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Three in a row Michigan dominated its third straight opponent on Saturday, this time beating Nebraska, 56-10, in the Wolverines’ Big Ten opener.
» Page 1B CAMPUS LIFE
Vandalism on the Rock instigates controversy CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily
Lewd graffiti found over annual painting by the Vietnamese Student Association
Jeffrey Seller, a broadway producer known for his work on Hamilton, discussed his time at Michigan at Palmer Commons Friday afternoon.
Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller talks Broadway journey, time at ‘U’
Seller directed plays at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre as a student at Michigan DANIELLE PASEKOFF Daily Staff Reporter
Acclaimed Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller, a University of Michigan 1986 graduate, spoke to a packed auditorium at Palmer Commons Friday afternoon about his student experience at
the University and his success in producing hit-Broadway shows like “Rent,” “Avenue Q” and “Hamilton.” Seller graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science and worked various jobs while at the University, including directing plays at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre and writing for The Michigan Daily. Seller explained the difficulty he
faced during his senior year, when he was unsure how to navigate his goals for the future. After graduation, Seller moved to New York City to pursue a career in public relations within the entertainment industry. There, he met the people who became an integral part of his early career. “Who we team up with helps
determine our future,” Seller said. “The question will be, ‘What can you make with yourself and the people that you meet from Michigan, and the years right after?’”
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
CARLY RYAN & ZAYNA SYED
Daily News Editor & Daily Staff Reporter
The Vietnamese Student Association painted the Rock — a University of Michigan tradition — with their names and the name of their organization on Thursday night . On Friday, VSA students found their organization’s name on the Rock defaced with lewd graffiti and expletives directed toward the police. “We’re saying, we’re here, we’re here on this campus, and we’re here and we exist,” VSA co-president Khang Huynh, a Public Health senior, said. “So
when someone vandalized it, it left a sour taste in our mouth. If you want me to blunt, it just felt like a middle finger to our student org. To have your name literally vandalized over.” In a statement shared by the VSA on Facebook, which received over 300 shares as of Sunday night, the organization referred to the incident not just as vandalism, but as a “hate crime.” “This incident is one of many vandalizations targeting people and student organizations of color at the University of Michigan,” the statement said.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
University medical school working to reduce New minor ties social mental health stigma among students, doctors
ACADEMICS
justice and teaching The 15 credit program was launched this fall in the School of Education AMARA SHAIKH Daily Staff Writer
Engineering sophomore Radu Tolontan and Education senior Nick Maternowski may come from different colleges at the University of Michigan, but they share appreciation of the School of Education’s new Education for Empowerment minor. “I don’t think it’s for LSA students, I don’t think it’s for Arts students, I don’t think it’s for Engineering students,” Tolontan said. “I think it’s a minor for pretty much anybody who likes working with people and bringing power to people.” The 15-credit Education for Empowerment minor was launched this fall and offers students the chance to critically examine the role of education in social change and justice. Simona Goldin, director of instructional design at the School of Education, explained the minor was developed after faculty who taught the Schooling in MultiCulture Society course noted students’ continued desire to pursue questions of social justice and its impact on educational See MINOR, Page 2A
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A 2016 study, conducted in part by U-M, found one in four medical students may develop depression RACHEL LEUNG Daily Staff Writer
In her second year of medical school at the University of Michigan, Rahael Gupta contemplated taking her own life. While Gupta got the help she needed and returned to school the following year, she uncovered a stigma among the medical community in which many physicians — and those in training — hide their depression for fear of professional consequences. Now, in her final year of medical school, Gupta is speaking out about her struggles with mental health and emphasize that, just like the patients for which they care, doctors are not immune to depression. In Gupta’s second year of medical school, she began feeling fatigued and upset as she fell behind in school work. A dedicated worker, Gupta wanted to just focus on her studies and tried to ignore her increasing inability to function in school. She never considered she was suffering from depression until a trusted medical school counselor, whom she had visited at the time to try to defer a test, suggested she might be depressed. “She was the one that recognized, ‘Okay, this student isn’t just having a hard time, there is something wrong here,’” Gupta said. “She was the first person to ask me, ‘Rahael, do you think you could be depressed?’ No one had asked me that before.” Check out the Daily’s News podcast, The Daily Weekly
For Gupta, her mental health had become a secondary concern to exam deadlines and school work, but as a result, her academic performance and her well-being
diminished. “I was so low and distraught — I was just happy that somebody was asking me about how I was doing instead of about my
performance,” she said. Gupta is not alone in suffering from depression. A 2016 study conducted by a team at Brigham and Women’s
Hospital and the U-M Medical School found one in four medical students may develop depression. Though the intensity of medical school would seem to be an environment naturally rife with anxiety and stress for students, study co-author Srijan Sen explains there is a taboo concerning doctors who appear to suffer from such pressures. “I think there’s a culture that we’re supposed to be strong and nothing can faze a doctor, and they can handle anything and continue on,” Sen said. The team collected data from over 200 studies, which examined the mental health of 129,000 medical students in 47 countries. In addition, researchers found one in 10 students will contemplate suicide during medical school. Though there are disproportionate numbers of medical students suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts, results from the study show only 16 percent of those with depression are seeking help. Sen has previously worked on other studies that examine the mental health of medical students and professionals. He visited study participants years after they graduated from medical school and completed their residences to observe similar rates of depression and reluctance to request mental health care later in the participants’ later career lives.
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 141 ©2018 The Michigan Daily
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6
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SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............5 SPORTS....................1B
News
2A — Monday, September 24, 2018
MONDAY: Looking at the Numbers
According to Michigan Medicine spokeswoman Mary Masson, the organization offered the nurses raises of at least 3 percent. Masson also said the nurse-to-patient ratio is in the top 2 percent in the nation.
TUESDAY: By Design
The budget for the project is $150 million and would encompass a space that is 200,000 square feet. The funds will come from investment proceeds, gifts and the Student Life Student Fee for Facility Renewal. The proposed renovations come on the heels of a $13 million overhaul of the North Campus Recreation Building, recently reopened this year.
WEDNESDAY: This Week in History
In both the 2014 and 2010 midterm elections, however, voter turnout in Michigan was above the national averages of 37.8 and 36.3 percent, respectively. Voter turnout rates for the 2018 primary rose from 2014 levels, however, indicating turnout may increase come November.
According to Zhang, a Kinesiology graduate student, individuals burn 191 calories an hour while walking at a one-mile-per-hour pace, as opposed to 72 calories sitting.
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THURSDAY: Twitter Talk
FRIDAY: Behind the Story
This announcement comes two weeks after the release of Office for Institutional Equity’s yearly Sexual Misconduct Report which reported an increase in sexual misconduct reports but a decrease in investigations launched by the University compared to previous data. According to the publication, reports went up from 218 to 277 while investigations went down from 28 the previous year to 20.
The University of Michigan Board of Regents announced a 3.5 percent increase in University President Mark Schlissel’s annual salary as part of the president’s yearly evaluation. This is the president's fourth pay raise, and brings his pay from $820,000 to over $850,000...His starting salary upon hiring in 2014 was $750,000.
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ON THE DAILY: ROSS INSTITUTE INVESTS IN NEW ENERGY BAR While many University business students have come to rely heavily upon the schools Starbucks for their caffeine needs, an institute at the Ross School of Business has invested in a healthy, energy-boosting alternative. On Tuesday, the Zell Lurie Institute at the Business School announced a $100,000 investment from its Founders Fund into organic snack company SMPL. The funds will used for
expanded distribution and marketing efforts. SMPL sells bite-sized organic protein bars in three flavors. The snacks incorporate organic fruits, nuts and superfoods in resealable bags tailored to on-the-go consumption. SMPL’s target market is busy, modern wellness consumers. According to a press release, University alum Ellis Fried founded the company to replace the existing unhealthy or inconvenient energy bars.
“I founded SMPL out of my personal dissatisfaction with the energy bars on the market — they were either filled with sugar, didn’t deliver on taste, or I never wanted to finish the entire bar at once,” Fried said. During his time at the University, Fried earned more than $17,000 in the 2017 Michigan Business Challenge and won the Ross School of Business BBA Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Stewart Thornhill, executive
Director of the Zell Lurie Institute, said in the press release Fried has shown strong potential as an entrepreneur since his undergraduate years. “Ellis has shown great initiative and promise as an entrepreneur, and we’re proud to have supported him at every step of the journey. We’re committed to helping him on his mission to make healthy eating convenient, and we look forward to his future successes,” Thornhill said.
MINOR From Page 1A
percent of the students who take that class go on to be teachers, which is fantastic,” Goldin said. “The other 50 percent kept speaking in very similar ways; even though it was across 10 years, even though they were not standing next to each other, they were saying very similar things. The things they were saying
evoked a real hunger. What they were saying is, ‘I’m committed to social justice, I’m really deeply interested in the ways in which schools can be a force for justice in society.’” The minor is made up of one foundation class, three electives, a field internship and a final capstone course. After completing the initial foundation course, students have the chance to select one of three pathways on which to focus: Children and Youth in Context: Culture, Communities and Education; Advancing Equity through Education Policy; and Education in a Global Context. There is also an option for students to create their own pathway. Goldin said the goal of establishing pathways is to ensure students’ gained expertise in one particular area. “The reason we have these discrete and coherent pathways is because we want student to have some depth and some mastery,” Goldin said. “It’s wonderful to take something here and take something there, but we wanted at the end for people to say, ‘In these 15 credits, I have learned how to do this, I have learned about that, and now I’m equipped to do this great work.’” Goldin also reiterated
Tolontan’s earlier sentiments about the applicability of the minor because it emphasizes pervasive issues like teaching and learning. “If you live inside of this society, then thinking systematically about schools is critical,” Goldin said. “No matter what profession you’re going to be in, there are so many ways – by necessity –you’re going to have to think about teaching and learning.” Maternowski added he felt the minor presents a way for students to explore the world of education without commitment. “It brings the School of Education more into the rest of the University because often it’s like Engineering classes – you’re not going to take an engineering class if you’re in LSA – and I think for the longest time you weren’t going to take an education class if you were in LSA,” Maternowski said. “Now this is kind of like there’s a way to dabble in education without going through all sorts of loopholes.” While many schools have already accepted the minor — the most recent being the School of Public Health — the College of Engineering has yet to follow. Nevertheless, Tolontan has already started taking classes to fulfill its requirements.
institutions — regardless of whether they were pursuing a teaching career. “Something that we noticed in that class (Schooling in a Multi-Cultural Society) is that 50
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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.
3A — Monday, September 24, 2018
Michigan in Color
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Le: What constitutes a hate crime? Standing with Prof. Cheney-Lippold ANONYMOUS MiC Contributor
COURTESY OF ALYSSA FELLABAUM
The Vietnamese Student Association repainted the Rock after inappropriate markings were found.
