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2019-01-18

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ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Friday, January 18, 2019

Ann Arbor, Michigan

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ACADEMICS

Law School offers Title IX course by investigator Attorney leads class on gender-based discrimination in higher education LIAT WEINSTEIN Daily Staff Reporter

MADELINE HINKLEY/Daily

Washtenaw County Health Officer Ellen Rabinowitz, Washtenaw County Commissioner Dr. Felicia Brabec, and Assistant Professor of Health Behavior and Education Dr. Paul Fleming discuss health equity at the Ann Arbor District Library Thursday evening.

Government officials, experts examine inequities in health Sustainable Ann Arbor forum covers intersection of policy, social injustice ALYSSA MCMURTRY Daily News Reporter

A group of about 50 Ann Arbor residents gathered at the Ann Arbor District Library to participate in the first forum of the Sustainable Ann Arbor

2019 series. The evening was engineered to address issues of health inequity among the U.S. population, particularly how minorities and undocumented immigrants suffer from lack of health care attention. The moderator of the event, Ann Arbor Sustainability and

BUSINESS

A2 bids farewell to grilled cheese shop Grillcheezerie, student late-night favorite, closes its doors permanently ALEX HARRING

Innovations Manager Missy Stults,began the night with an interactive quiz regarding inequality statistics in America. Ellen Rabinowitz, a health officer of Washtenaw County Health Department, began the first of three panelist presentations by focusing on

the social determinants of health. She covered three main concepts: assurance, assessment and policy development. Part of her initiative was to change the way these topics are talked about. Rabinowitz repeatedly emphasized how public health See HEALTH, Page 3

Rebecca Veidlinger, Law School lecturer and current Title IX investigator, has begun teaching a course focused on Title IX and its role in institutions of higher education. The course centers upon policy issues relating to the investigation of sexual misconduct and the importance of other federal laws in response to these allegations. Veidlinger, who investigates allegations of gender-based discrimination and sexual violence as an attorney in private practice, structured the class as a 16-person seminar in order to facilitate open discussion and debate. The University revised its sexual misconduct policy after the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in September 2018 that public universities “must give the accused student or his agent an opportunity to cross-examine the accuser.” Echoing this decision, Secretary

of Education Betsy DeVos strengthened the rights of defendants in Title IX cases by allowing for a period of crossexamination between the accuser and accused in November 2018. These developments in Title IX policy have created a ripple across campus, with letter writing campaigns and student group petitions. Veidlinger said her work as an attorney and investigator offers students a real-world perspective on these issues to enhance their understanding of legal theory. “I cannot only teach the theory, the legal bases like case law and the legal texts, but I can also share with them what I’m seeing on ground,” Veidlinger said. “We’ll learn about the regulations and then I’m going to tell them: here’s what this looks like in real life.” This class has been taught previously, but it is the first time Veidlinger is teaching it. Law School student Rebecca Strauss, who is enrolled in the class, said See LAW, Page 3

Poverty Solutions spearheads projects Nonprofit to help reduce rising eviction rates helps to BUSINESS

Student group launches 9 initiatives to collect data on socioeconomic problems SAMANTHA SMALL Daily Staff Reporter

In partnership with the Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center, University of Michigan student organization Poverty Solutions took on nine, year-long projects in 2019 in an effort to combat

the rising rates of poverty and evictions in Michigan using a cross-community collaborative approach. Numerous cities within the state of Michigan, including Muskegon, Saginaw, Battle Creek and Dearborn Heights, are among the top 20 mid-size cities in the United States with the

highest rates of eviction. Robert Goodspeed, assistant professor of urban planning, Margaret Dewar, emerita professor of urban planning and Elizabeth Benton, an attorney working with the Michigan Advocacy Program, will be conducting Michigan Evictions: Assessing Data Sources and

Exploring Determinants, one of the nine projects. Goodspeed said the project aims to analyze the factors leading to eviction. He suggests some of the causes might include varying housing costs in different geographic locations and a lack of access to legal services. See POVERTY, Page 3

expand job access

Program supports people impacted by autism to find employment opportunities NIKKI KIM

Daily Staff Reporter

Daily Staff Reporter

Grillcheezerie Sandwich Shoppe closed its doors after four years in Ann Arbor. The restaurant originated in the city of Southgate. The original location closed in 2014, less than a year after its opening. Facebook users said the limited seating and high prices made the Southgate location undesirable. Nick Costos, the owner of Grillcheezerie, previously operated Mr. Greek’s Coney Island on South State Street from 1995 to 2006. In 2014, he had the idea to re-open Grillcheezerie in a new location on Packard Street. Costos told MLive in 2014 that the shop would offer more than 10 varieties of sandwiches, costing between $4 and $7 each, in addition to traditional macaroni and cheese, soups and salads. Grillcheezerie was a counterservice restaurant with a delivery option and could seat approximately 12-15 people at a time, Costos said in the interview. He was inspired to open Grillcheezerie by his time living in

Upbound at Work is an outgrowth of Autism Alliance of Michigan, a Michiganbased nonprofit organization, which leads efforts to expand opportunities for people affected by autism. President and CEO Colleen Allen developed the program five years ago along with Chief Programming Officer Tammy Morris. Upbound at Work aims to connect those with disabilities seeking employment to companies so they are able to lead a successful career. Upbound at Work collaborates directly with disability services and career services on the University of Michigan campus. The program started because companies who had hired an individual with autism often consulted Autism Alliance as mediators for instances where the employee’s job was in jeopardy and about to be terminated. Morris stated often, it was because of something as simple as miscommunication or misunderstanding. Additionally, Autism Alliance’s navigator calling program, that offered See EMPLOYMENT, Page 3

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INDEX

Vol. CXXVIII, No. 56 ©2019 The Michigan Daily

NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 CLASSIFIEDS................6

SUDOKU.....................2 ARTS...................5 SPORTS....................7


News

2 — Friday, January 18, 2019

MONDAY: Looking at the Numbers

TUESDAY: By Design

WEDNESDAY: This Week in History

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THURSDAY: Twitter Talk

FRIDAY: Behind the Story

BE HIND THE STORY

Business junior Sonia Lee on her story “Study shows HAIL scholarship increases low-SES student population, recipients still say lacks guidance for integration”: “The first thing I learned is that while the University has been trying to make great strides to attract more lower-SES students, there are still a lot of improvements to be made. I think the biggest change we can make would be to just listen to students who are receiving these scholarships, and provide necessary resources to them once they get here.” “I interviewed two students for the article. I liked interviewing both of them because while their experiences with HAIL were really different, at the core, they had a lot of the same issues, but they also saw some of the same benefits of it. Just to hear that HAIL was the thing that made them interested in coming to the University was something that was really great to hear.

ALEC COHEN/Daily

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

I share the frustration, and really the anger, that members of our community have to be subject to hate of any kind and particularly the hate of the type we’re talking about here — a hate crime based on identity...I think we should continue to aggressively investigate all episodes that are brought to attention, recognization that sometimes it’s very hard to track down a perpetrator given the scale and openness of the campus.”

University President Mark Schlissel on the FBI hate crimes report, findng the University reported 2nd highest # out of 110 universities

Graham Institute awards grants to multiple sustainability projects Recipients to emphasize collaboration, real world application of research across sectors KATE JENKINS

Daily Staff Reporter

The Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan awarded Catalyst Grants to four crossdisciplinary sustainability projects this January. Jennifer Haverkamp, director of the Graham Institute, said the winning projects embody the value of partnership and community involvement in research and will develop real-world applications over the course of the semester. “What we hope in each case is that faculty and students working together with external partners generate research results that have real value and use in the world of sustainability,” she said. According to Haverkamp, the collaborative nature of the sustainability projects will lead to effective sustainability applications in the areas of engineering, botany and public policy.

E A $ Y MONEY

“Ultimately, the Graham Institute is focused on fostering sustainable solutions in the real world, which requires robust collaboration across sectors,” she said. “These projects are excellent examples of putting that mission into action and bringing U-M expertise to bear in partnership with practitioners and policymakers beyond the University.” The research teams, which include faculty from the School for Environment and Sustainability, Stamps School of Art & Design, Ford School of Public Policy, the Earth and Environmental Science department and the Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering department, are beginning work with the $10,000 Catalyst Grants. The projects include Expanding the Renewable Energy Policy Initiative, which encourages local and state government officials to support equitable

puzzle by sudokusyndication.com

access to clean energy technology, and Cut or Keep: Farmer Perceptions and Tree Management in Forested Cocoa and Coffee Agriculture, which will help farmers in Ethiopia and Ghana decide how to use their land. The two other grant recipients are The Rust Belt Herbarium and Better Communicating Great Lakes Ice Forecasts.

“It’s really important to bring together people who are interested in the sciences, to share knowledge with business people who can bring new perspectives and solve a problem more holistically.”

All four will involve the development of environmental sustainability applications with partners and stakeholders. Ayumi FujisakiManome, principal investigator for Better Communicating Great Lakes Ice Forecasts, will be developing an improved interface for ice forecasts with the U.S. Coast Guard 9th District and Lake Carrier’s Association. “Researchers and stakeholders will meet to discuss what’s needed for forecasting information,” Fujisaki-Manome said. “We are going to include an interactive graphic development system so we can improve the forecast graphic alongside stakeholders.” The Rust Belt

Herbarium project will document the f lora of the greater Detroit area in order to fill knowledge gaps about urban plants, explained Anton Reznicek, herbarium curator and project co-director. “For some of these species our information is thin,” he said. “Plants that are weeds of these kinds of urban settings are the most dynamic element of the f lora … but we don’t have as much information as you might think.” The herbarium project will also hold meetings with local stakeholders and create an Instagram account to share findings. Daniel Phillips, a doctoral candidate in the School for Environment and Sustainability, explained the herbarium will be working with community stakeholders to hear their feedback. “The people who live in these neighborhoods have a vested interest,” Phillips said. “We will mediate between larger long-term goals and the immediate needs of the community. … The only way we can understand these needs is to have conversations with people.” Business junior Elsa Borrello, a Graham Sustainability Scholar, ref lected on the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to addressing sustainability issues. “I think it’s really important to bring together people who are interested in the sciences, to share knowledge with business people who can bring new perspectives and solve a problem more holistically,” she said. Haverkamp looks forward to hearing from future Catalyst Grant applicants and is hopeful about the research projects selected this January. “We look forward to robust interest in the next round of grants and look forward to seeing the results of the grants that we just issued,” she said.

