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Friday, April 12, 2019
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After decades of activism, new Trotter Multicultural Center opens
Community members reflect on BSU’s role in the building’s move to State St.
MICHIGAN IN COLOR
Sankofa: Trotter looks towards new beginnings Central location just one step in a larger journey to equity on campus NA’KIA CHANNEY & DIERRA BARLOW
MiC Managing Editor & Assistant MiC Editor
Courtesy of Na’kia Channey & Alec Cohen/Daily Students, faculty, alumni, and community members join together for the grand opening of the new location for Trotter Multicultural Center Thursday afternoon.
BEN ROSENFELD Daily Staff Reporter
Thursday morning, hundreds of students, faculty, alumni and community members filled the new home of the Trotter Multicultural Center on South State Street. University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel, Regent Ron Weiser and Cynthia Stephens, the 1st District Court of Appeals judge, were among the speakers at the Trotter Center’s opening ceremony. Alphonse Pitawanakwat, a lecturer in the Native American
Ojibwe language, opened up the ceremony, acknowledging the new Trotter Center’s location on land previously inhabited by the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi tribes. In his opening remarks, Schlissel spoke about the importance of the new center’s establishment. “This is a historic occasion, not just for the University of Michigan, but for our students and graduates, the society we serve, and really, the shared future that we’re all hoping to create,” Schlissel said. “The Trotter Multicultural Center is
a new home for many personal and shared identities, for unity, for learning, for ref lection and for hope.” The new Trotter Center’s opening was the result of decades of petitioning from student activist groups, specifically the Black Student Union. At the beginning of 2014, as part of a greater list of demands for expanded scholarships, more student diversity and more equitable housing opportunities, the student group petitioned the University to move the Trotter Center from its previous
location, a 15-minute walk to Central Campus from Washtenaw Avenue, to a more accessible location on Central Campus. In late 2013, members of BSU popularized the hashtag #BBUM, or “Being Black at the University of Michigan,” prompting a campus-wide movement to increase equity in admissions, resources and student opportunities, as well as offering a space for Black students to share their experiences on campus.
On Thursday, generations of students and alumni joined in unity to welcome the grand opening of the new Trotter Multicultural Center on Central Campus. Forged from decades’ worth of student activism, largely spearheaded by the Black Student Union, Trotter opened its doors to the public and community during a historic community gathering. Students, alumni, faculty and staff lined the basement from wall-to-wall, nearly reaching capacity. The space, amalgamating the past and the present, produced a tangible reward for all the blood, sweat and tears poured into making the new Trotter Center a reality. The Trotter Center’s new space, placed on Central Campus’ South State Street,
is a direct result of Black student activism on campus, dating all the way back to the 1970s with the Black Action Movement . Since then, the Black Student Union has continued these efforts with various social movements, a focal point being its 2013 #BBUM (Being Black at the University of Michigan) Twitter movement. In addition to launching the viral social media campaign, BSU released a list of demands, one of them being an opportunity to congregate at a new Trotter Center on Central Campus. Tyrell Collier, speaker of Black Student Union during #BBUM, spoke at the ribboncutting about the persistence of Black student activists on campus and paid homage to organizations like BAM and the Students of Color Coalition that came before him. See BEGINNINGS, Page 3
See TROTTER, Page 3
“Finding the Strength to Heal” shares Latinx orgs Law school feature art stories of sexual assault survivors panel talks CAMPUS LIFE
CAMPUS LIFE
from many countries
Photography exhibit at Matthaei Botanical Gardens raises awareness with multimedia
Latin@ Culture Show hosts its annual event including dance, song
The Matthaei Botanical Gardens hosted a photography exhibit Thursday titled “Finding the Strength to Heal: A Journey of Rebuilding Amongst Violence.” The exhibit, a product of Rackham student Laura Sinko’s dissertation, told the stories of women who survived sexual violence as undergraduates through
ATTICUS RAASCH Daily Staff Reporter
Approximately 150 students, faculty and community members were in attendance for a series of performances in an event titled “Young, Latinx and Proud” hosted by the Latin@ Culture Show and sponsored by Department of American Culture and Latino/a Studies on Thursday night. The event featured several groups that presented dances and songs from different Latinx cultures. LSA senior Karen Garcia, one of the organizers, said the show takes a lot of careful planning beginning in the fall. “It’s a lot of work,” Garcia said. “The day of, we get here early, make sure everyone is ready, everyone is in positions, make sure we have a backup plan if we have a hiccup, so it’s a lot of work throughout the year, but it’s also very rewarding.” The performers ranged from elementary schoolers to college students, and included songs and dances inspired by the traditional styles from Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic and more.
ANGELINA LITTLE Daily Staff Reporter
pictures, quotes and videos. Attendees perused different rooms of the building, each with a different focus. One room played a video on a loop highlighting the journeys of four participants in the project, while another, titled the self-care room, held crafts and stress balls. The conservatory itself was used as the resource room, where information booths from various University resources
including Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, U-M Police Department Special Victims Unit, Office of Institutional Equity and University Health Services sexual assault nurse examiners were stationed throughout the plants. Attendees followed arrows in a winding path in the main photography exhibit room, accented by twinkling lights
and calm music. Photographs and quotes from survivors were organized on a series of panels, each corresponding to a different theme. The first row was made up of general themes of the healing process, the second row focused on darker and more vulnerable moments within the process and the final row consisted of more specific day-to-day ups and downs. See HEAL, Page 3
legality of admissions
Students, faculty look at the constitutionality of legacy acceptances NIKKI KIM
Daily Staff Reporter
University of Michigan students and faculty discussed legacy admissions and their Constitutional implications in Hutchins Hall on Thursday afternoon. The Education Law and Policy Society hosted the event to focus on admissions from an equal protection standpoint. The discussion began with the panel addressing the ubiquity of legacy admissions in highly selective institutions. Michael Bastedo, School of Education professor, specializes in higher education admissions research. He said legacy commonly plays a role in undergraduate admissions. “Primarily at the undergraduate level, it’s pretty common,” Bastedo said. “It’s more unusual not to practice legacies than it is to practice legacies.” The question was then directed to Margo Schlanger, the panel’s legal expert and University Law School professor, on whether legacy admits violated the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVIII, No. 102 ©2019 The Michigan Daily
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 CLASSIFIEDS................6
michigandaily.com SUDOKU.....................2 ARTS...................5 SPORTS....................7
News
2 — Friday,April 12, 2019
MONDAY: Looking at the Numbers
TUESDAY: By Design
WEDNESDAY: This Week in History
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THURSDAY: Twitter Talk
FRIDAY: Behind the Story
BE HIND THE STORY
LSA freshman Atticus Raasch on his story “Schlissel addresses student concerns at carbon neutrality public session”: “I think just being able to hear the viewpoints of all of the students and community members who were showing their discontent for a lot of the things that have been happening regarding climate change and carbon neutrality practices on this campus. I know that this event was kind of in response to some of the demands or just the wants of some of the people who went and protested at the Fleming Administration Building which led to 10 people being arrested. So I think this was a really key community moment for a lot of these people who really care about carbon neutrality on campus. So I think it was really exciting to be able to hear everyone’s passion and to hear how much they care about the issue.” “I think there’s no shortage of passions on this campus. I think everyone throughout the entire event was very vocal. A lot of people were not afraid to throw in cheers, boos, even interrupt Schlissel at a lot of moments, which I think was really telling of the event. Just being able to catch people on their way out and just trying to talk to as many people as I could about what they thought of the event was kind of the best way to go about that.” HANNAH SIEGEL/Daily
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
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I think this is a powerful and emotional experience for a lot of people who love the University, who want the University to be a place where everyone feels they have a home and they belong ... I think what’s wonderful about the new location is that it’s in the heart of campus … so what we’re saying is that’s in the heart of who we are, what we do and what we’re committed to … For me, the new Trotter is about a new beginning on our campus with each other and for each other.” E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, during the Trotter to Trotter Community Walk, which took place on Wednesday, the day before the grand opening of the new Trotter Multicultural Center on State Street
‘U’ celebrates Biological Sciences Building, demonstrators draw attention to climate University administrators thank individuals who dedicated time, resources to structure ALEX HARRING Daily Staff Reporter
Thursday, more than 150 students, alumni, faculty, donors and community members — including demonstrators — gathered in the University of Michigan Biological Sciences Building for a ribbon cutting ceremony and to hear remarks from University President Mark Schlissel and other campus leaders. Interim LSA Dean Elizabeth Cole began the event by thanking those who have dedicated time and resources to the building and noted many people may not be aware of the amount of work and many different types of work that went into its creation. “When the college began designing this building, they recognized that science is more collaborative and interdisciplinary than it was in the past,” Cole said. “The Sudoku Syndication BSB was conceptualized as a place that would not only foster
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great innovations in biological sciences but would also be the kind of space that would encourage collaboration and would be a bridge for the public to explore the research that is being done here. Now, as we stand here today, this building is changing the nature of the work we do for faculty, students and staff alike, and it’s changing the way we achieve our mission to share our work with others.” The 312,000-square-foot building sits near the Central Campus Transit Center and the Hill Neighborhood bridge. It was approved by the University’s Board of Regents with a $261 million price tag in early 2014 to give the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology departments a better working space than the deteriorating 104-year-old Kraus Building. In 2017, the Museum of Natural History announced plans to join the EEB and
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MCDB departments in the understanding of the natural new building, and the building world and biological problems. now also houses the Museum The BSB in particular will make of Paleontology faculty and the University’s work accessible to staff. The Ruthven Museums the general public, Schlissel said. “I am confident that this Building, which formerly housed the Museum of Natural building and its resources will History, will be the new bring us closer to answering headquarters for University some of life science’s most administration when the pressing questions of today and Fleming Administration of tomorrow,” Schlissel said. “It represents our enduring Building is demolished. Cole said the building houses commitment to better understand teaching collections, the the world around us.” Schlissel thanked his museum, offices, classrooms, social spaces and labs, predecessor, staff and regents for among other things. She said their ongoing support and said the the BSB’s layout enhances ribbon cutting launched a new era education quality and allows of discovery at the University. When Schlissel began his for interactive teaching and remarks, climate demonstrators researching. Additionally, Cole noted the displayed posters relating to BSB’s “research neighborhoods,” climate change, the Climate Movement, carbon which require researchers to Action share space, equipment and ideas. neutrality and fossil fuels She said this is one example of from the second floor directly collaboration becoming the norm behind Schlissel’s podium. The in the new building. Like other Climate Action Movement has http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ speakers at the event, Cole said been critical of Schlissel for not she hoped the BSB could serve committing the University to as a bridge for the general carbon neutrality by 2030, the public to see the University’s inclusion of representatives from statewide energy providers on research. “This space is really an his President’s Commission on opportunity for visitors Carbon Neutrality and for the to connect with science,” University’s decision not to divest Cole said. “You can’t deny from companies that produce the excitement that the fossil fuels. The Climate Action Movement new spaces bring, nor the the March 15 immediate impact the BSB organized has already had on that Washtenaw County Climate promise. And I’m thrilled Strike, which brought upwards by the potential and the of 3,000 people to the Diag, and possibility that are held in a subsequent sit-in at Schlissel’s this space, and I think you office, which led to 10 arrests. In an email to The Daily will be, too, as you get to see following an April 9 special public it.” Schlissel began his session, at which none of their remarks by acknowledging demands were met, some student the alumni and donors demonstrators present at the event present at the event. He wrote they felt they needed to said the University has take more visible and potentially been a leader in the past, disruptive actions. “The Museum of Natural and this building will help the University tackle the History is dedicated to studying, biological questions of the preserving, and teaching about ecology, biodiversity and life on future. Schlissel also said Earth,” the email read. the University’s many Read more online at disciplines, resources and tools position it to redefine michigandaily.com boundaries and help broaden
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News
Friday, April 12, 2019 — 3
P R O M O T I N G C O N S E N T: S A PA C T H E D I A G
HEAL From Page 1
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Students interact with SAPAC The Diag, an event aiming to educate the campus community on consent and healthy relationships Thursday.