ELIZABETH LE MiC Columnist
Many would agree no undergraduate experience at the University of Michigan is complete without painting the Rock. Last year, I painted the Rock for the first time as part of an annual event hosted by the Vietnamese Student Association. I got to meet a lot of new people and bond with them as we participated in a Wolverine tradition. I wasn’t able to make it to this year’s “Paint the Rock” event, however, and I soon learned of some unfortunate news: the freshly-painted Rock, which bore the Vietnamese Student Association abbreviation and the names of several members, had been defaced. The association posted the following on its Facebook page: “On September 21, 2018, it came to our attention that our organization’s name was defaced on the Rock. We had painted ‘VSA’ on all four sides of the Rock. We found that two sides were painted over with the words ‘FUCK 12’ in yellow paint. On the most prominent side of the Rock, a painted penis defaced ‘VSA.’ This is vandalism, and this is a hate crime carried out by those with access to our campus. This incident is one of many vandalizations targeting people and student organizations of color at the University of Michigan.” The statement ended by calling VSA and allies to help repaint and “reclaim the Rock.” Initially, I wasn’t sure what to think. I just sat in front of my computer, rereading VSA’s statement, wondering where I had heard this sort of rhetoric before. And then it hit me. Almost exactly a year ago, the Black Student Union issued anextremely similar statement in response to an incident involving racial slurs written on dorm room name tags: “On Sept. 17, 2017, three Black University of Michigan students were targeted with racially derogatory language in the form of defaced name tags on their dorm doors. This is not only a crime of vandalism, but also a hate crime carried out by those with access to our campus and residence halls, presumably underclassmen students.”
What was I to make of this? Did the Vietnamese Student Association knowingly copy the Black Student Association’s words? Or was there some protocol that required student organizations to issue their statements in a very particular way? I point this similarity out not to accuse Vietnamese Student Association of plagiarism, but to explain my confusion over the whole situation. I was also confused by how quickly the vandalization of the Rock had been labelled a hate crime. A hate crime is motivated by bias against certain groups of people, such as ethnic or racial minorities. Without knowing all the details, it’s difficult to
“Without knowing all the details, it’s difficult to determine whether the vandals specifically targeted VSA” determine whether the vandals specifically targeted VSA. One might be tempted to draw comparisons to yet another incident of vandalization last year in which welcome messages written on the Rock by Assisting Latinos to Maximize Achievement had been defaced. However, one key difference is that the graffiti in the previous incident mentioned Latinos, whereas, in the case of the Vietnamese Student Association, there was no reference to the supposedly targeted group. It was reported “FUCK 12” had been painted on the Rock; considering that the number 12 is slang for “police,” it doesn’t make sense for the message to be directed toward the Vietnamese. Then again, vandals aren’t reasonable people in the first place, so maybe that’s a moot point. I know I hold the unpopular opinion here, but I must speak my truth: I do not view this recent event as a hate crime. A crime? Perhaps. But a hate crime? No, not without more information. Let me be clear — I’m not
trying to invalidate anyone’s feelings. Vandalism is wrong, period. It’s a blatant show of disrespect. Anyone who is upset about this has every right to be; however, to call it a hate crime may be a bit presumptuous at this point. Someone covered the Rock in profanity. It had been painted by a student organization just a day before. That organization was composed of people of color. Maybe they were targeted, maybe they weren’t. I could imagine the same exact graffiti over anyone’s name, regardless of race. Personally, I don’t feel as though my identity has been attacked. Further, if I were to call the incident a hate crime while there’s still so much unknown about it, I believe I would be undermining the experiences of those who have been victims of actual hate crimes, such as the Black students who had their name tags defaced or Assisting Latinos to Maximize Achievement. The situation has me reflecting on my place among people of color. I think a big part of standing in solidarity with other people of color is recognizing their experiences are not necessarily my own. Though it’s unfortunate that someone painted over the Vietnamese Student Association’s name, I will not compare it to the racial slurs and worse that others on campus have endured. It’s my responsibility as an ally to understand some of the privileges that I have. The strength of my allyship isn’t based on the idea that I struggle in the same way that other people of color do, but on my ability to see our differences so that I may better understand and do what I can to help alleviate each person’s unique struggle. I will not exaggerate the setbacks that I face to validate my POCness. I will not use narratives that do not belong to me. Once more, I wasn’t there when the Rock was vandalized, and I don’t know who did it or why. The most I can do now is share my opinion, how I was (or wasn’t) affected as a member of the Vietnamese community. At the end of the day, I suppose what’s most important is that we get past it. While I don’t agree with all of the Vietnamese Student Association’s statement, at the very least, I’m glad that they were able to repaint the Rock.
SAFE: In solidarity with boycotters STUDENTS ALLIED FOR FREEDOM AND EQUALITY
The state of Israel actively engages in human rights violations upon the Palestinian people. From daily home demolitions t o the imprisonment of thousands of innocent civiliansto the illegal construction of settlements on Palestinian land, there is no question of the violence and inequity perpetuated by settlercolonial Israeli apartheid. We support and affirm Professor John CheneyLippold’s right to boycott Israel. His actions are the same demanded by Palestinian civil society, and serve to recognize and resist forces committing human rights violations. To punish Professor CheneyLippold for his actions would curtail his own academic agency. We also want to underscore the double standard of
“consequences” faced by students who support the state of Israel. This student, for whatever inconveniences she may face in securing a recommendation letter, will undoubtedly be able to visit, study, and work in the country. We remind the campus community that Palestinian students and their allies continue to be blacklisted, targeted, and exiled from their home country for their identities. Palestinian students do not have the privilege of going back to Palestine, much less studying abroad. Where is the concern for their educational opportunities? Finally, SAFE would like to question the speed and force with which the University administration and campus community condemned Professor Cheney-Lippold. For years, students at the University of Michigan have been consistently targeted on international political blacklists for standing up for
Palestinian human rights. We have brought the blacklist to the attention of our administrators repeatedly. There has been no University statement on the matter. This blacklist is just one of several tangible barriers for students that will prevent them from engaging in not just study abroad programs, but academic programs, jobs, and admittance into Palestine/Israel. It seems as though, the administration and community are more interested in punishing a professor for exercising his right to express political views —views that may offend a powerful community on campus—than protecting the physical and emotional safety of Palestinian students. SAFE vows to keep elevating the voices of Palestinians on this campus and around the world, and to stand with those already doing so in meaningful ways. In solidarity, Students Allied for Freedom and Equality
Last Sunday, a screenshot of an email from American Culture Associate Professor John Cheney-Lippold denying a student’s request for a letter of recommendation to study abroad in Israel was posted on Facebook. The email was met with outrage from various Zionist groups on campus and students who believed Cheney-Lippold’s refusal to write the letter of recommendation was anti-Semitic. Boycotting the government of Israel should not be conflated with anti-Jewish sentiment, and Cheney-Lippold’s decision is not anti-Semitic because religion and the oppressive acts of a country’s government and military are two separate things. In response to the outcry on social media, Students Allied for Freedom and Equality released a statement Tuesday reaffirming SAFE “stands in solidarity with students, faculty, and staff boycotting Israeli universities” and emphasized the University was very quick to release its own statement to clarify the University does not approve of CheneyLippold’s decision and University departments do not officially boycott. Yet, as SAFE pointed out, the University has never released a statement condemning the blacklist that many students to which are subjected when they speak in solidarity with Palestine, despite attention to this issue being brought to the administration countless times. In the student’s words, Cheney-Lippold’s response to her request was “disturbing and unsettling,” but we think
what’s disturbing and unsettling is the University’s failure to address and accommodate Palestinian students’ demands for years, yet its willingness to jump to defend this student and condemn a professor who was simply holding true to his beliefs and solidarity with Palestinian people. The stark contrast in responses, though unsurprising, is too evident to ignore. Though one may disagree with CheneyLippold’s decision, one cannot say his email wasn’t courteous, honest and explanatory.
“One thing we would like to commend is Cheney-Lippold’s willingness to use his identity as a white man” One thing we would like to commend is Cheney-Lippold’s willingness to use his identity as a white man, with no formal ties to the Palestine-Israel conflict, to stand in solidarity with the people in Palestine. One of the platforms taken by the student who received the denial of a recommendation letter is the fact that her “work habits, diligence, and aptitude as a student” should have been the sole determinants of the professor’s decision to write the letter, and that his refusal “allowed his personal beliefs to interfere with (her) dreams of studying abroad.” However, this goes deeper than a student’s innocent “dream” to
study abroad. The country we are speaking of is a country with a history and present of oppressing, murdering, stealing land from and denying basic rights to Palestinian people. The purpose of boycott divestment sanctions is to cut any and all ties that would support Israel’s government and in turn aid in perpetuating the violation of Palestinian rights. It is negligent to pretend writing a recommendation letter for a student to study there is completely independent and uncorrelated to the political climate and taking a stance for justice. It is important for those who hold privilege to levy their position to help the most vulnerable in society. That is what allyhood looks like. CheneyLippold could have easily refused the student’s request for a letter of recommendation and not provided any answer or provided a different one. Rather, CheneyLippold chose to provide the student with an honest answer that sparks dialogue and causes the student to reflect on her decision to study abroad at an institution that perpetuates the oppression of a group of people. Furthermore, Cheney-Lippold put his reputation at the University at stake by making this decision and participating in the academic boycott. We hope the University will uphold their commitment to free speech — which they have no problem doing when highly problematic and harmful speakers like Richard Spencer ask to express their dangerous views — and will not punish Cheney-Lippold or any other faculty members who choose to participate in the academic boycott of the government of Israel.
University should support boycott YAHYA ALAMI HAFEZ MiC Contributor
American Culture professor John Cheney-Lippold of the University of Michigan has been receiving backlash from students, community members and administrators alike, with University Regent Denise Ilitch (D) going so far as to accuse the professor of anti-Semitism. These attacks come after CheneyLippold, in adherence of the call made by Palestinian civil society organizations to boycott Israeli academic and cultural institutions, chose to rescind his agreement to write a letter of recommendation to LSA junior Abigail Ingber upon learning it would be for a study abroad program in Israel. While it is unsurprising the University has been swift to criticize Cheney-Lippold for his decision, the University’s reaction to the incident demonstrates its ongoing complicity with and support for the violent Zionist settler colonial project. While masking itself in the language of political neutrality, the University willfully ignores the role of Israeli institutions in maintaining and expanding the military occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and its settler occupation of historic Palestine, as well as the impact this has on the academic freedom of Palestinians. Curtis Marez, president of the American Studies Association, notes Israeli universities are targeted by this boycott “because they work closely with the government and military in developing weapons and other technology that are used to enforce the occupation and colonization of Palestinian land, while university-associated think tanks develop political and communications strategies to advance government aims and defend them internationally.” Furthermore, Marez notes, “The Israeli occupation prevents Palestinian academics from accessing outside institutions of higher learning and professional conferences, hampering their ability to do their work, while Israeli authorities make it difficult for foreign academics to travel to Gaza and the West Bank.” In other words, Israeli academic institutions are not politically neutral when it comes to the
violence of the Zionist nationstate but are a key apparatus of the colonial project. The University must consider its students and the broader public as naïve to believe its propagation of study abroad programs in Israel is politically neutral and not, in fact, a validation of the role of these institutions in the Zionist settler project. It is not difficult to see the role that the Zionist nation-state and Israeli academic institutions play in limiting the academic freedom of Palestinians and those supportive of Palestinian liberation. This is the same University that swiftly refused the Central Student Government’s call to merely form a committee to investigate companies in which the University invests donor and student monies for potential relationships to Palestinian human rights violations, undermining both on-campus student governance and Palestinian human rights. University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald’s statement that “financial factors such as risk and return” are the sole focus of the University’s investments demonstrates the University’s willingness to put profit over morality and Palestinian life. In a statement, University President Mark Schlissel argues the previous two divestment instances in the University’s history — divestment from tobacco and from South African corporations under apartheid — were unique in that they “were inextricably linked to immoral and unethical actions and ideologies.” This grossly undermines the tangible, material and ongoing violence of Zionist colonialism, occupation, apartheid and displacement while clearly demonstrating the University’s — or at the very least, though no less consequentially, Schlissel’s — political position that the historic and ongoing violence and displacement of Palestinians and the theft of their land is something the University finds excusable and justifiable. The University frequently has betrayed its support of the violent political project of Zionism while criticizing its students, staff and faculty for challenging oppression with actions in accordance to their “personal views and politics.” The criticisms of John CheneyLippold’s actions are not only a recent manifestation of the University’s complicity with this
project, but further reflect the de facto political position of the University the supports and (given its investments) profits from Zionist violence and colonialism. For all its shallow rhetorical concern with academic freedom, the University chooses to ignore the fact that ongoing colonialism, displacement, military occupation and apartheid policies propagated by the Zionist nation-state materially impact the ability of Palestinians to access such educational opportunities. Military checkpoints and armed Israeli Defense Force personnel disrupt Palestinians of all ages in their pursuit of academic success, often prohibitively and even lethally. According to the Institute for Middle East Understanding, a stark 50 percent of children in Gaza report a fear of attending school. During the first intifada, the Israeli army closed Palestinian universities for months. In its 2014 offensive, Israel attacked three of Gaza’s seven universities, as well as seven United Nations schools and about 141 local schools. Displaced Palestinians face prohibitive restrictions which often prevent them from being able to return to Palestine, much less study there. Where is the University’s outrage for their right to education? The University of Michigan already holds a de facto political stance supporting the violence of Zionist colonialism and military occupation. It cannot continue to pretend it is politically neutral and believe the public will be fooled about its political priorities and commitments. It’s time that the University not only confront and rectify its complicity in and support of such violence, but also take an active stand in supporting and working toward justice and liberation for the Palestinian people. Rather than attacking its own faculty for participating in the academic boycott of Israeli institutions, the University should acknowledge the merit of the boycott, participate in it and advocate for it. The University’s insistence that it is not a political institution is, at best, denial and, at worst, deception and manipulation. It’s time the University abandon its empty rhetoric and demonstrate a commitment to justice by supporting liberation for Palestinians.
