible to picture the Wolverines failing to snag an at-large bid. But at that point, why not just win the Big Ten and remove all doubt? It’s past the time for validation. At this point, Michigan’s identity is all but finalized. What’s left requires putting that identity into action. The Wolverines have earned their spot on the bubble. Everything after that is there for the taking. Shames can be reached at jacosham@umich.edu or on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.

The Michigan men’s golf team opened up its spring season on Thursday at the prestigious Hammock Beach Golf course in Palm Beach, Fla. After a three-and-a half month hiatus, the Wolverines matched up against Ohio State in the opening round of the Big Ten Match Play Championship. They struggled against the Buckeyes, ultimately falling, 5-1. Sophomore Brent Ito was the only successful golfer for Michigan, as he notched a 4-2 victory. “Although we started off slow, there were still a lot of positive things we saw from the guys,” said Michigan coach Chris Whitten. Following the loss to Ohio State, the Wolverines saw massive improvements against top-seeded Purdue. The squad became more familiar with the course, but still fell, 4-2. Junior Nick Charlson offered a bright spot in his matchup, which came down to the final holes before he eventually prevailed, finishing two up on his opponent. “The team played much better against the Boilermakers, I thought,” Whitten said. Sitting in last place in the

division heading into the weekend, Michigan looked to shape things up going into its matchup against Maryland. The tournament, however, got interrupted by a fog delay, thus reducing the match from 18 holes to nine. This did not bode well for the Wolverines, as they lost a pair of matches coming down to the final few holes. “Today was a lot of situational things,” Whitten said. “One putt you needed for momentum just never fell our way.” The Wolverines faced Nebraska in one last consolation match Saturday afternoon. Freshmen Henry Spring and Charlie Pilon each tallied victories against the Cornhuskers. Spring won his match, 6-4, while Pilon sank Nebraska’s Sean Song, 4-3. The match proved to be the most competitive of the day, as the Wolverines finished with 2.5 victories. However, this was not enough, as the Cornhuskers came out on top, 3.5-2.5. Michigan faces a two-week break before its next action at the Southwestern Jones invitational. And it’s clear there is a lot of improvement to be made before then. “We need to get back into the rhythm for our next tournament,” Whitten said.

FILE PHOTO/Daily

The Michigan men’s golf team lost all four of its matches this weekend.

Wolverines need to find their f low

n Jan. 23, the Michigan women’s basketball team put Michigan State to shame with a 26-point victory. When the two sides met again last Sunday, the ROHAN Wolverines KUMAR started the game with a 7-0 run and looked like they might cause further humiliation to their rivals. That didn’t happen. Michigan quickly lost its touch and fell to the Spartans, 66-61. After the game, Michigan State coach Suzy Merchant best described the Wolverines’ fallout: “They couldn’t get into a flow,” Merchant said. Come to think of it, when was the last time No. 23 Michigan (9-5 Big Ten, 20-7 overall) was in its flow? Yes, the Wolverines won

their prior contest against Northwestern in dominant fashion, by 21 points. Senior guard Katelynn Flaherty and junior center Hallie Thome had silenced the offensive critics, tallying 36 and 25 points, respectively. But at 12th in the conference and 184th in the RPI rankings, the Wildcats aren’t exactly the most skilled team. A team like Michigan is expected to dismantle opponents of Northwestern’s caliber. While the lopsided victory may have boosted the Wolverines’ morale, they hardly reached their flow. Michigan surely wasn’t in its flow the week before that, either. The Wolverines were upset, 63-56, by Rutgers on the road, and also blew a 16-point fourth quarter lead in an overtime loss to Purdue. While these two teams are a step up from Northwestern, they still aren’t anywhere close to the top of the pack in the conference. The Scarlet Knights are ninth in the Big Ten and were on a fourgame losing streak at the time.

