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Study to look at biosensor, health data relationship Researches to evaluate accuracy of Apple Watch data on wellness results CAMERON HUNT/Daily
Dr. Brian Wu, associate professor of strategy, gives his opening remarks at the Michigan in China forum at the Roberston Auditorium satuday.
Michigan China Forum discusses current Sino-U.S. relationship More than 150 students, local residents, professors gathered to participate in the event CLAIRE HAO
Daily Staff Reporter
More than 150 students, local Chinese-American residents, professors from around the country and business leaders from around the world gathered Saturday morning in Robertson Auditorium for the third annual Michigan China Forum.
The forum began with an opening ceremony and the Sino-US panel. Throughout the weekend, more than 1,300 people registered to participate in these two events, a career fair, a business pitch competition and panels on sports, business, education and the environment. Michigan China Forum, a not for profit student organization registered
GOVERNMENT
Panel talks journalism, social media & politics U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, reporters discuss role of media in digital space ALYSSA MCMURTRY Daily Staff Reporter
On Friday, the Ann Arbor chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists hosted four panelists at the Ann Arbor District Library for their discussion, titled “Social Media, Politics and the Fourth Estate,” to share their opinions on the fluctuating relationship between politics, social media and reporting. Panelists included U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., Seema Mehta, political writer for the Los Angeles Times, Alex Kellogg, awardwinning journalist and regular contributor to The Christian Science Monitor, and Daniel Rivkin, communications strategist and former Reuters bureau chief manager. Alexa St. John, SPJ President and former Editor in Chief of The Michigan Daily, began the discussion by asking how panelists felt about social media bridging the gaps were many media outlets failed.
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with the Ross School of Business, organized the annual one-and-a-half day conference with support from the Ross Global Initiatives Program and in partnership with U-M Chinese Scholars and Students Association, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Student and Alumni Association and China Entrepreneurship Network, among others.
Opening Ceremony In his opening remarks, Peter Shang, Michigan China Forum co-president and LSA junior, said the goal of the forum is to foster dialogue about Sino-U.S. related issues and develop future leaders for a globally interconnected world. See CONFERENCE, Page 2A
CHRIS SULLIVAN Daily Staff Reporter
The University of Michigan introduced a new study to investigate the relationship between biosensors and health results earlier this month, following a pilot program in September. The Michigan Predictive Activity and Clinical Trajectories (MIPACT) study is analyzing information from Apple Watches to see if it can offer accurate data on health and wellness. Dr. Sachin Kheterpal, an associate professor of anesthesiology at the University’s Medical School, is leading the MIPACT team and is interested in using biosensors like Apple
Watches because they have become a prevalent part of society. In an email interview, Kheterpal said not much research exists on the data devices like Apple Watches collect. “In recent years, wearable technology has rapidly spread into consumer markets and provides unique opportunities to engage individuals on tracking and managing their health,” Kheterpal said. “Utilization of mobile applications in health care research and administration can streamline patient consent, data collection and distribution of health care interventions.”
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‘That Brown Show’ hosts night of Indian Ann Arbor classic, modern dance at Hill Auditorium chapter of ANN ARBOR
Michigan Sahānā, five other groups perform to express admiration of culture THEODORE ZANGOULAS For The Daily
Michigan Sahānā hosted an energetic night of music and dance on Saturday with its annual “That Brown Show.” Approximately 300 hundred students, faculty and residents gathered at Hill Auditorium to watch Sahānā’s and five other dance groups’ student dancers and musicians blend classical and modern Indian dance and music. Michigan Sahānā is a student group focused on the appreciation and performance of Indian classical music and dance. This year’s production of “That Brown Show” was the first “That Brown Show Championship” in which Sahānā opened the stage to performances from five other Indian dance groups including
Michigan Izzat, Michigan Taal, Michigan Manzil, Michigan Bhangra Team, Wolveraas, Sahana Music, in addition to performances by Sahānā’s own dancers and musicians. Sahānā Vice President Pranav Vijay, LSA junior, described how this event came to fruition. “We do TBS every year, but this year we really wanted to do something special, something we had never done before,” Vijay said. “Around October/November, we had the idea for Championship, and, by luck, I guess, got probably the best team we could have asked for. Every single person was so qualified and all of us came together and put this show on and it was just a blast.” According to Sahānā dancer Keshav Akella, Engineering freshman, this year’s “That
Brown Show” served as a way for the various Indian dance groups on campus to express their love and passion for the art of Indian dance in its various styles. “Sure, all of our dance clubs are different in what we do, because there’s classical, there’s Raas, there’s the hip-hop, Bollywood type dances,” Akella said. “But we’re kind of cut from the same cloth of Indian dance and the unity behind it.” The night began with a performance by Sahānā’s musicians, using traditional Indian instruments and techniques. This performance was quickly followed by the dancers of the all-female Michigan Taal group, who fused classical and modern Indian dance, incorporating numerous other styles of modern dance as
well. Vijay explained the necessity of this fusion of classical and modern artforms. “I think it’s really important to preserve our roots and culture and I think (That Brown Show) is something that combines modern elements of dance plus we’re still sticking to our roots,” Vijay said. “I think it combines that in an amazing way.” Engineering sophomore James Pelkey said he came to the event after seeing the passion his friend, a dancer in the all-male Michigan Izzat troupe, had for dance. Pelkey echoed the ethos of the event when describing the importance of events like it.
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Bethlehem United Church hopes to address poverty cycle, structural racism ZAYNA SYED
Daily Staff Reporter
At Bethlehem United Church of Christ on Sunday afternoon, Sister Simone Campbell gave an interactive lecture addressing poverty, structural racism and income disparity in the United States. About 200 people attended the lecture and fundraiser, which was sponsored by the Ann Arbor chapter of RESULTS, an advocacy group that seeks to end poverty. Sister Simone is the Executive Director of NETWORK, a Catholic advocacy group that lobbies to mend gaps in income and wealth. She wrote the “Nun’s Letter,” a letter endorsing Obamacare which some credit as an important contribution in convincing Congress to support the Affordable Care Act. Sister Simone also led five crosscountry “Nuns on the Bus” trips to lobby members of Congress on issues like economic justice, immigration reform and voter turnout.
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Michigan Sahānā performs at That Brown Show at the Hill Auditorium Saturday night.
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CONFERENCE From Page 1 “The mission of the Michigan China Forum is to connect Michigan with China by inviting key figures across different industries to discuss the latest and most controversial topics,” Shang said. “We’re committed to empowering future leaders of the United States, China and beyond to excel in the global landscape. The forum will serve as a platform for students and young professionals across different cultures to gain insights, dispel biases and engage in inspiring dialogues.” Ray Cao, Michigan China Forum co-president and Engineering senior, elaborated on this year’s conference theme. “This year our forum has the theme of ‘Empower the Transformation,’ which reflects the ongoing, unprecedented changes that’s happened with the Sino-US relationship,” Cao said.
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“Michigan China Forum will help connect industry leaders with future victors to face all the chief challenges and welcome all the transformations.” Brian Wu, Ross China Initiatives faculty director and associate professor of strategy, gave a brief overview of the history between the University and China. Wu explained the third University President James Angell was also a U.S. minister to China. According to Wu, Angell convinced the U.S. government to return a 1901 war indemnity to China, which helped fund Tsinghua University, China’s top academic institution, and provided scholarships for Chinese students to study abroad. However, Angell’s involvement in drafting exclusionary immigration policy in the late 1800s has warranted criticism. Angell negotiated the Angell Treaty in 1880, an agreement with China permitting the United States to restrict but not entirely ban Chinese immigration. The
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Angell Treaty formed the basis of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which ended immigration of both skilled and unskilled Chinese laborers for 10 years and required every Chinese person traveling to and from the United States to carry identification. In addition, according to Wu, when the Chinese table tennis team visited the United States in 1972 in what has been dubbed “ping-pong diplomacy” — the thawing of Cold War tensions between the U.S. and China after each country’s national ping pong team was invited and travelled to the other country — the University was its first stop. In 2017, University faculty organized the 45th anniversary celebration of ping-pong diplomacy. In his welcome speech, Brad Killaly, Associate Dean of Ross Global Programs and clinical assistant professor of strategy, expressed the mission of the Michigan China Forum aligns with the mission of both the Business School and the larger University in promoting understanding and cooperation. “Regardless of how we may feel in the discourse around in the world now with potentially a lack of understanding across boundaries and borders, events such as this are absolutely critical in changing representation of a boxing match to one of handshakes,” Killaly said. “And our role and our responsibility here at the Ross School of Business and of our entire University is to in fact build an entire world of handshakes, optimism and positive change.” Zhao Jian, consul general of China in Chicago, delivered the keynote speech, in which he highlighted the economic growth of China in the last 70 years. He noted China is the world’s second largest economy and has lifted hundreds of millions of Chinese people out of poverty. Jian said China’s development is a result of the hard work and wisdom of the Chinese people. According to Zhao
Jian, China is devoted to open cooperation as global relationships benefit China and the rest of the world depends on China. “China is committed to deepening reform and opening wider to the world,” Zhao Jian said. “Openness brings progress while seclusion leads to backwardness. China cannot develop itself in isolation from the world, and the world needs China for global prosperity.” Zhao Jian expressed the SinoU.S. relationship has been key in addressing a number of issues, including counterterrorism, trade, environmental protection, disease control and moon exploration. Going forward, though much has changed, Zhao Jian emphasized the importance of cooperation between China and the United States. “The importance of this bilateral relationship to welfare of the people of our two countries and the broader international community has not changed,” Zhao Jian said. “This is a relationship between the largest developing country and the largest developed country, actually the only superpower in the world … We both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.” Sino-U.S. Relations Panel The Sino-U.S. Relations Panel was held immediately following the Opening Ceremony. Moderated by LSA junior Ian Wang, the panel centered around three major themes: nationalism and political development, politics of the Sino-U.S. trade relation and conflicts and cooperation. Panel members included Wu; Suisheng Zhao, University of Denver professor of Chinese politics and foreign policy; Ronald Inglehart, professor emeritus of political science; Jerry Lou, founder and CEO of Everpine Capital; and Shunri Guo, CEO and co-founder of ParcelX.
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Monday, April 1, 2019 — 3A
Three Generations
Three-generations impacted by three words: The American Dream. KAYLEAH SON MiC Columnist
From those who chased it, to those who nurtured it, to those who fulfilled it, I wanted to understand how these three words shaped each generation in my family, and what it meant to each one of us through our greatest successes and regrets.