TROTTER From Page 1 While many of BSU’s original demands were not fully met, five years later the University has granted the student body the new $10 million facility intended to house student organizations, lounge spaces and student resources as well as act as a safe space for minority communities on campus. University alum Brittney Williams, a former BSU executive board member, attended the opening ceremony. According to Williams, while BSU members several years ago made the final push toward a new multicultural center, the original movement had its roots in decades of student protest and activism. “The Black Action Movements were what started (the push for a new Trotter Center),” Williams said. “There were three, in 1970, 1975 and 1987, and then a lot of people consider #BBUM to be kind of like an honorary BAM four. So I think a lot of the reason why people are so emotional today is because it’s almost 50 years of a push for us to have a space, not only like this but also actually on campus as opposed to where the old Trotter was.” Tyrell Collier, speaker of BSU during the #BBUM movement in 2013, echoed Williams’ sentiments in his remarks to attendees during the opening ceremony. “Make no mistake, we would not be here if it were not for the students who fought for this very moment,” Collier
BEGINNINGS From Page 1 “It really started decades and decades ago when folks were calling for a new Trotter to recognize Black student rights in general, since the ’70s and ’80s and ’90s,” he said. Collier earned his Bachelor of Arts in Afroamerican and African Studies and Sociology from the University in 2014. He currently serves as the senior coordinator of operations for Relay Graduate School of Education in New York City. At the Trotter Center, Collier remarked on the palpable energy surrounding the groundbreaking day and spoke of his hopes for the future. “Walking through this building, I got emotional. Going into the Sankofa Lounge, seeing all those photos, it means a lot. I just hope from here on out that history isn’t lost and that this still remains a beacon and a sanctuary for students of color. But, like I said, I always mention the Black student organizations because Trotter started off as the Black house and then it moved to the multicultural center. I just want to make sure
said. “When I see this building, I’m reminded of the Black Action Movements that shook this University to its core in response to racist incidents on campus, and in an effort to recognize Black student rights. I’m reminded of the Students of Color Coalition’s early 2000s takeover of the Michigan Union tower. I’m reminded of the multiple takeovers of the Fleming Administration Building by Black student activists. I’m reminded of my peers, who due to their dedication to this work, had to take on additional years at this University to graduate, and those who never made it to graduation at all.” Williams herself was one of these students, as she was a member of BSU from 2005 to 2011, and ultimately earned her bachelor’s degree from the University in 2016. According to Williams, during her time with BSU, minority students had to work around a number of obstacles in order to achieve a sense of community in the Trotter Center. “We were meeting a lot with administration, and also with our leadership … to talk about ways that we could continue to make the space that we were in on Washtenaw more welcoming, but also to figure out ways to get a little bit closer,” Williams said. “We also started the campaign where we were having students meet up and walk together to Trotter for BSU meetings. So we kind of had to do the best we could with what we had, while still pushing at the top to get something better.” With regard to the center’s
2019 reopening, Collier also cited the support of Elizabeth James, a member of BSU during the late ’70s and current program associate of the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies. “When I see this building, I am reminded of our immensely self less elder, Ms. Elizabeth James, whose unwavering support never let the fight die off in between generations, whose steadfast leadership has guided us always in the right direction and whose wisdom has comforted us in some of our darkest moments,” Collier said in his remarks. “Ms. Beth, if it were up to me, this building would be named after you.” Along with BSU’s foundational role in the establishment of a new multicultural center, speakers at the center’s opening ceremony also emphasized the role of the center as a space for minority students of all backgrounds to find resources and a community. Taubman junior Juan Muñoz, a representative from the Student Community of Progressive Empowerment, explained the importance of the center’s reopening to the Latinx community. “Trotter, for our community, has just been a place of gathering and a place of comfort and space for our community to come together,” Muñoz said. “We just really appreciate how it’s more centralized and that makes us feel more included on campus. I think that this building does a really good job of acknowledging all of the impact people before us had and how they’ve impacted our
communities and our ability to feel welcome on campus.” Public Policy junior Arwa Gayar, the co-president of the Arab Student Association, echoed Muñoz’s sentiments about the convenience of a centrally located Trotter Center. “A lot of the Arab students, when they come together after class, they’re usually in the Fishbowl and last year it would be in the basement of the Union,” Gayar said. “So a lot of our communities were very fragmented. We think that Trotter is going to be a really good place for us to come together and foster those natural relationships between our communities. I also think that ASA being an umbrella org over a very diverse group of organizations, we have a variety of programming and I think that Trotter, in terms of the intention of the space, is a perfect place for all of that.” According to Muñoz, the newly established center also represents a willingness of University administration to work with minority students on the issues they face in a college setting. As a member of SCOPE, which works to expand opportunities for undocumented students on campus, he explains this cooperation from administration is particularly needed to address certain student concerns. “Currently we’re facing a struggle with the 28-month policy, a clause within a policy that prevents DACA, or undocumented transfer students, from receiving in-state tuition,” Muñoz said.
“We (hope to) receive support from the public and raise awareness on this issue that it is preventing students from receiving education.” LSA sophomore Sandra Perez, also a member of SCOPE present on Thursday, built off Muñoz’s comments, explaining the effect of such policies on undocumented Michigan residents hoping to achieve higher education. “It personally affects Juan himself, and my brother,” Perez said. “My brother just received (notice) today that he was denied in-state classification, while I have been living with him for so many years, and was granted in-state classification. So now he’s an out-of-state student, and I’m an in-state student, and that’s preventing him from coming to this university.” Looking back on the goals set out by BSU five years ago to eliminate similar institutional obstacles facing minority students, Collier recognized the difficulty of achieving change on issues of equity and inclusion. “I just want everybody to know that this moment didn’t come easy; no one should leave here thinking that this came easy,” Collier said. “Nothing that is right and just usually comes easy. I think the idea of diversity is a bit on trend now, but getting institutions like this university that we all love to put time, energy and money into finding institutional racism is no small feat. I’m happy that we made it here, and it definitely didn’t happen merely by inspiration.”