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News

Friday, January 18, 2019 — 3

INSTITUTIONALIZING EQUITY

POVERTY From Page 1

DANYEL THARAKAN/Daily Michelle Bolofer, the Executive Director of Century Forward, a nonprofit focused on building community infrastructure, speaks at the Urban Planning Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium on “Institutionalizing Equity: Radically Restructuring Opportunity in Detroit” in the Art and Architecture Building Thursday evening.

EMPLOYMENT From Page 1 free case management to people who reached out seeking advice finding employment, helped launch the foundations of Upbound at Work. “There were about 300 job seekers just in Michigan, so when we started we already had a base of about 300 job seekers,” Morris said. Though Autism Alliance is the umbrella organization, Upbound at Work is not limited to assisting just those with autism. The organization maintains corporate contracts and partnerships with companies such as Ford, General Motors and Daimler so Upbound at Work can communicate with recruiters who specialize in helping people find employment. Upbound at Work seeks to bridge the gap between employers and job seekers. Beyond initial outreach, Upbound at Work helps with the employment process every step of the way. Hetal Patel is one of the communication specialists

LAW From Page 1 Veidlinger’s background as an attorney in private practice offers a unique opportunity to learn from someone further removed from the University administration. “In the past, this course has been co-taught by the general counsel of the University and the Title IX coordinator of the University,” Strauss said. “I’ve heard that the perspective was a little more biased in favor of what the University does to deal with these things, and I’m excited to be able to learn from a professional with an outside perspective.” Gil Seinfeld, associate dean for academic programming at the Law School, noted how Veidlinger’s experience in Title

who works one-on-one with job seekers in order to provide support for various areas, including problem solving, nonverbal communication skills, interviews and interpersonal skills. Patel works with the job seekers to provide an initial consultation and make goals; it is very much an individualized process. “I enjoy being able to work through the various obstacles individuals seeking employment face and finding sustainable and suitable employment options that allow the use of individual strengths,” Patel said. “Seeing how the support we put in place is beneficial not only to the individual but the entire organization has been rewarding to see as well.” Kelly Cole is the vocational rehabilitation manager specializing in rehabilitation counseling. As she transitioned from her role as a job navigator with Autism Alliance to helping with employment at Upbound at Work, she was able to work with job seekers to build their skills and strategize with them while also acting as a support network once they were hired.

She explained how retention is important for long term growth. “It’s so unique; everybody is so different,” Cole said. “Every single case is kind of like a brain teaser. It helps me check myself and treat everyone as an individual who wants to live independently and live their own lives. And once I get positive feedback and see the lives that are being changed, I am reminded of why I do what I do.” Such direct services, like professional skills coaching, have been working. Ronald Larson, professor of chemical engineering at the University, explains the experience his son went through with Upbound at Work. Through his son, Andrew, graduated in 2014 with a B.S. in Computer Science, he had trouble interviewing and adjusting to expectations due to social and cognitive deficits. And after a while, he became discouraged, Larson said. “Thanks to the help from many kind people, and most recently and especially Tammy and her team, Andrew is on a good track now, and his added confidence has given him a great boost in

continuing to work towards higher life functionality,” Larson said. “So, we are delighted with Upbound at Work program, and how much it has helped our son.” Morris explained how it has grown in the past couple years, as there are much more job seekers coming to the organization. From individuals with backgrounds in aerospace engineering to those versed in coding, such job seekers bring with them a range of diverse skill sets. “I think it’s because of the awareness of the fact that companies are looking and welcoming,” Morris said. “They’re diverse individuals who are a little bit different so getting the message out that it’s okay.” The organization aspires to raise awareness about these issues in order to create a more tolerant environment. Due to the competitive nature of the field, those with invisible disabilities are often hesitant to disclose their disability. “The impact of having a job is life changing,” said Morris. “It’s an entryway into everything.”

IX investigation demonstrates her serious commitment to enforcing the law she teaches. “For any faculty member, it is so important to communicate genuine immersion in and about the subject matter,” Seinfeld said. “I think she (Veidlinger) is obviously seriously engaged and enthusiastic about teaching and she’s going to bring that into the classroom.” Strauss hopes the course will provide her with a legal framework to better inform her opinions. Strauss is a board member of the Gender Violence Project, a student organization within the Law School which raises awareness about gender discrimination in the American legal system and represents victims of sexual assault. Strauss said her work with the project has

made her increasingly passionate about defending the rights of accusers, but also acknowledged it is necessary to eliminate bias in order to study law. “Title IX proceedings within the University aren’t judicial proceedings — there aren’t as many rules,” Strauss said. “Under this policy, it’s totally cool for your rapist to come up and slut-shame you in front of decision makers. I think that’s really troubling and unfair to complainants who are already going through this potentially traumatic process. But I also understand that I have a lot of personal biases about that and I think it would do me some good to look at the full picture.” Veidlinger said the course consists of in-class discussions regarding the history and current use of Title IX policy in higher

education. Instead of a final exam, there will be a paper on any topic a student finds particularly interesting related to Title IX. Veidlinger noted how the study of Title IX is not complete until it incorporates current events and changes to policy that frequently arise. “In my experience, something that is so interesting about Title IX is there are so many current events going on over the past few years, and I suspect into the future, that I think it’s a great time to study Title IX,” Veidlinger said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if my syllabus has to change mid-way through based on changes that may come down through court decisions or agency actions from the Department of Education.”

New MSU President appointed following Engler’s resignation of the position

Satish Upda, the school’s executive vice president for admin services, will take the post ALEX HARRING Daily Staff Reporter

The Michigan State University Board of Trustees named Satish Udpa, the school’s executive vice president for administrative services, interim president on Thursday morning following the John Engler’s resignation. Board member Brian Mosallam said during the meeting he saw the resignation of Engler and appointment of Udpa as the start of a new era on campus, the Detroit Free Press reported Thursday morning. “On this day, our survivors no longer have to go to bed thinking no one would listen to them,” Mosallam said in the meeting. “Today, the healing can begin.” The appointment comes after an 11-page resignation letter from Interim President John Engler released Wednesday night. Engler came under new criticism after the release of a statement to The Detroit News in which he commented about a healing

fund. He said survivors of Larry Nassar, who was sentenced to 40-175 years in state prison for criminal sexual conduct charges in January 2018, were enjoying the spotlight created by the case. In a letter sent to MSU staff and faculty in January 2018, Upda wrote MSU must work to address its mistakes and emphasized the importance of devoting time and resources to healing and creating a campus culture which provides a safe environment for all members of the community. “The pain inflicted on young women and girls, some of whom are our students, indeed our children, will remain seared in our memories as long as we live,” Upda wrote. “MSU has been a beacon of hope for more than 160 years to many around the world. While we are ready to identify and face our mistakes, we cannot stop building on the mountain of good that we have been privileged to build. We cannot let

this tragedy define us. Our collective will to be a force of good has to prevail.” Engler also faced criticism in December over his decision to close a $10 million healing fund created to pay for mental health services for survivors of former MSU doctor Larry Nassar’s abuse. Board trustees voted the reopen the fund. Engler’s appointment as interim president followed Lou Anna Simon’s resignation from the position in the wake of the Nassar scandal in January 2018. Engler’s resignation came after board chairwoman Dianne Byrum told him the board was holding a special meeting Thursday morning, during which the board planned to fire him. In his letter, Engler highlighted changes he made on campus during his tenure as president. Under his leadership, the University developed 24-hour access to counseling and a new app for related services. The university’s health colleges, clinical

operations and student wellness programs were all restructed during Engler’s time as president, and oversight of athletic trainers was transferred from doctors from coaches. “The bottom line is that MSU is a dramatically better, stronger institution than it was one year ago,” the letter read. “It has been an honor to serve my beloved university.” Upda held his vice president position at MSU since 2013 and served as dean of the engineering school for seven years before that. As vice president for administrative services, Upda oversaw the university’s human resources, IT and facilities departments, as well as the offices of planning and budgets, land management and the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, according to the Free Press.