Generation One: Chasers of the American Dream | Son Tae Shik (85) Translated from Korean. Accomplishment: “My greatest achievement in my eightysomething years of life…It was also the cause of my greatest challenges, but it would be coming to America. My early years of life in Korea was poor... Dirt poor. I didn’t have electricity, my clothes were cheap, and daily life was mediocre. A sustainable life was unheard of – a strange concept to me back then – but when I heard about the opportunities and almost fantasy-like tales of America, I just had to. It was my dream… for myself, more for my children. But achieving that dream was difficult in itself… when we made payments to come to America by plane, we never expected the hardships that followed us. I was in my thirties, not knowing the language or culture, with no knowledge in navigating the Los Angeles streets. I was a mere house painter, while your grandmother worked in a sewing factory - pause - But it was worth it. The dream, it was worth it.”
Regret: “My greatest regret is the most obvious one – which I failed to realize back then – was not learning how to speak English. I came with the mindset that we were too old to adopt a new language… And plus, working non-stop at various blue-collar jobs didn’t give me time to sit down and open a book to learn English. I was too busy. At the same time, I assumed that my kids, who went to public American schools back then, would help me if I ran into any issues with my broken English. I didn’t realize that even though we lived in Koreatown – the neighbors spoke Korean, the restaurants were all Korean, even the dogs that roamed the streets were of that Korean jindo kind – everything was still in English. Looking back, it caused a lot of misunderstandings and problems in my life, even to the point where I had lost money.”
Generation Two: Nurturers of the American Dream | Son Kyung-il (53) Accomplishment: “My greatest achievement - chuckle - would be my children – you guys. I can’t even comprehend my ability to love someone, the fact that I’m able to have that much love for someone. Whatever [my two daughters] do, I always feel proud… You’ll become a parent and understand… To see them grow with abundant opportunities, to see them adopt two different cultures, it’s a blessing. That would be my biggest achievement – to build our life here so that it would be enough for my two daughters… If I lose everything, it doesn’t matter. I have my family by my side. That’s why I’m happy. As long as I have my children.” Regret: “Hmm.. regrets? This one is tough… I would say I regret my habit of avoidance. What I mean to say is that I used to constantly flee from my
problems. Relational problems, problems at school, or at work… I tried to escape, rather than face them. When I was young, especially after coming right to America, there was the issue of language and adjusting… I was already 17 when I arrived here… I remember when I got rejected from college, they offered me a chance to appeal. I thought it was too much work so I decided to go to a college that just accepted me instead… Because I kept hiding from my fears, every time these same problems would occur over and over again, they were every bit discouraging and selfhindering. I wish I had been more bold back then, wish I had the courage to be more proactive… but it’s still never too late to change my habit, even now.”
Generation Three: Fulfilment of the American Dream | Son Haneur (19) Accomplishment: “I can’t say I’ve accomplished quite a lot in my 19 years of life, but my greatest accomplishment so far… as predictable as this may be, would be college. Being accepted and going to a university may seem like a almost-shallow, societal metric of how “well” you’re playing the game of life. But reflecting back on the previous interviews with my parents and grandparents, I know this “achievement” hasn’t been on my own, but decades in the making. What makes this so important to me is that my grandmother never received any form of college education. My grandfather attended a local college, only to spend his life as a house painter. My father and mother were able to attend state colleges, despite their language barrier and underprivileged households. My education means the world to me because not only am I learning for myself, but on behalf of my family who has gotten me to
this point in life…I had selfishly assumed this opportunity – or gift – of education should have been given to me, but now I am eternally grateful for it.” Regret: “My regret – and also my motivator – is not realizing this sooner. I remember going through a stage of “I can’t wait to leave my family and become independent,” hence my decision of choosing Michigan. But now I’ve wished I spent more time with them, with greater appreciation and understanding of their hardships. It’s so easy to assume their lives were as cushioned as mine – since the world I was born into, and only ever known is what they have provided me with. As I look to the future, I’m encouraged and excited to take use of all the chances I’ve been given, because that’s what my parents – and grandparents – have struggled long and hard for.”
Gujarati food: The spices Reconciling with identity: Stop that bind a culture together worrying about how to be Indian ARJUN THAKKAR MiC Columnist
Eating out used to be a delicacy. I once longed for the rare weekends when my family would go out to a restaurant like Olive Garden or even a fast food chain like Taco Bell. I shake my head when I remember how I once gagged at the food my mom spent hours preparing for us. Home-cooked Gujarati meals — the same meals I rejected years ago by sticking out my tongue — is now a blessing I’m rarely afforded, but it’s one that I humbly accept when I get the chance. The presence of spice and a distinct savory scent dominates my taste buds and nostrils where the bland pizza and salads of the dining halls don’t even stir me. Yet Gujarati food is more than just something that feels good
to eat. It’s through these foods, these spices and these smells that I remain connected to who I am and where I come from. For as much as my language skills may deteriorate, my religious beliefs may lose conviction, and my family members may become distant, what binds all of this together is an appreciation for the cuisine. I speak Gujarati with precision while asking my grandma about the dhokla she cooked. My parents tell me the importance of giving prasad as an offering to the Hindu deities. My cousins and I can always bond at the dinner table as we eat rice and daal. As my conception of being Gujarati continues to fall apart, food is the constant that keeps me grounded in my culture and my upbringing. When I warm up food from my mom in the microwave, the smell reminds
me of the time and care she puts into feeding her two sons. When I open up the fridge to grab a container, I see my dad carefully filling those containers and handing them to me. When I take a bite, I flashback to my grandma feeding it to me as a toddler who couldn’t even hold a spoon. Indian food is more than just sustenance: It is a cultural element that sustains my connection with my family and my identity. No matter how well I abide to the standards of being Gujarati or an IndianAmerican, I remain confident that our food will be like a trail of breadcrumbs. Should I choose to follow it, I will find contentment with my future cultural engagement while being able to look back and remember where I came from.
ARJUN THAKKAR MiC Columnist
Whenever a relative from India can’t understand my broken Gujarati and says to just speak English, the thought comes up. Whenever I go to mandir to pray and don’t know what to say or think, the thought comes up. Whenever an international student from the Motherland makes an offhand comment about how I’m not really Indian, the thought comes up. I think that I’m not Indian. I think that I’m a first generation college student who can never know his culture as well as his parents. I can’t ever be a real Hindu. I can’t maintain the traditions my family tried to preserve and instill in me. I’m not Indian. Reconciling an Indian cultural background with an American
upbringing is a moment-tomoment struggle. When I introduce myself to someone, I stutter. Should I say my name the way I’ve said it my whole life? Or should I say it the way my family and any Indian person says it? Either way feels wrong. I don’t even try to speak Hindi, and when I try to make small talk in Gujarati with family, they just end up switching to English anyway to accomodate my bumbling demeanor. Even though my identity on most documents is Indian American, the second identifier feels more prevalent than the first. Despite the vast cultural divide I feel among relatives, there is a response to this notion of Indian-ness. Not only is there no explicit rulebook dictating what it means to be Indian, but it’s not necessary either to try and group yourself into these one size fits all monoliths. Being Indian should
not come at the expense of my own sense of self. I can care about Indian culture without beating myself up over not abiding by arbitrary nonexistent guidelines. What’s more useful to focus on is my own personal identity. I don’t have to say I’m Indian or American or any particular binary label for identity. What I can use to identify myself is my appreciation for Indian culture, whether that is the food, the celebrations, or my family. I can consider my American upbringing without feeling guilty too. Being in this country has cultivated within me a sense of individualism, an appreciation for different cultures, and a pursuit of knowledge that make me thankful and proud to have grown up here. I am an IndianAmerican, and I don’t have to keep on questioning what it means to be one. I’m already doing what is right.
Korean beauty and colorism MONICA KIM MiC Columnist
On my laptop, you’ll find a bookmarked folder labeled “Beauty,” which is completely filled with articles on KBeauty — Korean Beauty, for short. You’ll see that my skincare and makeup routine is made up of only Korean products and that my email inbox is cluttered with newsletters from Soko Glam, a U.S. website that curates KBeauty products, and the Klog, a KBeauty blog. Suffice to say, you’ll probably come to the conclusion that I am a Kbeauty obsessive, and you’d be correct. I’ve used KBeauty for about three years now, but it wasn’t until last year that I became aware of the deeply entrenched colorism that is present in KBeauty — and in other Asian beauty products as well. This manifests itself most clearly in skin-whitening products, products that are marketed, mostly toward women, to encourage them to run after a colorist, dangerous beauty standard of having lighter skin. It can hide itself in less obvious products as well, products that aren’t explicitly marketed toward whitening one’s skin. The key is an ingredient known as hydroquinone, which I found in a product that did not include any packaging about being skinwhitening; when I had bought it, I was not aware of this ingredient or that it was used in skin-whitening
products. Once I learned about it, I stopped using the product. This ingredient, and more explicit skin-whitening products, don’t just perpetuate a certain white American and European beauty standard, but can also be incredibly harmful to those who use them. Physically, it can lead to intense cystic acne and irreversible skin thinning; mentally, it can make one feel less adequate, less human for being deemed “too dark.” KBeauty has also lagged behind in what’s been called the “Fenty effect,” after Rihanna’s beauty line that has gained acclaim for its numerous (40! shades!) and inclusive shades for all women, not just white women. Meanwhile, many KBeauty products often only offer five or six shades, sometimes even as low as three. One could argue that South Korea doesn’t have as many black and brown folks living in the country, and that is why they have limited shades. While that’s certainly true, it doesn’t account for the fact that KBeauty has exploded in the U.S. and elsewhere, where there are many black and brown folks, and many who are making their mark in the beauty industry and world. If KBeauty companies know their products are extremely popular to users outside of South Korea, then they must take into account the varying shades of all people.
All of this points to the history and continuation of colorism within South Korea, as well as in many other Asian countries and Asian American communities. Historically, Koreans with tanner or slightly darker skin were associated with the poor and farm work, which was often looked down upon because they were not part of the nobility. The valorization and fetishization of white skin dates as far back as
the Gojoseon era, and European and American imperialism certainly didn’t help matters in the perpetuation of colorism, either. Today, South Korea leads in cosmetic surgery, and many, many people find ways to lighten their skin. So why do I still buy from KBeauty companies? I avoid the skin-whitening products, of course. But when I began my foray into KBeauty a few years ago, it
was because I wanted to clear up my skin (which I recognize is a beauty standard / norm that I am still wrestling with) and because a part of me believed that this would be a way for me to feel more authentically Korean American, never mind the fact that there isn’t just one way of being “authentically” Korean American. A part of me still believes that, and it is something that I am still wrestling with as well.