that this remains a house and a safe space for Black students here on campus.” This sentiment of paying homage to those who came before was a common thread in many of the words orated by the other speakers at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Honorable Cynthia D. Stephens, the 1st District Court of Appeals judge and a University alum, made sure to give thanks to Thaddeus R. Harrison, the only student activist with a criminal conviction for his role in BAM that has not been overturned. Student activism has been a driving force for the prosperity of these movements, and these efforts are apparent in the construction of the Trotter Center’s space. During all steps in the process of the Trotter Center’s design and planning of its architecture, student input was prioritized and integrated into the edification. Notably, the new Trotter Center features a community lounge titled Sankofa on the first floor, a name advocated by BSU Speaker Kayla McKinney and Secretary Camyrea Barnes. Barnes spoke of the tireless, accumulative efforts of Black
students who have fought for a space to share their experiences. “I’m speechless. My heart is full right now. Just knowing the work and the efforts that many of the Black students on this campus have been putting into for 50 years now, and now that it’s being fulfilled, it’s like a full circle of life. It’s up for the future generation of Black students to keep the momentum going.” E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, reiterated this in her speech to the packed room in her anecdote concerning the significance of the Sankofa Lounge. Sankofa, originating from the Twi language of Ghana, is stylized by a bird with its head turned backward while its feet face forward. Like its symbol, Royster Harper urged community onlookers to acknowledge history and the efforts of the past while pursuing initiative for the future. “In some ways, it really is Sankofa. It really is this idea of looking back and remembering your past and seeing what’s possible for the future. And that’s what it means to me, a combination of all of that, and
to see all of the students and all of the work that has caused this to happen over time.” Elizabeth James, adviser for BSU, reflected on the deep significance of the Trotter Center’s revitalization of community on campus. James’ roots in the University span across generations, — both she and her mother attended the University, in addition to her 27 years of working for U-M. “For me, it’s really surreal to see a dream come true — (it) means more than I can even express in words. It’s the people, not the facility. We could meet at Angell Hall, but we would still be a community.” Robert Sellers, vice provost for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, talked about the Trotter Center’s importance to the institution and its catalytic role in creating a brighter future. “I am deeply touched, deeply moved. The fact that we, as an institution, are able to mark this moment in time as a way of both symbolizing the incredible work that the BSU and many students before the current BSU (have done) in terms of trying to move the University forward to become
the institution that it can be, it should be, and that it needs to be, I think this is one more milestone, but it is not the endpoint, and in many ways, it is a new beginning.” Michigan in Color commends the continuous efforts of students of color on campus and the plethora of community members and alumni that have supported these initiatives throughout the years. We hope that students of color will feel empowered, represented and grounded in their rightful place at this University and institutions like it. We welcome students of color from all backgrounds to revel in this space explicitly grounded in intercultural engagement, inclusivity and activism. But while the center is a positive step in the right direction, it is only one step in a larger journey. As the new Trotter Center begins to solidify its place on campus, students will continue to make strides in current and novel initiatives towards equity, inclusion, representation and unity at the University’s campus and beyond.
LSA freshman Elizabeth Williamson said the setup of the exhibit succeeded in showcasing the highs and lows of the recovery process. “The thing I liked most about the event is how the survivors led us on a journey through their recovery,” Williamson said. “The winding exhibit really shows how recovery is not a linear path but has many twists and turns.” Sinko said her project was inspired by her time as an undergraduate student and her desire to give a voice to women not supported by their communities. “I witnessed a lot of these unwanted sexual experiences, and the sad thing was I felt a lot of women weren’t being supported, they were more just being ostracized, because it’s not convenient to be upset about these things, especially when their perpetrators were men in fraternities or men in positions of power socially,” Sinko said. Sinko said the Finding the Strength to Heal project came out of her dissertation study, in which she reached out through surveys to undergraduate female students who have survived sexual violence. Participants were recruited through both SAPAC and Michigan Medicine, so the 24 survivors who volunteered to give narrative interviews are undergraduate students of universities throughout southeast Michigan. The project focused on female survivors, but Sinko noted she would like to expand it in the future. “We had survivors take a survey online — female survivors only is what we focused on, just because we thought that being a woman in society, you could navigate the world differently, potentially, than any other gender, so starting with women,” Sinko said. “I’d love to expand to men or other genders in the future.” The women were interviewed about their healing journeys, and 19 who volunteered to interview again were asked to take photographs of their dayto-day lives depicting moments of healing and moments of darkness. They were also asked what advice they would give survivors in the middle of their healing processes and what healing means to them. Sinko said after publishing a scientific article, she wanted to do more to make the material she had collected from the interviews accessible to the public. “This exhibit is a product of wanting to disseminate all the photos, all the advice, all the stories, to help people actually use research,” Sinko said. “Research can kind of be inaccessible, so we wanted to make it so that students can actually get something out of it, also so that service providers can get something out of it to learn what their clients might be looking for in their healing journeys.” Sinko said the event was aimed at three main audiences: survivors, supporters and service providers. “I hope as a survivor, you can navigate the space and see the light at the end of the tunnel and see the journey,” Sinko said. “No matter if you’re stuck, if you feel like you’re doing great, — you could at least take something away … and maybe just validating your experience. One of my participants said, ‘Oh everyone says you’re not alone, but sometimes you have to really see it to believe it, and it’s hard to just hear that message and know that it’s true.’” Social Work student Ori Benoni, a member of the event’s planning committee, said she was pleased with how the exhibit came together. “I think it’s really magical and it really speaks to how powerful this subject matter really is,” Benoni said. “The fact that so many people came and are really touched — I think it’s really beautiful.” Sinko said she hopes to conduct the study again with college-aged women who do not attend universities, looking for similarities and differences, and to create more exhibits in the future.
Opinion
4 — Friday, April 12, 2019
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DANA PIERANGELI | COLUMN
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ZACK BLUMBERG | COLUMN
Europe’s far-right movements come on strong, but what next?
I
n the 2015 Polish 13 percent of the seats in the parliamentary election, Bundestag, placing it third. the far-right Law and Additionally, in the lead up to the election, it Justice Party, or was by far the most PiS, won with an discussed part y outright majorit y on Twitter. While (meaning they did the Af D is only not need to form a one example, it coalition to govern), shows how rapidly something that had far-right parties not been done in can g row, as well Poland since the as how effectively fall of communism they can dominate in 1989. While ZACK other European BLUMBERG political discourse in the short-term. far-right parties However, in the longer aren’t doing nearly as well, they are still garnering both term, many of the tactics votes and attention; Marine utilized by far-right parties simply unsustainable Le Pen of the National Rally are f inished second in France’s and do not lend themselves stabilit y, success or presidential election in 2017, to the Alternative for Germany, effective governance. First, or the Af D, holds 13 percent being xenophobic and antiof the seats in the German immig rant relies primarily on Bundestag and the Leag ue, a large inf lux of immig rants. another far-right part y, is part Since peaking in 2016, the of immig rants of Italy’s governing coalition. number Unfortunately, it’s undeniable coming to Europe has been that this extremist movement declining — less than half as is doing well. However, the many immig rants arrived in rapid rise of this movement 2018 as in 2016. This could raises a critical question: decimate the platforms of Are European far-right many of these parties, leaving parties sustainable and, if so, them with little to campaig n how? While the resurgence on as people become less of right-wing extremist worried about immig ration. ideolog y in Europe is highly Additionally, while railing disconcerting, it is unlikely against immig rants is an that fear-mongering and effective way to garner xenophobia are issues that support for the part y, it does stable, successf ul parties can not translate smoothly into be built upon in the long- effective governance. When in power, a part y is expected term. To beg in, however, it is to work to accomplish things. important to acknowledge As the Law and Justice Part y discovered, far-right the f lip side of political has sustainabilit y: building up a tactics are highly effective far-right populist part y is, for gaining power, but are comparatively, quite easy. less impactf ul when making European far-right parties policy. Being in power, PiS focus, f irst and foremost, on is under the microscope, xenophobia and immig ration. and things like corruption Compared to the platforms scandals have lowered the approval ratings. of more traditional parties, part y’s which are usually more Additionally, as immig ration complex and nuanced, being rates have fallen, people have anti-immig ration is simple, become less worried about easy to explain and taps the issue, and subsequently into anger and fear. This less enamored with the helps recruit people who part y’s xenophobic message. feel disenfranchised and Realizing this, the PiS has creates a strong voter base. shif ted, choosing to target Additionally, by virtue of LGBTQ people instead. This being extreme and providing shif t in approach underscores shock value, far-right parties the shaky political g round receive news coverage European far-right parties disproportionately. The Af D, stand on, especially when a part y that was created in thrust into the limelight. Additionally, the bold 2013, exemplif ies both of these phenomena. In 2017, claims far-right parties tend only four years af ter its to make can clash with legal founding, the part y claimed and bureaucratic boundaries,
forcing parties to walk back on these positions. Near the time of the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom, withdrawing from the European Union became a trendy talking point for many populist right parties. Across the continent, parties came up with their own portmanteaus to promote the idea of leaving — a Nexit in the Netherlands or a Swexit in Sweden. However, as Brexit has devolved into a political and bureaucratic nightmare, bold far-right parties have been forced to acknowledge how disastrous the process of leaving would be. Even Steve Bannon, an American far-right nationalist who has worked with European farright parties, admitted these parties needed to shif t toward reforming the EU from the inside. These legal clashes can ser ve to undermine the bombastic promises that drive far-right parties in the f irst place and sink their reputation. While all these factors point toward the unsustainabilit y of the European far-right movement, its collapse is far from a foregone conclusion. In countries like Poland, the lack of a strong or competent opposition part y can allow the PiS to govern relatively unchallenged, even if the part y itself becomes less popular. Additionally, and most worr yingly, if farright parties are able to overcome bureaucratic barriers, they can work to undermine the systems that are desig ned to contain them, as PiS has somewhat successf ully attempted to do by undermining Poland’s court system. While Europe’s most recent far-right movement has g rown rapidly, that’s to be expected, thanks to the nature of the movement’s parties. The real test for these parties, however, is how they fare going for ward as political and social climates change. Future success is far from certain, and there are many factors that threaten their abilit y to succeed in the f uture.
Zack Blumberg can be reached at zblumber@umich.edu.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and op-eds. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while op-eds should be 550 to 850 words. Send the writer’s full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.
SUBMIT TO SURVIVORS SPEAK The Opinion section has created a space in The Michigan Daily for first-person accounts of sexual assault and its corresponding personal, academic and legal implications. Submission information can be found at https://tinyurl.com/survivorsspeak2019.