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“It is evident that eviction is a state-wide phenomenon,” Goodspeed said. “Is it other factors like the cost of housing, or a lack of affordable housing in particular locations? Or is it the access to legal systems? The number of legal attorneys available and how close you are to their office really varies a lot throughout the state. (Attorneys) are doing their best, but just have limited resources.” After observing the available data, Goodspeed hopes to identify patterns in eviction rates and then take it one step further by changing public policy. “The other focus of the project is to understand the substantive patterns and work with courts to understand the data they have and then come up with recommendations on how the court system and how policy leaders can better track evictions in the state,” Goodspeed said. “We want to know how accurate is the data that is available and how we can set up systems so that we can monitor this system going forward. Because right now, there is not a good mechanism of doing that.” Benton is an attorney at Legal Services of South Central Michigan, a legal firm in the Michigan Advocacy program that services low-income families involved in custody and evictions cases. She stressed the importance of this project, as evictions place an overwhelming amount of stress on these families already facing numerous challenges. “Our concern is relative because we are representing these clients every day and see the tremendous impact that evictions have on their lives,” Benton said. “It’s not just about having to move, which is very disruptive — but it involves time off of work and time away from school. Housing is central to people’s lives, stability and wellbeing. So when they are evicted, it’s just a really horrible experience.” Goodspeed and Benton’s eviction venture is just one of the nine projects created in attempt to mitigate large-scale poverty. More than $200,000 was distributed from Poverty Solutions among the projects to continue in the fight against financial inequality. Many of these projects will allow numerous University schools and colleges, including public health, nursing, social work and Michigan Medicine, to conduct research in collaboration with the greater Ann Arbor community. These partnerships include aid from the Detroit CommunityAcademic Urban Research Center, the Detroit Health Department, the Henry Ford Health System, the Community Health and Social Services Center and many other community-run facilities. Luke Shaefer, director of Poverty Solutions and Public Policy professor, believes this

HEALTH From Page 1 must focus on the social climate of an individual as well. She mentioned that by researching a variety of topics, more evidence could be found that one’s health is inf luenced by more than just a handful of factors. “We worked on a report called Reducing Youth Arrests Keeps Kids healthy and Successful,” Rabinowitz said. “Not necessarily something you think a health department would be involved in, but we’re really concerned about it and now we’re looking at what other communities have done.” Felicia Brabec, licensed psychologist and social worker, continued Rabinowitz’s theme of social determinants affecting one’s health and included how race is often tied in with determining one’s health situation. She explained how her offices have taken a new approach to combating health inequality. “We are operating under something called ‘targeted universalism’ which means that we are choosing to really focus on race and how it’s shared some of those determinants that we’ve heard about based on race,” Brabec said. “And what targeted universalism says is ‘Hey, we’re going to start with this sliver, we’re going to start with race, understanding that intersectionality is really important and part of all this

system-level approach helps the community as a whole better understand and address poverty. “The government can’t do it alone, the private sector can’t do it alone, and the University certainly can’t do it alone,” Shaefer said. “But we can if we work together. The role for the University is to bring data and analysis to bare so that we’re targeting the right policies and so that we really understand what we’re trying to grapple together. To really find solutions that work, we really have to have a working partnership.” LSA senior Zachary Tingley, research assistant at Poverty Solutions, believes it is the duty of the University as a public institution to play a pivotal role in engaging with economic inequality. “I think it’s important U-M conducts this research because any institution has a moral obligation to instigate change,” Tingley said. “The fact that Poverty Solutions is action-based and engaged with the community allows the University to recognize its impact on the community around it and embrace partnerships with non-university stakeholders.” Other joint projects running this year include the testing of a simulation exercise called CHAT (CHoosing All Together), with goal of helping overlooked, minority members of different communities establish and prioritize health benefits. Poverty Solutions will also tackle food insecurity issues within impoverished homes by providing cooking classes. These plan to teach strategies that help reduce food waste and budget healthy and inexpensive meal plans. Poverty Solutions has resourced about $9 million to fund research initiatives which have already produced an outlasting impact. Their research has altered the way Detroit Public Schools collect data on their homeless students and helped implement new methods to deliver community-wide health care support. Though these projects will only run through the 2019 calendar year, Shaefer believes the initiatives will have a lasting effect on the fight against economic inequality and high eviction rates. “I think (the team) is going to really map out and get a sense of what’s going on with the eviction landscape in a year’s time,” Shaefer said. “We will be able to find out what we can do to try to keep people in their homes while also supporting the overall ecosystem, and how we might be able to increase the affordable housing units. These types of policy levels are where the rubber hits the road. So, hopefully, in a year they have come to some proposed recommendations that could be moved forward. Sometimes change happens very quickly, and sometimes it’s much slower, so we’ll have to see what the landscapes hold.” and we’re not doing that to the detriment of these other intersectionalities, but this is where we’re starting.’” She continued her presentation by informing the audience on how racism is institutional, individual and structural. She then brought the complexity of racism back to a local scale by citing an example of redlining in Kerrytown a few years ago. Redlining is the denial of a home in certain neighborhoods based on someone being deemed a “financial risk” because of their race. Brabec also supplied the statistic of Washtenaw County falling to the bottom 8 percent in the U.S. for upward income mobility. The final panelist, Paul Fleming, assistant professor of health behavior and health education at the University, wrapped up the presentations by discussing what he deemed “the chilling effect” the 2016 election had on undocumented immigrants attending health care professional’s visits. After intensive research at several different health care institutions, Fleming and his team found a reason why immigrants skipped out on appointments was an increase and pervasive fear of deportations. The fear has resulted in fractures and strategic behavioral changes. citizen.

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Opinion

4 — Friday, January 18, 2019

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F

When solidarity proves most crucial

or a group of 30 closeknit friends in my English medium school in Bangladesh, teenage pregnancy was not a taboo. Instead, it was abandonment and demonization from my boyfriend. It was inconsistent sympathy and ostracism from my friends. This dynamic serves as an example of the double standards that emerged in a growing feminist crowd, one that shied away from solidarity when I most needed it. In ninth grade, I started dating the most “popular” boy in my class — the football (soccer) star. Everyone unconditionally sympathized with his alarming anger born from childhood trauma. Two days after I informed my boyfriend of my pregnancy scares, he broke up with me. Later, I walked into a local pharmacy full of judgmental male faces and bought two pregnancy tests. I took them that night at 4 a.m. The image of the plus sign remains my worst memory. I immediately called my best friend and she offered to help out. When the news reached my ex-boyfriend, he ferociously threatened me. I countered with plans to release physical evidence, internalizing the fetus as my fault and my fault only. I eventually handled the situation with the help of my dad through a “black-market” in-clinic procedure. After skipping school for a week, I finally returned with heavy cramps and bleeding between my legs in my uniform. I expected my pain to end there, but I was surprised at what followed. Vicious words against me had spread like cancer and my ex-boyfriend broadcasted that I had fabricated a pregnancy to trap him into getting back together with me. I still remember the excruciating pain I felt when I read a post on my his Facebook wall. It was labeled “Psycho Rams” (a notso-subtle nickname for myself ) and he along with two women — individuals who now write about women’s empowerment — ‘liked’ the message. I still vividly remember the mortifying moment I learned that some of my friends, who knew of my misery before my abortion, had spent fun evenings high with him, even during the week where I was physically emptied and emotionally sliced open. Not only did they not support or believe me, but they were also indifferent to my pain. I thought our friends, especially the girls, many of whom were vocal against sexism, would seriously condemn his actions and defend me. A handful of my close friends had

warned him but were silenced by the majority of my classmates who disregarded my lifeline calls and excused him with their dangerously impenetrable soft spot. In other words, their favoritism towards my ex as both a man and the most popular boy of our school prevented them from acting against his malevolence, let alone even recognizing it. When I voiced how betrayed I felt, I received sneaky jokes that indicated I was overreacting. Girls who declared themselves social justice warriors the following year — who now chide people for using “pussy” as a slang for coward — somehow

It is imperative to fight the normalized, misogynistic temptatation to blindly believe men failed to register that calling me dramatic snatched my slightest defense when I was most vulnerable. People’s insensitivity to my suffering exacerbated the trauma I was already burdened with. I felt as though hiding my sorrow was my only option to survive. Thus, months later, I pretended to enjoy social events with my friends, only to then go home and embark on a perilous journey of self-harm. I cried myself to sleep for a year, even after I left for boarding school. Prior to starting college, many female friends, including those who didn’t support me at the time, emerged as radical feminists, organizing women’s marches and panels on women’s rights. By contrast, I refused to participate in feminist conversations because I witnessed the lack of sisterhood when I was harmed by a man in my friend group. And though almost six years have passed since the incident, few women friends have contacted me about it in seeking ref lection. In conversations with some other female friends, if I ever slip my ex-boyfriend’s name, they nervously laugh or remain silent. I know some of them still venerate him. Only one female friend, the most outspoken feminist, who was also closest to my ex during the pregnancy, apologized to me — but only after she had fallen prey to one of his disrespectful deeds. She stated that “we were so stupid and young.” While I did appreciate her apology, I wasn’t and am still

not seeking apologies because I understand that we make many dangerous mistakes when we are young and immature. But our ignorance must never justify our wrongs, especially when it threatens someone’s wellbeing. If we are going to march against widespread marginalization of victims in college, it is imperative to also consider circumstances of our youth when we deviated from the feminist values we now advocate for. We have to confront our past injustices in order to be genuinely supportive of women experiencing trauma in our current feminist spheres. Another woman woefully revealed a few days ago that she mistrusted me last year when my ex uttered: “I never received solid proof of pregnancy.” I must note that he hypocritically lied to her, even after apologizing to me for willfully deserting me during the pregnancy. But even if he didn’t have evidence, the fact that a woman believed him over me just shows we often tend to side with the perpetrators and doubt the victims. It seems to be the norm that males, especially popular ones like my ex, easily gain our trust. But more often than not, they misuse this power to redeem themselves. In today’s world, we are quick to post “I believe her” when a woman speaks out on public hearings, but we paradoxically secretly doubt and shame them before providing support. Before we simply share articles on the #MeToo movement or campaign to “Believe and Support All Women,” it is imperative to fight the normalized, misogynist temptation to blindly believe men and question the authenticity of a woman’s agony. These are both important and interconnected pillars in equality and justice. Despite my past struggle and ostracization, I am still incredibly lucky. My life continued without interruptions. My father was extremely supportive and I was blessed to have the choice of an abortion — privileges that I cannot take for granted. But demonization and lack of support from peers is fatal for someone already fighting with herself to overcome haunting memories. So I stress the importance of believing and supporting women through the recovery of a traumatic experience. And in order to exercise the full potential of our feminist endeavors in college and beyond, I emphasize the necessity to ref lect on the blunders of our past. Blunders where we could have offered Ramisa Rob can be reached at rfrob@umich.edu.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and op-eds. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while op-eds should be 550 to 850 words. Send the writer’s full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.