Opinion
4A — Monday, September 24, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
JOEL DANILEWITZ | OP-ED
What we can learn from “(500) Days of Summer”
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hile University of Michigan students were enjoying their summer, the Ann Arbor City Council approved changes to the zoning code for fraternities and sororities in the hopes they would improve relations between Greek life houses and neighboring Ann Arbor residents. One of the changes requires new fraternities and sororities to maintain affiliation with the University or another college to be allowed expansion in the city; if affiliation is lost, a fraternity or sorority can apply for a two-year exemption to prevent loss of residence.
I n r e s p on s e t o t he s e z on i n g c h a n g e s a nd t he i nt r o duc t ion of w i nt er r u sh , a f ew f r at er n it ie s h ave de c ide d t o d i s a f f i l i at e f r om t he I nt er f r at er n it y C ou nc i l a nd f or m t he A n n A r b or I nt er f r at er n it y C ou nc i l . W it h d i s a f f i l i at ion , t he s e f r at er n it ie s lo s e t he over sig ht , r e g u l at ion s a nd pr o ce s s e s pr ov ide d t o I F C mem b er f r at er n it ie s a s s o c i at e d w it h t he Un i ver sit y. I n l ig ht of t h i s new, i ndep endent f r at er n it y or g a n i z at ion , The M ic h ig a n Da i l y E d it or i a l B oa rd i s concer ne d a nd c u r iou s a s t o how it a f f e c t s t he c a mpu s . We h ave r a r el y t hou g ht t h at I F C h a s g one f a r enou g h t o pr ot e c t s t udent s a f e t y, but we a r e concer ne d a b out how t he s e f r at er n it ie s w i l l ac t w it hout a ny Un i ver sit y over sig ht . IFC pr ot e c t ion s i nclude an a lcohol-f r e e r u sh env i r on ment , no h a rd l iq uor at pa r t ie s , sig n i f ic a nt h a z i n g over sig ht a nd a con ne c t ion t o t he Un i ver sit y ’s i nve s t ig at i ve a nd d i s c ipl i n a r y s y s t em . W h i le s t udent s in d i s a f f i l i at e d f r at er n it ie s w i l l s t i l l b e s ubje c t t o Un i ver sit y d i s c ipl i ne shou ld m i s conduc t o cc u r, t he e duc at ion a l a nd r ep or t i n g me c h a n i sm s t h at I F C pr ov ide s t o Gr e ek
l i f e w i l l not b e av a i l a ble w it hout a f f i r m at i ve ac t ion f r om t he A A I F C . We wor r y w it hout t he s e Un i ver sit y con ne c t ion s d i s a f f i l i at e d f r at er n it ie s w i l l not e duc at e t hei r mem b er s a nd pr ov ide r ep or t i n g me c h a n i sm s t o pr e vent h a z i n g a nd ot her of f en s e s . In a dd it ion , t her e h a s b e en l it t le t o no i n f or m at ion on wh at t he
We are concerned about how these fraterinities will act without any oversight
t ra nspa rent sta nda rds at or exceedi ng t he protec t ion l e v e l s o f t h e Un i v e r s i t y ’s IFC before engag ing in a ny socia l events w it h t hese f raternit ies. While we have been crit ics in t h e p a s t o f t h e I F C ’s lack of tra nspa rency i n l i g h t o f t h e i r s e l fsuspension last y e a r, we wor r y a n inst it ut ion w it h no o bl i g a t i o n to prov ide t ra nspa rency w ill not prov ide insight into how t hey seek to protect st udents unt il it is too l a t e . We h o p e t h e A A I F C w ill a llev iate t hese fea rs by being for t hright w it h bot h current r ushes a nd t h e p u bl i c a b o u t h o w i t pl a n s t o p r e v e n t s e x u a l misconduct, ha zing a nd ot her misconduct in a n env ironment k now n for its d e s i r e f o r s e c r e c y a n d s e l fpreser vat ion.
newl y f or me d or g a n i z at ion pl a n s t o do. The de c i sion t o d i s a f f i l i at e s e em s t o Do you love to debate today’s h i n g e on t he ne e d t o avoid important issues? Do you want your voice heard? We hold twice-weekly t he ef f e c t s of new z on i n g Editorial Board meetings at our l aw s a nd i n pa r t ic u l a r newsroom at 420 Maynard St. in Ann on t he t h r e at of lo si n g Arbor, where we discuss local, state t he f r at er n it y or s or or it y hou s e . But t h at br i n g s and national issues relevant to campus. We meet Mondays and Wednesdays i nt o q ue s t ion why t he s e from 7:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. f r at er n it ie s pr e d ic t e d t he y wou ld lo s e a f f i l i at ion i n t he Learn more about how to join f i r s t pl ace . Editboard here. St udents should dema nd the A AIFC prov ide
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I
n 2009, Marc Webb’s directorial debut “(500) Days of Summer” was released to high acclaim. The film, told in a non-linear arc, guides us through the eyes of Tom Hansen, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a hopeless romantic who becomes infatuated with Summer Finn, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel. When the film was released, it received high praise from both critics and audiences, with famed critic Roger Ebert giving it a flawless review and applauding it as “a delightful comedy, alive with invention.” In the intervening years, the movie has undergone several autopsies. The current zeitgeist has made great strides toward creating films that depict characters, specifically those in marginalized roles, with more attentiveness to fleshing out their identity and not succumbing to pernicious stereotypes. With such motions toward fairness in representation, we can easily reexamine films that may have put women, people of color and members of the LGBTQ community squarely in roles that denigrate their identities. Triangulating off of these specific groups, “(500) Days of Summer” is a deeply negligent and grossly misogynistic take on modern romance, one that obfuscates such a fact with its quirky and hipster aesthetic. From the onset, we barely know anything about the titular character except what Hansen leads us to believe. We’re made aware of her parent’s divorce, which is used as a proxy to spurn her antipathy toward relationships. Yet that background information is essentially harnessed as a plot device for Hansen to grow from rather than as actual insight into her as a person. Finn fits perfectly into the mold of manic pixie dream girl, except that her disposition is so static (no thanks to the way Hansen myopically conveys her) that it would be more appropriate to just call her a “chill pixie dream girl.” In essence, she is a smattering of tropes that neatly plays into the fantasy of an emotionally immature, Smithloving involuntary celibate, which is virtually Hansen’s character. Finn rejects Hansen as more than a hookup multiple times from the beginning of the movie, explaining, “this is fun” more than once. Each time this happens, he goes into violent tirades to his equally sexist friends, who homophobically
MARGOT LIBERTINI | COLUMN
T
he Senate Judiciary Committee has decided to delay the vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination in order to receive testimony from his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, and Kavanaugh himself, in regard to recent sexual assault allegations against the Supreme Court nominee. This decision comes after Ford requested an FBI investigation occur before she testified, though it appears that will not be the case. Further, she and her lawyers have complained about the fact that the hearing will only involve two witnesses: Kavanaugh and Ford herself, as they fear it may turn into a “he said, she said” scenario. Ford accused Kavanaugh of attempted rape when he was 17 and she was 15. Ford originally revealed this information in July in a letter to her Rep. Anna G. Eshoo, D-Calif., and later to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat of the Judiciary Committee. Ford requested the story stay confidential. Thus, Feinstein refused to share the contents of the letter with the rest of the Senate Judiciary Committee until last week, when the story went public. It is not clear this was the best decision, though — there are many paths Feinstein could have taken to treat the allegations with proper urgency and seriousness while simultaneously keeping Ford’s identity confidential. Allowing a letter consisting of such heinous accusations against a potential Supreme Court nominee to sit on her desk for six weeks was irresponsible on her behalf. It merely delayed the firestorm that was bound to come, and ironically, it left both Feinstein and Ford with less agency over the situation than if the senator had taken control of the
conjecture the reason she doesn’t want a relationship is because she is a lesbian. Yet, we are expected to sympathize with his sensitive nature (I mean, he works at a greeting card company, right?), even though he uses his sensitivity as a guise for the toxic way he tries to gaslight Finn. It would be easier to make a less critical reevaluation of such a movie if, while watching it, we viewed Finn as the protagonist and Hansen as the antagonist. Even Gordon-Levitt, an outspoken feminist, has made attempts to do so. Still, co-writer Scott Neustadter admitted the film was based off a prior relationship, rendering the plot even more masturbatory. And regrettably, the director peddled the idea that Finn was a stock character by categorizing her as “the one” at the time of its release.
Viewing someone as a whole and not an idea grants them more humanity Yet to disregard this film as an abysmal piece of anti-feminist garbage (which it arguably still is), would be remiss in taking the inadvertent lessons it has presented. From a representational point of view, the film’s characters are all white, with people of color being very much at its margins (and, at certain points, mocked). Its overwhelming whiteness is a potent reminder of the work filmmakers must put into creating a diverse cast. Furthermore, the lack of sensitivity toward Finn’s character may have been fixed with a female director at the helm of the movie. Yet in 2009, women only accounted for 7 percent of directors for the top 250 grossing films of that year. In 2017, they still only comprise 11 percent of directors, exhibiting the meager attempts made by Hollywood to put women in the director’s chair. However, when there is at least one female director or writer, almost half of all major roles in a film are women, an important insight into how women directors improve the overall representation of a film.