A
It’s taxing to be a girl
couple months ago, I had to review a concert taking place in Kerrytown that would force me to go through the heart of Ann Arbor. It started at 7 p.m., which, being in winter, seemed like the dead of night. Not finding anyone to accompany me and knowing all too well the dangers of walking alone at night, I Ubered there and back — about a $20 excursion. But I didn’t even think twice about it. My safety came first, and I had been warned too many times about what could happen so I didn’t risk it. Instances like this happen all the time. Whether it’s splurging on an Uber, taking an extra 15 minutes to establish a plan for going out, double checking for pepper spray before a day in town — these types of timeconsuming and expensive situations are things girls deal with every day. Being a girl is taxing. Everything we have to think about before going out, all the preparation we do, all the extra time and money we have to spend to keep ourselves safe — it’s taxing emotionally and to our bank accounts. There are the typical economic systems of oppression that women face, such as the the Glass Ceiling, which is the barrier preventing women from rising up in the industry and the economy. This leads to women making 80.7 cents to the male dollar (which is only the average wage — women of color often make much less) and a substantial wage gap. There’s also the Pink Tax, the fact that female consumers pay more just simply for being women. It’s been proven that women are charged more for products and services like dry cleaning, personal care products and vehicle maintenance. Tampons and pads are charged sales tax because they are considered “luxury items.” In these
occasions, women are paying more than men 42 percent of the time, and about $1,351 per year in extra costs. But the economy isn’t even close to the only issue for women. Women are forced to be constantly vigilant about our safety. Even if nothing has ever happened to us personally, we know from stories and others’ experiences why we need to be cautious. I have a friend who went to an all-girls high school, and at her graduation, the school gave every single student pink pepper spray as a parting gift. This ref lects the reality of a college campus — or anywhere, for that matter — that girls need a way to defend themselves, and that they feel unsafe.
We should be able to live our lives freely without constant vigilance Before going out, I’m always making plans with friends to solidif y who I’m going with and who I’m staying with, who I’m walking home with. We try to go in groups, hopefully with at least a couple g uys we trust, but even then, we never fail to bring pepper spray. If anyone decides to drink, she has to watch as it’s being poured and handed to her. Frat parties can be more terrif ying than fun as we try to walk the tightrope of hanging out with friends and worrying about potential threats to our safety. Even for just a 10-minute walk home at night, I have to be prepared. Walking from Central Campus back to my dorm isn’t worth Ubering, but it’s still nerve-wracking. My mom once chastised me
for having pepper spray in my backpack, because that’s not easily accessible enough. And she’s right. If something happened, I wouldn’t have time to rummage through whichever pocket it’s in and pull it out fast enough to defend myself. Now I keep it in my coat pocket with my hand wrapped around it. These cautionary steps that women take every day don’t even cross most g uys’ minds. In an experiment performed by social researcher Jackson Katz, he asked men and women what they do on a daily basis to protect themselves from sexual assault. The men’s response: “Nothing. I don’t think about it.” Women, on the other hand, listed more than 30 precautions they take to avoid assault and keep themselves safe. Staying safe on campus is something that is stressed from the very first college visit. We’re told about the Safe Rides, “blue light” emergency telephones and the Division of Public Safety and Security. The University of Michigan does what it can to keep its students safe. But it can only do so much. There is still so much left up to girls to do to keep ourselves safe. And you know what? We really shouldn’t have to worry about this. We should be able to walk home from a concert without pepper spray in our hand. We should be able to go out without fear of being raped. We should be able to live our lives freely without constant vigilance. But because society has deemed these goals not at the top of its priority list, we do not have the luxury of putting our g uard down. Until we fix the inherent f laws in our economic and social systems, I will always Uber at night and carry pepper spray. Dana Pierangeli can be reached at dmpier@umich.edu.
MAX STEINBAUM | COLUMN
O
Is it still Mueller time?
n May 17, 2017, Robert Mueller became a bloodhound. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein authorized a federal investigation into the Russian government’s interference in the 2016 presidential election, and, in particular, the treasonous possibility of coordination between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Moscow. Mueller, a former director of the FBI, was tapped by Rosenstein to serve as the investigation’s special counsel. It was also around this time that I bought a T-shirt. Riffing off the Milwaukee-based Miller Brewing Company’s logo and tagline, the shirt was cleverly imprinted with the phrase “It’s Mueller Time.” The shirt didn’t fit as well as I had hoped — you get what you pay for, I guess — but that wasn’t really the point. Who cares if it sits in a cardboard box in a dusty basement for 20 years? I’d still be able to give my kids a souvenir from the time a detested president was found guilty of treason, impeached, removed from office and maybe even jailed. It’d be a piece of history. I realize now I was counting my chickens before they hatched, and maybe even being a bad American. Like many other Democrats, I had hoped (and expected) the Mueller investigation would end with a resounding condemnation of Trump. Next would be the vindicating CNN coverage of the Senate’s first conviction of a U.S. president on impeachment charges, and — if we were really lucky — a Mike Pence no-pardon miracle, all culminating with the image of our disgraced buffoon-inchief in an orange jumpsuit in Alcatraz on the cover of Time magazine. As sweet as that would have been, it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. What’s more, I was wrong to want it in the first place. Even
if I, like many Americans, had suspicions of Trump-Moscow collusion, how could a good American want it to be true? If Mueller’s report were to confirm these suspicions, of course, that’d be one thing — but to have actively rooted for our president to be revealed a traitor? On March 22, 2019 — nearly two years after the investigation began — Mueller’s
Demanding that Congress see the unredacted version of the Mueller report isn’t just about being a resentful Democrat office submitted its findings to Attorney General William Barr. Two days later, Barr penned a four-page summary of Mueller’s findings in a letter addressed to Congress. Per Barr’s summary, Mueller’s team did uncover evidence of Russian interference in the election, but the special counsel reportedly found no coordination between the Trump campaign and Moscow during the 2016 election race. If Barr’s summary is a faithful representation of Mueller’s findings, then I — and many Americans — owe our president an apology for our premature mischaracterizations. It must be acknowledged, however, that Mueller’s full report is nearly 400 pages; Barr’s submission to Congress was only four pages long. What’s more, on April 3, The New York Times reported members of Mueller’s team believe Barr “failed to adequately portray the findings of their inquiry,” and that the findings “were more troubling for President Trump than Mr. Barr
indicated.” To be fair to Barr, it is unclear what that really means. I doubt Barr grossly misrepresented the Mueller report, but given the investigators’ commentary, it shouldn’t be controversial to question whether Barr’s letter accounted for the full scope and nuance of Mueller’s team’s findings. It is responsible and fitting that, on April 9, Barr reiterated he would provide a redacted version of the Mueller report to Congress by mid-April at the latest. While a censored copy of the Mueller report is better than a fourpage sketch, Congress — which has the power to impeach and convict a president — ought to have access to the unedited original. Even Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer and vehement critic of the Mueller investigation, has called for full disclosure of the report to Congress. Demanding that Congress see the unredacted version of the Mueller report isn’t just about being a resentful Democrat. Republicans and Trump supporters should be overwhelmingly in favor of this, too. They’ve been saying all along that the left’s accusations of collusion and obstruction of justice by the president are hogwash. And perhaps they’re right. Regardless, if they truly believe this, then the prospect of releasing an unredacted report to Congress ought to be seen as a golden opportunity to clear Trump’s name — and a satisfying chance to clamp the two-year-long Democratic screeching. Only then, for better or worse, can we put this argument to rest and find other things to fight about. Until at least next week, however, we can’t responsibly say whether or not it’s still Mueller time.
Max Steinbaum can be reached at maxst@umich.edu.