JOIN OUR EDITORIAL BOARD Our Editorial Board meets Wednesdays 7:00-8:30 PM at our newsroom at 420 Maynard St. All are welcome to come discuss national, state and campus affairs.

J

The guilty out-of-state student

ames Burrill Angell, the longest serving president at the University of Michigan, described the University as a place that would provide “an uncommon education for the common man.” From its founding, the University was supposed to offer an elite education to people without the means to afford one in other parts of the country. The quote is still often thrown around to describe what the University aspires to be. It is a valuable goal, but the University has fallen short. The University has made both getting admission as well as campus life harder for low and middle-income in-state students by admitting more disproportionately wealthy, out-of-state students. This trend goes against the obligation the University has to the Michiganders whose tax dollars fund it. The University has both the financial flexibility and moral obligation to reverse this trend. I need to make a disclaimer: I make these arguments in spite of myself, as I think this University should admit fewer students like me. I am a product of this policy change. I attend this school with unbelievable privilege. As an out-of-state student with a family that is willing and able to support me emotionally and financially, I do not suffer from the consequences of the University’s admissions policies. Yet I, and other outof-state students, should want the University to accept more in-state students. The University’s student demographics have changed — for the wealthier. Almost 10 percent of students’ families are in the top 1 percent income bracket, while only about 16 percent fall in the bottom 60 percent. Additionally, only 15 percent of students qualify for Pell Grants (a federal, need based financial aid package), a percentage which, based on results from a Washington Post study, is the ninth lowest out of the public universities in the top 100 colleges and universities list published by U.S. News & World Report. For comparison,

at competitor schools like Michigan State University and University of CaliforniaBerkeley, 23 percent of students qualify for Pell Grants. A similar story can be told about the proportion of in-state students at the University. University President Mark Schlissel has said that he wants “to keep the majority of undergrads from Michigan.” In 2008, the proportion of in-state students was 67 percent, but it was only 51 percent in fall 2016. Considering the fact that for tuition and fees, in-state students pay $15,262 per year, while outof-state students pay $49,350, the reduction of in-state students from two-thirds to one-half of the student body makes both the University and its campus environment much wealthier. University officials are conscious of their motivations: The University is not need blind for out-of-state students, while it is for in-state ones, so taking more of the former makes financial sense. To be fair, the University’s transition to accepting more out-of-state students follows a trend among flagship public universities around the country. Compared to other institutions, the University’s shifts look tame. The University of Alabama’s student body went from 72 percent in-state in 2004 to 36 percent in-state in 2014. One study found that the University of Washington did not even give in-state students an advantage. However, not all flagship institutions have the same financial flexibility as the University of Michigan. One way to observe the University’s financial flexibility is by getting a tour. Anyone who has been around campus can see that the University continues to invest in new buildings and infrastructure projects. The brand-new Biological Science Building ($261 million) opened this year, while the Kraus Natural Science Building ($120 million) and the Michigan Union ($85 million) have just started extensive renovations. The University also

just released plans for the Central Campus Recreation Building ($150 million) to follow suit. A closer look at endowment growth also demonstrates this relative flexibility. The University’s endowment is the eighth largest among all U.S. universities and the second largest among public universities. Furthermore, the University’s endowment has a 20-year annualized return rate of 9.6 percent, which places it in the top 10 percentile of all university endowments. A top 10 endowment with a top 10 return rate should be able to do more. Beyond the moral obligations the University has to Michiganders, there are a few reasons it would be in the its best interest to accept more in-state students. First, as Sociology professor Elizabeth A. Armstrong argues, by accepting more out-of-state students, flagship universities are creating a “party pathway” that takes away from their mission to be a vehicle of social mobility. Second, based on data from South Carolina, in-state students are more likely to remain in their home state after graduation than out-ofstate students, and thus are more likely to contribute to Michigan’s economy. When Michigan’s economy is strong, state higher education budget cuts are less likely. Last, admittng more in-state students would make Michiganders think more highly of the University. Instead of being perceived as a wealthy University for out-of-state students, they might see it as a place where they can go to school to get a great education. I am an out-of-state student. These changes would make it harder for me and all out-ofstate students to get into the University. But also I want the University to be the best it can be, and one way to do that is by accepting more in-state students.

Solomon Medintz can be reached at smedintz@umich.edu.

JOEL DANILEWITZ | OP-ED

A

How Michigan is failing Huron Valley

t the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility, the decrepit prison conditions have now caused an outspread of scabies. This week, the Detroit Free Press reported that of the 200 women found with a mysterious rash in early December, 24 have contracted the skin condition. Though identifying the rash is a breakthrough for prison officials in addressing the ailment, which according to epidemiologists is easily treatable, this is only the first step in attempting to tackle the widespread issue at a facility already beleaguered with overcrowding. And former inmates such as Machelle Pearson have described the abject conditions that led to such medical quandaries at the facility. After Pearson was released from Huron Valley, her primary medical provider surmised the rash she contracted while there was a result of coming into contact with mold. Pearson, in an interview with the Free Press, recalled the mold accumulating in the showers — black fungus spreading across and eventually encompassing what was once a tile ceiling. When inmates cleaned the shower, they would have to squeegee the ceilings, inevitably leading to the water dripping onto their clothes and forcing them to essentially bathe in hazardous juices that remained in the fabric long after they were finished mopping. Despite accounts like those from Pearson, officials in the prison reframe the issue as one brought on by inmates, not a dilapidated infrastructure. Citing an improper mixture of cleaning chemicals used by the women, rather than mold, they deflected blame from themselves in an attempt to dissuade the notion there was any wrongdoing on behalf of the leadership. If one were to follow this particular strain of bureaucratic incompetence to its root, it would once again exhibit how overpopulation debilitates Michigan’s prison system. Policies that ensnare the state’s

most vulnerable populations weigh down Michigan’s criminal justice system, with a state prison population that has ballooned to 40,000 and another 14,000 in jails. Michigan has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the country. The overstuffed criminal justice system, both state and nationwide, yields the kinds of inhumane living circumstances seen at Huron Valley. And this is hardly the first time there have been complaints lobbed against the women’s prison. Just this September, two experts who investigated the prison filed reports in federal court claiming that the overcrowding and crumbling conditions in the prison violate the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution as “cruel and unusual punishment.” The cramped space provides little area for recreational use or exercise, imposing physical and mental burdens onto those in the prison. Officials converted storage units into living areas and dismissed building codes so that, as one of the prisoners’ attorneys described, the prison was literally “bursting at the seams.” Yet again and again when both inhabitants and outside investigators decry the facility, officials dismiss the concerns. Though the country is ostensibly pushing against the trend of mass incarceration that has been a fixture of the criminal justice system for decades, state policies are as primitive as they are resistant to change. Federal changes to domestic incarceration policy only impact those in federal prisons, which does not make up a substantial portion of prisoners. Furthermore, these changes seem almost cosmetic when looking at the numbers. The prison system still groans under the weight of esoteric, racialized policies which place an emphasis on profiting off imprisoned bodies. There are opportunities for Michigan to change, especially as

recently sworn-in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer seeks political wins that have the potential for bipartisan support. Since 2007, the Michigan prison population has decreased from a record high of 51,000 to 40,000 inmates. And though Huron Valley is ridden with problems, at the center of the issue is an overpopulation crisis which is hazardous for inmates and cumbersome for state bureaucrats to manage. Policies that legislators and Whitmer could look at are occupational licensing, specifically reforming the current system in place that prevents those with criminal records from receiving a license that enables them to work in certain fields. Restrictions currently placed are indiscriminate, barring anyone with a criminal record from obtaining one even if the crime they committed is unrelated to the occupation in which they seek a license. This has the potential to reduce recidivism rates and enable more people to contribute to the Michigan economy. Michigan lawmakers could also look into reforming the current bail system, which discriminately impacts low-income earners who cannot afford to pay the exorbitant bail costs imposed on them. Thousands of people remain in jails without charges simply because they cannot meet the set bail. This is one of many problems facing the inmates of Huron Valley. The deteriorating infrastructure, past history of sexual assault and overpopulation due to the artificial increase in capacity has yielded wide-ranging consequences for inmates. The policing and prison policies in Michigan are still in dire need of reform, with change necessary for thousands of prisoners who are now becoming subject to human rights violations.

Joel Danilewitz can be reached at joeldan@umich.edu.