On a thematic level, “(500) Days of Summer” also allows the viewer to consider how our own expectations can cloud judgement much like it does for Hansen. We’re all guilty of falling for people, and equally so for those who don’t love us back. But this film demonstrates the way expectation can seep into reality and ultimately damage ourselves. Hansen is constantly projecting his ideal girlfriend onto Finn, preventing us from seeing her as a human being. Though pushed to extremes, loving someone as an abstraction rather than a person is a common consequence of infatuation and crushes. In the penultimate moments of the film, Hansen goes to a rooftop party that Finn invites him to as a gesture of friendship. The scene parses the screen into two halves, with one presenting “Expectation” and the other presenting “Reality.” In “Expectation,” the party ends with Hansen and Finn hooking up again. In “Reality,” Finn reveals to her friends at the party that she is engaged, incensing Hansen and yielding a bout of depression. We all have expectations about love and people. Whether it’s because we’ve been taught to view people as objects of affection by movies like “(500) Days of Summer” and the litany of other problematic romantic comedies, or because we get trapped in our own thoughts, it isn’t a crime to sometimes allow expectation to supersede reality. But we must learn to distill the two, especially when it comes to people we like. Viewing someone as a whole and not an idea grants them more humanity and us more understanding when things don’t end up working out. We can go onto future relationships with more healthy attitudes and hopefully attempt to better understand the other person involved. In this sense, “(500) Days of Summer” is its most successful when we see Hansen as the one who brought about his own tumbling spiral, and not Finn. As romantic comedies become increasingly self-aware, we can use the ones we now see as antiquated to understand how to make better films, have more representation and work on cultivating healthy relationships.
Joel Danilewitz is an LSA sophomore and a Senior Opinion Editor.
1991 v 2018 situation from the beginning. Whether she would have confidentially shared the story with the Judiciary Committee, gone to the FBI sooner or even shared the essence of the story publicly, there could have been precautions taken to protect Ford’s identity. Rather, the media obtained the story and everything else had to fall into place within a few days. This is not the first time the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee hasn’t been responsible about handling sexual misconduct allegations against a Supreme Court nominee — history is eerily cyclical. I’m referring, of course, to the 1991 Clarence Thomas confirmation, during which Anita Hill testified Thomas had sexually harassed her. Former Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., infamously blocked three other women from testifying in order to quickly move the proceedings forward. The Democrats, the majority party in the Senate at the time, were accused of rushing the process along and not treating the allegations with proper reverence. Thomas now sits on the Supreme Court. The Democrats cannot be the political party of 1991 in 2018. They should be as vigilant as possible in opposing Kavanaugh’s nomination in light of these allegations. It was suggested in The New Yorker that Feinstein did not come forward with Ford’s allegations sooner because she “acted out of a sense that Democrats would be better off focussing on legal, rather than personal, issues in their questioning of Kavanaugh.” However, that sentiment is misguided. Attempted rape is a criminal act, and placing a criminal on the Supreme Court has implications beyond
“personal issues.” Though separating personal and political may have once been the norm, the #MeToo era managed to break through that barrier. Additionally, Democrats risk succumbing to Republican pressure to rush the process: a parallel to 1991. Less than a year ago, Democrats pushed Al Franken out of Congress after various credible sexual misconduct allegations against him surfaced. This modern record of holding abusers accountable for their actions buffers them from appearing disingenuous in fighting Kavanaugh’s nomination. Rather than appearing politically motivated, Democrats only face the risk of backing down and once again coming off as spineless and without any clear conviction. Dianne Feinstein won her Senate seat in 1992, which was deemed the “Year of the Woman” because a record number of women were elected to Congress after outrage over the treatment of Hill. There were no women on the Senate Judiciary Committee to stand in solidarity with Hill in 1991. 27 years later and there are four women serving on the committee (all of whom are Democrats) — I hope this means Ford will have voices of solidarity, and not that four women sit there to maintain the status quo of an institutionalized boy’s club. I hope she will not be deprecated as Hill was, and I hope a sexual predator will not be making decisions with massive implications for sexual assault on campus, birth control and abortion access and the right to women’s bodily autonomy.
Margot Libertini can be reached at mliberti@umich.edu
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FILM REVIEW
Monday, September 24, 2018 — 5A
MUSIC REVIEW
A guilt-ridden listen to Prince’s ‘Piano’ of 1983 MIKE WATKINS Daily Arts Writer
Prince has long been regarded as one of the most talented musicians the popular
Piano & A Microphone 1983 Prince AMAZON STUDIOS
‘Life Itself’ does not live up to work on ‘This Is Us’ MEGHAN CHOU Daily Arts Writer
As a followup to the wild success of the award-winning TV show “This Is Us,” creator Dan Fogelman (“Crazy,
“Life Itself” Amazon Studios Michigan Theater Stupid, Love”) returns to the big-screen with the starstudded film “Life Itself.” But, Fogelman is experiencing a burnout. “Life Itself” follows Will (Oscar Isaac, “Annihilation”) as he recovers from the end of his marriage with his college sweetheart Abby (Olivia Wilde, “Drinking Buddies”). Through therapy sessions with Dr. Morris (Annette Bening, “20th Century Women”), Will explores the key moments in his and Abby’s lives that led up to their separation. Although the monologues have the same rhythm of the emotional speeches of “This Is Us,” a show that redefined the quality of network dramas,
“Life Itself” is too muddled. While the multiple timelines on “This Is Us” play out coherently and impactfully, in the limited space of a film only confusion results. Fogelman also indulges in grotesque, sadistic violence, forcing his characters to undergo every possible avenue of trauma with no empathy toward their suffering, only an obsessive fascination with torturing fictional people. In a teenagerage response to the gooey sentimentality of “This Is Us,” Fogelman packs “Life Itself” with every R-rated sequence of trauma, from molestation to decapitation. Every actor tries to showcase their chops, but the terrible script creates unbreakable barriers. Fogelman, in a show of pretentious douchery, inserts a meta excuse for the haggard narrative: Abby’s college thesis that explores unreliable narrators, challenging the way stories work. Fogelman, in all his ego, believes he has imagined a new format for stories, one that all the writers before him could not fathom. But, in reality, he has created the scribbled mess of a kindergartener learning their
ABCs. Hold up, I’m sorry — that’s the first half of the film. Halfway through, Fogelman
Fogelman, in all his ego, believes he has imagined a new format for stories, one that all the writers before him could not fathom
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
By Bruce Venzke and Gail Grabowski ©2018 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
music world has ever seen; a multi-instrumentalist, he had the ability to independently churn out hits throughout his illustrious career, striking the perfect balance between complexity and simplicity. Yet, because of his mysterious aura, few knew his music making process, and even fewer actually witnessed it. Finally, with the posthumous release of Piano & A Microphone 1983, a live album that captured Prince sketching out song ideas on a piano, fans have a window into the Purple One’s creative process at the height of his career in 1983. The album’s title is selfexplanatory; the only elements featured are a piano and Prince’s striking voice. With
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streaming services, he removed his entire discography from all streaming services when the platform became fans’ primary mode of consumption. His work wasn’t made available on these services until after his death, posing the controversy between the desire to to enjoy his art and the obligation to respect his wishes. What’s worse, this album was never even intended for release on traditional consumption platforms, let alone streaming services. It was a secret project that sat comfortably in hiding until Prince’s archival music vault was literally drilled open and a deal was struck between the artist’s estate and Sony to release the vault’s exclusive content for profit. So, if you’re a big Prince fan, it’s tough to enjoy Piano without the little voice inside your head screaming “traitor!” With that said, the project is ironically most geared towards Prince’s admirers who could appreciate the value of its look behind the scenes. How do you deal with such an ethical dilemma, with an angel perched on one shoulder and the devil on the other? My advice: Consume with caution and hope Prince’s improvisational scatting dilutes the heavy guilt that sits in your stomach.
TV REVIEW
Endearing ‘I Feel Bad’ off to a promising start SAMANTHA DELLA FERA Daily Arts Writer
switches the narrative to a family in Spain with a complete tonal 180° and little preparation or explanation Release Date: Monday, September 24, 2018 for the move. The story refocuses on olive farmer Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis Mr. Saccione ACROSS DOWN 53 Car dealer’s 34 Grammar, (Antonio 1 Answer with 1 1978 Egyptian offering grammatically, attitude co-Nobelist 54 Ref. to a prior ref. e.g. Banderas, “The 5 Female WWII gp. Anwar 55 Manufactures 39 Crazy Eights Expendables 9 Ink cartridge 2 “Welcome to 56 Govt. accident cousin 3”) in Spain as color Maui!” investigator 42 WWII vessels 13 “ ... calm, __ he navigates a 3 Wade noisily 57 Island near Maui 43 No __ traffic bright”: “Silent 4 Round Table title 44 Pierced with a 58 Percussion love triangle Night” 5 Ties the knot instrument fork with the wife 15 Stone of 6 Latin “I love” 59 Pod in gumbo 46 Initial stage “La La Land” of his foreman. 7 Invoice figure 63 “Snow White” 47 “Eureka!” 16 Revolutionary 8 Use the HOV lane 49 E to E, in music Although still collectible spy Nathan 9 Frito-Lay snacks 50 Pulsate 64 Grocery sack interested in 17 How canvassers with a speedy cat trauma, the usually work mascot 19 Correct a script, second half 10 When said thrice, ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: say “and so on” feels like honey 20 Satisfied sounds 11 Touched down compared to 21 Golf’s “Big Easy” 12 Hockey targets Ernie the first. But 14 Courtroom 22 Raised-baton transcript pro the storyline strokes, in music 18 Antipasto morsel fades due to 24 Sauce with falafel 23 Osso __: veal 26 Desk tray words the distracting dish 27 How page-turners 25 Cooler cubes question: Why are often read does it exist 32 Prop for Chaplin 26 Annoying 28 Keebler sprite 35 Lodge logo in the same 29 Blow off steam animal film? Rather 30 Suffix with switch 36 Total failures 31 Answer the than lean into 37 Novelist Tolstoy invite, briefly 38 Tallahassee sch. the success of 40 Thanksgiving mo. 32 Skelton’s “This Is Us,” Kadiddlehopper 41 Blows volcano33 Prefix with Fogelman tries style dynamic too hard to 09/24/18 45 “Double Fantasy” collaborator Yoko prove he could 47 At the peak of do something 48 How apartment different. leases sometimes run Fogelman 51 Prepare wants the (oneself), as for parts of “Life a jolt 52 Hebrew greeting Itself” to fit 56 “Definitely!” together like 59 “__ the a complicated ramparts ... ” 60 Org. that knot. Instead, publishes the he shows newsletter that there’s GoGreen! 61 Fictional estate a difference near Atlanta between 62 How pistol an expert duelers typically stand constructing 65 Close tightly a beautiful 66 At any time puzzle and an 67 Count who amatuer trying composed “One O’Clock Jump” to undo a knot 68 Depresses, with only to make a “out” bigger mess. 69 Boxer Oscar __ Hoya 70 Catches on to
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such stripped down production, the project lures you into the basement in which the 35-minute project was recorded. When Prince asks his sound engineer to turn his mic down in the middle of the first track, an “OMG that’s him” reaction ensues, and visions of the artist stomping to a beat or wincing at the beauty of his own falsetto populate the mind. The album’s live and private nature provides extremely special insight into how Prince worked. On “17,” you can hear him spontaneously voice a synth rhythm to accompany the melody he has already tracked out. On “International Lover,” Prince begins to beatbox the drum beat he saw fit for the completed version of the song. Across the album, improvised vocal riffs and piano licks provide a refreshing twist on Prince’s music that is typically only heard polished and produced. These elements also highlight Prince’s musical prowess from a technical standpoint that many might not be aware of. However, Piano has one major issue: Prince didn’t want you to hear it. Historically a pioneer for proper compensation for musicians, from his dispute with Warner Bros. to his outspoken disapproval of
Sometimes it seems like moms are invincible. They find the thing we swear we lost forever ago. They can tell when we’re feeling down, and know exactly how to bring us back up. They predict when it’s going to be cold, even before the weather itself