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, April 12, 2019 — 5
MUSIC INTERVIEW
Darlingside on process, performance and folk magic CLARA SCOTT Senior Arts Editor
Darlingside has always been a bright spot on the face of modern folk music. Starting out as a five-piece rock band out of Boston, Mass., the group narrowed down to four members and grew their sound into the stunning mix of influences and instrumentation that we hear today. Composed of multi-instrumentalists Auyon Mukharji, Don Mitchell, Dave Senft and Harris Paseltiner, the band has found a niche in the folk music scene, although their work covers a broad array of musical references and motifs. From their first studio record Pilot Machines, released in 2012, the group has never been easy to pin down, and this is the magic of their approach. They traverse sounds that stem from traditional folk to electronic experimentation with ease, building a colorful base from which they spin complex stories. Now touring their 2018 album Extralife and a recently-released EP, Darlingside has leaned into their multifaceted sound to create something new for the future. Extralife itself is a magnum opus for the group, a response both to the times we live in and the realities of Trump-era America through an ornate lens. Yet, making a pseudo-protest album was not always the intention of Darlingside during the writing and recording process. I spoke to band member Auyon Mukharji about this process and much more in an interview this month, ahead of their performance this weekend at Ann Arbor’s historic folk venue The Ark. “We don’t do a lot of sort of like meta, big picture planning before we write a record,” Mukharji explained in a phone call with The Daily, “It’s more of a brain dump … for Extralife, at least, how we kind of evolved was to everyone getting in on ground level.” “A person might come in with a lyric, or with a tune, and then everyone would have their favorite parts and work on them a little bit
and then it would be all ripped apart as a group,” Mukharji elaborated, “It’s a very iterative process, so what we end up coming up with versus the end drafts of those lyrics is the result of our headspace.” On the origins of the album, the violinist explained that they came from many places, some harder to divine than others: “We come from a relatively similar place, we are very close friends and we’ve
Darlingside with Molly Parden Apr. 14 @ 7:30 p.m. The Ark $22
lived out a van for so many years together,” Mukharji said. “There are conversations we have, and concerns, and a lot of this was in the lead-up to the 2016 election, so we didn’t have a sort of overarching idea of what we wanted the record to be more than (the fact that) this is what came out of our heads.” In addition to Extralife, Darlingside released a new EP in February titled Look Up and Fly Away, a combination of songs leftover from the album’s writing process and some that had been around for a while. Either way, the collection of six songs has a significantly more uplifting tone than Extralife, serving as the yin to its yang in
a complementary duo. “Our record-writing process, in the gross inefficiency of it, is that we start with 30 or so song ideas that we have to whittle down to 12,” Mukharji laughed. “Then we do a little bit of recording of all of them and then we’ll cut it down to 25,” he continued, “then they’re around half-finished, so we end up with bits and pieces of, kind of Frankensteined songs that are in different levels of disrepair.” But this doesn’t mean that everything included on the EP was necessarily from Extralife, or that any song has a truly cemented beginning in time. “So the first song ideas, some of the freshest musical ideas, well some of the songs that made it on Extralife the album had been kicking around for about a decade, from a while back, some of them were ideas that came to us during the writing process,” Mukharji explained. “So the (songs on the) EP are from a similar variety, right, they’re a mix and match of different things that we ended up playing with.” “In the wake of press stuff and Spotify, we need to have a steadier stream of music, and so not limiting ourselves to a full-length album is something that we’re (used to),” he continued. “We enjoyed that process with the last album we put out, after we released (our 2015 album) Birds Say, then we put out an EP called Whippoorwill, and it went great, so we thought we’d try the same trick!” This approach has worked well for Darlingside: In addition to providing more material for excited fans, they are able to integrate new music into their tour as they plan each performance. It’s a process that starts with the highly-produced music they create in the studio and boils down to a poignantly bare setup of the four around a microphone, weaving together their respective voices and instruments in a sea of sound.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
FILM REVIEW
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
Faithful ‘Transit’ is stellar SAPAC survivor showcase ROSS ORGIEFSKY Daily Arts Writer
I don’t typically keep a running Best Picture tally throughout the year, but I will be quite disappointed if “Transit” does not get at least a nomination in Feb. of 2020. Taking place in modern France, “Transit” superimposes a Nazi occupation on a contemporary setting and follows the efforts Georg (Franz Rogowski, “Victoria”) makes to escape. “Transit” takes its title in part from the extra documents required when migrating internationally with stops in other countries. They are a coveted commodity in the film; it is much more difficult to secure transits than it is to secure a destination visa. After serendipitously stumbling upon an opportunity to assume a dead man’s identity, Georg’s shot at freedom seems straightforward: All he must obtain are transits. His journey is quickly complicated by a widow and desperate child, a heartbreaking love triangle and a woman with two dogs. Georg’s epic journey is important. Adapted from a 1944 novel by Anna Seghers, the film retains a novel-like narrative quality with thirdperson voice over narration and intentional re-use of certain locations throughout. Director Christian Petzold (“Phoenix”) also wrote the adaptation of Seghers novel.
Petzold’s screenplay retains the timeless emotions of displacement and remains culturally relevant despite the anachronistic socio-political setting. “Transit” investigates freedom, and what it means to be faithful to oneself. I
Transit Michigan Theater Schramm Film
empathize wholeheartedly with Georg, taking shallow breaths while sitting on the edge of my seat. My heart ached with his profound loneliness. Palpable uncertainty calls attention to the truth, always hidden just out of view from the viewer or from the characters themselves. The film looks into the nature of “home” as defined by people, places, and safety. Georg’s fate is left to the viewer’s imagination, a poignant ref lection on existence in a transient state. Visually, cinematographer Hans Fromm (“Yella”) takes advantage of the widescreen
format with gorgeous, expansive shots of pastoral French landscapes seen from a speeding train. Other train-shots are composed like a still-life painting: Two men in a stark white room accompanied only by cheese and paper. The tensely calm beauty of Marseille is rendered with clarity throughout the film, making the final moments doubly gutwrenching. “Transit” reminds us the costs of compassion, the double-edged sword of shameful silence, and the existential weight of solitude. One particularly literary line, “ports are places where stories are told,” offers a neat summary of the film and its characters. “Transit” sees people converging in unlikely circumstances; each day some stories are told as other stories are being written. While I haven’t read Segher’s novel, “Transit” retains a literary quality and cadence. Embracing film’s unique beauties without abandoning literature’s nuanced sentimentality, Petzold holds onto the gentleness. Opening the door for political questions and rumination on identity and the concept of home, the instant classic does not sacrifice immediacy. I intend to read the original book soon, and I’ll certainly be adding “Transit” to my repertoire of favorites.
RYAN COX
Daily Arts Writer
Art has shown time and time again that it cannot only serve as a voice to the speechless, but also as a form of healing for the broken. The Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC) recognizes this, and through their event, “rEVOLUTION: Making Art for Change,” they hope to not only bring attention to local artists, but also show the power and effectiveness of art of all mediums. Hosted by SAPAC’s Survivor Empowerment and Ally Support (SEAS) team, “rEVOLUTION” is an annual event hosted in Rackham Graduate School that showcases the artwork of both survivors and allies in the community. The artwork represents a variety of subject matters. In an interview with The Daily, LSA junior Jessica Hobbs and LSA sophomore Matt Weiner talked about their experience organizing the event. Founded in 2006, the event focuses on promoting “art as a healing process and sharing the stories of survivors in a way that’s more digestible and even more intense emotionally,” said Hobbs, the organizer of this
year’s “rEV.” The event showcases a range of artistic styles and pieces, from three-dimensional hanging pieces, visual art of all shapes and sizes, a few poetry pieces, dance, audiovideo presentations and much more. “It’s structure mostly like a gallery event, but we do
process, commenting on how “There aren’t any specific requirements (for an art piece), per say … we’re just hoping to allow artists to have a space (for their art) to grow and heal from their experiences rather than make arguments.” The two emphasized the importance of the role of art in the organization, and why they believe expression through art can be an integral component in healing and empowering survivors. “It’s a really easy way for people to connect with something that isn’t necessarily a news headline of a political topic. Using art as a medium allows people to interface with their emotions more readily than, say, interacting with a headline,” Hobbs stated. And more so, the experience can be just as important for the observer as well as the artist. Weiner discussed how, “It’s a two-fold experience. It can be hard to verbalize exactly what you’re thinking on the artist’s side, however on the viewer’s side, the art can be very approachable and digestible.” Gallery-goers may resonate with a piece of visual art and relate to the emotions conveyed through it more so than they would have with, say, a piece of poetry.
rEVOLUTION: Making Art for Change Apr. 14 @ 2-6 p.m. Rackham Graduate School Free
have a mini-schedule for the films and dance presentation,” Hobbs said. The event has around forty different pieces on display, which Weiner says is “enough to show, but not too many as to be overwhelming. We want everyone to be able to see everything.” The pieces touch on a variety of subject matters — some lighthearted, and some extremely personal — and the gallery welcomes that. They aim to create an environment for all types of art. Weiner discussed the selection
ALBUM REVIEW
Khalid’s ‘Free Spirit’ marks his artistic maturity DIANA YASSIN Daily Arts Writer
Between adolescence and adulthood, there’s a hazy, underappreciated threshold. Your early twenties are fast and ruthless, messy as your fight for control ends in the merciless reality of independence. Friendships end, love is lost and you fail to recognize yourself as the people you surround yourself with change. A sense of respite only creeps up in bursts of confidence and assurance during this period of fear, unconventionality and uncertainty as your identity prevails in all the ways you wouldn’t expect it to. This is the story of Khalid’s career. His success with debut album American Teen won over pop culture when he had barely graduated high school. In his lovely, leathery voice, he conveyed the trials and triumphs of high school without sparing a single detail. From tales of booze-infused nights that went too far to heartaches that went too deep, his songs reached fans with and without driver’s licenses alike. It was an album that fit a distinct, special experience but was contained within a specific period of time — references to cell phone pictures, car ride apps and GPS navigation painted the scene that enabled or crushed the connections Khalid made with other people. It was a loneliness that only made sense if it was a loneliness that you experienced, and this specificity made it such a hallmark to teen music.
It’s been two years since, and our American teen has grown. His life has extended beyond the membrane of a high school existence into one of fame and independence. This proved to inf luence his sophomore album Free Spirit, as it echoes the sentiment that the teenage struggle of finding yourself never truly ends, regardless of a contextual shift into early adulthood. He puts it simply in an interview with Billboard saying, “this album is the culmination of all of the growth and experiences I have gathered over the past two remarkable years.” In Free Spirit, these stories are carried by ’80s synths and sticky, euphoric grooves. It’s a background you can move to, but with a lot more variety this time around; the sound is effortlessly R&B with glimmers of classic rock and a surprisingly gorgeous guest appearance by John Mayer on guitar. The raw elements that made American Teen so memorable remain in tact,
Free Spirit Khalid RCA Records
though they’ve matured. Rather than bemoaning the end of a relationship, he ref lects on the nature of its failure in title track “Free Spirit,” crooning, “I’ve been lovin’ more, livin’ less / Off of highs and lows, so obsessed / Couldn’t get nothing / But we’re never runnin’ out.” Through these lines he marks his growth, eschewing any trepidation of judgement for his experiences. Similarly, Khalid explores aspects of early adulthood in themes we gloss over. With the image of party culture so ingrained in the college-aged experience, we neglect the vulnerability and escapism that accompany it. Khalid follows just this in “Paradise,” as he details getting high to cope with not “liking watchin’ your mama cry / You say you’d rather die / She says you’re wastin’ your life.” It’s anxiety-inducing, fearful and a bit nihilistic, but he follows this immediately with hopeful proclamations in “Hundred.” He explores the theme in every sense from having “a hundred friends,” experiencing a feeling for “a hundred days” and having “a hundred things to do,” but ensures us that it is all worth it when you keep it “a hundred” and “dust yourself off.” Other highlights include “Twenty One,” a song that’s exactly what you’d expect it to be about, and the funky love anthem “Outta my Head,” featuring the addictive bass stylings of John Mayer. Overall, Free Spirit proves to be the perfect, timeless backdrop to early twenties and the slew of emotions that accompany it. In unwavering confidence, Khalid deftly conveys the insecurity and uncertainty that goes into discovering yourself and trusting your gut.