Arts

5 — Friday, January 18, 2019

DAILY GENDER & MEDIA COLUMN

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

BOOK REVIEW

Choosing to treat myself ‘Mars Room,’ in portrait like all the best beauty vids VERITY STURM Book Review Editor

The first week of every semester is always a haze of casual inquiry. Why are you in this class? What do you do in your free time? Share a funny story with the person sitting next to you. It goes on and on. But in my Comm 102 class this week, the GSI asked a topically relevant question: What is your media guilty pleasure? The answers from my discussion full of sorority girls and frat boys was pretty similar across the board, from Instagram to Netf lix to a minor FIFA addiction that made everyone laugh. For me, I realized that it was YouTube. And not just the classical version of YouTube, full of late-night clips and fail videos, but almost exclusively skincare and makeup taught by beautiful French (or similarly nonchalant) women. They’re calming in a way that I’ve never been able to put my finger on, and I definitely watch too much for it to be good on my eyes late at night. But there’s something indescribably soothing about applying serums and moisturizers in pace with a lilting European accent in the morning and before bed. I think it does the same thing for me that praying might do for someone else. Going through the motions of my skincare routine is a sort of ritual, an excuse to ref lect on the day that has passed and the one ahead of me while keeping myself occupied. Nonetheless, my love for beauty videos (specifically ones like those made by Violette, Into the Gloss and Christine Nguyen) is still a guilty pleasure. My friends make fun of me for the amount of products I have lined up hidden in drawers and on my desk, for the hours I probably spend watching these women meticulously apply their favorite creams and lipsticks every year. As I jokingly answered my instructor during discussion, I began to realize how much my little ritual really meant to me. When I look at my skincare habits fiscally, I am

CLARA SCOTT shocked and horrified by the potential hundreds of dollars that I’ve spent on product. But as a realist, there is some part of this spending that is an investment in myself that pays off. Not only is my skin fantastic ( bar one very fun week every month), but I am also genuinely excited to do my routine twice a day. As a selfdeclared workaholic, my ritual of beauty video play-alongs is sometimes the only thing I do outside of writing or reading all day. Everyone has their own little things that make them happy, and for me it’s

I find my own joy in going through the steps of my preparations for the day, in making myself into whatever I want to be at any given moment

the feeling of a fresh face, the stinging satisfaction of a peel or the faint taste of menthol as my lip balm sinks in. In the morning, I roll out of bed to my birdsand-piano alarm of Aphex Twin’s “aisatsana [102]” and subsequently settle into my desk chair, laying out the things I’ll need for the day. It’s a little “American Psycho” Patrick Bateman, but first; there are serums, then moisturizers mixed together to thwart pollution and dryness, sunscreen, makeup, highlighter and gel and hairspray. All the while, I love to throw on a video in the background there’s something uncanny about the effect of someone else making themselves up while you do, like a very chic friend sharing secrets before a night out. It doesn’t even have to be related what I’m doing, but knowing that by osmosis I might pick up a tip or two. Even a hint of the calm and collected demeanor of these women is enough to make these ten-minute intervals of peace and self-care in my busy life worth it. The famed burlesque dancer and general beauty icon Dita Von Teese consistently brings up these moments in every interview I’ve ever seen her give. To Von Teese, the thrill of making yourself into something beautiful, something different than yourself and full of joyful glamour. Like her, I find my own joy in going through the steps of my preparations for the day, in making myself into whatever I want to be at any given moment. The consolation of other women in that process via YouTube or a podcast or even in real life makes those moments even more powerful and effective than they would be alone. It may be a guilty pleasure, but it is pleasure nonetheless, a small happiness in an oft-stressful and clustered world. If I spend 80 dollars on Vitamin C, so be it: There is no price to comfort and confidence.

I have a crush on Rachel Kushner — everything about her. I was initially turned on by her debut novel “The Flamethrowers,” a smart and stylish sojourn from the dirty art hoes of 1970s Soho to the political underground of Italy, complete with glamorous touches of DMT churches, performance art and street violence. Swoon. “The Flamethrowers” is so vivid, so bitingly electric and feminist-without-the-word that I got curious about the woman behind the pen and slipped into a forty minute biographical research bender. Rachel Kushner is a San Francisco native, the certain spawn of beatnik scientists that lands a gig at a feminist bookstore at the ripe age of five, does the Berkeley thing and bools around the SF nightclub scene on her Moto Guzzi before casually saucing over to Columbia for her MFA. In author imagery, she often appears in front of cars, behind Wayfarers and/or clad in leather. She’s got three critically acclaimed blockbuster novels, a Guggenheim, an honorary PhD from Kalamazoo and now a spot on the Man Booker shortlist with her latest book, “The Mars Room.” I repeat: swoon. “The Mars Room” reads much

like “The Flamethrowers” in its grunge-glamor. Our femme fatale, Romy Hall, grew up hard and fast in San Francisco, getting into catfights and PCP on the weekends before working at The Mars Room, a low-fi but high-cred strip club in the gritty Tenderloin district. It’s not a stereotypically secure gig, but Romy enjoys the power she wields at the club and a steady source of income to support herself and her son. She’s smart, pragmatic and tough (“Every stripper I know is clever. Some are practically geniuses.”), but she doesn’t have the ability to prevent or outrun a customerturned-stalker, and she really doesn’t have the cultural capital or capital-capital to defend herself at court when an encounter with the creep turns violent. But this is all delivered to us through sporadic flashbacks. The novel opens in the thick of consequence: Romy shackled chattel-style to a prison bus, careening nebulously into two consecutive life sentences in the Central Valley. “The Mars Room” unfolds like this, unsticking and resticking in time between its present (2003 at the Stanville Women’s Correctional Facility) and Romy’s shrouded past on the streets of SF. Structurally, this can be unpopular territory: Novels that nix the frameworks of time and place run the risk of

bleeding out into disorganized and disorienting masses of detail. Kushner, however, is a seasoned rebel. She manipulates the timeline so deftly that these scenes slide into each other with a dreamlike logic. Romy’s GED prep session at Stanville summons an anecdote of teaching her son to count, a memory that morphs into musing on how counting functions “like prison, from a name to a number.” This brings us back to Stanville where the women on death row are sewing sandbags for “five cents an hour, minus fifty-five percent restitution.” The narrative is a ride on Romy’s train of thought, a psychological portrait made vivid by its very meandering. Between the hustle for shampoo and tampons, hazy recollections of bad lap dances and dehumanizing treatment from prison guards and public defenders alike, Kushner captures the indefinite restlessness of a mind pinned between past and future, time and place, hope and regret. That being said, “The Mars Room” sprawls. Those who value plot will be frustrated with the way this one constantly wavers between absent and forced. Those who enjoy form and detail will revel in Kushner’s obsession with it, a highly visual approach to storytelling singular enough to land her on the Man Booker shortlist.

FINANCIAL TIMES

MUSIC NOTEBOOK

Albums, mixtapes, playlists and the craft of concision EMILY YANG

Daily Arts Writer

It’s practically worn out in musical discourse to bemoan the “three-and-a-half-minute pop song,” usually in comparison (as a strawman) to a more complicated, underrated work. That concision and formalism are, in and of themselves, seen as worthy of disdain should seem strange to anyone who regularly listens to popular music — Irving Berlin’s acknowledged mastery was generally constricted to an almost formulaic 32-bar structure, as were many of George Gershwin’s songs that later became jazz standards. Concision is the rule in songcraft, not the exception, and for good reason. A song is a perfect vessel for clear and concise expression that still retains the ability to accommodate complex emotions and a wide variety of styles. It makes sense that this form has endured to the present day much more than the intricate (and often opaque to first-time listeners) European symphonic forms. Songs are also useful in that people rarely want to hear just one at a time. Some of the earliest examples of short-form composition are the 19th century “song cycles” by composers who also worked in the symphonic mode. Franz Schubert wrote two evening-length cycles for a vocalist with piano accompaniment parsed into small songs ranging from under a minute to around six minutes. Trying to tell a story with what is essentially a set of miniatures is an interesting musical problem — there’s a dialectic between continuity and subtlety. The

Concision is the rule in songcraft, not the exception, and for good reason

song cycle contains many-faceted impressions rather than a continuous arc. Schubert’s songs are little snapshots of the main character’s emotional state, and some of the most poignant songs cut away from the narrative arc to focus on nature — the wind through the trees, a creaking weathervane. This approach to songs — a narrative told through small elements — didn’t survive entirely intact in the emergence of the album a century later, but a lot of music criticism acknowledges that albums need some kind of f low that both acknowledges the separateness of the elements and links them together. This discontinuous continuity is hard to locate in any particular aspect of the music, a certain je ne sais quoi. To pick an example at random, a review of LCD Soundsystem’s “Sound Of Silver”: “We’re besieged and stupefied enough by downloads and mixes and remixes and mashups and collections of songs masquerading as albums that an album that feels like an album strikes me as positively ideal right now.” It’s interesting that the reviewer mentions mixes and mashups — the mix, whether done in a continuous f low by a DJ or simply ripped onto a cassette or a CD, is somewhere between album and mashup. The mix splits albums at their weakest components and collages their component parts, creating a new large-scale form out of pre-existing parts. The creator of the mixtape, in essence, is performing a “reading” of their particular musical landscape. Their task is to maximize a particular quality of music that they value independent of the artists’ original intentions — the creation of a personal genre that brings what they value in music to the forefront. A mixtape can be a sonic memory palace, a record not only of listening but listening in a particular way and with specific priorities. The role of the listener becomes active — it’s a process approaching that of the composer or the record producer, who draws on their store of auditory knowledge to create new things. The “playlist” of the 2010s takes this logic of maximization as its lowest strata, but functions in a different way. Playlists, in their scale (it’s very easy to make playlists that are hours long) and ability to be updated and edited over time, have acquired something like a furnishing or

decorative function, that of a lamp you can turn on and off. Playlists are created, in part, to fulfill some function: opening Spotify’s front page presents the listener with playlists that are tailored to a specific activity, like “deep focus” or “brain food.” The writer Liz Pelly writes on Spotify’s Muzak-esque attitude toward music in general. Playlists are curated according to genre and, increasingly, according to mood, “chill” prefacing a multitude of playlists. Pelly writes: “Spotify loves “chill” playlists: they’re the purest distillation of its ambition to turn all music into emotional wallpaper.” Pelly has similar misgivings about the “discovery” playlists Spotify offers, writing that streaming “creates passive environments where listeners stream what they like, and more of what they like, and more of what they like — ad nauseam.” This is the afterlife of the mixtape: The ability to create specific pathways through music culture as a whole is turned into a way to maximize the passive aspects of music listening. Curation retains its creative potential, even as it threatens to pull the listener into an effective undertow. Is it possible that we could have

seen this coming? Isn’t art made from other art one with an already essentially narcissistic relationship to the work of other artists? Mixtape culture was initially lauded as lifting the listener out of passivity and into a small act of creation. The question then becomes whether or not a society where everyone is encouraged to have a passively creative (and corporatemediated, in Spotify’s case) relationship with other art is desirable. Mixtapes were never meant to be the default way to engage with music, and a world where everyone exists in a lonely sea of their own taste was never the intention.