But there is also some evidence that KBeauty companies are following in the footsteps of those who have widened the beauty industry to be more inclusive for people of color. There are a few KBeauty brands that, while they certainly don’t have as many as Rihanna’s 40 shades, have more than what is normally seen in many KBeauty products. It’s certainly a start — and yet, there is so much more room to grow.
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4A — Monday, April 1, 2019
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MARISA WRIGHT | COLUMN
I
Mayor Pete, Beto O’Rourke and sexism in politics
Nor weg ian to n a new Emerson poll, speaking journalist af ter former Vice President another Joe Biden and Sen. learning he was from a outlet. After Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., at Nor weg ian revealing he 25 and 24 percent learned Norwegian respectively, lead because he wanted the Democratic to read an author f ield among whose work has Iowa voters. And not been translated moreover, Mayor in English, the Pete Buttig ieg anecdote went viral of South Bend, and everyone was Indiana (11 charmed. percent) surged MARISA All of this ahead to third is totally WRIGHT place followed understandable. by Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., (10 percent) I, too, was charmed. Yet, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, this story is pretty much the extent of attention the media D-Mass. (9 percent). These results are has given him. They have not unsurprising for t wo reasons. posed substantive questions The f irst is Buttig ieg has about his policies — which absolutely shined recently, in my view, seem to be halfespecially in a recent baked adoptions of Warren’s CNN Town Hall at SXSW, proposals — or seriously where he demonstrated his assessed his qualif ications. intelligence, thoughtf ulness on policy and humilit y. Yet Harris and Warren have done the same, particularly g iven they have both recently released large and substantive policy proposals. Harris introduced a national plan to dramatically raise teacher salaries, and Warren proposed plans to make childcare affordable, decrease government corruption, break up large Still, it is important to note tech corporations and decrease wealth inequalit y the difference of Buttig ieg by ta xing the extremely from O’Rourke and the other wealthy, which leads us to traditional white and male the second reason this is candidates, which is the historic nature of Buttig ieg ’s unsurprising. as the f irst Despite Harris and campaig n Warren’s proposals and openly-gay man ever to run demonstrated support for president. His candidacy in Iowa, positive media will be inspirational for coverage has mostly many, especially for the centered on traditional (or, queer communit y and, in white male) candidates. For particular, queer youth. It example, former U.S. Rep. is for this reason that it is Beto O’Rourke, D-Texas, has unfair to lazily throw him been presented as a rock star into the same categor y as the by the media, in spite of the other white male candidates, fact that he has made only but it is also important to one trip to Iowa and only acknowledge the advantages vag uely discussed his policy his gender and race g ive him. The fact that these proposals. He has received some skeptical coverage, but personal stories are enough not much — it’s mostly seen to push him ahead in about his unclear platform the polls demonstrates a or his love of standing on broader problem in how electorate weighs bar tops when speaking to the much more voters, which apparently personalit y than experience, policy and happens a lot. On a similar note, capabilit y. Still, this cannot Buttig ieg has also received be separated from the sexism some particularly fawning at play in determining who coverage. A reporter shared we are charmed by and for an anecdote in which whom we have disdain. And Buttig ieg began abruptly the media plays an important
It is important to critique the fawning coverage of O’Rourke and Buttigieg
role in who is considered likable and who is not. People have a propensit y to humanize those who look like them over those who do not by seeing themselves — their hopes, insecurities, desires, downfalls — in them. When a primarily young, white and male press corps covers the primar y and general election, it is easy to see why more empathy and adoration is g iven to the white male candidates, in addition to the fact that 44 of 45 American presidents have been white males. Nonetheless, I was born and raised in Indiana, so I have known about and liked Buttig ieg a lot longer than he has been on the national scene. In my view, Buttig ieg is quite smart, genuine and passionate. Af ter a recent inter view on “Pod Save America,” he has even climbed higher on my list of favorite 2020 candidates. Still, it is important to critique the fawning media coverage of O’Rourke and Buttig ieg that celebrates personalit y while ig noring important policy platforms presented by female candidates, because media coverage shapes elections and how people think about candidates. To be clear, the problem is with the media coverage and how it has subsequently affected voters. Pointing out the sexism at play for women in politics, especially when running for president, is not meant to attack male candidates or dissuade voters from supporting them. Even as I g row more and more frustrated at the sexism in this primar y, I do not blame the candidates themselves for sexist media coverage or biased voters. Calling out sexism — or in some cases, racism and homophobia— is meant to create an equal playing f ield where voters are free to support their prefered candidate without social biases creating unfair advantages. Making sexism visible to unsuspecting voters and journalists only calls on them to consider how their own biases shape who they view as electable, likable and presidential. Marisa Wright can be reached at marisadw@umich.edu.
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Build coalitions for social justice through student orgs
n the fall of 2016 at the University of Michigan, a chapter of HeForShe, a gender equality solidarity movement, was formed. Over this past summer, a HeForShe member was venting their frustrations about the University of Michigan’s response to Richard Spencer’s visit to a University employee. The employee told them something that HeForShe believes should frame our approach to activism work on campus: “Students can be frantic and the University can be hesitant.” As we have seen, the University’s student body has been increasingly at odds with University officials and the administration. Protests have shut down the bus systems and filled the Fleming Administration Building, teach-outs are highly attended and student activists across campus are at a loss for how to get the University to listen to them and understand their needs. HeForShe also attributes the University’s reluctant responses to a lack of cohesion among social justice activism groups on campus. There are more than 1,500 student organizations on Maize Pages. Filtered down by the “activism” category, 365 organizations still show up. The point being: There are a lot of student activists and activism groups at the University of Michigan. This is a great thing and it proves that there are thousands of us on campus who are willing to fight for what we believe in. What HeForShe
wonders is how can we work together to achieve our goals. Social justice orgs seem to compete for attendance at events, attention of the administration and campus resources like rooms and funding. How can we reach social justice on our campus when individual organizations seem to be yelling into a void, drowned out by the sheer volume of clubs?
We all strive for similar goals: equality and justice.
When we fight for social justice, we are not doing so to beat down other social justice organizations. There should not be any competition when we are fighting for the same goals. As an activism organization, HeForShe hopes to build a coalition of student activists and student activism organizations because so much more can happen if we pool our ideas and resources together. We all strive for similar goals: equality and justice. There are measures being taken. The Central Student Government liaison program is a new initiative designed “to provide a platform for students and their organizations to externally address possible issues within their groups. It
also aims to foster a greater connection between campus organizations.” HeForShe was one of the first social justice organizations to be a part of the program and we highly encourage other organizations to get involved. In order to build this coalition for social justice on our campus, HeForShe is taking the first step: reaching out. We are embarking on a listening tour and we want to meet all gender equalityrelated student organizations to form a relationship. We want to know who is on their executive board, what their mission statement is, what events they are are hosting and how we can work together to achieve gender equality on our campus. To do this, we ask that student organizations that deal with gender equality (even tangentially) attend the first ever student organization summit dedicated to coalition building. The event is called “The State of Gender Equality Orgs at U-M: Student Org Summit” and it will be held Tuesday, April 2 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library Gallery (Room 100). For more information, find the event on Facebook. As students cycle in and out of the University at the close of the winter 2019 semester, HeForShe invites you to think about the future. What can we be doing now for the students who will come after us? Meghan Brody is a senior in LSA and the outgoing president of HeForShe. They can be reached at megbrody@umich.edu.
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Monday, April 1, 2019 — 5A
DAILY LITERATURE COLUMN
COMMUNITY CULTURE REVIEW
The JazzLab jam session Etheridge Knight’s great American poetry thrills ZACHARY M.S. WAARALA Daily Arts Writer
I have been through biology labs, physics labs, chemistry labs and several neuroscience labs. Who could have guessed that the lab to bewilder me the most was none other than the University of Michigan’s own JazzLab Ensemble? This past Thursday, the JazzLab Ensemble gathered in Rackham Auditorium for a night of renditions of classic jazz pieces directed by Dennis Wilson. A total of 27 musicians filtered on and off the stage between numbers as the group swept between different genres of jazz — from the slow lyrical jazz of “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me” to the fast-paced moving jazz of “Flight to
Nassau.” The conductor of JazzLab Ensemble was energetic and engaged throughout the entire show and seemed to be truly enjoying himself leading the student group. Wilson also kept the crowd entertained in the dead air between some of the pieces that involved shuffling of positions and musicians with backstories to some of the titles, as well as some impromptu stand-up comedy. When SMTD senior Allison Taylor started singing, my throat became dry and my eyes began to water, as though I had tasted something unbelievably sweet beyond my gustatory capabilities. Taylor sang Wilson’s own arrangement of Victor Young’s “Stella by Starlight” that left the audience breathless. SMTD student Ben Powell
performed the other vocal piece of the set, “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me,” that made me wonder if I was listening to Sinatra himself. Powell’s vocal performance came as somewhat of a surprise to those who were not familiar with the group, as Powell spent the first half of the performance tucked behind the piano, playing bass. Nonetheless, he slinked out from his perch and blew the crowd away, as he bellowed out notes that mimicked the bass he was playing just moments ago. The group’s shining instruments matched the almost metallic tune. The golden pick-ups of Ian Thompson’s hollow-body guitar gleamed in the dim light of Rackham Auditorium.