Arts
6 — Friday, April 12, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
BOOK REVIEW
TV REVIEW
‘White Elephant’ exposes Timid ‘Wife Swap’ return realities of suburban life SOPHIA YOON Daily Arts Writer
SAMANTHA DELLA FERA Senior Arts Editor
When I’m searching for effortless entertainment, I often turn to my hometown’s Facebook group. I can’t help but feel like I’m scrolling through satire, an Onion-esque portrayal of aff luent white people with nothing better to do than complain about potholes and playgrounds. Often, I wish that I could insert myself into their lives, to see where these woes originate, and why these people are so petty and angry and annoyed with the world. Julie Langsdorf ’s debut novel, “White Elephant,” gives you the opportunity to do just that. Willard Park is your typical uppermiddle class suburb. It has tree-lined streets, Halloween parades, a quaint local café that all the neighbors f lock to and a culture of forced politeness used to conceal rage and env y. The titular “White Elephant” is a gaudy mansion built by newcomer Nick Cox, a real estate developer who has big dreams for the town and, thus, some big enemies. Langsdorf perfectly captures the contrived nature of a “neighborly” suburb, weaving in and out through her characters’ own thoughts and, more importantly, how others think of them. There is a whiff of dramatic irony involved, as readers gradually fig ure out the book’s conf licts and
controversies — the affairs, the fires and the mutilated trees — way before the people they’re reading about. The most satisf ying tactic that Langsdorf exercises throughout the book is the constant switching between the thoughts and troubles of both the tweens and adults of the book. Spoiler alert: They’re pretty much the same. Does that boy like me? Do I like him? Should I like him? Why doesn’t anybody
White Elephant Julie Langsdorf Ecco Mar. 26, 2019
like me? Why doesn’t anybody understand me? What seems like a peak into a 12-year-old’s diary is really an examination about how those feelings never really go away, and how in adult life they may lead to much more dire consequences. Given the title, I was led to believe that this ominous “White Elephant” would be a more central character in the novel, and it certainly was in the end. Yet as I discovered early in the novel, the “elephant in the room” not a physical one, but rather the secrets that these residents are keeping from one another. That does not mean that this is a gossip novel, though. Langsdorf
crafts a novel that’s partmystery, part-comedy and part-drama, all wrapped up in beautiful mix of humor and tension. That’s not to say this book works on universal experiences, though. Langsdorf ’s book is most accessible to the exact people she is writing about: Sexually-repressed suburbia-dwellers with the time and money to care about trees and hosting g uests. Langsdorf ’s characters don’t have too many problems — an overbearing mother here, a bratty daughter there — but the way they deal with these first-world issues is too chaotic to pass up. The trials and tumults of suburbia is never the most interesting topic to examine; growing up in suburban New Jersey, this is something I fully understand. Yet the suburbs are an incredible anthropological study, one that musicians, filmmakers and novelists alike have recognized and taken advantage of. Everything has an aside: Financial stability ( but too much money makes you an outcast), mothers and fathers who are still together ( but their lackluster sex drive is driving them apart), the ultimate neighborhood experience ( but that comes with pettiness and town halls). It is pathetic, it is discouraging, it is absolutely delicious. Through Langsdorf ’s words, one can’t help but willfully crawl back into the deranged suburb that they came from.
In modern times, it’s easy to get so caught up in the superficiality of your social media feed and miss the intricacies of other people’s lifestyles. That’s where “Wife Swap” comes in. One spin-off (“Celebrity Wife Swap”) and a couple of cancellations later, “Wife Swap” finally makes its return to network television — this time boasting a more progressive air. Despite variances to the classic formula of swapping only heterosexual couples, the foundation of the show remains the same: Two different families swap a parent for two weeks and see how their parenting styles hold up in other households. The pilot episode features a swap between a stayat-home mom, Virginia, and a stay-at-home dad, Bo. In classic “Wife Swap” fashion, the two families are complete opposites. Virginia is portrayed as a helicopter mom who homeschools her repressed kids and (for some reason) takes care of 10 puppies, while Bo is the funloving dad who lets his kids roam free and eat processed junk food all day. Although they were both stay-at-home parents, Bo was definitely more entertaining to watch, as he was teaching the kids to have fun while Virginia just took away the kids’ video games and cringed when they
ate chicken nuggets. At the end of each episode, the parents reunite and deliberate on what each family needs to change in their household. This segment is an awkward attempt to extract the last strains of drama the episode can offer whilst finding a “middle ground”
Wife Swap Pilot Paramount Network Thursdays @ 9 p.m.
between the two families. Throughout the entire episode, Virginia nagged about how Bo’s family needed to change their dietary habits, but she suddenly reveals in this conference portion that she is such an aggressive health advocate because she needed to give up a kidney for her child. This confession comes way out of left field and should have been revealed much earlier in the episode, particularly when Virginia and Bo’s wife Christie were bickering about how they felt “mommy-shamed.” For the pilot episode of a rebooted show, the storyline
could have used a more drastic change to prove why this version of “Wife Swap” should stay on the air. At the episode’s conclusion, audiences were given a trailer of the season to come. And with previews that include a vlogger family, a same-sex family, a sexist husband and many more of the show’s trademark cartoonish caricatures, one cannot help but wonder why they decided to commence the reboot with an episode as bland as the one that aired. There weren’t many “oh snap” moments, which is a crucial component every good reality TV show needs to capture its audience. If you’ve ever watched “The Bachelor” or any installment of the “Real Housewives,” you know the moments I’m referring to, and this episode is like “PBS NewsHour” in comparison. As of right now, parents who are actively raising younger children are the only audience that the show targets, but if they expand to different kinds of families and raise the drama, they might be able to reach a level right below “Real Housewives” reality TV. It’s a good source of entertainment when there’s nothing else to watch, but the distinction between reality TV and an issue of “Parents” magazine is something they’ll need to work hard on earning as soon as possible if they don’t want another cancellation.
MUSIC INTERVIEW
Hayes on his comeback Classifieds KAITLYN FOX For the Daily
After three long years, Hunter Hayes is back with the release of his new single, “Heartbreak.” Hayes released the tune in January as a preview of his new album, Closer to You, and in February announced the tour he’s about to embark on later this month. Since kicking off his music career in his late teens, Hayes has created a name for himself in the country music sphere with over 40 award nominations and wins, including a CMA for New Artist of the Year. While he realizes most listeners adore the teenage love songs of his previous albums, Hayes is excited for fans to hear Closer to You, since, unlike any of his albums in the past, it comes from a more personal, sacred space. “I’ve probably worked for three or four years on this album, writing hundreds of songs. A lot of stuff was written to try to be like what I thought (the industry) wanted,” said Hayes in a phone interview with The Daily. “I scrapped everything at the beginning of 2018 and decided that I was going to make a record for myself. It sounds selfish and it sounds stupid, but actually that’s kind of the idea. You’re supposed to do that. As an artist, you’re supposed to start there because you know what’s on your heart, what’s important to you, what you write about, your experiences.” Although diving into a new realm of songwriting was new to Hayes, he believes taking this album in a new direction has helped the process feel more worthwhile and fulfilling. “The whole project for me is about shedding weight and moving on,” Hayes explained, “For me, it’s one hundred percent the most transparent for sure, and it’s the most I’ve ever put of myself into music. I needed it. I wrote these songs because I needed to write these songs, not because I felt like
I had to, and that’s a big switch. For several years I wrote a lot of stuff I thought I was supposed to, and had to, and now this record is just all full of stuff that I just wrote because I needed to write it, I need to sing it.” Hayes gave fans a taste of his new style with his newly released single “Heartbreak,” which is one of the standout songs to be featured on his new album. “(‘Heartbreak’) started as a journal entry on a trip that I took by myself,” he recalled, “(I realized) this album doesn’t really have a love song, but (I wanted) for there to be one because I feel like
Hunter Hayes April 27 @ 6 p.m. Royal Oak Music Theatre GA starting at $41
(it was important) to write to my future better half and just saying, ‘I’m going through a lot to get to you, but I know that it’ll be worth it.’” With nearly three million streams on Spotify, it’s safe to say “Heartbreak” has already been well-received by fans. “I love the optimism of it, I love the mystery of it,” Hayes said. “I think it’s something I’ve wanted to write for a long time and just never really was in the headspace to do it. It’s just different in the fact that I didn’t really feel I had to ask for permission to write (‘Heartbreak’) or anything else on this album. I think this is completely unfiltered.” Although “Heartbreak” has already given us a glimpse into what the new album will sound like, Hayes said he will be playing his unreleased songs on the tour so fans can hear his new music for the first time at the shows. For the musician, releasing his music live is just an introduction for the music that’s coming. “We’ve been on the road
this entire time, we’ve been doing shows, but we haven’t been able to stop and build a proper experience. And now we get to do that,” Hayes explained. “This is all of my inner child happiness (about) things happening at once. Just getting to build the show, start from scratch, convey a message. I’ve been waiting to do this for so long. We’ve played shows, but we haven’t been on the road like this in a while, and this is where my heart’s probably the happiest.” During the planning stages of the tour, Hayes drew a lot of his inspiration from other artists and how they’ve approached their performances. “I love studying anything that I like. I love to figure out why I like it, what I like about it, what makes it so, and how it was made. I love knowing the behind the scenes stuff about records and stuff. I just love watching live concerts and really trying to understand it and trying to get behind the curtain and figure out how it works and how those things happen,” he said. But his biggest source of insight are his own emotions and experiences. “I think the time away really made me hone in on what I love, what I love to feel and what I want everybody to feel when they leave the show,” Hayes described. “I think this will be the first show where we get to know each other and break down more walls than we have before. I’m really excited about it.” Hayes will be performing at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on April 27th. After years of preparing this album and refining his sound as an artist, Hayes is excited to get back on the road and share what he’s been working on. “A lot of time has elapsed now (and that) allows me to kind of hit the reset button, which is a scary thing to do but also an awesome thing to get to do. I think the thing that’s giving the fire to this tour is that it’s a restart. Not a relaunch necessarily, but it’s a brand new day in a lot of ways.”