“I Feel Bad” Episodes 1-2 Thursdays 9:30 p.m. NBC does, so that we always have a jacket when we need it. Moms can seem like superheroes: strong women that push through their days selflessly and efficiently. But as much as we all may say our moms are unstoppable, they are only human. And sometimes, they feel bad. NBC’s new family comedy, “I Feel Bad,” tells us why. Sarayu Blue (“No Tomorrow”) plays Emet Kamala-Sweetzer, a mom that’s constantly concerned with the lives of her children but tries very hard not to show it. And in the first two episodes, she feels bad about something. In the premiere, she stresses over becoming her mother. Next, she feels guilty for taking just one self-care day from her stressful life. Emet takes viewers through each story in her voice-overs, taking an omniscient approach
to the events unfolding. Her narration is endearing, though unnecessary at some points. It makes for an easy flow between scenes, but this is often broken by the inclusion of events Emet was not present at, thus making her voice useless. Emet is a busy mom, and the people surrounding her aren’t exactly lightening the load. She is complemented by the quintessential goofy husband David (Paul Adelstein, “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce”) who seems to just be there for comedic relief, which isn’t to say he’s not good at providing it. Her overbearing parents, played by Madhur Jaffrey (“The Only Living Boy in New York”) and Brian George (“The Big Bang Theory”), are always around, and they never miss an opportunity to critique her parenting. “I Feel Bad” has all of the components meant to make it a lovable and successful show — cute kids, a cohesive theme, witty humor — but before it gets there it needs some serious TLC. This is essentially NBC’s attempt to emulate ABC’s “black-ish,” just from a mother’s point of view. Both shows are narrated by an amusing and likable parent, and follow that parent through both their family and work life. In Emet’s case, that work life is being the only female artist for a video game developer who’s primarily interested in nerdy men drawing big boobs on bikini-clad heroines. It’s a smart choice by writers, and easy to laugh at, but the men that Emet works with are often shown in scenes that Emet wouldn’t know
were happening, like when they gather at a bar in one scene to discuss Emet’s concern that she’s turning into her mother. There is no reason these men should be given their own scene, and Emet having no way of knowing this is happening messes with the linear narrative that carries the show. Much like how Dre Johnson’s coworkers in “blackish” are nothing more than an allegory for institutionalized racism in the workplace, Emet’s vulgar coworkers would work best if they remained background characters, just a representation of the sexism woman face at work, especially in the field of video games. With funny dialogue, clever storylines and a powerhouse producing lineup that includes Amy Poehler (“Broad City”), “I Feel Bad” is certainly not a lost cause. It’s genuinely a funny show, and the story has depth. Emet and her husband have a biracial family, and her Indian heritage is not something that gets ignored. Representation is important, especially in a show that develops enjoyable themes that appeal to the masses, like not wanting your daughter to join a provocative dance club or desperately trying to find just 10 minutes for yourself. Every show has its kinks to work out in its first season, and “I Feel Bad” isn’t immune to that. But the prognosis is a good one, and soon enough the characters of “I Feel Bad” will be another charming TV family millions of everyday viewers and critics alike will tune in to see time and time again.
NBC
Arts
6A — Monday, September 24, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
COMMUNITY CULTURE REVIEW
Sklar Brothers return to Ann Arbor with comedy ZACHARY M.S. WAARALA For the Daily
The world’s longest recorded table tennis rally happened on Mar. 23, 2014. Daniel and Peter Ives kept their volley alive for a total of eight hours, 40 minutes and five seconds at the Plumstead Radical Working Men’s Club in London. The ball lofted back and forth, back and forth — an affirmative ping to answer each curious pong. To achieve the volley’s remarkable longevity, the Ives brothers had to be on the same wavelength, reciprocating each other’s calm and collected manner as they approached the world record. In a similar fashion to the professional table tennis players, the Sklar Brothers were on the same comedic wavelength during their show this past Friday. Randy and Jason Sklar exercised an identical rhythm to that of Daniel and Peter Ives, only in the context of stand-up comedy.
The twins returned to Ann Arbor, their old college
The duo act in stand-up comedy is a bold one, yet the Sklar Brothers exceeded expectations with a masterful cadence and a satisfying flow to each bit stomping ground, this weekend in a homecoming performance
at the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. I arrived early to the 10:30 p.m. performance in the classic basement club and was seated spitting-distance from the microphones. The brothers met a welcoming round of applause as they took the stage and opened with a funny-because-it’s-true jab at Ann Arbor’s ceaseless construction. The rest of the show contained a blend of jokes written for parents and jokes written for Democrats (the Sklar Brothers knew their audience). That said, the material was sophisticated enough to earn the label of well-crafted comedy without being distant from the intended audience of graduated Ann Arborites. Even though I do not fit the profile of a graduated Ann Arborite parent, I still found myself laughing with every punchline, delivered like a volley-return. After graduating from the University in 1994, the
Sklar Brothers moved to New York to begin their successful comedy careers, making appearances on shows such as HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Law and Order,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” FX’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and their series on the History Channel, “The United States of America.” The duo act in stand-up comedy is a bold one, yet the Sklar Brothers exceeded expectations with a masterful cadence and a satisfying f low to each bit.
As a duo act, two comedians must devote extra time and effort to the coordination, collaboration and choreography of any given set. The Sklar Brothers are no exception to this added challenge, but the two were able to deliver their material in a manner that showed preparedness and deep knowledge of the set without seeming too rehearsed. Each joke was a satisfying blend between the two comedians, as though they were having a normal (hilarious) conversation.
Watching the Sklar Brothers is like watching two professional table tennis players keep a casual volley going for the fun of it. I mean that in the best way possible — these are truly talented performers with the comedic equivalent of the table tennis expertise displayed by Daniel and Peter Ives. If my Friday night could consist of watching the Sklar Brothers play comedic ping-pong for eight hours, 40 minutes and five seconds, I would consider that a Friday night well-spent.
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
WORLD MUSIC COLUMN
A brief history of grime SAYAN GHOSH
Daily World Music Columnist
While many would argue that grime’s best days were more than a decade ago, the resurgence of its popularity and quality begs to differ. True, legends such as Dizzee Rascal took long (and rather embarrassing) digressions into pop territory, but both old and new artists have revived the genre. Perhaps more importantly, it has grown from London and the UK to new markets abroad. Figures like Skepta and Giggs have found themselves remixed by pop stars like Drake and even featured on albums by rappers like A$AP Rocky. Purists may bemoan the growing inf luence of American hip hop on the scene as a whole, but while it is true that genre distinctions have been blurring, the culture’s main distinctions remain prevalent. Skepta’s 2016 album Konnichiwa is a prime example of grime mixed with more pop tendencies. Songs such as “Man” and “Shutdown” permeated the mainstream charts in the UK and abroad, and have contributed to the genre’s newfound popularity. Others such as Dave, AJ Tracey (featured together in the marvelous “Thiago Silva”) and Stormzy have become major cultural figures in the UK and beyond. While their works don’t quite feature
the level of intensity that is familiar to older fans of grime, the inf luence of the genre on their work is undeniable. In addition to the new bloods,
What may be the biggest obstacle in the preservation of classic grime culture is the fact that it is not entirely an albumoriented genre that lends well to streaming services
stalwarts such as Wiley have released critically-acclaimed, more ref lective albums with tracks that will surely become future classics. Old feuds have been resolved and now
lay the ground for exciting collaborations and new, talented producers have added some needed variety and creativity. What may be the biggest obstacle in the preservation of classic grime culture is the fact that it is not entirely an albumoriented genre that lends well to streaming services. Grime’s best moments occurred in events such as radio mixes, where MC’s alternate nonstop for hours over a mix of classic instrumentals. Its feuds and stylistic transitions are labyrinthine in nature and hard to appreciate simply by listening to playlists of selected tracks. Moreover, the genre is borrowing more from American hip hop trends, including trap-style beats instead of the reggae, ragga and garage style beats of old. Nonetheless, grime is alive and well, and the fact that it hasn’t taken over the world yet might be one of its appealing qualities. The genre is unapologetically urban and British, a niche subculture in the sea of musical styles that f loat around the world, co-opted by groups of all creed and color. Just as it may be difficult to completely appreciate a Pakistani qawwali tune or a French chanson, it may be difficult to appreciate the sheer complexity of the history of grime. However, it can’t stop you from enjoying the energy and fun that it brings.
BOY BETTER KNOW
SPORTSMONDAY MICH 56 NEB 10
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The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | September 24, 2018
ANOTHER Katelyn Mulcahy & Ryan McLoughlin / Daily Design by Jack Silberman
Wolverines pummel Cornhuskers, 56-10 MARK CALCAGNO Daily Sports Editor
Josh Metellus knew it was over after the first series. Already up a touchdown, the junior safety noticed something askew: Nebraska had lost its intensity. He could see it in the way the Cornhuskers’ receivers ran their routes and how he got blocked. “After the first series when they went back out there, you knew they wanted to give up,” Metellus said. “You could just see it in their eyes. It’s something you feel, it’s not anything I can put into words.” Metellus was proven right as No. 19 Michigan (1-0 Big
ITA Master Class Kate Fahey, the 18th-ranked singles player in the country, made it to the semifinals of the Oracle ITA Masters Tournament this weekend.
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Ten, 3-1 overall) drubbed Nebraska (0-1, 0-3), 56-10, to cruise through its Big Ten opener. The only sliver of hope the Cornhuskers had Saturday dwindled within seconds. After a 32-yard pass on the game’s second play, quarterback Adrian Martinez looked to have a receiver open on a slant. But the paw of fifthyear senior defensive tackle Lawrence Marshall deflected the pass into Metellus’ arms for his second interception in as many weeks. “(Marshall) tipping that ball just made a bad play into a good play,” Metellus said. On the ensuing drive, redshirt junior running back Karan Higdon scampered 46 yards to set up Michigan’s
first touchdown — a punch-in score for Ben Mason. It was one of three touchdowns for the sophomore fullback, who also lined up as tailback in the absence of junior Chris Evans. It was at that point — just one score in — that Metellus noticed the game had changed. “We knew they didn’t want to play,” Metellus said. “You could just tell the intensity was kind of flat. It just gives you that extra fuel like, ‘You just made somebody not want to play anymore.’ ” Nebraska looked like they didn’t indeed. After a quick three-and-out, Higdon found an enormous hole to score untouched from 44 yards and extend the Wolverines’
lead to 14-0. Returning from injury, Higdon finished with 136 yards on 12 attempts — all in the first half. His success made for another light day for junior quarterback Shea Patterson, who was again highly-accurate with 120 yards on 15-of-22 passing. “Karan, I mean, he was ready to go,” said coach Jim Harbaugh. “He was ready to play, you could see it from really before the game. It was great to have him back.” Nebraska was out-played on offense, too. Michigan’s defensive line was so dominant that Martinez seldom had a chance to make a play. The Wolverines collected four sacks and 14 tackles-for-loss,
adding up to 65 yards lost on those plays. Michigan domineered the Cornhuskers physically and schematically. “The discipline (by the defense) in the run game was evident today,” Harbaugh said. “They didn’t run by the quarterback, they didn’t let the quarterback get out scrambling and the rush lanes were really condensed. And they were on the quarterback fast. It was good to see all those guys play well up front.” Zach Gentry put the game further out of reach during the second quarter. After a five-yard touchdown catch, the redshirt junior tight end put his palms up in subdued celebration and stared blankly into the crowd. He was
seemingly asking the question on everyone’s mind: “It’s this easy?” It was easy because the Cornhuskers have a litany of issues. That much is wildly apparent a month into the Scott Frost era. But the Wolverines dominated from start to finish nonetheless, and that has them feeling confident after three straight wins. “It’s starting to feel like (2016),” said junior guard Ben Bredeson. “There’s a big maturity jump and people are starting to feel it. … We want to be that intimidating team that we were in ’16. When we rolled down the tunnel, people would fear us. So we’re getting back to that stature.”