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BOOK REVIEW
An ‘Old Drift’ for the ages following the same three families over a vast number of decades is that we can see how a marriage changes and Senior Arts Editor evolves over time: Agnes and Ronald lose their passion, Matha’s parents are separated by political beliefs and “The Old Drift” by Namwali Serpell is based on the Sibilla loses sight of the Frederico she once knew. It’s tried and true concept of a cast of seemingly unrelated a cynical depiction of love — each couple is plagued by characters that, at some point in time, encounter doubts and hardships, making it some small wonder any of them manage each other in varying to stay together as degrees of intimacy. their love dwindles. As In spite of this lack of someone who is heavily ingenuity, “The Old Namwali Serpell invested in YA novels Drift” still manages to and happy endings, I capture readers with its Hogarth found each couple’s colorful depiction of life Mar. 21, 2019 successive downfall a in Zambia, through the little depressing. eyes of three different That twinge of families spanning over a sadness on the edge of each story, whether a lost dream century of history. The story begins with a colonial explorer, Percy or broken couple, helps Serpell suspend “The Old Clark, in Africa, stomping through the wild the way Drift” in a balanced world between sci-fi and historical only a rich white man in the 1890s could do. Serpell fiction. Many of the plot obstacles that arise are rooted uses Percy’s life as a way of establishing the cultural in Zambia’s political turmoil of the ’70s, showcasing background for the story, as well as highlighting the the lasting effects of dreams unfollowed. As the book racial tensions that are expected from any kind of progresses, and more characters meet each other, these repercussions are explored further with Serpell conquest-minded history. “The Old Drift” strikes a difficult balance — race is dropping hints and consequences into each storyline. “The Old Drift” doesn’t just stay in the past, though. obviously an important part of anyone’s identity and often shapes characters and readers alike, but it should Serpell creates and explores a future that carries with not be the defining characteristic of any one person. it many familiar worries, including climate change In the race for diversity, we too often see authors (dubbed “The Change”) and excessive government reinventing their characters as an afterthought in order monitoring through technology. Her tactic is to appeal to a “broader” audience. Yet, even though the interesting: Serpell has created a world in the early consequences of race are prominent throughout “The 2020s, a not-so-distant future that still manages to Old Drift,” Serpell creates characters whose existence be as foreign as if she were to set it 200 years into the future. It’s a world poised just on the cusp of familiarity, doesn’t hinge solely upon their racial struggles. Though “The Old Drift” retains a heavily highlighting the disasters and leaders at the root of an heteronormative group of characters, Serpell deftly apocalyptic future, leaving the reader with a trace of explores a variety of family dynamics. The benefit of the nervous energy of what could be. EMMA CHANG
The Old Drift
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SERVICES Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis DOWN 1 How food may be salted 2 Broke into and stole from 3 Mixed with a spoon 4 Walk nervously to and fro 5 “Eww!” 6 Indian bread 7 French pancake 8 “Yes, captain” 9 Is suffering from, as a cold 10 College address suffix 11 Make larger 12 Appease 13 Bowling x’s 18 “Felicity” star Russell 22 Bowling pin count 26 Chatted with online, briefly 27 Pleads 28 Lid inflammation 29 Rip to shreds 31 Opposite of giveth 35 USO show audience 38 Broadcast with greater image resolution, as TV shows
Russia, respectively), and the former emigrated to the United States later in his life. It is interesting in somewhat different ways to examine the story of Knight, whose story of oppression is distinctly and troublingly American.
LAURA DZUBAY Knight enlisted in the U.S. army in 1947 when he was only sixteen and served for three years as a medical technician in the Korean War. This experience left him both physically and psychologically traumatized, his trauma leading to an opiate addiction. A decade later, in 1960, Knight was arrested for armed robbery. He would spend most of the 1960s — a socially, culturally and artistically pivotal time in America — in prison, before his release in 1968. That same year, he published “Poems from Prison” and married Sonia Sanchez, another major literary figure of the Black Arts Movement. Knight’s experiences at war, his drug addiction, his time spent in prison — these were interlocking issues,
39 Fat-free milk 40 Spare in a Brit’s boot 41 Turns down 42 Ill-fated 1967 moon mission 43 “__ of sugarplums danced in their heads”: Moore 46 Green bowlful 47 Last train car
48 Attached using a Swingline 50 U.K.’s continent 51 Defeat decisively 53 Airline to Tel Aviv 55 Pet adoption org. 60 Letters before gees 62 Halves of qts. 63 Tofu source 65 Dorm VIPs 66 Mischief-maker
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issues that affected Knight all throughout his life. Yet what truly characterized his life and his work was his undying commitment to feeling and truth. He was in all respects a proponent of passion, whose persistent efforts to access human truth and spirit through language and poetry live on through his literary work and the effect he has had on other writers. His expertise in language is impressive in its f luidity. Knight’s work is constantly shifting in terms of his approaches to form, structure, rhyme and other crucial poetic elements. Any avenue into his work might offer a different first impression, all more or less equally thrilling and captivating. There’s the lyricism and back-and-forth structure of “At a VA Hospital in the Middle of the United States of America: An Act in a Play,” which, like much of Knight’s work, carries the heavy implication of musical inf luence. There’s the prosebut-not-quite storytelling of “A Fable,” and the simple, heart-rending lament of “Cell Song,” which carries within its four brief stanzas a sense of tragedy particular to Knight’s experience in prison. What Knight’s rich and varied array of creative work has in common, it shares with the poet himself: a studious and brave attention to the human experience, impossible to divorce from the deep natures of heart and soul.
TV REVIEW
‘Jane’ deserves an Emmy MAITREYI ANANTHARAMAN
myself to thinking. But then the fifth and final season premiered, and you know what? This time, I think they can do it. Gina Rodriguez delivers a one-shot, seven-minute monologue so It seems a shame that I should encounter disarming, so stunning and so conspicuous that “Jane the Virgin” in all its quirky, ambitious, it’s inconceivable that something this good could pastel-coated glory and be made horribly, just slip under the Academy’s radar. If it does go unspeakably angry. But that’s how the show’s unnoticed? Move to Neptune, become a cordlast seven or so episodes have left me feeling. cutter, burn everything down, nothing matters. The monologue in question is Jane’s loopy, Not through any fault of their own — “Jane the Virgin” is the same formally interesting gem it anguished response to (big spoiler!) the has always been: sweet but caustic, a great lofty reappearance of her presumed-dead husband, experiment in how many things a character can Michael (Brett Dier, “Bomb Girls”). Following his death in the be and feel and say third season, Jane at once. What has spent four makes me mad is years grieving and not how much the figuring out how show is giving us, to move on from but how little it is tragedy with grace, getting in return. The CW professionally, There are personally and subreddits of men Season Premiere romantically. It who have devoted seemed, toward their lives to Wednesdays @ 9 p.m. the end of the close reading the, fourth season, that oh I don’t know, everything was four-hour, sevenfalling into place minute mark of for Jane. She’d the fifth episode of “Westworld,” a show so prestige-desperate had an epic breakthrough in writing her novel. and enamored of its own muddy mythology that Her mother, Xiomara (Andrea Navedo, “Law & it forgot to be even nominally watchable. Alec Order”), had weathered cancer. Rafael (Justin Baldwin — yes, Alec Baldwin — won an Emmy Baldoni, “Everwood”), the father of her son, was last year for his Donald Trump portrayal on planning to propose. In hindsight, it was only “Saturday Night Live” because, hey, it’s Alec natural that the show would throw a wrench Baldwin, and he’s in an oversized suit and a silly into all of that. And, oh, what a wrench. Michael has been very much alive this whole wig and isn’t it nice when political commentary is actually neither political nor commentary but time, his “death” orchestrated by the nefarious crime lord Sin Rostro (Bridget Regan, “The instead some sort of feckless lookalike contest? With contemporaries like these, how could Last Ship”). But wait, there’s more! “Jane the one not be angered by “Jane the Virgin”’s Virgin” has checked off the final telenovela perennial Emmy snubbing? The show’s only two trope box by afflicting him with amnesia; he nominations have been for its terrific narrator, has no recollection of his previous life, and most Anthony Mendez (who lost both times to PBS distressingly, no recollection of Jane. He now documentaries). There are a few likely reasons goes by Jason, calls Jane “Ma’am” in a slow, for this failure. First, of course, the show is unaffected drawl (much to Jane’s consternation) unmistakably feminine. Jane Villanueva (Gina and is without his once-signature sense of Rodriguez, “Carmen Sandiego”), the ebullient humor. “Jane the Virgin,” as its title cheekily hints, dreamer at the heart of it all, wears sundresses and writes romance novels and gabs with her has always been about labels and living within mom and abuela. The show itself is both a love the confines of those labels. At different points letter to and a subversion of the telenovela, in her life, we’ve seen Jane struggle with what an ostensibly feminine form. It also boasts a it means to be a mother, a virgin, a writer, a wife majority-minority cast. On “Jane the Virgin,” and now a widow. The real agony of Michael’s Latinx persons are not merely included, they’re return lies in the very fragile peace Jane has centered. And perhaps the ultimate nail in the made with her life since his death. If Michael’s awards coffin — it’s on The CW, which is more memory comes back (which seems like it will be a running joke than it is a television network. the case), where will that leave Jane? Or Jane If the agreed upon formula for acclaim is to and Rafael? Or Jane and Michael? What the tell a story of the angst of men and to do it on show’s exciting challenge will be now — one it an angsty network for angsty men, “Jane the will surely pull off with aplomb — is to take the Virgin” is probably not winning anything any wacky situation it has engineered and to imbue it with the lived-in authenticity that makes time soon. Or at least, this is what I had resigned “Jane the Virgin” truly special. Daily Arts Writer
Jane the Virgin
Release Date: Monday, April 1, 2019
ACROSS 1 Half a fluid oz. 5 Ancient Peruvian 9 Jalopies 14 “I’m __ here!”: “Adios!” 15 “North by Northwest” actor Grant 16 Grownup 17 Unpredictable leg joint problem 19 Coffee sweetener 20 Be on the same page 21 Butter square 23 Old AT&T rival 24 Camera largely replaced by its digital version, for short 25 Beef named for a bone 30 Golfer’s booking 32 Diplomatic accord 33 Ancient Icelandic text 34 __ McMuffin 36 “The Deep” director Peter 37 Sally, to Charlie Brown 41 Poe’s one-word bird 44 Stars are seen in it 45 Bars on candy bars, e.g.: Abbr. 49 Disparaging word 52 “Let me say this again ... ” 54 “Love, Simon” co-star 56 Lawyer’s gp. 57 Inventor Whitney 58 $200 Monopoly props. 59 Fable writer 61 Hooves-oncobblestone sounds 64 Cry for today, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 25-, 37- and 54-Across 67 Lone Ranger’s pal 68 Con job 69 Blend by melting 70 Actress Spacek 71 Locking device 72 Went really fast
Yesterday morning I was sitting in the dining room of my house, a co-op of 20-something housemates who are always coming in and out. The conversations we have are wonderfully different every day. One of my housemates sat near me as I was working, and we got to talking about music we loved, and then poetry we loved, and then Etheridge Knight. I pushed my laptop across the table and told him to read “Feeling Fucked Up,” then sat there and tried not to seem too much like I was watching him read it, which I was. It’s hard not to feel this way about any artistic work, or any thing, that you really like, and especially about Knight. His is the kind of work that doesn’t just dig under your skin; it starts under there, and it only burrows deeper, past the heart and to the spirit and the soul. Etheridge Knight was a major poet of the 20th century whose first two books, “Poems from Prison” and “Black Voices from Prison,” chronicled the eight years Knight spent incarcerated, the writing he produced during that time and the writings of his fellow inmates. I’ve written columns here in the past about poets who battled systems of oppression and incarceration in order to share their feelings and ideas with the world, among them Anna Akhmatova and Nguyen Chí Thien. Both of these writers faced oppressive governments in their home countries (Vietnam and
Arts
6A — Monday, April 1, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ALBUM REVIEW
FILM NOTEBOOK
‘When We Fall Asleep’ is a nuanced debut from Eilish DIANA YASSIN Daily Arts Writer
NETFLIX
Ranking Marvel: Part one JEREMIAH VANDERHELM Daily Arts Writer