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
HELP WANTED Release Date: Friday, April 12, 2019
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Building unit 5 “Oh yeah?” 11 Pranks, in a way, for short 14 Industrial portmanteau 15 Movie leads, often 16 Narrow inlet 17 Energetic jug band performer? 19 Mtn. stat 20 Lodge 21 With indifference 23 Western formation? 26 “See ya later” 28 Some distance away 29 Skewered food cooked vertically? 31 Caine and Connery 32 __ rally 33 What snobs may put on 34 “Up to 3,000 lights” brand 35 Do business with 37 Mississippi source 40 Seminarian’s subj. 41 Like-minded group 42 It’s worn with a kimono 44 Himalayan priest 46 Doesn’t get fixed? 49 Off-kilter 50 Weymouth of Talking Heads 51 Oxidizes 52 Like some elections 54 “This is __ chance” 55 Cooler cooler 56 Wile E. Coyote purchases from Acme? 62 Zero, to Man U 63 Online investment service 64 Loan default risk 65 Remote cells 66 One who’s determined to lose 67 Server’s edge DOWN 1 Suggest, as a price 2 Org. that voted Keith Urban 2018 Entertainer of the Year
3 “Monsters, Inc.” raspy-voiced undercover agent 4 “I” swelling? 5 Word of comparison 6 Farm female 7 Jackie O’s second 8 Original V8 base 9 Aquanaut’s workplace 10 Nobel Institute city 11 They sometimes help relieve congestion 12 Vertical Parthenon component 13 Mythical mangoats 18 Yellow pool table item 22 Caravan stopover 23 Maximally soft, in music 24 Fútbol cheers 25 Celebs on runways 26 Poi plant 27 Hunk’s pride 30 Build-it-yourself buy
34 Massage parlor service 36 Sprang 37 Three-time NHL All-Star Kovalchuk 38 Talking-__: lectures 39 Be up against 41 Disallow 43 “__ a deal!” 44 Thin layer 45 Jodie Foster’s birth name 46 Low clouds
47 Musical tone quality 48 Natural light show 53 Barely managed, with “out” 54 Traditional Passover barley offering 57 Granola kernel 58 Keats creation 59 Marked, as a ballot 60 Prefix with -logue 61 Male issue
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
By Joe Kidd ©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
COMEDIC WRITER needed to write funny captions. Pay is $25 for 12 captions. Basically ~ $2 per caption. Contact mitchelj@ umich.edu.
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Friday, April 12, 2019 — 7
‘M’ must handle emotion in rivalries Jordan Brewer making impact AVI RAJENDRA-NICOLUCCI Daily Sports Writer
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Michigan coach Carol Hutchins tells her players not to make a big deal of rivalry games, such as those against Ohio State.
AKUL VIJAYVARGIYA Daily Sports Writer
Every Michigan fan, athlete and coach understands the significance of a matchup against Ohio State and Michigan State. The Wolverines’ rivalries with these two colleges are some of the most storied in collegiate athletics, and winning a road game in Columbus or East Lansing presents a formidable task. But this is a task the Michigan softball team has been handed to continue its 15-game win streak and a challenge it will have to conquer in its hunt to host a regional site in this year’s NCAA Tournament — something the program hasn’t done since 2016. And it’s not just a single matchup away from home. First, the Wolverines will head to Columbus for a weekend series before traveling to East Lansing for a Tuesday-night standoff against the Spartans. Though no more is needed to set the stage for the next four games, these rivalries go past the names of each school. When Michigan lines up on the diamond against the Buckeyes this Friday, coach Carol Hutchins will be shaking the hand of 1995 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, Michigan
great and Ohio State coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly. “I’m always proud of my (former players) when I see them out on the field,” Hutchins said. “(Schoenly’s) done a really good job at Ohio State and I was watching their game last night seeing her in an Ohio State hat. I’m proud of her, proud of what they do. “I told (the players), trying to go to Ohio State, it’s a brawl. And I think Ohio State on their field is even tougher. But we really try not to make, people ask who our rival is and all that jazz. To me every game counts the same, whether you’re playing Rutgers or Ohio State or Michigan State or Minnesota. They all count the same.” Freshman outfielder Lexie Blair, who has yet to play in such an intense rivalry game, recounted how she and sophomore shortstop Natalia Rodriguez pretended to box one another during practice as if they were in a game against the Buckeyes. “I wanna see that on the field, I wanna see you attack them,” Rodriguez told her. As for Tuesday’s competition, it is no secret that Michigan State is Hutchins’ alma mater. “I get to see the plaque of the national championship when we
won, and right on their outfield fence is ‘1976 AIAW Champions,’ ” Hutchins said as she pointed to an imaginary banner. “I give all the freshmen a history lesson. But I wanna win there just like I wanna win (against Ohio State) and nothing else changes.” The history with these two teams and the Wolverines goes beyond Hutchins’ ties. Michigan’s most recent results against the Buckeyes and Spartans were convincing losses — by nine and seven runs, respectively — late in the Big Ten season that ended up dictating the course of the Wolverines’ postseason. And even though this season’s rivalry games are earlier in the year, it doesn’t undermine the importance of proving that the team can win on the road after playing 11 of the last 15 at Alumni Field. “You don’t wanna get your emotions too involved, whether you’re on the field or in the dugout,” Hutchins said. “You want to play with great heart and great intensity, but the minute you start getting emotional, your emotions are going to get in the way.” But this is easier said than done. The only way to prove whether the players can understand this? If their win streak is at 19 come Wednesday morning.
Last season, Jordan Brewer was playing against the likes of Dyersburg State and Wabash Valley College. The junior outfielder transferred from Lincoln Trail College, a community college of 1,031 people based in rural Robinson, Ill. — to Michigan last year. The expectations on paper would usually be low for a player making the jump from JUCO to a major Division I program, but coach Erik Bakich had other ideas in the preseason. “A junior college player named Jordan Brewer can play outfield and infield and first base,” Bakich said in February. “Throws left handed, hits right handed, but one of our most explosive athletes. Just a very dynamic player. He’s made probably the most improvements of anyone probably from the fall until now so he’s going to be pushing for playing time as well.” Brewer has exceeded expectations thus far. He leads the Wolverines in batting average, RBIs, stolen bases and is tied for the lead in home runs. Defensively, Brewer has been utilized in both the infield and outfield and truly lives up to his versatility. At 6-foot-1
and 195 pounds, he possesses a rare combination of power and speed that makes him dangerous all over the field. And Brewer hasn’t been phased at all by the transition from toiling in JUCO to the bright lights of the Big Ten. “You know you dream of this as a little kid,” Brewer said. “This is just a replay of a little kid, you’re dreaming of this situation, of being in this situation. So, this is nothing new. JUCO only had twenty people and then you come out here to 1,100 people. It’s just cool to see everyone out here supporting and seeing my family out here. It’s just awesome to see everyone come out.” Brewer is leading off the field as well. He has focused on helping those in the special needs community. He suggested the teammates participate in Night To Shine, an event run by the Tim Tebow Foundation, which provides a prom experience for those with special needs around the world. On his own, Brewer brought the idea to the locker room and his teammates agreed to participate. His maturity off the field helps bring perspective to the locker room. His involvement in the Ann Arbor community is unusual, especially for someone who
transferred in, and it’s something Bakich feels his team needs to have. “(Jordan Brewer is) so much more than baseball,” Bakich said. “This is a kid that brought the Night To Shine event to our team. He’s a guy that’s very invested in the community and giving back. “That was one of the coolest things that our program has ever done and that’s something he brought. He brings that selflessness and just that great spirit out here every day. He’s always got a smile on his face.” It’s hard to quantify just how much Brewer means to this team. His charisma and playmaking on the field have made the difference in several games this season — a grand slam against Manhattan, two diving catches against Minnesota and many more “web gem” plays. The way Brewer has embraced this team and been embraced makes it seem like he’s been here for all three years of his college career. “He’s a positive life-force,” Bakich said. “He’s an energygiver. He brightens up a room, he brightens up a locker room, he brightens up a dugout, he’s just fun to be around. “So yeah, his transition’s been good.”
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Junior Jordan Brewer played at Lincoln Trail Community College before transferring to Michigan ahead of the season.