Ties that bind Scott Frost and Jim Harbaugh both came back home to coach their alma maters, and they faced off in Ann Arbor on Saturday.
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SportsMonday
2B — Monday, September 24, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
The ties that bind Scott Frost and Jim Harbaugh Scott Frost sat down at the podium, adjusted the microphones in front of him and looked at the ORION reporters SANG waiting for an explanation of how his Nebraska football team had just lost by 46 points at Michigan Stadium. Frost played with the collar of his red sweatshirt as he listened to the first question. Then he began to speak — bluntly and truthfully. “I told them, I honestly believe this is going to be the bottom, right here,” Frost said. “I don’t know how many times I’ve been a part of a game like that, but we got beat in every phase.” He paused for a couple seconds, and then continued. “We’re really going to find out who loves football and who loves each other and who’s going to band together.” As sobering of a message as any. Put yourself in Frost’s shoes for a second. When the 43-yearold coach — widely touted as one of the brightest young minds in all of college football — decided to come home to the school he quarterbacked to a national championship, he surely could not have expected his return to have played out like this. His athletic director, Bill Moos, couldn’t have either. In April, Moos said better days were ahead for the Cornhuskers. Then he said, “You’ve got Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh thinking, ‘We better put a little more into that Nebraska game coming up.’ And that’s the way we want it. They’re running a little bit scared right now. And
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Nebraska coach Scott Frost and the Cornhuskers suffered a 46-point loss to the Wolverines in Ann Arbor on Saturday, recording their third loss of the season.
they won’t admit it. We’ll leave that at that.” But if Saturday afternoon’s beatdown was the low point, then Nebraska has been on a collision course with rock bottom for quite some time now. On Jan. 30, almost two months after his hiring, Frost stood in front of reporters and took responsibility for the hospitalization of two of his new players, who had suffered from rhabdomyolysis. When the season started, the team’s opener against Akron was cancelled due to a weather-related delay, erasing
a seemingly easy opportunity to start a new era on the right foot. Then the Cornhuskers played Colorado, and lost when freshman phenom Adrian Martinez, the only scholarship quarterback on the roster, left the game with a knee injury. The next week, Nebraska lost to Troy of the Sun Belt conference. That brings us to Saturday, when the Cornhuskers played one of the programs they hope to eventually emulate. Of course, Brady Hoke left Jim Harbaugh a roster littered with highlyrated recruits. Mike Riley left
“They’re running a little bit scared right now.”
Scott Frost a roster. Still, Michigan, Ohio State and even Wisconsin, are all farther in the distance than ever. Frost would have to squint to find them on the horizon. Which brings us to the concept of the hometown hero, and why this is going to be so difficult for Frost going forward. Everyone loves a hometown hero. They grew up alongside you, part of the history of your village, town or city. The place that you call home — they did, too, and this is where they found their first success,
success that you shared, took part in and still remember, even if it was decades ago. At some point, they might’ve left, to chase a Super Bowl or to win a national championship at Central Florida. You watched them, adoringly, rooting for them to do well, secretly hoping that they still think of home, still want to come home. And when things do go wrong at home, the residents don’t pine for the Oregon State coach with a west-coast offense, or the West Virginia coach with his fancy spread offense.
“...I honestly believe this is going to be the bottom...”
Everyone in Lincoln had been waiting for the return of the prodigal son, the quarterback who cut his chops under the greatest coach in school history, just like everyone in Ann Arbor had been waiting for the return of their prodigal son, the quarterback who cut his chops under the greatest coach in school history. The return seems like the most difficult step — convincing the hometown hero that his old school is worth rescuing, in comparison to some moribund NFL franchise, or some other Power 5 school in need of a boost. Scott Frost and Jim Harbaugh both did return. And when they did, because of their past, because of what they did when they left home, because of everything they meant to their schools, no one expected failure. No one expected a loss to Troy. No one expected losing to Ohio State, year after year. This past Tuesday, Harbaugh was asked if coaching at his alma mater was different than his previous jobs. He thought about it, and then answered the way everyone knew he would. “Yeah. Yes,” Harbaugh said. “I would say it is. It’s heightened.” These are the ties that bind Frost and Harbaugh, two men who have unenviable tasks ahead of them. Both coaches are home now. To many, getting here might have seemed like the most difficult step. But as Scott Frost, and maybe Jim Harbaugh, would tell you, the most difficult part is what happens after you come home. Sang can be reached at otsang@umich.edu or on Twitter @orion_sang.
Michigan felt Nebraska “didn’t want it as bad” Players getting “2016 After the Wolverines’ 56-10 rout of the Cornhuskers, players felt Nebraska didn’t work hard enough vibe” with dominance FOOTBALL
MIKE PERSAK
Managing Sports Editor
Midway through the second quarter, the result of the Michigan football team’s game against Nebraska was no longer in question. It was 30-0 already, and the Cornhuskers (0-1 Big Ten, 0-3 overall) were backed up on their own 20-yard line. Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez dropped back to throw and faced pressure like he saw all day. This time, fifth-year senior defensive end Chase Winovich chased him down for the third of four sacks the Wolverines (1-0, 3-1) had in their 56-10 victory. Then Winovich stood up and motioned as if he was pulling something out of his chest to take a bite out of it. “After the sack, I figured if I was gonna take their heart from their offense, I figured it was about time that I took my own heart and ate that too,” Winovich said. “That’s kind of where I was at with that one. Some people thought I was eating a grenade. That was not the case. That was me taking my own heart and eating it.” The rest of Michigan’s defense felt similarly, though maybe without the rippingout-your-own-heart part. The Wolverines were swarming all over the field, and they held Nebraska to just 132 total yards, the lowest of any Michigan opponent since Rutgers on Oct. 8, 2016. After the game, the Wolverines said they could feel the Cornhuskers’ offense begin to break, and according to them, it happened early. “After the first series,” said junior safety Josh Metellus, who intercepted a tipped pass to end that first series of the game. “… You can just
see it in their eyes. It’s like something you feel. It’s not really anything I could put into words. You can just tell by the way a receiver’s running his route or the way you’re getting blocked or the type of passion they’re playing with. We just sensed that they didn’t have it, so we just used that to our advantage.” Added Winovich: “You just feel it. I don’t know, there’s something about this game. There’s an energ y to it, where you look at the person across from you and whether it’s their play calling and how they operate. How they move about. I don’t know. I just didn’t feel like they wanted it as bad as we did.” That’s a feeling that Michigan’s defense has felt at times throughout the last four seasons. But this season, fair or not, the defense has come
“That was me taking my own heart and eating it.”
under some fire for giving up big plays and untimely penalties. So, save against Western Michigan, it would be hard to say that the Wolverines struck that kind of fear into opposing offenses like they did Nebraska. “I feel like every week, we’re getting better and better with, you know, not getting penalties or not blowing coverages and stuff like that,” Metellus said. “You know, it’s a long season. You know, it’s football. You mess up, like, that’s what the game is. But, you know, we just try to find a way to limit each mistake every week. So, you know, I feel like going in to these next couple of weeks, we just still gonna harp on not messing up, not getting dumb penalties and stuff like that.” Another good sign for Michigan was that it finally
stopped a mobile quarterback, like it struggled to do against SMU and, especially, Notre Dame. Martinez finished with -12 rushing yards and just 22 through the air. The Cornhuskers averaged 1.3 yards per carry and 2.4 yards per play. So the improvements that the Wolverines have talked about are becoming noticeable, even for a defense that didn’t have all that much room for improvement. “It’s just success, man, it’s just a cyclical nature,” Winovich said. “And we’ve learned from a lot of our mistakes, and, you know, we’re not stopping here. I think the sky’s the limit. You’ve seen how well our defense performed today, and we’re hungrier than ever.” In Winovich’s case, apparently, that’s a hunger for hearts.
“I just feel like they didn’t want it as bad as we did.”
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Fifth-year senior defensive end Chase Winovich had one of Michigan’s four sacks in Saturday’s win over Nebraska.
MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Editor
After three blowout wins, the Michigan football team is riding high. The Wolverines have won their last three games — against Western Michigan, SMU and Nebraska — by a combined 127 points. It’s the first time Michigan has outscored its opponents by 120-plus points in a three week span since the first three games of 2016. The Wolverines have scored 150 points, their highest three-game point total since the middle of 2016 — a stretch against Rutgers, Illinois and Michigan State. Junior quarterback Shea Patterson has thrown for seven touchdown passes the last three weeks, the highest three-game total from a Michigan quarterback since Wilton Speight in the first three weeks of 2016. Noticing a trend? “This is the most 2016 vibe I’d say we have,” said fifth-year senior defensive end Chase Winovich. “Just going to work and maturitywise, everybody’s accountable for their position, you have ballers on every level. And it’s a great feeling.” Most remember that 2016 season for the heartbreak at the end, not the utter dominance that led up to it. The Wolverines ascended to No. 2 in the polls, trampling opponents with a suffocating defense and a commanding running game. It was Jim Harbaugh’s second year, and it appeared all of his promises were on the verge of fruition. You know how it ended — a troubling night in Iowa City raised doubt about a magical run, then a loss at Ohio State that will live in infamy. That was the closest Michigan has come to a Big Ten title and beyond since the mid-2000s; a talented team top-to-bottom. One that was generally mistake-free and efficient, took care of inferior foes, competed with top-notch opponents. Last year, Michigan’s largest
margin of victory was 25 points. The Wolverines didn’t score more than 36 points in a single game, nor did they allow fewer than 10. Above that, though less tangible, few games felt comfortable. Though against clearly inferior foes, Michigan is back to that 2016 feeling. Harbaugh, for what it’s worth, has been especially complimentary on the way his team practices and prepares. “What really stands out is, our team is working hard and it’s paying off for them,” Harbaugh said after Saturday’s 56-10 win over Nebraska. “It’s showing they like to practice, and then they’re improving. It’s an improving, ascending team. And it’s paying off. “They don’t — they actually get it, ramp it up every day. They don’t need — they don’t need motivational swings or talks or any, some of the things that some teams need. They just go to work, and looks like they enjoy it, that part of it.” The parallels are far from perfect, though. For one — an especially notable one — Michigan has already lost a game, against the only nationally competitive team it has played. That game revealed potentially damming flaws. With this recent string of dominant performances over inferior foes, sanity and confidence have been restored to a fanbase that desperately needed both. Whether it continues through the heart of Big Ten play, of course, remains to be seen. But it’s notable players would independently affirm those parallels. It’s a cultural comparison as much as any statistical, on-the-field similarity. If players feel it, maybe that’s all that matters. “There’s a big maturity jump happening, people are starting to feel it. We want to be the type of intimidating team we were in ‘16. When we rolled down the tunnel, people feared us,” said junior tackle Ben Bredeson. “We think we’re getting back to that.”