With “Endgame” just a month away, it’s time to look back at the most successful cinematic experiment of our time — the Marvel Cinematic Universe — from its billion dollar cinematic heights to its most minor TV outings, to see how well they tell their stories with the means available to them. 44. “Marvel’s Iron Fist”: Season 1 (2017) Before its release, “Iron Fist” was staring down a whitewashing controversy and the weight of having to build up to “The Defenders,” and it blinked. Hard. The characters, with the notable exception of Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing, are largely unlikeable and saddled with boring storylines, and the fight scenes that should have been the lifeblood of the series are perhaps the most incompetent in the entire MCU. Come for the mystical kung-fu, stay for the endless board meetings. 43. “Marvel’s Inhumans”: Season 1 (2017) The first and only season of “Inhumans” is the very definition of “cheap,” which is doubly surprising when you remember that this was originally announced as a Phase Three film to be released between “Infinity War” and “Endgame.” Someone at Marvel must have realized what a stinker they had on their hands, so they slashed the budget and exiled it to ABC. This is a show that stars alien superheroes from the Moon and decides to send them to Hawaii for a fish out of water story. The only thing worse than the writing are the visuals, the ugliest in the MCU. 42. “Marvel’s Runaways”: Season 2 (2018) After a full first season in which the titular Runaways never actually ran away, the superpowered teenagers at the center of the show finally escape their evil parents and proceed to do nothing but argue, keep secrets and argue about keeping secrets for an insufferable slog of a sophomore season. Other shows usually need a full twentyplus episode season to reach this level of directionless tedium. Season two of “Runaways” does it
in thirteen. 41. “Marvel’s The Punisher”: Season 2 (2019) The second season of “The Punisher” has thirteen episodes and enough plot to fill half of that. The opening salvo is resolutely solid with brutal action and another wounded performance from Jon Bernthal, but the interesting story it sets up about far-right extremists is quickly abandoned for a return to New York City and a protracted and predictable game of cat-andamnesiac-mouse between Frank and Billy Russo. 40. “Iron Man 2” (2010) The worst film in the MCU is one of its earliest, a movie that uses most of its runtime to put the pieces in place for the rest of the universe while neglecting to actually develop a story of its own. At any given moment there are something like three storylines all vying for attention, and most of them end in anticlimax. Remember Whiplash? Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer? Tony’s dad leaving him the plans for a new element in the layout for his off-brand world’s fair? Good, because Marvel doesn’t want you to. 39. “Marvel’s Runaways”: Season 1 (2017) This show is called “Runaways.” It is composed of 10 episodes. It takes until the final moments of the first season for the characters to actually run away. At about fifty minutes per episode and ten episodes per season, that’s 499 minutes “Runaways” spends spinning its wheels when it could be using its outstanding cast to adapt one of Marvel’s most inventive comics. The first few episodes are interesting, but after that, it loses steam with almost breathtaking speed. 38. “Thor: The Dark World” (2013) There’s an argument to be made that “The Dark World” is a worse movie than “Iron Man 2,” but “The Dark World” at least has a single central story. So there’s that. Otherwise, this is a lot of what people who hate the MCU hate about the MCU. The villain is paper thin, the action is flat and the excellent cast is wasted in the movie’s desperation to get more banter between Thor and Loki.
37. “The Incredible Hulk” (2008) “The Incredible Hulk” is the redheaded stepchild of the MCU, not because it’s the worst movie, but because everyone forgets about it until Wikipedia reminds them of its existence. Edward Norton famously butted heads with director Louis Leterrier on set and would eventually hijack the movie to create his own cut, and the friction between director and star shows in the complete lack of humanity in a story that’s supposed to be about one man’s struggle to retain his humanity. 36. “Marvel’s Agent Carter”: Season 2 (2016) If “Agent Carter” were a Netflix show and able to more fully lean into its postwar noir trappings, it might be something special. Instead, it’s another ABC show with a ludicrously great star and a shiny coat of paint to cover up the fact that it’s more of the same sorts of stories. Peggy Carter deserves better than playing second fiddle to “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” 35. “Marvel’s Iron Fist”: Season 2 (2018) The second season of “Iron Fist” is such a dramatic improvement on the first that you might mistake it for good at first glance. Unfortunately, while the pacing is better and some of the characters are more palatable, others are introduced to at least partially counteract that, including Alice Eve’s Typhoid Mary, who you know is evil because she has dissociative identity disorder. 34. “Marvel’s Jessica Jones”: Season 2 (2018) So much of the second season of “Jessica Jones” is good — Jess’s headway in confronting her trauma and her relationship with her mother are emotional high points brought home by Krysten Ritter’s winning performance — but the rest of the season is an unfocused mess of forced drama that follows one of the MCU’s high points with one of its nadirs. The journey continues next week with some of the MCU’s more minor successes. The franchise’s first forays into TV are revealed and a handful of pleasant if forgettable movies show why the Marvel formula works even when it stumbles.
For those of who may not know, Billie Eilish is a teen pop icon, but not your typical 17-yearold pop star. She was 13 when she recorded her first viral hit “Ocean Eyes” with her brother at home. Over the last year, her anonymity has evaded her, with her Instagram nearing 16 million followers and her music gaining wider recognition, appearing on late night shows and movie soundtracks. At 17 with a billion streams, she’s found her way to the mainstream with the release of her debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?. Eilish reaches fame at a point where teen pop is losing the strange, problematic sex appeal that’s been associated with it since “... Baby One More Time.” Given the very independent and digital nature of her rise, it only makes sense — her appeal was never attached to any sense of sexiness. She never had to adhere to any sort of archetype the way stars like Miley Cyrus had to. Eilish’s appeal presents itself in a sense of realness, how much her words feel like those of a 17-year-old. She’ll look you dead in the eye with a resting bitch face in Instagram photos and (at least pretend she) won’t give a shit if you don’t like her. She has approached her celebrity differently from artists like Lana Del Rey, The Weeknd and Odd Future who built their own multifaceted universe for fans to delve into and obsess over through merchandise, social media and song references. Given the context, the album is imbued in all the teen angst you’d expect from a 17-year-old. But don’t think that leaves Eilish’s work void of any artistic merit.
The music streams by like a static, ambient sheet that crinkles abruptly. At points, there’s an instrumental sameness, one sound carrying a song nearly all the way through. This isn’t to say the song lacks variety, but that there’s a large dependency on syncopation. It’s a hazy, subtle sound composed of sparse 808’s, a vaguely trappy beat or twinkly percussion and a muffled, mumbly voice. But the beat switch-ups are prominent and unexpected, occurring
WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? Billie Eilish Interscope Records
sometimes in the middle of a song (think more Swimming by Mac Miller, less “Sicko Mode”). Namely, there’s the latest single “bad guy” that quickly turns from the playful, blithe sneering of a former partner to a dark, investment in his loneliness expressed in the lyrics as well as the beat. There are also surprisingly tactful splashes of jazz that blend into some of the songs to elevate the playful, more friendly demeanor behind this otherwise solemn and evocative album. The album has its moments of playful gusto. It starts with introduction “!!!!!!!,” featuring slurping noises followed by Eilish exclaiming, “I have taken out my invisalign!” We are reassured that this is indeed a serious album by the time we reach the second track, though glimmers of goofiness shine throughout the first half of the project, “all the good girls go to hell” ending with Eilish humming out the last few beats in the song and yelling out,
“I cannot do this snowflake!” in a mocking voice. An undercurrent of anxiety and trepidation creeps around the content. “xanny” mocks the party anthem but ponders the possibility of drug use and overdose, asking “what is it about them?” Similarly, “all the good girls go to hell” is sly in its exploration of menace but zones in on real world issues like sea levels rising and forests burning in California. The second half takes a more despondent turn. The tempo is noticeably slower, somber almost ballad like at some points. Here, Eilish takes on more personal topics, the music bleak, sparse, almost detached but emotive in lyricism. The fears expressed in the first half are revisited here, amplified and put into perspective. “listen before i go” is a standout track, a quivering, sheer beat echoing in the back along with vague sirens and chattering following the opening line, “Take me to the rooftop.” She croons, “Call my friends and tell them that I love them / And I’ll miss them, but I’m not sorry,” helplessly. “ilomilo” is another highlight, formerly teased in the “bury a friend” music video with its danceable intro that slowly dwindles to a gloomy, shivering percussion. Despite the shifts and nontraditional risks WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? takes, it proves a strong debut from Billie Eilish that appeals beyond the artist’s brand. It operates as a progression towards a dispirited end, but with elegance and nuance, tying the whole craft into one cohesive masterpiece. Despite her age and the angsty hype surrounding Eillish’s celebrity, her first album proves that she is a force to be reckoned with in the music world.
INTERSCOPE RECORDS
MUSIC: WHAT I’M LISTENING TO
Listening to Digable Planets, relax DYLAN YONO Daily Arts Writer
“What I’m Listening To” is a new series by The Daily’s Music beat in which our staff writers share what they’re playing on repeat with readers. It’s a place for writers to plug in, turn up and let the world know what truly rocks. This week, Blowout Comb by Digable Planets has been bringing my consciousness into a higher plane. I’m only being a little dramatic when I say you don’t listen to Blowout Comb — you experience it. A diverse range of groovy samples were chopped and spliced with lush and lovely live instrumentation to produce a groundbreaking jazz-rap record in Blowout Comb. The rap trio moved to Brooklyn in the early ’90s with the express purpose of joining the hip-hop renaissance; group leader Butterfly affectionately called New York “a Mecca for rappers.” And join the renaissance they did, crafting a cool, surreal sound that few other artists were even dabbling in. Blowout Comb slipped under the radar when it released in 1994. Understandably so — many consider ’94 to be rap’s greatest year of all time. Three of hip hop’s most iconic debut albums dropped: Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik by Outkast, Ready to Die by The Notorious B.I.G. and Illmatic by Nas. Common, Scarface, Method Man, Beastie Boys, Pete Rock & CL Smooth and Gang Starr all came out with classics in the same year. Amid all the competition, Digable Planets came out with an iconic signature sound. Blowout Comb is a marriage of jazz and hip hop that has proven to be a match made in heaven. I can gush about the jazzy sonics for hours on end, but what truly makes this album important is its lyrical themes: it is both supremely empowering of the Black community and sincerely conscious of the realities they face. Right from the beginning on
“The May 4th Movement,” following a grandiose trumpet intro, Doodlebug and Ladybug reference Illmatic (Nas’s masterpiece narrative of drug violence in the Queensbridge projects) and give a shout-out to notorious Black Power movement prisoners Mumia Abu-Jamal and Sekou Odinga. Including the title, a reference to student anti-imperialist protests in China in 1919, there are layers of political meaning to pick apart right from the beginning. Today in hip hop there’s a constant debate about accessibility versus substance. On one hand, not everybody always wants to absorb some mega-conscious music with layers of lyrical complexity. But on the other hand, maybe relaxing to substanceless lo-fi beats or partying to the tune of “Gucci Gang” is depleting brain cells. Both ends of the argument are holier-than-thou bullshit, but for those who play into it that want a little bit of both, there are truckloads of music at hand. For a contemporary example, take Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City. Almost every track on the album can be a) blasted from the car while you scream out the window, or b) listened to closely to see a poignant cultural message about poverty and gang culture. Likewise, almost every track on Blowout Comb can a) soothe your soul as you enter the 5th dimension, or b) reveal serious tension and contemplation in the Black community. For years, rap critics and music journalists have chosen “overtly political” as their favorite buzzword-phrase to describe this album, but I think that’s less-than-fitting. The three subtle emcees are clearly sending a message, but simultaneously they smoothly slide slick stories and meta raps about drug-doing, party-having, Brooklyn-living and hip hop-loving. “Overtly political” makes it sound like you’re getting slammed with the group’s Black nationalist rhetoric and 5-percenter slang, but at the end of the day you can get whatever the fuck you want out of this album. This week, I’m listening to Blowout Comb. I think next week I’ll re-read “The Autobiography of Malcom X.” It’s the natural progression of things.