Mixtapes were never meant to be the default way to engage with music

DFA RECORDS


Arts

6 — Friday, January 18, 2019

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

FILM INTERVIEW

A candid chat with Centeno on ‘Big Time Adolescence’ JULIANNA MORANO Daily Arts Writer

“It’s not saturated. It’s not going to look colorful. It’s going to be very subdued. Sometimes, it’s not as pretty as you want it to be,” says Waldemar Centeno (“The Goldbergs”). He’s talking about the look and feel of one of his recent projects as a film editor: Jason Orley’s (“The Intern”) “Big Time Adolescence,” a coming-of-age comedy starring Pete Davidson (“Saturday Night Live”) and Griffin Gluck (“American Vandal”). The film has been selected to premiere later this month at Sundance Film Festival as part of the U.S. dramatic competition. I spoke with Centeno about “Big Time Adolescence” for upward of 45 minutes. Not once did he assume personal credit for the festival honor —or for any aspect of the film, for that matter. He recounted the day he found out about the film’s selection for the festival. He remembers hearing it from Orley, who “with a very stoic face, just said, ‘We got the call. We got into Sundance.’” Centeno explained the personal significance of that moment, admitting, “I won’t lie to you: It has been 13 years of really hard work to even get the phone call to work on a project starring Pete Davidson, but I obviously kind of teared up, and gave him (Orley) a hug. You know, I went home, and pretty much cried for a whole night.” But he also spoke to what it means for the entire team involved, whom he got to know while cutting the film on set: “We were shooting for that (the Sundance recognition). It wasn’t expected, but we’re really excited as a group.” Even when I gave Centeno a premium opportunity to foreground his contributions to “Big Time Adolescence” in asking about the particular role he played as editor, he refused, and instead underscored the collaboration necessary for effective storytelling in film. Centeno praised the performances of the cast: “As an editor, that’s all you really want, some really great acting, so you can actually do your job.” He added, “I was always told as I was coming up as an editor, working as a technician and running the edit is just twenty percent of the

work. 80 percent of it is the camaraderie that you have with the person you’re working with when I’m giving feedback, it’s not that I go, ‘This is how I want it.’ I go, ‘This is the way Jason (the director) is envisioning going forward.’” This vision centers on the friendship of teenage Mo (Gluck) and twentysomething Zeke (Davidson), and the strain that helpless matters like age difference and growing up puts on their relationship over time. Centeno told me that this story is “close to the heart” and named the aspect of the story that he found most persuasive: “It’s about an outsider, essentially, that thinks he’s an insider, but then ends up being shunned later on in the story. I grew up on the East Coast, understanding this type of person that was the page … that’s what drew me to it.” Of course, with Davidson and Gluck playing the lead roles, the film foregrounds male companionship. I pressed him about that, and, to my surprise and delight, Centeno did not plead the Fifth, regurgitate a rehearsed response or dodge the crucial, oft-dodged question of representation on screen. Instead, he answered the question directly and thoughtfully and did not feel the need to go on the offensive when supplying a counterpoint. He assented that the film “does center on these two male companions

“We still have a long way to go in the film industry,” he recognized, in terms of honoring diversity and tipping the scales of representation

and some of their friends that are male,” but clarified, “Since the beginning of our screenings of this, we really wanted to make it a point to talk about this: How do people feel about the women in this movie?” He then added, “there are three women in the movie who really shine. They play these three really strong female characters that are entwined with Zeke and Mo’s life. They have some powerful moments. They’re not just there to let the boys do whatever they want. They’re there to make sure they speak up for what’s right,” and are able to “speak for themselves.” As a coming-of-age film, “Big Time Adolescence” also situates itself in a genre that never sees a shortage of films and that has, as of late, seen an increase in representation of marginalized voices and experiences. Pressed a second time, Centeno was once more refreshingly direct and earnest with his answer. “We still have a long way to go in the film industry,” he recognized, in terms of honoring diversity and tipping the scales of representation. But he pointed out another important dimension of diversity that lies in the storytellers themselves, commenting, “There is diversity in the people that worked on it (“Big Time Adolescence”),” and drawing on his own experience as an example. “I’m Puerto Rican, and a Puerto Rican editor, I was able to give my insight on something that was not necessarily of my culture. I was able to say, ‘No, that’s not the way you should say that. There’s a better way to say this.’” In terms of what makes “Big Time Adolescence” stand out in a crowded genre, Centeno highlighted the unique interplay between comedy and drama at work in the film. “The way we looked at it was a comedy where we would try not to heighten the comedy; we’d heighten the drama,” Centeno explained, “because Pete Davidson’s story is a cautionary tale of this older kid who befriends this younger kid and thinks they’re really good friends and will be for a very long time. But at some point, people get grown out of.” Elaborating on what it meant to heighten the drama in the context of a comedy, Centeno contrasted the unremitting speed of some comedies to the more measured pace of “Big Time Adolescence.” “That’s essentially what we did: we lived in those moments” — meaning the slower, dramatic scenes in the film — “instead of trying to get to the next joke.” Centeno distinguished the breed of comedy that emerges from this sensitivity from the network comedies he has cut in the past, calling it “a very real, natural, dirty comedy that a network show would never be.”

The anchor of the comedic dimension of “Big Time Adolescence” is, according to Centeno, Pete Davidson. He called Davidson “one of the driving forces of the comedy,” and indicated that “the way he acted really drew the comedy out of everybody else.” As a bonus, however, Centeno believes the film will also show audiences Davidson “has a lot of depth in him,” as do “all the other characters.” At that point in the conversation, we had hit the 40-minute mark. For my last question, I asked if Centeno wanted to say anything about his experience at the University as an alumnus and former sports writer for The Michigan Daily. After narrating his jagged trajectory toward undergraduate degrees in English and film, he remarked, “I always tell people I did storytelling as a major.” After elaborating on his investment in storytelling at the University and The Daily, I posed my standard, “Is there anything else you’d like to add?” Centeno’s reply was one of the last things I would ever expect an interviewee to say to an interviewer: He told me he would like to hear about my experience at the University and The Daily. Pleasantly surprised for the third distinct time, I began to ramble about my love of The Daily and my inability to declare a major; Centeno listened patiently and responded thoughtfully. When I finally stopped talking and let Centeno go, I returned to what Centeno had said about majoring in storytelling. Because in my rambling, I had responded to Centeno as though he were someone I could unhesitatingly trust with my story — as though I’d been speaking with a storyteller.

“The way we looked at it was a comedy where we would try not to heighten the comedy; we’d heighten the drama,” Centeno explained

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FOR RENT

Release Date: Friday, January 18, 2019

AMERICAN HIGH/LD ENTERTAINMENT

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

SINGLE REVIEW: ‘I GET NO JOY’

FABER AND FABER

We’re only two weeks into 2019, but already it’s shaping up to be a huge year for British singer-songwriter Jade Bird. She recently announced the official release date for her self-titled debut album, the anticipation of which has been bolstered by one high-quality single after another. Her new single, “I Get No Joy,” was released in tandem with the more razor-edged “Uh Huh” and “Love Has All Been Done Before,” and hints at a fresh frustration and yearning that feels true, even this early on, for an artist like Bird. The premise of the song is an interesting take from Bird, who, upon first glance, seems able to derive joy from almost anything, whether it’s the joy of embarking upon her first

major tours or that of recording her first full-length album. But Bird’s music itself runs the full gamut of self-consciousness,

“I Get No Joy” Jade Bird Glassnote Records

from the questioning nature of a troubled relationship in “Love Has All Been Done Before” to the righteous selfawareness of “Good Woman” from her debut EP, Something American. “I Get No Joy” turns this critical eye to her artwork, bursting with a frustration and a specific creative drive that harkens back to Alanis

Morissette hits like “Right Through You.” Wielding the moody electric guitar that is swiftly becoming her trademark, Bird questions herself and others with lines like, “Electric, connected, unexpectedly affected / What do you need? What do you need? / I get no joy.” Her optimism peeks through with the almost-murmured line, “I know the sun will shine / Another day, another time,” which expertly leads the song toward its close. “I Get No Joy” feels like a new branch for Bird in terms of subject matter, and that it speaks well of her upcoming album’s potential at this point comes as no surprise. — Laura Dzubay, Daily Arts Writer

ACROSS 1 Figura de __: Spanish skating move 5 Besides 9 Cut back a lot 14 It might not be proper 15 Secular 16 Edmonton athlete 17 Likely to B surprisingly difficult 20 __ space 21 Spring bloom 22 __-fa: set of musical syllables 23 One might Q Shamu 26 Cycle starter 27 Place to drive from 28 Not irr. 29 Affirmative reply 32 “The Aviator” (2004) Oscar nominee 34 Buffoons 37 “The fool __ think he is wise ...”: “As You Like It” 38 U can soak in one 41 Biblical hunter 43 It was originally called a “Biscuit” 44 They’re mostly on the phone 48 Bygone predators 50 Long-legged runner 52 Bulldog booster 53 Component of a sweep, maybe 54 Something to C at Carnegie Hall 58 Downed 59 Countenance 60 Lenya of “From Russia With Love” 61 Possible reason Y lights get turned off 65 They’re changed on the road 66 Sandwich staple 67 Frequently 68 French greeting 69 Reach 70 Out of __