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
Monday, September 24, 2018 — 3B
Hallahan is difference- Seniors propel ‘M’ to impressive weekend maker once again for ‘M’ AKUL VIJAYVARGIYA Daily Sports Writer
Jack Hallahan had been there before – Penn State, double overtime, sudden death, gamewinning goal hanging in the balance. Friday night was a lot of the same for the junior, except for the fairy tale ending. Drawing 1-1 with the Nittany Lions (1-0-1 Big Ten, 2-4-1 overall), Michigan made it a point to feed Hallahan the ball time and time again, hoping he would break through like he did last year in the waning seconds to give the Wolverines (1-0-1, 5-1-1) three points. But he was the reason Michigan even got a single point in the Big Ten table. Leading the Wolverines in both shots on goal and crosses in a game where Michigan clearly dominated, Hallahan netted the equalizer, striking a ball that deflected off a Penn State defender before bouncing past the keeper. “Honestly, (assistant coach Tommy McMenemy) said to me when I’m crossing it, when I cut in, aim for the far post because if (the ball) misses, then it’ll go in the net,” Hallahan said. “So, I just kept doing that basically until it went in. “I think that (crossing) is one of the key parts of my game,” the junior continued. “One of my main strengths when I’m playing is trying to be a man that can get a cross in and normally, we’ve got men on the end of the ball and we
get a lot of goals from that. It’s whatever is best for the team in that sense and crossing is good for us.” Creating chance after chance, it seemed as if Hallahan would serve as a hero in the closing minutes once again. Dribbling along the right edge of the box, Hallahan wound up a shot only to have his legs taken out by the Penn State goalkeeper. “I took a bit too heavy of a touch, and I wanted to get a shot after it,” Hallahan said. “At that point, I tried to cross it (but) the keeper came and I cramped up on my calf.” As a result, Hallahan spiraled into the wall, and a deafening silence ensued around the stadium as he struggled to get up. He eventually hobbled off his injury and jogged back to the side of the field that he had controlled all night. “He carried the load on the field,” said Michigan coach Chaka Daley. “I think (Hallahan) got off to a hot start and you know, it’s a simple equation. Like any other sport, if someone’s hot, give them the ball. Let’s see if they can figure it out. There’s no real coaching to that.” All Daley did was leave Hallahan in for all 110 minutes, the first time Hallahan has played a full game this season. And with a goal or assist in the last five out of six games as well as a start in the last four, it doesn’t look like the Englishman will be disappearing any time soon.
“I think that (crossing) is one of the key parts of my game.”
“I think (Hallahan) got off to a hot start...”
PAIGE VOEFFRAY Daily Sports Editor
national stage. “She’s shown so much progress on the court,” Ashley-Fitch said. “And mentally, for sure, has made some great improvements and I think it’s helped her tennis. I think she’s finally realizing that to get the best out of her, she’s got to be in a good frame of mind. I think for me that was the biggest takeaway from the weekend for her.” While Fahey’s fellow senior Brienne Minor was across the country in Miami, both women are clearly leading the team by example. At this point last year, Minor was still recovering from a knee surgery that sidelined her for all of the fall season. But the difference of a year can be important as Minor took all three matches over the weekend without even dropping a set. And while Minor won her semifinal match, finals matches were not held in the singles draw. But two victories over top-100 ranked opponents and a clean
sheet on the weekend is enough for Minor. “She has a great weekend,” said Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein. “I think for her, all three matches (she) played really, really well and kept her level up. So, if we can get them from her as we move into the fall and season, you know to have her back at that level would be great. “So really excited for her and she showed a lot of heart this weekend. Competed hard against three great kids, so definitely a good weekend for her.” While Fahey and Minor may have been able to use their experience to power them through the weekend, the Wolverines also feature many fresh faces in the lineup who still made an impact as well. Pairone, a transfer student from Arkansas, won her firstround match before falling in three sets. She battled to the end, fighting off three match points before succumbing to Winthrop’s
No. 26 Lauren Proctor. Sophomore Bella Lorenzini and freshman Anca Craciun won all three doubles matches in the B draw to win the title. And while Michigan had a successful weekend, Bernstein viewed this opportunity as more than a chance to play tennis. While fall tennis is often very individual, due to the lack of team scoring, Bernstein used the occasion to let her team bond and get used to each other. While the veteran players impressed on the court, Bernstein was much more impressed with them off the court. “You know they’re cheering for each other and supporting each other,” Bernstein said. “It felt like a team event even though it wasn’t. And really the new kids feeling comfortable — you know, they’re away from home and have only been here a couple weeks for far, so they really got to know the older kids on our team, so it was a fun weekend.”
Fall tennis is a time for players to get back into their groove and tweak their game before the real season starts. Because of that, the Michigan women’s tennis team is already in mid-season form. While most of the team traveled to the Miami Invitational, two players — No. 18 senior Kate Fahey and No. 33 junior transfer Giulia Pairone — were invited to the prestigious Oracle ITA Masters in California. “I think they try to take the best player from each conference and then send them out to Malibu and then they kind of fill the rest of the spots with at-large bids,” said Michigan associate head coach Teryn Ashley-Fitch. “There’s a lot of good competition out there. I would say it’s one of the biggest events of the fall.” And it didn’t take long for Fahey to prove why she was there. Fahey made an impressive run to the semifinals before ultimately falling in three sets to Pepperdine’s No. 41 Evgeniya Levashova, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2. But it wasn’t an easy path to get there — Fahey played four singles matches in three days, including a three-set thriller in the quarterfinals where Fahey fought off a match point to win the third-set tiebreaker for the match. The semifinals became a familiar spot for Fahey as she and her partner Stefan Milicevic of Minnesota made it to the semifinal round in the mixed doubles draw. By random draw, the pair was thrown together and proved to be a dynamic duo. They went 18-9 over the first three matches before dropping the semifinal match, 8-4. Fahey has proved herself as Michigan’s top performer, but due to some newfound confidence, she is making a CARTER FOX/Daily bigger name for herself on the Senior Kate Fahey, No. 18 in the country, made a run to the semifinal round of the Oracle ITA Masters in California.
The good, the bad and the ugly: ‘M’ vs. Nebraska What you missed when you FOOTBALL
ETHAN WOLFE Daily Sports Writer
The good: I have to choose? The Michigan football team (1-0 Big Ten, 3-1 overall) was as dominant as it has ever been in Jim Harbaugh’s tenure on Saturday — almost everything that could have gone well in the Wolverines’ 56-10 win over Nebraska (0-1, 0-3), did. Cornhuskers coach Scott Frost acknowledged it was rock bottom for his squad and that they got “whipped,” a stark contrast from Frost claiming his UCF team “outhit” Michigan in a 37-point loss in 2016. Shea Patterson once again gave Wolverine fans every reason to keep smiling. The junior quarterback completed 15 of 22 passes for 120 yards and spearheaded the efficient offense with an easy touchdown throw to redshirt junior tight end Zach Gentry. Perhaps more reassuring was the performance of backup quarterback Dylan McCaffrey, who replaced Patterson with 5:23 left in the third quarter. On his first snap, McCaffrey flashed his wheels for a near 75-yard touchdown run, if not for a holding call on Oliver Martin. McCaffrey, later in the drive, had a 17-yard run and 15-yard toss to Martin. The redshirt freshman also threw a dime into the hands of freshman Ronnie Bell for a 56-yard score — his first career reception. The resounding performances were in part due to a stable showing by the offensive line, which only surrendered one sack and one hurry the whole afternoon. In the blowout, the offense reached far into the depth chart; Harbaugh mentioned that 78 players saw the field Saturday. After senior running back Karan Higdon finished his business — 12 carries, 136 yards and a touchdown — fullback Ben Mason got three touchdowns on six carries, and No. 3, 4 and 5 backs Tru Wilson, O’Maury Samuels and Christian Turner combined for 22 carries and 121 yards.
This depth wasn’t just help to the offense, however. Senior VIPER Jordan Glasgow, who replaced Khaleke Hudson in the first half because of a targeting call last week, impressed with a sack and hurry. The whole defensive line got to Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez at will to collect four sacks and four hurries. Overall, 27 defensemen recorded tackles and kept the Cornhuskers out of the endzone until the end of garbage time. “I thought our team played very physical, in all phases,” Harbaugh said. “Offensively, defensively, special teams. Showed up in a lot of the one-onone matchups, showed up in the goal-line, short yardage football on both sides.” That plainly sums it up. The bad: it doesn’t really mean anything. Michigan hasn’t won against a team in the top 70 of the S&P+ Ratings — a metric that quantifies explosiveness, efficiency, field position and finishing drives. It has, however, lost to Notre Dame, which ranks 11th — a better indicator of the Wolverines’ future that features
four Top-20 teams. So yes, Michigan has played masterfully the past three weeks. But expectations over the weaker slate were only slightly below what the Wolverines have shown on the field. Thus, the question remains: can Jim Harbaugh win a big game with Michigan? The loss to the Fighting Irish says more about that possibility than wins against Western Michigan, SMU and Nebraska combined. The coachspeak continues, and Harbaugh will list all of his players’ accomplishments as usual. One question about Higdon and Chris Evans evolved into praise for Wilson, Turner, Mason, Bell, McCaffrey, kicker Quinn Nordin and punter Will Hart. “Good to see those other guys getting play,” Harbaugh said. “I don’t know if this is a record or whatever, we played 78 guys today. And not only good for the morale of the team, but it’s good for the progress of the team.” Oh, and can I critique Donovan Peoples-Jones’ 60-yard punt return touchdown? He spun way too early around the Nebraska defender in pursuit. The ugly: targeting … again.
It’s clear why junior VIPER Khaleke Hudson was given a go in a foregone game in the third quarter. After missing the first half of Saturday’s game because of a targeting call last week, Hudson could afford a few drives so as to not be any bit rusty on the road at Northwestern next week. But up 56-3 with seven minutes remaining, Hudson was inexplicably still on the field. And again, the junior was ejected for a clear targeting on Nebraska quarterback Andrew Bunch. If you’re Hudson, you claim you never really look at the scoreboard. But if you’re Harbaugh, there is no good reason to keep not only a starter, but one of your best defenders on the field. Hudson will now miss the first half of next week’s game. His absence against the Wildcats again shouldn’t prove to be crucial, but it’s another deficient element of the Wolverines’ defense that has persisted. Nordin also missed an extra point Saturday. He made a 50-yard field goal and five other extra points, too, but any coach would rather not put one thought into the extra point.