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | April 1, 2019
Jorge Cazares Daily Sports Writer Amid a season of firsts for the Wolverines, they added another. When the No. 8 Michigan women’s lacrosse team (13-0 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) took the field on Saturday afternoon, not only was it putting its perfect record on the line –– it was seeking its first win in program history against No. 18 Johns Hopkins (8-3, 1-1). And led by an offensive outburst from sophomore attacker Caitlin Muir and sophomore midfielder Maggie Kane, the Wolverines powered their way to a 16-11 victory at U-M Lacrosse Stadium. “It’s a team we haven’t beaten before,” said Michigan coach Hannah Nielsen. “It’s a team that came in and beat us at home last year, so you know, the girls were playing a little bit of revenge there. And they did great. They’re showing up every game and there’s things to tweak each
game, but we’ve been doing that and today is a big one for the program.” As the final seconds of the possession clock were winding down at the end of the first half, the Wolverines found themselves in position to take their first lead of the afternoon. Michigan, which dug itself into an early 5-2 deficit, now had Johns Hopkins on the ropes after rattling off three straight goals to tie the game. When the possession clock reached single digits, sophomore attacker Caitlin Muir found daylight inside the 8-meter arc. Muir curled around the back of the net and emerged on the left side of Blue Jays’ goalkeeper Haley Crosson. She drifted toward the center of the arc, fired and found the back of the net to give the Wolverines their first lead of the afternoon, 6-5, with 14.8 seconds remaining in the half. “Well we got the ball,” Nielsen said. “I think that was a big thing (that led to the four-goal stretch).
Our defense had an awesome first 10 minutes of the game and only held them to a few goals. And really whenever we got the ball we were throwing it away. We couldn’t win a draw control and once we started doing that, we had the ball and we knew we could score goals and that’s what happened.” The early stages of Saturday afternoon’s contest were controlled by the Blue Jays. They retained possession, easily worked their way into their offensive sets and limited Michigan to just two goals through the first 20 minutes of the game. But as its grasp on possession loosened, so did Johns Hopkins’ control of the game. With under eight minutes remaining in the half, Muir ignited the Wolverines’ four-goal streak that ended the first half. She weaved her way into the arc and rifled a shot past Crosson for her first of six goals on the afternoon. The sophomore, who recorded seven points in total,
INSIDE SPORTSMONDAY What to do now that Michigan’s season is over See Page 2B
increased her season goal total to 22 and also recorded her 17th assist of the season. “I definitely couldn’t have done it without my team, obviously,” Muir said. “But my team kept opening up alleys and giving me the ball, so it was really nice. They opened it all up for me.” Added Nielsen: “She’s not big in size but she’s big in presence … her composure, her athleticism, her dodging ability, she works on a lot outside of practice and it’s great to see her get rewarded. Six goals in a huge game is a really good effort by her.” Both sides exchanged goals during the opening stages of the second half, keeping the score tight at 9-8 before Michigan finally put the game away. A five-goal stretch later in the half propelled the Wolverines to a 16-9 lead with under four minutes remaining. Kane was a contributing factor in the second half, pouring in all four of her goals in the second frame to go along with two assists
on the afternoon. She tied her career high with six points on Saturday. Michigan is continuing to improve upon its previous seasonbest record of 7-10, remaining undefeated ahead of next weekend’s matchup against No. 2 Maryland. “It’s just all excitement right now,” said junior midfielder Molly Garrett. “This year has been a big year of just redemption from the years past of losing all these games. And coming out here where this is a big opportunity to get redemption as well as go to the Big Ten and being able to get that done is just very exciting for us.”
Design by Jack Silberman
Wolverines continue historic run with win over Johns Hopkins
Kartik Sundaram / Daily
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SportsMonday
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday Column: What to look forward to now
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or the 103rd time in a row, the Michigan men’s basketball team’s season ended. Such is the futility of sports. But, hey, you never know. Maybe the 104th season will never end. MIKE In the PERSAK meantime, now begins the weird space in time after a sports season ends in which people don’t really know what to do with themselves. That’s why I’m here. I’ve spent the last few days brainstorming things you can look forward to in the next few weeks and months that will get you through this trying time. (Note: Liverpool is going to win the Premier League, which I will spend the next month agonizing over, but I realize that isn’t applicable to everybody, so I left it out.) Here’s what I came up with! The Final Four Basketball isn’t over, despite Michigan fans’ current feeling of emptiness. And, even better, Wolverine fans likely have a rooting interest now that Michigan State beat Duke. Even if that isn’t the case for everybody, there should be some elite games, and even if you don’t like basketball, you can at least drink beer and watch with friends or whatever you like to do. Yippee! Baseball season is starting Like it or not, there is not a single sport on Earth that takes
up as much time as baseball. Even for all its faults, every baseball game takes at least three hours, and you can waste the next six months watching that stuff. Sure, the Detroit Tigers are seemingly in tank mode, but other teams are good. Join a fantasy league! Buy in! At the very least, you can bide your time until football season by researching Avisail Garcia and Kole Calhoun’s respective slash lines and deciding who warrants a start. The Michigan football team has a new offensive coordinator Despite your feeling of emptiness that accompanies the Wolverines’ exit from the NCAA Tournament, there may be some great silver lining down the road. Michigan hired Josh Gattis to lead its offense this season, and if his #SpeedInSpace promises are to be believed, the Wolverines could have an exciting, new offensive look this season. Maybe that spells the end of Michigan’s drought against Ohio State and the long-awaited return to national prominence. Maybe it doesn’t. Either way, this time before the football season is at least good for some hope. So look at those recruiting boards! Map out how badly the Wolverines will have to beat Middle Tennessee State for you to feel good about things! Game of Thrones is returning (This section has a spoiler warning, but if you aren’t caught up by now then what are you even doing?) Alright, we’ll get away from sports for a bit and move to something that everyone alive enjoys.
Liverpool is going to win the Premier League ...
NATALIE STEPHENS/Daily
The Michigan basketball season may be over, but Mike Persak has several reasons why that doesn’t mean your enjoyment has to end with its season.
Game of Thrones returns on April 14! Who will sit atop the Iron Throne? Will Cersei meet the fate we’re all hoping for? Will Arya check all the names off her list? Will there be violence and death? The answer is that I don’t know (except for the last question, to which the answer is most definitely yes). But the point is that the questions don’t matter. You’re going to watch it, and you’re going to love it no matter what they throw out there.
I’m going to graduate I don’t want to jinx it, I guess, but I’m currently on track to graduate this semester. I realize this has absolutely nothing to do with any of you readers, but I figure there are two ways of looking at this: 1) You don’t care about me at all, and you’re actually quite annoyed that I wrote this and that you’ve read this far. In this case, the positive is that I will be gone when I graduate, and you won’t feel obli-
I’m currently on track to graduate this semester.
gated to read my articles with the hope that I’ll give some sort of insight about Michigan sports. 2) You are my mother — the only person I can definitely say is both reading this and cares deeply for my well-being. In this case, the positive is that you won’t have to pay my college tuition for much longer. In either scenario, my Venmo is at the bottom of the article. I will consider quitting The Daily harder for every dollar I earn. Miscellaneous There’s probably going to be some good music released this summer. That should be cool. You might meet the love of your life in the near future. Perhaps you’ve already done that,
and you think you’re better than me. If that — along with the other reasons — isn’t good enough for you, at least the Earth might cease to exist as we know it. The cause could be anything. Climate change, the reversal of the magnetic poles, nuclear warfare. It’s a scary world out there. So when you think about it, the Wolverines’ loss in the Tournament doesn’t really matter that much. There’s always a light — or a great eternal darkness — at the end of the tunnel.