DOWN 1 College town WSW of Albany 2 Island resort near Cancún 3 Went like a runaway train 4 It’s a start 5 Lord of the ring? 6 Brit’s bud 7 Sub (for) 8 Earthy tone 9 Juniors, maybe 10 Razz 11 “My temper got the best of me” 12 Holiday candle holder 13 Heat at a meet, for short 18 LAX landings 19 Opposite of stuffy 24 Entire range 25 Shoshone Falls state 30 Academic address ending 31 Nagano noodle 33 “Iliad” warrior 35 Behind 36 Handle the wheel

39 Ont. neighbor 40 Heavy reading? 41 Coastal East African country 42 Coastal West African country 45 In a smallminded way 46 Army outfit 47 Bit of obscenity? 48 Musical saw sounds 49 Bias

51 Pauley Pavilion Pac-12 team 55 Fits one within another 56 Best 57 Frat letters 59 Guinness book adjective 62 French vineyard 63 Biological chain letters 64 Moving aid

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

By Bruce Haight ©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

01/18/19

01/18/19

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Sports

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Friday, January 18, 2019 — 7

Michigan has been here before

I

mitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so goes the saying. The Michigan hockey team currently finds itself in the middle of the pack. Five points from the top of the Big Ten and, likewise, five points from the bottom. Sitting at 27th in the Pairwise JORGE rankings, the CAZARES Wolverines will need all hands on deck to make a postseason push. Last season, Michigan was reeling heading into the second half of the season. They were well out of the NCAA Tournament picture and a birth in the tournament seemed improbable. And as if this season couldn’t get any more similar to last season, the Wolverines are losing one of their top offensive threats to an injury sustained in the World Junior Championship. Again. After Tuesday’s practice this week, Michigan hockey coach Mel Pearson said he’s a “glasshalf-full kind of guy.” Perhaps his mind was already on the impending absence of his star forward, Josh Norris. Moving forward, the team will have to employ that sort of mentality. The news wasn’t officially released until this morning: Norris will undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the season with an undisclosed injury. The sophomore is second on the team in points and tied for first in goals despite missing the past six games. He is arguably the team’s best pure scorer and makes a difference every time

he steps on the ice –– see Norris’ performance against Lake Superior State. He was having a breakout season: Norris eclipsed his goal total from last season and sits just four points behind his freshman year’s point total in less than half as many games played. And now, the Wolverines must prepare for life without Norris. But don’t panic –– Michigan has been here before. Last season, then-sophomore forward Will Lockwood missed the second half of the season after suffering a left shoulder injury in an outdoor game against Canada while representing Team USA. He was a key offensive contributor while healthy in his first two seasons with the Wolverines. In 16 games last season, he tallied four goals and seven assists. As a freshman, he finished second on the team in points with 20. “There’s just a lot of scary similarities with this year and last year,” said junior forward Nick Pastujov. “You lose a guy in World Juniors, we come back after Christmas with a couple big wins against Ohio State and Notre Dame this year compared to a couple wins against Notre Dame last year.” Michigan’s season has been so similar to last season already, it’s almost humorous. So, if there is any silver lining, many of the leaders on the team have experienced what it’s like to find success after losing one of their top offensive weapons. “I think one of the main teaching tools you get off of it is that there’s still a lot of season left,” Pearson said before today’s practice on the lessons learned from last season’s experience. “The team still can have success even though

“You can still have a rewarding season.”

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Sophomore forward Josh Norris’ injury at World Juniors parallels that of fellow forward Will Lockwood last season for the Michigan hockey team.

you might not have one of your main characters involved, you can still have a rewarding season, and that you can still reach your goals.” It’s almost as though the Wolverines this season are inadvertently paying homage to last season’s roller coaster. Some of the similarities –– such as the injuries –– are out of the team’s control and, rather, are a result of poor luck. But others –– erratic goaltending amplified by the team’s mediocrity through the halfway point of the season and signature conference wins early in the second half –– are a result of player performance and give

fans and team members, alike, a sense of déjà vu. “We went through it last year, I guess that’s the other thing that we can look back upon,” Pearson said. “It’s a little déjà vu, same situation. We have a player go to the World Juniors, gets hurt, out for the year. We’ve seen this act before, and we’re just gonna have to follow the same script this year.” Consider it an impromptu encore of sorts. If there is one form of consistency Michigan has shown this season, it is found in inadvertently following that same script from last year. Once again, it is losing one of its “main charac-

“All four lines need to kind of dial it in like we did last year.”

ters,” as Pearson put it, for the second half of the season. And that script that Pearson hopes to follow was a collective effort. Last season, thenfreshman forward Jack Becker increased his point total from zero to eight in the second half of the season. Another player who must continue to make an impact this season is junior forward Nick Pastujov. He is currently tied with Norris for the most goals on the team — more than doubling his goal total from last season — and has appeared on the top line alongside Lockwood in the absence of Norris. “I think all four lines need to kind of dial it in like we did last year where coach could kind of put out any line against any matchup,” Pastujov said. “I think all the lines need to kind of step up there. “So, I think it’s just one of

those things where we have to stay on the right path, don’t really get too discouraged about it. We’ve seen what we can do when we play good teams. I really don’t think there’s no reason we can’t make the same run we did last year.” Winning at Notre Dame and Ohio State without Norris showed what the Wolverines are capable of doing moving forward. Michigan already faced an uphill climb to make it into the NCAA Tournament. But they’ve been here before. “We don’t know, we don’t know what the ending is going to be,” Pearson said. “We have a choice to make sure we do everything we can to make it a storybook ending.” Cazares can be reached at jcazares@umich.edu or @ jcazares98 via Twitter.

Behind Enemy Lines: The Daily sits down with Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ in any Wisconsin program. But there are differences from coach to coach. But I think the main thing is with the players, that we just want to preserve the culture that’s been at Wisconsin. To answer your question, I don’t think there has been a lot of change. We just need to get back to where we have been. TMD: What led you to eventually take your name out of the NBA draft last year? Happ: A couple of things.

One, the feedback I got from teams, they thought I’d benefit from another year. But also, just the way we ended last season, I didn’t want that to be my last season at Wisconsin. So hopefully we end this on a lot better note and go out the right way. TMD: What feedback did they give you? Happ: The most unanimous things were free throw percentage has to improve and then, being able to space the f loor with, like, a 15-foot jump

“I’m just more putting the NBA in the background.”

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Wisconsin fifth-year senior forward Ethan Happ is averaging 19.4 points per game, ranking second in the Big Ten.

THEO MACKIE

Daily Sports Writer

On Saturday, the Michigan men’s basketball team (17-0 overall, 6-0 Big Ten) will face one of its biggest challenges in Big Ten play when it takes on Wisconsin (11-6, 3-3) at the Kohl Center in Madison. The Badgers were among the conference’s most impressive teams early in the season, notching nonconference wins over Oklahoma and North Carolina State, and opening Big Ten play with a win at Iowa. They have encountered a rough stretch since then, dropping their final game of 2018 to Western Kentucky before losing three of four to start the new year — including home losses to Minnesota and Purdue. They also fell just short in a comeback attempt at No. 19 Maryland on Monday. Still, though, it’s a marked

improvement from last season for Wisconsin, who went 15-18 in 2017-18 and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 20 years. If the Badgers return to postseason play this season, it will be on the back of fifth-year senior forward Ethan Happ, a two-time AllBig Ten selection. The Daily sat down with Happ at Big Ten Media Day in October. The Michigan Daily: Is there a different attitude in the team this year coming off the down year than there was last year or the year before that? Ethan Happ: Yeah, we know how far away we were. It’s not like we were right there at the NCAA tournament mark, we were far away, and we know how much we have to improve. And last year, it’s not like we expected to be good, but we almost took for granted the little things that made Wisconsin so good every year,

“We almost took for granted the little things.”

year in and year out. So, I think this year, we’re not taking anything for granted and we’re just gonna grind in practice and try to make the season the best one that we’ve had in a while. TMD: So how do you close that bigger gap between where you were last year compared to the years before that? Happ: Defensively is the biggest thing. You could tell, for the last five years or whatever, we were a great defensive team, except for last year. Even within the season, the whole first half of the season, we weren’t good. Then, we got a little bit better, and then when we started actually winning games toward the end of the year, that’s when we really locked in and became a pretty good defensive team. So that’s just a major — it goes hand in hand with us being in the win column more often. TMD: How has the program changed since the first half of your freshman year when Bo Ryan was here? Happ: The program itself hasn’t changed. We still have the same principles, the same self less attitude that you need

shot. Those are big things for teams to move me higher up on their boards. They said I was an elite ball handler for my side, finisher, passer. They just need to see that to move up higher on their boards. TMD: Have you used that feedback to help you mentor the younger guys on the team on what NBA teams are looking for? Happ: Not especially on what NBA teams are looking for. I’m just more putting the NBA in the background right now, just trying to focus on how Wisconsin can be the best team. Luckily, there are things that can be mutually beneficial for myself making it to the next level, but also for Wisconsin.