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s offense had a dominating performance Saturday that allowed 78 players see the field.
left at halftime: Nebraska MIKE PERSAK
Managing Sports Editor
Just like its last two games, the Michigan football team had fans leaving long before the game was over against Nebraska on Saturday. That’s because it was 39-0, and the Cornhuskers had 17 total yards in the first 30 minutes. It only got uglier in the second frame. But if you were at the game, you probably left during the band show and missed that part, opting instead for a fulfilling postgame nap. So for your information, The Daily breaks down what happened after you left Saturday’s game at halftime. DPJ punt return touchdown This was probably the most exciting play of the entire game. Sophomore wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones has had his fair share of struggles in the punt-return game. But on Saturday, Peoples-Jones took his second career punt return to the house. Peoples-Jones caught it on his own 40, sprinted to his right, looped around the punt team, cut back to the left, busted a final defender with a spin move and front-flipped into the end zone for a 60-yard score. “Donovan had a great — has been blocking extremely well,” said Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. “Showed up on the punt return, there was some great blocks there. Yeah, just, I thought physically our team played well today.” The play was fairly meaningless, as the game was already out of hand. But it did exhibit the continued development of Peoples-Jones, who has showed his ability in the receiving game, but had yet to break it out in the return game this season. McCaffrey continues to impress One of the more unsung storylines of this season has been the steadiness of redshirt freshman quarterback Dylan McCaffrey in the backup
quarterback role. He first came in against Notre Dame and was surprisingly steady while starter Shea Patterson recovered from cramping issues. Then, against Western Michigan, McCaffrey threw his first career touchdown on his only pass of the game. On Saturday, McCaffrey continued his steadiness. His first play, he went 75 yards to the house on a read option play, but it was called back because of a holding penalty. No matter, as McCaffrey still finished the game 3-for-8 for 86 yards, 56 of which came on a touchdown to freshman receiver Ronnie Bell. “Dylan continues to improve every time he gets in,” Harbaugh said. “That’s a position like all the positions in football, but especially quarterback, it takes playing and having time on task and being out there. And it — he’s getting that. It doesn’t — it’s never too big for him. I really like that about Dylan. So, all good there.” Aidan Hutchinson solid in relief Late in the first half, junior defensive end Rashan Gary seemed to hurt his shoulder. After that, freshman defensive end Aidan Hutchinson came in to replace him. And though Hutchinson went down with an injury for a short time, too, he finished solidly with three tackles, including one for a loss. His most impressive stretch came in the early fourth quarter. First, the Cornhuskers handed it off to running back Devine Ozigbo, and Hutchinson squeezed through the line and forced Ozigbo to bounce outside, where Hutchinson and junior VIPER Khaleke Hudson wrestled him down. The play immediately after, Nebraska backup quarterback Andrew Bunch kept the ball on a zone read and ran towards the left.
Read more of this story online at MichiganDaily.com
Sports
4B — Monday, September 24, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Mason has career day in rout of Nebraska
The Michigan Daily Top 10 Poll Each week, Daily sports staffers fill out ballots, with first-place votes receiving 10 points, second-place votes receiving nine and so on.
ETHAN WOLFE
1. Alabama: *Disturbed voice* TUWAH-AH-AH-AH Tagovailoa
Daily Sports Writer
Ben Mason’s objectives each game are simple. “Just come in, attack people and do the best that I can,” the sophomore fullback said after the Michigan football team’s 56-10 whooping over Nebraska on Saturday. Mason, commonly referenced as the Wolverines’ “toughest player,” checked off those boxes quickly. And then he added one more to-do. “About midweek, coach (Jim Harbaugh) told me that they need me to run the ball a little bit,” Mason said. “There’s no problem with that whatsoever. Just go in there and run.” Mason had six carries for 18 yards and three touchdowns — in the first half. Prior to the game, Mason’s career statline in five previous appearances was six carries, 10 yards and three touchdowns. Rushing isn’t necessarily the fullback’s bread and butter, but he proved it to be another weapon in his arsenal separate from his run-blocking. “Personally, I think I can do a lot of things as a football player,” Mason said. “Today was really the first time you got to see me as a single back.” In front of the media on Wednesday, running backs coach Jay Harbaugh characterized Mason’s mindset acerbically — he wants to “smash everything” and “bludgeon people.” On his first and third scores, that is exactly what Mason did, barrelling up the middle of the offensive line. But for his second touchdown, Mason sauntered to the endzone untouched from four yards out — an unusual situation for the team’s toughest player. The scoring outburst garnered praise from last year’s fullback and touchdown vulture Khalid Hill, who was crowdsourcing on Twitter to tell Harbaugh to “give the ball to Ben one more time” for a fourth touchdown.
2. Georgia: More like Kirby Dumb. Ooo ooooooooh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3. Ohio State: I bet Urban Meyer got a lot of text messages after his big return! 4. Clemson: Hold that Tiger! 5. LSU: Heauxld dat Tigah! RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily
Sophomore fullback Ben Mason scored three touchdowns in Michigan’s 56-10 win over the Cornhuskers on Saturday.
Mason’s emergence came in part because Chris Evans was held off the field — the junior running back suffered an undisclosed injury in last week’s game against SMU. But Mason made his presence known. His punchins were what blew the doors off against the Cornhuskers, and kept himself, a massive fullback, in as the impromptu No. 2 running back. “Inertia was the main factor in the decision,” Jim Harbaugh said. “When he gets going — I think he’s 258 pounds — he gets moving fast. He’s running hard. He’s got a talent and ability. “Like having Ben Mason in the game. Talk about physical player, he’s known as that on our team already, and we’re taking advantage of his skillset.” Mason’s touchdowns stole the show, but he continued to
excel in what he knows best in run protection. At the Nebraska 44-yard line, Mason sealed off a right-side edge rusher while Karan Higdon — who toted the ball 12 times for 136 yards — charged left through a wide gap for the Wolverines’ only other rushing touchdown. “Competitiveness, hard work,” Higdon said on what he admires about Mason. “He’s a hard runner. He definitely has that hard-hat mindset, and you can see it when he runs or when he’s blocking. I love running behind him.” Mason’s blocking and allaround, hard-nosed play was emblematic of Michigan’s most impressive blocking performance this season. Mason was not a spark plug — he was another cog in an unusually cohesive offensive
“Just come in, attack people and do the best that I can.”
line. “As an offensive line, they were pushing people off the ball and making enormous holes for the backs to run through,” Mason said. “It was a great thing to see for the offense. “I think today that was a great statement for the team as far as being a tough physical football team.” Mason’s performance even captured the attention of SportsCenter, which tweeted a comparison of Mason’s statline to all of Nebraska’s offense — 21 total yards to Mason’s 18 at the time of his third score. Mason, of course, didn’t chime in on the attention that his performance received online. It wasn’t a part of his typical game regimen. “As a team, we just did a very good job of doing what was asked of us,” Mason said. Whether it was his running or blocking, the team’s toughest player can tip his cap to something.
6. Auburn: Heauwoldt dt Tyyyygaaaaa! 7. Oklahoma: It cost $54.95 to read this joke 8. Stanford: Did Stanford win? Or did Oregon lose? 9. Wisconsin: Alright this poll may be rigged. I don’t know how the Badgers made the top 10. This isn’t a joke, this is Mike Persak scolding his section. (Laney loves her section so she doesn’t care.) 10. Penn State: The Nittany Lions dominated Illinois and its coach Wooly Willy this week.
And this time, silence
After the controversy around the 1997 national championship, the Michigan football did everything to silence Nebraska Saturday. There were probably several different ways Nebraska coach Scott Frost saw MAX MARCOVITCH Saturday’s game going. Maybe he expected a hefty loss. Perhaps he still expected his team to “out-hit” Michigan, as he infamously told reporters after a 51-14 loss to Michigan in 2016, when he was still coaching at UCF. Who knows, maybe he even thought Nebraska would win. I’m fairly certain getting lambasted by a hamburger chain on Twitter by the third quarter didn’t cross his mind. And yet, it’s the most succinct summation of the utter drubbing that was Saturday’s contest — a 56-10 loss to the Wolverines that somehow felt like it should’ve been worse. The very epitome of rock bottom. Scott Frost likes to talk. It’s RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily a personality trait Michigan Nebraska coach Scott Frost said his team is “not ready to beat a team like (Michigan) yet” after Nebraska fell to the Wolverines, 56-10 at Michigan Stadium. Saturday when Frost spoke, fans know all too well. Count fifth-year senior there. There’s been a lot of to be seen. Instead, the existent hole just keeps he spoke with a malaise. This In 1997, some would arg ue Chase Winovich — less than motivation for us.” wasn’t the Scott Frost of his He then added, “Yeah, I getting deeper. his impassioned plea on two years old in 1997 — It wasn’t boisterous past. television among those think we outjust that the He pleaded for robbed the who remembers hit them today.” Cornhuskers trust — that Frost’s antics. For Frost Wolverines of lost, to extend he could turn a solo national After the game, and Nebraska, their FBS-high things around though, today championship. Winovich for a program seven-game After winning unequivocally had little to do losing streak. It now 0-3 for the the Orange said Frost’s with the past. wasn’t even just first time since Bowl, Frost comments Not while the When were used as avalanche of that they lost by 1945. made his plea answered present 46. Or that their he for the then-No. motivation this the came tumbling quarterback questions, he 2 Cornhuskers week. Adrian looked like “It’s been down into an to claim a share Martinez had 10 a deer in the of the National all week. Like unwieldy mess. headlights. This was supposed to be total yards. Title. everyone finds something He didn’t dare take any It was the lifelessness, “You know, if all the to cling to — locker room the game to lay a foundation pollsters honestly think, banter almost,” Winovich for the Frost era. Sure, an the sheer incompetence, the silver-linings from this one — after watching the Rose Bowl said. “For us, it was that for 0-2 start was rocky. But this demoralization of a once-elite no subtle jabs at Michigan as and watching the Orange this week I’d say. It goes back, was a chance to show at least program discovering what he did after losing by 37 points Bowl, that Michigan could historically, look back at the glimpses of the promise of rock bottom looks like. And in 2016. I suppose the 46-point prominence that a coach left to try his best to margin this time around was beat Nebraska,” Frost said at ’97 year, where we had the national plug every hole just to keep just a bit too large. He said the time, “go ahead and vote national championship and came with the Frost era. things that sounded nice, but That foundation is nowhere the ship af loat. Michigan, by all means.” all the drama that went down
“There’s been a lot of motivation for us.”
“We weren’t ready to play at that level today.”
really didn’t mean much. For example: “We’re not ready to beat a team like this yet. The key word to me is yet. Because I know where it’s going. That’s not going as quickly as I would like, but I’m kinda excited because it’s not going to get worse than this, it’s only up from here.” For another: “I think our whole team needs to see what it looks like now to play at that level. We weren’t ready to play at that level today. Adrian is going to be a g reat player at Nebraska for a long time. I hope he never experiences a day as rough as this one.” And a third: “If there was something I could snap my f ingers and f ix, I would.” And so on, and so forth. It’s possible Scott Frost turns into the w underkind that he was touted af ter self-declaring his UCF team national champions last year; it would be unwise to write any thing off af ter three games. Michigan fans probably don’t care right now. Despite Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh claiming he didn’t know about Frost’s 2016 comment (one Winovich allbut debunked minutes later), the players made it clear there’s extra satisfaction from this one. That lays squarely at the feet of one Scott Frost. “I think he can he eat his words,” said junior running back Karan Higdon. Maybe he could wash them down with a Wendy’s burger and fries, too.
“We’re not ready to beat a team like this yet.”
Marcovitch can be reached at maxmarco@umich.edu or on Twitter at @Max_Marcovitch.