Persak can be reached at mdpers@umich.edu, on Twitter @MikeDPersak or on
Michigan breezes past UC Irvine Wolverines adjust to spring racing BAILEY JOHNSON Daily Sports Writer
Matthew Whitaker landed firmly on his feet and didn’t move an inch. The senior let out a yell and pumped his fist before moving to celebrate his stuck dismount from the still rings with his teammates on the No. 3 Michigan men’s gymnastics team. Two rotations later, Whitaker once again completed a routine — this time on the parallel bars — with his feet glued to the floor. This time, when his teammates swarmed him to celebrate his performance, there was an extra level of emotion. It was the final regularseason routine of Whitaker’s career with the Wolverines. His careerhigh score of 14.150 on the parallel bars won the event and was one of his two podium finishes in Michigan’s Senior Day meet against No. 18 UIC. The Wolverines won, 406.200-367.750. “(Whitaker) really came through today,” said Michigan coach Kurt Golder. “I’m very, very happy for him. He has trouble sometimes. He lets the nerves get to him — or the nerves get to him. I don’t think he does it voluntarily. But yeah, I’m very happy that he handled the situation today.” Coming into Saturday’s meet against the Flames, Golder intended to give all eight of the Wolverines’ graduating seniors a chance to compete one last time. Some of them, including Whitaker, do so relatively sparingly, but against the Flames, Golder knew he had the ability to be flexible with his lineup. UIC’s high score this season is 370.300 — more than 40 points below Michigan’s best mark of 413.900. “They’re not the strongest
MADELINE HINKLEY/Daily
Matthew Whitaker completed the last regular-season routine of his career.
team we meet,” Golder said. “We like to use that so that if we want to experiment with a new routine, we can. We’re not going against Oklahoma or Illinois or one of the powers. And then that way we can also get our seniors in, too. Your senior class isn’t always your strongest lineup, so it serves that purpose as well.” In the Wolverines’ win, seven of the eight seniors competed and six of them earned spots on the podium. In total, Michigan earned the top three placings on all six events and UIC’s lone podium finish came in the all-around. But despite the large margin of victory, the Wolverines found difficulty in at least one or two routines on every event. Golder prefers his team to have major mistakes, such as a fall, at most two times in a single meet. Saturday, though, Michigan had five major mistakes. Senior Emyre Cole missed the Wolverines’ three previous meets as a result of a violation of team rules, and his time away from competition was evident in
If we want to experiment with a new routine, we can.
his up-and-down performance. He fell dismounting from the still rings and again attempting a release move on high bar. But Cole also turned in a score of 14.650 on vault and won the event, in addition to placing second on floor and in the allaround. “Pretty good, but not perfect,” Golder said of Cole’s performance. “Maybe not in quite good enough shape yet. He got ready as best he could when you’re not competing, but competing and doing it in the gym are different things.” Just as Cole was imperfect, so was Michigan. The Big Ten Championships loom next week, and the Wolverines will look to win the meet for the first time since 2014 when they won both the Big Ten and NCAA Championships. After making mistakes on more routines than usual against UIC, the pressure is on for Michigan to improve. But Golder prefers it that way. “I would rather that we don’t have the perfect meet, but kinda close, and I think that’s what we were,” Golder said. “I think it’s better that way than to have the perfect meet today and go into Big Tens thinking you’re all that. Better to have a little pressure on, a little more concern.”
I would rather that we don’t have that perfect meet.
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
The Michigan rowing team competed successfully in its first spring race beating Yale and Harvard this weekend.
LANE KIZZIAH Daily Sports Writer
BELLEVILLE — While the No. 9 Michigan rowing team had success this fall at regattas like Head of the Charles, in this weekend’s season opener against Yale and Harvard, the Wolverines faced a new beast entirely: the spring race. In the fall, the rowers race between four and six kilometers, while spring races are almost always two kilometers. This change affects practically every aspect of the race from the very first stroke. The officials called the start in Saturday’s 1V8 race against Yale, and both boats were off. Sophomore coxswain Charlotte Powers called out the starting sequence, followed by the high strokes — an element unique to spring racing that Michigan began practicing earlier this week. While Powers felt good about her boat’s start, Yale still managed to inch out ahead within the first 30 seconds. “We did a great job executing (the start) today but I think we need to continue working on staying internal,” said senior Kathryn Grotto. “Not focusing on what other boats are doing and just rowing our own race.”
Yale maintained its marginal lead as the boats passed the 1000 meter mark, but the Wolverines weren’t giving up. “Our game plan going in was to stay really composed through the first 1500 (meters),” Grotto said. “And then, once we get to 500 left, we’re just going to see where we’re at on the other boat and just do whatever we have to do.” With 500 meters to go, Powers decided it was time for her boat to make a move. A smile broke over her face as she reflected on those last 500 meters, in which Michigan attempted a sprint for the first time this year. This risk paid off as it walked back on Yale, crossing the finish line first by less than a second. “We were down the whole race and we, as a boat, at the last 500 decided we were going to try to stop them from moving up anymore,” Powers said. “We just inched into them. We have the tiniest, best stroke ever, (freshman) Jess Schoonbee, and I just kept telling her to take the rate up every couple of strokes and she responded every time and, so we came in through the line at a 42 (strokes per minute).” Not only are the rowers adjusting to the inherent differences of spring racing —
like the start and the sprint — but also to a new lineup. While many of the 1V8 raced together at the Head of the Charles in the fall, Michigan coach Mark Rothstein made a couple of changes, including putting Schoonbee in the stroke seat. Although Schoonbee is the only freshman in the 1V8, as stroke seat, she is responsible for setting the pace for the rest of the boat. While in the fall, rowers typically race between 26 and 30 strokes per minute, during spring racing, the rate is ratcheted up to anywhere from 32 to 38 strokes per minute — even higher during the sprint. This increase puts pressure on the eight seat to find the perfect balance between speed and control as they move up the slide. This weekend, Schoonbee did just that. “(Schoonbee) did great — very composed,” Rothstein said. “I thought the whole boat rowed a really composed race. We got down, but there was no panic.” Rothstein believes it was that calm and composure that carried Michigan from the start, through the thousand, into the last 500 meters — ultimately past the finish line first. If this race is any indication, the Wolverines won’t have any trouble with the adjustment.
SportsMonday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
April 1, 2019 — 3B
Four home runs lift Michigan past Wolverine offense finding its swing Michigan State in 16-2 blowout win ABBY SNYDER
Daily Sports Writer
KENT SCHWARTZ Daily Sports Writer
On Saturday, Michigan’s offense put a dent in the Ray Fisher Stadium fence’s selfesteem. The Wolverines (19-7 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) hit four home runs in their 16-2 victory over in-state rival Michigan State (4-20, 0-5). The air show started in the first inning, when junior outfielder Jordan Brewer walked up to the plate with two outs. On the second pitch, he launched a long, arcing home run over the left-center fence as two Spartans stood to watch it — arms helplessly grasping the padded wall. It was 1-0 after the first inning, and Michigan never looked back. The next inning, the Wolverines continued to flex their muscles; senior firstbaseman Jimmy Kerr launched a solo shot to right field that took three seconds to leave the field. In the bottom of the third Michigan’s offense put a team effort together to score four runs. Sophomore outfielder Jesse Franklin and junior designated hitter Dominic Clementi worked their way to second and third base. Brewer came up to the plate, and in his second at-bat, he sent a long fly ball to rightcenter field for a sacrifice fly. Senior outfielder Miles Lewis followed up with a double down the right-field line to score the Wolverines’ second run of the inning. Waiting patiently, Lewis trotted into home base after Kerr launched his second home run of the game to dead center, easily clearing the barrier 395 feet away to put Michigan up, 6-0. After their first scoreless inning of the night in the fourth, the Wolverines posted five runs to extend the lead to 11-2,
the weight room, and that has translated with more bat speed and exit velocity amongst our hitters,” Bakich said. “It’s a little bit of an older team, so I see a group of kids who’ve had another birthday, who’ve gotten stronger, who’ve become more physical. So I would like to think we’re capable of hitting for more power this year.” Now, his team, sitting at 19-7 and 2-0 in the Big Ten, is starting to show why. Though the Wolverines’ offense struggled with consistency throughout much of the first third of the season, they showed flashes of potential recently: a 12-2 win over Binghamton, a 9-1 victory over the Citadel and a 7-5 defeat of No. 1 UCLA. But as the team heads into Big Ten play, it looks like Michigan’s offense is coming into its own. It exploded for 23 runs over
headlined by sophomore catcher managing to avoid letting a run Last year, the Michigan Joe Donovan’s high-hanging in in the seventh inning despite baseball team lived and died by pop-up that somehow made it loading the bases. its offense. “We have never done that over the left-center field fence In the first 15 games of the before,” Bakich said. “That for a three-run home run. season, a stretch over which The offensive explosion, many wild pitches, that many the Wolverines went 4-11, the though, didn’t hide Michigan’s spiked fastballs and curveballs. offense averaged just 4.5 runs If it becomes a problem, we’ll pitching struggles. per game; in eight of those Beginning in the first inning, address it. Otherwise we’ll just games, Michigan scored three junior right-hander Karl leave it at that.” runs or fewer. Over the next 20 Yet the offense still couldn’t Kauffman flirted with danger, games — in which the Wolverines be slowed putting a basewent undefeated — they almost down. runner on first doubled that, averaging 8.4 runs “Kerr, a and second in per game and scoring 168 runs senior captain each of the first total over that stretch. to go 5-fortwo innings only When the offense struggled 5, with two to have good with consistency over the last doubles, two defensive plays third of the season and into the home runs and get him out of postseason, Michigan’s success really spark trouble. cooled off, too, leading the our offense,” In the second Wolverines to a disappointing Bakich said. inning, for early exit in the Big Ten “It was great to example, he Tournament. see our offense walked Michigan But this season, Michigan State’s Reese Trahey, allowed click up and down the lineup and coach Erik Bakich is confident in a hard hit single against Casey on the bench.” his team’s offense. It seemed every bat swung Mayes and a long fly out from “We have a lot of individual Adam Proctor that surely would made contact — demoralizing hitters that did a very good job of have advanced Trahey to third if the Spartans. It wasn’t just the adding some size, some strength, not for Brewer’s bullet of a throw fence that felt worthless. and some explosiveness in from just in front of the right field warning track to third base for an impressive double play. “What should be a normal play that would advance the runner from second to third and create a scoring opportunity for them,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “For him to show off a really tremendous and accurate arm, that was a huge, big time momentum play.” The defense couldn’t save Kauffmann in the fourth inning, though. Walking two batters and throwing two wild pitches, he allowed two runs. The next inning, Kauffmann threw one more wild pitch and allowed one more walk — the rain affecting his accuracy. Kauffmann wasn’t the only one thrown off by the moisture. Freshman left-hand reliever EVAN AARON/Daily Walker Cleveland had three wild-pitches and two walks, Senior first baseman Jimmy Kerr went 5-for-5 with two home runs and two doubles against the Spartans on Saturday.
Manhattan, scored 12 against Western Michigan and scored 16 runs against both Stetson and Michigan State. “We’ve had a lot of great offensive performances,” Bakich said. “It’s great to see the contributions up and down the lineup and off the bench.” The team’s rivalry series against the Spartans this weekend embodies the rhythm this offense is starting to find. In Friday’s game in East Lansing, Michigan cruised past Michigan State to a 6-3 win in its Big Ten opener. The Wolverines got on the board first with two runs in the third inning and added one more run in the fourth. Michigan State answered with two runs of its own in the bottom of the fourth, but Michigan was unshaken, adding two runs in the fifth and another in the eighth on its way to a comfortable victory. Saturday’s contest was in Ann Arbor, and the Wolverines certainly seemed to channel the energy of the home crowd despite the steady rain as the offense erupted for 16 runs. Senior infielder Jimmy Kerr led the team, going 5-for-5 with two home runs, two doubles and a long single to right field. “When you get a senior captain go 5-for-5 with two doubles and two home runs like that — it really just sparked our offense,” Bakich said. As the Wolverines head into some of their tougher matchups of the year — next weekend’s home series against Minnesota and an away series at rival Ohio State the following weekend — the offense is beginning to settle in at exactly the right time. If it can stay consistent in this rhythm, Michigan may not die by its offense anytime soon.