And against the Boilermakers, Michigan was cruising — as expected — but completely fell apart. Both were contests the Wolverines — who have been nationally ranked all season — should have easily won. The three matchups prior were all blowout victories. One was against Illinois — who is last in the Big Ten standings — and the others were against the Spartans and the Wildcats. Though Michigan outscored its opponents by an impressive 91 points through these three games, nothing less was expected. For instance, the main reason the Wolverines dominated Michigan State in the first meeting was because the Spartans were burdened by injuries. The second matchup perhaps seemed more indicative of the true result. Through this lens, the last time Kim Barnes Arico’s team won a meaningful game was almost a month ago in Columbus. On Jan. 16, the Wolverines topped thenNo. 8 Ohio State, 84-75. They shot

over 53 percent from the floor in that game and attacked the basket well. It was a signature win. Michigan was in its flow. The recent loss against Michigan State marked the Wolverines’ third defeat in their last four games. “We battled till the end,” Barnes Arico said after the game, “but were never really able to recover.” The season is spiraling out of control. Michigan is still hanging on to its NCAA Tournament aspirations, but just barely. With two games left in the regular season, the team still has a chance to get redemption. Recovery will be tough, though, as it will face Minnesota on the road and No. 10 Maryland at home. To make the most out of what’s left, the Wolverines must keep battling and find their flow. Kumar can be reached at kumarrp@umich.edu or on Twitter @rohantoocold.

RUCHITA IYER/Daily

The Michigan women’s basketball team has been struggling recently, and the Wolverines need to find their flow now, because they’re running out of time.

Sports

8 — Tuesday, February 13, 2018

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

The architect of Michigan’s new identity MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Editor

Zavier Simpson had heard Iowa guard Jordan Bohannon’s name a few too many times that week. Resting against the wall outside the locker room of the emptied Carver-Hawkeye Arena following Michigan’s 75-68 win over Iowa, Simpson made that abundantly clear. “Defense is a pride thing in my opinion,” Simpson said with a straight stare and a stern tone. “I knew Bohannon was good. The coaches love Bohannon, to the point where it started to become annoying. … Bohannon, Bohannon, Bohannon.” At the 16 minute mark, he heard the voice again: “Bohannon.” At the 18-minute mark, “Bohannon.” The 35 minute mark? “Bohannon.” But defense being a source of vehement pride is nothing new for Simpson. Teammates frequently use the word “dog” as their endearing way to describe him. That mindset alone has often been his path to playing time, even when his offensive production sputters. He’ll grab any opportunity he can get to tell you he takes every defensive matchup personally, and that you should too. “I felt like it’s a disease,” Simpson said, “so it can spread.” That bird in his ear? The one that drove Simpson to near insanity on a frigid January night in rural Iowa? The one that compelled him to shut down Jordan Bohannon and then therapeutically grumble his name into submission afterward? That was Luke Yaklich. That disease? Oh, it’s spread all right. Like wildfire. *** When Yaklich approached Joliet West High athletic director Steven Millsaps about a collegiate coaching offer in 2013, Millsaps wasn’t surprised. “Luke’s such a student of the game,” Millsaps said in a phone interview last week. “I remember clear as day, when he was talking to me, we came off a pretty good season when