Gators beat Wolverines, 4-3, ending eight-match winning streak THOMAS WEISS For the Daily
Comebacks in singles matches were not enough to stop Florida’s aggressive play in the Michigan women’s tennis team’s final non-conference match of the season. On Thursday afternoon, No. 14 Michigan (13-5 overall, 9-0 Big Ten) took on No. 23 Florida (11-9 overall, 7-5 SEC) at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville, Fla. The Wolverines, the top team in the Big Ten, were unable to claim the victory, losing, 4-3, and ending their eight-match win streak. Michigan seniors Kate Fahey
and Brienne Minor competed in their ninth doubles match together and battled Florida’s Victoria Emma and McCartney Kessler. After being down 3-0, they brought the match back to 5-4. But the Gators proved to be too much, handing Fahey and Minor their first doubles loss together, 6-4. Michigan’s three points came from singles victories from Fahey, Minor and sophomore Alyvia Jones. Fahey won a close first set, 6-4, against Ida Jarlskog and continued her success in the second set, winning 6-0. This victory gave Fahey her third-straight season with 30 wins and added to her outstanding 0.815 career win
percentage and 124-28 record, the best in school history. Minor won her first set easily by a score of 6-1 and a close second set, 6-4, defeating Emma in singles. Finally, Jones won both the first and second sets, 6-2, against Gator freshman Sydney Berlin. “Brie and Kate both came out and played the tennis that they’re capable of,” said Michigan associate head coach Teryn Fitch. “It definitely gives the team a lot
of confidence going into the rest of the matches even though we didn’t get the result we wanted.” Florida’s Tsveta Dimitrova and Michigan freshman Anca Craciun added to the intensity of the singles matches. Craciun won the first set, 6-2, but dropped the second, 6-2, and ultimately lost the deciding set, 6-1. Michigan junior Giulia Pairone faced Kessler, winning the first set, 6-2, and losing the second, 7-5. After a backand-forth deciding set with long rallies, Pairone lost the third set by a score of 6-4, which secured the victory for Florida. Michigan junior Chiara Lommer also played a
Everybody really does believe in each other.
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Senior Kate Fahey reached 30 wins for the third-straight season.
close match against Florida’s Marlee Zein but failed to claim the victory, losing the first set, 7-5, and the second, 6-1. “We feel pretty good about doubles but there’s definitely room to improve,” Fitch said. “We put ourselves in a great
position today, but, at times, it got pretty tough. Where we are as a team now is much better than where we were four weeks ago, and everybody really does believe in each other, so that’s going to pay off in the postseason.”
Sports
8 — Friday, April 12, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Quinn Nordin, Jake Moody and the benefits of a kicking competition ARIA GERSON
Daily Sports Writer
Jim Harbaugh frequently preaches a “no job is safe” mentality, playing up competitions for starting spots, even at positions where that role is all but determined by the start of spring practice. But if there’s one player who hasn’t really faced a true positional battle in his time at Michigan, it’s redshirt junior kicker Quinn Nordin. For a season and a half, the job was his and it wasn’t really a question. Now, though? He’s locked in a bona fide battle with sophomore Jake Moody, a battle Harbaugh called “neck and neck” on April 3. “It’s not what you want (if you’re Nordin),” said safeties and special teams coach Chris Partridge on Thursday. “It’s not what anyone asked for. But he’s gotten adverse situations, he looked it in the eyes and come in and he’s competed. He hasn’t backed down from it.” Nordin was as hyped as a kicker recruit can be — an in-state kid who was the No. 1 player at his position in the country, a player that Harbaugh famously wanted so much that he slept over at Nordin’s house in an effort to secure his commitment. The sleepover worked, but the rest hasn’t gone according to plan. Nordin redshirted in 2016, and going into 2017, the job was his. Crystal clear. There was no competition, no one else who even attempted a single field goal the entire season.
He made 19-of-24 that year and his inconsistency was on full display. He made a 55-yarder in the season opener, but during a four-game stretch in October and November, he missed four-straight kicks and two extra points. It was the kind of performance that inspired an eyeroll, a declaration of “college kickers!” and a video of Harbaugh in a shouting match with Nordin on the sidelines — not one expected from a onetime No. 1 recruit. In 2018, the job was once again handed to him. But the performance only got worse. Nordin was just 11-for-16 on field goals and notably missed two in a win over Wisconsin. Two weeks later, against Indiana, Nordin was reported out with an undisclosed illness. Moody trotted out in his place. The rest is history. Moody made six kicks — a program record no one saw coming — that saved the game. Even with Michigan facing its two biggest games of the season, Nordin didn’t attempt another field goal the rest of the way. Moody took the reins and performed well against Ohio State and Florida. Nordin, instead, sat on the sidelines, his job in jeopardy due to a freshman that — like most kickers — nobody had heard of going in. Nordin was just another kicker, albeit one with a prominent sleepover anecdote to his name. Now, if Nordin wants his job back, he’ll have to truly beat Moody rather than coasting on
He looked it in the eyes and come in and he’s competed.
He’s gotta grow and understand that that’s what this world is.
RUCHITA IYER/Daily
Redshirt junior kicker Quinn Nordin is in a competition for the starting job for the first time ever, after getting benched for Jake Moody late last season.
the hype that once surrounded him so long ago. “He’s gotta grow and understand that that’s what this world is,” Partridge said. “We had conversations about, you wanna kick, you’ve got the ability to kick further in your career and go to the NFL, well, they’re constantly gonna bring in people to compete and beat you out and this is how you have to handle it.” It would be easy for Nordin and Moody to treat the competition as a zero-sum game — and subsequently feel resentment toward each other about it. But that’s not how it’s been. The two are friends,
working out together and encouraging each other every step of the way. Both also recognize the benefits of the battle, because ultimately, knowing that they truly have to earn their job makes each one better. According to Partridge, each has missed two or three field goals in practice, with Nordin hitting a few deeper ones, but nothing enough to create separation. And for Nordin especially, perhaps this was just what he needed. Amid the uncertainty, he’s found a maturity that wasn’t present before. “He’s just putting everything
You’ve got the ability to kick further in your career.
on himself and attacking the football and not really thinking about his leg swing as much and just relying on what he’s coached and what he does,” Partridge said. “He tends to overthink sometimes. I think his maturity has helped him not do that. … He’s really matured from (the competition) and handled it a really, really good way.” In all likelihood, there won’t be any clarity as to the winner of that competition until one trots out on the field Aug. 31 against Middle Tennessee State. And even then, the one who does win will come in knowing that if he performs poorly, it’s his job to
lose. But with both Nordin and Moody performing well in spring ball — even getting a nod from Partridge as “two of the best kickers around” — perhaps this is a validation of Harbaugh’s philosophy. No job is safe, and both are better players because of it. “They both go out there and compete every single day,” said junior defensive back Brad Hawkins. “They both go out there and be the best players that they can be for this football team, so they’re both doing what they do best. Just kicking the ball and competing against each other.”
They both go out there and compete every single day.
In replacing Kinnel, J’Marick Woods develops beyond hitting hard ETHAN SEARS
Managing Sports Editor
It was his freshman year, Ambry Thomas thinks. His first spring ball. That was when he first saw J’Marick Woods take off a guy’s head. “I was at corner. He was at safety,” Thomas says. “He came down like on a basic route and just took the tight end out.” In the middle of the sentence, Thomas claps for emphasis. “Crazy. From a freshman that just got up out of high school.” There is, of course, a difference between being someone who hits hard and being a good football player. As Woods enters his junior season as a presumptive
starter alongside Josh Metellus, it’s a gap those surrounding him think he’s successfully bridged. When Woods came into the program, safeties and special teams coach Chris Partridge said, there was some developing to do. He was 17 years old and had to adjust to college ball on both a physical and mental level. That means learning a playbook and it means developing in the weight room. “He was like a baby deer running around,” Partridge said. “And he is now developed into a man.” In the past, the Wolverines didn’t need Woods as anything more than a depth piece. Last season, Metellus and Tyree Kinnel could dependably take the bulk of snaps at the position — between them, the
two missed just one game. Metellus is back and will undoubtedly be a leader for the defense, as Partridge said multiple times on Thursday. But Kinnel has graduated, and that’s a void Woods will be expected to fill. “I’ve seen his athleticism,” said fifthyear senior linebacker Jordan Glasgow. “His potential, like, in terms of size. He’s 6-(foot)-3, 210, 205 (pounds), I’m not sure. Fast, can hit harder than I’ve really ever seen anyone. He can really put his body out there and lay it all on the line.” Woods’ game has gotten
more refined. He’s got the playbook down, which means there’s time to work on technique. That seems to be going pretty well. “He’s controlling his body,” Partridge said. “We saw it in December, before the bowl game. And he’s come into this spring ball and he’s been lights out to where he had to develop a little bit. And we’re excited about him. Like I said, he’s becoming a man. He’s taking a stronghold. He’s seeing formations. He’s taking coaching.” The hitting, that’s still there. It has been since day
He came down ... and just took the tight end out.
one, and it’s still a defining characteristic. Glasgow called Woods the hardest hitter on the team and when told that, Thomas concurred, and put it simply. “He lay that wood,” the junior corner said. Hitting so hard in spring ball that the sound reverberates throughout the practice field, as Glasgow recalled, sets one hell of a tone. “That gets everyone going,” Glasgow said. “... Just makes everyone stop and say, ‘Oh, shit. This guy’s going 100 miles an hour.’ And that makes everyone else wanna do that as well.” Kinnel’s departure is far
from the only one Michigan will have to answer for come the fall. With Chase Winovich, Rashan Gary and Devin Bush all gone as well, the void Kinnel leaves is one the Wolverines don’t have quite as much time to think about. If Woods can make it so they don’t have to think about it at all, that’s all the better. “We want dogs. We want people that want to be here,” Thomas said. “We want people ready to compete. And when I know he’s beside me, or people on defense beside me, I know they’re coming to play with me.”
Just makes everyone stop and say, “Oh, shit.”
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Junior safety J’Marick Woods is known for being a hard hitter but has refined his technical ability since his freshman season and will likely replace Tyree Kinnel.