We have a lot of individual hitters that did a very good job.
It was great to see our offense click up and down the lineup.
Scarlet Sweep
Led by Lexie Blair, Michigan sweeps Rutgers in Piscataway, extending undefeated mark against Scarlet Knights to 18 DANIEL DASH
LILY FRIEDMAN
In 35 years as the head coach of the Michigan softball team, Carol Hutchins has never lost to Rutgers. Entering the weekend, she had 15 victories in 15 tries dating back to 1983. Over the weekend, Hutchins put her unblemished record on the line when the 23rd-ranked Wolverines (23-10 overall, 6-0 Big Ten) traveled to Piscataway for a three-game set. Led by firstyear head coach and former SEC Player of the Year Kristen Butler, the new-look Scarlet Knights (16-17, 0-6) looked to tarnish Hutchins’ perfect mark against them. No such dent was made. Michigan swept Rutgers on its own turf, outscoring the Scarlet Knights by a combined 18 runs in the process. The final scores of 10-2, 7-0 and 7-4 extended the Wolverines’ winning streak to 11 games. The journey to Rutgers marked Michigan’s first true road trip since the beginning of March, but the Wolverines aced the midseason road test, to say the least. Despite playing its furthest conference series from Ann Arbor, Michigan didn’t need any time to settle in. The Wolverines plated a total of nine first-inning runs in the three games, giving sophomore left-hander Meghan Beaubien and freshman righthander Alex Storako comfortable cushions before they even stepped foot into the circle. “Scoring those runs early on really sets the tone and really sets great energy for the entire game,” said freshman left fielder Lexie Blair. “We want to keep that energy. You never want to let up, and setting the tone in games at this level is huge. It really helps the energy in the dugout and for the team.” While Blair reached base in all three of her first-inning at-bats, it was senior first baseman Alex Sobczak who stole the show. Batting in the cleanup spot, she
This weekend, it didn’t matter who was on first for Rutgers — Lexie Blair had stolen second anyway. Highlighting her killer weekend in Saturday’s 7-0 victory against the Scarlet Knights, the freshman outfielder showed her speed in a sprint to second base and then third due to a throwing error. The run moved senior second baseman Faith Canfield to home plate in a play that could have kept Blair on first. With her steal, Blair created the run that gave Michigan that lead early, and her =contributions to the Wolverines’ dominant series didn’t stop at that run. Blair led the Michigan offense all weekend, a common trend for the freshman. “Scoring those runs early on in the inning really sets the tone and sets great energy for the entire game,” Blair said. “That’s a big deal.” Blair emerged as an offensive presence early in the season, and that role hasn’t diminished as Michigan returned home for conference play. In fact, Big Ten play against Nebraska last weekend and now Rutgers has only solidified her leadership offensively: Blair leads the team with a batting average of .407 and 44 hits, trailing only Canfield in runs. To start the weekend, Blair hit both a double and a home run to bring other runners home — the extra-base hits aside from senior first baseman Alex Sobczak’s blast to start the game. In addition to that figure, Blair scored two
Daily Sports Writer
Daily Sports Writer
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Sophomore left-hander Megan Beaubien pitched a total of 12 of Michigan’s 19 innings played in this weekend’s series.
recorded a pair of RBI singles and a three-run blast in her three first-inning at-bats. Sobczak’s first-inning production only marked the beginning of a monstrous weekend. She amassed six hits in nine at-bats, including three home runs, nine RBI and five runs scored in the series. After starting the season on the bench, Sobczak is now batting .385 with a team-high .708 slugging percentage and .535 on-base percentage. If the season ended today, her on-base plus slugging percentage (1.243) would be the highest the program has seen since 2016 National Player of the Year Sierra Romero posted a 1.460 OPS in her senior campaign. “I’m seeing the ball pretty well,” Sobczak said. “My mindset going into the box is ‘Try not to suck and hit the ball really hard,’ and it’s really working out. It’s about having the approach that
it’s a new at-bat and really trying to hit it hard and be locked in. My hard work has been paying off.” While Sobczak and the rest of Michigan’s offense continued to make good contact, Beaubien consistently stymied Rutgers in the circle. She picked up her 12th and 13th wins of the season during the series, but her scoreless inning streak was snapped at 32.1 consecutive frames when Scarlet Knights shortstop Jess Hughes launched a oneout home run in the third inning of Friday’s game. Beaubien’s response to the end of her streak? She brushed off the long ball by striking out the next batter before inducing a shallow pop fly to end the frame. During the series, Beaubien pitched more than 12 of the 19 total innings — a workload consistent with the rest of 2019. Despite the fact that Beaubien has hurled more than half of
(Beaubien) is as durable a pitcher as I’ve ever had...
Michigan’s innings this season, Hutchins has no qualms about the ace’s longevity. “(Beaubien) is as durable a pitcher as I’ve ever had on my staff,” Hutchins said. “Credit to her. She does everything you need to do because taking care of yourself is important. Whether it’s cold-tubbing or going to see the trainer, she does it all. She keeps herself fit — kudos to her because she is as durable a pitcher as there is in the NCAA.” After leaving Piscataway with their sixth Big Ten win in as many tries, the Wolverines join No. 19 Minnesota and Northwestern as the last Big Ten teams with a perfect conference record through two weekends. Michigan — which has outscored opponents 96-10 during this 11-game streak — is the hottest of the group. Entering the weekend, Hutchins knew her team would have to play quality softball against a Rutgers team hungry to defeat the Wolverines. Twentyfour runs, 34 hits and three wins later, the zero in Hutchins’ loss column against the Scarlet Knights remains intact. 18 tries, 18 victories.
runs and drove in two runs in Saturday morning’s game and scored eight runs with four RBI on the weekend. And her performance this weekend wasn’t an anomaly. For the past three weekends since the Wolverines began home play, Blair has anchored the offense with consistent and timely hits in almost every at-bat. That productivity has been vital for Michigan, having started the season 12-10 on the road, a lower win percentage than in previous years. “When she’s up there, you can always count on her. She doesn’t care what the count is, she puts a good bat on the ball regardless of whether there’s no strikes or two strikes,” said Michigan coach Carol Hutchins. “She’s a fearless hitter who’s not afraid to get behind, and she’s been very important to us.” However, maintaining power hitting hasn’t always been as fluid for Blair, especially considering her inexperience at the collegiate level. While Blair started the season with nerves at the plate, her strong start to the season has calmed those nerves slightly. “Because it’s a road game, you can get tired and jetlagged, but the coaches stayed on top of us and kept us in our system. We were good to go as if we were playing at home,” Blair said. “I felt great. I felt calm, relaxed and not getting too much in my head. Our intensity and energy level was good the whole weekend.” Regardless of jitters, Lexie Blair delivered another big weekend at the plate. And that just might be the new normal for the Wolverines.
Scoring those runs early on ... really sets the tone.
SportsMonday
4B — April 1, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
“The reason why we’re here is because of you”: For Matthews, an end ARIA GERSON
Daily Sports Writer
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Charles Matthews stood at the line and made the free-throw motion. He buried his head in his shirt for a second. Missed the first free throw. Bent his knees, stayed in that position for an extra beat as his teammates subbed out. Sunk the second free throw. Then, he made his exit. Matthews didn’t even see the crowd rise to its feet, applauding the captain who had done so much for the Michigan basketball program. He kept his head down. “I know it was over with,” he said. He was talking about the game, a 63-44 thud of a loss to Texas Tech that ended an otherwise successful 30-7 season. But there was an even bigger sense of finality to it. Matthews says he hasn’t thought about the looming NBA decision yet. So do his teammates. They don’t fully admit what most around the program have known for months, but as Matthews sat on the bench for the rest of the game, crying into a towel on the sideline, it felt like the end in so many more ways than one. Assistant coach DeAndre Haynes said, “He had a hell of a career.” According to sophomore forward Isaiah Livers, “He said it was his last year.” And Michigan coach John Beilein admitted himself after the game, “Charles will graduate, so we expect him to go pro.” This was it for him, and everybody knew it, even when it wasn’t said. But even as his career flashed before his eyes, Matthews did everything he
could to fight for what remained. At halftime, when the Wolverines left the floor with just 16 points, Matthews saw the frustration instantly. It was all over his face, too. He offered his own brand of stern encouragement. “Just don’t quit,” he said. “Whatever you do, just don’t quit.” As the game slipped further and further away, he did the same. “The way he was coming to the huddle,” Haynes said. “Just getting up in everybody, say, ‘We gotta continue to fight. There’s a lot of time left on the clock.’ ” In the second half, even as his team wilted under the pressure of the Red Raiders’ defense, Matthews kept fighting. When he couldn’t get anything from the field either, he found his way to the line, where he made 6-of-8 free throws. He scored 12 points — eight in the second half — grabbed four boards and kept Texas Tech wing Jarrett Culver under 50 percent shooting. And afterwards, he took responsibility, refusing to answer whether the Red Raiders were the best defense his team had seen. All he said was that Michigan didn’t make shots. Really, it was just an extension of the person Matthews has been all year. He used to be the quiet guy, but as a captain this season, he found his voice. At the rough practices, the ones where no
Charles will graduate, so we expect him to go pro.
NATALIE STEPHENS/Daily
Redshirt junior wing Charles Matthews played perhaps his final collegiate game Thursday, scoring 12 points in Michigan’s 63-44 loss to Texas Tech.
one wanted to be there and they showed it, Matthews’ was the voice everyone heard, telling others to speak up, telling them that they could make the shot, telling them to keep going, telling them to be accountable. “It’s just a major thing when a guy gives his all,” Livers said. “ … He was just a very good captain, man. He had a handle on us the whole
It’s just a major thing when a guy gives his all.
season.” This wasn’t supposed to be the way his career ended, not after coming back at the last minute when he tested the NBA draft waters last spring. Not when he was clear from the beginning that he was there to win a national championship. Not when everyone knew that he would soon leave for bigger and better
things. But the whole thing was bittersweet, because really, Matthews made the team in his image — tough, defense-minded, competitive until the very end. Without that, maybe the Wolverines wouldn’t have been in the Sweet Sixteen in the first place. “It wasn’t always pretty,” Matthews said. “But we found a
He had a handle on us the whole season.
way. Plenty of times we got some wins that was questionable. And this team always found a way to make it up.” That’s Charles Matthews: not always pretty, but he found a way. After the final buzzer, Matthews left the floor, walking through the tunnel with sophomore guard Jordan Poole’s arm draped around him and a towel over his head. When he got into the locker room, Haynes had a message. “You don’t need to put your head down. The reason why we’re here is because of you.”
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