Sports

8 — Friday, January 18, 2019

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Norris out for season with undisclosed injury ‘M’ falls to Iowa, 75-61 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BAILEY JOHNSON Daily Sports Writer

Mel Pearson in a statement. “Knowing him, he will work extremely hard to come back stronger and become an even better player. We look forward to having Josh continue to be a part of our team this season.” Both Pearson and Norris’ comments left the idea of whether Norris will be back with the Wolverines next season or sign with Ottawa open to interpretation, though Pearson said Thursday that he expects Norris to be back next year. “We’ve had some conversations prior to the injury,” Pearson said Thursday in his office. “We haven’t discussed any of that since the injury because we want to focus him on getting healthy and that. But I do (think he’ll be back). Now, having said that, he might, he might not be. I mean, he’ll have options. We’ll just see how that plays out, how his recovery goes and how he

thinks. What he wants to do.” Moving forward, Michigan must find a replacement for Norris. It’s hard to replace him with just one player — and the Wolverines aren’t planning to try to do that. But since they’ve been without him for six games already, Pearson has a better idea of what the team might look like in his absence. In the six games without Norris, Michigan posted a 2-2-2 record, including two road wins over top-15 teams in wins at No. 4 Ohio State and No. 12 Notre Dame. “In that six games, I liked a lot of things without him,” Pearson said. “So, we’ve already played without him. I think that’s a key. If all of the sudden we just found out today, you’re going into a big weekend and wow, you don’t have him, then there’s a little more, I think, panic or concern. Because of that, I think we’ll be

in good shape. You don’t replace — no one’s going to step up and replace a player like (Norris), especially how well he was playing.” And though Norris is the second Wolverine in two years to miss the second half of the year after a season-ending injury at the World Juniors — junior forward Will Lockwood saw his sophomore campaign cut short after a shoulder injury last year — Pearson doesn’t plan to stop allowing players to attend the tournament. “There’s some concern,” Pearson said. “But we’ve done it for years here at Michigan and I guess our stance is we’ll always do whatever we can to support U.S. hockey and especially the World Junior team, the World Championship team. If we have players that have the opportunity to play there, then we’ll continue to support that.”

Josh Norris — a sophomore forward who ranks second on the Michigan hockey team in points — will miss the remainder of the season, the team announced Thursday morning. Norris sustained an undisclosed injury at the 2019 World Junior Championships earlier this month and has not dressed for the Wolverines since returning from the tournament. His injury will require seasonending surgery. “It’s disappointing to have my season end and I’m going to miss being on the ice with my teammates every day, but it’s something that I have to take care of,” Norris said in a statement. “I am looking forward to working hard during rehab and am excited to get back on the ice. I’m going to be here supporting my teammates throughout the rest of the season and wish them the best of luck.” Norris’ 10 goals through the first part of the season is tied for first on the team with junior forward Nick Pastujov. His 19 total points rank second behind sophomore defenseman Quinn Hughes, who has three goals and a team-leading 19 assists for a total of 22 points. Prior to the World Juniors, Norris centered Michigan’s top line and was leading the team in points. He was the 19th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks, though his rights have since been traded to the Ottawa Senators. “I feel bad for Josh. He KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily was having an outstanding season,” said Michigan coach Sophomore forward Josh Norris will miss the remainder of the season after sustaining an undisclosed injury.

“I feel bad. ... He was having an outstanding season.”

“We’ve already played without him. I think that’s a key.”

ROHAN KUMAR Daily Sports Writer

Thursday night, the Michigan women’s basketball team looked to get its first road conference win of the season. That was set to be a tall task as the Wolverines were slated against No. 22 Iowa — a squad led by forward Megan Gustafson, the nation’s leading scorer — but despite the odds Michigan trailed by just three points at halftime. After the break, though, the Hawkeyes turned it up a notch. They started to push the tempo and saw results. Fewer than three minutes into the quarter, they drained a triple from the left corner to make it a 10-0 run. The Wolverines called a timeout but never recovered. Iowa (13-4 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) widened the gap, handing Michigan (11-7, 2-4) a 75-61 loss — the team’s fourth loss in its last six games. “Through our growth process and through our improvement is the decision-making when other teams are going on a run,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico to WTKA. “… We called a timeout. We tried to regroup, I mean, we had a better fourth quarter but we were down a little bit. And we scored in the fourth quarter; we just couldn’t get the stops that we needed to get.” Contrary to recent games, ball handling wasn’t an issue. Prior to the game, the Wolverines averaged a whopping 16.7 turnovers per contest, but against the Hawkeyes, they lost the ball just seven times. Rebounding was not alarming either. Michigan was outmatched by just four boards while the team actually won the battle for offensive rebounds. Shooting, however, was a key problem. The Wolverines went 1-for-15 from beyond the arc, with the lone 3-pointer coming at the start of the final quarter. The Hawkeyes, on the other

hand, excelled at shooting. Michigan often double-teamed Gustafson, but that left her teammates open. They finished the game shooting 57.6 percent from the field — a step up from Michigan’s 41.8 percent. “We miss a lot of shots and we gotta get better at finishing some of those shots too,” Barnes Arico said. “And then we gotta get some key stops when we need to, and I think we need to understand the sense of urgency with that.” The game was set to be a battle between senior center Hallie Thome and Gustafson. Gustafson had the upper-hand to start the game. She scored from under the basket on her team’s first offensive possession and then further imposed her will by blocking Thome on the other end. Thome would fight back, but Gustafson still led her team with 21 points and 16 rebounds. Iowa’s guards added to the offensive clinic, showing off their ability to attack the basket early. This — coupled with Gustafson’s success — helped the Hawkeyes establish a five-point lead a few minutes into the contest. Freshman forward Naz Hillmon soon checked in, though. She missed a shot from close right away, but got her own rebound and capitalized on the second-chance opportunity to give her team a spark. She finished with a team-high 16 points. Less than a minute later, Hillmon dove to the floor to win a loose ball around midcourt. This led to a bucket from junior forward Kayla Robbins. Sophomore guard Deja Church then followed suit. She immediately stole the ball near midcourt and took it to the basket to give her team a 16-10 lead. But the Hawkeyes countered with a 6-0 run to tie the game at the end of the opening frame. The remainder of the first half was a balanced affair, but ultimately, it wouldn’t matter.

The previously untold story of Zavier Simpson’s recruitment to Wisconsin THEO MACKIE

Daily Sports Writer

On Saturday afternoon, the Michigan men’s basketball team will stake its claim to be the nation’s top-ranked team for the first time in half a decade. If it does, Zavier Simpson will have helped the Wolverines defeat the school he almost attended. It seems impossible to imagine now — with Michigan’s and Simpson’s identities inextricably intertwined — but four years ago, the pair had barely crossed each other’s radars. The Wolverines’ recruiting efforts were centered around now-Michigan State point guard Cassius Winston and, as a result, Simpson had yet to even consider Michigan. Instead, the junior point guard seemed destined for Wisconsin. Now, four years

later, neither Quincey Simpson — Zavier’s father and AAU coach — nor Lamont Paris, the assistant coach who nearly recruited him to Madison, can recall which major conference school was the first to enter Simpson’s recruitment. The consensus? It wasn’t Michigan. It may have been Wisconsin, but Quincey also remembers Illinois and Northwestern heavily pursuing his son at the time. The Badgers, though, were the most comfortable option for the Simpsons. Paris and Quincey grew up just 30 minutes apart — Quincey in Lima, Ohio, where he raised Zavier, and Paris in Findlay, just 35 miles up the road. They got to know each other in the early 90s, facing each other in high school basketball, and have maintained a relationship ever since. So when Paris began

recruiting Zavier, it was a natural fit for both. “It was an easy conversation,” Quincey told The Daily. “Because, like I said, he’s from Findlay and we’ve known each other. So it was really comfortable talking to him. But I do remember when that process started. They just reached out to me and we just kind of built a relationship and we built a rapport.” “I first knew (Quincey) and then I saw Zavier was coming up and was a good player,” Paris, now the head coach at Chattanooga, added. “And I knew where he had been recruited and what kinds of schools were recruiting him. It probably was, originally, not at the Big Ten level, which, we didn’t care that much about. I just knew he was a good kid and a good solid player and a good leader.” Quincey, though, knew not

to magnify the importance of previous relationships, or which school offered when.

AAU player of his, but had no previous relationship with Wolverines coach John Beilein

of countless drives up I-75 to Ann Arbor. It took less than half the

ANNIE KLUS/Daily

Junior guard Zavier Simpson was recruited by Wisconsin before committing to play basketball for Michigan.

A former Division II player himself, he instead advised Zavier to concern himself with fit and development — two boxes which Wisconsin ticked just as well. “It was intriguing because Wisconsin has been known for the way that they develop players,” Quincey said. “And so, seeing some of the guards that they have had in the program, we were really happy that they were keying on my son’s recruiting.” Then, the summer after Simpson’s junior year of high school, everything abruptly changed. A friend of Quincey’s was a scout and told him that both Michigan and Michigan State were heavily pursuing Cassius Winston. Whoever didn’t get Winston, he explained, would be left without a point guard. Quincey knew the Spartans coaching staff through an old

or his staff. Still, he reached out to then-assistant Bacari Alexander to gauge Michigan’s interest. Soon, both Alexander and Beilein began showing up to Simpson’s AAU games. Beilein, though, acknowledged that his interest in Simpson was dependent on Winston’s decision. “He just said, ‘Hey, if I ever get the sense that I may not get (Winston), then I’m gonna go in hard with (Zavier).’ And we understood that,” Quincey said. “Most kids probably would take that as a diss, we took that as being honest, and we respected that.” But soon after the Wolverines started pursuing Simpson, it became clear that Winston was destined for East Lansing. So only one week after using one of their five official visits with Wisconsin that September, Quincey and Zavier hit the road for what would become the first

“I had not heard Michigan so that was ... out of nowhere.”

visit for Quincey to be sold on Michigan, but he didn’t want to force a decision on Zavier. A few hours later, on the drive home, he found out he didn’t have to. Zavier was ready to commit. “We always kept a pros and cons list for every school,” Quincey said. “And there were absolutely no cons when we visited Michigan. Every box was checked, so there was nothing else to wait around for.” Within days, Simpson’s commitment was official, stunning the Badgers — and every other school that had pursued him. “I hadn’t heard Michigan that much,” Paris said. “I had heard a couple other schools, but I had not heard Michigan so that was kind of out of nowhere.” Then, Paris paused and took a moment to ref lect on Simpson’s recruitment process — something he hasn’t done in years. “Anyway, it works out how it’s supposed to work out.” Three years on, the Wolverines can have no disagreements.


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