he came to me and talked to me about he got offered to go be at Illinois State. “He was very unsure — obviously that’s a big jump.” Yaklich was comfortable at Joliet West. He had built a successful basketball team and was thriving as a history teacher and content specialist, overseeing many of his peers on staff and implementing a program called “Teach Like a Champion.” His family was a staple in the Joliet community, with his son Griffin even emerging into a talented young basketball player himself. “Teaching is a pretty good gig,” Millsaps said. “We all think we’re going to be in our positions the entire time. Then opportunity and life takes you in other places.” For Yaklich, life took him to Illinois State, a program that was 21-33 in conference play the three years prior and, more pertinent to Yaklich, a middling defensive team even in its better seasons. Yaklich was a coach who ran a man-to-man scheme, heading off to a program that ran a 2-3 zone. “You have to design a system that best allows your players to be successful given their personal strengths as defensive players,” Yaklich said recently. “You are looking at your opponent’s strengths, your own player’s strengths and sometimes the sum of the parts is greater than the whole.” He took a group of parts at Illinois State and undeniably made them a greater whole, branding a hard-nosed defensive identity with a roster that seemed hardly conducive for such. Last season the Redbirds had only one player taller than 6-foot-9, and he played just 12 games. In his four seasons at Illinois State, Yaklich led a resurgent Redbirds defense, capping off his tenure with an adjusted defensive efficiency that ranked 19th in the country last season. This offseason, when Michigan coach John Beilein was left scrambling to fill two assistant coach positions — including Billy Donlon, his defensive confidant —

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Michigan assistant coach Luke Yaklich has focused entirely on the Wolverines’ defense, and it’s resulted in a drastic improvement from past seasons.

he sought assertiveness. He wanted a defensive voice that could command a gym in one moment, and calmly instruct an individual player in the next. Yaklich was eager and qualified to oblige. And he knew both he and Beilein — both former teachers — shared a philosophical wavelength in that regard. But Yaklich wasn’t going to passively wait out the exhaustive hiring process. He wanted to take matters into his own hands. “We didn’t know each other,” Yaklich said. “So one of the things (Beilein) wanted to know, he used to always say, ‘Do you have that voice? Do you have command?’ ” Yaklich instructed a video staff member at Illinois State to send him clips from practice showing him in action, which he then relayed to Beilein. Player film is one thing. This was coaching film. Beilein’s skepticism vanished shortly after. “He goes, ‘Is that how you are all the time?’ ” Yaklich recalled.

RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily

Sophomore guard Zavier Simpson’s tough style of play has married well with Yaklich’s defensive vision.

“It was a great line. I said, ‘Yes, Coach. I’m comfortable between the lines and comfortable teaching.’ … I knew when he asked me that question, I said, ‘Man, if that’s the hangup, I think I’ll be able to make a good impression there in the first couple days.’ ” *** Yaklich was hired last August, along with another Illinois State assistant, Deandre Haynes. Yaklich instantly immersed himself in tape from previous seasons. By the time the team’s media day rolled around, he was able to discuss, in length, the team’s defensive strengths and weaknesses, how he hoped to deploy individual players and tangible goals for the defense he had already begun build. In practice, his entire focus was on the defensive side of the ball, allowing Beilein the freedom to work with individual players. “(Defense is) all he thinks about,” Beilein said on Feb. 2, the day before the Wolverines played Minnesota. “That’s really good for our coaching staff. As a head coach you’ve got to think of everything, but when I’ve got a guy who doesn’t care what we’re doing offensively — he does care, but he (doesn’t) worry about that — keeps me on point toward what we have to do. … We do almost everything he suggests.” Just 24 hours later, Yaklich would make one his boldest suggestions of the season. The Wolverines trailed the Golden Gophers 50-40 with 11 minutes left, as Minnesota guards Nate Mason and Isaiah Washington made Crisler Center their personal playground. Yaklich implored Beilein to unleash a previously unused zone. It was a zone Beilein said they practiced “every other day,” but had yet to use. In the heat of the moment, with an upset loss staring them

in the face, Yaklich decided the time was right. Minnesota went over three minutes before scoring next, allowing a sluggish Michigan offense to regain its footing. Over the next eight minutes, the Wolverines strung together a 17-6 run, capturing the lead. They finished the game in the zone, pulling out a 76-73 win in overtime. “That was Luke Yaklich all the way,” Beilein said after the game. Before Yaklich arrived, Michigan had never finished higher than 37th in adjusted defensive efficiency in the Beilein era. This year the Wolverines are 25th. They didn’t do it by reinventing the wheel, either. Yaklich came in wanting to rebound at an elite rate and contest every shot. “You can’t emphasize everything defensively, you have to hang your hat on one or two things,” Yaklich said. “You have to be able to guard the dribble and rebound the first shot. I think those two things take you a long way in February and March.” Check and check. Yaklich inherited a historically poor rebounding program — and a frontcourt with plenty of rebounding deficiencies. He aimed to have a defensive rebounding percentage over 75 percent. The team’s defensive rebounding percentage currently sits 13th nationally at 78.8 percent. The previous best in the Beilein era was 2015, when the Wolverines finished 49th nationally at 75.6 percent. Michigan is also allowing just 63.7 points per game, the fewest the Wolverines have averaged since the 2012-2013 national runner-up, when the shot clock was 35 seconds. The prudent defensive adjustment against Minnesota was “Luke Yaklich all the way.” And maybe this is all Luke Yaklich. Maybe this is the emergence of a future highend head coach. Maybe — just maybe — Beilein stumbled upon one of the pre-eminent defensive minds in the small town of Normal, Illinois. *** Yaklich cracks a wry smile, breaking through his evenkeeled demeananor when he hears the story about Simpson and Bohannon. He can’t help himself. “X is great,” he says, before jolting back into character, diving into a psychological breakdown of his defensive mentality. Yaklich doesn’t say whether the Bohannon saturation was an intentional motivational tactic. He doesn’t have to. “(Simpson) brings it each and every night, and I’m glad he takes some of those challenges from the coaching staff personally.” Simpson is a player engineered to play for Yaklich. But while there’s a degree of predictability in a close relationship between the most avid defensive competitor

and the de facto “defensive coordinator,” the rest of the team came into the season with defensive questions littering the roster. Yaklich’s biggest accomplishment doesn’t rest in an uber-motivated Simpson, but in a team-wide attitude shift. Michigan has had elite defenders under Beilein — D.J. Wilson, Jordan Morgan and Zack Novak spring to mind. But it’s not simply a rarity for a Beilein-led Michigan squad to have an elite team defense. It has never had an elite team defense. “We were either pretty good offensively or bad in both (offense and defense),” said former Michigan basketball player Anthony Wright in a phone interview. Wright played under Beilein from 2007-2010. “Before, Beilein would always say, ‘Hey, look, you may have a mismatch when we have to guard bigger guys, but they’re going to have to guard you, too.’ That was the mindset.” That transformation extends far beyond some overhaul of the previous system or grand change in scheme. This has been about a renewed emphasis and hyperfocus, not exhaustive change. For the players, the attitude comes with a dose of direspect and a modicum of talent compensation. “We may not have the same talent offensively as years past,” said senior guard MuhammadAli Abdur-Rahkman after a 58-47 win over Northwestern Jan. 29. “But we’re still a good team. We’re just playing to our strength — we have a lot of athletic guys that can play defense. So we just play to our strength.” The sky is orange. Water is dry. Michigan’s defense is its strength. “Coach Yaklich was really on that from the beginning of the year, ‘We’ve got to play defense, we’re not going to win games if we don’t play defense,’ ” said freshman guard Jordan Poole. “But then the players started buying in, saying, ‘All right, he’s right, but we’re the ones playing out there so we’re the only ones that can really make a difference about this.’ ” It made a difference in a stifling performance in a 59-52 win at Texas, in the marquee non-conference win of the season. It made a difference in a 58-47 rockfight against Northwestern at home. It made a difference in the one-point victory over Maryland. It has made a difference all season on one of the worst offensive squads of the Beilein era. Twenty-seven games in — 20 wins later — this is no longer a mirage. It’s February now. This is who the Wolverines are. “I think we have the right personnel, the right mentality (defensively). … That’s the way we practice, that’s the way we play,” said junior center Moritz Wagner before pausing to consider the peculiarity of what he — a team captain and the voice of the team — said next. “It’s kind of our identity.”